About the Book
Title: Zoe & Zak and the Tiger Temple (Zoe & Zak Series, Book #3)
Author: Lars Guignard
Publisher: Fantastic Press
Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Number of Pages: 267
Recommended Age: 8+
Summary
Last semester, Zoe and Zak returned the first lost Noble Truth to its rightful home. Now, Zoe and Zak are back in India for their second semester at Moonstock Himalayan Academy. School kicks off with the Activity Week Challenge in the tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan where the students must deliver medical supplies. Things, however, take a turn for the worse, when Zak becomes deathly ill after an encounter with a strange floating bubble. On returning to Moonstock, Zoe and Zak discover that a creature has come through the lava hole far below their dormitory. When Zoe and Zak follow the creature, they soon discover what they must do. They have been tasked with finding the second lost Noble Truth -- the Tiger Eye of Justice. Finding the Tiger Eye sounds like an impossible mission, and it's only made more confusing when Zak discovers that he has been given a supernatural power to help them with their task-- a power which Zak, for the life of him, just can't control. But he's going to have to learn how to use his new ability, because if Zoe and Zak can't find the Tiger Eye quickly, Zak's time will run out.MY TAKE
***Note - This review is for book #3 in the series. Click on these links to go to my reviews of the first two books: Ghost Leopard Yogi's Curse***
Well, this series just keeps getting better and better! The Tiger Temple was definitely my favorite book in the series so far! This series in general has been great fun and I can't help but compare it to Percy Jackson (only, in this series the focus is Indian culture and mythology instead of Greek mythology). I do think that this series skews a bit younger than Percy (especially since there's no romance element to these books), but it's right on the money for the 8-11 demographic.
Honestly, I can't really think of any negatives about this one, so I'll just jump straight to the positives!
What I LOVED:
- Fun animal antics. In this book, Zak gets what he calls "Creature Teacher powers." He essentially can speak to and (to some extent) control animals. This leads to lots of fun scenes with animals! And it also leads to a cute new pet - Open Sesame, a parrot who joins the crew on their adventures.
- Zak's gets even more attention. Since Zak gained a power in this book, he gets even more of the limelight, which I think is a great thing since I love Zak! I also loved that there was just a little tinge of jealousy between Zak and Zoe that was explored (but it wasn't a huge issue that overwhelmed the plot or anything - just little hints of it). This time around, Zak was also in danger of dying if they didn't find the second Noble Truth in time, which raised the stakes a bit.
- India's culture. I can't write a review of these books without once again mentioning the Indian culture and mythology. The Indian gods and goddesses are once again prominent and a new myth is explored. I think that Guignard has done a fantastic job of weaving the mythology into the story so that readers will learn it without feeling like they've been taught! And, of course, the Indian setting is always interesting and unique.
The Tiger Temple is an exceptional MG adventure novel! I highly recommend it! 5/5 stars.
Buzz About the Zoe & Zak Series
Book 1: "Awesome! ~ I am 11 and I liked the book because I love adventures. It was a different kind of adventure from what I usually read and it was funny too. " ~ 5-Star Review from J. Olsen, AmazonBook 1: "This was a fun read. This book was like a kid's version of Indiana Jones. It's also very educational as Zoe tells you real facts about what she sees and the history. I enjoyed it immensely. If you have a 10-12 year old child that loves adventure books, this is definitely a must read. " ~ 5-Star review from Simone Lilly-Egerter, Amazon
Book 1: "I'm sure this book was written for children who are around the age of the two children in the book, 11 or so. But, this 35 year old loved this book! It had action, adventure and imagination galore! It was exactly the kind of adventure that a lot of kids that age dream of." ~ 5-Star review from The Novice Christian, Amazon
Book 2: "I have a 10 year old son who is an avid reader!! He loves books, (but he's picky too) he loved Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. He was so excited to read the 2nd book in this series! When I presented him the first book he was not sure he would like it but changed his mind quickly, then when I heard about the 2nd book being released he almost jumped out of his chair! (no exaggeration) He is anxiously awaiting the 3rd book! I would say that any child who enjoys fantasy/adventure books should read this series! It is a well written page turner! It's a fun story that adults can even enjoy the storyline without getting bored! According to my son, 'every kid should read this series'. " ~ 5-Star review from SavyGreenSaver, Amazon
Book 2: "I loved this book, even as an adult reading it. I was completely sucked into the plot and was constantly finding myself staying up "just a little longer" to read one more chapter. Different twists and turns in the book have you constantly guessing who is behind what and who Zak and Zoe can trust. I could definitely see myself being involved in this series as a middle schooler considering how much I enjoyed it even now. Another thing I liked about it is if you missed the first book, you could still follow along with this one and not be lost." ~ 5-Star review from Staci, Amazon
Book 2: "Lars Guignard has done a fabulous job with this series. I loved the `Ghost Leopard' & love this one even more. For late-elementary to middle school age readers, you can't beat this series. It's fun and fast-paced. Even my picky fifth grader enjoyed every page. There are bits of magic thrown in keep the action exciting. Mr. Guignard has a brilliant imagination & readers are blessed that he's chosen to use it for YA fiction. If you've yet to read the first installment in this series, do yourself a favor and read these books back to back. Don't limit it just to kids! Adults will have a blast reading these too!" ~ 5-Star review from Liz Terek, Amazon
Purchase
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (CAN) | Amazon (AUS)
About The Author: Lars Guignard
Lars Guignard[/caption]
Prior to writing novels, Lars Guignard wrote for film and television. As a teenager he attended boarding school in the Indian Himalayas and his experiences there provided the inspiration for the Zoe and Zak series which now include: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, Zoe & Zak and the Yogi’s Curse, and Zoe & Zak and the Tiger Temple.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest where he dodges bears and cougars while hiking & skiing the magnificent Coast Mountain Range.
For news about new releases, please join his email list by contacting the author: Zoe&ZakAdventures@gmail.com 
Tiger Temple Blog Tour Schedule (2014)
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 27
January 28
January 29
January 30
January 31
February 1
February 2
February 3
February 4
February 5
February 6
February 7
February 8
February 9
February 10
February 11
February 12
February 13
February 14
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 27
January 28
January 29
January 30
January 31
February 1
February 2
February 3
February 4
February 5
February 6
February 7
February 8
February 9
February 10
February 11
February 12
February 13
February 14
January 16
January 17
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 27
January 28
January 29
January 30
January 31
February 1
February 2
February 3
February 4
February 5
February 6
February 7
February 8
February 9
February 10
February 11
February 12
February 13
February 14
* Tiger Temple Blog Tour Giveaway *
Prize: One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card (or PayPal cash). Contest runs: January 15 to February 21, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Worldwide How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Lars Guignard and Fantastic Press and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway
I totally agree Nicole - best one so far! I love your comparison to the Percy Jackson series, but for younger children. I wouldn't be surprised if one day this series becomes as popular - it's only a matter of time as the author keeps pumping out new adventures. There's something very special about this series. Thanks so much for taking part in the Tiger Temple Blog Tour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Nicole. Glad you you enjoy Zak. He's always getting into trouble:) Zoe and Zak are growing up so we may see them dealing with some stuff that skews a little older in the future.Who knows what next semester holds!
ReplyDeleteThese books intrigue me! Thanks for sharing your review at Booknificent Thursday!
ReplyDeleteTina