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Tinder Stricken
On Tselaya Mountain, all humans transform into animals as a consequence of age — but for fieldwoman Esha, goat horns began growing in when she was just a child. Now in her forties, unmarried and alone, Esha scrambles to pay for her own retirement before she is more goat than person.
But when Esha stumbles into the wrong patch of forest, a wild phoenix steals her heirloom khukuri knife. Unwilling to lose her treasure before she can sell it, Esha forges a deal with Atarangi, a back-alley diplomat who speaks to animals. Together, the two women climb mountain plateaus to reach the wild phoenix’s territory. With enough tact and translation magic, the bird might be convinced to give Esha’s retirement fund back.
But the question why did the phoenix steal an heirloom in the first place? What debt could a wild, free creature possibly need to pay?
Tinder Stricken is an adventure story driven by friendship, philosophy and language. It is set in a magical fantasy world inspired by Nepal, Tibet and China, populated by humans and other intelligent beings. This book is a stand-alone story with a clear ending.
But when Esha stumbles into the wrong patch of forest, a wild phoenix steals her heirloom khukuri knife. Unwilling to lose her treasure before she can sell it, Esha forges a deal with Atarangi, a back-alley diplomat who speaks to animals. Together, the two women climb mountain plateaus to reach the wild phoenix’s territory. With enough tact and translation magic, the bird might be convinced to give Esha’s retirement fund back.
But the question why did the phoenix steal an heirloom in the first place? What debt could a wild, free creature possibly need to pay?
Tinder Stricken is an adventure story driven by friendship, philosophy and language. It is set in a magical fantasy world inspired by Nepal, Tibet and China, populated by humans and other intelligent beings. This book is a stand-alone story with a clear ending.
- GenresFantasy
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2015
1 person is currently reading
217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 8, 2016
Thanks to Heidi C Vlach for giving me this book to review.
On Tselaya Mountain, all humans transform in to animals as they age. In her forties, Esha is unmarried, alone and is struggling to gather enough money for her retirement before she is more goat than human. When a wild phoenix steals her expensive heirloom, the khukuri knife, she seeks help from Atarangi, a diplomat with speaks with animals. They have to climb the mountains to reach the phoenix’s territory and are hopeful they can convince it to give Esha’s knife back but why would a phoenix want her heirloom?
Tinder Stricken is an OK fantasy with an interesting story concept, with people who turn into animals as they grow older and that eating certain foods can let a person speak another language or to animals. Even though it is a story of self-discovery and not judging others, I struggled getting into it and for a shortish novel it look me a while to read.
Esha has had to struggle for everything is her adult life and she is lonely, but during the story she becomes more accepting with the help of the other characters especially Atarangi. However, I did find it hard to connect with the other characters in this novel.
I really struggled with Tinder Stricken but I have a feeling that had more to with me than this book.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
On Tselaya Mountain, all humans transform in to animals as they age. In her forties, Esha is unmarried, alone and is struggling to gather enough money for her retirement before she is more goat than human. When a wild phoenix steals her expensive heirloom, the khukuri knife, she seeks help from Atarangi, a diplomat with speaks with animals. They have to climb the mountains to reach the phoenix’s territory and are hopeful they can convince it to give Esha’s knife back but why would a phoenix want her heirloom?
Tinder Stricken is an OK fantasy with an interesting story concept, with people who turn into animals as they grow older and that eating certain foods can let a person speak another language or to animals. Even though it is a story of self-discovery and not judging others, I struggled getting into it and for a shortish novel it look me a while to read.
Esha has had to struggle for everything is her adult life and she is lonely, but during the story she becomes more accepting with the help of the other characters especially Atarangi. However, I did find it hard to connect with the other characters in this novel.
I really struggled with Tinder Stricken but I have a feeling that had more to with me than this book.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
August 3, 2016
***** 5 Cranky Stars *****
This is not a frivolous book. It is involved and layered and totally awesome.
The author has built a fantasy world which caught and held my attention from the first paragraph. It is a world that deals with caste systems, a society held firmly under a tyrannical Imperial thumb where EVERYTHING is monitored and regulated by the Empire.
t tells the story of people who transcend into animals at the end of their lives, and deals with the issues of intolerance, friendships and trust that grows between beings from different castes and even across species.
