Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.

This was so good! I am loving all of the Asian folklore-inspired fantasy we've been getting lately and this is a worthy addition. While the story focuses on Ning and her participation in the shennong trials, it encompasses so much more too. There is palace intrigue, a mystery to solve around the tea poisonings, civil unrest, a potential coup/revolution, a mysterious love interest, finding friends, and danger lurking everywhere. Who can Ning trust, what is the motivation of everyone around her, will her naivete place her in peril that she cannot escape? There is a tension running through every page that keeps you going, needing to know what happens next and will Ning be safe and achieve her goals.
The magic system with the tea is so unique and interesting. I adored the descriptions of the tea-brewing and all of the food. What I couldn't get a good sense of though was the other magic in the world. There clearly was more magic than just the tea, but I definitely don't have an understanding of it or what it entails.
Lian was a great friend, and I loved their interactions with the palace staff. There was also a ton of tension with Kang; their scenes were both so sweet and laced with so much distrust at times. I'm so curious to see how that will play out. The last 15% of the book really goes crazy with the action and the danger! And OMG THE CLIFFHANGER!! Thank goodness the next book comes out this year because a long wait to see what happens would be torture!

4.5 stars

I really liked how the story basically jumps into the magical tea making competition at about 10% into the book. The reader gets the necessary background information and scene setting in a tight and entertaining package right at the start. The rest of the story has similarly quick pacing that was a plus for me, but might make this read as "very YA" to some.

The main character Ning feels like a real and complicated young adult. She feels guilty for the death of her mother and her sister's severe illness and doesn't feel like she can return home without a cure. The stakes for the competition are high, but they feel extra high for Ning because of her family situation. So when Ning realizes that she is at a greater disadvantage than she thought, due to the other contestants' gender and socioeconomic status, it hurts that much more.

I am not 100% sold on the feelings between Ning and her love interest, but I am interested in seeing how their relationship develops in the sequel. On the other hand, I was immediately hooked by the relationship between the princess and her love interest. I very much would like to see more of those two in the next book.

This is a SOLID 4 out of 5 stars for the first book in a new series. I can't wait to get my hands on A Venom Dark and Sweet.

When I tell you this book has every. single. thing. I look for in YA fantasy, I really mean it has everything:
✓ a strong female lead who would let the world burn for her family
✓ a heavy-handed dose of mythology
✓ a captivating will-they-won't-they romance (that doesn't remove our heroine's agency!!)
✓ a plot driven by court politics
✓ prominent sapphic rep(?!?!!!)

Here's what you need to know:

This is an enthralling, fast-paced book set in the kingdom of Dàxi. The political state of the kingdom is rapidly deteriorating: the emperor has been in hiding for weeks with a mysterious illness leaving his teenaged daughter, Princess Ying-Zhen, to act as regent, there has been a deadly rash of tea poisonings across the country sowing seeds of distrust among the common people, whispered stories of two mysterious figures, the Banished Prince and the Shadow, have inspired fear across the countryside...

“The astronomers all speak of change in the stars… It is a period of shifting alliances and fickle natures.”

Enter Ning. She is blunt and pragmatic and courageous.

“I am prickly and restless, more at home with plants than with people.”
(relatable tbh)

And, she is responsible for the recent death of her mother and serious ailment of her younger sister.

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

When given the chance to enter into the Princess Ying-Zhen's competition for a new court shénnóng-shi (an advisor and magician adept in tea magic), Ning jumps at the opportunity to secure the prize—a favor from the Princess herself. Procuring this favor will give her the chance to save her dying sister before there is more blood on her hands. But, entering this competition throws Ning into a world of politics and magic like she's never before encountered.

But here is what you really need to know:

This is the first book I've read in well over a year that made me audibly gasp. And laugh. And even snort once. The plot twists were truly twists. Every time that I thought I knew where things were going, Lin masterfully reminded me that she was the one holding the reins.

Ning is a truly loveable character, who might be the first protagonist I've read about with "chosen one"-level abilities that actually make sense to me. Every talent she has is an extension of deliberately developed character traits and skills. And her weaknesses? They are actual weaknesses. This is no over-powered Mary Sue. This is a smart and adaptable MC with hard-earned skills that translate well into the magical world.

The side characters are some of the best developed and most loveable I've ever encountered.
Spoiler
.

Perhaps my favorite part of this novel: the description is beyond reproach. Lin makes it easy to immerse yourself in the setting with her vivid but not over-wrought description. I highlighted at least ten instances of phenomenal nature and food description. Like, I will probably be referring to this book as the Miyazaki of YA fantasy.

<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/3b0081fa997fc9a941bdc1454c457951/b3c9e44eaeb622c4-4a/s500x750/0e7bca8a4b6daed33ca4de92c5f31488f1152d9c.gifv" alt="Lin biting into a Anpan steamed bun in Spirited Away"/>

Did you want to eat the steamed buns from Spirited Away as badly as I did when I was a kid? That's now how I feel about this book's sweet-and-sour fish and pink gao.

Thank you so, so much to Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am exceedingly grateful for this opportunity. This book has truly been added to my list of favorites of all time.

Words can't describe how this story steeped within me, all pun intended. I absolutely fell in love with Ning and her personality. Her determination and headstrong attitude made her an amazing protagonist as I followed her along her journey. With the way this story left off, it is a delight to know that the sequel comes out shortly after (but not soon enough!)

The writing in this book was even more stunning than the cover. The metaphors, the colorful imagery, the PLOT.

The characters were spell-binding and very well developed, their backgrounds and motivations absolutely riveting to read about.

Ning, was such an easy character to fall in love with and I found myself enamored with her point of view.
The romance was adorable, and easy to fall into and I was so satisfied with how sweet this entire book was. That ending though. I DESPERATELY need the next book NOW.

**Special thanks to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for the eARC** Wow. Just wow. Where do I begin? I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but dear heaven… The cover art of “A Magic Steeped in Poison” is *chef’s kiss* stunning. So gorgeous. Just by the cover I was so drawn to this book and trust me, the inside did not disappoint. This book is amazing. As aesthetically pleasing on the inside as the outside. A treat to the senses. Cannot believe this is a debut novel for Judy Lin. I’ve seen this book advertised to “enchant fans of Leigh Bardugo”, and it sure does. The story has a smartly crafted magic system and wonderful characters like Ning, our protagonist. A true heroine. The heavy influence of Chinese mythology and traditions is the cherry on top for this delicious mix of fantasy, mystery and romance. HIGHLY recommend this masterpiece.

I need more books like this immediately or as soon as possible, please. This is a book I wish had existed when I was a teenager devouring every fantasy book I could find in my school library because I would have been obsessed with it. The magic, the intrigue, the unforgettable characters - there's a lot to love within these pages. I'm ecstatic that this is only the first volume of a duology because I can't want to follow Ning's journey and find out what lies in store for her.

I couldn’t put it down. It was full of action and suspense that kicked off earlier than I thought it would. I love a competition book. It had great complex characters all around.

Both the cover artwork and the synopsis for A Magic Steeped in Poison tugged at my intrigue to read it. I’m happy to report that the story inside this beautiful book continued to pull my intrigue along throughout the entire story!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is filled with lush descriptions that paint a picture of the world and magic. While this book is set around a Royal competition, there’s so much more going on in the plot. If you’re one who enjoys discussions of food and tea, you’re definitely in for a treat. This is also for the reader who enjoys royal politics, assasination attempts, and rising revolutions.

There is a romance at play. It’s more prominent in the beginning and takes a backseat further into the story. I’m unsure how I feel about the romance in this one, but definitely see how it works for the plot.

And that ending! Ugh, I’m ready to read book two as soon as possible! This was a solid read and I enjoyed getting swept away by it.

Sadly, this book was a miss for me. I wanted to love it, but it all felt very familiar to me and though I hadn't read it before I felt as though I had. I had trouble keeping interested in the storyline and characters. I didn't feel real tension. I never felt connected to the characters and the plot seemed to carry me to plot point to plot point, but I never really felt anything. It really had all the elements I love so I should have loved it but for some reason I just couldn't really get into it. I'm sure others will though. I think it was a mood thing for me or I just didn't jive with the writing style.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. What an immersive book with a unique magic system as well as a plethora of culture woven throughout. I first drawn to this book by the STUNNING, GORGEOUS, MY EYEBALLS CANNOT HANDLE IT cover but then when I went to read the synopsis I was like, yes, please I need to read this. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

I really enjoyed how descriptive the author was when it came to every aspect of this book. The details about the tea magic, the details about the food, and the emotionally journey the MC goes on is so well done. I could perfectly imagine this world and the characters within. I also really liked that I could not tell what the HECK was going to happen. When I thought the plot was going one way, I was completely thrown in another direction and it kept me wanting to read more and more. The motives and actions of all of the characters were believable and I never found myself frustrated by their choices.

The pacing was perfect between the competition and following the unraveling schemes that are happening within the court itself. The ending left us with a cliffhanger but also hope. I can't wait to read book 2!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is the first of a fantasy duology centered around a high-interest concept for me: a magical tea-brewing competition, set in what seems to be a Chinese-inspired kingdom! The protagonist, Ning, is a young woman who competes through a series of trials to become the next court shennong-shi, a master of tea, to serve the royal family.

This is a story that definitely contains some familiar plot elements and archetypal beats: entering a potentially dangerous competition to save a younger sister, political court intrigue, a mysterious poison ravaging the outer towns and villages. But the magic system of tea- to compel others, draw up memories, imbue with physical strength, or even to create illusions- helped bolster certain elements that were otherwise common to make them feel more unique.

I wish I liked the romance more, but I felt unfortunately it was a case of unexplained love-at-first-sight in sort of a jarring way. The relationship just moved a bit too quickly to be believable. Maybe this will be developed more in the sequel. I also felt the book was sometimes bogged down by some of the court politics; similar to how I feel when watching historical Asian dramas, when the action deviates from the central characters and relationships, even if necessary in building up the conflict, the plot can drag a bit.

I think the strongest appeal of the book continued to be Ning’s determination to redeem herself, carrying the burden of having brewed the tea that killed her mother. Her love for her sister and mother as a motive in her story of coming into her own rang true.

Judy I. Lin’s writing is impressive in this debut, lyrical and lush. I love that she is a Taiwanese author! This was the first year I’d ever read anything by someone who was Taiwanese like me, starting with Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown in January and it felt fitting to close out December with this novel. The cultural references in this world’s food, clothing, and traditions sparked recognition in me and were threaded together beautifully.

Thank you to Feiwel and Friends and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was entirely fresh and original and I cannot believe we get the entire duology in one year. Absolutely this will be on the top of lists in 2022.

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a good ya fantasy debut. I was initially enamored by the absolutely stunning cover, and so I had to give it a shot, hoping the content would match the packaging. After having read the book, I can say that the whimsical, fast-paced fairytale-like story fits the gorgeous cover and would be a great addition to anyone’s book collection both as a beautiful display piece and a story worth exploring.

A Magic Steeped in Poison tells the story of Ning—a magician studying the art of tea-making, who sets out to participate in a tea-making competition to win and with hopes to save the life of her sick sister. The book discusses themes of grief, guilt, duty and loyalty in an engaging and fast-paced manner, weaving them into the conflicts of the characters.

I really enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison—ya fantasy debut novels can be really hit or miss for me, but Judy I. Lin’s debut ticked almost all the right boxes. The characters, the plot, the themes and the prose—albeit being very flawed—are charming and have exactly the right ya fantasy vibe that keeps the reader engaged without ever coming off as heavy or stilted.

The characters were interesting enough to follow and root for—I especially enjoyed the main character and her best friend that she gets to know through the course of the competition. The characters are likeable and charming, but they’re not especially layered and don’t have much internal conflict outside romantic relationships. Despite a large cast of characters, we only end up learning more about only a handful, while most secondary characters stay static and don’t contribute much to the narrative beyond an episodic intrusion. However, considering this is a really quick light fantasy read, I didn’t mind that—I was still engaged and had fun reading about these characters as the narrative began to unfold.

When it comes to the plot, this was where most of my doubts were; usually, magic competition-type narratives don’t manage to grip my attention as effectively, but in this book it was done in a way where it didn’t feel repetitive or tedious or forced: the competition was used as a tool to expand the world and the lore without hindering the pace. This aspect of the novel, just as all others, is by no means perfect—there were several events that felt a little too convenient, or rushed or somewhat unearned. Besides, the premise, as well as certain elements of the story can feel derivative, which may bore some readers. Personally, I read YA fantasy to simply relax and have fun, so this wasn’t much of an issue for me: although the book features some too-familiar tropes, it also manages to present them through an entertaining enough lens that doesn’t make the experience feel overly repetitive. One of the points that vexed me the most, and ultimately was one of the deciding factors why I didn’t rate this book higher, was the instalove that affected the whole story too much for my taste. While it was charming and cute, it spurred out of a single meeting and seemed too intense of a relationship to have been based on physical attraction and what the author calls “a thread of fate” connecting them. The romantic relationship of the main character and her love interest is the aspect that felt most underdeveloped; while they had nice moments together, certain points felt a bit formulaic and unearned, again mainly due to the fact that the relationship develops too quickly for one that started only because of physical attraction. That being said, the moments that they did share were cute and I hope the sequel develops the relationship and it feels even more rewarding to watch the two interact.

The prose is one of the strongest aspects of the book. YA debuts have certain prose pitfalls that don’t necessarily retract from enjoyment, but definitely become more and more noticeable over time; thankfully, A Magic Steeped in Poison dodges a lot of them: the prose is lush and imaginative and the abundant descriptions don’t feel forced or wordy; on the contrary— the descriptions of the food, the locations and the competition itself helped with the immersion and depth of the world. I also loved how the lore is woven into the narrative: every trial of the competition revealed more bits of information in a way where the reader wants to learn more about this whimsical world. Some of the dialogue doesn’t feel smooth or believable, but the whole narrative is fanciful enough where I could definitely let it slide. That being said, it might be a turnoff for some readers.

