By The Book

Wow! That’s what I have to say about Janyre Tromp‘s newest historical novel, Darkness Calls The Tiger. This book will easily make my best of 2024 list. Besides its unique setting, the characterization is masterful. You do not want to miss this one!

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary.

As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai’s father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he’s losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

Janyre Tromp is an award-winning and best-selling writer and veteran editor with a deep love for history.

Her mid-20th century historical novels always simmer with a healthy pinch of deliciously creepy suspense and include Darkness Calls the Tiger, Shadows in the Mind’s Eye, and O Little Town.

And all that editing and writing happens in her unfinished basement when she’s not hanging out with her family, two troublesome cats, and slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog.

You can find her all over social media or on her website.

And just in case you get to meet in person some day, you pronounce that first name Jan-ear.

My Impressions:

Darkness Calls The Tiger is one of those books that stays with you long after you turn the last page. This historical novel set in Burma (modern-day Myanmar) during WWII is above-the-top excellent. The setting is so very unique — the mountain villages of the Himalayan range of Burma combined with the Japanese invasion — that I was googling as I read. This is a time and place I knew nothing about, but now feel like I was there along with the characters. And what characters they are! The narrative switches between the first person POV of Kailyn Moran and the third person POV featuring Ryan McDonough. Each has trouble identifying their place and purpose in the world. Kailyn is a child of the jungle, yet is an outsider. A child of missionaries, she has one foot in Burmese culture and another in the foreign-to-her world of her American ancestry. Ryan is in Burma to honor his mother, but wonders if he will ever feel at home. And home is important for both of them. As the Japanese attempt the conquest of the country, the two take very different paths to rectify their failings and guilt. In order to avoid spoilers, I will just say that Kai and Ryan become people they feel destined to be, but is that what God really wants? Both have foundations in faith, but war, loss, and fear twists that all around.

The novel is a riveting page-turner. It portrays the ugliness, brutality, and evil of a world at war, but strongly shines a light of redemption and restoration that pierces that darkness. It is a must-read for those who love historical fiction, especially from a new perspective or for those who love a really good story.

Very Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine.)

Tags: historical fiction, Janyre Tromp, WWII