The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Ameko Kaeruda

Artist: Yorifuji

Translators: Motoko Tamamuro & Jonathan Clements

Letterer: Tom Williams

Publisher: Titan Manga

Price: $12.99

Release Date: January 1, 2025

 

Remy Pullis revels in her quiet life at court. While the other mages oversee government departments, Remy works alone. She never attends council meetings in the great hall. Instead, Remy concentrates on what she does best. What happens when Princess Stella takes a liking to Remy? Will having a royal friend make Remy's life even easier? Or will it upset the delicate balance of Remy's life? Let's brew some tea, leap into The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1, and find out!

 

Story

War rocked the enchanted kingdom of Shtora. When the war ended, military leaders won knighthoods, and the king appointed his magical defenders to positions in the royal court. While some mages oversee administration, security, or defense, Remy works in the palace gardens. She contemplates everyone's needs and brews tea from the plants available. The other mages spend their mornings discussing the problems of their departments. Remy enjoys the tranquility of nature and the artistry of her friend Alicia's manicured garden.

 

Yet trouble lurks in The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1. Princess Stella Mira Estasio is awed by Remy’s talents. While Remy enjoys a relatively carefree existence, guardians attend to Stella’s needs. They take such good care of her that Stella has never even left the palace grounds. But when all her father's advisors gather each morning, Princess Stella realizes she can sneak down to the garden and enjoy a friendly chat with Remy.

 

In Ameko Kaeruda’s story, this isn’t something Remy wants. The palace tea witch discourages the Princess from visiting her regularly. Remy asks her repeatedly not to address her by name. But Stella is young. Stella cannot understand that bestowing friendship will place Remy under scrutiny and create jealousy among the other court mages.

 

Remy has lived through one war. Although she isn’t supposed to use her magic to affect others, Remy sees frustration in the new government and uses her enchantments to reduce others’ tensions. So she avoids the spotlight as much as possible in The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1. The last thing the carefree Tea Witch wants is to get sucked into struggles for power in the new government.

 

Art

While the frowning government ministers fill the pews inside the council chamber, they gripe about Remy’s absence while dismissing her contributions. Yorifuji shows Remy brewing tea in the royal garden and savoring her drink. Yet she grits her teeth when Princess Stella bustles into Alicia's carefully tended garden in a billowing dress adorned with bows and frills. Stella's eyes shine brighter than the jewels on her crown. The Princess' radiant smile distracts from the long hair surrounding her like a regal cape.

 

Yorifuji shows Remy's preparations and how she wields her pot to work her magic. The tea witch walks past the desks of frowning administrators, leaving relaxed smiles on their faces after they drink her brews. The art also reveals the minor ways in which Remy works her enchantments. When Remy grows frustrated or frightened, the magic can burst out of her explosively in The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1. Yet when Alicia requests her aid, Remy wields her magic through her pot to protect the royal garden from danger.

 

Tom Williams casts large uppercase letters into dialogue balloons, narrative boxes, or unadorned backgrounds. He conjures balloons into different shapes to suggest emotions and tense situations. The characters' dialogue and thoughts enlarge but never shrink.

 

Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements translate the Japanese sound effects to help us hear the background chatter rise as Princess Stella speaks with Remy at a garden party and the tea witch's retreating footsteps. The translators help us feel Remy’s magic blasting through Alicia’s maze of hedges. Thanks to Titan Manga for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Life settles down when war ends, and the leaders of Shtora fight to secure the peace in The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1. As the court mages threaten to draw Remy into their intrigues, the tea witch discovers dangers threatening her life, the princess’ future, and the nation’s new regime.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my preview of The Elegant Courtly Life Of The Tea Witch Vol 1.

 

For information on the next book in the series see my solicit for Vol 2.