Tiger Eye: The First Dirk & Steele Novel

Written by Marjorie Liu

Narrated by Emma Lysy

“I didn’t just like this book, I LOVED this book. Anyone who loves my work should love it too”—New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan

“If you have yet to add Liu to your must-read list, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”—Booklist

The first exciting Dirk & Steele novel by the incomparable Marjorie M. Liu, Tiger Eye is a breathtaking masterwork of paranormal romance—a stunningly original tale of magic, sensuality, desire, and danger, featuring a hero who is the answer to every romance lover’s fantasy. Tiger Eye is the book that started it all, ushering readers into the Dirk & Steele world of shapeshifters, psychics, and extraordinary beings, showcasing one of the most inventive talents currently working the shadowland where passion and the amazing intertwine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062980441

Marjorie Liu

Marjorie Liu is the New York Times bestselling author of the Monstress series, illustrated by Sana Takeda. She also writes for Marvel Comics, including Black Widow, X-23, and Astonishing X-Men. Marjorie teaches comic book writing at MIT and divides her time between Boston, Massachusetts, and Tokyo, Japan.

Reviews for Tiger Eye

[mariahsidhe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was a fun read, full of action and heady amounts of devotion.

[lovejoy_rat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ok so.... I admit. I'm a fan of cheesy romance. They're usually fun, light, over-dramatic reads that kind of make you feel better about yourself because you're not in one. This one seemed to get good reviews... well really it was a bunch of women squeeing over it, and the plot sounds right up my paranormal romance alley. Dela Reese has psi powers... she gets this Chinese magic puzzle box, and when she opens it out pops this ginormous exotic 7-foot-tall warrior man who can of course shapeshift into a tiger. I'm down with that. I get into the story, wading through a few long-winded romancey conversations about how they can't live without each other, and rush through the page turning bits when Dela's life is in danger. And then BAM!!!!! Tiger Sex. I literally paused in my reading and went.... "Wha?!" Kinda shattered the happy image I had in my little inhibited head. :P I actually will pick up the next few books in the series because I actually liked how Liu presented her shape-shifters. They're pretty rad people, and I want to know what happens to them. But... I'll be skipping the hot and heavy hairball bits.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was not for me. I thought that it might be the case but I wanted to try it anyways. I'd never read anything by the author but know of her comic book work and the description of the book sounded so kick butt that I hoped the romance angle would be pretty low key, unfortunately I was wrong. Many times during the book either during an action or when the character's should have taken action, they reflected on their feelings, it really slowed down the pacing.

I think if you like romance or paranormal romance you should ignore this review and give this book a try. The writing is good and I liked many of the elements of the plot. The low number of stars reflects my own preferences.

edit I just reread this and I liked it a lot more the 2nd time, 2 stars bumped up to 3.5. I'm going to read the next book in the series and maybe we can get it up to a solid 4 stars.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an entertaining paranormal romance. It introduces an agency - Dirk & Steele - which provides a haven for people who have psychic talents. The agency was apparently formed by Dela Reese's grandparents who are formidable people. Dela is an artist and a weapon maker. Her skills let her interact with metals. She also has the power to block her mind from outside influences.The story begins with Dela in China and at the Dirt Market looking for interesting things. After bargaining with an old woman for some textiles, she is offered a strange box and is convinced to buy it for a very small amount of money. After her purchase, she is importuned by a handsome man who gives her the creeps. She manages to escape from him by causing a scene and returns to her hotel. There she examines the box and discovers the way to open it. Much to her surprise, the box contains a tiger shifter who has spent the last 2000 years as a slave to whoever opens the box. Hari was cursed by someone he calls the Magi and has spent the last 2000 years at the command of whoever opens the box. And he hasn't been owned by nice people. He has killed and been tortured and sexually abused. He has long since learned not to trust anyone who controls him. But Dela is different. She has no desire to have a slave and becomes the only friend Hari has had since his imprisonment. But the Magi wants to recover Hari's box and Dela has attracted the attention of someone else who wants her dead too. I liked the story and the cast of characters who are Dela's friends. I liked the romance that developed between Hari and Dela and even liked the love scenes which were not overly graphic. The story was fast-paced.Further books in this series apparently follow the romances and adventures of many of the characters introduced in this first book.

