Title: Tyger Tyger
Author: Kersten Hamilton
Publication Date: 11/15/2010
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 320 Pages
Format: Hardcover
Genre: YA paranormal romance
Price: $17.00
ISBN: 9780547330082
Advance reader copy courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Plot Synopsis: Teagan Wylltson’s best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures–goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty–are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn’t worried. Her life isn’t in danger. In fact, it’s perfect. She’s on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She’s focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn’s a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he’s crazy or he’s been haunting Abby’s dreams, because he’s talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby’s right. The goblins are coming.

Review: This is an exciting blend of action adventure and paranormal romance in the YA genre, and it’s a charming read with a storyline that’ll keep you interested.

Goblins. Just saying that word conjures a very specific association in most readers’ minds, especially in fantasy novels. Traditionally cast as bitter, ugly little dwarfs who spread as much havoc to as many people as they can, we usually think of them as short, green little monsters who, instead of being taken seriously as credible villains, are often laughed off and dismissed as little more than bothersome henchmen to the evil overlord villain. They’re traditionally stuck in the domain of high fantasy series and D&D guides, which doesn’t help their case for getting taken seriously because they’re usually little more than stock characters who are a perpetual pain in the main character’s ass.

Kersten Hamilton sets out to dispel this common association in “Tyger Tyger,” her first novel for young adults, and paints goblins in a new way as much darker and more sinister dark elf/dark fae/fallen angel types who are definitely not annoying little pests. In this reinterpretation, goblins are part of the Sidhe races, or the fae, who are more than pesky nuisances that are just thrown in as the novel’s protagonists, Teagen and Finn Mac Cumhaill, discover. Teagan in particular learns this the hard way.

Chasing the Finn Mac Cumhaill of legend, one of the teenage boy’s ancestors (although he seems loathe to admit it at first) is their preoccupation. Goblins hunted the legendary Fionn and his true love and screwed their lives up pretty badly. They also vowed to continue this each century for the new Mac Cumhaill. Our female protagonist, Teagen, who is a self-professed animal lover and volunteers at the zoo, makes it clear to Finn right off the bat that she’s focused completely on getting into medical school and as such doesn’t have time for a boyfriend. Well, at least that’s what she says

If you enjoy Irish lore and you like your YA peppered with a healthy dose of a high fantasy set in the modern day, you’ll really appreciate reading Tyger Tyger.