A Coup of Tea

After reading the rather heavy and depressing [b:Native Tongue|285563|Native Tongue (Native Tongue, #1)|Suzette Haden Elgin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348446358l/285563._SY75_.jpg|2866090], I wanted something light and undemanding to read. [b:A Coup of Tea|46163953|A Coup of Tea (Tea Princess Chronicles, #1)|Casey Blair|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651108934l/46163953._SY75_.jpg|71121562] was ideal for this purpose. Initially published as a web serial, it is a cosy fantasy that follows Miyara, a princess who resigns from the monarchy and starts a new life working in customer service. The setting is a fantasy world with a variety of magic types: innate show more and learned, controlled and dangerous, mundane and wild. There is some theological importance to the elements, but no indication that magic can be subdivided in such a way. Also there are several kinds of dragons!

I particularly appreciated the practical applications of magic as a technology. Magical kitchen appliances (e.g. rice cookers, ovens, hot water systems) are ubiquitous, but no magical phones, radios, or signs of industrialisation. The economy still seems to be based on local trade, guilds, and cottage production. A peaceful world, or it would be were it not for the villain: gentrification! I can’t believe I’m comparing this light and fun fantasy novel to The Wire, but it is similarly focused on urban poverty as an outcome of processes rather than the fault of one individual. I found this far more interesting than fantasy plots where the villain is That One Evil Wizard.

[b:A Coup of Tea|46163953|A Coup of Tea (Tea Princess Chronicles, #1)|Casey Blair|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651108934l/46163953._SY75_.jpg|71121562] is easy to read, amusing, and cute in a good way. Rather than magic, the element that required the most suspension of disbelief for me was Miyara’s self-awareness and ability to have deep emotional conversations with people she’s just met. So I decided these were her magical powers, which made it reasonable. After fleeing royal life, she rapidly finds friends, a home, and a job thanks to these abilities. It’s endearing to follow her progress as she becomes part of a community, negotiates workplace conflicts, studies for an exam, falls in love, and resists gentrification. Comparisons with The Wire notwithstanding, this is a gentle and enjoyable character-driven fantasy rather than being intense and allegorical. It’s a nice rest from the brutalities of fantasy series like [b:She Who Became the Sun|48727813|She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)|Shelley Parker-Chan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625048838l/48727813._SY75_.jpg|74086825], [b:Jade City|43587154|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547625704l/43587154._SY75_.jpg|55755047], [b:Foundryside|37173847|Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy, #1)|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520460880l/37173847._SY75_.jpg|58951160], [b:Iron Widow|52459864|Iron Widow (Iron Widow, #1)|Xiran Jay Zhao|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617986668l/52459864._SY75_.jpg|77901205], etc - not that I don't enjoy them too. If you don’t mind a narrator who tells you all of her feelings all of the time, I recommend reading [b:A Coup of Tea|46163953|A Coup of Tea (Tea Princess Chronicles, #1)|Casey Blair|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651108934l/46163953._SY75_.jpg|71121562] during winter evenings while curled up under a blanket. show less

A wonderful cozy fantasy. The characters are likable, decently complex, and the prose is strong. The opening chapter is sharp, delivering an excellent hook while introducing you to your main character with indications of her flaws and strengths while giving her meaningful decisions and agency.
The books strongest features are it depiction of tea, as it sells the aesthetic, the pageantry, and feel of tea, a tea house, and tea service wonderfully, and its plot. The pacing is spectacular, both in allowing time for the plot breathe, for characters to interact, display themselves, and make meaningful decisions, and it graduates stakes and tension. Our main characters is constantly compelled to make meaningful decisions, to undertake risks, or show more make sacrifices to a variety of threats and conflicts types. All of this without sacrificing the cozy feel of the story. show less

I had a lot of fun with this book. Though I was a bit surprised that more people didn't recognize Miyara as the princess (especially after she used her own name), it had a lot of realistic-feeling moments and characters. Miyara herself was an enjoyable protagonist, but I found myself more interested in the secondary characters most of the time. Some of that was because this book is Miyara's journey to find herself, and her personality wasn't always distinct as she tried to learn who she really was... and so a lot of the time the side characters felt more concrete as characters since they had already discovered their true selves.

This book started slowly for me—it was pleasant but I wasn’t totally hooked as the heroine finds a safe place to live and learns to do things like shop and cook. But it picked up as additional characters and hints of more intriguing plot lines appeared, including a love interest I adored (they study together!). Also, in the beginning, I struggled a little with following the language (she narrates with a formal, princess-y tone) and some of the action (detailed bargains, decisions, and assessments), but my brain eventually adjusted.

By the end, I felt super excited for the characters to triumph over the bad guys. (I don’t think that’s a spoiler for a cozy fantasy!) The story felt much deeper than I expected going in. It has show more interesting commentary on art and living, and some parallels to real-world issues (systemic racism, gentrification) that are obvious without being heavy handed. It has a great cast of characters and really came together into a dramatic story. show less

A well paced well written runaway princess story in a fairly interesting world, and if the obstacles are overcome without a huge seeming effort, at least they arose primarily from human greed and prejudice rather than any of the magical elements lying about so handily, which is a great plus.

A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair
Tea Princess Chronicles series #1. Fantasy.
When Miyara is supposed to dedicate herself to a specific service to her country and crown, she doesn’t know which path to take. Her advisers are unhelpful. Following her intuition, she flees across to the eastern most part of world, under disguise and in hiding.
Alone, and without money, she finds a tea shop that allows her entry. Miyara surprises the owner with her tasting ability and tea knowledge and earns herself a job. It was a mistake to use her real name but she’ll support herself and make friends before she’s forced back home.
Strange that she’ll be a tea master here at the edge of the world, since that’s exactly what she escaped from back home. A show more destiny in the making.

I loved how she stood up for the people that needed her and how she refused to be intimidated by the extortionist. A dragon! On her shoulder!
Quite the adventure and it’s only just beginning. show less

Nice book, I like the theme of self discovery the main character is on, and I like the idea of the tea master. Story is nice and cosy, but I think it could have done with a few less events and less speed. I think the story could have been a bit more subtle. And the main character as well, she tends to hit people over the head with things. Including the readers.