Alchemy and a Cup of Tea

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea by Rebecca Thorne

I have to say I was happy to get my hands on an ARC of this one after the cliffhanger ending in book 3! (Thanks Netgalley!) In this one Kianthe & Reyna find that their roles as high-profile figures begins to catch up with the little slice of home they've carved out for themselves in Tawney.

From kidnapping, conferring with dragons, and hunting down alchemists, to city planning and tourist crowd control, this book really has a little bit of everything. As these books have gone along, they have gotten decidedly less simple and cozy, but I guess that's true to life. As soon as we find something to settle into, something else comes along to shake us up.

I really enjoy how the found family that began in book 1 has continued to grow in size and strength of bond. As well as the discussions on magic, it's origins, and uses.

The scope of the book has it feeling a little scattered or less focused, as there are multiple pulls on Reyna and Kianthe's attention, and I felt this did take away from a smooth narrative in some areas. The story does come together well in the end, just follows a couple rabbit trails along the way.

This is definitely a book where reading earlier books in the series would be a smart choice. And it does provide a satisfying end to this leg of Reyna & Kianthe's journey.