A Magic Steeped in Poison
by Judy I. Lin
A Review by Jamilla @LandsAwayBooks on Wordpress.

I was provided with an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had an inkling, when I first heard about this book that I would like it!

Tea magic? To make you stronger, braver? To heal you? To manipulate you?

A mother lost? A sister in danger?

Old gods?

An Empire in the beginnings of great turmoil ?

But to like it as much as I do?!?! That was unexpected!

This is a stunning debut by author Judy I Lin!

The Setting?

Exciting! With lush descriptions of the palace, I could see it before me it’s all of it immaculate splendor! The descriptions of the food! I am a sucker for these! It all felt so warm and familiar and I was starvingggg and sad not to find those juicy pork and chive dumplings waiting for me on my table.

The Plot?
Excellent!

What I thought was a simple quest to find an antidote to the poison that killed her mother and wrecked her sister’s body turned out to be majorly complicated!

Will she save her sister? And not only that, will her path to save her sister lead down a road she can’t return from? What the heck is going on in this empire?

The Characters?

The MC brave, talented, trusting. And her timidness and uncertainty in the beginning slowly vanishes as she makes more decisions for herself and takes risks!

The others? Motives? Uncertain. But compelling all the same!

We have an exiled prince, the son of a warmongering, greedy, betrayer who lusted after his brother’s empire. But is the prince like that? Where do his allegiances lie? With whom? The country girl he took out to tea and meets with in secret? The princess he knew as a child? Or with his father? A mysterious villain?

I just have to say that y’all not ready for this one!!! It’s so good! I can see the vision Judy Lin was going for now and I am very excited for book 2!

Unfortunately, I DNF'd the ebook at 10%. This was one of my anticipated releases of the year, and I truly want to love it. I expected there to be a lot of Chinese/Japanese culture within these pages, what I was not expecting was for it to also be heavily steeped (yep, tea jokes) in Chinese/Japanese mythology as well. I found myself slogging along in the book and thinking it was a chore even though I wanted to love it, and the potential for me to love it was there.
I would like to revisit this book at some point as an audiobook, though!

I'm speechless. Everything about this book is just perfection. The cover alone is enough reason to read it, but it's full of lyrical prose, stunning magic, and a plot that's unlike anything I've ever read. While it may be geared more towards a YA audience, I didn't lose anything by reading it as an adult. The premise of tea-making being arcane really wowed me and the processes of its brewing were described in such a delicate way. Adding in the contest to become the new shennong-shi and allllll of the political intrigue? I'm sold. The way that Judy I. Lin writes about everything from tea to swordplay is truly magical and I can't wait to read the finale to this duology. I can't wait to read it over and over again.

*Thank you to B2W Tours, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

An interesting fantasy steeped in tradition, family, and tea. I couldn't get very far into the book, but what I was able to read was stunning.

A terrible poison is spreading throughout the kingdom. Unknowingly, Ning has brewed the tea that poisoned her mother and sister. After her mother's death, nothing means more to Ning than saving her younger sister's life. With hopes of obtaining help from the kingdom, Ning enters a competition to become Princess Zhen's Shennong shi, a master of tea. She travels to the Imperial City and meets Kang, a handsome boy who is the adoptive son of the Banished Prince. His father was exiled because of his plot against the Emperor, and now Ning has to figure out if he is a part of this evil plan to overthrow the Empire.

I loved Ning's story and her perseverance through everything thrown at her. So many characters tried to push her down, but she continued to get back up and rise stronger. The characters in this book are so dynamic and fun to learn about. I loved every single one of them and cannot wait to see more of their character development in the sequel! I loved the incorporation of Chinese mythology and the fantastical elements added. Through romance, action, and court politics, this novel will leave you craving for more. I'm obsessed with Ning, Kang, Zhen, and Ruyi, and cannot wait for A Venom Dark and Sweet to release!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an eARC of A Magic Steeped in Poison!

OH MY GOD!! What a ride...my mind is reeling. I can't even process what I feel like I've just witnessed. I had a feeling this story was going to be good and I'm so glad I wasn't wrong.

I was sent an e-ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Please don't doubt this is honest; I swear this is the best book I have read in a long time. The beginning is like a cup of hot tea, gentle and slightly sweet, but there is the bite of heat there. About mid-way, that tea starts to become bitter, each sip giving that taste more and more power. The last 20% I felt like my whole body was thrumming with caffeine. I just could not read any faster if I tried.

Ning was such a great character. She was innocent and naive at the beginning, but still rash and brave. I loved her nerve. She sets off to the palace in order to find a cure for her sister. She possesses a great gift in tea magics and, while she doubts herself in the beginning, she starts to find her confidence in the competition. As the story grows intense, we see her world begin to fall apart and she just keeps going. When I started to wonder if she would give up, she finds some remaining strength or knowledge that propels her forward.

The language and style is perfection. I love the descriptions and the atmosphere. The world that is created is one I want to see more from. The magic is fascinating and I loved learning more about how it works and how each practitioner differs.

I will say, about 75% of the way in, I was on the fence whether I was going to hate the ending or not. I will say, I am not convinced, but, like Ning, I have to see it through. I have to know what happens. Still, I'm so thankful to have been able to read this ahead of release and so glad I already ordered a special edition of the physical book. I need the sequel now! The ending is a semi-cliffhanger...

How will Ning fare after her final act in the first book? How will the princess and her bodyguard escape and hide? Is Kang involved or not?! These are questions I need answered.

Loved this! The story was well crafted and focused, I loved the relationships between the characters and all the descriptions of plants and foods. And the magic through tea is such a cool concept!

Right off the bat, this cover had me hooked -- and the title sealed the deal! Gorgeous colors, tea rituals, magic, and poison?! Gimme! And friends, I was not disappointed. A Magic Steeped in Poison was a tale of self discovery and danger and the coolest tea magic I've heard of. The somewhat slow pace of this book felt appropriate and really allowed me to sink into the atmosphere of Ning's experience. Those moments of tea preparation were especially lovely. A chance to slow down, contemplate, and go through a ritual that can't be rushed; a ritual that culminates in magic and connection. It made the act of preparing tea for someone feel so intimate and special, and I just loved that. The intrigues and relationships and dangers and mysteries in this book were elegantly woven and by the end I could feel a very palpable sense of each character's situation. I appreciated the breadth of relationships Ning experiences, and those among the other characters as well. Every person felt so real and alive. By the end of it, my heart was aching to know what would become of everyone. And OMG pals, there's a bit of a cliffhanger. I am very glad that I only have to wait a few more months for the sequel!

This book has such incredible and atmospheric writing! I loved the fantasy, the politics, the world building and magical system, and the cast of characters were all perfection.

This book totally hooked me from the beginning. The magic and the world building is beautiful and vibrant. The history and magic of the tea is so creative and well done. I loved this world and seeing how the magic unfolded.

The plot was interesting and mostly held my attention. I would have preferred more of the competition and a little less on the court politics though. It felt like this book was trying to fit too much in and some of it got rushed. The competition was a great way to explore the bounds of the magic system and it seemed like an afterthought rather than the focus of the book. In the end, I did get more invested in the political piece of the story and do plan to continue to the next book but the middle was just a little rushed.

The characters were ok but this is definitely not a character-driven story. There's a lot of characters thrown in but most of them are not really explored beyond the surface. Ning was an ok main character but I never felt like I got to know her or saw much character growth. With a dew exceptions, everyone else is really just a name and they fill their piece of the plot but they don't have much depth.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one and it's atmosphere is amazing. If you're looking for a plot-driven story with a beautiful magical setting, give this one a try.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to review this arc copy.

Ning is a girl of both medicine and magic. She has studied under both her mother and father until tragedy strikes. Her mother and sister are victims of a poisonings that have been happening all around the country. When an invitation to the palace comes, she’s determined to find a cure for her sister.

I quite enjoyed this book. I’ve watched a few historical Chinese dramas so the palace scenes were not too confusing. There is t much graphic detail describing the outside or insides, which isn’t a bad thing. Only it’s hard to imagine the opulence of historical palace life without without a visual or more detail.

I loved the magic system. It fits with the time and place very well. I loved the use of tea and herbs as the catalyst for it.

I did get disturbed by the the scene with the animals. I understand that it’s a time period thing and part of the story, but it made me sad.

I did get confused a couple of times about what was happening during the action. Only I think that was me and not the book. I misread things a couple of times and had to go back to correct my interpretation.

Be warned there is a cliffhanger at the end of the book. Despite that, end is satisfying. Also, the underlying arc comes to the fore and waits for the second book.

All in all a very good read.

Than you again NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for such a great read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. I’ve been looking forward to this book for months, mostly because the cover is GORGEOUS!

This book is about a girl named Ning who goes to the Capitol for a tea making competition in order to find a cure for the poison her sister (and mother) ingested that’s also plaguing the country. The art of making tea is equated to magic in this book. These people are able to help with strength, see the future, etc. while in the competition she makes friends and enemies and gets caught up in court intrigue (despite the fact that she doesn’t really want to).

The Emperor is dead. The Banished Prince and his son have returned. Ning unintentionally makes friends with the son (Kang) who reveals himself later on. She tries to keep away from him but he keeps seeking her out and the Princess (soon to be Empress) asks for Ning’s help to discern what his intentions are. She is able to see glimpses of his past and ask him questions with a truth serum and he seems honest enough.

Meanwhile, forces are at work to get the women in the competition disqualified but Ning proves herself again and again. She is clearly the most talented of the bunch. When the last trial comes, the Princess announces she’s betrothed to Kang (even though Ning kind of likes him) and while she wins she gets disqualified by some mean minister.

