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sarrie's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
TL;DR: I have to say I’m disappointed. This was a bit overly long, and I feel mislabeled as cozy. It was dull with moments of very high stakes and I was left with a feeling of whiplash.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a book that’s been on my radar since it was independently released. It’s been recommended many places as a good title to read if you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, and it was so well recieved that Tor picked it up for a big release. It’s the story of two women who run away together to start a life in a book and tea shop.
The premise sounds amazing, and possibly why I was so excited. I love bookshops, tea, and cozy fantasy in general but this one had some issues I found frustrating. First off, this didn’t feel cozy, instead it felt just a dull. The story, instead of the constant warm feeling that a cozy builds gradually, went through lulls of slow and rather dull moments where problems and issues were hand-waved away and moments of high tension where characters and others lives were at stake. The ‘things’ of cozy fantasy were there. Plants, books, tea, pastries, etc. But they felt like set dressing and very flat.
The relationship between the characters could have also affected this because it just didn’t have it. The two women are in a relationship from the beginning and as such we never see the initial coming together. Instead we’re told a lot how they fell in love or how they feel, but shown mostly the slow less interesting side of a relationship. Their conversations, while never overly long always devolve into one of two things: Sex Jokes or Oh WOW Our Communication is SO good.
The world could be interesting and I might consider picking up the second book on a whim, but I really hope the whiplash feeling of slow and dull to abruptly high stakes is evened out. Cozy, to me, is a slow build to whatever is lingering behind the characters. This was an up and down rollercoaster billed as ‘cozy’ and left me feeling very off balance.
3 Undying Plants out of 5
Content Warnings
Minor: War, Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny
noriboo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reyna and Kianthe are precious and must be protected at all cost!
Good thing that this is a cosy fantasy story, and we as readers never really have to worry about their wellbeing. Although both ladies do like to keep us in our toes every now and then.
There were word puns that I found amusing, and this really is a story that is best enjoyed under a cosy blanket with a warm beverage.
Good thing that this is a cosy fantasy story, and we as readers never really have to worry about their wellbeing. Although both ladies do like to keep us in our toes every now and then.
There were word puns that I found amusing, and this really is a story that is best enjoyed under a cosy blanket with a warm beverage.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
lotte5322's review
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
ifoundcallie's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Vomit, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
wickedgrumpy's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
I have some qualms with this book.
If it were a romance it skipped all the fun parts of the forbidden nature into the growing pains of the relationship where they move in together but don't really know each other that well because they've been sneaking away previously. So, no pining, they're in love but not quite the fluffy happily ever after love. One is the super powerful mage with a penchant for puns and is perpetually horny and loves reading (the brains) and the other is a palace guard who bakes and loves tea along with battle sense and quick analyzing skills (the brawn). They are very much in a ride or die mindset and it's a bit repetitive until the cast of character is expanded to include neighbors/townsfolk and start to develop more of a found family.
The world building was... Both sparse and complex somehow. Imagine some nuggets of lore just dropped and seeming like it means something but is never fully explained. That is the majority of the book and while some of it can be figured out with context clues, there's still a lot of questions and I suppose I am used to a first book in a series spending adequate time establishing everything to reduce confusion through the remaining volumes.
As for plot, there were so many threads everywhere and only one was really tied up. I presume more will be addressed in the future but it seemed like a lot of plot for a book that was vibe heavy.
Finishing this and all I can think is that it was fine. The things I have issues with weren't particularly bad but I might hesitate to read more in the series.
If it were a romance it skipped all the fun parts of the forbidden nature into the growing pains of the relationship where they move in together but don't really know each other that well because they've been sneaking away previously. So, no pining, they're in love but not quite the fluffy happily ever after love. One is the super powerful mage with a penchant for puns and is perpetually horny and loves reading (the brains) and the other is a palace guard who bakes and loves tea along with battle sense and quick analyzing skills (the brawn). They are very much in a ride or die mindset and it's a bit repetitive until the cast of character is expanded to include neighbors/townsfolk and start to develop more of a found family.
