The Sultan's Tigers

Tom Trelawney #2

by Josh Lacey

As in the middle grade series debut Island of Thieves , scrappy twelve-year-old Tom Trelawney and his swashbuckling Uncle Harvey are a dynamite combination—in the dangerous, explosive sort of way. This time around, they impulsively fly from Ireland to India in hot pursuit of a small bejeweled tiger that yet another Trelawney, a British soldier, allegedly plundered in 1799. They’re pretty sure they can get a couple million dollars for it too, if they can make it past a gun-happy Aussie and a pit of man-eating tigers.

Genres: Adventure, Young Adult, Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, India

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2012

About the author

Josh Lacey is a British writer born and raised in London. Josh worked as a journalist, a teacher and a screenwriter before writing his first book, A Dog Called Grk. He has written several other children’s books including The Dragonsitter, Island of Thieves, and The Pet Potato. He also wrote the adult book God is Brazilian, a biography of Charles Miller. He also writes under the name Joshua Doder.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been thinking a lot about this book in relation to its intended audience and I am changing my review to 2 stars (from 3 stars). This story is entertaining and exciting with very believable characters, a lively plot, and a few excellent end-of-chapter cliffhangers. I believe that it would captivate its target audience (which, according to the Andersen Press website is 9+ years).

However, I would urge parents to be aware that some characters from different cultures are stereotyped in a way which may have been acceptable 50 or 100 years ago but, in the 21st century, should not be packaged as entertainment for young people. If presented as a classroom or family reading experience, this story would provide excellent material for discussion of the historical back-story (which leads to the main adventure), the negative characterizations, and the cocky attitude of the teenaged protagonist.

[Vimal Thiagarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A jolly-good Indian masala adventure, which is light on logic and full of swashbuckling twists and action-driven humour. The fact that it has been written by a westerner in itself was amusing throughout the read.Came as a welcome breath of fresh air amidst a few heavy reads.

[Mark Soone · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise! I picked this out as an audio book, partly because of Robbie Daymond as the narrator(certainly one of my favorites) and partly because it souded pretty good. I have never heard of the book and/or author prior to this....and I guess it sounds like it might be book 2 of a series?

The story starts off with our hero the incoragable Tim Trelawney bieng grounded following his grand fathers funeral. The adventure begins with a break-in while Tim is home alone...the would be burgler enlists the aid of Tim , after being able to find what he is looking for. Tim looking for a quick buch agrees to help the burgler....enter in Tim's Uncle, who is looking for an even bigger payday and Tim ad his Ucle are off on an adventure to find a lost artifact that his Grandfather had hidden many years ago.The race against the burgler, a billionaire, a corrupt police force and a myriad of the denizens of the streets of India, and we have quite an enjoyable little adventure caper. Can Tim ad his Uncle get the artifact before everyoe else.....can they stay alive....can they trust anyone...can they avoid being shor or worse eaten by Tigers.....will Tim every change or will he end up like his fortune seeking family???? Read it ad find out.

Quite an enjoyable YA/Teen/Tween adventure....quite quick paced, I woud recommed to all fns of the genre and anyone else who is looking for a diversion.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language – G, Sexual Content – PG; Violence – PG
Tom and his family are in Ireland for his grandfather’s funeral, but Tom is still grounded. This leaves Tom is stuck in his late grandfather’s house when the rest of his family goes out for lunch and a nicely-dressed robber comes looking for something important. Losing the robber, Tom finds the clues that will lead him to millions of dollars. Now how is he going to get to India and follow the clues?
Tom’s story is a great adventure that everybody wants to fall into: traveling the world, getting rich, and doing family history all at the same time! The treasure hunt never slows, and the traffic in India never speeds up. With bad guys on his trail, nothing goes according to plan, but, with the help of friends, everything just might turn out okay. The Sultan’s Tigers was a thrilling read.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Chhaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

As in the middle grade series debut Island of Thieves, scrappy twelve-year-old Tom Trelawney and his swashbuckling Uncle Harvey are a dynamite combination—in the dangerous, explosive sort of way. This time around, they impulsively fly from Ireland to India in hot pursuit of a small bejeweled tiger that yet another Trelawney, a British soldier, allegedly plundered in 1799. They’re pretty sure they can get a couple million dollars for it too, if they can make it past a gun-happy Aussie and a pit of man-eating tigers.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the funeral of Tom Trelawney's grandfather, a man named Marko breaks in and threatens Tom, demanding the location of valuable documents hidden in his grandfather's home. Tom tricks Marko and finds the documents himself. They turn out to be letters from his great, great, great, etc... grandfather to his wife detailing his theft of a golden, jewel encrusted tiger he hid in India. Tom calls his Uncle Harvey, who he knows will help, and sneaks out to meet him. Together they head for India to find the tiger and embark on another exciting adventure together.

