I was drawn in by a gorgeous cover and hooked by an interesting and well built world and magic system. This is a really solid debut novel and was a great fantasy story as well. I enjoyed the different trials and challenges that the characters were competing in and loved the main character's motivations. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this one for fans of YA fantasy who are looking for something that builds on familiar tropes but has a unique take to them

a MASTERFUL debut!!!
okay first off the cover is absolutely stunning,, like LOOK at those colors
and in conjunction with that this book is so pretty - truly enthralls the senses
loved the individual trials and the friendships that ning went through - i could feel all the emotions and really cared about her
every conflict was properly brought up and not forgotten which was very good
very nice themes and character development!!
however i will say some parts of the plot seem very leaning toward setting up a sequel and while yes that’s good i do like for each book in a series to have a pretty solid conclusion on their own
and a bit telling not showing at some parts but it’s a fantasy book needs some exposition
but all in all this book is very lovely spellbinding even and i’m so excited to read the next book in the series

A Magic Steeped in Poison is an absolutely beautiful debut novel. It follows Ning as she's reeling from the death of her mother due to a poisonous tea she steeped unknowingly. With her sister slowly dying from the poison, Ning competes in the kingdom's Shennong-Shi competition in hopes of winning to save her sister's life.

This novel features a magical competition like no other. From reading the description of the competition to each of the various trials, I felt myself wanting to be a part of it. As someone who heavily enjoys tea, I was in love with the different teas and their descriptions. I wanted to reach in and drink the Golden Key tea. To then see tea play an important role in whether Ning passes or not, I was in awe of how the author blends both magic and tea brewing together.

As someone of Chinese descent and a fan of Asian-inspired literature, this book blew me out of the water on how whimsical and majestic this world of. Inspired by Chinese mythology and history, this book creates a world like no other. Like I said earlier, I can't but not want to transport myself into the world.

I absolutely adore the cast of characters. From Ning to Kang to Lian, each character made me love them for who they were. The only thing I wished for was there more romance building between Ning and Kang. Their kiss scene felt a bit random and then afterward, it's kind of forgotten and then thrown back at us in our face.

Overall, I heavily enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison and am now extremely desperate to get my hand on the sequel. Thank you Netgalley for an advance reader copy of this whimsical novel!

This story is so beautiful and magical and it made me feel a lot of emotions and I couldn’t put it down. Please pick this up!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to read and review this title! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I went through this book a lot faster than I have ever read in my life. The writing is mystical and enchanting. I love Ning's journey and character development. Judy I. Lin's blend of Chinese and Taiwanese mythology is beautifully done. I loved the tea aspect, though I don't even drink tea... it kind of makes me want to. The atmosphere of the book is whimsical, fantastical, and poetic. There is court intrigue and great world building. The competition and journey Ning has to go on is adventurous and dangerous. There is a romantic plot line but it doesn't over-take from the storyline but adds to it. Ning has to try to save her sister's life while dealing with the fact that she had killed her own mother. There is backstabbing and betrayal and secrets to uncover.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading it's sequel.

5 stars

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a fantastic beginning to a new series, full of interesting worldbuilding, a unique magic system, and a great cast of characters. There's also a lot going on, but the plot isn't rushed or hard to follow. Ning finds herself in the capital after stealing her sister's invitation to enter the competition for the next shennong-shi (someone gifted in the magical art of tea making) to serve the court. Outside of competition, Ning finds herself involved in a power struggle for the throne and pulled into the plans of both factions, with no clues on who to trust. The idea of using tea as the magic system was so interesting, and allowed for a lot of variety in how the magic users operated and used their craft. There was plenty of intrigue, mystery, and action to keep readers interested and things end on a cliff hanger that makes me want the next one immediately.

With such immersive writing and world building it is difficult not to be drawn into this story. Ning's goals are clear right from the beginning and I was rooting for her to succeed right away. I was ready for a magical fantasy adventure but my expectations were quickly subverted. There was magic and adventure, but this quickly became a story of court intrigue with a good dose of mystery throne in, along with a dash of illicit romance. But the story continued to move at a quick pace, going from challenge to challenge without long pauses between.
The world building was lush, the story was quick and well plotted and the characters felt very real. I enjoyed every word of this book and I sincerely hope there is more to come.