This is not a love story or a romance, rather a story of growing relationships that take the main characters on a adventurous quest and I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy.
I congratulate the author on this beautifully written book. I am waiting for the next book with bated breath.
June 11, 2018
This isn't a bad book. It's different, with lots of different ideas -- people who turn into animals as they grow older; special herbs that let you understand other cultures/species. But it was just a little too slow to be compelling reading.
I couldn't quite visualize the world as it was described, but it was different. That's a good thing in my world.
I couldn't quite visualize the world as it was described, but it was different. That's a good thing in my world.
August 22, 2015
This book is truly wonderful, because it is full of wonder. Those phoenixes, oh, the phoenixes! I am in love with those birds, particularly Rooftop. But it’s not just the creatures that bring wonder, it’s the world itself and the magic and the way humans don’t just grow old, but gradually change into animals as they age. It’s all so clever and different and beautifully imagined. I found the whole thing an unexpected delight.
From the very first scene, Esha does not appear to be a very heroic character, and in truth she’s not. She’s a woman to whom life hasn’t been particularly kind, so she has learnt to be cowardly and underhand when dealing with others. Social class is rigid on Tselaya mountain and Esha is a poor fieldwoman, who spends her life growing yams and hoping to somehow earn enough money to one day retire as her body slowly betrays her to the goat. However, since this is unlikely, she has learnt to be sneaky with the truth and to take advantage where she can in the hopes of making small gains here and there.
Which is how she comes to lose her valuable khukuri knife to a wild phoenix. Most people on the mountain see the birds as pests, ones who steal crops and set fields on fire with the striking tools on their tails. Luckily for Esha, Atarangi is a foreign diplomat who embraces the magical field of animism and talks to animals, especially phoenixes. The two women strike a deal to find the wild phoenix and try to regain Esha’s property.
But this story is about so much more than the physical journey up the mountain. It’s about more than the knife and a good retirement fund for a low level field worker. With the use of Atarangi and her outside view of Esha’s country, they begin to explore the prejudices that have ruled Esha’s life and the beliefs that have closed her mind off to the real magic around her. I loved how Atarangi opens Esha’s mind without ever lecturing or judging her. She makes her views pretty clear at certain times, but she never imposes her own views on the other woman. And gorgeous Rooftop, the tame phoenix, does more than anyone to teach Esha the error of her ways. I adored him so much.
I also loved the magic of this world. The lungta that floats down from the sky to nourish all growing things and is gained from eating plant foods. A quick chew on a nut or something similar, and a person can talk to someone of another language. A little more food and a bit more effort and a human can talk to an animal. It’s so simple, yet works so beautifully. I also adored the phoenix way of talking, so rich with colours and hues. It’s gorgeous.
The story itself is slow and subtle, gradually unwinding like the road that spirals up the mountain. It starts off so simple – more money for Esha’s retirement fund – and gradually broadens out and out, picking up new characters along the way, each with their own goals and secrets and hopes. It does take a while to really hit its stride, and Esha isn’t the most likeable of characters at first, but stick with it because once Atarangi and the phoenixes get involved the whole tale becomes delightful.
It’s not perfect, though. The author’s occasionally quirky turn of phrase might not please everyone and there were a couple of things I would have liked to have known more of – Esha’s marriage, just what Clamshell actually did to offend certain parties – but the whole story just drew me in so quietly and surely that I almost didn’t want to find my way out again.
If you’re looking for a fantasy read that takes you into a far different world from what the genre usually offers and enjoy a story that prefers to keep things small, rather than aiming to change the world, you should definitely give this a try. The magic is clever but subtle, the world is beautifully imagined and takes plenty of inspiration from Nepalese culture and the phoenixes are beautiful. It also carries a strong cast of characters as it heads out on an enjoyable journey that is as much of the heart and mind as the physical body. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing what this author can come up with next – especially if it involves more phoenixes.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
From the very first scene, Esha does not appear to be a very heroic character, and in truth she’s not. She’s a woman to whom life hasn’t been particularly kind, so she has learnt to be cowardly and underhand when dealing with others. Social class is rigid on Tselaya mountain and Esha is a poor fieldwoman, who spends her life growing yams and hoping to somehow earn enough money to one day retire as her body slowly betrays her to the goat. However, since this is unlikely, she has learnt to be sneaky with the truth and to take advantage where she can in the hopes of making small gains here and there.
