Tiger Eye

Tiger Eye (2005) Marjorie M. Liu

I picked up my first Dirk & Steele book at a grocery store, when I realized I had a wait in front of me and absolutely nothing to read. I knew when I bought it that it was a paranormal romance, so managed to enjoy it despite the boinking. What I particularly liked was that although it was in a series, there was no need to read any of the books in order, so I could enjoy the book without having read any other books in the series.

Tiger Eye is the first Dirk & Steel book, but interestingly, it isn’t particularly about the agency, just (as with the other books) members of the agency, or those peripheral to the agency.

Dela isn’t a member of the agency per se, but her gift with metals makes her the weapons-master of sorts for the group, and she also trained with many of the members to both develop her skills and to learn to protect herself. To the public she is a talented artist whose pieces are quite popular. When she is all but given a puzzle box (she pays a minimal price when an old woman insists the box should go to her) she discovers the secret is, in fact, a man who has been trapped in the box for the past two thousand years, much like a genie in a bottle.

The story was a fun, fast read, but I did have a couple problems with it. First, if she is a metal-smith, why on earth is she completely unburned? No one can be that good, even with the use of magic.

SPOILER (rot13)
Frpbaq, V gbgnyyl qvq ABG trg gur ovg ng gur raq. Vg znqr ab frafr jungfbrire. Lbh xarj ubj guvatf jrer tbvat gb ghea bhg (guvf vf n ebznapr nsgre nyy) ohg ubj ba rnegu qvq ure fnpevsvpvat urefrys fnir uvf yvsr? Vs Unev xvyyrq gur Zntv, ur’q qvr gbb–hayrff gur qentba ynql xvyyrq Qryn? Ubj qbrf gung rira znxr frafr? Naq ubj ba rnegu qvq gur jubyr fyrrcvat ornhgl/fabj juvgr ovg jbex? Gung znqr nofbyhgryl ab frafr rvgure. Juvpu naablrq zr, orpnhfr gur zntvp unq orra snveyl ernfbanoyr naq ybtvpny hc gb gung cbvag. V zhpu jbhyq unir cersreerq Unev (be rira Qryn) xvyyvat gur zntv guna gung ovg bs gjvfgrq frys-fnpevsvpr.
END SPOILER

Also, I was annoyed by ALL the male members of Dirk & Steel being ravishing hunks. Gah.

Yet, despite that it was fun and interesting.

Oh, one last complaint: I hate the cover. That’s just…. hokey.
Rating: 6/10

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