This is a delightfully queer historical fantasy, technically the second novella in a series but it can also stand alone. Chih, a travelling cleric-historian, is crossing a mountain pass on back of a mammoth with a guide when they encounter three deadly shape-shifting tigers. The only thing Chih can think of to keep them at bay is a story, one about the love affair of a beautiful scholar and her tiger wife. Full of ghosts, poetry, passion and danger, the tale unwinds with the tigers correcting Chih's mistakes. But will the story last until help can arrive? I listened to this as an audio book and it was a tantalizing 2.5 hours- I am hungry for more from Nghi Vo. How fortunate that her first full length novel is due out this summer!