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377th out of 421 books
—
28 voters
Tea with the Black Dragon (Black Dragon #1)
by
R.A. MacAvoy
Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter Elizabeth is in trouble, she just doesn't know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact she has had with Elizabeth for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at San Francisco's most luxurious hotel. Yet she has not tried to contact Mart...more
Mass Market Paperback, 166 pages
Published
May 12th 1983
by Bantam Books
(first published 1983)
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I have a bit of a reading habit where anything with the word “dragon” in the title I pick up for that word alone. I found this book in a rummage bin, rather the worse for wear, and didn’t even pick it up for a song.
I found out later it’s both a Hugo and Nebula nominee circa 1984.
The plot is a bit serpentinous. You have the start of a quest, Martha trying to find her grown daughter, Elizabeth, and happens to meet and enlist the help of one enigmatic Mr. Long, an older man with a vaguely oriental...more
I found out later it’s both a Hugo and Nebula nominee circa 1984.
The plot is a bit serpentinous. You have the start of a quest, Martha trying to find her grown daughter, Elizabeth, and happens to meet and enlist the help of one enigmatic Mr. Long, an older man with a vaguely oriental...more
A marvellous little book. I wonder if MacAvoy had just the one superb book in her, since subsequent offerings have been disappointing. Highly recommend this one.
This book exemplifies what I was hoping for when I got my kindle--that I'd be able to access out of print or obscure books from years ago that I loved. My success in finding such books has been spotty, but I am so happy I found this one.
Tea with the Black Dragon is set in San Francisco in the early 80's, at the beginning of the computer revolution. Martha MacNamara, a 50-ish musician comes to San Francisco to visit her daughter, Liz, who has told her she needs to talk to her about something. At...more
Tea with the Black Dragon is set in San Francisco in the early 80's, at the beginning of the computer revolution. Martha MacNamara, a 50-ish musician comes to San Francisco to visit her daughter, Liz, who has told her she needs to talk to her about something. At...more
[7/10]
This was a fast read, and a pleasant one. The plot would have worked well, I think, even without the supernatural elements. It reminds me of some books by James Hadley Chase with his band of crooks setting up a clever heist and then turning on each other after the deed is done. A plus for me is the age of the two main characters : Martha MacNamara a spirited 50 something violinist, and Mayland Long - a mysterious gentleman who claims to be quite a few centuries older. There are a couple of...more
This was a fast read, and a pleasant one. The plot would have worked well, I think, even without the supernatural elements. It reminds me of some books by James Hadley Chase with his band of crooks setting up a clever heist and then turning on each other after the deed is done. A plus for me is the age of the two main characters : Martha MacNamara a spirited 50 something violinist, and Mayland Long - a mysterious gentleman who claims to be quite a few centuries older. There are a couple of...more
There’s beauty in subtlety. Tea with the Black Dragon does not follow typical fantasy conventions; in fact the fantasy elements remain in the background with the crux of the story focusing on a spiritual and emotional awakening and the search for missing persons. It is unusual not to delve into the power and life of an ancient and magical figure, since they tend to be the most interesting part of the story, but MacAvoy does not do this. He instead masterfully plays with the reader only giving u...more
A strange, poetic, and fascinating novel, Tea With the Black Dragon is unique among the fantasy novels I've read, namely because the element of fantasy involved is decidedly subtle. MacAvoy teases the reader, hinting that there is much more to protagonist Mayland Long than he's currently choosing to express, but never delving into the well-worn fantasy cliches one expects to find in a book with the word "dragon" on the cover. The relationships she builds between characters are realistic and enga...more
Tea With The Black Dragon is the tale of how a dragon in human form helps save the lives of two strangers, a mother and daughter, falling in love in the process. I didn’t expect much going into this one but what a pleasant surprise! Without the fact that the main character is a dragon, the fantasy elements of this story are used in a very subtle fashion. This is really more of a crime thriller in a lot of ways. MacAvoy’s writing is exemplary, keeping the action moving along and pulling the reade...more
It's the 1980s and tech is on the rise. Martha Macnamara, a middle aged celtic fiddle player, come to San Francisco in response to an urgent message from her daughter. Adventure. Intrigue. Philosophy and a Black Dragon.
