I'd say the biggest weakness of this book is that the characters don't feel very rich or differentiated from one another, but I hope the author can grow in future books.

I felt like I understood what I needed to understand about the countries, rulers, different cultures, magic etc. Aside from the decision Reyna makes at the beginning to leave the queen, this is a story where the plot happens to the characters. I really understand the desire to represent a positive lesbian relationship, but Kianthe and Reyna's relationship just felt.The politics, court intrigue, dragons, magic -- it was definitely an adventure fantasy served with a side of cozy. It's got a very First Draft of a NaNoWriMo manuscript feel to it, with a lot of darlings that frankly ought to have been killed. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is described as "a gorgeous heart-warmer of a book, filled with cosy adventure, sapphic romance and good feelings. i get that the author was setting themselves up for a second book in the series, but that meant that there was barely any story arc to this one. But Reyna belongs to an elite sect guarding a vengeful queen – and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence.

there also aren't that many fleshed out side characters, and the ones we spend the most time with were just bffs with our MCs from the moment they stepped foot into town. instead, we got interruptions like this in the middle of their actual conversations: There was something pleasing about productive conversations, rather than burning brides with fiery emotion.

They both have a lot of anxieties due to their upbringings and positions but they work through their issues with proper communication, and I adored that aspect of the story. It started out great in the first couple of chapters, but I really lost interest and found myself skimming, hoping for something to grab me.