Which is how she comes to lose her valuable khukuri knife to a wild phoenix. Most people on the mountain see the birds as pests, ones who steal crops and set fields on fire with the striking tools on their tails. Luckily for Esha, Atarangi is a foreign diplomat who embraces the magical field of animism and talks to animals, especially phoenixes. The two women strike a deal to find the wild phoenix and try to regain Esha’s property.
But this story is about so much more than the physical journey up the mountain. It’s about more than the knife and a good retirement fund for a low level field worker. With the use of Atarangi and her outside view of Esha’s country, they begin to explore the prejudices that have ruled Esha’s life and the beliefs that have closed her mind off to the real magic around her. I loved how Atarangi opens Esha’s mind without ever lecturing or judging her. She makes her views pretty clear at certain times, but she never imposes her own views on the other woman. And gorgeous Rooftop, the tame phoenix, does more than anyone to teach Esha the error of her ways. I adored him so much.
I also loved the magic of this world. The lungta that floats down from the sky to nourish all growing things and is gained from eating plant foods. A quick chew on a nut or something similar, and a person can talk to someone of another language. A little more food and a bit more effort and a human can talk to an animal. It’s so simple, yet works so beautifully. I also adored the phoenix way of talking, so rich with colours and hues. It’s gorgeous.
The story itself is slow and subtle, gradually unwinding like the road that spirals up the mountain. It starts off so simple – more money for Esha’s retirement fund – and gradually broadens out and out, picking up new characters along the way, each with their own goals and secrets and hopes. It does take a while to really hit its stride, and Esha isn’t the most likeable of characters at first, but stick with it because once Atarangi and the phoenixes get involved the whole tale becomes delightful.
It’s not perfect, though. The author’s occasionally quirky turn of phrase might not please everyone and there were a couple of things I would have liked to have known more of – Esha’s marriage, just what Clamshell actually did to offend certain parties – but the whole story just drew me in so quietly and surely that I almost didn’t want to find my way out again.
If you’re looking for a fantasy read that takes you into a far different world from what the genre usually offers and enjoy a story that prefers to keep things small, rather than aiming to change the world, you should definitely give this a try. The magic is clever but subtle, the world is beautifully imagined and takes plenty of inspiration from Nepalese culture and the phoenixes are beautiful. It also carries a strong cast of characters as it heads out on an enjoyable journey that is as much of the heart and mind as the physical body. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing what this author can come up with next – especially if it involves more phoenixes.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
January 22, 2016
Compelling, Imaginative and Relatable
From the first page, I knew I had entered a world far different from mine. Yet, despite the differences, there was an undercurrent of familiarity. Tinder Stricken is an imaginative tale of a lowly field worker, named Esha, who is struggling to not only survive but to plan for her very near and uncertain future...as a goat. Esha is a lonely soul who has been disowned by her high-ranking family, divorced, and finally demoted to Yam Plateau as a downtrodden member of the “Of the Fields” caste. As the story evolves, so do Esha’s goat traits and her determination to leave a mark on this world before she completely loses her humanness. What starts as a purely selfish quest to regain a stolen treasure from a thieving phoenix, becomes a journey of self-discovery and selflessness whereby Esha finally, and definitively, leaves her mark on the world…and learns what true friendship is along the way.
Heidi Vlach weaves a well-written, compelling and inspiring story. While it took me a few pages to begin to understand what world I had jumped into, by the middle of the story, I was invested. One thing that would be useful, is some sort of a glossary of terms – especially those created by the author. I found the variations in language between species to be quite creative and amusing at times, and not unlike the challenges faced when communicating between human cultures and sub-cultures in our own world. I found the steady transformation of Esha, especially in the way she relates to Atarangi, Rooftop and Nimble, to be believable and relatable.
