Blair – Damsel in Delight

13+

This book follows on from a Coup of Tea which introduced us to this flamboyant and fundamentally flawed society set in a low fantasy setting.

I love love love Yorani – she is a tea dragon, a spirit born of a teapot and don’t we all need a few tea dragon spirits in our TBRs? She bounces with the destructively delightful enthusiasm of a fire breathing puppy through this book and her meeting with Denials cat was utter perfection. I liked seeing more of the Te Muraka – dragon shifter people – and the beginnings of their integration into Istal communities and culture. Like the previous book it really addressed the difficulties faced by refugees and how prejudice warps society until the people in it don’t even see it anymore.

Miyara as a character has continued to grow and she definitely was more assertive with her sister Sariyana. Sariyana is her next oldest sibling and I honestly hated her. I can understand her point of view but she just went around leaking toxicity and putting Miyara into the position where she had to constantly be evaluating and asserting any independence away from what Sariyana thought best. She’s written so well that I can justifiably hate her almost think she is approaching redemption and then launch herself back into the abyss of who on earth does she think she is? Within one chapter. Miyara’s relationship with her almost felt a little like a villain origin story in an odd way. They pushed each other in the way that usually only an anti-hero and a hero do with their morals and approaches to the same situation.

But moving on to the star ratings!

Plot – I have since the first book learnt that this was released as a web serial and it makes the plot make so much more sense! The plot overarches the entire series, the are several character and world plots and then there are the tiny subplots which pop up which I love so much! I was thoroughly entertained from page to page. 5/5 stars.

Characters – 4.5 /5 stars

World – The city, the Cataclysm and we got a few accounts and mentions of other countries too! 3/5 stars! – the Cataclysm which was such an interesting part of the world of the last book isn’t in it as much, we are focusing on its effects and the things that come out of it instead.

Romance – Sweet Romance – There were several romance subplots within this ( LGBTQ+ too) and I loved them all! Miyara and her love interest also had the cute awkward scenes when she slept over (nothing happened but it was adorable) and as they made plans for their relationship to grow both physically and mentally. I enjoyed the frank conversation Miyara had with her friends about sex and how she approached Denial with it was so delightfully realistic.

Things to know!: racism, prejudice. There is also a few mentions of sex if you are bothered about that but nothing is on the page.

12+B

I love this book sooo much! I’ve just reread it for the second time and it is so much better than I remembered! (I mean I had it already as a five star read but it just got better!)

It looks and feels mostly like a cosy fantasy that follows a previously sheltered princess finding love and herself as well as a found family BUT it is so much more than that. We begin in the palace of Istralam during Miyara’s political crossroads in her life. As the fourth daughter she is expected to follow the third into a previously travelled controlled route. Miyara makes the random decision to leave fleeing the city and her family’s control. I honestly like the idea of the princess in exile because she wanted to.

This first part is the least connected to Miyara as a character and that is because she doesn’t really have a character yet. She is used to fitting into the spare corners of her cold royal family and she is used to being passive, not active. Miyara is an interesting character because she is so set in her decision – she doubts herself but not her decisions.

I love her growth and her interaction with the other characters. Ms Blair excels at hanging a lantern on how Miyara’s privilege gives her more security to change things. Because of her princess training, she can perform the tea ceremony well enough to instantly have a status in the world (more on the tea and the world later). The book explores systematic oppression (I would say deftly but it is through the experience of Miyara who has never been oppressed and is shocked by it so it isn’t subtle because Miyara isn’t subtle about it. She hasn’t been taught or learnt to ignore it or fear it or hide it or manipulate it unlike the other characters).

I also love the witch/mage idea and the idea of the witch hunts not only being sexist but also racist – the women thought to be witches are of the foreign oppressed race. It is a little bit more complex than that but I cant say anymore for spoilers!

Last thing – tea. Like the title suggests tea is very important. Tea is diplomacy, it is expression, it is universal and in this kingdom which is quite low fantasy it forms the almost magic that I hope will be explored later on.

Characters: 4/5 stars. I really like them, Miyara reflects the characters around her so well. I think the best mc’s are the ones that truly allow other people to display facets of their perspective on the world while still having their own.

Romance: 5/5 stars – Soft Romance – Its so sweet! Its also a subplot but I do love it.

Plot: 4/5 – I do like the plot but it almost comes secondary to me. For most of the book, the reasons for the plot are being developed, the oppression which makes the ultimate confrontation and take down (with legalities included and awkward councils open to bribery).

World: 4/5 – I love this world and I cant wait to explore more of it.

Things to be aware of: racism. It was tricky to give it an age rating, I would personally say that twelve and up could read it but they might enjoy it more if they were a bit older – it has a lot of moving parts in the story. The romance is very minimal so if you are looking for a read that doesn’t focus as much on the will they wont they then this is such a relax to read. Also if you are looking for an LGBTQ+ read then this is enjoyably subtle and woven in without the clumsiness of some books!

Tag: Blair

A Tea Set and Match, Casey Blair

A Coup of Tea, Casey Blair