This, the third and final installment in Katie O’Neill’s Tea Dragon graphic novel series, focuses on two characters, Minette and Greta. Greta has been tasked with creating something in her forge to share with master blacksmith Kleitos in hopes of being taken on as his apprentice. At the same time, she is worried about her tea dragon, Ginseng, who is grieving the death of it's previous caretaker. Minette receives a package of an unfinished tapestry from her time at the monastery. The parcel triggers difficult dreams of loss and homesickness.
Reading these books is like visiting with old friends. A large part of the enjoyment is following the characters' continuing stories and connecting with protagonists from other previous adventures.
Like others in the series, this is a coming of age tale. Both of these characters must learn to accept who they are, find their purpose in life, and create from their hearts. This piece of sage advice Minette received from her ancestor is one that is applicable for all of us, “Remember that you are already whole.”
Through her words and art, Katie O’Neill takes us into an alternate magical reality. Her world is vibrant with colour that will dazzle you with its intricate splendour. Her world celebrates diversity in multiple ways. It's there in the different shades of skin, it's there in the deliberate nongendering of some of the characters and it's there in the pairing relationships across species.
For those who have not read other books in the series, (and even if you have) the back matter is full of additional information extracted from The Illustrated History of Tea Dragons. It includes details about the first tea dragon, tea dragon biology, tea dragon varieties, living with tea dragons, and the Tea Dragon Society.
These are visually gorgeous books, but I think that contributes to me always be a bit lost as to what the plot is or which character is doing what. I'm practically face blind when reading most graphic novels, and somehow I manage to mix up the characters in them dispite their incredible diversity.
ReplyDeleteSo I always enjoy reading them but it's hard to recommend them because I think of them as visual spectacle and can't articulate what they are about. Maybe I'll just point at your blog post :-)