The Sultan's Tigers is a thrilling romp that should appeal to reluctant readers in the middle grades. Tom is an incorrigible character, in that he rarely considers the consequences of his actions and is very disrespectful to his parents, but these are the very traits that get him involved in so many dangerous, electrifying situations. Uncle Harvey is an older version of Tom with just a little bit less of a conscience. Together they make a formidable team as they search India for stolen treasure. Overall, The Sultan's Tigers is another enjoyable episode in the Tom Trelawney series.

[Adrian McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was generally entertaining and well paced, but ...

I don't mind a mischievous hero, but this kid did some pretty awful stuff, innocent characters are seriously injured, and it's all made OK in the end with a bit of deus ex machina and a liberal application of cash, which was pretty unsatisfying in the end. At least the kid recognizes and regrets his culpability and develops some empathy for other characters, but he doesn't seem to suffer any real consequences.

The three(?) female characters in the book are rather flat and seem to exist just to serve the plot (and the male leads). It seems there was some attempt to portray Tanya as real person, but I suspect she got trimmed back in an edit. Too bad.

As I understand it, the narrator is an American kid, but several times he slips into British phrasing, which was mildly distracting. I suppose that's plausible since his father and uncle are from the UK, but it didn't really seem to fit.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad to have finally gotten through this book, it was not as good as the first.
The two big problems I had with the book was the over-repetitive nature the book had in regards to its descriptions of Tom's desire to find Marco. He was so obsessed with that, it ruined other plans and was nearly disastrous for them.

My other issue was in the first book, Tom and Harvey, as well as the rest of Tom's Family were British and living in Norwich UK, he had even been taken down to London in the first book by a bus. Now suddenly in this book they are American citizens and living in Norwich CT? That inconsistency stood out greatly for me.

The rest of the story was alright in regards to the letters, the story within them, and the adventure it lead to.

[Reba Khatun · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love Josh Lacey's Dragonsitter series so wanted to read this. Tom's grandfather has died leaving some letters from an ancestor who hid one of Tipu Sultan's precious tiger in India. With the help of his Uncle Harvey they travel to India to hunt down the tiger. Full of suspense and humour this is a page-turner.

[Elisa M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protagonist is a rather obnoxious know-it-all, but likable for all that.
Lots of action and adventure, although there are some coincidences in the plot that are just too incredible to be ignored.
It was a quick read and entertaining.
I could see this book appealing to kids who like adventure stories.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book for 5-8 graders.
Enjoyed this book from the begging until the two pages.
I did not like the hero, disobeyed his father.
I also question if his a good role model, or if it is all in fun.
As a parent I would talk to my child about how the heroes actions make a compelling story, but it does not work that way in REAL life.

[David Erkale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Trelawney goes on yet another disastrous adventure with his uncle Harvey. Dead people and interactions with the poor Indian children, plus a crazy car chase. If you like dead bodies with bloody descriptions and the odd intent (throwing a mercenary to the tigers), then this is the book for you.

[Kalilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's just a shame that I didn't like any of the characters, otherwise I may have really enjoyed this book.

[Perihan Gummadova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading it while waiting for opening our fasts in Ramadan. I never knew how time passed. Thrilling story with a self confident cool young boy!

[Samuel Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book states out with Tom's Grandpa dying. Tom finds some letters in his Grandpa's house. Then Tom's uncle takes Tom to India. Once they get there there is a man following them through out India. Will they get stopped?
This is a great fun book. This is a really good action adventure novel. At some point it can make your heart rate really increase. The action in this book is fun. You can't always find out exactly whats going to happen next.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes action and adventure. If you like James Bond you will probably like this book too. This book is great for anyone who like treasure maps and such. You can even find out about some history in this book too.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my adult point of view skewed my enjoyment of this edition of the Tom Trelawney series. This was still a fun, adventurous story, but Tom began to grate on my nerves a bit.

