Dancing with the Tiger

by Lili Wright

Taut, acidly witty, menacingly erotic, and often absolutely this is a literary thriller of propulsive force that introduces a powerful storyteller.

*An Edgar Finalist for Best First Novel
*Semifinalist for the 2017 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
 
It begins when a meth-addicted grave robber unearths the death mask of Montezuma, setting off a violent struggle for its possession. There is the drug lord who employs him, who would kill for that mask. There is the expat American collector, sinister and possibly mad. There is the greatly respected curator, who for a fee will provide provenances for his country’s looted artifacts, and his long-suffering housekeeper, a deeply religious lesbian in a culture of machismo, who despises her patron. And there is the looter himself, who has stolen the mask and is now running for his life.

Above all, there is Anna Ramsey, an American with a history of bad choices, who has hidden behind a mask all her adult life. A deeply wounded woman, Anna knows that masks protect and conceal. Anna is a heroine for our times, as she searches for the courage to remove her mask and show her true face.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Travel, Audiobook, Novels

464 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2016

Reviews

[Dorie - Cats&Books :)]

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The cover on this book is gorgeous!

I will not rate the book as I didn't finish it. My reasons are noted below:

I know that this is a debut novel but there were just too many incorrect facts in this book that prevented me from finishing it. The mask of Montezuma could not have been found in Oaxaca as Montezuma was the reigning leader in the Aztec empire where Mexico City is now located.

I have many relatives in the city of Oaxaca in the state of Oaxaca and this author took many liberties when describing the people of the region. Yes there are many poor people in the state but the city of Oaxaca is beautiful, thriving and a wonderful place to visit. The indigenous people of Oaxaca were the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs, not the Aztecs. The author makes it sound as if the city is crawling with drug lords and dealers which is just not the case. I know there are problems in the more remote sections of Oaxaca but tourists have to be careful in whatever country they visit and stay close to where the reputable guides tell you to go. The city of Oaxaca itself is very safe.

Sorry for the history lesson but even though the story was interesting, I think it was very long and told from too many different perspectives that I wasn’t able to enjoy it. Maybe others without connections to the country will enjoy this book. I hope that Ms. Wright will check her facts more carefully when writing her next book.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/08...

I won a free copy of Dancing With The Tiger By: Lili Wright in a Goodreads giveaway, so thank you to Goodreads and Putnam Books!

When I first saw the summary for Dancing With The Tiger I was immediately intrigued by the Mexico setting and the colorful cover. I haven't read very many books set in Mexico. I am so glad that the setting was done well in this one. The writing throughout is so vivid and beautiful. I really enjoyed the writing style in general.
#VividWriting

The characters are also well done and they are pretty fleshed out. I liked Anna and I had to keep reading to see what would happen next with her. In general I love the whole literal/metaphorical mask thing this book has going on as well. The plot just really hooked me with the masks and art angles.
#Hooked

Dancing With The Tiger is such a stunning debut, but I did have one issue. It's really slow paced at times. Some parts seemed to really drag on and on with too many descriptions. I really do wish that this was faster paced, but pushing through the slower parts is worth it. Thankfully it's not all slow and the ending is action packed. I like how everything turned out too.
#AFewSlowParts

Overall Dancing With The Tiger is an enjoyable read! I love how it has a little bit of everything. Adventure, crime, art, history, and more! It's an amazing novel, despite a few parts that were bogged down a bit. I would love to read more by this author in the future!
#ALittleBitOfEverything

I recommend Dancing With The Tiger for mystery/thriller fans looking for an intricate plot.
#LiteraryThrillerLovers

[Ron Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shuffling quietly through the cool halls of any great museum, patrons have little sense of the moral quagmire that lies behind such collections. And who can blame them? Everything about the way invaluable artifacts are displayed — so immaculate in their glass cases — isolates these objects from the violence of acquisition.

But that dirty backstory is the heart of Lili Wright’s whirling debut novel, “Dancing With the Tiger.” A journalist and a professor at DePauw University, Wright captures the bloody intrigue that brought — and sometimes still brings — priceless archaeological treasures to the “civilized” world. This is the story of how looted objects and sordid motives are purified for public consumption. In other words, how we can look at the uprooted icons of a foreign culture and feel nothing but delight.

