<i>I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

<b>First impression: </b>
This was so CUTE!

<b>Recommended: </b>
Yes! The art is lovely <3 The story is adorable, with some really sweet and relevant life-lessons.

<b> What's it about? </b>
Rinn lives in a little village filled with tea dragons, but finding a real dragon is another thing altogether! Aedhan wants to protect the village, but for some reason, he fell asleep for eighty years!

Don't expect a heavy action-packed story, but if you're looking for something beautiful and sweet, this is your kind of story!

ARC provided by the publisher Oni Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a joy to read. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating. This is such a heart-warming, whimsical story that I did not want to end.

This is my first book by Katie O’Neill and you can bet I will be picking up The Tea Dragon Society from my bookstore soon.

I don’t want to go into the story or detail my thoughts thoroughly as I do not want to spoil anyone from the joy this story brings. 100% recommend.

Thank you again to Oni Press and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this.

Katie O’Neill has found a way to capture pure magic in her stories and her illustrations. They are always so beautiful, so whimsical, and bring my heart close to bursting.

THE TEA DRAGON FESTIVAL is no exception.

beautiful illustrations, amazing dialogue.


representation:

- deafness (some characters use sign language throughout the novels)
- POC (main character/her grandmother)
- they/them pronouns (main character)
- memory loss aspect.

loved it!

In the mountains there is a small village, that can only be reached by a long walk and one train a week. The people who live there are peaceful, spending their days collecting food from the forest and looking after some moody, and rather naughty Tea Dragons. Then one day Rinn, on a search for mushrooms, comes across a real sleeping dragon. Who says that it is there to protect the village, even if it has been asleep for the past eighty years. What could possibly go wrong?

This graphic novel was absolutely beautiful. I won't lie, I hadn't heard of this before and had not picked up the previous book. I knew nothing other than it looked sweet and their were dragons in it. But this was beautiful.

The plot isn't particularly detailed. It doesn't really go anywhere. There is no big bad villain. But that doesn't matter. It was so beautifully drawn and told such a wonderful story of relationships that it was all I needed.

Not to mention that it was incredibly inclusive. We feature a poc cast in a village which uses sign language to include one of the deaf characters. This character isn't ostracised but instead is an integral part of the society. There are relationships that are hinted at being LGBTQIA+ without having to mention it. And there's dragons! It's whimsical and diverse and beautifully drawn.

I know need to get my hands on 'Tea Dragon Society' so that I can delve further into this world. I wish I had children so that I could share this gorgeous novel with them. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me an ARC of this. I will cherish it forever!

Such beautiful artwork, wonderful creativity, amazing storytelling and it uses sign language too. This is so representative, a interesting read but full of heart.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Katie O'Neill has crafted yet another precious story featuring stunning illustrations! Not only that, but she always finds a way to include characters with disabilities that I've never seen represented in any other novel before too.

This was a fast, cute read! I enjoy this one a little more than <i>The Tea Dragon Society</i> but they are both really great reads. I think I enjoyed this one a little more because it was longer and I got to understand the characters better. The art style and color scheme are my favorite because they're really cute drawings but still really sophisticated and the color schemes the author chooses are very mesmerizing! Rinn and Aedhan were really endearing characters and I really enjoyed their friendship. It's just an overall cute read!!

This is the prequel to The Tea Dragon Society, and I was lucky enough to pick up an ARC of this from the Oni Press booth during BookExpo this year. That's also when we got to talk to Margot, and I tried really hard not to fangirl because she's my publishing idol and I was seriously so starstruck. So, yeah. I got an ARC of this book, which is why Margot sent me The Tea Dragon Society to read before I started this one. Which I'm glad I did! So without further ado, let's get into my review.


Something that stood out to be right away, in the best of ways, is how inclusive this story is. There's a non-binary MC, and also another central character who is deaf, so the rest of the village learns sign language to communicate with her. There was a lot of inclusivity that went into this graphic novel, and I really appreciated and enjoyed that.


In terms of where the book fits in with The Tea Dragon Society, this one is a prequel, but it stands alone so you can read it without reading The Tea Dragon Society. Some characters make a reappearance, so it's nice to read the other one first, but it's not a requirement for understanding and enjoying the story! The tea dragons themselves aren't really explained in this book, though, since an extensive explanation was provided in the other book -- so that's really the only issue I can see with trying to read this book as a standalone.


I really loved seeing some of the characters like Erik and Hesekiel making a reappearance as their younger selves, especially during the ending where they allude to their future together! Those are the little things I was talking about, where the story can stand by itself just fine, but readers who read the previous book would also get a little extra layer and understand some other references and Easter eggs. So just keep that in mind before you pick up this book -- you'll get a deeper understanding by reading The Tea Dragon Society first!


Once again, Katie O'Neill knocks it out of the park with her gorgeous illustrations, especially during the nighttime festival scenes, which were so beautiful that I was in awe and had to take a few extra minutes just to flip through the images and look at all of them.


Overall, I enjoyed this one just as much as I enjoyed The Tea Dragon Society. If you're looking for a comfortable, adorable graphic novel with beautiful illustrations to settle into, with some light fantasy elements but nothing too intricate, I'd definitely recommend starting here, or with any of Katie O'Neill's work!

I love The Tea Dragon Society, and this was no different. This prequel follows Rinn, who is helping Aedhan, a dragon she comes across that has been asleep for 80 years. We also see an appearance by Hesekiel and Erik from the previous story, which was an awesome surprise! I LOVE the art in these graphic novels so much. It is vibrant and beautiful, and makes the story that much better. I loved seeing the ASL tie in as well. It really made me want my own tea dragon! There was also a small blurb at the end about a few of the tea dragons, which I thought was a nice touch. At the very end there were also resources about Sign Language.

The only critical thing I can say about this graphic novel is that I wanted it to be longer!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed getting sucked into this dreamy colorful art and gentle world with dragons (and super cute tea dragons!? Arguably better than Pokémon) gender fluidity, brown human rep, an underlying love of nature and magic, and ASL drawn in!

Cool, sweet, inclusive, so delightful to get lost in. I hope kids love this. This author has a real imagination and I also appreciate how she fleshes out her world and characters in the forwards and glossary etc so readers can get really into it if they want to,.. (ie identify every type of cute little tea dragon;).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! I discovered the Tea Dragon Society just last week, and so happy to read this companion-prequel.The coloring and illustrations are just gorgeous, and I love the attention to detail and adaptation of natural elements. The story is sweet as well--and I love the ASL rep! I wish there had been more even! I want a whole story with the ASL rep and characters, and love that the whole village was trying to learn as well. The bit with the whole "dragons can change gender" bit felt forced in the text, even if I think it fits fine into the story as a whole. That speech bubble just seemed a bit forced and out of the moment. However, overall I really enjoyed this companion, a quick and easy read.

The Tea Dragon Festival is an interesting graphic novel with beautiful illustrations depicting Rinn's magical world. The artwork is breathtaking. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Katie O'Neill, NetGalley, and Oni Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Tea Dragon Festival
Author: Katie O'Neill
Pages:
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book. Therefore, facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book.

Release date: 2/12/2019

The prequel to Tea Dragon society written by Katie O'Neill.

Oh No's
I make it a point that all books should include an oh no section. I feel that there is always something to learn and improve from with every creation. This book is not different but in all honesty, I cannot find fault except that it should be longer.

Yay's
The art is so gorgeous



The diversity in this graphic novel was so easy and fluid. There was a little explanation to the use of sign language in the beginning before the books just dove into this world of normality.

Finally,
My similar recommendation for this novel would be Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill. 

Favorite Panel


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-PM

I so loved everything about The Tea Dragon Society and this was an adorable prequel! The characters, art and writing were perfect and I still really want my own tea dragon!

This story introduces us to some new characters as well as some old favorites and I couldn’t have been happier with it!

I highly recommend picking up a copy when it comes out in September. You will not be sorry.

