Tea with the Black Dragon
#4293.92 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1983–1986 Reading commitment Low R.A. MacAvoy Last reviewed 2026-09-05
Overview
Tea with the Black Dragon and its sequel Twisting the Rope follow Martha Macnamara, a folk musician searching 1980s San Francisco for her missing daughter, who is aided by Mayland Long, a courtly, disarmingly knowledgeable stranger who is, unbeknownst to her at first, an ancient dragon living in human form. The debut entangles the pair in a computer-fraud conspiracy; the sequel follows them investigating a fraudulent psychic.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Tea with the Black Dragon R. A. MacAvoy
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Tea with the Black Dragon | 1983 | 1 | core | 3.95 (5,381 ratings) |
 | Twisting the Rope | 1986 | 2 | core | 3.69 (821 ratings) |
A completed two-book contemporary-fantasy sequence: a grieving mother investigating her missing daughter's computer-fraud entanglement is aided by a courtly stranger who is, unbeknownst to her, an ancient dragon in human form; the sequel follows the same pair investigating a fraudulent psychic. MacAvoy's debut won the 1984 Locus Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the 1983 Nebula Award and 1984 Hugo Award for Best Novel; MacAvoy herself won the 1984 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Tea with the Black Dragon? Tea with the Black Dragon's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Tea with the Black Dragon? Publication order, starting with Tea with the Black Dragon. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Tea with the Black Dragon finished? Complete (1983–1986).
- How much reading does Tea with the Black Dragon take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books · ~242 pages).
- How is Tea with the Black Dragon ranked? #429 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 6,202 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #429?
Ranked #429 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.92 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (6,202 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #428, Sisters of the Salt (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 2 books · Complete · 6k ratings · Ranks #429 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Tea with the Black Dragon (1983)
- Twisting the Rope (1986)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best First Novel), 1984: won: Tea with the Black Dragon
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 1983: nominated: Tea with the Black Dragon
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 1984: nominated: Tea with the Black Dragon
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.92 across 6,202 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Tea with the Black Dragon (R.A. MacAvoy) accepted 2026-09-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05
Rule: Both completed volumes register as Core Canon; the sequence was never continued past two books.