Well, okay, Mayland Long an elderly Chinese man, once was a Five Fingered Dragon. He has roamed the earth, studying humans, looking for "the truth." Now as a human he lives in a beautiful hotel on the hill in San Francisco, waiting. And then Martha comes to dinner.
She's quirky. He...more
Well, okay, Mayland Long an elderly Chinese man, once was a Five Fingered Dragon. He has roamed the earth, studying humans, looking for "the truth." Now as a human he lives in a beautiful hotel on the hill in San Francisco, waiting. And then Martha comes to dinner.
She's quirky. He...more
It puzzles me how a book that moves so slowly can hold my attention so well - but it does! Most of it is set in a perfectly normal modern-day America (well, modern when it was published, back in the early 80s) with just a little bit of something added. I don't think you can actually say that what is added is magic - but one of the lead characters, while occupying a human body, is not to be mistaken for a human! This is the book that got me started reading R A MacAvoy - a variable autor in my opi...more
For a book published nearly thirty years ago, the tech portions actually hold up pretty well.
Martha Macnamara gave up a career as a concert violinist to raise her daughter. That daughter, now a programming whiz, is in trouble, and Martha come looking for her. Instead, she meets Mayland Long, who gets pulled into her quest to find and help her daughter.
All of this works as a straightforward (if very short) thriller. But then there is Mayland Long, who really is the focus of the book. You see, he...more
Martha Macnamara gave up a career as a concert violinist to raise her daughter. That daughter, now a programming whiz, is in trouble, and Martha come looking for her. Instead, she meets Mayland Long, who gets pulled into her quest to find and help her daughter.
All of this works as a straightforward (if very short) thriller. But then there is Mayland Long, who really is the focus of the book. You see, he...more
This is the only known (to me) MacAvoy book I haven't read before, so I snatched it up (even though the sequel that I did read wasn't all that awesome, I rather like MacAvoy's books).
And it was not bad - not terribly serious literature (character development? wazzat?), but quite entertaining nevertheless.
Rather hard to say anything about anything without spoiling anything, though, but it does include crimes of various degrees, murder, and an elderly lady getting severely beat up, so don't go in...more
And it was not bad - not terribly serious literature (character development? wazzat?), but quite entertaining nevertheless.
Rather hard to say anything about anything without spoiling anything, though, but it does include crimes of various degrees, murder, and an elderly lady getting severely beat up, so don't go in...more
What a wonderful book!!Just short little book. By the cover it looks like a childrens book but its not Very intelligently written and even rather profound at times!!
About a 50ish woman who is invited to San Francisco by her somewhat estranged daughter. She stays in a nice old hotel by the ocean where she is anxiously awaiting for her daughter to contact her. There she meets Mr Long; a mysterious gentleman. Their echanges are wonderful to read. The story goes on to be suspenseful, funny,scarey an...more
About a 50ish woman who is invited to San Francisco by her somewhat estranged daughter. She stays in a nice old hotel by the ocean where she is anxiously awaiting for her daughter to contact her. There she meets Mr Long; a mysterious gentleman. Their echanges are wonderful to read. The story goes on to be suspenseful, funny,scarey an...more
Sadly, this was a case of an old favourite not quite living up to my memory of it. I remember this having been a great book, it wasn't quite as wonderful as I thought.
All the same, this is still a lovely, little story. I think it is the themes and concepts I remember most; the search for truth and how a dragon might go about trying to find it. Those are still wonderful ideas and I loved revisiting them.
The story itself doesn't hold them up as well as it might, but is well worth taking the time t...more
All the same, this is still a lovely, little story. I think it is the themes and concepts I remember most; the search for truth and how a dragon might go about trying to find it. Those are still wonderful ideas and I loved revisiting them.
The story itself doesn't hold them up as well as it might, but is well worth taking the time t...more
MacAvoy is an author who seems not to write as a career, but rather because she has a story she wishes to tell. Some authors seem to be telling the same story again and again, and I do not begrudge them that: it's the story they're interested in, and generally they are good at it. MacAvoy, however, seems to write one story well, and then move on to the next, which is generally completely unrelated-- not to say she doesn't write sequels, but when she is done with a story, she moves on, and writes...more
A quiet fantasy. Set in the 1980s (remember this when they start discussing computers), it's a change of pace from many fantasy novels, with middle-aged protagonists and no overt magic. (Kudos to the author for daring to have a female protagonist with "grizzled hair"!) I recognize that the book is well-written, although it failed to grab me—the wrong book at the wrong time, basically. In having almost no magic in it, it felt less like a fantasy and more like a mystery, and I just haven't been in...more
-Fantasía casi sin parecerlo -.
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Martha Macnamara, madre preocupada por una hija que trabaja en el mundo de la informática, conoce al señor Mayland Long, un peculiar y culto caballero realmente interesado en Martha y a la que acompañará para averiguar qué sucede con su hija.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Martha Macnamara, madre preocupada por una hija que trabaja en el mundo de la informática, conoce al señor Mayland Long, un peculiar y culto caballero realmente interesado en Martha y a la que acompañará para averiguar qué sucede con su hija.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Neitzche tells us - rightly so - that if you chase dragons too long, you will become one.
But... what if a dragon chased humans for too long?
An interesting take on the typical dragon story. The plot itslef is very Lifetime - it almost isn't needed, accept the author seemed intent to push the two main characters together during a conflcit of some sort.
Ignore the stupid computer program plot - the main character is what you're reading this for.
But... what if a dragon chased humans for too long?
An interesting take on the typical dragon story. The plot itslef is very Lifetime - it almost isn't needed, accept the author seemed intent to push the two main characters together during a conflcit of some sort.
Ignore the stupid computer program plot - the main character is what you're reading this for.
This book was published in 1983 and deals with computer crime. Surprisingly the computer bit holds together pretty well.
This book is about a dude who may or may not be a dragon. Sometimes he has dragon-like powers but we don't really understand when or why -- it seems to depend on whether dragon-like powers would be convenient to the plot.
This book has a romance-novel subplot, but overall I think I would file it in the "action movie" genre.
This book is about a dude who may or may not be a dragon. Sometimes he has dragon-like powers but we don't really understand when or why -- it seems to depend on whether dragon-like powers would be convenient to the plot.
This book has a romance-novel subplot, but overall I think I would file it in the "action movie" genre.
Dec 12, 2008
Anna Hanson Bevens
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction-fantasy
One of my favorite, favorite books. And one of my favorite authors.
I read this one at least two times a year.
R.A. MacAvoy has this ability to write both sparsely and with a richness that makes me want to buy her laundry lists :)
Tea with the Black Dragon and its sequel, Twisting the Rope, and absolute must reading if you enjoy philosophical fiction that weaves in humor and great characters as well.
I read this one at least two times a year.
R.A. MacAvoy has this ability to write both sparsely and with a richness that makes me want to buy her laundry lists :)
Tea with the Black Dragon and its sequel, Twisting the Rope, and absolute must reading if you enjoy philosophical fiction that weaves in humor and great characters as well.
Romance, light mystery, bratty daughter and outdated computers aside, this is a love story between two souls (notice I didn’t say people) who think that they are of an age where love and magic are gone from their lives. Wrong. I’ve bought 10 copies of this little book over the years to give away and remind people to keep their minds open to possibilities. You need to get your own.
Aug 31, 2009
Jon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jon by:
Janny Wurts
3.6 stars
I curled up with this book during the weirdest weather weekend I've witnessed for August as a native Kansan. A north wind for three days (starting on Friday), highs in the low 70s and partly to mostly cloudy. It felt and smelled like October! And this book was perfect for that setting. An incognito dragon seeking the meaning of life or ultimate truth finding it and love in a small childlike bewildering woman with crystal blue eyes.
