90% politics, 10% tea magic….and I loved it??

With entrancing, almost soothing writing and layers of political and personal complexity, A Magic Steeped in Poison was a delicious read that I devoured in one sitting.

Though definitely slower-paced, it was the lore, the art of tea-brewing, the class divide, and the INSANE, mouthwatering descriptions of food that really made this book shine. I don’t usually enjoy books that mainly focus on the politics of the world, but the author’s light hand made it delightfully digestible and the twists and turns of court intrigue had me on the edge of my seat!

I didn’t connect very well with the characters, but I *felt* for them — very deeply — which I think made the ending even more emotional.

Spectacular, beautiful, heartwrenching!

wowow SUCH a stunning fantasy novel

read this book for:
- inspo from chinese mythology and history
- asian culture
- intricate magic system
- BEAUTIFUL writing style
- magic competition
- plot twists & complex character dynamics
- swoon-worthy romance
- forbidden love
- lots of tea 🍵
- food descriptions that will (!!) make you hungry
- strong friendships
- the prettiest (!!!) cover ever

despite this being a fantasy novel and fantasy novels taking me ~1 week to read, i devoured the majority of the book within a day. the writing style is just so lyrical and beautiful, and the descriptions of food made me SO hungry lol

the plot reminds me a lot of spin the dawn by elizabeth lim. ning has the big heart, fiery spirit, and affinity for magic that maia has, and the book’s cutthroat magic competition was as engaging as the one in spin the dawn.

i feel so represented by this book and by ning. a magic steeped in poison is the kind of book i wish i had with me when i was younger, and i wish i had a main character i could see myself in like i do with ning

the romance in this book really intrigues me, mainly because kang as a character is so interesting to me and i just want more of everything. more of him, more of him & ning, all of it. i finished the book unsure about his true intentions/loyalties so i’m excited the sequel will include his POV

the characters in this book are all super strong and ning’s friends are all very lovable (lian i miss you). i wish i got more of their dynamics and backstories!

the character dynamics are very intricate, and the abundance of plot twists complicate that even more. i can’t wait to read more in the sequel

pick this book up rn 😻😻

thank you to macmillan for an e-ARC and final copy!

cw: death, violence, blood

A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I. Lin // 4/5 stars

HIGHLIGHTS //
-The fast-paced plot line kept my attention, even during the transition scenes. It was easy to read and dive in!
-The competition plot was based on skills with tea rather than fighting/killing others, which is a fresh perspective on this trope.
-Ning’s uncertainty of who she should trust as major plot points unfold kept me on my toes! I love how the author set up Ning’s relationships with other main characters.
-Lots of detailed worldbuilding made it easy to get immersed into the setting. I loved reading the ins and outs of the lore, history, and political ties.
-The ending was SO well-written! The climax was better than I had imagined it would be. My mind is still reeling! The cliffhanger caught me off guard in the best way. I can’t wait to read what happens in the sequel!

LOWLIGHTS //
-The competition plot did not seem well introduced. I wish there had been more set up and tension leading to her leaving for the competition.
-The romance subplot seemed to happen very fast and did not make a lot of sense to me personally.
-At the beginning, the plot seemed to just happen to Ning, rather than her making choices to advance the plot. However this improved a lot for me in the second half of the book!
-I wish there was a map!

OVERALL //
I really enjoyed A Magic Steeped In Poison! It is unique and unlike other fantasy novels I’ve read recently. It has a fresh take on the royal competition plot line, and the complex relationships made this such an interesting read. Lin’s prose is very descriptive and easy to read, which made this very enjoyable for me. I would definitely recommend AMSIP to fans of YA fantasy!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with a free e-book ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This is my first ARC and I am very excited to be providing my feedback!

Okay this was an honest 4/5 for me, at point I had no idea where the story was going but in the end it was really enjoyable. Around the 50% mark in the book it got a bit boring and dull but then around 75 things picked right back up and I feel like we truly found a plot that made sense, spoke to the characters and engaged the readers. I loved learning about the healing medicines mentioned as well as the dishes heavily described in this book. It is truly a treat for your senses and I feel like we definitely deserve some type of spin off cook book. I loved a bunch of dynamics in this book. First The sisterly bond, the bond between parents and children and also the struggle of staying somewhere stagnant vs taking risks and growing through challenges. I honestly cant wait for the next novel.
Notes to add: I felt like the beginning half of the book kinda struggled getting the footing/ figuring out the exact plot. Pacing was very good though there weren’t any weird time jumps

Tea is my favorite way to start my day, so I was especially excited to read a fantasy novel focused on tea. The first thing about A Magic Steeped in Poison was Judy I. Lin's writing. It's beautiful, magical, and incredibly joyful. Every moment, even those where not too much is happening, is described perfectly and brings your attention to details one may not normally have picked up on. The writing style additionally lends itself perfectly to the detailed, yet clear, world building. I found myself able to understand most of the lore and fantasy of the world within the first 50 or so pages, which is hard to find in fantasy novels with such intense magic systems.

Regarding the characters, I thought each of the characters were properly developed, with a great amount of growth, but leaving enough room for more during the sequel. Ning was truly incredible to read. I think the most interesting part about her character was her interactions with others such as the princess and Kang. Ning really grows not just due to circumstances, but due to her relationships with others.

Overall I thought the writing was the star of the novel, but also adored the world building and characters.

I quite enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison, especially as the story got moving. I will admit, it was a bit of a slow start for me, but as soon as I got invested, I really enjoyed it! I fully admit to knowing less than nothing about tea. If you came to my house, I could not make you tea, except in my Keurig. I am fairly useless as a person. But I was definitely interested in how tea like... did stuff in this world! I mean, if I could find some tea that could change the world, I'd totally figure out how to brew it or whatever.

Anyway. Ning has made an oopsie and maaaybe poisoned her mother and her sister. The former is dead, the latter lingers near death. And Ning is bound and determined to save her sister's life. So she jumps at the chance to enter a teamaker competition, even though that didn't go so well the last time she tried her hand. This is where things really got interesting for me.

We've got all kinds of court politics at play here, some of which went a little over my head, but I got the gist of, at least. Ning isn't just in a competition, the stakes are clearly much higher, and there is basically not a chance that this competition will be completed in a fair manner. So Ning finds herself in an even more precarious position, because her sister's still poisoned, and now Ning is in the lion's den, so to speak.

I loved getting to know all the people Ning met along the way, and am so excited to see what happens next in this series! Ning is a very likable character, and I cannot wait to see how her story unfolds! Also, that cover is quite literally to die for.

Bottom Line: An exciting start to the duology, I cannot wait to see what is in store for Ning next!

I am in awe that this beautiful story is this authors debut. The tension slowly but steadily mounted with each chapter, making it hard to put the book down. I found myself truly enchanted with how seamlessly and beautifully magic was woven within this story, making each page feel like it has been sprinkled with something magical and awe-inspiring. The last thirty percent of this book truly pained me in the best way possible. So much tension came together. I was heartbroken, scared, exhilarated, hopeful, yet hopeless. Holy moly, the feelings I experienced so rapidly had my head spinning! Each character in this book was unique, they each had something they were hiding that gave them a sense of intrigue and mystery. I am so impressed how much I cared and loved for so many of these characters, not just our main protagonist. The author gives each character a strong personality without over explaining or creating anyone that felt stereotypical. I am simply in love with this story, I cannot say enough good things. The ending seriously set up for the next book and I am undeniably excited to read it.

While I enjoyed this book, I found it a bit slow for my liking. It has your typical YA fantasy tropes (but when has that ever stopped any of us, they're popular for a reason) and I loved the magic system within the book. I definitely want to give it another try once the audiobook is out because I loved the premise so much!

Spoiler free review! I enjoyed this book so much I just had to buy the physical copy to keep on my shelf. It was so good and whimsical with a side of mystery. Contains the perfect amount of intrigue, romance, heartache and excitement to keep you turning the pages until the very end! I can’t wait for book 2!

This story follows Ning competing in a competition to become the greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. The writing is very beautiful and descriptive which did take me out of the story at times but also made the story more enjoyable. I think reading this book on a deadline was a disadvantage, as I would have loved to have more time to dedicate to appreciate the intricacies of the story telling. But even reading it quickly I think it's a beautiful story that I look forward to reading more thoroughly sooner than later.

“I used to look at my hands with pride. Now, all I can think is, These are the hands that buried my mother.”

Overview—A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a novel that introduces a world filled with tea-based magic, intriguing court politics, a magical competition, a string of murders, and Ning, the seventeen-year-old girl tied up with them all. This book literally has it all. I mean, between the plot (a magical tea-brewing competition plus a strong (murder) mystery aspect, I mean, sign me up!), the worldbuilding (the world is mesmerizing and so atmospheric, it felt like I was there), the (complex and dynamic) characters, the magic (magic tied to tea making, such a unique concept in and of itself), and not to mention that stunning cover, I enjoyed every minute of this book.

The Plot— The entire story kept me thoroughly engaged, especially the entire tea-brewing competition, complete with unique tasks and backstabbing competitors, working alongside Ning and the other characters in trying to figure out who was behind the tea brick poisonings and deadly attacks on the court, and witnessing the lengths to which Ning would go to save her sister from the poison that has already taken her mother.

The Worldbuilding, the Writing & the Pacing— The writing style was beautiful and so atmospheric, which I think paired nicely with the world that Lin has crafted; between the various descriptions and the sense of immersion created through including vivid details related to the five senses (namely sight, smell, and taste), it truly felt as though you as the reader were exploring and experiencing the world alongside Ning. My only (slight) complaint when it comes to the writing would have to be the pacing; although the story is quite engaging, the pacing was a bit too slow for my taste (up until the end), although I still enjoyed the story either way.

The Magic— The entire magic system within this story was so unique! I mean, magic related to the art of tea-brewing? Totally unlike anything that I have ever read before! I enjoyed learning about the history and mythology behind the entire process and witnessing Ning and the other shénnóng-shī at work. I likewise loved learning about the various types of “powers” that the different types of tea and tea combinations produced and the sort of connections between people that were a result of sharing tea.

The Characters— The characters themselves were so complex, dynamic, and multi-layered and it was fun getting to know them over the course of the novel, although our protagonist, Ning, was definitely my favorite character. I absolutely loved Ning’s character, between her loyalty and dedication to her family, her bravery and ingenuity in relation to the competition as well as her situation in general, and her unflinching ability to question authority and the world around her. I especially enjoyed the various relationships that Ning possessed over the course of the novel, namely with her sister, Shu, and her fellow competitor, Lian. The one thing that I will say is that I was not a huge fan of the romance between her and Kang, it was a bit too insta-lovey for me and I wish that we got to see them interact a bit more in general before this romance was developed.

The Mystery— The mystery itself was one of my favorite aspects of the novel; between the tea brick poisonings, the various attacks on the court (namely the princess), and the motivations of the various characters, there were a wide variety of mysteries to unravel and I greatly enjoyed working alongside Ning in trying to figure out who was behind the murders and attacks. Likewise, I enjoyed how the various twists and turns kept you guessing and that the motivations and loyalty of the characters were not black-and-white in the slightest and that you do not know until the end (and even not concretely) as to who can be trusted.

Conclusion— Overall, A Magic Steeped in Poison is an amazing debut and I cannot wait to read the sequel (which comes out in five(!) months) because that ending!

Ning is running out of time. She makes her way to the capital to enter a competition in the hopes of finding an antidote to the poison killing her sister, the same poison that killed her mom. Her goal is to win the magical tea making competition and become the royal tea maker, or shennong-shi. Hanging over the competition is the threat of conflict from a banished general.

Oh my gosh. What a magical story. It's not for someone looking for something fast paced. Rather, it takes it's time letting the story unfurl, letting the reader connect to the characters, and build the world in a way that gives so much information but doesn't overwhelm. Reading this gave me ASMR vibes. The characters are strong and easy to distinguish, making you care about their journey and choices, especially when the competition is over and Ning is forced into situations she never expected.

Magical story that has me waiting impatiently for the second!

I loved A Magic Steeped in Poison. I'm always hesitant when it comes to fantasy, but this really worked for me. This is because of the uncomplicated yet compelling world, the likable, sometimes morally gray characters, and Judy I. Lin's lovely writing style. It just works in so many ways, and I hope its the next big YA fantasy hit.

This book isn't super action-packed and the romance (although the romance is great) isn't at the center. Instead we learn about the magical properties of tea in this world, and become embroiled in some intense court politics. I'm the type of that prefers court politics to dragons and battles and stuff like that, so this really worked for me. That being said, I think it will work for all fantasy readers. Its fast-paced, there's a competition element and some great friendships. I loved the rag tag group we followed at the end of this book. I particularly liked the friendship between our main character and Lian, and the sibling relationship. Both were easily the driving force of this story for me. But the magic system is so cool and unique and can not be ignored. Like I keep saying, everything in this works.

I will be encouraging all fantasy lovers I know to read this. Its just kind of perfect and has it all -magic, queer rep, and so many likable characters. Read this ASAP.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

I was attracted by the cover of this one but the story definitely deliveres as well.

Competition,tea-based magic, murder mystery - what more can I ask for.

If you enjoyed Descendant of the Crane and Spin the Dawn, then you'll surely have a blast reading this one.

Can't wait for the sequel!

~4.5/5~
A Magic Steeped in Poison was beautifully written and I loved the tea magic which really helps this stand out from other fantasy books and captured my attention as I moved through the story and I loved how the side characters impacted Ning such as her relationship with Lien throughout the story.
I haven’t been big on fantasy lately but this really helped me get back in the mood and I’m excited for the next book! Which thankfully won’t be a long wait before it hits the shelves.

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life. 

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this arc! Can’t wait to receive my copy in the mail!

A great book, especially as a first book. There is so much to talk about and love in this book. The way Judy weaves in so many sayings that actually feel natural to say and hear is great.

CAWPILE SCORE
C-7
A-8
W-8
P-7
I-10
L-8
E-9
TOTAL-8.14/10

<spoiler>
CAWPILE
<b>Characters.</b>
Ning is a great character. We really get into her head and the reasons she has for doing things. Any character who might have initially felt one-sided was shown to have other sides to them. I really felt like her characters all acted appropriate to their ages. No teenagers acting like adults and vice versa.

<b>Atmosphere</b>
The world that Judy I. Lin has created is beautiful and scenic, even if there aren’t many scenes outside the palace, the use of all 5 senses creates a great scene that you can truly feel. Her incredible use of Scent and Taste were spectacular

<b>Writing</b>
Writing was good, occasional small things I could nit-pick, but nothing so bad it took me out of the story. Her chapters end well, and at a good length. The writing flowed well. I liked that we get told Ning was trouble to her family when growing up and then later its shown to us one instance.

<b>Plot</b>
The Plot has some YA tropes to it, but done different enough that they worked well for it. I enjoyed the directions the plot took, and while I knew some things that would happen(tropes) I was still very excited to actually read it and am still excited to see where it is going.

<b>Investment</b>
The first chapter was great and very engaging, it gives us everything we need to know to get started, but after they start the Trials everything gets so much better.

<b>Logic</b>
Most everything follows the logic that is set forth earlier in the book. I dislike and like when teenagers switch so quickly on romance/hate, but that really is how some teenagers are.

<b>Enjoyment</b>
I loved this book. I loved the Magic and Tea. I Loved all the lore that is presented to us, never felt info dumpy. I loved so much about this book and I am super excited for the next one.