This book is such a unique new fantasy, and I fell in love with the world! I'm so excited for the next book already! I love fiction with magic, and the importance of tea and its mystical properties was cool! I loved the Chinese influence, adding more diversity to the fantasy genre for readers to fall in love with!

A cross between Spin the Dawn and Poppy Wars, A Magic Steeped in Poison tells the tale of Ning as she explores the magic of tea. Competing against a bunch of other shennong-tu (tea magic apprentices) to become the princess' personal shennong-shi (tea magic master), Ning learns more about herself and her kingdom. I really loved how well Chinese lore were tied into the story, weaving an enchanting world where tea has mystical properties and mythical creatures roam.

My main qualm with this book, is how obviously the second half/last third seemed to be setting up for book two, BEFORE THE NOVEL ENDS ON A CLIFF HANGER. Don't get me wrong, the story was beautiful and something I definitely want to continue reading about, BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT when a story ends on a cliffhanger. Especially when publishing time/turnaround is sooooo slow, I'm so mad that we have to wait FOREVER for the next part of Ning's tale to be revealed. Additionally, the book does include a casual info-dump here and there. From telling the story of the banished-prince through a puppet show, and other tales, I notice that sometimes the story is told, not shown.

However overall, I still really enjoyed this book, and found myself finishing this in almost one setting, since it was SO INTERESTING. Since this is Judy Lin's debut novel, Imma cut her some slack, but I have some high expectations for the sequel :D.

Beautifully written novel with lush imagery and dynamic characters. As an Asian reader, I was delighted to see how the book was inspired by Chinese culture but had a life of its own in the author's imagination. Beautiful sibling relationship (which is something I love in Young Adult) and a well fleshed out and explored competition that drove the plot forward beautifully!

This book has a fantastic concept in fairly well execution. I do feel like its target audience is the younger young adult range. That being said it’s still something that even adults and middle grade kids can enjoy. I hope to eventually be able to read this story.

Lyrical, sensory, beautiful, magical, stunning, warm, rich, aromatic, bright

A Magic Steeped in Poison swept me away in an aromatic and enchanting story. The very first thing I noticed after picking up this book was the beautiful writing matches the cover so perfectly. The writing is lyrical, flowing, beautiful, and steeped in stunning Chinese imagery. I found myself smiling to myself at small moments of calm and beauty. The way that the writing is entwined with tea is breathtaking and brought me so much joy. I have never read a book that weaves the central theme into a book so well as A Magic Steeped in Poison. It was really stunning.

After losing her mother to poisoned tea, Ning blames herself because she was the one who served the tea. Now she might lose her sister to the very same poisoned tea. In what feels like her last hope, Ning hears of a competition in the kingdom to find the greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. Desperate to save her sister, Ning travels to the kingdom and enters the competition in hopes of winning a favor from the princess.

I love stories with magical competitions in them. They’re always so much fun and a real chance for the author to play around with the way that the magic works in the world they created. It creates an environment for competition and politics to get tangled in the plot in such a (seemingly) effortless way. A Magic Steeped in Poison does not disappoint in giving us a beautiful competition but also makes sure to add drama and intrigue outside of the competition. It gives the story the rich body and depth of flavor just like the central teas.

The writing and connections to tea are truly outstanding. The writing feels like flowers dried into tea leaves. The magic feels like steam rising out of hot tea. The magical connection between Ning and Kang feels like a calm afternoon reconnecting over tea when you have nowhere else to be, it perfectly encompasses the intimacy of sitting with an old friend over a cup of tea. There is not a single moment that doesn’t feel right at home with the tea theme. I was astonished by the entire book how every detail was brewed into the tea theme, not only in plot but in energy, aroma, and flavors. It is truly a sensory experience.

Summing it all up
A Magic Steeped in Poison is as beautiful as the cover. The book beautifully incorporates the tea theme into every single ounce of this book and makes it come alive, just like the magic system. Everything is so well-rounded that the entire reading experience feels like drinking a hot cup of tea.

