Where the Tea Still Steeps is a quirky fantasy with a dreamlike vibe by Rachel Ann Hubert. Released 30th June 2026, it's 306 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Although not derivative, there's a real Howl's Moving Castle/Ghibli homage feeling in this romantasy. It's full of longing and love, oddly disquieting scenes, along with a sentient tea-house, cursed immortals, and a displaced human who stumbles into the story without knowing why she's there or how to get out of the weird place she's found herself.
The prose is engagingly simple, but not at all straightforward. There's a meandering rhythm to the narrative. Although it would otherwise be appropriate for younger readers, there are moderately explicit (consensual) scenes which would definitely not be safe for youngsters or public reading. There are also frank discussions of trauma, healing, loss, and mental health.
Four stars. It would be good for public library acquisition, home library, or possibly a buddy read (?).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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