Royal Tea Service

The final book in the Tea Princess trilogy could be subtitled: so many princesses! Miyara's sisters all turn up, as the world is in peril and they must work together to save it. In this fantasy world, problems can be solved via dialogue, collaboration, community building, and the occasional big act of magic. Miyara's superpowers continue to be self-awareness, ability to have deep conversations with people she's just met, and general wisdom:

It is not enough to contemplate: we also have to live. Epiphanies that are separate from lived experience must be able to bear up under the the reality of living, or they're too flimsy to be revelatory. Part of a tea master's strength is perspective: too close or too distant, and we can't do our work

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effectively.

Once you get used to the entire narration taking this tone, the whole trilogy is charming and restful to read. I found [b:Royal Tea Service|60765022|Royal Tea Service (Tea Princess Chronicles, #3)|Casey Blair|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649298505l/60765022._SY75_.jpg|86474344] to be an entertaining and satisfying conclusion. The characterisation of Miyara's friends and newly introduced sisters was deft and the plot well paced. It's always nice when fantastical fiction acknowledges that people get tired and need regular rest. (Particularly as this world reveres tea but doesn't appear to have coffee.) The discussions on types of magic were a highlight: magecraft, witchery, and arcanism seemingly approach the same force in differing ways. Different cultures also consider magic in varying ways, ranging from exploitable resource to spiritual practise. Tea masters appear to have their own magic, which is definitely on the spiritual end of the scale.

Despite never worrying that Miyara and her allies would fail or die, as this isn't that sort of book, I still found it exciting to see how she would sort everything out. I compared the first book in the series to The Wire, as it examines the complexities of urban poverty. Similarly, the third book considers how to deal with the legacies of persecution and exploitation. I respect the emotional sincerity of the Tea Princess trilogy and appreciate that serious moments are balanced with the cuteness of a miniature dragon playing with a cat. A good choice when depressing non-fiction is getting you down. If you want this same vibe in a TV series, I recommend The Makenai: Cooking for the Maiko House. show less

Book 3, Miyara uses her Tea Mastery to resolve the mystery of the Cataclysm, unite the 4 nations and solve her sister's romantic issues.
Fun fluff.

read 10/7/2023