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aestass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Disgraced princess decides to flee the castle rather than blindly accepting her family's plans. I loved the story, the use of social commentary and slow romance. My favorite part, however, is obviously the tea dragon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
nvangilder's review
4.0
This was an enjoyable tale. It was not your typical urban fantasy in the best way. It's the perfect thing to lift your spirits when you are down. It makes me think of Legends and Lattes. It gives me the same kind of low-stakes fantasy that I loved so much in that book. I hope more of this writing style comes out.
itsbexx's review against another edition
2.25
At first I was intrigued but as the story went on I got a bit bored of the focus on politics. Plus I never really got what was so special about the tea ceremony and tea masters. Why should someone that makes a mean cup of tea automatically do politics as well? it also seemed like it would be a gay love story which I’d have preferred
evenstr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
nerdyholler's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A nice entry into the cozy fantasy genre but one that doesn't follow the Legends and Lattes formula. I found this to be a quick enjoyable read about a character finding her place and her voice in the world. I liked the way magic works in this settling. I enjoy when small, quiet things (like tea service and studying together) end up feeling special and being important. Overall I enjoyed all of the characters and how their stories linked together as a found family. The things keeping this from being a 5 star for me were that the FMC could get a little annoying and repetitive towards the end and the racial/oppression story lines seem to hit you over the head at times. Still a read that left me feeling warm and fuzzy though and I'll be checking out the rest of the series.
arcanaemia's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Xenophobia, and Racism
mountain_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can’t wait to finish the series.
scriptrix's review against another edition
3.0
This very much seems like the kind of book I *should* like, but I found the main character annoying as heck. She gets everything handed to her immediately and has a bit of a savior complex. Right from the get-go she rubbed me the wrong way, but I stuck it out til the end. The plot wasn't quite "cozy" but was decently entertaining. I would have liked to see more tea-related plot and less politics (and this is coming from a reader who doesn't shy away from fantasy politics if they're done well).
kittywizard's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lostinagoodbook's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable cozy fantasy.
I am so glad I’ve become aware of this sub-genre of cozy fantasy. I had never heard of it before and once I realized it existed it helped to make so much of my recent reading preferences make more sense. I loved this book because it is fairly low stakes, has some really likeable characters and feature people coming together as a kind of found family. It is pretty heartwarming fare and is perfect for lying in bed and the end of a long day and drifting off to sleep with a good story. Oh wait, not that it is dull and makes me fall asleep … oh you know what I mean. It’s something I can relax with.
This book features a good heroine. She is aware that she doesn’t really fit into the classic princess roles that are available to her, so she makes the IMO very brave choice to throw it all away and go live on her own terms. Absolutely frightening prospect to be clear. I immediately thought, this girl has absolutely no clue how to go about this, which becomes immediately clear. Thankfully, she finds her footing fairly quickly, and is able to lean on the skills she learned as a royal to make her way.
I feel like any good cozy fantasy book needs a strong food aspect to make it truly cozy. This one is very tea focused which is nice. I love the descriptions of the tea services and accoutrements.
This was an enjoyable read and I am adding volume 2 to my TBR.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley.
I am so glad I’ve become aware of this sub-genre of cozy fantasy. I had never heard of it before and once I realized it existed it helped to make so much of my recent reading preferences make more sense. I loved this book because it is fairly low stakes, has some really likeable characters and feature people coming together as a kind of found family. It is pretty heartwarming fare and is perfect for lying in bed and the end of a long day and drifting off to sleep with a good story. Oh wait, not that it is dull and makes me fall asleep … oh you know what I mean. It’s something I can relax with.
This book features a good heroine. She is aware that she doesn’t really fit into the classic princess roles that are available to her, so she makes the IMO very brave choice to throw it all away and go live on her own terms. Absolutely frightening prospect to be clear. I immediately thought, this girl has absolutely no clue how to go about this, which becomes immediately clear. Thankfully, she finds her footing fairly quickly, and is able to lean on the skills she learned as a royal to make her way.
I feel like any good cozy fantasy book needs a strong food aspect to make it truly cozy. This one is very tea focused which is nice. I love the descriptions of the tea services and accoutrements.
This was an enjoyable read and I am adding volume 2 to my TBR.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley.