A Magic Steeped in Poison is a poignant fantasy about family expectation and finding out just what you're capable of. Set with the backdrop of Chinese tea culture, this fantasy is full of action, mystery, and tradition.

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a thrilling and imaginative YA fantasy novel that combines magic, romance, and deadly court intrigue. Author Judy I. Lin transports readers to a lush fantasy world inspired by ancient China, where the art of tea-making holds mystical powers.
The story follows Ning, a young tea-maker grappling with guilt after inadvertently poisoning her mother with brew. When her sister falls gets ill from the same poisoned tea, Ning's only hope is to compete in the kingdom's tea-making competition and win a favor from the princess in hopes to saves her sisters life.
A Magic Steeped in Poison is a captivating tale that satisfies with its page-turning suspense, fascinating magic system, and moments of heart. I am not a big fantasy reader, but this book had me hooked!
This is a bewitching read for fantasy fans.

First of all, this cover is stunning.

I really loved the worldbuilding around the magic. The shennong shi and the way that the various skills can be specialized just through the brewing of the tea, Ning's own talents with the plants, the way that shennong shi are integrated in their society - it was all so intriguing.

I enjoyed unraveling the different people that Ning met, but I will admit that the palace intrigue was less interesting to me than the tea competition itself. Kang confused me as much as he did Ning, and I hope we learn more about him in the sequel.

I also thought that the way the antidote to saving Ning's sister was found was a bit lame given that it was Ning's focus and motivation the entire story - it still makes sense characterization and background wise, I just wish it was different than how it unfolded in the book.

I plan on picking up the sequel to this book.

A thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a beautiful YA fantasy, and Lin does such an exquisite job in world building and character building. You feel like you are right alongside the characters, experiencing each moment with them. The descriptive way Lin shares every detail is just phenomenal, and you are definitely left wanting more.

Fantasy is such a beautiful genre, and one that isn't always easy to keep smoothly going, but this was exquisite, and easily a 5+ star read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the culture and tea talk in this book! The author is able to make you feel the magic in her words while you read this book. It all comes alive! I enjoyed her writing style and will start the second one soon. The main character is relatable in regards to her love for her family, determination, and strength. Enjoyable!
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Original, immersive, and expertly crafted. A recommended purchase for YA and HS collections where fantasy is popular.

A Magic Steeped in Poison was *delightful*. I am a sucker for YA fantasy and this one delivered it all.
Lin has devised a truly enchanting setting and tea-based magic system. Ning travels from the countryside to compete against others who can use magic through brewing tea. All in the hopes of asking help from the powerful royal family to save her sister who fell ill after drinking poisoned tea. Ning’s mother has already died from drinking poisoned tea. Ning is initially so focused on her own circumstances that she doesn’t even ask the big questions—like why is there all this poisoned tea floating around?!? Like any good fantasy series, the duology expands the world, the plot, and the stakes for not just Ning and her family, but her whole homeland. I tore through this book and *immediately* bought the second one. Big recommend.

Many thanks to Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends , and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved the vivid imagery used in this book for the different types of magic used. This was an amazing read for the length it was, it flew by! Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
The beautiful cover grabs you but the tea competition keeps you in the book. Ning decides the only way to save her poisoned sister is to enter the kingdom’s tea brewing competition. She must win against masters of the ancient art of tea making, an art that also involves magic.
A wonderful mystery that keeps your olfactory sense alert.

#AmagicSteepedinPoison #NetGalley

I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of this book. The summary sounded like something I would really enjoy reading. I liked the characters and the writing a lot. The issues I had were with pacing and world building. But I definitely will read the sequel.

Overall this was enjoyable and had a very unique magic system. There was just something missing that made me choose not to pick up the sequel. The cover art is absolutely stunning.

Thanks to Netgally for the ARC.

This is a YA book about a poor girl, Ning who goes to the Palace to compete in a competition to become the royal tea master. She uncovers truths of her mother, insight about the poison that is slowly killing her sister back home and a royal conspiracy.