[elam11 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Read because of a strong recommendation of the author. Personally, I wasn't impressed. I know this title is in a more romance-centric series, which doesn't bode well for quality, and maybe I have some confirmation bias going because of that, but while I found this book fluffy and easily devoured (and I did finish it, so there's that), it has a lot of problems.

1. The plot. Also, closely related, the pacing. A middle 30% of the book doesn't have much going on, really, after a strong start. (I think the characters should have stayed in China, personally.) One antagonist solves that mystery for them, and they do nothing about the other antagonist until he makes another move.

Flimsy intro: mysterious shopkeeper sells mysterious object, only to disappear the next day. Why Dela again? Oh, and pops in to save the characters' asses periodically, so they don't have to try too hard.

Climax: rape threats! Rape threats for everyone! For not especially logical reasons on the part of the villain, who is just evil and power-hungry.

2. The characters. Everyone is a shallow caricature. Dela's friends are a pack of badasses with hearts of gold, but there's no sense of danger to them, even when they're dispatching intruders or talking about Those Mysterious Places they know they can get rid of bodies at. Black Best Friend only really serves as a vehicle to make them meet another shifter (but I see she gets her own book later).

2a. Hari himself is a shallow angst puppet. Forced to do bad things! But only killing and having sex with women. Never raping women or children, no. Just so much death and punishing abuse. Which, yeah right-- he could fight that one kind of command? Also, he was never forced to "service" men? Uh-huh. Okay, so damaged goods...who magically trusts the special new master within an hour of being awakened by her. No PTSD. No trust/commitment issues beyond the flimsy desire to have total privacy when he and Dela first have PIV sex (but handjobs are totes different). So basically typical Romantic Lead: angsty background, inexplicably drawn to the heroine, overly protective to the point of physically stopping the heroine from doing something--including locking her in her room until she starts screaming (though otoh the heroine has typical Put Myself In Danger inclinations). For some reason he repeatedly mentions his masters (and everyone else) fearing him, which...really? There weren't any dismissive, cocky bastards in your list of owners? People who implicitly trusted the binding enchantment? Also adjusted very quickly to the modern world despite last being exposed in the 15th century. And stupid multi-color hair. Shouldn't he, and couldn't he, have looked more like an actual Indian man instead of rainbow hair and a tan? India is never named explicitly but that's gotta be his area of origin.

2b. Dela herself is dropping Canon Sue flags all over. She's a metalsmith but no mention of her being buff or having rough hands? But she's not a girly-girl like those other useless women, naturally. She's just a homely jeans-and-flannel kind of girl (though the only times her clothing is mentioned, that's certainly not what she's in). She swoons when Hari dismisses some other women (feminine, giggly, openly checking him out) as not real women like HER. She is, of course, the first and only woman in 2 millennia who is brave and forthright with him. All the characters have to comment on how brave she is! How kind! Soft but fierce! Legit artist but besties with tough men who love her like a kid sister. So sensitive that she makes knives to sell but is heartbroken that one was actually used to kill. Also, filthy stinking rich (a trust fund that would make Donald Trump weep, as she puts it). She's a loner but with a decent network of friends and family, and even restaurant owners who know and adore her.

3. The interactions and reactions are not really realistic. Re: that knife, everyone (hard men included) are just so shocked and appalled about the murder of a teenager. So unforgivable, killing a child! The ultimate moral event horizon-- except for rape. You know, be pissed that the girl was probably innocent of perpetrating the deeds that drove the murderer to it. And have some sympathy for that murderer, because he did it in revenge for some horrible shit done to him, and none of this calling him a coward, or overwrought accusations--Dela--that he used you to commit murder. No. Maybe if you were a caterer and he deliberately didn't tell you about someone's peanut allergy or something...

So he kills himself and some of the immediate reaction, no joke, is how selfish he was to do it in front of Dela. Not that killing yourself in front of someone is a kind thing, but really? Yes, someone felt pushed to suicide, but let's only talk about how much it hurt our cute blonde heroine. Minor antagonist basically put himself in the fridge. At least Hari had some sympathy, and Dean chimed in as the voice of reason for the second time to point out that things must have sucked for the murder, too.

Also, throughout the story, more heroine-centric behavior. Okay, 7' tall hottie, especially in China, is going to attract some attention, but it seems everyone always has eyes locked on Dela and Hari. They get a little PDA in a dumpling shop and decide to quickly leave because everyone's gone silent, staring at them. Dela suggestively sucks Hari finger at an airport, and all the men in a 20' radius have their eyes glued to her as she saunters off. No. People are not that interested in you, or even your freakishly tall boyfriend. I already mentioned the disgusting suite moment...