Wright begins with an American meth addict digging in. . . .

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

[Eva • All Books Considered · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted at All Books Considered: 4.5 STARS

I will admit that I was initially drawn in by this cover! I love(d) the colors, the imagery and then I read the description and I NEEDED this book in my life. First, I love Mexico; I always have since visiting as a baby and then again in middle school, high school and college -- I've been to Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Baja, Quintana Roo including Tulum, Cancun and various other places along the border and the coasts. Second, I loved how this sounded -- kind of like a caper for ancient artifacts in Mexico. So I didn't necessarily have expectations for this book -- I was unfamiliar with this author because it's her fiction debut -- but I had hopes for this book and all of them were met if not exceeded! You know when you start a book and you immediately know it will be good? That was this one! I loved the whole thing -- there was no let down with the ending, no inconsistency with the characters, no predictions or obvious turns in the plot. It truly is a fun caper told in multiple POV and you don't necessarily understand how all the POV will merge but they do, effortlessly, in this great hunt for an ancient and priceless mask around Mexico. It was thrilling and exciting and beautiful and fun. It makes me want to go and see the masks dance during carnival and to traverse all over the country -- it didn't end where it started but I loved how it got there.

What an amazing fiction debut! I can't wait for more from this author but in the meantime, I am longing to go to Mexico. Dancing With the Tiger came out last week on July 12, 2016, you can purchase HERE, and this is one instance where the cover is as good as the book!

I've worn a mask most of my life. Most people do. As a little girl, I covered my face with my hands, figuring if I couldn't see my father, he couldn't see me. When this didn't work, I hid behind Halloween masks: clowns and witches and Ronald McDonald. Years later, when I went to Mexico, I understood just how far a mask can take you. In the dusty streets, villagers turned themselves into jaguars, hyenas, the devil himself. For year,s I thought wearing a mask was a way to start over, become someone new. Now I know better.

[Lupita Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book cover. The plot itself is interesting and at times even a page turner. However I did encounter parts of the novel that slowed it down tremendously. I also found myself questioning the use of so many Mexican dichos (sayings). I understand the need to make the book feel culturally relevant but in the end it made the novel unauthentic.

[Nikki Keating · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. I didn't like most of the characters --just greedy, lost souls. The cover was pretty though--and I obviously (and incorrectly) judged the book by it!

[Meags]

DNF @ 30%

This is a multi-narrative tale about a bunch of different people seeking out a newly rediscovered mask of Montezuma.

Try as I might, I just could not get into this story. For a month I found myself picking it up only to abandon it again after 5 pages or so. It just didn't grasp my attention and ultimately I've decided to put it aside. Sometimes certain stories just aren't for me.

[Marija Milošević · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Why was this book so long?
If I hadn't got in in a challenge, I would have never picked it up myself.
And even though I thought about DNFing it a few times, some parts were intriguing and eventually I made it through.
This, however, left no impression on me.
It is interesting, but I wasn't a fan of the writing style, nor could I find myself immensed in the story.
I'd recommend skipping this 450 page read.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is long but full of danger and adventure as several souls seek the death mask of Montezuma.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about this book when I saw it on one of those lists of "books you should read this summer." I found the premise, involving looting of Aztec artifacts from Mexico and the dangerous and obsessive competition among collectors of those artifacts, to be intriguing, and I added it to my reading queue. Well, I didn't get around to reading it in the summer, but it turns out it is just as interesting in the autumn.

The book was a bit difficult to get into at first because the writer uses the device of multiple points of view to tell the story, and, as the short chapters toggle back and forth between those various points of view of characters who are a mystery to the reader, the reader suffers mild whiplash in trying to keep up. But perhaps one-quarter of the way into it, the story started coming together. I'd gotten a handle on those disparate characters and could begin to follow each of them into their parts of the narrative.

The story briefly is this: Anna Ramsey is the daughter of a disgraced expert on Mexican antiquities, a collector of Mexican masks. His collection was set to be displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York but then much of it was revealed to be fake, contemporary reproductions of ancient masks. When New Englander Anna learns of the possible discovery of Montezuma's death mask, she determines to go to Mexico to obtain it for her beloved but ineffectual and drunken father.

Incidentally, she also determines to take her mother's ashes - her mother had been killed in an accident in Mexico some twenty years before - to the country that she loved so much and to scatter them there.

The magnificent mask in question had been discovered by another American, a meth-head digger. The digger - or "looter" as his chapters in the book are titled - is engaged in a high-stakes game of keepaway as he tries to market his important find. A shady expat American collector is one of those trying to obtain the mask, but he is opposed by a ruthless narco lord collector with whom he has a running competition. Into this mix steps the somewhat unwary Anna.

Soon, Anna meets a handsome artist named Salvador who is passionate about keeping Mexican antiquities in Mexico where they can be seen in context. She also takes a job with the expat collector, thinking that he has the mask and hoping to steal it from him.

Throughout the novel, the mask changes hands several times, sometimes violently, and the body count rises. Although Americans are, in some sense, at the center of the story, the Mexican characters, at least for this reader, gave it its moral and emotional ballast. Salvador is the righteous protector of his country's heritage who forces Anna to question her beliefs and motives. The most beautiful prose in the book is contained in the gardener's odes to his lover, and the gardener's wife, the humble housekeeper of the expat collector and his wife, is arguably the heroine of the piece.

This was Wright's debut novel and, to her credit, she handled the theme of pirated antiquities and the morality (or sometimes lack thereof) underlying archaeology and managed to deliver a sprawling literary thriller with a lot of energy and occasional flashes of humor that helped to leaven the mood. It was a refreshing page-turner of a book that also gave the reader much to contemplate about how we handle archaeological finds and how museums acquire their treasures.

[Sarah Beltran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, the end, however, was completely anticlimactic.

[Kelly Mize · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I don't remember reading anything set in Mexico before so from that standpoint it was interesting. I felt like the story was a bit too busy. Lot's of characters and side stories that distracted from the main event.

[Aaminah X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago, my cousin and I were perusing the library. Truth be told, I was perusing and she was following me. I checked Teen Fiction for any new additions. Nope. On our way out, I passed New Releases and Returned Today. Backtracked to 'New Releases', and I thought: What is that book? Black and red? Dancing With the Tiger, and that turquoise face in the middle looks Aztecish. Which means Mexico. A beautiful cover and I love Mexico.

A week later, I could not stop thinking about it. Despite, at first, my skimming through it. First book I ever skimmed, in fact. Then something clicked. This is Mexico. These characters, I feel them. This story is interesting. So I started the book all over again and read it properly, and ended up putting it on my shelf of favourite books.

The living owe the dead.

That, Hugo, is an understatement. Even Montezuma being a great king of the Aztecs, dead for centuries, he deserved eternal peace and an undisturbed grave. Respect the dead.

On the other hand, I could easily give this book one star. What with the cliché of Salvador and his ‘pregnant girlfriend'. Thomas Malone and Anna’s relationship with him was a cliché, and how drug-lord Reyes seemingly sends untrained paupers to capture the death-mask of Montezuma II... all these things could have added up to a one-star book.

Perhaps it would have been that way had not the characters been thick and three-dimensional. Their philosophical reflections struck swift and true. Adultery was not simply a disgusting sin but a complex arc in the story, and the pains of both involved echoed in my mind. So you can say that it was Anna and Hugo and Christopher - even Constance - that redeemed this book for me. I was attracted to its impeccable cover, and sometimes judging a book by it’s cover might just be a good thing.

This book left me listening to the distant cars driving on the main road at night, imagining that I was laying awake in a dingy apartment in Oaxaca. It left me wondering of a man in Veracruz in much the same predicament as Hugo. Listening to Avicii and wondering what happened to poor Lola.

