Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
Like her mother before her, Reyna dedicated her life to Queen Tilane. She swore to protect the queen from all who might harm her, and she rose in the ranks to become one of the queen’s most trusted Queensguards.
Tilane is a fickle, power-hungry ruler. When Reyna is nearly killed by an assassin – and the queen makes it clear that Reyna’s life means nothing to her – Reyna decides it is time to reevaluate her priorities.
Reyna is in a long standing, secret relationship with Kianthe, the Arcandor – the most powerful mage in the world. She has been blessed by the Stone of Seeing with almost limitless power, and required to use that power to manage magical creatures, avert natural disasters, and soothe political disagreements. Reyna is the only person Kianthe knows who sees her for who she really is.
It has been Kianthe’s dream for the two of them to run away together and open up a store that sells books and tea. After her near-death experience, Reyna is finally on board.
They set up their dream shop in a tiny town right on the border between the Queendom and a neighboring country. Kianthe, Reyna, and their shop are instantly popular with the locals, but they soon find out that Tawney is not as quiet as they thought it would be.
There are two political leaders – one from each side of the border – claiming to govern Tawney. Tawney’s citizens are also divided on this issue, meaning that New Leaf Tomes & Tea will need the blessing of both leaders in order to run smoothly.
The town is also plagued by dragon attacks. Long ago, half of the town was destroyed in a dragon attack, and the dragons return frequently to burn the ruins that remain. This is just the kind of mysterious behavior that the Arcandor needs to investigate.
Not to mention the looming threat of Queen Tilane. No person has ever managed to escape her court for long.
Rebecca Thorne’s CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA is part of the growing genre known as cozy fantasy. The setting is comfortable, the danger is not too intense, and the ending is happy. Cozy fantasy is the kind of book you want to read on a cold night in front of a roaring fire – because the characters are doing the same.
I have only read a few of the more popular entries in the genre, but this is by far my favorite. The characters are well-developed and the action is exciting. Thorne is able to make the stakes feel important even though readers know that the events of the book are going to end well.
This is the first book in Thorne’s four-book series, all of which are available now. Each book is titled with a tea-related pun. Readers who enjoy puns – particularly bad puns – will find many to enjoy throughout the series.
Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian
