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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
This book had all the same pros and cons as it’s predecessor, but I’m less forgiving of the cons this time around because it was my second time dealing with them. It was somehow melodramatic and anticlimactic at the same time, I had issues with the pacing, and the side characters had no substance to them. The concept is one of the coolest I’ve come across in a while, and so I hurt my own feelings by expecting these books to change my life. There was an entire world of mythology that was left unexplored, which in turn made some of the plot points feel cheap. And there was still not enough Ruyi >:(((((
I have to give Netgalley a massive thanks for the advanced copy of this book. I loved every second of it!
A Venom Dark and Sweet is the sequel and the conclusion to A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea duology), written by Judy J Lin. And I'm going to be honest, the cover is what made me read this, then the fact that the magic system is based on tea. And then all the rest.
This series is currently sitting at one of my top spots for must read duologies. Both of these books were well paced, had really endearing characters and had a really interesting world based on actual Chinese culture and mythology. And book two was even better than the first.
The sequel continues where the first book leaves off and expands the world and the consequences of the events. It also introduces the reader more to the different regions and their own types of folktales. What I also enjoyed was how the characters keep learning from each other and also grew in their own rights. I can honestly say I am sad to see them go. I hope to hear from them again soon!
If this is the level at which Judy J Lin enters the book world, I cannot wait to read more of her work!
A Venom Dark and Sweet is the sequel and the conclusion to A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea duology), written by Judy J Lin. And I'm going to be honest, the cover is what made me read this, then the fact that the magic system is based on tea. And then all the rest.
This series is currently sitting at one of my top spots for must read duologies. Both of these books were well paced, had really endearing characters and had a really interesting world based on actual Chinese culture and mythology. And book two was even better than the first.
The sequel continues where the first book leaves off and expands the world and the consequences of the events. It also introduces the reader more to the different regions and their own types of folktales. What I also enjoyed was how the characters keep learning from each other and also grew in their own rights. I can honestly say I am sad to see them go. I hope to hear from them again soon!
If this is the level at which Judy J Lin enters the book world, I cannot wait to read more of her work!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Took a while because I was reading between classes. Love the story! Felt like there was more action in the first and honestly…the ending felt kind of rushed? It all makes perfect sense but kind of felt like ofc the gods come help her at perfect time. Idk. The POV switch was interesting , liked it. Very cute that it’s more adventure based than romance but romance is still there.
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did the previous book. It is so slow to start and the pacing is made even slower by the dual POVs of Ning and Kang. I wasn’t super interested in Kang’s chapters, and overall the book just wasn’t holding my attention. I went a week without picking it up at all, opting to watch TV instead of reading.
When I did finally pick it back up and got over the hump of the first half, I nearly finished the rest of the book in one sitting. I started to notice the pages dwindling yet it felt like so little progress had been made and there was still so much story to wrap up. The ending felt so incredibly rushed to the point that I barely understood what even happened, which ended up being really anticlimactic.
I loved the world that Ms. Lin crafted here and would absolutely read another fantasy story written by her, but I agree with other readers who felt that this could have been a standalone book.
When I did finally pick it back up and got over the hump of the first half, I nearly finished the rest of the book in one sitting. I started to notice the pages dwindling yet it felt like so little progress had been made and there was still so much story to wrap up. The ending felt so incredibly rushed to the point that I barely understood what even happened, which ended up being really anticlimactic.
I loved the world that Ms. Lin crafted here and would absolutely read another fantasy story written by her, but I agree with other readers who felt that this could have been a standalone book.
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this a bit more than the first one. In this second book, we got a new perspective (Kang's perspective), which I really enjoyed. Kang's POV was in 3rd person. Throughout the book, the story constantly switched from Ning's first person POV to Kang's third person POV, which I thought was an interesting writing decision. In the review of the first book, I mentioned how we could explore more of the story if we got more than one POV— and I was right. With the addition of Kang's perspective, we got to know more about his side of the story and his family dynamic, which I enjoyed.
However, I honestly just wanted more. With this kind of plot, I still feel like it's such a waste to only follow 2 characters. When I finished this book, I was left with wanting more. Not more of what comes after the end, but more of the existing story. I want more of Princess Zhen, I want more of Shu, I want more of Small Wu— because let's be honest, there were a lot of things that I thought needed more explanation/ exploration.
Overall, a 3 stars duology. I just wanted more, honestly.
I enjoyed this a bit more than the first one. In this second book, we got a new perspective (Kang's perspective), which I really enjoyed. Kang's POV was in 3rd person. Throughout the book, the story constantly switched from Ning's first person POV to Kang's third person POV, which I thought was an interesting writing decision. In the review of the first book, I mentioned how we could explore more of the story if we got more than one POV— and I was right. With the addition of Kang's perspective, we got to know more about his side of the story and his family dynamic, which I enjoyed.
However, I honestly just wanted more. With this kind of plot, I still feel like it's such a waste to only follow 2 characters. When I finished this book, I was left with wanting more. Not more of what comes after the end, but more of the existing story. I want more of Princess Zhen, I want more of Shu, I want more of Small Wu— because let's be honest, there were a lot of things that I thought needed more explanation/ exploration.
Overall, a 3 stars duology. I just wanted more, honestly.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated