Tigers Amidst Lions

***Tigers Amidst Lions*** is a book by Ernest Farthing, a human veteran of the War in Pandaria. The book describes Farthing's account of his time serving in Pandaria and the trials and tribulations faced by the Alliance soldiers who served on the front lines. As well as explaining the aims of the military, Farthing goes on to state that the Alliance war effort at the time was undermined by pandaren locals (some of who had been recruited into the army), claiming that a number of military disasters can be blamed on insurgent forces who had infiltrated various units, including the author's own. Farthing wrote the book, with a team of assistants, using both his own notes and privileged access to official documents while still working as an officer within the Stormwind Army.

## Summary

The book is structured into three sections and a conclusion.

#### **Section 1 - The Jungle**

Farthing outlines the general atmosphere in Pandaria within the Alliance camps and bases he served in, noting high spirits and strong moral after the initial landing, as well as detailing Pandaria's landscapes and people. Time is taken to detail the various cultures Farthing came across and some of his thoughts regarding their customs and religions. One such custom - of which Farthing states he was given no explanation for from any of the natives - was the forming of a circle with the index finger and thumb before holding it against their forehead.

#### **Section 2 - Lions**

In this section, Farthing describes the goals of the Alliance military within Pandaria, how they were received by the locals and efforts undertaken to foster positive relations with villages and towns. Similarly, a number of conflicts with the Horde are mentioned and Farthing offers a detailed recount of skirmishes and battles that transpired across the continent.

#### **Section 3 - Tigers**

Here, Farthing goes on to discuss what he believed was a conspiracy shared between some of the pandaren who were recruited into the Alliance's army, in which units were mislead into hostile territory or given false information by native ambassadors and villagers alike. In one account, Farthing recalls how his unit had accepted the aid of a local yak herder who offered to lead them through the treacherous mountain passes of Kun-Lai, only for he and his men to fall victim to an ambush in which the yak herder was unharmed and many of the soldiers under his command were slain by "*foreign, star-shaped throwing weapons*".

#### **Conclusion - Where The Blossoms Fall**

The conclusion of *Tigers Amidst Lions* deals with the fallout of the Alliance and Horde's war within Pandaria and the Siege of Orgrimmar, as well as a warning to readers that the pandaren people are one who are well-versed in masking their true thoughts and feelings, and that great care should be taken when interacting with them.

## Critical Reception

***Tigers Amidst Lions*** received favourable reviews upon first being published. An early review written by the *Lion's Library* gave the book a positive review, praising Farthing's writing and ability to paint vivid imagery with sharp, well-utilized prose when describing Pandaria's landscape and the lives of its inhabitants while also remaining factual in describing military operations and movements. *The Silver Shelf* similarly gave a positive review but, criticized the last section of the book for its unfair characterization of the pandaren people, stating that "*the inclusion of Farthing's own point of view regarding Pandaria and its inhabitants serves to dampen one's enjoyment of what is a thrilling read and informative account of the battles therein*".

However, since publication, *Tigers Amidst Lions* has also been the target of various controversy. Small scale rallies were held within Stormwind City during a period of unease after the war in which copies of *Tigers Amidst Lions were* burned.

## Criticism

Farthing's work received scathing criticism from Garnor Deepchasm, a dwarven scholar of Ironforge, who lambasted Farthing for his "*shameful views that, ultimately, have only made pandaren integration harder for everyone involved",* citing numerous cases in which pandaren citizens were made the victims of abuse and unwarrented mistrust due to the inflammatory writings found within the book. Deepchasm goes on to write that Fathering's account fails to make mention of the forced labour camps that were constructed, wherein pandaren natives were made to work without rest for the Alliance military. Huan-ji Goldenreed, a Tushui monk and dignitary, named Farthing's book the "*dreamings of a man who has spent more time in a poppy den than on any battlefield."* The Alliance High Command went so far as to comment on the book itself, stating that "*at no time was the Alliance military forces within Pandaria ever under threat from pandaren natives*".