“You asked for this, Rain. Let’s go capture a pirate.”
While searching for stolen dragon eggs, newly engaged couple Kianthe and Reyna find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a swashbuckling love story.
On one side is Serina, a failed farmer turned river pirate. Her booty? Wheat, grains, and the occasional jar of imported tea leaves. It’s quite the embarrassment to Diarn Arlon, the powerful lord of the Nacean River, and he’ll conscript anyone to bring her to justice. Especially Kianthe, the elemental mage who just crashed his party, and her somewhat-scary fiancée.
Begrudgingly, the couple joins forces with Bobbie, one of Arlon’s constables–who happens to be Serina’s childhood friend. Bobbie is determined to capture the pirate before anyone else, but it would be a lot easier if Serina didn’t absolutely loathe her now.
As Kianthe and Reyna watch this relation-shipwreck from afar, it quickly becomes apparent that these disaster lesbians need all the help they can get. Luckily, matchmaking is Reyna’s favorite past time. The dragon eggs may have to wait.
I really wanted to like this more than I did, or at least as much as I enjoyed the first book.
The concept had promise, and I definitely appreciated the queer elements, the hints of adventure, and, let’s be honest, especially the gryphons and dragons. I just wish there had been more of that adventure, or more of the deeper character insights that book one delivered so well.
This book feels like it wants to be a fun, cozy romp with a group of quirky women getting into (and hopefully out of) trouble. But instead of feeling like a gripping fantasy tale, it plays more like a girls’ weekend with occasional plot thrown in.
The stakes are low, which I’m totally fine with if other elements carry the story, but the pacing is uneven, and most conflicts are either undercooked or resolved so quickly they barely register. There’s very little tension. Things just happen, and then they’re over, while the characters sort of drift through it all.
Speaking of the characters, they’re meant to be distinct and lovable, but in this installment they mostly come off as different shades of the same “quirky and stubborn” archetype. They felt more three-dimensional, and had actual agency, in book one.
Bobbie is supposed to be the investigative one, but her methods are purely ineffective. Serina is a pirate, but barely. And Reyna and Kianthe, who were once sharp and capable, seem to have forgotten the stakes and mostly just bumble from moment to moment.
I kept waiting for the story to push them into deeper territory or challenge them meaningfully, but it never really gets there. Instead of watching the characters grow, A Pirate’s Life for Tea made them feel like less than they were. I didn’t find a real hook, neither in the plot nor in their development. The thing that carried me through mostly was the banter and quibbles, which are entertaining enough to make it to the end. I’ll not continue the series though.
That said, if you’re in the mood for something light and undemanding, this could still work. It has some fun banter, a low-stakes tone, and a few creative flourishes. And again, gryphons. Always a win.
Overall, it’s a fine pick for a cozy filler read, especially if you don’t mind your fantasy leaning more toward fluff than depth. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this could’ve been a much tighter, more engaging book if it had just committed to its own potential.
There’s also a bonus steamy short story at the end, which didn’t work for me, but that’s expected, me being asexual and rarely finding a sex scene that doesn’t bore me. The short is mostly about recreating the thrill of a fresh relationship, with the characters doing their best to tease and torment each other into one big explosive night. If you’re here for the steam, you’ll probably absolutely love it. If not, it’s easily skipped.