It was not a neat experience - and that is what reading this book was for me, an experience - but it was certainly memorable. Now and then, if I happen to go to the library, I find the book, pick it up and inhale its pages, and am transported back to when I was fourteen-years-old, reading it for the first time, and what sort of girl I was then, and what thoughts I had whilst reading it. DWTT is without a doubt a favourite.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An addicted character named “Looter” finds an Aztec funeral mask and knows it’s very valuable. He, however, has no interest in its cultural or artistic value but instead sees it as a cash cow for his insatiable addiction. That mask is believed to be the funeral mask of Moctezuma II or Montezuma as he is more popularly known. Anna, a fact checker, is highly qualified as an art collector, having begun to learn this field at the knees of her father, a failed art collector. Both are humiliated at having their facts proved to be false in a book written by Anna, a humiliation that publicly spread and destroyed any credibility the father-son had in the art world’s tough, competitive field. A drug lord and a gardener turned hitman also vie for possession of this mask and will do whatever is necessary to obtain it.
Anna is the only character whose complex nature is gradually delineated in this novel that reads more like surrealistic segments. She also seems to be the only one interested in the life behind this mask. As the mask moves from the characters who steal it from each other, we learn that it possesses a mystical power that transforms the personality of those who attempt to wear it. It’s mystery is the question it poses when worn: Does it bring out the true personality of the wearer or is it the supernatural power behind the original owner’s death mask, Montezuma?
The other aspect of this long, drawn-out plot involves the beautiful descriptions of Mexican culture, setting, and artistic history that is juxtaposed with the poverty, greed, and despairing lifestyle of contemporary Mexicans. Anna seems to be the only character truly in touch with the more noble aspects of Mexican history and art. One can empathize with her intelligence and frustration at how she could have missed the errors throughout her book and her desire to set it aright with a new book about this phenomenal new find of a funerary mask from ancient Mexico.
Who is the Tiger? Readers will discover the symbolic and pragmatic nature of the title throughout the complex plot that is worthwhile to persevere in following despite the meandering back and forth accounts interspersed throughout the story. Interesting read with elements of mystery, adventure, paranormal, history, crime, romance, and art – something for everyone!

[Charles Kerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cross between Eat, Pray, Love and Indiana Jones with a little Maltese Falcon to guide the way. But without affection for Oaxaca (where the book's action leads): “The taxi wove through the ugly outskirts of the city, past cement factories, tire shops, empty lots of scrap metal, Small fires burned in forlorn fields and barbecue pits. It seemed incredible the mecca for Mexican folk art lay inside this clot of debris. Oaxaca.”

The dash after Montezuma's priceless mask is run by a mix of art collectors, a drug lord and his flunkies, flawed unsympathetic Oaxacan workers, chunky solid Virgin-worshiping Mexican women, an all-American meth addict treasure digger, the Oaxaca library for expats, and a hot artist for the heroine Anna to chase during after hours. Alcohol flows everywhere, especially into Anna--the new era woman taking it out on a bottle or two. The plot has more twists than a misguided pretzel. Oaxaca is sketched in dark, crazed, frightening colors. But I guess every adventure book needs a place that is not home, is alien, is forbidding, is exotic, and tingles with possible sex in some back room or cheap motel.

(For stories that love the city of Oaxaca and its peoples, take a look at the Santo Gordo Mysteries. Disclaimer: I wrote them.)

In re-gendering the male PI, author Lili Wright presents a self-doubting Anna, one unsure of herself—no swaggering detective is she—but Anna pushes hard, ready to dangle or use anything she has in order to get what she wants. Adding a hot female gaze to the swashbuckling adventure genre changes it forever.

I guess this is what it takes to sell.

BTW--Why not call it a jaguar? Why call it a tiger? The only tigers in Mexico live in zoos.

[Katherine Orfinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read, not only because the plot was super intricate and kept me guessing, but the language was beautiful. I loved how many different characters POV's we got to experience, though I felt there were too many characters overall (too many minor ones, I mean. They could've been combined into one or two characters instead of a crowd of nameless cronies). Anna was not the most likeable protagonist, but I still found myself rooting for her, which shows Wright's excellent character development skills. I found some of the characters' motivations kind of difficult to believe, but even so, that was easy to look past because I was so invested in finding out what the heck was going to happen to the mask! The ending was absolutely nothing like what I anticipated. Wright did a good job of wrapping things up, but not tying them in a bow. The paper shop girl, despite adding nearly nothing to the main plot, was my absolute favorite arc. The tragic nature of her situation brought me to tears, and the way she resolved it was perfect. I wish I had known that there were multiple instances of sexual assault and rape in this novel before I read it because those took my by surprise--another testament to how gripping Wright's style is. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It's one of those books that makes me late coming back from my lunch break at work because I keep saying, "One more page... one more page...!"

