Read for the 2nd time. Most recently finished August 23, 2022.

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

•RE-READ 08/23/22 in prep for A Venom Dark & Sweet !

Inspired by Chinese Mythology & history?! Thats all I needed to hear— *slapped that request button*

ALSO OMG HOLY MOTHER-COVER 😍😍😍

Wow. This book definitely lives up to its cover!!! A competition? Mystery hot love interest??? THAT TWIST !!! And SUCH a strong female MC! I L O V E D this!!!
ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL CHINESE MYTHOLOGY BASED READ!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher—Fewel & Friends/ Macmillan, & Judy I. Lin for the e-arc!!!!

This book is so imaginatively well written in my humble opinion. Not only are the descriptions of the world well crafted, the interior world of the mind of the main character is just astounding. I really felt immersed in this world! And what an incredible world it is - it starts out with tragedy and moves into action and adventure. There was no moment when I was bored with this novel. And I am so pleased to see it is one of a series! I CANNOT WAIT for the second installment as I am sure it will be just as immense as the first! Because WHOA - what a cliffhanger the first one leaves the reader on!

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book. From magic teas to political intrigue, this is one of my favorite ya fantasies ever. I loved our main character and her journey, and the plot twists. I would definitely pitch this as Top Chef meets magic tea

I liked this one, I just wish it had a bit more. The first half was wayyy too slow for my tastes, and although it picked up, I still wasn't entirely engaged. I also with we'd had a bit more romance between Kang and Ning. They were super cute together, so I would've loved some more fluffy moments with them. I absolutely loved the magic system though, and the world was super enchanting. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, because even though this one wasn't a favorite, I have high hopes for it!

I really enjoyed this. The magic was cool and neat (especially since it involved tea) and I loved the character relationship. The romance wasn't my favorite, but that is a me thing. I'm very picky. But I know so many people who will love it!

I will be reading the sequel when it comes out and excited that we don't have to wait too long for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A Magic Steeped in Poison brings lyrical writing and a fascinating magic system to creat a world that is easy to get lost in.

I absolutely love the magic system in A Magic Steeped in Poison. Using tea as the catalyst for the powers is such a great idea. Magic is one of those things that can be difficult because you need to find ways to restrict it. Having the magic come from the art of tea brewing is absolutely genius in my opinion. Creating the brew takes skill and you have to do it correctly otherwise it doesn’t work.

So of course Ning, the protagonist of the book, is also a favorite of mine. She has a very curious mind and is very resourceful. She makes sacrifices for her family but I think she finds herself making sacrifices for the sake of others as well. It feels like she really grows as she leaves home.

Loved the world. Although we spend a large chunk of time at the competition. I still felt like you got a sense of the world outside the palace.

I think I like political drama stories more than I realize sometimes. As long as it’s done well and doesn’t drag down the story. The things going on here do not but move the story forward. I prefer when there is not one single villain but a network of them. It’s more realistic.

I just really loved the book and I’m excited for the sequel.

let’s start with the good things i liked about this book. loved the chinese rep, i always appreciate a book with good chinese representation. the magic system, ‘twas pretty cool. if a little vague at times, but definitely different from anything else i’ve seen in a book. and THAT COVER?! omg absolutely stunning.

ok now onto the things i didn’t like. the plot was. so. boring. like you’d think a magical tea wizard contest would be pretty interesting, but i was bored out of my mind. it just felt like there were no stakes in the competition, and i feel like the author relied too much on outside forces to give the book any semblance of tension. and that’s fine, but it just made the competition seem so dull and useless in comparison.

the characters also all fell flat for me, and i couldn’t bring myself to care for really any of them. the main character just felt so passive in her own story, and i don’t wanna read about a passive main character, because I’M a passive person, and i don’t wanna read about myself, you know? no but in all actuality, the only times i felt she really controlled her own narrative was when she ran away from home and when she broke one of her relationships. two scenes. that’s it. and i realize she’s not supposed to be a super headstrong character, it’s just that she was so passive because she was so bland and had no personality, which made reading from her pov incredibly boring.

the romance wasn’t anything special either. it was a very typical ya fantasy romance, you know the drill. it was insta-lovey, and i was not invested in their relationship at all. i only really started to get interested by the end of the book, but that’s by the end of the book, so it’s not much to go on lol.

eh i think i had much more excitement for this book than it deserved, but it’s a pretty solid, if slightly boring, ya fantasy.

Ning was responsible for brewing the tea that killed her mother and poisoned her sister, Shu. She needs to find the antidote for the poison before Shu dies. When Ning finds out there is a competition at the palace to find the best shennong-shi, master of ancient and magical tea-making, she knows she must compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, and Ning wants to request something to cure her sister. However, the competition becomes deadly and political, so Ning must race to save her own life.

This was a beautiful fantasy story. I loved the magical elements involving the tea. The tea was brewed with magic that could give the drinker or the brewer magical abilities. The competition was thrilling and suspenseful because each challenge had a dangerous twist.

This story moved along at a fast pace. There were lots of twists, especially in the final chapters. I couldn’t figure out how Ning was going to get out of her challenges in the final chapters, so I was surprised when she did. The story also ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m glad the sequel will be published so soon!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a great fantasy debut!

Thank you Raincoast Books and Feiwell and Friends for providing a copy of this book.

Really imaginative and entertaining - I love that the magic didn't have anything to do with combat. Made me hungry. I can't wait for the sequel.

This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It had a fun magic system (and unique, I might add), a main character I instantly found myself connected to and rooting for, and a competition within a "more than meets the eye" setting.

I was thrilled with all of the intrigue and exploration of class that we were given, especially as I wasn't quite expecting that. A welcome surprise!

I'm excited book two is coming out so soon.

This book was definitely unique from other fantasy books I have read lately, and I mean that in the best way. It has darker undertones with soft captivating writing, interesting magic systems, and a really intriguing storyline. I also loved the usage of mythology and tea, and the fact that it included politics but wasn’t hyper-political. I just found this whole book very unique! I highly recommend it.

Also, the cover is absolutely stunning!

Things to know:

-Extremely unique magic system
-First in duology (The Book of Tea)
-YA Asian inspired Fantasy
-Romance
-Court politics
-Debut

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Rounded to 5 stars on Goodreads)

Review:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I am a SUCKER for Asian inspired fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison. I am glad that I have early access from #netgalley for the second book, A Venom Dark and Sweet, because that cliffhanger though!

The magic system is extremely unique and enthralling. This book made me forget I was reading at times. Lin’s writing style really shone through and made me feel like I was living in the story rather than reading!

The MC, Ning, is extremely smart and has a heart of gold. I really love how she was written and her development throughout the book. I am excited to see the continued development for all the characters in the next book.

Village girl Ning kills her mom by accident and sickens her sister to a near death state. Feeling super guilty even if it wasn't her fault. Someone has been poisoning the locals tea bricks all across the land....they call themselves the Shadow. Ooo spooky. In this world tea is magical, and the palace wants the most magical Shennong-Shi to serve the Emperor himself.

Ning sets off to enter the contest to save her sister! But no oh hot boy Bo appears , an he has secrets!

I do overall like this book. I adore the authors descriptions of the tea brewing. The themes of the book do shine. How Ning although very naivete pulls thru her goals. The contest is at the backdrop compared to the politics. I look forward to the next book.

This book was magical I loved every second of this!! The characters were easily relatable too me. I loved how the dynamic of each character was shown. It just reminds me of some of my favorite movies and it was great every sentence.

There is something very magical and poetic about the words that grace these pages. Written with the same level of precision, thoughtfulness, emotional empathy, and flow as the shennongshi practice their tea ceremony, it is easy to get pulled into the lives of our protagonist, her companions, and even that of her enemies. The descriptions are exquisite, full of gorgeous details and compelling character profiles. I found myself longing to get to my evening reading time just so i could get lost In the adventure again. I hope that this one day gets its own movie treatment, because I can only imagine what the scenery, costume, and dreamlike magical sequences will look like. I also found myself craving more than one cup of tea throughout, a craving i would have indulged had I not read it over warm weather days. Still, the saga of Ning and Shu and Kang and Zhen and their companions is hypnotic and engrossing. I cannot wait to go start the sequel! What fun this was to read, and I look forward to getting my niece a copy as this is right up her alley! All the women in this book are so powerful and inspiring and I loved that most of all, and I think preteen and teens will really find that enthralling and engaging.

This might be the most beautiful cover I have ever seen.

A Magic Stepped in Poison tells the story of backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious boy with a shocking secret.

I loved the magic system and the setting of the story. This is perfect for anyone who loves a good YA fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for review.

I picked this up because the second in the duology is coming out next month. The cover is what drew me to this book initially, but I was intrigued by the idea of tea magic.

After Ning's mother dies, and her sister is dying from a poisoned tea, Ning plans to enter into a tea competition that allows the winner to ask for a favor. She's hoping to save her sister's life with a magical stone she heard the princess has.

There is a trial (one of my favorite fantasy tropes), tea magic, friendship, a little romance, and politics. I can't wait to read book two! I think you don't have to be a YA reader to love and enjoy this book.

Judy Lin is A MASTER in world-building. Her characters are poignant and her ability to wear words into a lush visual backdrop that sets the stage for her unique plot is unmatched. Beautiful. Stunning. I will read anything she writes. AMAZING.

The magic system is stunning. Reading tea leaves is a beautiful art and being able to read that in a fantasy was a lovely change from magic systems I’m used to. The cover and title caught my attention when I first saw the book in my feed. Great read for anyone into Chinese mythology.

This was a really fun and quick read. I really loved the magic system with the tea, and I enjoyed the palace politics. The romance was a little lacking for me and very instalove but has some potential.