DNF'd at 50 percent. Plot was very slow despite incredible world building. I know other readers will enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me.

Lin always delivers something unique, mixing folk legend with her own brand of fantasy. The magic system based on different types of tea was fascinating. As always, her heroines are courageous and her prose is exquisite.

I love this book. So much. Ning is an amazingly brave girl who will do anything to heal her sister. Including lying to the most powerful people in her country for a chance to heal and protect those she loves the most. There is action, a bit of romance, and some deceit along the way. I need to read the next book now, just to see what happens~

Judy is now an auto buy for me. Just really enjoy the worlds she creates & the intrigue she builds.
Ning learned how to brew tea from her mother, who died after she brewed a tea that was sent to them. She learns of a contest that will find the best tea makers in the kingdom, she goes to participate only to learn of the intrigue in the palace.
Politics are happening in the Background and Ning works to survive so her sister will as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
A Magic Steeped in Poison is a beautifully descriptive novel rich in Chinese culture and imagery, which is something I don't experience much in the fantasy books I've read. Ning has magical tea-brewing abilities. She enters a competition at the imperial palace to win a favor from the princes. WIthout the favor, her sister will die. Nine accidentally poisoned her so the stakes are very personal. However, the contest is filled with sabotage, and Ning’s lack of knowledge and social status creates obstacles.

Despite the promising premise, I found the book underwhelming. Even with the descriptions of the tea, the pacing didn't seem to match the overall urgency of Ning's sister's condition. Is she really dying from poison, and the best way to help her is a weeks' long contest? The romance wasn't a great addition to the plot, in my opinion. Additionally, while the world-building created a beautiful foundation, the characters felt underdeveloped, so it was unbalanced for me. I'm curious if the sequel will improve on any of these details. Also I do love a duology over the ubiquitous trilogy.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a captivating fantasy that pulls you into a world of magic, danger, and tea. The story follows Ning, a skilled tea maker, who enters a deadly competition to find a cure for her sister, who’s been poisoned. The catch? The competition is full of dangerous trials, and Ning’s magic with tea might be more powerful, and more deadly than she ever imagined.

What I loved about this book is how unique the magic system is. The idea of using tea to perform magic is fresh and fascinating, and it’s woven into the story in a way that makes the world feel rich and immersive. Ning is a great protagonist, she’s determined, smart, and brave, but also shows her vulnerable side, especially when it comes to protecting her sister.

The plot is full of suspense, with plenty of twists, but it also has heart. There’s a bit of romance that adds some sweetness to the story, but it never takes over the main focus, which is Ning’s journey and her fight to save her sister.

The pacing is steady, and while there’s a lot of world-building, it never feels too heavy. The mix of magic, mystery, and family bonds makes this book an engaging read.

It's always a bummer when a book you highly anticipated doesn't land well and that was the case here. I felt like we really didn't get to know any of the characters well outside of our main character and there was a major lack of depth with everyone we encountered. The plot is filled with convenience for our main character and things tend to just work out well for her without much struggle. I did enjoy the writing style and the bits of magic that we got to see, I loved. Outside of that I just didn't mesh well with it.

I really hate this insta-love trope. You can someone interesting or attracting at the first glance but how do you fall in love with them within a couple of minutes?? My demisexual mind will never get it. So don't waste your time trying to sell INSTA-LOVE to me. I won't buy any excuse or anything. Nope nope nope...

The characters are super bland. They have no charms or interesting qualities. The storyline is actually good but it's not unique. I have many YA fantasy books which are exactly like it (if not better). The tea based magic is fascinating though. But I'm not going to read a this book only because I found the magic system enthralling. Not the best debut. The writing is not of the most accessible kind.

Overall, MEH. Easily forgettable.

