COMING JULY 28, 2026

A richly imagined, dark and dazzling cosy fantasy about learning to love ourselves by wondrous new Australian novelist, Christy Anne Jones.

Dorothy Louise Walcott should have died when she was fourteen. Instead, she grew into a timid young woman, frugal, ill, over-educated, and dreaming ceaselessly of running away to learn magic. When she hears of a woman who might apprentice her, she sets off on a journey to Alliaster, a city where spirits play cards with kings. Dot is determined to find the witch Theodora—empress of an underground syndicate peddling magic from the quaint façade of her tea shop. Theodora is everything Dot wants to be: beautiful, witty, confident.

However, Dot’s arrival heralds the unearthing of Theodora’s eldritch secrets, threatening to topple the witch’s empire and take them both with it.

Theodora’s Tea Shop is an atmospheric 1920s-inspired fantasy novel about magic, friendship and, of course, tea. It features twists and turns, found families, monstrous women, many heartfelt and cosy moments, and a creepy daemon who owns a department store. If you love Howl’s Moving Castle, you will adore this book.

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Praise for Theodora’s Tea Shop

‘An effervescent delight! I know Theodora will be living rent-free in my head for some time to come...’ - ELISABETH WOLF, author of Winterbourne

'Theodora's Tea Shop doesn't hold back its punches or its hugs. A tale full to bursting with vibrant, achingly struggling (and prevailing!) characters, and a landscape of spirits and spells that weaves together a delightful and whimsical world.' - LYNN BUCHANAN, author of The Dollmakers

'A feast for the imagination, Theodora's Tea Shop is filled to the brim with delicious characters, luscious visuals, fragrant twists, and delectable morsels of heartbreak, joy, loss and hope. A remarkable book from a masterful new voice.' - BENJAMIN LIAR, author of The Failures

'This bookis a true gem, with glimmering facets of darkness and light. Jones' lush descriptions evoke the dream-like quality of a Ghibli film, while her worldbuilding harkens to the wider scope of books like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell or The Night Circus. Magic radiates off the page and Jones' world feels both historical and otherworldly.' - MOOREA CORRIGAN, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Thistlemarsh

'Occasionally, a book comes along that feels like real magic. Christy Anne Jones renders Dot's adventures with exquisite sensory detail and fabulistic gravitas. Theodora's Tea Shop is both intimate and grand, familial and brutal, and I'll be thinking about its witches and wretched spirits for a long time.' - EMILY YU-XIAN QIN, author of Aunt Tigress

'Christy Anne Jones has brewed a bewitching concoction . . . The perfect read for those who want a hint of darkness at the centre of their fantasy novels.' - Books+Publishing

FAQ

  • Readers in the UK, Australia or New Zealand can order the book anywhere they’d like! Readers in the US, Canada or other international countries: if your local bookstore doesn’t stock it, trying ordering from Blackwell’s or Waterstones!

  • Mild-moderate violence, death, mild body horror, serious injury to a character’s hand, mild sexual references, swearing, animal death (of a bird), estrangement, familial trauma, and physical child abuse (implied—not on the page).