This book is everything I love about fantasy: it's a lush, magical world that feels fresh and entrancing, yet with fun tropes like mysterious strangers to lovers to potential enemies. Inspired by Chinese history and mythology, this is the story of Ning, who enters a contest to become a royal tea magician in order to save her dying sister. While trying to master her untrained powers, she meets a mysterious stranger and becomes caught up in court intrigue and a fight for the empire's throne. I highly recommend this!

A Magic Steeped in Poison was such a fun and energetic story that leaves readers wanting more. The main character, Ning, is a young girl who is facing many hardships, making new friendships, and trying to become a master in the magical arts of tea making all while trying to survive in the imperial city.

The amount of description used for the tea ceremonies creates such beautiful illustrations in one’s mind. Judy Lin really knows how to weave the story and it leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next. No matter who you are, you’ll be wanting to read the next book.

This book grabbed me right away! As an avid tea drinker, I was intrigued by a premises of tea being full of magic. Of course I want to drink magic!! I thought this was a beautiful story with twists and turns. I also love a strong female character! I didn’t give this story 5 stars because it did drag a little in the middle. The beginning grabbed me and then the end pulls me in again. Just a little down time in the middle but not enough to fully pull me out of the story.

Judy Lin does a beautiful job writing this story. I can clearly picture all the scenery and imagery she is describing. Such a great debut and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This already has so many 5 star reviews and I can see why. Is it perfect? No, but it's darn close. The descriptions alone are a marvel and I loved the ingenuity of the character. I normally find stories with poison as catalyst for the magic system rather dull, but this subverted all my expectations. Please, please, please give this a try!

This is a great fantasy read that I’ll hand to fans of authors like Joan He, Leigh Bardugo, and Roseanne A. Brown. The cover is gorgeous! It grabbed my eye right away, and the description pulled me right in. This one did not disappoint.

A book about a magical tea brewing competition, inspired by Chinese history and mythology? Yes, please!

People are being poisoned by tea, it took Ning's mum's life and now her sister is sick. Determined to save her she travels to the imperial city to enter the magical tea brewing competition. The reason being because the winner will be granted a favour from the princess. Having a sister I'm close to I found Ning's loyalty and willingness to do anything for her sister relatable.

Once Ning arrives at the imperial city she is faced with court politics and prejudices. Despite this she rallies on and even makes a friend. Which brings me to my next point. Female friendships are sometimes lacking in the the books I read, so it was refreshing reading about Ning making a friend, as opposed to facing off with a mean girl.

The world building in A Magic Steeped in Poison is great for people who are new to the fantasy genre, because there's no info dumping. Instead the information is woven naturally throughout the story. As a tea lover I loved learning about the art of tea brewing, and I enjoyed the vivid picture she painted of the world.

I'm curious to see how the story concludes in the sequel.

I was drawn into this book because of the beautiful cover and because of the magic system centerd around tea. The story was good but parts of it where a bit perdictable. I would recomend this book if you are intrested in Magic teas, and Chinese folklore.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley! Here’s my review!

Book Description:
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.

My Review:
A Magic Steeped in Poison was amazingly original! I couldn’t put it down and stayed up late into the morning to binge read it in one go! It’s a fast paced, enchanting tale of Ning, who takes the place of her ill sister in the Royal Shennong Shi competition at the Palace (can you say Mulan vibes?).

A revered position, the Shennong Shi is a magic wielding herbalist who uses tea to connect with and influence others. Ning is a relatable and strong main character, who grows into her magic and in her confidence in herself.

The magic system of the Shennong Shi and their teas is infused with Chinese folklore. It completely wrapped me up in the well built world of A Magic Steeped in Poison.

I haven’t been this excited about a magical competition since Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Each round of the competition became harder and revealed more about Ning’s character and background.

There’s magic, political intrigue, a Royal competition, and a page turning ending! I love this book and highly recommend! Thanks for reading!
#amagicsteepedinpoison


(Not included in my blog official review) My only constructive feedback was that there were a few minor grammatical errors in the beginning of the text.

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