A shénnóng-shi on the run and a commander forced to decide his loyalties between family and what is right will both have to come together to stop the evil that will destroy everything they hold dear. Picking up where the first book left off, Ning has escaped with the Princess Zhen, the princess’ loyal bodyguard and love Ruyi, and Ning’s newly healed sister Shu. The four young women must travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and help Zhen take back her throne. Ning is still reeling from the betrayal from the one person she loved and thought she could trust, the son of the Banished Prince and commander, Kang. Ning is labeled as a murderer, a thief, and has to evade capture as she faces off against the golden serpent that haunts her nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. Ning knows something much darker is going on and if she does not stop it, the entire world could be consumed in the evil. Kang has finally helped his father achieve revenge, but he notices something is not right... there is something much darker going on in the palace and the violence has only escalated. Kang’s loyalties will be divided between the want to please his father and doing what is right for the people. Both Ning and Kang find themselves once again coming together, but can they really trust one another and will they be able to stop the evil before it’s too late? This is the ending to the duology and wraps up everything pretty neatly, I guess I just felt like it was missing something. I loved the first book and the cliffhanger on the first book made my excitement going into this book pretty high. While the stakes were high the overall journey wasn’t as compelling as the shénnóng-shi competition and court politics of the first book were. The romance has definitely definitely toned itself down in this one. Overall, it was a sweet ending to the overall duology and I did have a lot of fun reading the books (It definitely made me want to start brewing up another pot of tea for myself). This was a magical and lush series, filled with court politics, intrigue, and just a touch of romance.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A great follow-up to the first book. The descriptions of the magic were even more well done than the first book and the political intrigue was increased.

I’d like to first thank Feiwel & Friends and MacMillan publishing for allowing me access to the eARC of this book in exchange for my review.

*** Spoiler-ish Review ***

I am so sad to be done with duology. I had so much fun reading both these books that finishing the series is so bittersweet.

It had such a tone shift at the end of the last book and this whole second book carried it through. It was so dark, intense, and stressful especially at the end of the book!! The end climax was so brutal and I had the fear that my characters weren’t going to make it out in one piece. They will need therapy though…

Ugh. I want more books in this world/series/whatever I can get. I loved the magic system so much and just want more of it.

I received this ARC through NetGalley. This book was genuinely even better than the first one. The magic system is much more fleshed out, and there’s less of learning the magic system, and more of exploring it. I liked learning more about Ning, and exploring more of the connections she could make with her magic. As well, I liked that this was dual perspective, so we could get Kangs perspective as well. The book wasn’t rushed, and it genuinely felt super short, even though I know for a fact it’s not. If you can get past the kind of weird romance between Kang and Ning in the first book, I HIGHLY recommend this. Even the romance was better paced in this book.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series -- and I felt like it had been strong enough to not need a sequel. That being said, I did enjoy A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin.

The first half of the book is very exposition heavy, especially for a sequel. They spent a lot of time getting us BACK to where the last book left off. While I still really love the magic system in this world, it was a little slow for the first 50%. It does pick up after that, but it felt like a book I'd ready before -- unlike Book 1, which had felt new and shiny and different.

For me, a solid 3.5-4/5 stars. I'll reread the first book in the series over and over again -- but probably not this one.

In this conclusion to The Book of Tea duology (sequel to A Magic Steeped in Poison), Ning continues to grow into her own power while on the run as an assumed fugitive in the wake of a palace coup. As she harnesses all her skills to protect her loved ones from the encroaching darkness that spreads in the form of poisoned tea and mind-controlled shadow warriors, she must also grapple with the politics of her world, with ever-shifting loyalties, and with her conflicted feelings for someone who may be her enemy.

Lin writes a beautifully absorbing fantasy story steeped in Chinese myth and tradition. In our very real world, tea was a commodity whose unrelenting demand in Europe caused the British to pillage China with war and colonialism for much of the 1700's, so it's delightful to see it as a source of power here that is wielded by a young woman who must continually tap into untold stores of strength for those most vulnerable. I found the plot to be fast-paced but easy to follow, and I really grew up care for the characters.

I enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison so much, so I was very excited to be able to read the ARC of #AVenonDarkAndSweet by Judy I. Lin. The conclusion to the duology did not disappoint one bit. I think this book is flying under the radar and needs more notice, to be honest! The sequel is an excellent ending to the story while still maintaining its own unique parts.

The book picks up where the first one leaves off, and it is easy to jump right back in without needing too much backstory: Ning, her sister, the princess, and Ruyi are fleeing throughout the kingdom as the Banished Price and his family have returned to power. The world building in this book is so beautiful. Lin balances action and plot with character development and relationships as well as intricate details on legends and food and locations and more. These details are not asides; they are integral to the storyline, which makes them all the better. Really just a beautiful story.

The duology is the perfect pace for teens who want some good world building alongside a light romance and action. I am looking forward to sharing this one with our library. Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions and views expressed in this book are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This book was so good. I really loved Judy I. Lin's writing and story telling ability. She weaves together a beautiful story that is so engaging and fun to read. I can't wait to read the next book she releases.

This was an amazing conclusion to the duology! Though I was able to piece together some things ahead of time there were definitely twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. If you read the first one and loved it, don't miss out on this one. If you enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea or Spin the Dawn, definitely try this book!

I adore the magic system and writing style of this author. I could stay in this world forever! A great end to this duology.

A thrilling conclusion to the Book of Tea duology, Ning finds herself on the run with her sister, the princess, and the princess' faithful bodyguard. After being declared a murderer and being struck with the poison of the serpent, she makes a vow to herself that no matter what she must keep her sister safe and that she gets the princess back on the throne. Even if it costs her her life.

Judy I. Lin strikes again with an absolutely beautiful book describing the conclusion of Ning's adventures. I found myself lost many times in her prose, effortlessly setting up scenes that are just utterly gorgeous. It seriously felt as if it were a movie playing in my mind. Everything is so clear, and written in such a beautiful way that you cannot help but to ponder over every word.

The plot of this book was a lot better paced than the first one in my opinion. I didn't feel as if it slowed down at all, and rather kept a smooth momentum throughout. Not to mention that I love how the book is not super heavy on romance but still has the inclusion of some relationships here and there. They are beautiful connections between the characters that do not need to be shoved into your face. You can see the characters love each other through their thoughts.

Of course, the characters are so very dear to me that I really hate to let them go so soon. They are very relatable in their own ways, and yet the fantastical elements that each possesses is unique in their own way and keeps you yearning to hear more about them.

Overall, I loved this book and I loved the duology itself even more. I cannot wait to see more from the author in the future, and I will definitely be buying this book once it comes out on August 23, 2022. I already have the first book sitting on my shelf, waiting for its companion!

Thank you so much to Feiwel and Friends and to NetGalley for allowing me to receive an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will post on TikTok about this book closer to the release date.

The second in the Book of Tea Duology, A Venom Dark and Sweet picks up after the Shennong-shi competition has fallen apart as the farce it was.

Ning is in the run with her sister, the princess and her body guard. Kang is now a prince as his father, the general, has been elevated to be an emperor in waiting.

The shadow of a serpent haunts Ning in her dreams and somehow under her skin.

The chancellor seems more and more suspicious to Kang.

How can they bring to light the truth and peace to Jia?

I really wanted to give this one a shot, even though I didn't love the first. I mean, the world-building is absolutely beautiful, and I love the way tea-making plays such a huge role in this story. I just...had the same problems I did with the first.

These characters are very one-note to me, and even when they are professing love or adoration for each other, I don't understand where their relationships were built. I think they all speak so formally that they seem robotic, but then one of them will make a joke and I'm completely taken out of the book because it's so out of character to me. Kang says "of course, you would say that..." and I'm like "would she...?"

Without giving spoilers (because this is book two and has not gotten out to the public), I felt that the story reached a satisfying ending and was guided by good twists. Plot-wise, it was quite different from book one, which I wondered about. I didn't see what more could be said after book one and suddenly there was a cliffhanger. It made sense for it to be a duology, though.

All-in-all, I tried! You can't love them all.

Again, Lin writes a masterpiece. This is a thrilling conclusion to the duology. Leaving the palace brings a new depth to the series and opens the storyline up to unravel the myseries while creating new ones. Who is the hero and who is the villian?

This sequel picks up right where A Magic Steeped in Poison left off and continues the story. It is really more of a second half than a stand alone sequel, and the books really need to be read in order and together. Ning is still working to save her family and the kingdom, trying to figure out who she can trust along the way. A major difference in this one is that it alternates viewpoints between Ning and Kang. This took a bit to get used to hearing from Kang's perspective but gives a richer sense to the story. Highly recommended for grades 7 & up. Must read in order.

A remarkable end to a wonderful duology. I was really impressed by the author's creativity in creating this awesome magic system. The mythos and the world-building were incredible. I enjoyed how this book explored Kang's perspective as well, he really grew as a character. The scope of the book certainly exceeded the first book, which will satisfy readers who longed for more of the empire to be explored.

