TIGER MAGIC

Returning to the charm of the first installment, Yep finishes Tom’s tale with more sweetness than adrenaline.

Tom, partly a tiger, is reluctant caretaker for the prematurely hatched baby phoenix, who shouldn’t have been born before the world achieves peace. His slapdash but loyal family led by Mr. Hu is joined by a plethora of magical creatures based satisfyingly on ancient Chinese lore; other mythological creatures fight for monstrous Vatten, who wants to use the phoenix’s powers to make the sky fall. Tom must fight the temptation to use the phoenix for good, which would inevitably lead to power hunger and the slippery slope towards evil. Similarities to Lord of the Rings are not unwelcome. Battle scenes are factual, if a bit dry, but Tom’s negotiation of cerebral vs. emotional instincts, and his ever-increasing tenderness towards his “child,” is touching. Here be monsters, but never too harrowingly.

A nice choice for sensitive readers.