The world building was... Both sparse and complex somehow. Imagine some nuggets of lore just dropped and seeming like it means something but is never fully explained. That is the majority of the book and while some of it can be figured out with context clues, there's still a lot of questions and I suppose I am used to a first book in a series spending adequate time establishing everything to reduce confusion through the remaining volumes.
As for plot, there were so many threads everywhere and only one was really tied up. I presume more will be addressed in the future but it seemed like a lot of plot for a book that was vibe heavy.
Finishing this and all I can think is that it was fine. The things I have issues with weren't particularly bad but I might hesitate to read more in the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Outing, Vomit, Violence, Confinement, Deadnaming, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders
saintyeehaw's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book just wasn't my cup of tea which is disappointing. I found it a bit immature and overwritten in parts. Kianthe and Reyna's personalities are just too similar to tell them apart much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Violence
_forestofpages's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
4.5
This is a 400+ page book and I read it in one day. It lifted me out of the depression-hole I was in and was so amazing even from the first pages. I was wholeheartedly on board with the romance, even though I don’t really read fantasy romance, I think it helped that they were queer/sapphic and that it was cozy fantasy with low stakes. I just didn’t want more queer tragedy, and this was absolutely queer joy.
Also, the plot parts were interesting, it wasn’t as plotless as Legends and Lattes, it actually felt like ‘things’ were happening and there were a small handful of epic fights including a dragon brawl in the sky.
I related hard to Kianthe and fell headlong for Reyna. Their relationship was honestly goals, and they had incredible and believable chemistry. They also were not perfect and did have to deal with the growing pains of being in a real relationship, navigating business and living together especially when neither of them had a lot of experience in any of it. The side characters were wonderful too! And the diversity was so good, most of the cast were POC, there was also body diversity and non-binary rep.
If you love cozy fantasy with romance, this should be your next read!
Also, the plot parts were interesting, it wasn’t as plotless as Legends and Lattes, it actually felt like ‘things’ were happening and there were a small handful of epic fights including a dragon brawl in the sky.
I related hard to Kianthe and fell headlong for Reyna. Their relationship was honestly goals, and they had incredible and believable chemistry. They also were not perfect and did have to deal with the growing pains of being in a real relationship, navigating business and living together especially when neither of them had a lot of experience in any of it. The side characters were wonderful too! And the diversity was so good, most of the cast were POC, there was also body diversity and non-binary rep.
If you love cozy fantasy with romance, this should be your next read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
dancers_and_dragons's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
This book felt like a warm hug of a story, with adventures and magic like the ones we idealize, but with just enough tension and conflict to make it real and meaningful. The sapphic romance and queer supporting cast brought a smile to my face, and Thorne does an excellent job of detailing the world around them without dropping all of that information all at once.
The main characters are almost foils of one another, with the calculating and deliberative Reyna, and the spontaneous and idealistic Kianthe. But Thorne brings them to places where these two women learn how to love themselves and others in a new way. I personally deeply appreciated that there were a couple deep conversations between these main characters, and that they put in the work to make their relationship and their dreams come true.
While there are tense moments and the stakes of the book rise and fall at times, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea has the perfect mix of Hurt and Comfort to break your heart a little and then mend it again. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to to revisit it again someday!
The main characters are almost foils of one another, with the calculating and deliberative Reyna, and the spontaneous and idealistic Kianthe. But Thorne brings them to places where these two women learn how to love themselves and others in a new way. I personally deeply appreciated that there were a couple deep conversations between these main characters, and that they put in the work to make their relationship and their dreams come true.
While there are tense moments and the stakes of the book rise and fall at times, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea has the perfect mix of Hurt and Comfort to break your heart a little and then mend it again. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to to revisit it again someday!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit, Blood, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
ophycore's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
romie_chat's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
I, too, want to leave everything behind and go hide in the mountains with my one true love, open a book/teashop and raise baby griffons!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death