The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

[lightreads]

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

3/5. Third in this charming fluffy trilogy of historical fantastical romances. This one switches modes yet again to spies (the previous two did pirates and witches) so like . . . it’s a lot. This was my packing book – I packed pretty much all of my wife’s 2,000 plus books while reading this) and it’s somewhat surprising that I have any thoughts about it at all. But I do, because this book is attempting that thing where 90% of it is silly and campy fun, and then a tiny sliver of the other 10% is like “oh actually, these two people who are falling in love have been horrifically abused since childhood to indoctrinate them into serving their governmental organization for life and we’re going to take that seriously for just this one scene and then go back to making jokes about it.” Woof. That’s a hard trick to pull off, and this book does not land it.

Comments

[readerjane]

Too bad about the landing. Because that sort of swerve is my narrative kink when it does land: a happy, silly scene that suddenly pivots into dead serious, and then you realize the serious was a constant bass note under the melody, the whole time.

[lightreads]

Yes, mine too! That's one of my very favorite things when done right.

[aurimae]

Have to chime in and ask for good examples of this? I'm especially curious as I lean more towards the opposite: doom and gloom with a comic slice delivered so drily you don't recognize the switch until you literally burst out in laughter.

[lightreads]

Naturally when you asked this, my mind went blank. But after sleeping on it, I think YA and middle grade can be particularly good at this. Ironic since I barely ever read either these days. But see Mars Evacuees (which arguably could fulfill your preferred mode too, depending on how you approach the text) or a lot of Ursula Vernon's stuff, like Castle Hangnail. And on the adult side, Girl Genius (I've read the novelizations, but I hear they stick very close to the webcomic).

Same question back at you for heavier books with flashes of lightness.