MISC awesome parts and thoughts
“Grief has a taste, Bitter and lingering, but so soft it sometimes disguises itself as sweetness” What an amazing line. Beautiful.
Love all the sayings throughout the book.
One thing I dislike in tournaments is when one test is super unrelated to the tournament. Aka find this random thing do this thing that doesn’t actually relate to what your testing on. That’s what I thought was going to happen, but then it didn’t and it worked so well. Lily Scene
How the magic is different for all the shennong-tu.
During the first test. Dragon shakes off the morning dew after sleeping, Dragon encircles his royal residence. I live for this kind of stuff. So amazing
Stupid Judge who interrupts her first test. Is he the stupidest man alive, yes and yes, does he deserve to be thrown in a pit forever, because he couldn’t be patient for 5 more minutes yes.
It was a bit fast how many contestants they eliminated.
The sister transcribing her antidote efforts into stitching and her coming home and saving her sister. Just amazing

</spoiler>
I will be talking about it on Libromancy 05/02/2021 https://libromancy.podbean.com/

When it comes to reading books I am definitely more character driven then plot driven, so sadly I didn’t really connect with the characters in this book. That said the world, magic, and writing is beautifully done. Some thing else I really enjoyed in this book was the pacing ! There never seemed to be a slow or dull moment. There was always something happening that made me just want to keep reading. I am planning on continuing what this duology and reading the second book ( which has a STUNNING cover). I am really hoping that in the second book there is more character development so I can fall in love with the characters as well as the world.

Ning was the one who brewed the poison tea that killed her mother and left her sister ill. In order to save her sister's life, she decides to participate in the kingdom's tea-making competition to become the next royal shennong-shi (master of the ancient and magical art of tea-making) and ask a favor from the princess.

Blending magic and tea, everything in this novel has a deeper meaning - I was captivated by the tea ceremony in which Chinese poetry and thoughts incorporated added layer to the plot; the mention of gods followed by lush descriptions of food made me hungry while it was thrilling to read. Although I found the tactics interesting, I was personally less excited about the magical tea competition and more eager to know about the characters' story/past and their motivations. The flashbacks and the suspense around the mysterious boy and poisoned tea was delicious to read. Lin brings up the subjects of classism and power in an absorbing way. Finally, the pacing picks up towards the end, closing in a cliffhanger.

Full of betrayals, conspiracies, disputes and court politics, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON is a debut that I recommend and I am interested to see what happens next.

Title: A Magic Steeped in Poison
Author: Judy I. Lin
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

I really enjoyed this read! The culture and world were fascinating, and I loved all the sensory details that brought it to vivid life. The characters were believable, and I really loved Ning and the friendships she formed—and the intrigues she landed in. I can’t wait to read the second book in the duology!

Judy I. Lin grew up in Canada. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/256.)

4.5 stars

Honestly, what an incredible story with an immensely wonderful system of magic tea, and an array of soulful descriptions that make you want to be there because it just feels nostalgic and warm.

Something that really struck me about this book is the way it focused on Ning finding herself throughout the novel. She’s fighting for her family , but she’s also fighting for herself to be recognized and not naïve like any other small town girl coming to the court. Sure she also still falls into that trap but she’s so much more and you find that as she learns more about her skills with tea.. Another thing I enjoyed was the reality of her situation. Holy shit this girl has big fucking balls. In most YA books the female protagonist is very clever in getting their way. Whether it's by charming the pants off their mark or just doing devious things. Well, let me just say that Ning is fearless. I’ve read a lot of books, but it's rare when I'm reading about a protagonist and I'm caught off guard by their sheer bluntness ,and Ning is brilliant, she's calculated but not ever truly ruled by fear. Like holy shit what a woman. A lot of times I wish I could be as clever and sly as other characters, but Ning makes me want to be blunt and ruthless. I would not want to be an enemy of Ning at any point in this book. Not because she’s a killer ,but because of how well she sees through people and isn’t afraid to ask the thing she’s thinking and she will use anything to her advantage( like saying threatening to let a certain someone die unless the princess answers her very pointed questions). I also wanted to say that I loved the female friendship between Ning and Lian —- it's very much a true friendship not a I'm a girl your a girl instant lets be friends. They work through their status differences and recognize that they can be friends because they might need each other, but also that they value friendship and genuinely each other. They also have moments of weakness in their relationship but they move past it and help each other.

I can’t wait to see what comes next !