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k_aro's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I honestly wished I enjoyed this book more.
This is not to say by any means that this was a bad book, but I think I've grown out of this genre more generally (what genre? Good question. My mind always calls it YA Fic, but then that's a massive genre - so, just think something between Hunger Games, Six of Crows, and Marie Lu's whole oeuvre. I think you get an idea). On the other hand, I also enjoy that there's more Chinese representation in fields I didn't see myself represented in, though on the third, mutant hand, my brain treacherously (and cynically) wonders whether this is just regurgitation of tokenization etc etc. Not to belabor the point.
I enjoyed the way that Lin really does infuse a lot of Chinese culture (but again, third mutant hand, etc etc. I had similar problems with Six Crimson Cranes, which I didn't mention because, like, it's a kid's book lol who cares). I love seeing familiar foods being represented, even without having them named - whoever mentioned that this book has lush food descriptions was totally right. I love the concept of tea as a magic, even if it didn't really turn out the way I entirely expected?
As for my misgivings... well, the culture thing has been mentioned. But I am also kind of ambiguous on how Chinese medicine/tea is being framed as magical, which is obviously the central conceit but does also reflect modern attitudes on Chinese medicine. I mean I don't think it'll heal a broken leg or anything, but it has legitimately helped where "Western" has failed.
I'm also not entirely sure I like the characters. I appreciate that Ning is so headstrong, but, I don't know, I think she exhibits a lot of problems I have with YA Fic headstrong female characters. Something like she's an archetype? It's just, I don't know, been done before. I honestly prefer Lian, even though I don't necessarily agree with some of Lian's actions and words - she just felt more, unconstrained by conventions of characters in YA Fic.
I'm not convinced of Ning and Kang's relationship, either. It feels a little forced, and like it never ends up anywhere before, oh I guess they're kissing now that's great. And this is not to say I am biased against this kind of relationship - one of my favourite books of all time, Alanna: The First Adventure, features a relationship that is honestly pretty close to one-for-one, I guess aside from Kang needing to hide his identity. And like I said, I really like it! And I'm honestly convinced of Alannna and Jonathan's relationship. I do have similar misgivings about Alanna and this book tho, lol.
I also don't know about where the book lands on the monarchy/emperorship (what is the correct term???). I think it's kind of hard about this genre of Chinese drama where, like, on the one hand the monarchy is OBVIOUSLY corrupt to a certain degree because that's how trying to tame an ever-swelling bureaucracy is like. But then like, it's okay? I don't know, I guess I just don't love monarchy generally. I guess the empress is only 19 though. It's difficult.
This is not to say by any means that this was a bad book, but I think I've grown out of this genre more generally (what genre? Good question. My mind always calls it YA Fic, but then that's a massive genre - so, just think something between Hunger Games, Six of Crows, and Marie Lu's whole oeuvre. I think you get an idea). On the other hand, I also enjoy that there's more Chinese representation in fields I didn't see myself represented in, though on the third, mutant hand, my brain treacherously (and cynically) wonders whether this is just regurgitation of tokenization etc etc. Not to belabor the point.
I enjoyed the way that Lin really does infuse a lot of Chinese culture (but again, third mutant hand, etc etc. I had similar problems with Six Crimson Cranes, which I didn't mention because, like, it's a kid's book lol who cares). I love seeing familiar foods being represented, even without having them named - whoever mentioned that this book has lush food descriptions was totally right. I love the concept of tea as a magic, even if it didn't really turn out the way I entirely expected?
As for my misgivings... well, the culture thing has been mentioned. But I am also kind of ambiguous on how Chinese medicine/tea is being framed as magical, which is obviously the central conceit but does also reflect modern attitudes on Chinese medicine. I mean I don't think it'll heal a broken leg or anything, but it has legitimately helped where "Western" has failed.
I'm also not entirely sure I like the characters. I appreciate that Ning is so headstrong, but, I don't know, I think she exhibits a lot of problems I have with YA Fic headstrong female characters. Something like she's an archetype? It's just, I don't know, been done before. I honestly prefer Lian, even though I don't necessarily agree with some of Lian's actions and words - she just felt more, unconstrained by conventions of characters in YA Fic.
