3.5 This was a truly unique book from anything I read, in a good way. I really enjoyed the main characters, Elle and Luc, as they had a great, meaningful slow-burn romance with strong chemistry between characters, though the high spiciness level didn't seem to jive with the tone of the story. The development of these characters was great and it really became a character-driven story for me as I was invested in them and their future. The side characters were also great in diversity of myths and cultures such as Sphinx, onis, elves, etc... There was a lot happening in the story and I wanted to have a bit more background/world-building to fully understand choices the characters made and objects they used. This plot had action, magic, and paranormal creatures in a modern world with modern technology, creating an interesting mix in a fantasy world.

Thank you Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! This enchanting book is unlike anything I have read before and the world is a better place for it. I loved these endearing characters and watching them grow into themselves was phenomenal. At turns humorous and comforting, and others tense, this complex modern fairytale of a novel is sure to fill a void in many people’s bookshelves and hearts.

Bitter Medicine immediately hooked me with the premise of a romance between an elf and immortal. And what begins as this fantasy premise, only evolves. The fantasy elements begin to bloom and we are able to see a world full of talents and dangers. With cute chemistry and plenty of awkward moments - this made me feel very seen - you instantly root for them. But beneath the surface, Bitter Medicine turns into an introspective story about choice.

Who are we? It takes a universal theme and breaks it down for us in a way that manages to resonate with readers. Are we just a sum of all the things we do for people? Our skills, high test scores, and jobs? Or are we just who are family is, where we were raised? Bitter Medicine unexpectedly struck a chord within me.

I really wanted to love this, the premise is so unique but the execution fell short for me. Do note I am in the minority for this one, it just wasn't for me!

~ Quick Summary ~

Middle child Elle has 2 older brothers, 1 she is trying to protect and keep hidden from her younger brother who wants to murder him. Elle works in a shop selling magical items and her number 1 customer and crush is Luc.

Luc is a security agent who frequents Elle’s services. One day his next mission is to hunt down Elle’s younger brother.

~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~

✨ Magic and fantasy

❤️ Romance and a bit of spice

🏃‍♀️ Some action

🐢 Mixed pace (for example sudden spice or action)

~ What I didn’t enjoy ~

In summary, there wasn’t enough world building, tension and the book gave me whiplash from the sudden changes to an action packed or a spicy scene.

- I never felt immersed in the world, I didn’t understand it or the magic and there was little explanation. For example what do the ranks mean, why is Elle called an agent and spy, what are these glyphs and potions. We just dived straight in.

- There’s some mystery in why Elle is laying low but I didn't feel the danger or the tension. I’m simply told.

- Luc and Elle’s relationship went from 0 to 100.They didn’t have many sweet or intense moments. It was all very G/PG and then BAM it goes into a full on detailed sex scene. I do like spice, but this sudden change gave me whiplash.

- I never felt anxious for Luc, for his predicament in his feelings for Elle vs his job or during the confrontation. It was all very straightforward and handled easily.

- The middle felt like the climax and ending of the novel. Afterwards it dragged on.

The world that Tsai has created is not that unusual: a world where there is magic and magical beings living alongside "mundane" or "muggles" or whatever you want to call the non-magic people. These beings are not just going about their lives, however, in this book, they're all employees of some magical agency that is both a temp agency and somehow provides "fixers" and enforcement for magical troublemakers/problems. The relationship between Chinese descendent of the god of medicine Elle and half-elf Luc is really kind of sweet, while at the same time kind of boring. There's nothing there that surprised me. The same holds for the action: you just know what's happening, or what the result of what's happening will be, right down to the overbearing Chinese parents who appear to meddle in Elle's life. Having said that, I liked this world and wanted to spend a little more time in it - particularly to see what happens with the twins and whether Luc and Elle... nope. No spoilers.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This is what I want when I am looking for a fantasy romance: a compelling plot, an interesting world, and a romance that weaves through it.

I fell in love with Elle's quiet nature and Luc's reserved attitude right away. Their mutual pining in the beginning was so perfect and even though both had good reasons to not start anything, it's so clear that they both want to but neither of them sees it and it's getting me emotional all over again.
And this is a romance for those are looking for older characters and romances where the immortal is not the 19-year-old! Both of our protagonists are of long-living lines and well into their adult and act like it. And both of their magical abilities play a critical role in the story while also opening up the door to let us glimpse into the wider magical community. I loved seeing how the agency operated and how Elle worked, I loved how it mixed traditional Chinese practices into their multicultural world and how effortlessly Tsai included Luc's and Tony's queer identities.

This book does not pull any punches and just goes full in when it comes to showing us that they are willing to sacrifice a lot for happiness - for their own, their family and more. We get to see them work through their emotions, find solutions and then work towards getting the results they want and it's all very satisfying.

