All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters… all complemented by love and good company. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen’s private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives isn’t so easy.
But after an assassin takes Reyna hostage, she decides she’s thoroughly done risking her life for a self-centered queen. Meanwhile, Kianthe has been waiting for a chance to flee responsibility–all the better that her girlfriend is on board. Together, they settle in Tawney, a town that boasts more dragons than people, and open the shop of their dreams.
What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other… and the world.
You know those books you genuinely enjoy while reading, but the moment you sit down to write a review, the flaws are all you can think about? Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is one of those books for me, so I’ll try to keep this short.
I truly did enjoy my time with it. Reyna and Kianthe make a wonderful couple to build a series around. They balance each other well, bringing out strengths and tempering weaknesses. Starting the story with an already established relationship lets the author focus on plot rather than setup, which I appreciated. Still, this is the first time they’re spending extended time together, and while there are hints at growing pains, conflicts are resolved very quickly. I know this is a cozy fantasy, but as a gay man, I would love to see more of the mess and complexity that comes with intimacy, not just the tidy version.
The residents of Tawney are fun and distinct enough that I never confused them, but overall the characters, even Reyna and Kianthe, feel a bit two-dimensional. And no one suffers from this more than Queen Tilaine. If there’s a patron saint of bland villains, it’s her. If she continues as the primary source of conflict, I hope she becomes significantly more interesting.
World-building is also lighter than I expected for a first book in a fantasy series. Tawney itself feels mostly realized, though the layout remains murky in my mind. Beyond that? The wider world is a fog. I grew up with authors like Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and my favorite, Mercedes Lackey — writers who built rich, tangible worlds I can still map in my head. Here, I can picture Tawney and the castle Reyna fled… and that’s about it.
To be fair, this is just book one in what’s currently a four-book series. I’m hopeful these early quibbles will be addressed as the world and characters develop.
Despite everything I’ve mentioned, I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent with Reyna and Kianthe. I do plan to continue the series. I’m just not in a rush.
Finally, thanks to Tracy of Bitter Tea and Mystery for putting this book on my radar. I might not have picked it up otherwise, and I'm glad I did.
8 comments:
I didn’t get the genre till quarter through your review. Not one I’m familiar with but with a bookshop as a setting I was intrigued.
Ryan, I am glad you read this book and this is a good analysis of its good and bad points. And thanks for linking to my blog. I did notice some of the flaws that you talk about in your post when I read this book, but as you say, I enjoyed it while I was reading, and that is the most important thing for me. I am interested in seeing how the series develops.
The other fantasy series that I have been reading is the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and it is very very dark. The books take me a long time to read and are often sad. For me, this book was like an antidote to that series, light and fun and a quick read.
"If there’s a patron saint of bland villains, it’s her."
😂
Um, I'm not a cozy fantasy gal...but I guess this is one of those books that are supposed to sacrifice worldbuilding and conflict over, well, coziness. Your review may be short, but it's indeed well-thought-out as usual!
Yes, I liked this too but felt the emphasis was on 'cosy' and not world building. Like Tracy, I've read Robin Hobb and her world is complex and messy and real. I have book 2 of this Tea series but so far have not felt inclined to read it, but we'll see. If I fancy something undemanding next year I might get to it. I think it's pirate based to that might be an incentive.
It's a genre I've never come across before.
I've been meaning to read that series for a ridiculously long time. One day...
This was my first one, I'm not sure how interested I'm in reading another.
I'm sure I'll read the 2nd one sometime, but it will be a ways off.
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