While not a regular reader of fantasy novels, I found Tinder Stricken quite engaging and even reminiscent, in terms of relatability and creativity, of another recent fantasy novel by Kamilla Reid called, Miist. Regardless of your genre of choice, Tinder Stricken is sure to entertain and possibly even speak to your heart.
From the first page, I knew I had entered a world far different from mine. Yet, despite the differences, there was an undercurrent of familiarity. Tinder Stricken is an imaginative tale of a lowly field worker, named Esha, who is struggling to not only survive but to plan for her very near and uncertain future...as a goat. Esha is a lonely soul who has been disowned by her high-ranking family, divorced, and finally demoted to Yam Plateau as a downtrodden member of the “Of the Fields” caste. As the story evolves, so do Esha’s goat traits and her determination to leave a mark on this world before she completely loses her humanness. What starts as a purely selfish quest to regain a stolen treasure from a thieving phoenix, becomes a journey of self-discovery and selflessness whereby Esha finally, and definitively, leaves her mark on the world…and learns what true friendship is along the way.
Heidi Vlach weaves a well-written, compelling and inspiring story. While it took me a few pages to begin to understand what world I had jumped into, by the middle of the story, I was invested. One thing that would be useful, is some sort of a glossary of terms – especially those created by the author. I found the variations in language between species to be quite creative and amusing at times, and not unlike the challenges faced when communicating between human cultures and sub-cultures in our own world. I found the steady transformation of Esha, especially in the way she relates to Atarangi, Rooftop and Nimble, to be believable and relatable.
While not a regular reader of fantasy novels, I found Tinder Stricken quite engaging and even reminiscent, in terms of relatability and creativity, of another recent fantasy novel by Kamilla Reid called, Miist. Regardless of your genre of choice, Tinder Stricken is sure to entertain and possibly even speak to your heart.
October 17, 2015
Thanking the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review Tinder Stricken.
It all starts at the Janjuman’s farm where she and Gita try to make ends meet and come up with a plan to make a little extra money. That’s when things go wrong. Not only does Gita [spoiler removed]. Soon after, Esha also finds herself in a sorry plight and a phoenix takes off with Kanakasipt khukuri, a priceless heirloom knife, she kept for her retirement. She’s desperate and forges a deal with a diplomat, Atarangi - who’s an animist and thus able to speak with animals. The women set off on an adventure, trying to find the bird… and Esha’s khukuri.
Not only did I like the way Vlach’s way of writing & the plot with its twists. The characters are well developed and you notice there’s been thought about. A lot. The way they communicate with the animals is simply brilliant! I have to admit, talking with animals sounded a bit cheesy at first, perhaps even childish. But lungta!? Who could possibly come up with that idea!? It surely made me change my mind! The only thing I’m not sure about, is the water snakes’ language. Ok, it certainly brought variation, but at times I felt it kinda interrupted the smooth flow I experienced throughout the rest of the story.
A beautiful Nepal-inspired tale which will make you philosophise and reflect a thing or two on your own life!
It all starts at the Janjuman’s farm where she and Gita try to make ends meet and come up with a plan to make a little extra money. That’s when things go wrong. Not only does Gita [spoiler removed]. Soon after, Esha also finds herself in a sorry plight and a phoenix takes off with Kanakasipt khukuri, a priceless heirloom knife, she kept for her retirement. She’s desperate and forges a deal with a diplomat, Atarangi - who’s an animist and thus able to speak with animals. The women set off on an adventure, trying to find the bird… and Esha’s khukuri.
Not only did I like the way Vlach’s way of writing & the plot with its twists. The characters are well developed and you notice there’s been thought about. A lot. The way they communicate with the animals is simply brilliant! I have to admit, talking with animals sounded a bit cheesy at first, perhaps even childish. But lungta!? Who could possibly come up with that idea!? It surely made me change my mind! The only thing I’m not sure about, is the water snakes’ language. Ok, it certainly brought variation, but at times I felt it kinda interrupted the smooth flow I experienced throughout the rest of the story.
A beautiful Nepal-inspired tale which will make you philosophise and reflect a thing or two on your own life!
October 4, 2016
The premise of this book hooked me: a yam-farming woman is turning into a goat. Whoa. What's not to love?
