Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is a gorgeous treat of a book, filled with cosy adventure, sapphic romance and good feelings.

I'd say the biggest weakness of this book is that the characters don't feel very rich or differentiated from one another, but I hope the author can grow in future books. I felt like I understood what I needed to understand about the countries, rulers, different cultures, magic etc. speaking of relationships, i was also disappointed in the fact that kianthe and reyna had a preexisting relationship. They're filled with so much love, tenderness, and care for one another and are actively communicating through conflicts and roadblocks to be better partners for each other. I found the relationship to be frustrating and more often than not felt like I was being told things, not shown things.

it also killed me every time they had an extended conversation, because there was always some sort of commentary on how good their communication styles were.

Kianthe and Reyna are wonderfully flawed characters, but their communication and coping skills with each other is so beautiful.

It often doesn't resolve their issues either, as neither are actually good communicators who talk properly through their problems, and Kianthe in particular is riddled with personal issues which she refuses to convey to Reyna, despite insisting her girlfriend must share all her issues, and it only causes problems for the two of them. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters - all complemented by love and good company. the stakes should be low, the conflict should be mundane (but important to the characters, and by extension, to us), and there should definitely not be multiple near death experiences.

What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. instead, we got interruptions like this in the middle of their actual conversations: There was something pleasing about productive conversations, rather than burning brides with fiery emotion. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen’s private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. They both have a lot of anxieties due to their upbringings and positions but they work through their issues with proper communication, and I adored that aspect of the story.there were the recurring themes of both Key and Rain not feeling like they were enough for the other, which then became a mini drama, which was then resolved within the same paragraph. Despite suppesdly being together for 2 years at the start of the book, the main couple have very little chemistry as the author tends to tell and not show. This last one may have been particularly jarring to me as I'm a Brit and it's such an well-known Americanism that I can't dissociate it from the modern real-world place of America.

Although I wish Gossley had been developed a bit more for having a purpose beyond, seemingly, only existing to make Reyna look like a better and more empathetic person, I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Reyna nonetheless in between Kianthe and Reyna's never-ending banter. if the characters already use the correct pronouns for every other character that uses she/her or he/him without having to have a narrative reason for it, why can't they also just use they/them for the characters with those pronouns? All in all, I still mostly enjoyed this, and anyone looking for a cozy fantasy with a little bit more plot/stakes probably will as well.Have you ever wanted a strong, pretty lady to hand you a warm blanket and hot cup of tea, then pick up her sword and destroy all your problems? It was hilarious seeing Wylan and Feo bicker and our main couple envision a rivals to lovers relationship for them. Aside from the decision Reyna makes at the beginning to leave the queen, this is a story where the plot happens to the characters. But Reyna belongs to an elite sect guarding a vengeful queen – and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence.