A pirate's life for tea by Rebecca Thorne

In A Pirate’s Life for Tea, Rebecca Thorne delivers a strong fantasy adventure set in a world where piracy and tea culture collide. The story follows Kianthe, a powerful mage, and her partner Reyna, a former soldier, beginning almost immediately after the events of the first novel of the series, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea. The couple have resolved many of the issues that threatened their idyllic life together in the previous book and are looking for a new adventure. All they’re really hoping for is a change of pace and a chance to see more of the world, but they quickly stumble into more trouble than they ever anticipated.

They reluctantly agree to help Bobbie, a constable working for a powerful lord, capture her childhood friend Serina, a former farmer turned pirate. What starts as a simple journey soon turns into a mess of unexpected danger, strange alliances and high-stakes choices. Especially as Reyna and Kianthe are finding it difficult not to meddle in the complicated relationship between their two new acquaintances.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is billed as a cozy fantasy, a subgenre of fantasy that focuses on comforting tales normally set in warm and inviting worlds. There is usually more focus on building friendships and communities and achieving small goals rather than epic battles or dark conflicts. However, in A Pirate’s Life for Tea there are more elements of a swashbuckling pirate adventure than a cozy slice-of-life tale. Readers of the first book may notice quite a sharp divergence from low to high stakes situations and challenges. Nevertheless, Thorne has crafted a whimsical yet heartfelt story with charming characters and plenty of humour.

Themes: Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Queer romance, Adventure, Pirates, Magical Creatures, Magic.

Rose Tabeni