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time! I finished the 450 page book in about 3 days. I havent devoured a fiction book like that in a long time. I felt I was transported to Mexico while reading it. Great descriptive writing that (felt) authentic and historically accurate. I can't attest personally to whether or not that's true, but the authors credentials lend her credibility.Made the book longer than a lot of people would have liked, but it works for me. Loved the characters, with the exception of the main character. Not that I disliked her, but she was frustrating but I was still invested in the outcome. This book satisfied my longing for travel, my love for art and archaeology and history into one fantastic read. The ending was great. I highly recommend this! The style of writing reminded me a lot of Junior Diaz- another favorite of mine. Another bonus is that the cover art is GORGEOUS (the reason I picked up the book from the library haha). Give it a chance, I was very pleasantly surprised!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a beautiful novel. The setting (Mexico) is gorgeously used, the characters are well-developed and meaningful, and the plot is intriguing. It just really dragged, and could have (should have?) easily been 150 pages shorter.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept my attention, and I could never imagine what was coming next. I love that.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters. There are a few! But the writing was clear enough to keep me straight on all the storylines. Even those that start out unlikeable being redeemed in the end. That’s great storytelling, in my opinion.

Another reviewer mentioned that not all the facts were straight historically, geographically. Well, it is a fiction book. There was enough in the book about the Aztec Empire that I have started reading about it elsewhere. I feel that is a great outcome for me: to become more curious about another place and culture.

Generally, a very easy read with a lot to enjoy here.

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centers on the collection and sale of archeological artifacts specifically of Mexican origin.
Ancient masks are the focal point and the holy grail of these is Montezuma's funerary mask. The main character (Anne) goes to Mexico to try to find these masks for her elderly father in the states. We meet a wide array of characters including a looter, an underworld lord and other shady people. This is a cut throat world and there is violence and murder. A crucial issue worth thinking about is whether artifacts should remain in their own countries or taken to richer countries outside. This is a very readable book but perhaps a bit over long.

[Eneria · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all the book is stunning. I was instantly drawn by its colorful cover. Second, it’s a multi-perspectives but don’t worry folks the storytelling flows well and easy to follow. It was vivid, intense dark, and vile. I liked the adventure, the dangerous surrounding the mask and the secrets of each character possess. A book that takes you into world of antiquities and it’s illicit affairs.

The thrill and suspense is still there but not as much as I expected it to be. I felt there were too many plot lines and twists happening. I just wished it had been cut down a little or instead the author focus more on the main characters. Overall, it’s still a nice read.

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh! Hard to put down but also very frustrating to read. The main character was too dumb and unlikable, plot twists were predictable, and there were a lot of superfluous paragraphs, chapters, even. Could have been much shorter.

[Leyla Amur · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is its cover.

[Narrative Muse]

– It takes two to be Dancing with the Tiger. –

I was utterly fascinated by Lili Wright’s (Learning to Float: The Journey of a Woman, a Dog, and Just Enough Men) somewhat fictional retelling of her time and career in Mexico. When I started Dancing with the Tiger, I had no particular interest in ancient Mayan artifacts or the artistic traditions of the Aztec community, but this story seemed to pull a new intrigue out of me.

Drugs, guns, and values also come into play in this tumultuous modern day novel. There’s a welcome absence of fetishizing non-white characters as “exotic,” and there are plenty of elegant descriptions of violence, danger, and desperation. Like a sweltering desert, each page contains vast amounts of threatening mysteries. Each page is paced as if we the readers decided to embark on this journey with the protagonist herself. Wright captures what sounds like an extremely long day in Mexico City’s most dangerous neighborhoods, into succinct chapters. Interestingly, the scenes that take place in Mexico City seem to have a never-ending outpouring of characters, while America seems to house only the protagonist Anna, her narcissistic, art-curating ex-fiancee, and her artistically discredited, occasionally endearing, widowed, alcoholic father.

