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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Murder
Minor: Death, Blood, Death of parent
This was another one of my book club picks, We read it in A Hobbit's Guide to Adventure. It is the second book in the duology and I didn’t like this as much as I did the first book. I feel like some of the book could have been cut down and the duology made a standalone. Book one was the buildup that was preparing us for the conclusion. I think I didn’t like book two as much as the first was because we went from all this political intrigue, challenges, and diving into tea magic to suddenly Ning can’t use her magic because a hovering dark entity will be able to locate them. She goes off on a quest of sorts which I did enjoy a bit of that, but the tea magic that really lured me into the story wasn’t as relevant since they had to rely on outside source magic. I think it was really hard to compete with what the first book brought to the table.
review ♥
a venom dark and sweet- judy i. lin
★ ★ ★
•chinese mythology
•tea and magic
•princess and her bodyguard
•sisterly bond
“I’ve been waiting for you, Zhang Ning… for a long, long time.”
Ning has just escaped the palace after being accused of spreading the poison that infected her sister. After she cures Shu, they set off with Princess Zhen and her bodyguard Ruyi to come up with a plan to overthrow the Banished Prince in his attempts to obtain the dragon throne. However, the serpent god, Gongyu, is the mastermind behind the chancellor and the Banished Prince’s takeover of the capital. Kang, the Prince’s adopted son, still has feelings for Ning and wants to do what is right. He is caught in the difficult position of either staying loyal to his father or helping Ning defeat the evil serpent that dreams of death and destruction. Ning is chosen to figure out a way to defeat the serpent, avenge her mother’s death, and restore the throne to Princess Zhen.
I was so excited when I heard this book was coming out just a few months after the first! Usually, I’ve had to wait at least a year for the next book in a series, and Judy Lin gave us exactly what we were impatiently waiting for. I loved A Magic Steeped in Poison, and am so happy to have been accepted for an eARC of both books!
The first half of the book was a little hard to get through because of the plot building, but once Kang and Ning finally got back together, my interests were piqued. I loved the growing bond Ning shares with Shu. It reminds me of the relationship I share with my sister. I also love the magic system in this duology. The Chinese mythology and tea rituals are insanely cool, and I enjoyed reading about Ning and her connections to others through the magic of tea. I was a little sad about the romance between Kang and Ning because it was almost absent. I wished there was more exploration of their connection and the pain they share at the end of the story. Overall, this book was a fun ending to the duology and demonstrates the vibrant joys of young adult fantasy novels.
a venom dark and sweet- judy i. lin
★ ★ ★
•chinese mythology
•tea and magic
•princess and her bodyguard
•sisterly bond
“I’ve been waiting for you, Zhang Ning… for a long, long time.”
Ning has just escaped the palace after being accused of spreading the poison that infected her sister. After she cures Shu, they set off with Princess Zhen and her bodyguard Ruyi to come up with a plan to overthrow the Banished Prince in his attempts to obtain the dragon throne. However, the serpent god, Gongyu, is the mastermind behind the chancellor and the Banished Prince’s takeover of the capital. Kang, the Prince’s adopted son, still has feelings for Ning and wants to do what is right. He is caught in the difficult position of either staying loyal to his father or helping Ning defeat the evil serpent that dreams of death and destruction. Ning is chosen to figure out a way to defeat the serpent, avenge her mother’s death, and restore the throne to Princess Zhen.
I was so excited when I heard this book was coming out just a few months after the first! Usually, I’ve had to wait at least a year for the next book in a series, and Judy Lin gave us exactly what we were impatiently waiting for. I loved A Magic Steeped in Poison, and am so happy to have been accepted for an eARC of both books!
The first half of the book was a little hard to get through because of the plot building, but once Kang and Ning finally got back together, my interests were piqued. I loved the growing bond Ning shares with Shu. It reminds me of the relationship I share with my sister. I also love the magic system in this duology. The Chinese mythology and tea rituals are insanely cool, and I enjoyed reading about Ning and her connections to others through the magic of tea. I was a little sad about the romance between Kang and Ning because it was almost absent. I wished there was more exploration of their connection and the pain they share at the end of the story. Overall, this book was a fun ending to the duology and demonstrates the vibrant joys of young adult fantasy novels.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A good ending to the duology but not as thrilling as the first book. I can't quite put my finger on why; it just didn't feel as tense, perhaps.