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drtx_bwt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Medical content
Minor: War and Alcohol
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
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
wardenred's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Run away with me. You like tea. I like books. Care to open a shop and forget the world exists?
Such a wonderful, heartwarming story! I actually liked it more than Legends & Lattes, which the author cites as a direct inspiration for Can't Spell Treason without Tea. I absolutely adored Reyna and Kianthe and their entire relationship. I also loved that the relationship started before the story itself, so instead of all the first dates and growing attraction we got to delve straight into what I believe to be the most interest part of any relationship, fictional or real: the one where they actually build a life together, learn to co-exist, open up to each other about their insecurities and pain spots, overcome difficulties, help each other grow as people, make something wonderful and theirs. Like, you know, a tea shop/book store in a cold, dragon-plagued town full of nice, kind people.
Tawney is now firmly among my favorite settings, to be sure. There was something so vivid about every description that I now feel like I've truly visited it. I also found myself quite captivated by the broader setting it exists in, with the different cultures, the dragons, the entire Arcandor concept and all. The setting is built out of familiar fantasy tropes, but the way they're used and fitted together makes for something really interesting. Oh, and speaking of different cultures! That entire secondary storyline about Lord Wylan and Diarn Feo, vying for rulership and constantly bickering and looking all the time like they're one step away from a glorious queer enemies-to-lovers romance? Give me that romance. I need it.
I guess the one reason I'm not giving this a full 5-star mark is this weird ethical struggle I had around the entire concept of the book. :D Don't get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate the concept! In most typical fantasy stories, you would expect the most powerful mage in the world and the tyrannical queen's rogue bodyguard to, you know, topple the evil queen and bring kindness and justice to the world or something. In this book, the characters instead choose to escape the queen and build a quiet, kind life for themselves in this adorable town in the middle of nowhere. That's what makes the story so unique and so beautifully character-driven, and I totally get the reasons behind Reyna's and Kyanthe's choices. I loved their journey, as I've already said. But time and time again, I caught myself thinking that it was maybe... selfish? Imagine having the power and the insidious knowledge to try and make real change plenty of people could benefit from, and not using it. I'm one of those people who can't. For a long time now, I've been wishing so hard I could be someone with at least a 50% chance to, you know, topple certain world leaders. Hell, even a 10% chance, a 5% chance, anything. I am just a normal person, and I feel like a failure for it, that I live in this world where so many things are so wrong, and I can't do anything. From that point of view, putting yourself first when you really can make a difference against a sociopathic tyrant feels downright villainous.
I'll once again say: I did love the story very very much, especially when I could shove aside that ethical conundrum. But I suppose I would have preferred it if there was no tyrannical queen. Perhaps just a not-very-good-but-passable queen with a parliament to stop her from going overboard, and with Reyna being somehow bound to her service still, to keep the story mostly the same, but, you know, not in a way that makes her complicit in tyrannical crimes. Or if Kianthe was simply a mage, not the super powerful mage with a special connection to the Stone. I guess I overall prefer heartwarming slice-of-life stories when they either happen in overall optimistic settings, like Becky Chambers's Monk & Robot novellas, or when they have this hopepunk vibe of good people in bad worlds doing the very best they can, at least for themselves and their loved ones, even if that's never going to be enough to change the entire world. Reading a "doing the best we can for ourselves and each other at the expanse of NOT doing the best we could have done for everyone" story was perhaps a first for me, and this aspect doesn't sit 100% well with me. I'm weird like that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent and Vomit
purplepenning's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Yeah, this was lovely. I was afraid the murderous tyrannical queen would harsh the cozy vibe, but it managed to play out in a way that didn't feel like a cheat but also didn't ruin the relaxing read. Very similar to the way Legends & Lattes balances legitimate threat without dousing the warmth of the developing domesticity. I liked Legends & Lattes just a bit better — probably because the humor worked so well for me — but this is a great addition to the cozy fantasy subgenre. And the relationship communication and caring here! 🤌 If you're looking for a cozy fantasy with a great lesbian couple that's totally hot for each other but has caring communication and mutual respect as their foundation, you've found it! (They're super into each other, but this is a no steam read — all closed door or implied.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Alcohol, Vomit, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Ableism, Medical content, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Death
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