From the author of the award-winning Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming fairy tale about Greta, an adventurous blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of Tea Dragons.
After discovering a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of Tea Dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives–and eventually her own.
The publisher’s excerpt and the cover art of The Tea Dragon Society series. All credit goes to the author, K. O’Neill.
Intrigued? Read on:
I love board games, especially the unusual ones with cool art. As such, I received a dragon-themed card game for Christmas last year. It turned out to be a cute deck-building game where each player acts as one of four absolutely adorable little dragons and attempts to gain the most points by “purchasing” certain cards from the “market.”
Upon realizing that the card game accompanied a series, The Tea Dragon Society, I searched up the first book in the series—only to slowly realize that this was not the sort of story I wanted in my mind.
What I love:
The card game that led to me reading The Tea Dragon Society was adorable, and the art in the graphic novels and card game drew me in instantly. This is probably the two main marketing tactics—drawn in by the adorable art or intrigued by the card game, readers can’t help but pick up the graphic novels and see what it’s about.
Of course, the third marketing tactic mainly works only on fantasy lovers—tea and dragons? Of course I wanted to read it! Nearly all fantasy readers love dragons and tea. Therefore, I became excited to read these books, despite my strong dislike for graphic novels. If only I had known….
What I don’t love:
Aside from the confusing plot, in which things happen for no apparent reason and most of it is just people’s daily lives? Well, one thing became glaringly obvious. This series—indeed, every graphic novel by the author—was riddled with morals I am not willing to fill my head or the heads of my sister with. In the Words of God Himself—
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 ESV)
Hence what we read should be what honors the Lord and our own minds. This does neither, despite its cuteness. It’s like a jackalope. Adorable as a rabbit—but with killer fangs and horns.
Content warnings:
Severe LGBTQ+.
Though the art is beautiful and the worldbuilding serene, there is a drawback that bids me warn you. The characters in The Tea Dragon Society—nearly every one—are either lesbian, gay, or gender-fluid. The presence of LGBTQ+ is impossible to ignore and inexcusable.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 2.5/5
Story construction: 3/5
Writing/art skill: 4/5
Ethics: 2/5
Other information:
Christian: Definitely not
Point of view: N/A because it’s a graphic novel
Tense: N/A because it’s a graphic novel
Romance: Yes
Series: Yes
Conclusion:
A stunning, would-be lovely series, The Tea Dragon Society could have been one of my new favorites. The art is adorable, the backstories carefully woven like a friendship bracelet. It contains all the right elements, and would have been a cozy, cute read.
However, I cannot possibly recommend a series so laden with misdirection, and must warn you away from not only this series, but every other graphic novel by K. O’Neill. 2 out of 5 cups of tea.
Psst! Would you like to read a cozy fantasy with a dragon? Perhaps you’d prefer The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill! Read the review here. And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to receive your free short story!
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