Tom's borderline sociopathic actions began to annoy me, like starting the fire in the temple and of course, blowing off his immediate family to run off to India with Uncle Harvey. After the fire, Tom did show some remorse, but during the incident, he admitted that he was more concerned about checking the hole and finding the tiger than the immediate consequences and damages from the fire. His disregard of his parents, especially his father (who cannot possibly be a "real" Trelawney in Tom's mind), was also disappointing. At least, in the end, Tom convinced Uncle Harvey to give the tiger and therefore the money back to the temple, which would ultimately benefit the community. And, I have to give Tom some credit for being honest with his parents about his whereabouts, although the honesty appeared after his initial deception of quietly staying the night with Uncle Harvey in the old Trelawney homestead.

Again there was more deathly violence in this book, which may not be suitable for younger readers. Tom and Uncle Harvey kill another man, Marko, in self-defense, but also as revenge for killing Tom's grandfather (Uncle Harvey's father). Marko also uses deadly force in his pursuit of Tom and Uncle Harvey.

Finally, to answer my question from my review of the first book: Tom's parents unbelievably allowed him to spend the night with Uncle Harvey while the rest of the family went back to their hotel. This did not make much sense because the last time Tom was left alone with Uncle Harvey they traipsed off to South America for a very dangerous excursion. Before leaving him with Uncle Harvey, his parents extracted a flimsy promise that Tom and Uncle Harvey not go to South America again…but that certainly left the door open for trekking around the rest of the world. So, again, if there is a third book, I am stuck wondering how Mr. and Mrs. Trelawney will ever let Tom even see Uncle Harvey again.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Sultan’s TIgers,” is the second volume in a quirky action adventure series about young Tom Trelawney and his thieving Uncle Harvey as they embark on a new globe-trotting adventure in India to recover family treasure. Tom and Harvey are thrown together by a family funeral, where Tom is still grounded for his participation and adventures in the previous volume, “The Island of Thieves.” Left alone in his grandfather’s house while the rest of the family goes out to dinner, Tom is roughed up by thieves searching for clues to a rajah’s golden treasure. The thieves flee when unexpectedly interrupted, but continue to follow Tom and Harvey on their adventures.

The action-packed plot with its unbelievable (but engaging) twists and interesting characters results in a nonstop page turner that will satisfy the expectations of readers looking for a fun swashbuckling tale filled with danger, treasure-hunting, and thieves, with a small glimpse of India thrown in for spectacle. Tom hasn’t changed much since his last adventure. Unrepentant, amoral, and easy-going, he looks after himself while Harvey pursues a fling with an itinerant tourist. Too much action takes place for characters to be fully developed, but the banter between Uncle and nephew is amusing. It is Lacey’s gift for humor that tempers the recurring violence throughout the book and keeps readers turning pages (although they may also be drawn by the lure of lost treasure, and a string of unbelievable risks, coincidences, double-crosses and escapes).

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 3 out of 5]

12 year old Tom Trelawney is a bit mischievous. He’s still in trouble for his last adventure in Island of Thieves. Now he’s been grounded for “borrowing” and crashing a golf cart, so while his family is out to dinner after his grandfather’s funeral, he is sent to his grandfather’s house to await their return. While there, he stumbles upon papers that imply a hidden treasure. When someone breaks in, ties up Tom and threatens him, Tom and his uncle decide to go to India in search of the jeweled tiger that his grandfather hid many years ago.
A fun, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful adventure that is fast-paced and even has a bit of history and culture thrown in. Tom and his uncle scheme their way in and out of trouble, just one step ahead of the authorities and Marko (the burglar). I read this in just a few hours. The pacing and strong adventure and Tom’s independent streak should appeal to teen boys who are fans of Alex Rider or Malcolm Rose’s Traces series. One caution, though, Tom is quite rude and disrespectful to his parents and there were many negative comments about that on the Amazon reviews. I noticed that and felt it was unnecessary, but I didn’t think it detracted from the overall story.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
After a thrilling adventure in Ireland, Tom and his uncle find themselves on a plane to India in search of a tiger. This particular tiger is jeweled and probably worth a few million dollars, but nothing every comes easy for Tom. He needs to be able to make it past some real tigers and real enemies in order to fetch his prize.

