A review by nmcannon
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard

adventurous mysterious 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

5.0

After enjoying Seven of Infinities, I was eager to pick up The Tea Master and the Detective. Doyle’s Holmes holds a special place in my heart, and I’m always open to fun new remixes. Under de Bodard’s pen, Holmes and Watson–here Long Chau and The Shadow’s Child–shine again.

After a debilitating stint in a galactic war, The Shadow’s Child mindship brews space-sickness teas for travelers who really want to get out there. It’s not much, but it’s honest work. The eccentric Long Chau wants something a little different: the teas and transport to a very dangerous bit of space, to retrieve a body amongst hulking wreckage of mindships past. The job only becomes more complicated when the body is a lot fresher than Long anticipated, and soon the duo are on the trail of a vast conspiracy. 

I’m writing this review three months after reading the books (oops), and the scenes of Long Chau in space remain incredibly vivid in my memory. There’s something so visceral, cold, and cosmic about de Bodard’s writing in that scene. Despite the difference in setting and to their characters, Watson and Holmes are recognizable and fantastic. The mystery’s logical unraveling was great fun. In my Seven of Infinities review, I noted my lingering questions about mindship mechanics. The Tea Master and Detective is more generous in its explanations, and probably a better starting point for the series. If you like Holmes and sci-fi, definitely check out The Tea Master and the Detective!

My review of Seven of Infinities: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9d57c954-a2cc-4bb3-97a7-065f7d133db0