I also don't know about where the book lands on the monarchy/emperorship (what is the correct term???). I think it's kind of hard about this genre of Chinese drama where, like, on the one hand the monarchy is OBVIOUSLY corrupt to a certain degree because that's how trying to tame an ever-swelling bureaucracy is like. But then like, it's okay? I don't know, I guess I just don't love monarchy generally. I guess the empress is only 19 though. It's difficult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, and War
indeedithappens's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Blood, Gaslighting, Classism, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Grief, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, War, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Murder
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The magic and atmosphere were the standouts here. I love what they did with the tea brewing and Chinese mythology. There were aspects I really admire, like the lead being a healer, which we don't see a lot. The rest however... Well let's just say I've read a fair amount of ya fantasy in my time. The genre has some well established tropes, so a lot of the plot points and archetypes felt very familiar. I still think it's a good book, and perfectly adequate debut. But I'm not particularly charmed by it. I wasn't intending to read the next one either, but it ended on a big fat cliffhanger, so now I gotta.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Animal cruelty, and Death
beebookcandle's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Medical content, Death of parent, Classism, and Grief
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
**I was gifted a copy by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, animal cruelty, animal death, terminal illness, medical content, grief, bullying, confinement, torture, sexism, misogyny, classicism
--
As a massive tea lover the mention of a magic system involving tea had me running to pick up A Magic Steeped in Poison and it did not disappoint!
Wracked with guilt after unknowingly serving her mother and sister poisoned tea, Ning is determined to do anything to save her sister. So when word from the Imperial Palace arrives inviting the apprentices of the Shennong-Shi (masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making) from across the kingdom to compete to be the court’s tea-maker, Ning is driven to participate by the promise of a favour from the princess for the winner.
However, being double-crossed by fellow opponents soon become the least of Ning’s worries as she unintentionally becomes entangled with the politics and conspiracies around court.
Judy I Lin’s prose is just as dreamy as the books cover and immediately draws you in to a page-turning story and setting imbued with spellbinding magic. Not only will the magical tea charm your senses but the vivid descriptions of places and all the mouth-watering food will undoubtedly immerse you fully into the world.
The pacing really keeps you on your toes in this one because the plot is just constantly rolling with Ning being swept away into the competition almost immediately. Now this tempo keeps up for pretty much the whole book and once you settle into the story it isn’t too much of a problem.
The only real place that I had an issue with it was when it came to the romance.. It definitely came around a little too fast and felt quite insta lovey which isn’t a favourite trope of mine. Though I will say the banter and spark that there was between the MC and LI was great, I just wish more development could have been shown between them on page.
That aside the overall plot was fascinating and though there were some twists that were a little obvious the political tensions of the empire were brilliantly woven around Ning’s personal story. Her love for her family was big driving force over the course of the story which I really loved and it was great to see wholesome female friendships there too!
Really looking forward to picking up the sequel!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, animal cruelty, animal death, terminal illness, medical content, grief, bullying, confinement, torture, sexism, misogyny, classicism
--
As a massive tea lover the mention of a magic system involving tea had me running to pick up A Magic Steeped in Poison and it did not disappoint!
Wracked with guilt after unknowingly serving her mother and sister poisoned tea, Ning is determined to do anything to save her sister. So when word from the Imperial Palace arrives inviting the apprentices of the Shennong-Shi (masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making) from across the kingdom to compete to be the court’s tea-maker, Ning is driven to participate by the promise of a favour from the princess for the winner.
However, being double-crossed by fellow opponents soon become the least of Ning’s worries as she unintentionally becomes entangled with the politics and conspiracies around court.
Judy I Lin’s prose is just as dreamy as the books cover and immediately draws you in to a page-turning story and setting imbued with spellbinding magic. Not only will the magical tea charm your senses but the vivid descriptions of places and all the mouth-watering food will undoubtedly immerse you fully into the world.
The pacing really keeps you on your toes in this one because the plot is just constantly rolling with Ning being swept away into the competition almost immediately. Now this tempo keeps up for pretty much the whole book and once you settle into the story it isn’t too much of a problem.
The only real place that I had an issue with it was when it came to the romance.. It definitely came around a little too fast and felt quite insta lovey which isn’t a favourite trope of mine. Though I will say the banter and spark that there was between the MC and LI was great, I just wish more development could have been shown between them on page.
That aside the overall plot was fascinating and though there were some twists that were a little obvious the political tensions of the empire were brilliantly woven around Ning’s personal story. Her love for her family was big driving force over the course of the story which I really loved and it was great to see wholesome female friendships there too!
Really looking forward to picking up the sequel!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death of parent, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, Terminal illness, Bullying, Confinement, Torture, Sexism, Grief, and Misogyny
bookishkale's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I kept hearing about this book on BookTok. Of course, what I noticed first is the beautiful cover, and I am always a slut for a good cover.