Overall, I flew through this book and I did enjoy it. But at the same time I enjoyed it, I also felt like it was filled with many traditional tropes. The most unque thing about this was the magic system and the main character's above average ability to wield the tea based magic system.

I do intend on reading the second book in this duology, because I'm invested enough to want to know how everything ends.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a visually stunning and enchanting read that had me hooked from the start. The concept of a magic tea brewing competition was unique and fascinating, and I loved immersing myself in the world of the Shennong-shi. Ning, the brave protagonist driven by her love for her sister, faced numerous challenges that kept me on the edge of my seat. The political intrigue added an extra layer of excitement, and the touch of romance between Ning and Kang was sweet without overpowering the main plot. Lin's world-building skills were exceptional, transporting me to vividly depicted settings. Despite wanting to know more about Kang, the mystery surrounding him only heightened my curiosity for the next book. If you're looking for a fast-paced and captivating fantasy with intriguing characters and a dash of romance, A Magic Steeped in Poison is the perfect choice!

CW: Death by Poison

YA books are not usually my thing, but I’m a huge lover of tea, magic, and poison, so this book was too tempting to resist. I brewed up a pot of sencha green tea, settled in, and devoured this read in 2 days! Ning’s story tugs at your heartstrings from the beginning, and her journey is packed with adventure as she travels far away from home to enter the competition. Daggers fly, secrets abound, and danger lies around every corner. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a twisting mystery with a dash of magic.

4*

As a tea drinker and a magic lover, this book combined two of my favorite things in a very enjoyable way. Ning is a nuanced and relatable main character, wading through grief and committed to her sister. The world itself was richly woven and blended Asian mythology and tradition with fantasy seamlessly.

I highly recommend this book.

Pretty good over all, lots of action and intrigue. It just felt a little bit too drawn out for me. I did enjoy the main character though, she was very persistent in her goal.

This debut is stunning, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it early. A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON tells the story of Ning, a girl who, while searching for the cure for the poison slowly killing her sister, travels to the capital of Jia to compete in a contest to find the next shennong-shi wo will serve at the royal court. But the competition is steeped (ha!) in political maneuvering and dark plots, and Ning finds herself caught up in the center of it all.

I loved so many things about this book, but what really stood out for me was the magic system. Judy I. Lin manages to make a magic system based on tea that feels both mystical and real, with rules and systems based on what seemed to be a lot of research. Unlike many magic systems in fantasy which tend to be more active (think throwing fire at opponents...etc.), the magic system in this book feels more like a ritual or a ceremony, and yet the scenes in which it's used don't feel slow or lacking in tension. Don't get me wrong, I love elemental magic and spell-slinging too, but I really enjoyed reading about how different practitioners used various ingredients to solve similar problems, and how different ingredients and teas were used to generate different effects.

I loved the characters in this book too. I connected a lot with Ning, who's just trying to do the right thing and save her sister, but who gets caught up in far more than she bargained for. The other characters are tangled up in the political machinations happening in the background of this book, and it took me until the end of the book to understand where certain characters' stood. This book kept me guessing the whole way through, and with the way that it ended, I'm so glad we're getting a sequel (A Venom Dark and Sweet) in a few months!

Long story short, I am obsessed.

Ugh, I *LOVED* this! It was so cool and unique from start to finish. The political and court intrigue, the tea magic, the characters, the secrets and mysteries--I could not put this down. It's another one where I've had it sitting on my shelf for a while and am now mad I waited this long. But what I don't have to wait for is the sequel, and I have it in my possession too!

Can we first take a moment to appreciate just how gorgeous this cover is?! This is one of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL covers that I have seen in a long time, just *chef’s kiss*. The world building, magic system and general atmospheric writing was so beautifully done — I love a good atmospheric book! This book was the perfect pace that had me guessing what was going to happen with every turn of the page.