Reviews

This instalment was a lot more political than I expected of a cozy fantasy so it was a slow start for me and even considered dnf-ing at 25% however I decided to at least give it a couple more chapters and I got hooked and finished the rest in a single sitting. I have to admit that I mostly skimmed the political bits though... still, I just love the idea of a Tea Spirit and Yorani is absolutely adorable.

themightymeep's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

kit_moonstar's review

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4.0

The stakes are upped in this sequel, and it didn’t disappoint. This time around the major focus is on Mireya’s developing romance with Deniel as well as her relationship with her sister Saiyana. The tea tournament brings new faces to the cast as well as gives more details about the world in general which I appreciated. Her friendship with Lorwyn does remain a central lynchpin to the series, and it’s nice to see that that element hasn’t been dropped. I was also really intrigued by how little hints of things from the first book were made more explicit in natural ways like Ostario being trans. I’m really curious to see how some of the plot threads from this book will be tied up in the next. The added worldbuilding was great and answered some if not all my questions from the first book as well. Mireya’s constant doubts and questioning of herself could get a little tedious at times, but for the most part the story moved along at a good clip. It’s a solid cozy fantasy that live up to the potential of the first book. Four out of five stars.