I got a kick out of the early 80s retro computer termin...more
I curled up with this book during the weirdest weather weekend I've witnessed for August as a native Kansan. A north wind for three days (starting on Friday), highs in the low 70s and partly to mostly cloudy. It felt and smelled like October! And this book was perfect for that setting. An incognito dragon seeking the meaning of life or ultimate truth finding it and love in a small childlike bewildering woman with crystal blue eyes.
I got a kick out of the early 80s retro computer termin...more
Reviewed at: Suite101.
If I was to take one book with me on a deserted island, Tea with the Black Dragon would probably be that book.
The review: Tea with the Black Dragon by Roberta A.MacAvoy.
If I was to take one book with me on a deserted island, Tea with the Black Dragon would probably be that book.
The review: Tea with the Black Dragon by Roberta A.MacAvoy.
I found this one through Kindle-aholic. Thanks for the heads up on this one.
This one is hard to categorize. Part detective story, part fantasy, and part romance. The writing style is very elegant full of imagery. The plot is interesting and the characters pull you in. While the time period is early 80's it doesn't feel dated.
It was also nice to see the love interest was not the pretty 20 something, but her mother, the average 40 something.
A nice quiet read that anyone would enjoy.
This one is hard to categorize. Part detective story, part fantasy, and part romance. The writing style is very elegant full of imagery. The plot is interesting and the characters pull you in. While the time period is early 80's it doesn't feel dated.
It was also nice to see the love interest was not the pretty 20 something, but her mother, the average 40 something.
A nice quiet read that anyone would enjoy.
The big surprise of the book isn't. But there are enough little surprises through the book to keep you entertained as you read.
The book is, unfortunately, incredibly out of date. That wouldn't normally matter, but for a book so centered around the computer industry it's a fatal flaw.
The book is, unfortunately, incredibly out of date. That wouldn't normally matter, but for a book so centered around the computer industry it's a fatal flaw.
A solid, entertaining book, but it makes me wonder what all the fuss is about. One problem is that I'd been told for years about how beautifully written it was, and I kept hitting things like:
"No one saw who cared." (p. 44) ; the author probably meant "No one who saw cared." Or possibly, "No one who cared saw." And on p. 54, "In the past year we have pulled out of that bank two million dollars." It's almost as if the author isn't a native speaker of English.
My other quibble is that this isn't my...more
"No one saw who cared." (p. 44) ; the author probably meant "No one who saw cared." Or possibly, "No one who cared saw." And on p. 54, "In the past year we have pulled out of that bank two million dollars." It's almost as if the author isn't a native speaker of English.
My other quibble is that this isn't my...more
A short book that is hard to classify. Part romance, part detective novel, and part urban fantasy (though this was written several years before the term came into vogue). A pleasant book, that I think I would have enjoyed more if the fantasy element had been developed more than it was.
Oh this is just delightful! Eastern myth, a disappearance-turned-kidnapping, clever women of zen wisdom and computing wizardry, bit of a sappy love story... a quick read with an excellent climax, and where it's not Literature it's certainly quite nice.
This one has been recommended to me for years, and seemed all the more tantalizing for the fact that it seemed virtually impossible for me to find a copy. Then, all of a sudden, there it was on Kindle, so naturally I had to sit down and read it immediately...only to be severely underwhelmed. It's not a bad little story, but I didn't get anything particularly magic or profound out of it. It seemed pretty dated and very much a product of its time. (I mean, the guy one of the characters is destined...more
I loved this book. I adored Martha and fell half in love with Mayland. Liz was a bit entitled and airheaded but the story worked. The mystery portion was quickly paced and not super obvious. But it was the characters I loved.
I have such a weakness for slim SFF paperbacks from the '70s and '80s; this was fun and inventive, very provident given my recent move to the book's setting, but there wasn't quite enough dragon in my tea.
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Roberta Ann (R. A.) MacAvoy is a fantasy and science fiction author in the United States. Several of her books draw on Celtic or Taoist themes. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1984. R. A. MacAvoy was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Francis and Helen MacAvoy. She attended Case Western Reserve University and received a B.A. in 1971. She worked from 1975 to 1978 as an assistant t...more
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Jul 17, 2012 03:43pm