To me, an author’s personal connection with their fictional story can always be spotted by how confidently they retell it, including the surplus of auditory and tactile details, and the writer’s ability to just make up new words that make complete sense (ex. twigger = tweaker + digger, a grave robber who uncovers expensive artifacts from below the ground to sell for more drugs). The most affecting aspects of Dancing with the Tiger, though, were the narratives of the minor characters, like Salvador the gardener, his lover the paper shop girl, or the Santa Lesbiana housekeeper, who generously cooks, cleans, and cares for gangsters while offering their hostage victims cannabis from her apron.

While it reads a little like a spiritual manual for anyone inclined to visit a spiritual guru in a metropolis underground, the setting and – dare I say it – aura of this book still spoke to me on so many levels, be it through chanting, meditations, prayer, or murmurings. Even what seemed like dull nothings being spoken aloud was actually a conversation within the broken marriage of two characters. And like her father, Anna is almost conflictingly likable. At the same time I found myself shaking the book with frustration, I turned the page to find I couldn’t abandon her.

As the novel came to a close, I slowly began to notice each of the character’s metaphorical masks. They all wore one, if not for protection, then for the purposes of scaring the living daylights out of someone else. At times, I questioned the book’s Mexican authenticity, but it was probably less an issue of research (Wright lived and studied in Mexico for two years) and more about her perspective as a white North American. (The New York Times book review for Dancing with the Tiger touches on this as well). Overall, I could re-read this book two or three times and still enjoy every moment with eyes wide open.

Muser Tip: Hmm... looks like we can expect a film version of this thriller in the future!

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This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://narrativemuse.co/books/dancing... , and was written by Camilla Jeremie. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a very mixed bag. Still not sure if the genre was primarily mystery, murder, magical realism or love story.
The imagery of the Mexican landscape and cityscapes is vivid, and the author obviously has an understanding of the characters and religious mythology of the area. But the many points of view of the narrators is confusing, the main voice being that of Anna Ramsey, daughter of an American collector of Mexican masks. She travels to Mexico when trying to restore the reputation of her father and herself, after the publication of their book, which was discovered to have given erroneous facts about their archaeological discoveries.
The story uncovers a world of art collectors who have dubious integrity in their greed to amass the largest and most prestigious collections. They purchase from drug lords, thieves and middle men, who have no qualms of conscience in selling for vast sums items they know to be fake. It opens up the secrets behind the acquisition of the historical artifacts we view in museums. It is an interesting theme to explore; but this author tried to pull too many strings together into a complicated web, then appeared unable to find a satisfying conclusion. It reads more like a series of short stories than a cohesive novel. It did not help that I found Anna a very unlikable character and her motives mostly incomprehensible. The meth-addicted looter, who found the funeral mask of Montezuma II, came across as more empathetic.
Altogether, a story theme which could have been enthralling, but which unfortunately lacked continuity and ended with several anti-climaxes.

[One Anjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So before I begin, let me tell you that this story is divided into three parts.

Part One: fighting over a precious, valuable death mask of Montezuma. Everyone involved in hunting has their own reasons to fight. For money, pride, or simply hoping that the mask will bring them a brand new life.

Part Two: It goes deeper into every character. Their motives, backstory, past engagement with another character. Their struggle for mask is now about life and death. Every move is dangerous, you can’t trust anyone, and things are complicated.

Part Three: So now some of them are teaming up, taking sides, and execute their plans. More shots and terror happens, but there are some life lessons too. Some found home, and some found their meaning in life.

Then I’ll start with things that I liked about this book. It has a good badass yet miserable woman character. Great carrier, strong character. So brave to take all the risk, but not too lucky with love story. Not afraid of death, and set her eyes on the prize. Focusing on her goal, regardless of any obstacles.

