The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2)

Melanie

Rating: really liked it
ARC acquired at Book Expo in exchange for an honest review.

“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.”

Most of you know, that I fell head over heels in love with The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill last year, so when I got my hands on an ARC of this, I knew I had no option but to read it and fall in love with it immediately. And, dear reader, that is exactly what happened. This story, this art, and these messages are gifts from above, I swear to you all, and I recommend this companion novel to you all with my whole heart and soul.

At the very start of this graphic novel, we see some familiar faces prepping for the tea dragon festival. But this story stars Rinn who, while collecting things, meets a dragon named Aedhan, and invites them to the festival! Meanwhile, Erik and Hesekiel are back and are bounty hunters who are searching for something ancient that can put people to sleep for decades.



This is an incredibly diverse work of art. Rinn in nonbinary/genderfluid, Erik and Hesekiel are in a m/m relationship, there is Sign Language being used and being taught to the entire village, and the cast is full of people of color with visible brown skin. The actual blessings.

Seeing Aedhan teach Rinn about how dragons can shift between genders was something more beautiful that words to me. Also, seeing Aedhan help Rinn see that they are worthy and have so much value, and that they should never feel lesser for getting enjoyment and pride from gathering and forging… I’m still so soft. And this story really puts an emphasis on how you can cook with love, and how preparing and sharing food can be something so intimate and so filled with unconditional love and joy.

Overall, I really just think that this is a masterpiece. The art is truly on another level as well, and it fills my heart and soul with so much happiness. I also just really appreciate the reminder that you are always needed, and you are always worthy of value and love.

Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch

[2021 reread] my heart... i just love this world, and characters, and art so much

chloe

Rating: really liked it
This was just as beautiful, whimsical, diverse & cute as The Tea Dragon Society. This made me feel so happy & cosy.

I got an ARC of this from Oni Press at BookExpo. It comes out September 17th!

Brittany

Rating: really liked it
My new favorite thing 😭 Katie O’Neill just has a lovely way of making everyone feel special and not just in that ‘you’re you and there’s no one like you’ cliche way but in the ‘you should be proud of you’ kind of way and it may seem like a small difference but it really makes it all the more better

Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)

Rating: really liked it
Absolutely adorable. Katie O'Neill can do no wrong in my eyes.

Whitney Atkinson

Rating: really liked it
Thanks to Oni Press for the advanced review copy!

Katie O'Neill can do no wrong. This book was so stinking cute from the art style to the positivity to the inclusivity and the dragons. I think I enjoyed it better than book one. This world is so magical and transporting and uplifting, and I love how people of different genders and sexualities and disabilities are seamlessly folded in. There were certain panels in this book that spoke to me so much as an adult even though this is written for children, it's that good. I highly recommend this for any age range, and if you at all enjoyed the first book, I think this companion would highly interest you.

Gavin Hetherington

Rating: really liked it
An absolutely stunning follow-up to The Tea Dragon Society that adds another level of depth to this gorgeous world. I really love the atmosphere and vibe this one gives, and just how much whimsy it embodies with every illustration.

Since the author came out as non-binary and now goes by the name Kay, the fact that the main character in this is non-binary is beautiful. There's a moment when they ask if dragons can change their gender and that just hit me. So wonderful, through and through. Not a lot going on plot-wise but I don't even mind for something like this.

daph pink ♡

Rating: really liked it
I live for this representation and cute illustrations..

April (Aprilius Maximus)

Rating: really liked it
"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."

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!

Thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press for the review copy!

Toni

Rating: really liked it
Beautifully illustrated and charming. This is my first book by Katie O'Neill, but now I would really like to try to find her previous work, which I'm sure is going to be fantastic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

s.penkevich

Rating: really liked it
‘Whatever I do from now on will be lovelier and richer, because I understand what's important now.’

The cozy and adorable world of the Tea Dragon’s returns in The Tea Dragon Festival from author/illustrator Katie O’Neil. This follow-up book is a prequel of sorts, set earlier than The Tea Dragon Society and I dare say it might even be better. There is more in-depth world building while also getting to revisit some favorite characters, such as a younger Erik and Hesekiel still on their adventures and falling in love and the new characters will quickly win your heart. This series is simply fantastic, being a cozy and very engaging fantasy world with a lot of wonderful representation. New to this story is Rinn, a genderfluid character, and we are treated to an actual dragon, Aedhan, awaking after a many year slumber and learning how the world has changed. O’Neill includes sign language in this book, with everyone in town learning sign language to accommodate a community member which is all just really beautiful. Also the art is simply amazing and cute, with a very cottagecore fantasy vibe that makes this book just as enjoyable to look at as it is to read.

