Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

Book Description

All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters… all complemented by love and good company. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen’s private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives isn’t so easy.

What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other… and the world.

Review

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is a fun sword and sorcery fantasy. It offers a romantic tale featuring magic, dragons, political intrigue, intimacy, and tea. The novel delivers a likeable cast of characters and a believable sapphic romance.

The story follows Reyna, an elite soldier, and Kianthe, a powerful mage. They run away from their lives, toward each other. And all they want is to live a quiet life in an unimportant corner of the world where they can sell tea and books.

The characters in Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea are complex and interesting. Each woman, while fully capable of taking care of themselves, is wildly protective of the other. The exploration of female empowerment, friendship, and love is a standout aspect of the book.

Each of the four female characters featured in the novel is powerful, independent, and flawed. They have their own goals and motivations. But Thorne weaves their conflicting agendas into a seamless narrative, highlighting the importance of unity and the power of women supporting one another.

When is “Cozy” not Cozy?

While billed by the author as Cozy Fantasy, I strongly disagree.

This book features very high stakes (Primary character death! Multiple times!), a truly evil antagonist, and the characters live under constant threat.

Instead of Cozy Fantasy, the book delivers slice of life moments in a Sword and Sorcery fantasy.

So why did Thorne brand the novel as a cozy fantasy?

Shrug.

Marketing? Branding? To ride the wave of fans clamoring for stories like Legends and Lattes?

Honestly, I don’t blame Thorne. One of the hardest things about being an indie author is getting the word out about your books. It was certainly a savvy marketing move to position her book next to Legends and Lattes. And based on the reviews, people enjoyed the story, even though, in my opinion, the author pulled a bait and switch.

I enjoyed the novel’s pacing, even though it was uneven toward the end. But here’s my hot take:

Author Rebecca Thorne knows nothing about tea.

Tea aficionados will shudder when they read how this fantasy tea shop makes tea. But anyone who thinks you make tea by dunking a little paper bag in a mug of hot water… will be fine.

You’ve been warned!

Despite the misleading branding (and Thornes’s philistine attitude toward crafting a cup of tea) Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea delivers an enjoyable, well-written fantasy tale.

Content Warning

Blood (Wounds), Queer Romance, Torture, Violence

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Anastasiya Leskova on Unsplash