I will only say that after the midway climax, there were two glaring issues regarding Luc that just did not get addressed at all until the last few chapters?? And I don't understand why - even just a mention that they tabled that discussion, for now, would have been helpful because it makes no sense why these two otherwise pragmatic characters just ignored it.

The writing is also great, there are so many lines I've highlighted where the descriptions just paint such a vivid picture in your mind. This was a treat to read and I will gladly pick up more from Mia Tsai.

An urban fantasy weaving together Western and Eastern magic systems, Bitter Medicine is the story of Elle and Luc, a medicinal cultivator and a half-fae agent. They find an easy rapport with each other, but when a shared adversary starts to make his move, some secrets will have to come to light.

Bitter Medicine is more of a character growth book than an action-adventure story. The story can pretty easily be split into two halves, with the first having the heightened stakes of the main plot while the second focuses on the aftermath and the conclusion of Elle and Luc's personal journeys. I really enjoyed the character arcs, but I did find the storytelling choices to be a little awkwardly paced.

Elle and Luc are really cute, though, so I'm not mad. It's nice how they're different yet parallel to each other. There are strong themes of duty and lack of self-worth, thanks to the complicated family dynamics at play.

Kudos to the global world-building and magic system. I appreciated how Mia Tsai put a focus on language and how different cultures shape their magic systems. Her afterword was quite thoughtful and added a nice nuance.

I haven’t read enough urban fantasy to know whether or not it’s my thing, but I mostly enjoyed this one.

I was easily charmed by the two main characters at their introduction and I was on edge to see where their story went. The coy back and forth they had with each other was cute and fuzzy. I wish I got a little bit more of their love growing. When we start the story they’d known each other for almost a year so it wasn’t as giddy as it could’ve been.

I really enjoyed the idea of tense family (particularly sibling) dynamics. Elle being the middle child and wanting to do right by her brothers, even to the detriment of her own happiness. Tony was relentless in reminding her what she deserved and really advocated for her which I loved. I wish we had more time with Yìwú. His motives were clear but he didn’t feel like the big bad that he could’ve been. And so after *that scene* I felt the stakes of the book dropped. There was no longer a real driving force for the main characters. Life just happened mundanely.

Another thing that was a little off to me was the pacing. There was often time jumps which took a while to get used to. The first 50% flew by and then it lagged until the last 10% where a bunch of things were just shoved in. I did feel the ending left a little to be desired because we didn’t have enough time to sit with it.

Overall, I liked this story and I loved the premise. Both Luc and Elle are cool and the ensemble cast (for the most part) does their job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

BITTER MEDICINE is an amazingly fresh and sweet fantasy romance! Elle and Luc both have magic—Elle creates magic glyphs via her Chinese heritage and Luc is a French half elven Agent who struggles with All The Things He’s Done. When we meet them on page, Luc has had something of a crush on Elle for a while, but when a secret from her past crops up, it entwines them together along with his job.

I found the world for this book really fresh and fun in the same way that The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was so inventive and different! The book has an international feel as characters location-hop, and a large portion of the book deals with Elle’s background and culture, which is very present on the page. But since this is primarily a romance, the book makes very interesting pacing choices when you might expect a high-octane adventure or crisis. It chooses to make the emotionally resonant pivots. There were some plot threads that I wish were tied up a bit more, but I think they could be hooks for future novels if the author so chooses, so who knows! I’d be up for that!!

I enjoyed this so much and I’m definitely going to keep on the lookout for more books by this author! 4.5 stars!

Heat level: 2🌶️. Two on page love scenes but you could scoot past the middle of chapter 11 and latter half of chapter 18 and be fine.

BITTER MEDICINE releases March 14. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC copy. This is my honest review.

This book is SUCH a good time. I've had my eye on it for months, and I was not disappointed.

Elle is a direct descendent of the God of medicine - but she's been in hiding for years as a contractor for a magic calligraphy shop to protect her older brother from her younger brother...who may love them but wants to kill them both. The story is set in a contemporary America where magic and magical people are everywhere and the rest of us 'mundanes' are oblivious. Elle is capable of big magic, but she's had to stifle it all to keep a low profile. Though she does cheat a little to help Luc, a French half-elf security expert, whom she not so secretly has been crushing on. And then Luc is ordered to kill her younger brother...awkward!

This is a book with lots of fun action, capering, romance, and quirky friends - but it's also a beautiful introspective story about family, sacrifice, and trauma. It's about learning to value yourself beyond your job - even if you love it. The ending, which I won't spoil, felt utterly fresh and unexpected. Oh, and the whole Elle and Luc romance is super cute from start to finish. Despite the whole contract killing, they have a endearing, very nontoxic relationship.