I am kind of a fantasy snob, where if the book has any magical element to it, I am all for it. It has to be intriguing however, and this book hits it right on the head. This book is inspired by both Chinese and Taiwanese mythology, and Lin does an amazing job. Her writing is so magical and poetic. Any time Ning brews a cup of tea, the descriptions are so fluid and delightful, that I found myself craving a cup of tea any time I picked up the book. I was fully immersed in this world, and if this ever gets picked up by a production company, the only format that would do it justice is animation. I loved the descriptions of food, it made my mouth water every time.
I wasn't surprised by the plot in anyway, I felt like for the first time in a while a cover blurb actually did the book justice! The plot moves a bit slower than I wanted it too, however that doesn't mean it's bad at all. When it was moving, I couldn't tear my eyes off the page. Parts of me wishes the competition part of the book was longer, but I understand why it was wrapped up the way it was. I thought all of the rounds in the book made sense, with ample explanation as to why it was going in this direction. The book was very easy to understand, making sure that even people who don't understand Chinese and Taiwanese culture, or tea culture that well can still follow along easily. The plot twists make sense and add suspense without adding any unnecessary drama. There's a hint of a miscommunication trope, which I don't usually care for, but it does actually add to the plot so I am not upset about it. The end of the book moves a lot faster than the rest of the book. I wish it was either fully expanded upon and added another two-three big chapters, or we had a much bigger cliffhanger earlier and it was expanded upon in the sequel. I can look passed this since there is a sequel to the book, so I feel like anyone who reads these back to back won't feel that as much.
The characters are somewhat lackluster in some places, but I have a feeling that the second book will flesh them all out some more. I think as a whole, from start to finish there was a ton of character development. That to say, it's a bad thing, especially with another book in this series to expand on everyone. Ning has a lot of flaws, but it's not really the main point of the book, but it's not ignored either. She tends to get herself in trouble because she doesn't fully think through her actions. All Ning wants to do is save her sister, so she's focused on winning the competition to do so. Ning is an easy character to relate to and understand her motives. However, parts of her character do lack depth. Everything was about her saving her sister and avenging her mother's death. I just wish that it was emphasized more by the end of the book how much she has grown to love being and practicing as a shénnóng-shi, but I think we'll see more of that in the sequel. I still love Ning though, and she is a great character to base these books around. I am going to talk briefly about some characters that I feel are spoilers to the book, since it does a fantastic job at revealing characters as it goes along. Kang is a character I wish was either fully expanded on or put at more of a distance from Ning. Don't get me wrong, I love the hint at romance, but it feels a little disjointed at times. I am really hoping that the second book expands on him more, especially seeing the ending of the book. I do believe he cares for Ning and I would like to see them together. I just felt like he was a little flat at times. Zhen, the princess, was probably my favorite character other than Lian. The way we meet her, as Zhen, and not just the princess is my favorite scene in the whole book. Riyu and Zhen add to each other's depth, which has me excited for the next book. I was so scared that Lian was going to betray Ning the whole book. She is so sweet and loveable, an excellent foil to Ning's character. I really enjoyed their interactions throughout the book, I hope we see more of her!
Overall, highly recommend as good end of summer read, as the nights get longer again and the weather gets a bit chiller.
I am kind of a fantasy snob, where if the book has any magical element to it, I am all for it. It has to be intriguing however, and this book hits it right on the head. This book is inspired by both Chinese and Taiwanese mythology, and Lin does an amazing job. Her writing is so magical and poetic. Any time Ning brews a cup of tea, the descriptions are so fluid and delightful, that I found myself craving a cup of tea any time I picked up the book. I was fully immersed in this world, and if this ever gets picked up by a production company, the only format that would do it justice is animation. I loved the descriptions of food, it made my mouth water every time.
I wasn't surprised by the plot in anyway, I felt like for the first time in a while a cover blurb actually did the book justice! The plot moves a bit slower than I wanted it too, however that doesn't mean it's bad at all. When it was moving, I couldn't tear my eyes off the page. Parts of me wishes the competition part of the book was longer, but I understand why it was wrapped up the way it was. I thought all of the rounds in the book made sense, with ample explanation as to why it was going in this direction. The book was very easy to understand, making sure that even people who don't understand Chinese and Taiwanese culture, or tea culture that well can still follow along easily. The plot twists make sense and add suspense without adding any unnecessary drama. There's a hint of a miscommunication trope, which I don't usually care for, but it does actually add to the plot so I am not upset about it. The end of the book moves a lot faster than the rest of the book. I wish it was either fully expanded upon and added another two-three big chapters, or we had a much bigger cliffhanger earlier and it was expanded upon in the sequel. I can look passed this since there is a sequel to the book, so I feel like anyone who reads these back to back won't feel that as much.
