Tea and Empathy: Tales of Rydding Village, Book 1 by Shanna Swendson

Author Shanna Swendson set out to right a cozy fantasy in a traditional setting, a welcome recent trend. She is best known for her contemporary fantasy series, Enchanted, Inc., mostly set in New York City.

While the story starts with Elwyn at a very low point, wondering if she’ll survive, it ends with her and the village of Rydding starting to thrive. Elwyn is on the run, hungry and weak. She leaves the main road for a lane leading into a forest, where she immediately feels safer, then crosses a stone bridge over a bridge to find a quiet village in the valley. Elwyn finds refuge in a vacant stone cottage with a large overgrown cottage, reminding her of a cottage she once lived in. This cottage turns out to be something magical. Elwyn, who now calls herself Wyn, meets Mair, who trades her goat milk and cheese. Soon Wyn opens a tea chop in the front room of the cottage, and later, reluctantly, does a little healing. A wounded and unconscious man appears in the village, who remembers nothing of his past when he wakes up, but is happy to help Wyn with blending herbs and tea.

Will Wyn be able to stay in the village, or will serious troubles from her recent past find her if she stays in Rydding? A very pleasant read, and I look forward to more cozy fantasy novels in this series.