I was immediately drawn to Aunt Tigress by the cover, and the synopsis had me intrigued. Tam is a young woman living in Calgary where the magic from her tiger father is weak because it’s far from the forces she calls on for exorcisms and other magics, but she also knows to respect the magic of First Nations without trying to steal it. Or at least, that’s what her father tried to teach her before he died when she was 12, and her Aunt Tigress tried to mold Tam into a tiger like her. After Aunt Tigress pushes Tam too far, Tam cuts all ties to her aunt, and doesn’t see her again until she is presumed dead and Tam wants to figure out what happened. Along the way Tam is joined by her girlfriend, Janet, who has her own secrets and motivations, and Jack, a young man who has no memories from before he was eight because of a deal with made with Ms. Little, a demon and lawyer.
This is at times a very confusing read because there is so much going on in terms of mythology and motivations. I really enjoyed the storytelling and the way different characters’ histories and motivations were revealed. I also really liked the blending of different lore and mythologies to create the world Tam, Jack, and others inhabit. Learning more about the different characters made it so much better, and I loved the contrast of different motivations and goals. This is a story that deals a lot with redemption and vengeance and what stories and practices are ours. I liked how it dealt with Aunt Tigress being a thief of First Nations knowledge, and Tam’s horror to realize more about who her aunt truly was.
This is a book that started weird and confusing, but as I got more into it, I wanted to learn more about Tam and the world she was living in, as well as what was going on with her aunt. I really enjoyed this overall, and hope there’ll be more stories following Tam and Janet and their work with the supernatural world. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy and complicated characters with complex motivations, I definitely encourage picking this up!
[I received an advance copy via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review. Aunt Tigress releases March 18, 2025 from DAW.]