Unfortunately I didn't love it so much. I found it hard to get through. About half way through it held my attention a bit more, and it got better towards the end. Perhaps my biggest problem was with the world building. The book would have been helped with one illustration of the mountain at the front of the book. And what is lungta? I seriously have no idea what the hell it is. It helps you speak to animals. It also settles on the ground, carried on the wind. Is it magical? So is there lungta in everything? Is lungta just plants? Magic plants (but not pot, I'm assuming)? I'd like more explanation of the world in general but these were my biggest two head-scratchers.
Honestly I'd give it 4 stars if it weren't for the spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors. This looks like it was self published, and yes, it's awesome that an author got their story out, but it needs editing. You also don't need to pay anyone to help you -- beta readers are awesome and generally just like reading and helping.
At the end of the day, it was an alright book.
And...
I hope one day I'll turn into a goat, no kidding.
Unfortunately I didn't love it so much. I found it hard to get through. About half way through it held my attention a bit more, and it got better towards the end. Perhaps my biggest problem was with the world building. The book would have been helped with one illustration of the mountain at the front of the book. And what is lungta? I seriously have no idea what the hell it is. It helps you speak to animals. It also settles on the ground, carried on the wind. Is it magical? So is there lungta in everything? Is lungta just plants? Magic plants (but not pot, I'm assuming)? I'd like more explanation of the world in general but these were my biggest two head-scratchers.
Honestly I'd give it 4 stars if it weren't for the spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors. This looks like it was self published, and yes, it's awesome that an author got their story out, but it needs editing. You also don't need to pay anyone to help you -- beta readers are awesome and generally just like reading and helping.
At the end of the day, it was an alright book.
And...
I hope one day I'll turn into a goat, no kidding.
January 2, 2016
I received this book via Early Reviewers Group.
Thank you.
The book cover design is beautifully toned in purplish darkness and leads to total mystery about what the story will be about as much as simple phoenix on the cover, which is cool.
The book has debut idea on fantasy level. It starts with the picture where it leads the reader in drastic survival of main characters at the very beginning , where one of the main characters takes a decision which consequences takes her into multiple next actions and decisions.
Although the main character is rough she also makes the reader think - a comparison to nowadays life where a person wants to reach that one point, which after he or she won't have to worry more about survival/ existence matters or any matter that corrupts a person.
The author has beautifully given the description and drawn a picture of Nepalese caste system within the story line, which limits the characters and makes them wish and do go for that extra mile to reach it, weighting the decisions they make.
Thank you.
The book cover design is beautifully toned in purplish darkness and leads to total mystery about what the story will be about as much as simple phoenix on the cover, which is cool.
The book has debut idea on fantasy level. It starts with the picture where it leads the reader in drastic survival of main characters at the very beginning , where one of the main characters takes a decision which consequences takes her into multiple next actions and decisions.
Although the main character is rough she also makes the reader think - a comparison to nowadays life where a person wants to reach that one point, which after he or she won't have to worry more about survival/ existence matters or any matter that corrupts a person.
The author has beautifully given the description and drawn a picture of Nepalese caste system within the story line, which limits the characters and makes them wish and do go for that extra mile to reach it, weighting the decisions they make.
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July 15, 2016Tinder Stricken
by
Heidi C. Vlach
From page one I was drawn into the fantasy world so skillfully woven by this author.
It is a complex and well rounded world which is well and truly under the control of the Empire and a crippling caste system.
This book is not a romance novel but rather it explores relationships between castes and even between species, building friendships and trust.
It is an awesome read and I rate it 5 five Five stars!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
by
Heidi C. Vlach
From page one I was drawn into the fantasy world so skillfully woven by this author.
It is a complex and well rounded world which is well and truly under the control of the Empire and a crippling caste system.
This book is not a romance novel but rather it explores relationships between castes and even between species, building friendships and trust.
It is an awesome read and I rate it 5 five Five stars!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 22, 2021
I flew through this. It's a shorter read, but by far that doesn't mean it's a light read as it is full of metaphor and allegory.
I will have to reread it to write a review that is a bit more in detail later.
I will have to reread it to write a review that is a bit more in detail later.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews