*Disclaimer: I have received a free digital copy of this title and it will not affect my thoughts of feelings towards it*
Where do I even start with this book? This book was hands down one of my top reads of 2022 so far and has me very impatiently waiting for the sequel! This book delivers on amazing worldbuilding and really diving deep into the magic system created, which was a blast to explore and adventure in. Ning was a amazing character to follow and watch her face the challenges that were thrown in her way and watching her put the pieces of the puzzle together. The rest of the cast of characters were excellent and never felt like a bore or a waste of time chatting with them or spending time with the them. I thought the tea trials were a fun time and loved all the riddles or clues involved with them. The plot twists in this book are done very well and felt like there was seeds planted earlier giving you a chance to find out before Ning. The pacing in this book felt amazing, it never felt like it was dragging or just rushing to get to the next part in the story. Overall its a 5/5 for me and I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a magical story.

If the gorgeous cover didn't have me at first look the description of a magic tea making competition definitely sold me!! I love tea and always have loved the ritual of making tea, this book describes the art of tea making so beautifully. Honestly the description and writing throughout the book was beautifully done. The way food was describe in this book has to be mentioned! I've read one other book in my life time that so alluringly describes food. As someone else has said this book truly is a feast for all the senses. The pace was good I never got bored of what was happening. The direction it took near the end was not the way I thought it would go. Truly loved this book and highly recommend it! As is the curse with all ARCS (especially good ones) I now have to not only wait for this book to come out to get my hands on it and its gorgeous cover but also have a long wait for the second book which already also has a gorgeous cover! At least for this one the second book is out in August of this year!! So it's not to long to impatiently wait!!

Ning's guilt is eating her alive. With her mother dead and her sister slowly dying, Ning berates herself for brewing the cup of tea that poisoned them both. Desperate to save her sister, she risks leaving home and travels to the imperial city to compete in a competition to become the palace shennong-shi, a master of the magical art of tea-making. Not only would winning grant her a luxurious life among the court, but the princess will owe her a favor; the last chance Ning has to save her sister's life.

However, despite having to undergo a tight competition full of less-than-honorable competitors, Ning also finds herself in the middle of a plot to overthrow the emperor. With no one she can trust and danger converging from all sides, Ning must now fight not only for her sister's life but for her own.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this one, and this comes from someone who LOVES tea and could read about it being brewed in lengthy prose for pages and pages. I just didn't love Ning and the pacing of the book felt SO slow. There was a lot of build-up in this book that just kind of...ended on the last page. I know book two comes out in August, which is great, but I'm not wildly eager for it; I have no emotional attachments to any of the characters.

I don't think this is a bad book by any means, but I found it disappointingly boring.

Ever since the gorgeous, gorgeous cover of this book was revealed, I’ve been so excited for it! The premise seemed interesting, particularly the magic. A Magic Steeped in Poison was an enchanting fantasy about a magical tea-making competition and a deadly, mysterious plot.

After mistakenly pouring her mother and sister a poisoned cup of tea, Ning will do anything to heal her sister, deciding to enter a competition to find the next royal court shennong-shi. When she arrives at the capital, she runs into a mysterious boy—who turns out to be Kang, the adopted son of the Banished Prince. Ning must fight for her place in the competition while also navigating her relationship with Kang and the princess who wants her to keep an eye on him.

I liked the writing; it was easy to fall into this world and Ning’s head. The worldbuilding was also really interesting! We learn a lot about the magic of the shennong-shi, combined with Ning’s medical knowledge from shadowing her doctor father. I liked reading about the balances of this magic.

The characters were great. Ning is very family-oriented, doing her best in the competition so that she has a chance to save her sister from the same poison that killed their mother. She becomes embroiled in the mystery behind Kang, whose true motives no one knows. The princess also proved to be an intriguing character; I’m excited to see more of her in the sequel.

The pacing of this book did feel a bit off. It is very obviously the exposition to a larger conflict, and you could see what was going to happen very early on. I do think the sequel will be better, now that we’ve established more of the world and the plot, but it made this book a bit boring to me.

A Magic Steeped in Poison was a lyrical story about the lengths we’d go to for family. I liked the characters and the worldbuilding. The sequel will be out later this year too, so you won’t have to wait long for the ending of this duology after you pick up this story!

This book was phenomenal! I love the magic system in this book. The deception that was happening had me wondering (still does! Where is book two?) who is on what side! The world building was great. I wanted book two the second I finished it and can’t wait to see more!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 period. As a major fan of tea - I drink about a pot of tea a day minimum - I had to read this one. But what I was not expecting was the sheer level of political betrayals and conspiracies. There's a detailed and gorgeous magic system which is combined with a dangerous competition. Plus the amount of hurdles Ning has to jump over as a girl without a family name is staggering. Talk about some people who are going to have A LOT to learn.

A Magic Steeped in Poison begins with the magic of a cup of tea. Of brewing not only a comforting concoction, but also the way it is used. How a cup of tea can be an apology, a challenge, and a weapon. The tea and magic is seamlessly interwoven in this story that begins with action. Ning is immersed in a viper's nest of people who never quite say what they mean. Who can she trust? Can she rise to the challenge, to this world of politics and double crossed promises?

Absolutely loved this book, it’s got this unique magic system revolving around tea that I’ve never seen before. It’s got this deep political history that reveals big challenges for both the MC and the kingdom. I love the MC and I love the slowburn between her and the suspected love interest- not to mention the betrayals! The lying! The plottwists! I kept gasping bec I did NOT see them coming. It’s extremely face paced and right to the point with very eye catching scenes.

The only issue I had with this is it was very hard to focus. I couldn’t read more than 3 chapters without my mind wandering- and while that’s probably more a personal issue that the book it did effect my rating.

A Magic Steeped In Poison is different than anything I've read before. It has elements of suspense, mystery, and mythology. Ning has the burden of her mother's death on her hands and also her sister's life. If her sister doesn't make it, not only is that also her fault but she could have prevented it by winning a competition that her mother could have easily have won. But in order to win she must face many obstacles that she never could have imagined.

This book had an amazing, creative premise. The idea of a tea-based magic was unlike anything I had come across before, and I appreciated the cultural representation. The food descriptions were also wonderful. This book has a gripping plot, compelling main character, strong female friendship, a mysterious love interest, and scandalous court intrigue. I thought the book ended abruptly, but it was a good cliffhanger and I am definitely excited to see where the sequel picks up.

Zhang Ning isn't an apprentice to her mother, although she was meant to be. After she switched apprenticeships with her sister (Shu), Ning is the apprentice of her father, a physician, while Shu is a shennong-tu. Shennong-shis are people that can wield magic with tea. After Ning's mother dies and her sister grows sick due to poisoned tea, she takes her sister's place in the shennong-shi competition held in the palace for the chance that she will be able to save her sister from imminent death.

Firstly, I want to talk about the cover, which could possibly be the most gorgeous book cover I've ever seen. It does its job the way it should, drawing readers to pick up the book. I requested to review this book even though I knew nothing about it, solely because of the cover! And thankfully, the book did not disappoint.

I would like to say this book was interesting from start to finish, but frankly, that would be a lie. There were quite a few slow spots throughout the middle which is the reason it took me almost a month to finish. The beginning had good pacing, but you get to the actual competition and it feels like almost nothing is happening. Then, once you get closer to the 75% mark it speeds back up. If it weren't for these pacing issues I would've given it 5 stars.

Overall though, this book was fantastic. I am so glad that I took the time to read it! The story was beautiful and the cliffhanger has me wanting desperately for more. I will definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a stunning YA fantasy! I loved how intricate and magical this story was, even when the entire magic system and lore revolved around tea. Tea is such a significant part of Asian cultures, and I loved all the different teas mentioned and the detailed process of being a shénnóng-shī. The trope in YA fantasy of the MC embarking on a competition in a castle to prove herself as a certain magical or prominent being in the fantasy world and then discovering a secret political plot within the castle walls is not new, but Judy I. Lin still made it her own. I have so many questions at the end of the novel, and after reading the cliffhanger at the end of the book, I'm so glad that the sequel is releasing this year as well. I definitely recommend this novel for YA fantasy fans, especially fans of non-western YA fantasies!

When this book was announced, the author had me at magical tea competition. This book not only has a unique and awesome magic system, it has court intrigue, political games, twisting loyalties, daring fights, a richly described world, and a twist you won't see coming. It has it all. I could not put this one down. When my Kindle died, I plugged it in and didn't even wait for it to be fully charged before going back to read more. The competition and intrigue kept me on the edge of my seat.

Ning is a shennong-tu (apprentice) that has not completed her training. She was meant to be her mother's apprentice, but since her sister can't stand the sight of blood, the two switched places. Ning therefore knows medicines as well as teas. Both of which come in handy during the competition. She feels responsible for not reading the signs in the steam of the poisoned tea and wants vengeance on whoever is responsible for poisoning and distributing the tea. As the novel progresses it becomes clear that she is quite powerful, perhaps the most powerful shennong-shi in ages. Her destiny is intertwined with that of the princess, but the two young women will have to learn to work together instead of working separately.

Kang/Bo is the young man Ning meets in the market. He is revealed to be a member of the royal family that grew up in exile. He claims to have innocent intentions at the palace, only wanting to convince Princess Zhen to help his people. He claims not to know of any plot his disgraced father might be involved in. Ning wants to trust him, but never knows if she can. Her attraction to him is at odds with her desire to find out who is behind the poisoned tea as his father is the most likely culprit. If so, how could he not know?

Other characters are Lian, the daughter of an ambassador to a poor region who befriends Ning and is her roommate. Lian spent time in the palace as a child and knows Kang and the Princess, as well as knew their grandmother the Dowager Empress. For a time, I wasn't sure she would remain loyal. I kept waiting for it to be revealed her family was involved, but I'm gad to say they aren't.

Princess Zhen and her handmaiden/bodyguard Ruyi are the other prominent secondary characters. Ning at first thinks Zhen and Ruyi are involved in the poisonings, but realizes they two are victims of the court's backstabbing. Zhen is determined to find out who in her court is undermining her rule and is out to hurt her people. She is in a saphic relationship with Ruyi and the two are completely loyal to one another.

he story end with a twist I did not see coming. I thought I'd worked out which court officials were involved in the poisonings and thus the assassination attempts on Zhen, but boy was a wrong! Goes to show you appearances can be deceiving! I fell for every red hearing that Ning fell for and like her didn't go "oh shit" until it was too late. So I applaud the author that I wasn't able to work it out.

Five Lightsabers to this Chinese inspired fantasy novel. I can't wait for the second one since this ended on a cliff hanger.

The plot didn't quite live up to the glorious cover, for me, but what could? It was a very enjoyable fantasy novel, though the stakes are so high and fraught. I'll certainly read the sequel/conclusion when it's released, and hype it as much as possible at the store I work in.

when i tell you this is my new favorite book!! i need the second one right now and cannot wait to recommend this book to absolutely everyone

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lin creates a world filled to the brim with magic and mystery. Each chapter is like another sip of tea brewed for you by someone else. You get subtle hints throughout the plot, only leading to another sip to try to figure out what this story is truly made of. Ning is a wonderful, strong main character that is a delight to follow through the twists and turns of the Empire’s competition. The side characters hold their own, mixing in humor and hints of found family. The strong connection to Chinese culture welcomes the reader, describing in great detail delicious foods and important traditions. I absolutely cannot believe this is Lin’s debut novel. Her writing is mature and beautiful, leading to many highlights from me as I read in amazement of her talent. I am distraught that I must wait until August 2022 for the second book of the series, but will not-so-patiently wait for, what I know will be, one of my other favorite books of the year. A Magic Steeped in Poison is easily one of my top five of 2022 and I have no doubt it will stay that way forever.

First of all, I would like to thank MacMillan for providing a complementary copy of this book via NetGalley as part of YALLFest Digital Galley Sweepstakes. This novel really exceeded my expectations. Although I was intrigued by the premise, I really didn't know what to expect. Ning, the protagonist, is easily relatable and I sympathized with her situation. She is dealing with the poisoning of her sister and mother, the latter of which resulted in her passing and Ning blames herself for it. She carries this guilt throughout the book and we see how this shapes her decision making process throughout the story. At the center of the story is a contest to become the kingdom's shennong -shi. This is a top honor in the art of magical tea making. It also comes with a reward of a favor from the princess--which motivates Ning to join the contest. The structure of the contest really helps move the plot along and each level of competition is beautifully depicted, with challenges that test the contestants' skills as well as morality. Along the way, Ning's relationships with those around her are challenged as she must question who she can trust. There is also a subplot of political dealings that have consequences in the contest as well as outside it. The ending sets up a sequel and I am more than ready for it.

Ning is desperate to save her sister from dying from the same poison that killed her mother. She travels to the capital city to compete in a competition that, if she wins, may provide her with a means to find an antidote for the poison. Taking knowledge she has gained in the art of tea magic from her mother, she uncovers many dangers lurking in the palace. With magic, deceit, a love interest and lots of Chinese mythology, this is a great read and will leave you waiting for the final book of this duology. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Book of Tea series; this is going to be a duology. I got an eGalley of this book through Netgalley to review.

Thoughts: This was a well done historical fantasy. It is about a young woman named Ning who journeys to the capital to compete to be the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi (magical tea master). She journeys there both to save her sister (who is dying of poison) and to try to solve the mystery of the Shadow who delivered poison tea to her family resulting in her mother’s death and her sister’s sickness. However, Ning ends up accidentally drawn into the politics of the realm.

This is a very well done historical fantasy. I love the lush settings and intriguing tea magic. The characters were decent but the side characters could have had more depth and background. The romance between our Ning and the mysterious guy she meets in town, wasn’t great and felt a bit sudden to me.

This was a five star read for me up until the last part. The final challenge the competitors went through confused me, it seemed to depend way too much on the Prince and what he could do rather than the competitors’ skills. I do understand why it was set up this way but it seemed very contrived and this aspect of the competition had huge consequences which then also felt forced. In short, I wasn’t a fan of how it ended.

The writing flows well enough and the settings are well described. The first part of the plot was well done. This book did take itself a bit too seriously for me, there is no humor at all which makes the characters feel stiff.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this but didn’t love it. The world-building is solid and I really enjoyed the tea magic and having a competition that revolved around it. The main characters were okay but side characters lacked depth. The writing flowed well and was easy to read, but events later in the book didn’t make a lot of sense and felt forced. I am unsure right now if I will read the second book in this duology. I would recommend this if you like serious historical fantasies and magical tea sounds good to you.

Amazing book. I loved the descriptions of food! I also felt that the main character was relatable because she was willing to go to such an extent for her family.