Reviews with content warning for Grief - A Magic Steeped in Poison

This book was so fun to read and such a fun concept, magic tea and the magic from those who can pour it. I was so upset that I wasn’t able to actually view them pouring or the magic steam and instead just having to try and imagine it in my head. I may have to try and look up some fanart to see it in action.

I also liked Ning and her love for her father and Shu, the reasons she even went to Jia. So much happened, and sometimes when it would I’d say out loud ‘oh of COURSE this would happen/this person would do that’ but even with those moments that just seemed a little too convenient, the story was surprising and I was gripped to it.

“Strangling me with continuous thoughts of my own inferiority and doubt.”

Very happy that I was able to get both books in a thrift store so I can just start the next one now - so wish me luck!

I just always hated when Shao was in a scene because he was like classic rich boy with connections, but I feel like he might have a change in book 2, or pass away

At first I was like ‘Wenyi no I thought you were chill’ when he messed with Kang’s tea and then when we saw him in the dungeon I literally yelled out ‘OH WAIT YOU’RE STILL CHILL’ and got sad that he wasn’t able to be saved

Was Zhen really going to marry her cousin (adopted or not?) or was she like forced to accept the betrothal?

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onlyvitro's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

4.5

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oakairi's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

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amberinpieces's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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morininung's review

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adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

a love story built on necessary deceit & a war that broke those ties

despite its flaws (namely some meandering descriptions and stilted dialogues), AMSIP manages to captivate its audience through soulful narratives and eloquent explorations of the lengths one will go to in order to protect their loved ones. at its core, it is a tale of family and sacrifice, displayed before a royal court too wrapped up in the maintaining of its own image to care. ning's desire to both burn and be a part of said court provides a fresh perspective, one i don't see much in east-asian fantasy but which i can deeply relate to.

on paper, this should have been my favorite book this year, and i'm incredibly sad that i didn't get to fully enjoy it. here's hoping AVDAS will be my saving grace.

quotes that scratched that weird itch in my brain

Grief has a taste, bitter and lingering, but so soft it sometimes disguises itself as sweetness.

If you were told at birth that the world is supposed to bow down to you, you would think it natural that you are destined to climb.

Human hands make mistakes, Ning, but they are the hands the gods gave us. We use them to make amends, to do good things.

You cannot pull the truth from the unwilling, and you cannot tear something out of a mind that is closed off.

We all have people we care about, those we would give our lives for. It puts us in danger, or makes us dangerous.

"You can raze plants to the ground, burn them, but some will always return the next year, and the year after that."

"The tree may stand strong, but the rot starts from within."

quotes that dissolved me into a puddle on the floor

"Careful, clever one," he says next to my ear, his breath stirring my hair.

The quick flash of his smile in the night is lightning against a dark sky.

"Ning," he sighs, and a shiver runs through me.

"I have to go," Kang says, yet he makes no effort to move.
"You should," I say, yearning for him to stay.

The lightest brush of my lips against his. He tips my head up and deepens the kiss, until it is a different sort of drowning, until we are forced to draw breath.

"I've tried to send her away for her own protection, and she crossed the empire to save me. I will never leave her again."

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xvicesx's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This was surprisingly good. I picked it up in the library after I'd been in two minds about it online several times thinking that it would not be my cup of tea (see what I did there? 😜) but after I read the first paragraph, I couldn't put it back. How powerful an opening!

They say you can spot a true shennong-shi by their hands - palms colored by the stain of the earth, fingertips scarred from thorns, a permanent crust of soil and blood darkening the crescents of their nails.
I used to look at my hands with pride.
Now, all I can think is, These are the hands that buried my mother.

The pacing was really good throughout, every scene purposeful and leading the reader through the baffling world of court politics and intrigue from the eyes of a girl of simple goals. All Ning wants to do is save her sister.

The romance was cute, although brief, so I'm hoping for a bit more in the follow-up, and the end does come to a bit of a cliffhanger overall but I enjoyed it all enough to not argue too much.

Strongly recommend. A love letter to Chinese myth, food that is a form of art, and most of all, tea.

On a side note, because I've seen this flagged as LGBTQ elsewhere and it's not necessarily clear if it's the main focus of the book or there is representation.

It's the princess who is a lesbian, not Ning, so the queer romance is not the main focus of the book.

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solarel's review

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I enjoyed the world, though the first half of it felt very similar to other books I’ve read.

The ending was a cliffhanger but didn’t manage to give any sense of finishing to the story arc? That’s just my thoughts.

Overall I think this was pretty middle of the road. It was a fun read, enjoyable and mysterious. But there were parts I found fell short of what they could have been.

Content Warnings

livvya's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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