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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Summary: In this paranormal contemporary fantasy we follow a Chinese immortal and a French elf in their journey of romance, humor, and adventure. Elle, the descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, is destined to be a talented doctor. Unfortunately, she is otherwise employed as a magical calligrapher at a fairy temp agency. Luc, a half elf, is the temp agency's top security expert. Luc must lay low due to a curse he cast on two people from a previous mission.
Review: Wow!! This was a very unexpected and fun journey. It was a unique experience that took alot of risk but made it all work together in a beautiful way. I adored this book and the characters in every way. This is my third 5 star read for this year and I am hoping the trend continues. My overall rating for this book (obviously) is a strong 5/5.
Extended Breakdown:
Story: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Magic System: 5/5
Blog: http://wvbookwitch.blogspot.com/
TikTok: @wvbookwitch
Review: Wow!! This was a very unexpected and fun journey. It was a unique experience that took alot of risk but made it all work together in a beautiful way. I adored this book and the characters in every way. This is my third 5 star read for this year and I am hoping the trend continues. My overall rating for this book (obviously) is a strong 5/5.
Extended Breakdown:
Story: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Magic System: 5/5
Blog: http://wvbookwitch.blogspot.com/
TikTok: @wvbookwitch
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
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.
I received an advanced reading copy from Tachyon Publications through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
I received an advanced reading copy from Tachyon Publications through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
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
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.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Muchas gracias a Netgalley y a Tachyon Publications por el envío del ejemplar en digital
Hay mucho que decir de este libro porque tengo que decir que me esperaba otra cosa, pero que aun así me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba. Aunque haré una reseña breve porque aquí sin spoilers.
El mundo y el sistema de magia de lo mejorcito en cuanto a libros de fantasía urbana se refiere. Tenemos una mezcla ecléctica de seres mitológicos pero de mitologías y folclore de todo el mundo (especialmente Asia, teniendo en cuenta a la protagonista de la que ya hablaremos). Es algo original y refrescante ver cómo un duende interacciona con una esfinge o incluso con un grifo o lo que se os ocurra porque de verdad que hay de todo. Eso es algo que me ha encantado: la diversidad.
Pues básicamente tenemos como una especie de agencia secreta de seres mitológicos que se encarga de evitar que los humanos seamos conscientes de su existencia, lo cual siempre me ha parecido un concepto maravilloso. Dicho esto, hay como distintos niveles de seguridad y poderes, es muy complejo como para ponerme a explicarlo aquí (leed el libro que mola mucho).
Después de este contexto, los personajes y la diversidad. La protagonista tiene profundidad porque es mucho más poderosa de lo que pretende ser (no diré el motivo jeje), pero creo que eso es un poco como muchas mujeres: que tenemos más fuerza de la que mostramos por pura protección. Es algo que pensé cuando lo terminé, algo así como el mensaje final de Buffy, ¿no? Ya sabéis lo mucho que adoramos esa serie, aunque esto es distinto eh
Sobre la diversidad, tenemos personajes cuyo género no entra en la norma del binario y, atención: LENGUAJE INCLUSIVO!! Adoro ver eso en los libros tratado de una forma normal, aunque hay cierto personaje que ojala le pasen cosas malas porque ugh (the audacity). Y es que tenemos mucha representación: Asia, África, gays, bisexual, no binarie… Un 20/10
Ahora, la estructura y el desarrollo no ha terminado de convencerme, creo que la resolución de los problema podría haber estado unida en un clímax común. Algo así como un final apoteósico. Pero entiendo que también quiere darle protagonismo a les protagonistas por separado, pero ojala ese final ahí BUM.
Ah y que no se me olvide, aunque tiene un tono algo juvenil en varios puntos… NO ES JUVENIL. Hay escenas +18 (de las mejores que he leído, sinceramente) CONSENT KIND AND QUEEN. Me encanta.
Así que, ya sabéis, el libro sale el 14 de este mes (marzo de 2023). Os animo a leerlo aunque sea solo por el mundo y el sistema social que se ha montado, pero especialmente por la diversidad que la necesitamos.
–ELE
Hay mucho que decir de este libro porque tengo que decir que me esperaba otra cosa, pero que aun así me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba. Aunque haré una reseña breve porque aquí sin spoilers.
El mundo y el sistema de magia de lo mejorcito en cuanto a libros de fantasía urbana se refiere. Tenemos una mezcla ecléctica de seres mitológicos pero de mitologías y folclore de todo el mundo (especialmente Asia, teniendo en cuenta a la protagonista de la que ya hablaremos). Es algo original y refrescante ver cómo un duende interacciona con una esfinge o incluso con un grifo o lo que se os ocurra porque de verdad que hay de todo. Eso es algo que me ha encantado: la diversidad.