I loved how the cover has a vividly eye-popping color which drew me in. I loved how the author added all these elements to move the story along. My favorite character is Ning who entered a competition to help save her sister from the same fate as her mother. She wants to prove that she will be the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi— masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels all way to the imperial city to compete. She wants to be the winner to meet the princess and receive her favor to save her sister. If you enjoyed hunger games, then this book is for you. When I started reading the book I was hooked right from the start. The characters each had their own reasons to join the competition and I was rooting for Ning through the whole book. The story painted a vivid picture of what Ning is going through and feeling. I would highly recommend this book to others.

This book was phenomenal and I think about it and recommend it a lot. The historical/magical setting, the political intrigue, the quiet plot for revenge, and the romance. This book has everything I love and in spades, good thing there is a sequel!!!

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a captivating tale of tea, intrigue, and magic that will enchant readers who crave a richly atmospheric and emotionally resonant fantasy adventure, particularly those who appreciate Chinese-inspired settings and themes, and are drawn to stories of sisterly love, self-discovery, and the power of ancient traditions.

A very pretty cover with an interesting story inside.
It wasn’t fully my cup of tea but it was a fast read and interesting non the less!

I love a classic young adult magic competition book, and this was a great one to add to the genre. I'm very curious where this will go in the sequel.

I stopped at 20% as I just wasn’t getting into it. Solid YA pick that’s an easy three stars, four to five for the right reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC.

This book was really a stunning historically-inspired fantasy tale about a young woman with a budding talent who sees only one way to save her sister whose life hangs in the balance: win the Imperial tea-making competition and receive the fulfillment of one request. With this win, she might request the help of the Emperor’s physicians to save her dying sister from the poison that consumes her. After the loss of her mother from the same poison, this competition is everything to Ning.

What’s so incredibly unique about this story is that the magic is rooted in the art and ceremony of tea making. It’s delicate, powerful, ever changing, and such a new idea to bring to the table. Though I had a tough time in the beginning with Lin’s writing style, after a few chapters, I was totally hooked! I couldn’t get enough of the magic she brewed in these pages. Ning is humble, yet fierce, hard-working, and resilient. Her drive pushes her to continue against hardship, loss, doubt, and the scheming of others. She is ignorant to palace life, yet she suddenly finds herself thrust into the centre of it, committing grievous, yet somehow still forgivable faux pas.

What’s great about this series is that there is still more to come! A Magic Steeped in Poison is just the beginning. I’m already set and ready to read the next book! Murder, romance, friendship, and killer female characters—-what more could you want? I hope you’ll be as hooked onto this new series as I was.

Zhang is forced by circumstance to enter a cutthroat competition to become the royal tea master in order to save her dying sister. In this world magic is done through the brewing of tea, which was a unique aspect of this book that quickly drew me in. As Zhang moves forward in the competition we are drawn further into the court intrigues of this world where more than just tea is brewing. The world building is good and the writing is excellent. From early on in the book you find yourself rooting for Zhang. A highly enjoyable read.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I loved the world building in A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON and the idea of tea magic! Although the tea competition wasn't my favorite aspect of the book, court politics and the mystery of the poison tea kept me turning page after page. I enjoyed rooting for Ning, who is determined to save her sister, and felt the high stakes of the story. This is a really lovely debut novel and I'm looking forward to reading more from Judy I. Lin.

This book is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Unique magic system and intriguing plot and I had a great time reading it! Can’t wait to pick up the sequel.

I struggled with finishing this one and ended up no being able to to do so at 30%. The cover was gorgeous though as was the lyrical writing. But it was the pacing and the characters that were a bit hard for me to continue.

Again, I hate myself for waiting so long to read this because WOW. What a powerhouse of a novel. But powerful in a quietly strong way, if that makes sense? It's not flashy or over-the-top, instead building a flowing narrative that captivates and builds as it progresses. The premise is intriguing and unique, and a great first in its duology.

Magic and tea and dynasties and intrigue, ancient practices and politics, mystery and light swoon. Enjoyed this one very much!

(And OMG! That cover is stunning!)