A review by geethr75
Memory of Tea & Magic by Katherine A. Darling

5.0

 

I so enjoyed the premise and the story! Greyson is a mage who has had no formal training and who lives in the mountains after he was exiled following a rebellion. Cyrus, the nephew of the emperor and the captain of his forces who subdued the rebellion, taking out Greyson's right eye in the process, is the other protagonist. 

The story opens with Cyrus injured in a glade and with no memory of who he is or where he is or how he came to be there. He stumbles across Greyson who he has a feeling he knows and an instinctive trust for the man. Greyson, realising that Cyrus has no memories is tempted to leave him there to die, but allows a merciful impulse to take him back to his home and nurse him back to health. In his attempts to find out why Cyrus was there, Greyson finds himself falling for his once hated enemy, and Cyrus reciprocates. But will their love survive it when Cyrus regains his memories? 

The romance is developed slowly, allowing Greyson's feelings room to change. Enemies to lovers is an extremely difficult trope to write and I'm talking enemies here, not rivals, but people who have actively harmed the other. It helps that devoid of his memories Cyrus is a ball of sunshine and more like an excited puppy. It takes time for Greyson to get over his animosity and for his feelings to change. 

I love the queer rep in this and the fact that Cyrus has such a loving, supportive family. Even his uncle, the Emperor, comes around in the end, despite having no love lost for Greyson. The worldbuilding and the characterisations are both very good. Greyson has no blood family of his own, but has a huge found family consisting of nearly everyone in his village and his students. 

If you love enemies to lovers, slow burn romances, amnesia trope and found and actual families, and magic, not to mention, tea, for which Greyson has a weakness, you will love this book!