Vessandra Nyx was once the Archmage of the Shadow Weave, a woman whose name was whispered in fear across the Southern Reaches. She had the obsidian spire, the skeletal legions, and a heart as cold as a mountain peak. But after a century of world domination, she realized that keeping an empire together is mostly just tedious paperwork and ungrateful henchmen.

So, Vessandra did the unthinkable: she retired.

Now living as "Vess" in the salty, fog-drenched town of Siltport, she spends her days running The Kettle & Cauldron. Her alchemy is master-class, her tea cures hangovers that feel like dragon-fire, and her only companion is a skeletal mouse named Pip who has a penchant for tiny knit sweaters.

But Siltport isn't as quiet as it looks. Between a rival apothecary and a past that refuses to stay buried, her patience is wearing thin. When a face from her dark past arrives wearing a silver inquisitor's badge, Vessandra must decide: can she solve her problems with a well-steeped brew and a touch of humanity, or will she have to remind the world why they were afraid of the dark?

The first book in the Tinctures and Terror trilogy, The Villain's Teacup is a cozy, high-fantasy reimagining of what happens after the Dark Lord loses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and Warrior's Rest.