Before she can escape she is set up for murder (that she didn’t commit) in a bid to kill her. But the Princess saves her knowing a coup is about to happen thanks to the Banished Prince and his son. They leave and Ning finds an antidote to the poisoned tea and while we don’t know exactly what the poison is yet (cliffhanger ending) we do know it’s not created by a tea master.

This book is VERY detailed about tea, the scenery, the action, etc. Our main character is bold and honest and gets caught up in everything. But I liked her and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book.

It starts off a bit slow, but gets really good once the tea contest starts.

We meet Ning, who has recently lost her mother, who has almost lost her father to grief, and who must now go to the Palace and pretend to be a shennong apprentice in order save her sister Shu from the poison. She enters the competition to become the palace's shennongxi in order to find the antidote to save her sister.
Things happen and she must figure out if she can trust Princess Zhen or the boy she met and fell for, Kang.

I cannot wait for the sequel. I'm glad this is a duology.

I was swept up in the story right away and didn't want the book to end, especially once I realized this was a not a stand alone book. I need the sequel now!

Beautifully written. I loved the main character so much. The bravery and focus on sisterhood was what made this book for me! Brilliant debut

Thank you so much to Feiwel & Friends and Macmillan for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A Magic Steeped in Poison has been one of my most anticipated 2022 debuts, and it ended up being the perfect Lunar New Year read. Judy I. Lin's debut is a feast for the senses, full of mouthwatering descriptions of food, Chinese mythology and C-drama vibes. I'm loving this new trend of Asian-inspired historical fantasies, and The Book of Tea is a great addition to the subgenre. It's magical and fun and imaginative. I seriously wanted to throw on a hanfu and sip some tea after reading it. (I also wanted to eat my weight in Chinese food after, but that's beside the point.)

✨The Magic ✨ There were so many things to like about A Magic Steeped in Poison. I have a soft spot for prickly heroines, and Ning, our self-proclaimed prickly protagonist, had my attention early on. Sure she's a little rough around the edges, but her no-nonsense, straightforward approach to life is refreshing, and the fact that she knows that she's different (but not in an "I'm not like other girls" way,) from everyone else just makes you want to hug her and ply her with tea. Or maybe just hug her while she plies you with tea.

The Song dynasty-inspired world is lovely backdrop for the story. Seriously, just give me a hanfu and let me live out my newfound dreams of starring in an Asian-inspired fantasy.

💀The Poison 💀 The overall story didn't come together as cohesively as it could have. One big example is the romance which was either super intense or completely ignored. I wouldn't mind the insta-love-y vibes if it had been developed more afterwards, but just as we were starting to make some progress, it turns into radio silence on the romance front. I wouldn't have such an issue with this if 1) the reason for the tension between Nina and her love interest didn't feel like a weak excuse for drama and 2) if it weren't immediately followed by an epiphany that seemed way too intense in comparison.

Overall, A Magic Steeped in Poison is a solid debut, and my biggest complaint about the book is the cliffhanger that has me counting down the days until Aug 23 😩

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I only have one coherent thought: GIVE ME THE SEQUEL!! This was absolutely fantastic and I will never get over it!

Oh. My. Heart. I am so under Judy Lin's spell. A Magic Steeped in Poison is everything I could have asked for and all the things I didn't even know I needed. The story follows Ning- a young shennong-shi who has suffered the tragedy of losing her mother and leaving her sister gravely ill after accidentally poisoning them with tea she prepared. Hearing of a competition in the capital for a new shennong-shi in the kingdom's castle she leaves her ill sister and father behind to go in search of a cure for the poison that changed her life so drastically. Knowing that she had only ever learned a little of the shennong way under her mother's tutelage she hope that it will be enough to take her to the top of the competition without her past being found out so she can ask a favor of the princess. Has the competition heats up the risks become greater, and it seems like there is no one to trust. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this. The magic contained within is larger than life. Hypnotic and intoxicating at times, but so are the relationships she builds within the castle. Then I reached chapter 42 and my heart dropped.
A Magic Steeped in Poison is lyrical and captivating, with the right amounts of romance and action. I absolutely love the character of Ning, a great strong female character who speaks her mind and stands up for what she believes in. I cannot say enough good things about it.
My only issue with this title is I have to wait until August 2022 for the continuation. TBH I don't think I can make it. Maybe with a nice cup of tea and some fresh ingredients Ning will lend me the powers to patient.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC of 'A Magic Steeped in Poison'

From the first pages of this book, I was hooked. The world Judy I. Lin created is absolutely beautiful, and deadly.
Despite knowing what to expect event wise for the story (based on the description) I still managed to be amazed with the turn of every page. The art of tea was so beautifully represented, with a magical twist.

I cannot wait to add this to my collection, and share it with my students.
I'm ready for the next book!

"Judy I. Lin's sweeping debut A Magic Steeped in Poison, first in a duology, is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

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

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."

It's like Tea Dragons meet a Cinder/Hunger Games mashup! YAS!