The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Oni Press via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Tea Dragon Society REVIEW

The Tea Dragon Festival REVIEW

Title: The Tea Dragon Tapestry
Author: K. O'Neill
Upcoming Release Date: June 1, 2021


Synopsis: Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!

Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng's care, Greta still can't chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.

Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth.

------------------------------------------------------------

Review: This is the third book in the Tea Dragon universe. I LOVE Kay's art style! It's so adorable. One of my favorite things about this series is the focus on personal relationships and the casual homely, craft focused feel even though it's set in a fantasy world. This whole series kind of feels like what happiness can look like in a fantasy world in an epilogue kind of way. 

This book focuses on passing on tradition, the idea of a life's purpose, and how those things can change. Mourning and memories are also at the heart of this book. 

If these books had been released when I was a child, I would have been OBSESSED! I believe these will become a modern classic. Children reading them now will absolutely remember these stories and be molded by the themes. They're going to look back at them as adults with fond memories and create new fantastic worlds. 

If you haven't read any of Kay's books, get on it! This is a great conclusion to this story. I know it's been said this is the final book, but I really hope we get to return to the Tea Dragon universe. And if not, Kay will bring their style and excellent storytelling to new worlds for us. 

This book is absolutely a 5/5!


--PAUL

Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from ABRAMS via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre
Author: Alverne Ball 
Artist: Stacey Robinson

Contributors: Reynaldo Anderson & Dr. Colette Yellow Robe 
Upcoming Release Date: May 4, 2021


Synopsis: One hundred years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Across the Tracks is a celebration and memorial of Greenwood, Oklahoma

In Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre, author Alverne Ball and illustrator Stacey Robinson have crafted a love letter to Greenwood, Oklahoma. Also known as Black Wall Street, Greenwood was a community whose importance is often overshadowed by the atrocious massacre that took place there in 1921.

Across the Tracks introduces the reader to the businesses and townsfolk who flourished in this unprecedented time of prosperity for Black Americans. We learn about Greenwood and why it is essential to remember the great achievements of the community as well as the tragedy which nearly erased it. However, Ball is careful to recount the eventual recovery of Greenwood. With additional supplementary materials including a detailed preface, timeline, and historical essay, Across the Tracks offers a thorough examination of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Black Wall Street.

------------------------------------------------------------

Review: History needs to be remembered. This graphic novel tells the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre as well as the history of Greenwood and the aftermath and rebuilding. There are details of prominent people of the time and the different businesses are showcased as well. There's also a more detailed history in an essay at the end. 

I didn't learn about these events until I was an adult. These stories must be told. This graphic novel is a great way to tell the story of so many amazing Black people creating a space to thrive during a time where the country was against them. Knowing stories like this influence our future. There is so much work that America still needs to do and we must know our past to make a better future for all.

I give this book a 5/5. Once it is released, I will be recommending this book to everyone.


--PAUL