My thoughts:
With quick chapters and tons of action, there isn't much to dislike about the second installment of Tom Trelawney's series. Easily suited for the middle grades (4th and up probably), this is an excellent pick for a reluctant reader, especially boys. It's not difficult to read and the shorter chapters are sure to keep the pages flying by. I didn't have a problem with the content, like some others have. Artemis Fowl (in his series) has an odd relationship with his parents, so it is not odd in a middle grade book to see that. It's also quite clear that Tom is not the most upstanding little boy. If a parent is worried, talking through the fact that Tom is not a role model, which should be clear from some of the thieving ideas he has, is an easy part of a read aloud with your child.

[Harry Brake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think Indiana Jones and younger, where minutes to the next hour doesn't matter, an adventure is always finding their way to young Tom. Even more exhilarating is the adult that actually performs alongside alot of these capers. What often does not come up on novels, and needs to, is the implications as a young one with the clash of parents and expectations. For some reason, the way Tom rects to his parents and the way he treats the, along with his Mom being a little too "LeaveIt to Beaver-ish". that is a a little awkward and causes some dislike with me, as a reader with the protagonist. Yet, the adventures and the places he visits are exciting, culturally diverse, and enticing. Again, this is a case where I jumped into the second book without knowing about the series, but in this case, this did not affect the plot whatsoever. Definitely some plusses to this novel but short of a five thanks to the disrespect the young lad deals out to his parents. I am sure that is the reality in some cases but not a wanted one I am sure.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sultan's Tigers is about a man who was serving in India when he discovers a secret about his family. One of his ancestors stole the last tiger of 8 identical other tigers covered in jewels. His ancestor hid the tiger where no one can find it. Tom realizes that a billionaire is looking to collect all 8 tigers and he has collected all 7 and is looking for the final one. Tom's crazy Uncle is in town so he tells him about the tiger and they head off to India to find it. They soon realize they aren't the only one looking for it.

[Stephanie Mohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I listened to it instead of reading it- but I really wanted to punch/ground forever/jail Tom. He is a punk who acts w/no thought of what his actions might do to others.
Tom is off on another adventure with his Uncle Harvey. They travel to India in search of a jeweled tiger. There is a lot of action, not much thinking. Boys will like it. Not my favorite (though I'd have a drink w/Uncle Harvey;) 2.5

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first book, Island of Thieves, this time Tom and his crazy uncle Harvey are off on another wild ride of adventure, this time in India instead of South America. And much like the first book, this one is mostly action, and very little character development. But it works. Again, great book for boys and reluctant readers of both genders. It is fast paced, exciting, and you'll learn a little bit about India as well (although just a little).

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like traveling to exotic locations?
Do you like trying to solve mysteries?
Would you like to search for hidden treasure?
Tom Trelawney gets to do all of these things and more in the Sultan's Tigers, as he and his uncle explore southern India while hunting for an ancient artifact hidden by one of their ancestors!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young version of an Indiana Jones-type adventure that takes an American boy to India with his uncle to find a jeweled tiger.

I wasn't thrilled by some of the stupid decisions Tom makes, and there were plenty of plot holes. However, I know some kids just want action that they don't have to think about!

[Culleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book review for school. I was reluctant to read it but found it to be a decent read. It is written for 5th to 7th graders and full of adventure. It reminded me of an Indiana Jones type of adventure. I would recommend this for reluctant readers who enjoy adventure. The story keeps moving along and Lacey has a way of keeping you turning the pages.

[Zaid Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Trelawney's grandfather was killed and he wants to avenge for his death. Behind his death there is a secret hidden in Tipu Sultan's Tigers which is hidden somewhere. But when Tom explores in his grandpas house, the murderer is in the house looking for someone. So the murderer threatens and scares Tom. Then will Tom be able to get rid of Marko the man who killed Tom's grandfather.

[Carol Moore Kollar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think boys will devour this second book about young Tom and his wild, irresponsible UncleHarvey. After finding some letters from an ancestor about a jeweled tiger worth two million dollars, the duo set off to India. lots of adventure and a fast pace!

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The nineteenth-century boy's exotic adventure narrative exists uneasily in the third world of the 21st century. Ultimately, the author resolved the plot less appallingly than I was expecting him to, but the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, and I really disliked the protagonist.

[Jodee Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Story. Grand Adventure good ending. Thomas was a total brat in this one though. I had a hard time with him. The rest of the story was good though even If I did want to strangle the main character...