Now the things is, I personally don’t like with this style of narrated writing. More like the story with real POV of its characters. So we can see what they’re thinking, how its character detailing things around. Its plots sometimes are unnecessarily long. Some characters are no use, makes the story less attractive. This book contains many conversations in Spanish, which is kinda hard for me to understand. But overall, I love the core idea about Montezuma’s mask, art collectors, carvers, Aztecs, Mexican, and drug dealers.

[Genschronicles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dancing with the Tiger by Lili Wright is about a young woman (Anna) trying to help bring her father the recognition he deserves since he's a discredited art collector. Anna goes on a journey to retrieve the death mask after hearing a drug addict has dug it up and now is selling it to the highest bidder, she goes on this journey not only for her father but for herself as well. There's a lot of people who tie into the story who also just like Anna and her father need the mask, and some go through extreme dangerous measures to get it as well.

All in all, at the end they all discover they use a mask to hide away from love, enemies, and even themselves.

R E V I E W

I gave this a 2 / 5 stars because I totally didn't understand a lot that I was reading and I was okay with that, this book didn't pull me in and intrigued me to the point of fact checking all that was said to see if it was true, instead I just sat there confused at times reading to just finish the book. This book had way too many pov's and at some point I almost felt it was unnecessary. It was also too long, and I love a novel that's full but for some reason this book was a drag, I was longing for the ending so I could be done. I however did like some of the lessons each character learns for themselves, it's like after they figuratively took off their mask they were able to do things they've been waiting for others to do, they eventually find strength in themself. Overall, this book wasn't for me but I did appreciate the lessons it taught!

[Qurratulain Kamil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the first fictional debut of a writer is always interesting. It's fascinating to see the amount of effort they put into it, and the soaring confidence oozing out of the words.
This book was also one of those pieces. Lily wright's novel was a tale of running, acquiring, fighting and drinking.
30 year old Anna Ramsey called off her wedding after finding out the cheating of her husband to be's. And sets off to Oaxaca to acquire the death mask of Montezuma, the famous Aztec leader. There starts the colorful and dangerous dance of drug lords, art collectors , museum officials and Anna Ramsey. All after the one MASK.
Book gives you a fair detail of the history of Aztec and hence Montezuma. Also it covers aspects like Farida Kahlo, touches base with sexual abuse in Mexico. Shows the vulnerability of common people. Cries and portrays the American supermacy every now and then. Which was to be honest a bit cringy..
Some parts were a total drag. But then it picked up pace and was interesting enough to keep me going.
I would recommend it to everyone who is willing to sustain a bit of boredom to experience the uniqueness later offered by the novel.
Ratings 6/10

P.s there are some factual mistakes in the book, which i figured out after googling! About the Aztec empire and realized the geographical location for burial of the Montezuma wasn't supposed to be in Oaxaca. So.. a bit disappointing from that pov

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot think of a single moment when I was not insanely frustrated by this book. There is not one remotely likable character. Anna, our protagonist, has to be the most inept fact checker in the history of the world, and is also completely incapable of making anything except the worst possible decision in any circumstance. She is the sole architect of almost every one of her problems, but can never quite figure out why the rest of the world keeps shitting on her.

The only thing that kept me from DNF'ing the book entirely was sending excerpts of horrifically bad writing to a friend so she could suffer with me.

I could also never fully escape the feeling that this book was written by someone who hates women. The tone and word choices in almost every chapter seep with a constant sensation of cringe. To see that it was written by a woman who is apparently also in academia just added to the frustration on every level.

[Molly Sikes :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review should be taken with a healthy spoonful of salt because I couldn’t get through this book. Firstly, this is a book about a white woman who has studied Mexican culture written by a white woman who has studied Mexican culture. This is to say that this book makes a lot of assumptions and portrayed Mexican people and places in a way that felt reductuonary and sometimes just plain derogatory. Secondly, the characters were all one dimensional and I found them nearly impossible to relate to. Third, I tend to read almost exclusively female authors because I know that (for the most part) they won’t portray women in a way that makes me really (REALLY?) uncomfortable. It wasn’t just that the female protagonist was incredibly flat, it was that the author chose to extensively narrate the book from the point of view of a pedophile to be “edgy” or something? I don’t know, maybe this is someone’s cup of tea, but it certainly wasn’t mine.