The characters are somewhat lackluster in some places, but I have a feeling that the second book will flesh them all out some more. I think as a whole, from start to finish there was a ton of character development. That to say, it's a bad thing, especially with another book in this series to expand on everyone. Ning has a lot of flaws, but it's not really the main point of the book, but it's not ignored either. She tends to get herself in trouble because she doesn't fully think through her actions. All Ning wants to do is save her sister, so she's focused on winning the competition to do so. Ning is an easy character to relate to and understand her motives. However, parts of her character do lack depth. Everything was about her saving her sister and avenging her mother's death.
Overall, highly recommend as good end of summer read, as the nights get longer again and the weather gets a bit chiller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Classism, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, Medical trauma, and War
thelittlestmermaid's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Holy moly I loved this book. Gimme the second book now.
The magic was SO cool. I love tea but they can use the tea to do magic?? And heal people? Or see into their brains?? That's sick.
Ning was such a good main character. She's brave and smart and thoughtful. She's never too self-absorbed but she also isn't too focused on saving everyone but herself. She's pretty balanced when it comes to her goals and motivations.
The supporting characters are all so fun too. Lian is such a sweetie. And I wasn't expecting to love Zhen and Ruyi but I did.
I wish we could have seen a little more of Kang, he seemed to be such a cool character and he's not there for very much of the book.
Overall this was such a blast to read and I'm so glad I finally got around to it.
The magic was SO cool. I love tea but they can use the tea to do magic?? And heal people? Or see into their brains?? That's sick.
Ning was such a good main character. She's brave and smart and thoughtful. She's never too self-absorbed but she also isn't too focused on saving everyone but herself. She's pretty balanced when it comes to her goals and motivations.
The supporting characters are all so fun too. Lian is such a sweetie. And I wasn't expecting to love Zhen and Ruyi but I did.
I wish we could have seen a little more of Kang, he seemed to be such a cool character and he's not there for very much of the book.
Overall this was such a blast to read and I'm so glad I finally got around to it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
atamano's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Misogyny
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, and Torture
bookishpriest's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An engaging young adult (YA) fantasy novel in a setting inspired by imperial Chinese history. The magic system is fascinating and meshes well with the worldbuilding going on around it. The plot is surrounded and influenced by politics, court intrigue, and family secrets from more than one tree.
The characters are interesting, though both they and the resulting plot are frequently predictable. In the middle section of the book there were a few moments where the characters' motivation for their actions was unclear and I had to do a double-take to figure out why events were unfolding as they did, but none of it was derailing. Just a few speed-bumps. There was good 2SLGBTQ+ representation in the cast with characters who had personalities and roles beyond their sexualities while also demonstrating some of the necessary nuances of living as members of a minority group in this world.
Carolyn Kang does an excellent job narrating the audiobook, giving an easy to listen to performance with plenty of drama but never overtaking the story with her own personality.
Overall a very enjoyabler read and definitely recommended if you like mystery, tension, and a great fantasy setting.
The characters are interesting, though both they and the resulting plot are frequently predictable. In the middle section of the book there were a few moments where the characters' motivation for their actions was unclear and I had to do a double-take to figure out why events were unfolding as they did, but none of it was derailing. Just a few speed-bumps. There was good 2SLGBTQ+ representation in the cast with characters who had personalities and roles beyond their sexualities while also demonstrating some of the necessary nuances of living as members of a minority group in this world.
Carolyn Kang does an excellent job narrating the audiobook, giving an easy to listen to performance with plenty of drama but never overtaking the story with her own personality.
Overall a very enjoyabler read and definitely recommended if you like mystery, tension, and a great fantasy setting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Gore, and Medical content
haylzno's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? No
5.0
The most unique magic system ever.
TEA. BASED. MAGIC. AHHHHH
Loved the competition setting, the found family of sorts, and the mystery.
The ending left me BEGGING for more!
TEA. BASED. MAGIC. AHHHHH
Loved the competition setting, the found family of sorts, and the mystery.
The ending left me BEGGING for more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Classism
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Confinement