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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As an avid tea drinker, I was immediately drawn into this story with a magic system built entirely around the art of tea making. It was such a refreshing take and I really enjoyed everything about it! Our protagonist was likable with solid motivations and I felt myself rooting for her the whole way through. Even though parts of the story were a little predictable, because of the originality of the concept, I let myself just enjoy the ride and not overthink it.

Excellent worldbuilding and characterizations. An incredibly solid debut by Judy I. Lin.

I really enjoyed this book. One of my most anticipated reads. The magic system was unique and based on teas. I am really enjoying the world building behind this!

An amazing debut book, I will definitely be recommending this book for lovers of fantasy. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I really loved this book! I was immediately sucked into the story and finished it in a day. The main characters were very interesting and they really grabbed my attention. I highly recommend this book and will be purchasing it for my library.

First off, can we appreciate that COVER?!?!? Definitely one of my all time favorite book covers. I’m obsessed. I was worried the book wouldn’t live up to the cover, but the book was even better, so that’s just a whole win-win situation.

The skeleton of the plot was intriguing; a peasant girl goes to palace for a big competition, trying to save her family from a mysterious poison spreading through the kingdom. Sounds fun, right? Then you add all of the flesh to the bones and it really took off. The politics, the competition, the poison, the magic, and the tea?! Amazing. The plot was fast paced, well done, and thorough. I wasn’t left looking through plot holes, and the plot twists were slight but still exciting.

My absolute favorite thing about A Magic Steeped in Poison was the worldbuilding. The tea based magic system was incredible, and the world itself was lush and beautiful without being unrealistic. Honestly I’m just losing my mind over a tea based magic system. Tea!

The character development was also incredible. Ning was an incredible heroine, with realistic flaws and a personality far better than the stereotypical YA main character. The supporting characters were super well done. I loved the Princess’s character, she was exactly what I would expect from someone in her position, and I loved how that played out with Ning’s brashness. I also appreciated that the romance was a very slight part of this book. It was there, but just barely, and it wasn’t overdone.

Overall the plot, the characters, and the worldbuilding were all incredible and I can’t wait for book two!

Awesome adventure with a strong female protagonist! Love the magic of tea, the healing power of fresh ingredients, and the strong family ties to her sister who Ning must save. With lilts of Hunger Game type competition, Ning uses her knowledge to try and wield tea as a magical elixir. She must learn what can counteract poison, heal, and hurt; all while trying to solve the mystery of the shadow and the poisoned tea that killed her mother. Strongly recommend, YA (13+)
Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC. #AMagicSteepedinPoison @JudyILin #Askcurateshare