4. The Relationship. okay, I know this is the genre, but Hari and Dela are pledging each other eternity within days of meeting. Dela even ponders, what if she can't stand living with him? Giving up her solitude? Which is never mentioned again, even though she also has 4 other guys crashing her place to guard her. That was a good concern! Never to actually be used or mentioned, or explored. At some point, after declarations of undying love and loyalty, the two of you have to pick wall colors and cabinet knobs, too, or decide what kind of culture you're going to raise tiger cubs in. Oh, and they move off to some mountainside wilderness somewhere. Dela, for all her "much loner, very solitude, wow" attitude, liked to get her restaurant on, apparently...have fun with that.

4b. The sex. I misinterpreted the meaning of "shifted" and thought it meant Hari transformed during sex. Haha, oh no, silly me.

And then a page later Dela is literally blowing a tiger.

Eeeww. No, you know what, she is the specialest person to ever special, because while I think these days more random people than not would be compassionate towards Hari, most would probably not exchange oral sex with him while he's an Actual Literal Tiger.

(It's supposed to be emphasizing how Special Dela is for always seeing him as the man he is and not a piece of meat or a monster, but uh...)

In other news, there were a lot of Laurell K. Hamilton-ish aspects to this book, which came out in 2005. I wonder whether Hamilton or Liu got were-bestiality first... Hamilton definitely got the Stupidly Tall Hottie all women, everywhere, yes even you, will assault just to have a chance to touch, while ignoring or glaring at the obvious girlfriend. So...yay?

If I need hyper-fluff again and can't find anything else, I may see if the library has more of these. Otherwise, meh.

[treehorse-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So, were-tiger sounded kind of cool to me and it was a Kindle daily deal.

Unfortunately, Dela is a first-order Mary Sue and the male hero is more caveman than "alpha male" in my opinion.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read a few things about this series and I started reading I think book number six a long time ago when I didn't even realize it was part of a series and I didn't finish it because I was so confused. Now I know why, lol. (Yes, I just LOL in my review) I really am glad I found this book at my PX and was able to grab it because I love this book. It is well written, strongly charactered, and it really made me think of the Psy-chageling series by Nalini Singh, which I adore.

Let's jump in shall we? I like Dela (love her name too), she is strong, she has weaknesses and strengths and she isn't afraid to be herself, these are all wonderful heroine characteristics. I heart Hari (hate his name) he is strong, masculine, and just hot. I think he was a bit too lenient on the trust after everything he has been through, but I don't know Dela as well as he does, so what do I know. I do also want to say that nothing scares Ms. Lui...the way she set up the plot and some of the disturbing things mentioned here and there....creepy, disturbing, and totally appropriate for the book. Some authors might have shied away.

I will continue to devour this series.

[oldriverbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is the first in the Dirk & Steele series. Book has 272 pages on the Nook. I Liked this first novel by Marjorie M. Liu. She introduces us into a world of magical, paranormal and shape shifting characters. Dela is a metal artist with an affinity to metal, while Hari is a shape shifter, these two meet right out of the box. The story will keep you reading at a good pace.

He looks out of place in Dela Reese's Beijing hotel room- exotic and poignant, some mythic, tragic hero of an epic tale. With his feline yellow eyes, he's like nothing from her world. Yet Dela has danced through the echo of his soul and knows this warrior will obey her every command.

Hari has been used and abused for millennia. But he sees, upon his release from the riddle box, that this new mistress is different. There is a hidden power in Dela's eyes- and with her, he may regain all that was lost to him. Where once he savaged, now he must protect; where once he only knew hatred, now he must embrace love. Dela is the key. For Dela, he will risk all.

[bea_writer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This ties with Black Dagger Brotherhood as my favorite series. Ms. Liu is A brilliant author, her ability to draw complex characters and plot lines is breath-taking.

This book is the first one in the series, laying the foundation. Hari has to be one of the sexiest male leads! I find myself identifying with Dela so much, and I wish I had the same friendships as Dela.

This is a must read book.

[capnrandm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Recent events reminded me that I still needed to read the Dirk & Steele series, beyond TIGER EYE. Straight up romance with a shape-changer twist, interested in seeing how this series has evolved over the years.