This is a cute continuation of the Tea Dragon Society. When a dragon wakes up far too late (like decades too late), the people of the village must work to figure out why and how they can help this dragon. Very fun read! I would recommend it to anyone who loves dragons!

I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Katie O’Neill so far, and this was, of course, no exception. It was so lovely to return to the world of the tea dragons, and I can’t even describe how pleased I was that, despite mostly following new characters, we get to spend a little more time with (much younger versions of) Erik and Hesekiel. ♥

This was every bit as precious as I thought it would be, and it added in something new: sign language! Some of the characters actually use a mixture of spoken word and American Sign Language when they talk, and there are even ASL resources in the back of the book. It was such a sweet, lovely form of inclusion for Katie to add and just made me love her work that much more.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book is incredibly beautiful. I think that I have found my favorite art style of all time for graphic novels in Katie O'Neill's books. The story itself is just stunning. It features a non-binary character at the forefront as well as lots of sign language shown throughout.
this is the first graphic novel that I have ever read that made me want to just keep reading about these characters for so much longer. The relationships developed and the world that the story explores is so lovely that i just wish that there were more pages.
Absolutely wonderful and magnificent with an amazing friendship that we are able to see develop.

I fell in love with the first book in this series, The Tea Dragon Society, so I was over the moon to be approved to read the sequel on NetGalley!

More of a companion novel than a direct sequel, The Tea Dragon Festival is set in a tiny mountain village where Rinn, a non-binary forager, finds a sleeping dragon, Aedhan. Aedhan’s been asleep for 80 years, and he has a lot of guilt over the time he’s missed, when he was supposed to be looking after the village, but as preparations for a festival begin, the villagers are happy to help him find his new place. Rinn, too, learns to appreciate their own talents and to find happiness in their life, thanks to the sparks that Aedhan creates in their life and the support of those around them. Hesekiel and Erik, two key characters from the first book, show up, which I loved seeing – they are Rinn’s uncles, and they’re still the same loveable, strong, reliable couple that we came to love. There’s less of a focus on the tea dragons themselves, but this is a fantastic expansion of the world.

The combination of the lush art style and the wholesomeness of the storylines really hits the spot for me, and almost reminds me of the feeling you get when you watch a Studio Ghibli movie. There’s a great attention to the details of the natural world, and the colours are warm and welcoming, and the village life that is depicted makes you want to up sticks immediately. Some of my favourite stories focus on low-stakes magical life in quaint villages, and this is definitely feeding my dream to become a village witch…

As always, the story is quietly and fundamentally inclusive – at the start of the book, you get a little introduction as to how the panels will show characters speaking ASL. We learn in the course of the story that when one of the villagers was born deaf, the whole community learned sign language, and it’s become a simple, everyday part of communication. The villagers comprise many different races and ethnicities, Erik and Hesekiel are a happy and comfortable m/m interspecies couple, and Rinn’s non-binary identity is never anything but accepted. This is such a kind and thoughtful world, and it is an absolute joy to read! It just feels soft and warm and relaxing – it’s a perfect comfort read.

I wish I could frame several pages from this book, just to bring that sense of magical loveliness into my everyday surroundings. Be right back, I’m off to the forest to hunt for mushrooms (and maybe a dragon)… Five out of five stars, of course.

<b><i>"Just because something comes easily to you, does not mean it has no value. You find it effortless because you love it, and that is why it is your gift."</b></i>

A stunning addition to my favourite graphic novel series of all time. It's worth the read for the art alone. It's absolutely S T U N N I N G ✨

The story itself is so beautiful and heartwarming with effortlessly diverse characters. The main character uses they/them pronouns, sign language is used within the story, there's a m/m side romance and lots of people of colour, not to mention genderfluid dragons!

I'd honestly recommend this series to anyone, it's appropriate for people of all ages, including children and is so wholesome I just want to weep with joy every time I read these books. Thank you Katie O'Neill for adding another book to this wonderful series. I hope there's more coming!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press for the review copy!</i>