Pues básicamente tenemos como una especie de agencia secreta de seres mitológicos que se encarga de evitar que los humanos seamos conscientes de su existencia, lo cual siempre me ha parecido un concepto maravilloso. Dicho esto, hay como distintos niveles de seguridad y poderes, es muy complejo como para ponerme a explicarlo aquí (leed el libro que mola mucho).
Después de este contexto, los personajes y la diversidad. La protagonista tiene profundidad porque es mucho más poderosa de lo que pretende ser (no diré el motivo jeje), pero creo que eso es un poco como muchas mujeres: que tenemos más fuerza de la que mostramos por pura protección. Es algo que pensé cuando lo terminé, algo así como el mensaje final de Buffy, ¿no? Ya sabéis lo mucho que adoramos esa serie, aunque esto es distinto eh
Sobre la diversidad, tenemos personajes cuyo género no entra en la norma del binario y, atención: LENGUAJE INCLUSIVO!! Adoro ver eso en los libros tratado de una forma normal, aunque hay cierto personaje que ojala le pasen cosas malas porque ugh (the audacity). Y es que tenemos mucha representación: Asia, África, gays, bisexual, no binarie… Un 20/10
Ahora, la estructura y el desarrollo no ha terminado de convencerme, creo que la resolución de los problema podría haber estado unida en un clímax común. Algo así como un final apoteósico. Pero entiendo que también quiere darle protagonismo a les protagonistas por separado, pero ojala ese final ahí BUM.
Ah y que no se me olvide, aunque tiene un tono algo juvenil en varios puntos… NO ES JUVENIL. Hay escenas +18 (de las mejores que he leído, sinceramente) CONSENT KIND AND QUEEN. Me encanta.
Así que, ya sabéis, el libro sale el 14 de este mes (marzo de 2023). Os animo a leerlo aunque sea solo por el mundo y el sistema social que se ha montado, pero especialmente por la diversidad que la necesitamos.
–ELE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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 elegant, writing. Where the writing doesn't quite translate for me is the dialogue. 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 (get that HEA!) read on many levels.
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 elegant, writing. Where the writing doesn't quite translate for me is the dialogue. 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 (get that HEA!) read on many levels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent
Also contains use of acupuncture needles and physical compulsion via true name geas.
I just didn't feel invested in the characters or story and wasn't enjoying the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfect for the Lunar New Year, Bitter Medicine is a fun blend of Chinese and European myths, with a semi-immortal Chinese magic healer and a half-elf secret agent/hit man. A little bit bonkers, a little bit serious. This feels very Science Fictiony and Fantasy all at one. With a hefty dose of romance and a romance HEA.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On the surface, Elle is a low ranking agent who runs a mid level calligraphy shop. But really, she’s an incredibly skilled artist who can create powerful magic and was destined to be a doctor as she is the direct descendant of Shennong, the god of Medicine. She’s forced into hiding to protect her brother from her other brother. One of the few joys left in her life is Luc. Agent Luc Villois is a high ranking agent that Elle knows almost nothing about but he’s her favorite customer. But when she’s cornered into taking a commission order from him, her secrets come dangerously close to being exposed.
Plot: 4/5
The story is unique and covers what happens after the hero loses her powers and the difficult emotional recovery that comes with it. The plot is really compelling and once you’re reading, it’s easy to keep binging. There were a few points with backstory or conflict created by Oberon that were felt really unclear but it didn’t make a big difference.
I just have to say that Tsai had the opportunity for a miscommunication trope, because of a geas, and she did NOT take it. I love her for this.
Characters: 5/5
Elle walks the line between grumpy old grandma and 20 year old which I find deeply relatable. I love her personality and her overwhelming need to protect her brother Tony. Her fear of new technology is hilarious. She has so much character growth and learns it’s okay to be selfish sometimes.
Luc is a broody bi boy icon. He’s an absolute simp, which I love in a fictional man, and he would kill for Elle without hesitation. He’s backstory is filled with abuse and trauma, I wanted so badly for him to be able to find some happiness with Elle, I spent the whole book begging Tsai to make things work out decent.
There is, in a sense, an age gap aspect but she’s 125 and he’s a little over 200 so I think it’s fine if they’re both well into their immortal lives.
Writing: 3.5/5
Tsai’s writing is so enjoyable and easy to read. I found some of the dialog to be a little choppy at times which caused me to have to reread a bit to try and understand what was being said but it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the banter.
She pulls mythology and lore from a lot of different cultures so the world building is a little vague. It took me a while to understand the actual role of everyone in the temp agency.
Overall: 4/5
This modern fantasy has something everyone will enjoy. A little spice, a little action, and a lot of incredible character dynamics.