The Tea Dragon Society
Katie O'Neill
Oni Press
Fiction, CH Fantasy/Graphic Novel
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Greta, part-goblin daughter of a local healer and blacksmith, never knew what a tea dragon was until she rescued little Jasmine from hungry dogs. The dragon belongs to a reclusive shopkeeper outside of town, one of the last dedicated to keeping the peculiar creatures. As Greta learns more of the tea dragons, who grow memory-infused tea leaves and flowers on their horns, she makes unexpected friends and learns the true value of traditions in a changing world.
REVIEW: This charming little graphic novel tells a warm-hearted tale with shades of unexpected depth and meaning. As an apprentice blacksmith, Greta finds herself forging swords that are almost never used anymore, making her wonder at the value of a fading art - a value she only truly appreciates as she learns from tea master Hesekeil, his wheelchair-bound friend Erik, and the strangely flighty faun-girl Minette... not to mention the little tea dragons themselves and their special brews. The illustrations are simple yet endearing, and if the story's a little soft and limited in conflict, well, it is essentially a picture book in graphic novel form. It edges close to my too-cutesy line, but my tolerance admittedly increases in the presence of dragons. An appendix offers more information on the tea dragons, sure to be a plus for young dragon-lovers - and older dragon-lovers who retain a soft spot for the cutesier draconic specimens.
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