The Tiger’s Nest (Explorer Academy, #5)
by Trudi Trueit (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

In this book, Cruz and his friends are tracking down another clue that his mother left for him when she died. This time they are visiting the Seychelles, India and Bhutan, and the stakes have never been higher. The spies from the evil Nebula corporation are closing in, and Cruz begins to doubt is he can trust even his closest friends.

There are a lot of plots twists and major revelations in this book! Just when you think it’s going to be another formula plot, finding the clues, solving the puzzle, and traveling around the world… Bam! Something insane happens and it throws everything into turmoil. The adventure is fantastic!

I just adore these characters! They each have some good development and I love their different personalities. It’s so cool to see how they discover their strengths and weaknesses in this book and grow closer as a team. Cruz is such an amazing main character. He surprises me in every book!

One of my favorite side characters dies in this book. No spoilers, but I was crying my eyes out when this character died. It was such a beautiful death scene and really meaningful and tragic. I was ugly crying and whispering, “No! No. It can’t be.” to the book. I was very emotionally invested in this story. I also liked that after the death, the other characters grieved. They didn’t just jump back into daily life. We see them stumbling and trying to find their way again. Nothing is the same. They are grieving and blaming themselves. There are emotional consequences. I love the depth of these characters! It’s such good storytelling, and it really made an impact on me.

The exotic locations are amazing, and I loved learning about different conservation efforts in the national parks of the Seychelle islands. There is a lot of interesting information about turtle egg poaching and wildlife conservation. It’s so interesting to see the true history and real facts about actual places interwoven with the story, especially about how the local government uses technology to stop poachers and protect the ecosystem.

I love learning about the history of the Taj Mahal and the Paro Taktsang Monastery. The historical sights are incredibly interesting, and I was so fascinated that I felt like I was visiting those places with Cruz and his friends. But all of the information is woven so seamlessly into the story that you never realize you are learning. It doesn’t slow down the plot at all.

The fictional technology is really cool. This book introduces a tiny robot that can monitor sea turtle eggs in their nest and protect them by sending out an alert if a poacher or predator comes to steal the eggs. And of course, Cruz has his little honeybee robot, Mel, who saves the day on more than one occasion!

I really enjoyed the writing style, which has both some serious situations and some humor to keep things light. The pacing is excellent. The writing kept my attention and had me turning those pages.

The artwork is a cool mixture of illustrations overlaid on top of real photographs, and it adds a wonderful dimension and depth to the story. I loved seeing the characters brought to life in the artwork, as well as the beautiful locations they visit. It really makes a special addition to the story!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.