This novel is flawed in many many ways. Due to its structure and premise, it can feel somewhat formulaic and all-too-familiar, but it also has a lot of the naïve, juvenile charm that fits YA fantasy perfectly. It’s not exactly revolutionary or amazing, but I definitely had fun reading it and I’m sure A Magic Steeped in Poison will find its audience. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting its sequel, A Venom Dark and Sweet. This was a promising start and I can’t wait to see what Judy I. Lin does next!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of A Magic Steeped in Poison.

this book is imbued in cultural history and is a rich tribute to tea, legends and lore, and the magic we all dreamed of as kids. the vibes are there and it’s a unique magic system i’ve never read before. but… and i swear, the pun was not intended, this book wasn’t my cup of tea which I’m really sad and disappointed by because i was so excited for it. i felt like the plot was slow and the characters were underdeveloped in favor of more worldbuilding and by the end, i really wasn’t invested in anyone’s fates.

i also recognize and want to emphasize that this is likely just a me thing. i think this book is worth reading and it’s more so that the plot is a slow brew and i’m just not a patient person. this all being said, i will be reading the next book because i have hope for more character development!

<i><b> And that is what the brew is about. The taste of being human. Of making mistakes. Of being young again. The reminder that sometimes we are the laborer and sometimes we are the one at rest.</i></b>

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


*Thank you Netgalley for an early copy*
Not only is the cover stunning so is the story!
Ning is in the competition for her life and to save her family. If she wins this competition, she will be able to acquire the secret to save her sister from dying after drinking poisoned tea. However, not only is this competition filled with fierce competitors, there is someone who is out for the Queen's throne. Ning makes friends and enemies along the way, more importantly she meets a boy in a market who turns out to be someone else entirely. Her love interest is mysterious, but extremely helpful, however, can he be trusted? I can't say more without giving away more of the story, but it's an amazing book filled with magic, a strong female lead, and so much detailed food and tea that made me crave everything while I was reading!
Also needs mentioning is that there is LGBTQ representation, death, and twists that will leave you needing the next book right away!

✨✨✨
Favorite Quotes:
"Grief has a taste, bitter, and lingering, but so soft it sometimes disguises itself as sweet"

"When you're told since you came out of the womb that you can do anything...you would think it natural that you are destined to climb"

A breath-taking, magical story that I couldn’t stop reading.

Everything about this book is beautiful. From the way the author describes the process of making tea to the food served in the palace. It made me want to make my own tea and get something to eat as I was reading. I’m able to envision the way Ning prepares tea and the magic that takes place when she does. It’s as if I’m there watching her do it. All the effort and hard work put into brewing these teas really comes through. It was such a breath of fresh air to read a book about an entirely new subject. The concept of tea ceremonies is not unfamiliar to me, but having it presented in such a lovely way in a book is incredible.

Ning is focused on saving her sister, yet becomes entangled in the affairs of the court as she helps uncover the rebellion plot connected to her sister’s poisoning. Throughout the book you never lose the urgency there is for Ning to make progress and find an antidote. Even though it is urgent, it is not forceful. The love aspects do not distract from the focus of the story but only enhance. It also isn’t too romance heavy. The elements are there, but our main character does not lose herself. I really appreciated that the author didn’t make the romance part to be too heavy.

The pacing of this book was wonderful. It was easy to read so quickly. I never lost track of what was happening and it went along very nicely. I really enjoyed reading this and I look forward to the sequel.

First: LOOK. AT. THAT. COVER.

I was so SO intrigued by the cover alone and being approved for an eARC made my day. This was such a beautiful and enchanting story that every reader should add to their TBR.

After Ning loses her mother to poisoned tea, she blamed herself because she was the one who served her the tea. Her sister then also drinks poisoned tea and Ning does everything in her power to save her sister from the same fate. Ning hears of a competition in the kingdom to find the greatest Shennon-Shi (Masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making). Ning is desperate to save her sister and travels to the kingdom to enter the competition in hopes of winning a favor from the princess. The competition alone added so much story, drama, and obstacles for Ning to overcome. Like - A magical tea brewing competition? COME ON. The entire story was so beautifully written and the descriptions throughout were astonishing.

My only complaint? The Gods-be-damned cliffhanger I was left with.

I cannot recommend this book enough to those who are looking for a captivating story of hope and love. This YA fantasy that is entwined with mythology and magic is *chefs kiss*.

Thank you, NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review!

Review will be up closer to the pub date. A Magic Steeped in Poison was one of my highly anticipated releases and it lived up to my expectations!!

BRB SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, thank you to the publisher for providing me an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This was such an incredible read, and I couldn't put it down. I love the magic and tea inufsed world that Lin created in the pages. Court is always the most dangerous place to be, and Princess Zhen's proves to be deadly. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style; it felt like I was right there with Ning as she navigated the palace. The world building was also worth its own scream. I am so entranced by this book -- it's one you should not miss in the coming year. I can't believe I have to wait until August for the sequel!