Fans of "Magic Steeped in Poison" will find a lot to enjoy with its sequel, "A Venom Dark and Sweet". Rather than focus merely on Ning's story, we have an additional POV in Kang, the disgraced prince who assisted his father in seizing power out from under Ning's friend and exiled princess, Zhen. There's a lot of moving parts here - protagonists separated, multiple threats, and a kingdom at risk - but this book sticks the landing. I particularly enjoyed that the overall ending was bittersweet - it felt right considering the love story in the first book.. The only complaint I have is that I needed to brush up on book one before reading the second; there were several minor characters that were recalled that I flat didn't remember and I could have used maybe a summary or a "previous on"? That may be more of a Me Thing than a real problem, however.

🐍 A Venom Dark and Sweet 🐛

✨3.75/5✨

‼️ SPOILERS BELOW‼️

"𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜."

Shared room trope

The demon bug centipede thing in her wound was disgusting. To be honest, I don't really see where that played a huge role and why it was important.

Ning and Kang are sweet. I'm glad they end up together.

The magic is still kinda underdeveloped in my opinion. I don't get what Shu is fully and why it was significant. Ning, I feel like I understood better.

I wish we had more understanding on the serpent and what his ultimate goal was. Was it just killing?

I really enjoyed this series. Definitely a good read! A lot of beautiful descriptions. Judy Lin is a wonderful wordsmith.

Thank you to MacMillan and Judy Lin for giving me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Please remember, anything above a three is good in my book. The first book was definitely better and this one was still good.

Happy reading!

#amagicsteepedinpoison #judylin #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #reading #books #booknerd #bookcommunity #booksofinstgram #bookinspiration #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreview #reviews #bookbloggershub #bookpiles #bookhack #bookideas #currentlyreading #tbr #tbrlistthatneverends #arcreader #arc #advancedreaderscopy

The Banished Prince returns and a dark evil is unleash in the conclusion of the Book of Tea duology, A Venom Dark and Sweet. Judy I. Lin truly wasted no time in creating a masterpiece sequel to A Magic Steeped in Poison.

I was able to go straight into this sequel after (re)reading the first book, but it honestly wasn’t even needed. The author was fantastic about reintroducing characters and plot points from the first book so the reader feels connected to the previous book. The characters remain true to their established selves and the character growth in this book was immaculate to watch and so well written. Ning is the heroine I didn’t know my life needed until now.

I love that the author doesn’t shy away from Chinese mythology and traditions, doesn’t try to “wash” the culture like can sometimes happen in books geared at younger audiences. The dialogue doesn’t feel overly modernized for the period, and I loved how the author highlighted the importance of ritual and food, truly drawing the reader into the culture its establishing and honoring.

My main complaint with this book was it felt like it dragged a bit through the middle and threw a ton of information right at the end. The final scene prior to the epilogue is the most important. And yet it happens less than the last 10% of the book. The multiple POVs added something really nice to this novel that the first lacked, but I wish they were both first or third person and not one of each, as it was a little hard to adjust to at first. Other than that, this book is an absolute masterpiece of YA literature.

Judy I Lin truly entered the writing world with a bang with this duopoly.

(Shoutout Fewer & Friends, Sara at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group & NetGalley for letting me read this galley!)

Original review posted on Goodreads.

FYI, review contains some slight spoilers from the end of the first book.

Because it was coming out so soon after the first one, I wanted to dive right in so the first book was still fresh in my head. Then I spent almost a month trying to finish it... It was definitely two-fold: partly my own lack of interest in picking up <i>any</i> book and reading for the last month or so, and partly because the story just wasn't grabbing me.

The first book ended with a lot of movement, protagonists scattered, and then when this book starts it's...a lot of setup. We get this dual narrative suddenly between Ning and Kang, so we're seeing the palace from Kang's perspective and Ning's as she travels with exiled Zhen. Even though I JUST read the first one, there were so many I couldn't easily recall each palace traitor or lackey from the other (plus we'd never met them from Kang's perspective so their relationship/recognizable reactions to Ning were gone). It set a tone for me that I never really recovered from, unfortunately.

The outcome of final few chapters was also...fine. Look, endings are hard. It was serviceable, but didn't wow me. Ultimately I enjoyed the first one much more, with its promise of what was to come versus the actual execution of the conclusion. But I think I may be in the minority and, for many others, it will work well! I wouldn't be opposed to reading more by the author in a new world!

**FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Feiwel and Friends. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review.**