TOMES & TEA by Rebecca Thorne (SERIES REVIEW)
A couple of years ago, I heard about an enticingly cosy fantasy series about two women in a magical land setting up a book/tea shop. Also there’s politics, gryphons and dragons (oh my!)
Of course I was intrigued!
Cosy fantasy was just beginning to become a trend, with Travis Baldree leading the charge – but Rebecca Thorne was clearly a close second. Sapphic romance, magical academia, a rebellion against an evil queen… and all set around a gorgeous little self-made shop and its community! What’s not to like?
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea
Two women wanted to open a cosy bookshop. They discovered a world of adventure.
Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a friendly book shop together, serving the very best tea and cakes. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters – all complemented by love and good company. But Reyna is an elite bodyguard to a vengeful queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives behind seems . . . impossible. Yet they flee to Tawney, a town nestled in the icy peaks of dragon country. There, they open the bookstore they’d always wanted.
What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. Through it, these two women will discover what they mean to each other – and their world.
The adventure begins with Reyna fleeing for her life from the indentured servitude of her role as bodyguard to a selfish, prideful tyrant. All she wants is a place to call home, curled up with her lover Kianthe, a good book and a nice cup of tea!
Kianthe is entirely on board with this idea, but unfortunately she has to flee too, from her own responsibilities as the most powerful Mage in the land, controlled by tradition and a council of stuffy (male) magicians.
The two rebels find a quiet little remote town and a vacant building, determined to make their dreams a reality.
Unfortunately, due to some past bad decisions by local treasure-seekers, this town occasionally suffers from dragon attacks.
The multiple plots zip along at a good clip, ensuring that the book never drags and the pages keep turning. I was delighted at the clever writing, allowing for humour, romance and action to merge seamlessly, with everything falling into place as the adventures of our two heroines unfold. Yes, there are challenges – life or death, usually! – but both women are smart (if occasionally impulsive), and I found myself almost cheering as the solution to their mutual dilemmas comes to fruition. Unfortunately bargains made must be fulfilled…
A Pirate’s Life for Tea
Queer pirates will discover if enemies actually can become lovers . . .
Kianthe and Reyna are hunting for dragon eggs to save their hometown. To secure their prize, they must strike a deal with the local lord – who in turn wants Serina, notorious river pirate, and scourge of his supply chains. Surely, they can handle one small abduction in the name of justice?
Begrudgingly, the couple join forces with Bobbie, one of the lord’s constables. Bobbie is determined to capture Serina, but lawmaker and lawbreaker have a complicated history – and it might jeopardize everything. As Bobbie and Serina become reacquainted, Kianthe and Reyna watch this relationship-wreck from afar. Luckily, matchmaking is Reyna’s favourite pastime. The dragon eggs may just have to wait.
The adventures continue for Reyna and Kianthe as they work to find lost dragon eggs while navigating local political wrangling. Unfortunately nothing is quite what it seems in regional politics, and they gradually discover undercurrents of corruption and yet more tyranny – finding justice for those ground down by the feudal system was a mission that neither of our heroines anticipated.
Now that the foundation of this world has been established, this book allows events to move forward, with greater world-building and new friends. The added fun of piracy enhances the themes of rebellion and questing for truth, tied in to family and finding oneself by breaking with the bonds of outdated tradition. Plus I loved the addition of therapeutic crochet and sampling good wine!
There’s perhaps less cosiness in this instalment, but once again events race forward with ship-bound chases, battles and rescues. Kianthe and Reyna discover more about themselves as they help embattled constable Bobbie, and while it’s not unusual to shout at the page when bad decisions are being made, the women can be relied upon to hit their goals just in the nick of time.
The ongoing story blossoms, allowing for greater humanity amidst a very fraught series of dilemmas and almost ‘A-Team’-esque shenanigans!
Tea you at the Altar
Kianthe and Reyna are finally ready to walk down the aisle. This feels so right, but their plans are going all wrong. Pirates crowd the town, Kianthe’s estranged parents invited themselves, the baby dragons are causing mayhem – and they might run out of tea. Yet the truth overshadows everything . . . for their wedding has nothing to do with marriage, and everything to do with overthrowing the vicious Queen Tilaine.
But the Queendom’s secret heir would rather manage a hive of bees or study city planning than take the throne. As the big day nears and the coup unravels, Kianthe and Reyna must rely on each other and their friends to survive the experience. Six days until they say ‘I do’. Six days until the Realm changes for ever . . .
Now that the dragon part of the story has been resolved, it’s time to swing back around to the Evil Queen. Which just so happens to include a wedding, with all the pomp and stress that such an event entails!
After the action of the previous book, this is a little more like a sit-com, with the tension coming from familial expectations and wedding logistics while still having to resolve the biggest plot in the series. Every book has our heroines seeking a quiet life with just themselves and their found family, but with the constant undercurrent of their previous roles always lurking, this was always going to come to a head.
I’m very much a fan of how Reyna and Kianthe always take matters into their own hands, even when their cunning plans seem bizarre or virtually impossible – but needs must when they’re faced with literally bringing down a kingdom! Their constant strength of love and deep friendship runs throughout this series, and it’s a true joy to see them move forward in every book, despite the many trials that the author seems to delight in throwing at them!
I’m very much looking forward to the final part of the saga, Alchemy and a Cup of Tea (due for release 14th August 2025, pre-order here), which has the daunting task of wrapping up just how these two will spend their futures together. I’m entirely here for it, and suspect the fans that the series has picked up will be too.
Rebecca Thorne has crafted a masterful world focused on the True Love of the Princess Bride and the action of Lord of the Rings, while keeping everything grounded in the everyday life of a small town and just returning home at the end of the day to a nice cup of tea. Who can ask for more than that?