Oh, also, Tsai writes witty banter like no other. Like we're talking Gilmore Girls level.

I can't wait for you all to get your hands on this wonderful, fun, sweet, contemporary fantasy adventure (w/ romance)! It was SO GOOD!

Stopped at 7%. I wasn’t personally getting into the writing style and felt jarred by present tense. However, I can see this being popular with sci fi readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon for the ARC.

What a perfect mix of a slow burn romance and urban fantasy. The world Tsai creates is beautiful with a unique magic system. Tsai does a great job of creating complex characters that are easily lovable and the chemistry between Elle and Luc is tangible, with witty banter throughout. Usually I’m not a fan of the slow burn trope but this book had me blushing and smiling like an idiot. Here’s my favorite line from the book:

“Cradling her face, touching her as if he could write oaths into her skin with the whorls of his fingertips.”

The differing cultures and mythologies coming together was very interesting as well, although could be a little confusing at times. If you don’t have any previous experience with Chinese, French, or pretty much any folklore you might end up rereading some sections. Honestly my high school obsession with Teen Wolf prepared me well and I had a better idea of what Oni’s and Kitsune's were but I still found myself looking up a few other terms along the way.
On top of the differing cultures I loved the representation that was in this story, and how it felt so natural to the story line. There are gay, bisexual, and non binary characters in the story but it all flows easily. A notable scene is when Luc’s boss continuously misgenders a coworker and Luc continues to correct him, and even works against his boss to make his coworker feel more comfortable, further proving how wonderful of a love interest Luc is.
The only thing I didn’t love about this story was the flow in the beginning half, as it was a little choppy and some of the dialogue was confusing at times. After this the pace really picks up and everything comes together much more fluently. There is a bit of a lull towards the end, but it picks right back up and finishes well. Overall, I finished this book in about three days and didn’t want to put it down. I will definitely be buying a physical copy when it’s released.

I wasn't that pulled in by the book or characters but the storyline is really interesting. I may return to it at some point.

Thank you to Tachyon Publications for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai is a lovely romance set in a high-fantasy world. The story revolves around Elle, who works as a magical calligrapher. She has to hide her extraordinary powers and only takes on assignments which require minimal use of her powers. One day, Luc, a half-elf client, discovers that Elle is able to create magical glyphs of a much higher caliber than everyone else. As the two grow closer, secrets are revealed, and their relationship blossoms from strictly professional into full-blown romance.

Here is a magical excerpt from Chapter 1:

"First, the ink.
Elle pours a bit of water on her grinding stone, sets the end of her ink stick in it. She clasps her hands and breathes out slowly, closing her eyes. When she opens them, her magic rouses, filling the pit of her stomach with familiar, joyful warmth.
She takes hold of the stick and pushes it in small, clockwise circles, her thumb pressing against debossed flowers painted in gold. She's been waiting half her shift to escape to her workshop, needing the meditation of calligraphy to decompress. In the stillness of art there are no outstanding orders or rude customers, no worries over her eldest brother, Tony, no limits on what she can do."

Overall, Bitter Medicine is a fantasy romance that will appeal to fans of The Invisible Library or These Violent Delights. One highlight of this book is that is an #ownvoices with a Chinese female lead. I am a huge fan of diversity in the fantasy genre. Another highlight of this book is the banter between the two leads. The romance is top-notch. Lastly, I loved the use of English, Chinese, and French in the book, which I appreciated more after reading author's note about code-switching at the end of the book. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy romance books in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

A really beautiful debut with a sweet romance and a fun story to follow! Excited to own a copy once it’s released. Thank you for the early read!

Amazing paranormal saga!

In a world full of fae, where ancient figures are linked to Gods, where organizations have come to depend on the agency Roland & Riddles to solve their problems. The Bureau is the elite arm of the agency, led by the elf Oberon. The Fixers are special agents who report directly to Oberon, the legendary founder of Roland & Riddle.” Oberon has in his thrall a half fae Fixer, Luc Villois. Others don’t know it, but Oberon keeps Luc chained to him by Right of Dominion, a practice outlawed many years after Luc was under Oberon’s control. That control continues. I loathe Oberon!
Think of James Bonds on steroids and you have some idea of Agent Luc Villois’ capabilities.
Luc’s been going to a B Grade Chinese artist Elle Mai for protective Glyphs. She is the only one he’s come to trust.
Elle holds secrets. She hides her true abilities for very good reasons. She’s has the ability of a higher grade artist but she ‘s actually from a family of an ancient medical magic line, descendants from the god of medicine, and it’s complicated! Suffice it to say when one brother tried to kill the other, she saved him. Now he’s in hiding from everyone, including the Bureau. Hiding in plain sight. Her little brother Yìwú is also on the Agency ‘must find’ list.
I love it when Luc gives Elle an ink stick. She’s overwhelmed, “The stick is as hard as stone, the color a deep, pure black, and Elle knows from previous experience that it can last decades without cracking or losing potency. Grinding it verges on the spiritual. Using it in her work can amplify her magic fivefold, and that’s without a blessing.”
We see the true passion Elle has for her work.
A soaring tale of love, betrayal, friendship, families and more. Oh, and Luc has an aunt who’s a sphinx!
I was absolutely glued to every word leaping off the pages. I kept along with them. Mai Tsai is a bright light bursting onto the stage of paranormal fantasy.

A Tachyon ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

I would definitely read more books set in this world! An international spy agency that includes magic users and beings from both the East and the West? Gimme!

Bitter Medicine is an intriguing blend of xianxia (Chinese immortals) fantasy adventure, Western spy thriller, and contemporary romance. Elle is a powerful semi-immortal descendent of the Chinese god of medicine, hiding as a mediocre magical calligrapher to protect her brother(s) lives. Luc is a lonely, tormented, half-elven French fixer who is compelled by Oberon, the head of the agency, to perform against his own conscience. Their paths cross in Elle's glyph shop, where client and artist each see that there's more to the other than meets the eye. When their lives start to tangle outside the workshop, things heat up. And we're not just talking about Elle's pyrokinetics or the masterfully steamy shower scene — we're talking past traumas and family and career priorities coming to an explosive head.

Although a bit of a slow starter, once it gets going the story moves along at a brisk pace with more than competent, sometimes truly elegant, writing. Where the writing doesn't quite translate for me is the dialogue between our main characters. The banter is there but the humor is a little less sharp than I'm use to. In some cases it's so subtle I had to read it again to understand the implications; in others, it's stated so simply and obviously that I had to read it again to see if I was missing something. I'm fully prepared to chalk this up to a cultural unfamiliarity on my end, though. Just like the bits of French, Chinese, and Latin that I couldn't understand without the help of Google translate, there are family dynamics and other characterizations and plot points that I stumbled on a bit. It was still thoroughly enjoyable and the characters still shine through, making it a compelling (I read it in one day!) and satisfying (YES HEA!) read on many levels.

Genre: contemporary fantasy, speculative fiction, romance
North Carolina, France, present-ish day

Elle Mei is hiding any number of secrets: her age (well over one hundred, but looks *much* younger), her identity (she descended from a Chinese god of medicine), the fact that she saved her brother’s life even though everyone else thinks he’s dead, the full potential of her magical powers… Working a fairly low-risk, high-boredom magical calligraphy job to fly under the radar, Elle meets Luc. Luc who is also more than he lets on: a half-elf who works for the Bureau as a top agent, and is bound to his boss. He’s willing to let his guard down for her, if only she’ll accept him, even if he’s someone else outside of her company.

I really enjoyed this contemporary fantasy, inspired by xianxia storytelling, stories about the immortal heroes. It’s Tsai’s debut novel, and is adventurous, clever, emotional, and dramatic. It has a nice balance to it - with what starts as a classic good vs evil, but becomes more of a set of unexpectedly blurred lines.

Luc is a classic romance/contemporary fantasy hero. He’s handsome, brave, strong, and has an absolute soft spot for Elle, even if he has no idea how to express it. A shade down from “stiff with honor,” he’s determined to do the right thing, but finds time to let Elle make him smile. Elle is fiery, protective, incredibly strong, and too stubborn for her own good. She’s also woefully out of touch, having spent the last twenty-eight years in hiding. Her out-of-date slang and inability to use a phone or email added to her charm. She has immense magical healing talents, guided by her ancestor god, but only sheer willpower to rescue her older brother Tony from their younger brother.

I appreciated that the romance arc was lower on the angst scale, since the fantasy arc was more intense. That said, Mia Tsai did not forget to bring the heat! It was a pleasant surprise to discover this was an open door romance!

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

<i>Bitter Medicine</i> is, at heart, a contemporary fantasy romance with incredibly compelling, complicated leads, fantastic chemistry, and great action throughout. At first I thought it was going to be like an urban fantasy, but no--this is something different. It's not about saving the world or beating some bad guy. It's about two people--a descendant of a Chinese god of Medicine and a French fairy--doing their utmost to save each other through their profound love (with some hot sex along the way). There's magic, yes, and various fun fairy creatures and mythological references, but this defies a lot of standard western tropes of storytelling. I loved the book for its uniqueness and the realism of the central relationship.

Guys guys guys guys guys! You don’t understand this is amazing! It is totally art as magic and really well done. I love stories that incorporate craft and art and skill into power but man it’s really cool how this story incorporates art as a form of meditation and as magic. It’s so cool.