I really love this series and it was nice to see this second book was a bit longer. The appendix in the back is also a lot of fun, my daughter loves reading about the tea dragon world and I feel like the guidebook aspects in the appendix is such a brilliant idea to engage readers beyond the story. This is a heartwarming story about finding your purpose and a sense of home, and how communities can come together to help each other grow. A lovely little graphic novel.

4.5/5

Dave Schaafsma

Rating: really liked it
More adorableness and heart-warming Tea Dragon Society world from Katie O’Neill in New Zealand, which I have yet to visit but I know must be full of magic and natural beauty. Oh, I know about that mosque massacre, but O’Neill creates an almost aggressively peace-loving antidote to hate that is less (again) about narrative and more about world-building principles for living in love and harmony. And tea, yep, expect a companion volume soon of tea dragon teas (from he antlers of the dragons, duh!).

This is ALL about the queering of the fairy tale, and kids, and people with various disabilities, colors, and sexual orientations. Main character Rinn is genderfluid, Erik and Hesekiel are gay, and oh we add in ASL (sign language) that is being taught to the entire village. Rinn finds Aedhan. a young dragon who was supposed to protect the village but fell asleep eighty years ago. Aedhan and Rinn become friends. Aedhan teaches us that dragons can shift between genders! And yes, because maybe people were asking, I’m sure: Aren’t dragons sort of these fire-breathing monsters that need to be slayed?! Well, yes, those are a different type of dragon, kids! Some are angry, and some are well, mellow!

For younger children, maybe, but feels like all-ages in its widening appeal. You will not read a gentler, sweeter story this year.

destiny ♡ howling libraries

Rating: really liked it
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!

human

Rating: really liked it
LSKDJFLSJDSJDLFKJDASLDAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVED THIS ONE EVEN MORE THAN THE FIRST ONE.

This book was much better than its predecessor, in my opinion. The art was just as great as it was with the first book, and though there was less of an emphasis placed on the tea dragons, they were still just as cute.

What I really liked about this one was the way that the main character (and the story as a whole, really), was developed. There was a discernible plot that was moving the book forward, rather than it being reliant on how pretty the art was.

I loved how the friendships grew and were portrayed in this one, and the insight that we were given as to Erik and Hesekiel's relationship. While I was initially thinking that this book was going to follow the same characters of the first one (okay, I admit, I never read the synopsis for this one and just impulsively checked it out), I was pleasantly surprised with the new arc that this book undertook.

Overall, this book was cute and wholesome, and I actually ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would.

aly ☆彡

Rating: really liked it

"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"

The Tea Dragon Festival is my favourite book out of the three. As expected, the illustration is to die for; the drawings were so vivid and beautiful it would make you want to be part of the story. The festival also looks joyous and homey, I felt escaped (from reality) just by reading about it.

We get to see Erik and Hesekiel, which are the two familiar characters, reintroduced at different times of their lives here. But we also get to meet new characters; Rinn and Aedhan who were equally wonderful people/creatures. I just wished we get to know more about the history of Aedhan and his ancestors.

Even so, I foremost love that this book incorporated sign language and promote diversity. Silverleaf exemplifies what it means to be a part of a community: people working together in harmony, leveraging one another's skills to aid and support one another. A great book indeed to introduce for children to read.

¸¸.•*¨*•♫ Mrs. Buttercup •*¨*•♫♪

Rating: really liked it
I want to thank NetGalley for sending me and advanced digital copy of this book.

There is a small village, among the mountains, where people live a peaceful life, collecting food from the forest and taking care of the moody, naughty, wonderful tea dragons. What a surprise they'll have when, one day, they'll find a full-size dragon who's been asleep for 80 years and declares his duty to take care of the village and all its inhabitants!



This comic is a companion volume to the well-known and well-loved Tea Dragon Society, which I recently read and absolutely adored. The artwork, the colouring, the character design; the creatures, the dialogues, the wholesomeness and, last but not least, the effortless representation of every possible human (and not 😋) colour, orientation, disability... oh my! Great, beautiful, sweet experience!! 💜

I could not stress more how much I love this series! I feel blessed to have received this arc. I will recommend this book to absolutely everyone! Wonderful ❤️💛💚💙💜