[mlleehreen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tiger Eye: The First Dirk & Steele Novel starts off with a bang and then fizzles. And fizzles. And fizzles. It's got a textbook saggy middle, full of downtime and non-events that completely killed my interest in the story.

So the story is that Dela opens this little box and conjures Hari, who will be her slave until the day she dies. That sounds like a great source of conflict, right? Hari doesn't want to be a slave, she doesn't want to own him, but she can't get rid of him without subjecting him to a worse fate. Well, the first thing Dela does is swear never, ever to use the command that will force him to obey her. Conflict resolved.

There's still the question of ending the curse entirely, so that Hari's next master can't control him, and getting back his tiger skin, so that he can change form, but that first encounter tells us everything we need to know about how Liu will approach those problems: she will get them out of the way as fast as possible.

Instead of actual problems, we get lots and lots of sappy stuff. Hari is so grateful that Dela is a good person! Dela is so sorry that she can't be more helpful! They wring their hands and hop in the sack and then wring their hands some more. Every now and again an assassin pops up, but Hari is an immortal warrior and Dela has a backup squad of devoted, special-forces-style sidekicks, so all the assassination attempts aren't scary at all. The good guys way outclass the bad guys.

These attacks only result in more hand-wringing: Dela is so sad when other people are hurt protecting her! Her friends want her to know that she's worth dying for! One of the bad guys is trying to kill her because she forged the knife used to murder his niece. This strikes me as wildly irrational; get mad at the murderer, sure, but the person who made the murder weapon? It's hard to swallow; I've never heard about vigilantes attacking gun manufacturers, for example. Even more bizarre is the fact that Dela makes knives for a living and feels really, really guilty when someone uses one of her knives to kill. I got so sick of the hand wringing -- Dela feels so bad that this girl died, even though she had nothing to do with it! Her friends want her to know that she doesn't need to feel guilty! Yada yada.

There are all sorts of other problems that could develop in the romance but...they don't. Are Dela and Hari ready to make a long term commitment? Instantly! Does Dela find tigers erotic, or freak out about the idea of having sex with one? Nope! What about kids, are they ready for that? Sure! Even if the kids turn out to be tiger babies? No worries! There is literally no conflict between Dela and Hari. Or in the book, in general.

Tiger Eye: The First Dirk & Steele Novel is well written, and I've liked Liu books before, but this one is a dud.

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delilah Reese is in China on buisness when a mysterious old woman sells her a puzzel box whose riddle turns out to be more than what she bargained for. Hari is a centuries old shapeshifter cursed by the wizard who stole his skin to be enslaved to anyone who opens his box.Although this states that it is the first Dirk and Steele book, it doesn't read like a first story. However, this didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the book. The only other story I've read so far in the universe was a the short story in the "Dark Dreamer" antholgy and so far I like the way this author writes and her characters (particularly her side characters for some reason). I'm certainly happy to read more of these stories in the future.

[darla_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Now I see what everyone was raving about. This is one of those books I was hesitant to read because there was just so much hype about it. And again, the hype was well-deserved. It appears to be the start of a series about characters with a wide variety of paranormal and/or psychic abilities. The heroine, an artist with a psychic affinity for metal, is in China on vacation, where an old woman convinces her to buy a puzzle box, which, when she opens it, contains a shape-shifting warrior who's been cursed to be a slave to the owner of the box. The magi who cursed him is now after both of them, and there's an assassin after her as well.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dela Reese has some unusual friends. Psychic herself, with a unique talent for metal working, she's still stunned when she opens an ancient riddle box and a 2000-year-old warrior pops out. Hari, a warrior and shapeshifter (when in possession of his tiger skin), was trapped in the riddle box by an evil Magi. Now Dela and Hari must track down the Magi before he finds them, all while keeping Dela safe from the murderous assassins she's somehow managed to attract.This may be Liu's debut novel, but it doesn't read like a first time effort. The underlying plot isn't too original -- warriors trapped in boxes, books, scrolls, swords, etc. abound -- but what Liu does with the premise and her characters makes this an eminently readable story. I will definitley be adding Liu to my "authors to watch for" list.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun story with a psychic who understands metal and a shapeshifter trapped in a magical box and what happens when he's released and she starts finding out about him and herself.