Beautiful tale and a lot of fun to read. Incredible illustrations.

This was made available on NetGalley as a Read Now title. This is an honest review.

Okay so this comic is so beautiful and I cried through the entire second half.

I don’t even really know how to describe it except to say that it’s about learning skills that would otherwise be lost, (also a little about the changes in society that cause the loss of those skills), loss of memory and the effects that has on the person affected, discovering yourself, friendship, and found family.

When a character drinks tea made from the leaves grown by a Tea Dragon then they see memories of the life of the Tea Dragon’s owner. This was done twice, to really lovely effect both times. It was a very different and effective way to provide some backstory for two important characters, and that was the point when I started crying and didn’t stop.

Two of the side characters are definitely queer, and you could make arguments for Greta and Minette. Which I think is fantastic. More casual queerness and more mostly-queer casts, please. (I honestly also believe that Greta’s parents are queer as well. They just…look queer. And I am queer myself, so this is legit.)

There’s not a lot of world building but honestly the comic doesn’t need it. All of the character designs were lovely, and as far as I can tell, only Erik and Greta’s father were human. None of the “this is fantasy but there are only humans and dragons” nonsense here. The Tea Dragons themselves were really adorable, and I loved that they were named after kinds of tea. I mean, that’s an obvious decision, but it made me so happy. The Tea Dragon handbook in the back was also really cute, and provided some extra information about the Tea Dragons that the story itself didn’t really allow for.

Greta and her father have very dark skin, and Erik also has quite dark skin and is a wheelchair user. I really love when fantasy things include disabled characters without making any kind of deal about it at all. Wheelchairs can and should absolutely exist in fantasy.

The Tea Dragon Society is a really lovely comic that will sit in my heart forever. I’m going to get my hands on a physical copy as soon as I can, and I can’t wait until there are small people in my life that I can share it with. Having also read and loved Princess Princess Ever After, I think I can safely say that Katie O’Neill is going to become one of my favourite comic creators of all time.

Adorable artwork and cute storyline. I’d be game to check out more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this review opportunity.

Title: The Tea Dragon Society

Author: Katie O'Neill (aka Strangely Katie)

Genre: Kids/Middle Grade, Fantasy, LGBTQ+ (F/F; M/M)

Series: The Tea Dragon Society



Verdict:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley gives reviewers the opportunity to provide a fair and honest review.



Normally, I give full reviews for graphic novels - but as this is just shy of 80 pages, I think you'll forgive me!

Also, there's very few negatives to this book so that kind of halves the length of my review to begin with!




This book is a gentle and beautiful tale about Greta - a young blacksmith's apprentice (to her mother, in fact) - and her new fascination with tea dragons.




The artwork is both adorable and stunning - I dare you to not fall for those cute li'l tea dragons! And the colours are a pastel fairy-tale.




This book has so much diversity that it brings a warm spark to my little book nerd's heart!

We have characters of various races and skin-tones, a central F/F relationship, a side M/M relationship, a side character who uses a wheelchair, and a love interest who struggles with memory problems!

All of this is done in such a 'this is just the way it is' casual kind of way that anyone accusing it of tokenism or pandering to 'political correctness' needs to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.

I also like the refusal of 'traditional' gender roles here - Greta and her mother are blacksmiths, and nobody thinks this is in the slightest bit unusual. And that's awesome!




There are a couple of potentially distressing scenes here - some blood, violence, and serious injury, as well as Minette's struggles with her memory problems - but nothing overly-graphic.

The majority of kids aged 9+ will be fine with it.




This isn't a book that's just for kids though! Hell no.

While kid-friendly, this is very much an 'all-ages' title - both teens and adults will love this. Because, well, dragons! (Seriously, they're so cute!)




Guys, this is one I will recommend to anyone and everyone. Don't miss out on this - it's magical.

Cute wand wonderful!!! The cheerfulness and art behind this easy book is fantastic.

A sweet story with a unique concept and beautiful art. I didn't love it as much as Princess Princess Ever After, but I would probably have liked it a lot more as a kid.

I received a copy through the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This story is unique and original, chock full of diverse representation! We follow Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, who is not a huge fan of the tradition being passed down to her. As we follow Greta, she makes friends and learns to take care of Tea Dragons, which as a dying art, while absorbing important life lessons. There are disabled characters, characters of different races, and characters of different sexuality all neatly tied into this story without having them be there just to "be" there.

I love the soft-style of the graphics and artwork, which gives it a Manga-Comic blended feel to it. It brings the world of Greta and the Tea Dragons to life in ways that perfectly suit the narrative! The plot is easily understood by the age-group it's intended for, while still being an enjoyable adult read that captures both the adult and child point of views on the subject of family, friendship, tradition, and love. There's so much more I could really say about this comic, but I'm afraid to give away too much!

This is definitely a comic you want to go in knowing as little about as possible so you can have the full experience of falling in love with The Tea Dragon Society in your own time. Happy Reading!

The Tea Dragon Society is a beautifully drawn story about the importance of upholding traditions, accepting who you are, and finding strength in your relationships with those around you. The characters are charming and, though only slightly resemble humans in appearance, feel like people you know in real life. This graphic novel would be great for junior high students or even upper-level elementary students. I hope that O'Neill writes more within this universe, exploring more deeply into the backstories of the various characters.

Hands down one of the cutest, most heart warming graphic novels I've read this year. I greatly enjoyed PRINCESS PRINCESS EVER AFTER and looked forward to this next title that involved two of my favorite things in the whole world: Dragons and Tea.

And like with PRINCESS at the core of this graphic novel is the notion that family, love and friendship comes in all sorts of ways when you least expect it. In PRINCESS we saw Amira and Sadie work through what was more important to them both before finding that together they were happier. In TEA DRAGON we have Greta, and Minette, two very different girls that are brought together because of the affection they have for the Tea Dragons.

The graphic novel unfolds over the four seasons, giving vignettes into their lives as their friendship unfolds and deepens into something more.

Absolutely gorgeous and stunning, something every body should want to share with their friends and loved ones.

gorgeous art and adordable story.

This was a cute book! I can't wait to read more from this author! Read this in one sitting! It was breathtaking and inspiring to read!

I adore the book- the story and the artwork! The bookcover is really attractive for me.

Greta is a blacksmith's apprentice, and she lives in a world where blacksmiths were integral to make tools, weapons and all kinds of goods. She discovers a lost tea dragon in the market and learns how to care for it from tea shop owners Hezekiel and Erik, as well as their ward Minette. These dragons actually grow tea leaves from their horns, a prized trait.

Though this is a comic book, it's nice to see the representation in it. Greta has goblin blood, which is treated like no big deal and not a terrible thing as in most fantasy books. Erik is in a wheelchair, and casually mentions cooking and little details of life with Hezekiel; both are different races, which are not explicitly named in the text. Minette's shyness isn't a big deal, and she blossoms over time with Greta's steady friendship as she learns to care for the tea dragons from Hezekiel and Erik. Through this friendship, Greta learned to appreciate the lost art of dragon tea making and gained a newfound appreciation for the blacksmithing trade she was trying to learn from her mother.

I also really liked the guide to tea dragons that was included at the end of the book. It reads like every other guide on caring for animals, including basics about each breed of dragon. The art is beautiful and well suited for young school-age readers as well as older ones.

I adored this book and i loved the story about the Tea Dragons and the struggle they faced with raising more. The artwork was one of the most beautiful I've read in a long time. Its a glorious book and i've been recommending it to everyone i know.

Absolutely lovely, with compelling world-building and characters, Tea Dragon Society is as cozy as your favorite cup of tea in front of a roaring fireplace.

The Tea Dragon Society is all kinds of sweetness and whimsy. It's a kind, gentle story about a young girl discovering an almost lost art and the new friends it brings her while also wondering about her own future.

Greta is a sweet and friendly girl, following her mother's footsteps and training under her to become a blacksmith. But are those skills really useful anymore? Adventurers and magicians are becoming things of the past, and Greta's feeling unsure. While she is interested, while she wants to continue, she wonders if it's okay to keep blacksmithing if so few have any use of what she could create. But then one day she discovers a bullied and scared tea dragon in town.

The artwork is wonderful, a little similar to O'Neill's previous graphic novel Princess Princess but different enough that it holds its own. The mixture of bright and pastel colours, the near-constant appearance of vines and flowers in the backgrounds. The big smile of Greta's, along with that charming little fang. The waterfall-like flow of Minette's hair, as dreamy as her own expression when she struggles to remember. The different body types of the tea dragons, from long and slim Jasmine to plump and drowsy Chamomile. And the different body types of the characters, from Greta's mom being so tall and sort of muscular to Erik, battered and scarred from years of adventuring, moving around in a wheelchair.

An overall message or theme here is that, with Greta's blacksmithing apprenticeship and the art of making tea from tea dragons, history and knowledge is something to be cherished, to be continued as the world becomes more modern. There is still something to learn by heating metal in fire, by striking it with a hammer. Something to learn in taking it slow, in memories good and bad. There's still magic in old things, in slowly creating and nurturing. And there's so much diversity in this book, different races and body types and sexuality. This feels very much like the beginning of something, and I so hope that there will be more from O'Neill set in this enchanting fantasy world of tea dragons. It's definitely something I would recommend to all ages, especially kids looking for something kind and magical.

This is such a delightful book! The illustrations are bold and a great accompaniment to the story. I read this as an ebook galley but I will be buying gold this in hardcopy for my daughter as I would like to share it with her.

This would be great to read one to one with your students as well as with a small group.

The art style in this graphic novel is absolutely adorable!

You know that feeling you get when you drink a lovely, cup of lavender mint tea with a bit of steamed milk? The warmth spreads through your body, and your mind calms. That’s how it feels to read The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill.

Greta is a young half-goblin girl who is learning the trade of blacksmithing from her artisan mother; however, while her mother makes swords for non-existent warriors Greta’s interest wanders. On the way home from the market with the night’s dinner, Greta encounters a frightened tea dragon cornered by wolves. In an act of compassion, she realizes the wolves are probably not bad only hungry and gives them the meat she bought for her family's dinner. This tone of kindness and compassion is woven throughout the story and is done in such a quiet way that it warms the heart like a nice cup of tea.

Greta’s adventure is just beginning as she meets Hesekiel, the owner of the tea shop and Jasmine. Oh, did I forget to mention that all the dragons are named for the tea leaves that grow from their horns and antlers? Adorbs! She also becomes friends with Erik, Hesekiel’s partner at the tea shop, and in life, as well as shy Minette.

As her friendships grow, Greta discovers her artisanal voice and realizes how she wants to contribute to the world.

The story is surprisingly complex, and the artwork is beautiful. A delightful bonus awaits at the end of the book where a Tea Dragon Handbook can answer all your questions about how to raise your tea dragon.