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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
yourfavebookhoarder's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Abandonment
rtaire's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Violence, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
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
mattiedancer's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writing: 4⭐️/5
The writing is strong throughout the book and yet a few sections throughout the novel really pulled me from the story. When the writing is good, it’s great. When it’s not, I wished an editor had pushed a little harder on the prose because it’s jarring. The weaker sections of writing – mixed with a few grammatical errors that really screwed with my head – really marred the otherwise strong writing in other sections.
Characters: 4⭐️/5
The characters were lovable and felt mostly rounded. A few side characters relied on us just innately understanding that they were worth knowing, though, which I didn’t love. I wanted a bit more exploration of these characters to understand why they were so worthy of our love and faith.
Plot: 4.25⭐️/5
A few moments of “trust me even though I’m your enemy shit talking your friend” aside, I did like the overarching plot. It seems like the second book (which I have yet to read) is going to dive into the main story. This book started to feel like its main job was to set up the next plot, which isn’t a bad thing as it makes me more excited to read the next one.
Post-Reading Rating: 4.5⭐️/5
Should have bought book two already.
Who Should Read This?
- Fans of YA fantasy
- Someone looking for a fun and often well-written book, who doesn’t mind a few errors
- A unique plot mixing magic and nobility
CW: Death, death of a parent, vomiting, animal abuse
Final Rating: 4⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, War, and Violence
rusereviews's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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? N/A
4.0
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a solid debut YA fantasy and the first book in The Book of Tea duology. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at around eleven hours and is narrated by Carolyn Kang. We follow main character with a first-person point-of-view.
Ning's mother is dead, after drinking poisoned tea that she unknowingly brewed. Her sister, Shu, is terribly sick from the tea as well. In an attempt to save her, Ning travels to the imperial city to compete in a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi--masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. The winner receives a favor from the princess, and Ning plans to ask to save her sister's life. It's a lot more than she expected, though, among the court politics, jerk competitors, and a mysterious--but cute--boy with a deeply hidden secret.
The worldbuilding in general is pretty tight for a debut. I really dig the magic system here, especially the parts tied to different types of tea! The author did a great job weaving in Chinese mythology and traditional medicines. Her prose is wonderfully lyrical.
The plot felt mostly like a typical YA fantasy story, and sometimes it didn't really feel like the stakes were very high.
All that being said, I read this book in basically one sitting and I definitely plan to read the final book in the duology. That cliffhanger though!
Also can we talk bout this cover! The artist, Sija Hong, did a phenomenal job.
Tropes in this book include: folklore retelling (Chinese mythology), secret identity
CW: death of a parent (referenced), grief, violence, medical trauma, torture, blood, emesis, poison, death, snakes, murder, attempted murder
Ning's mother is dead, after drinking poisoned tea that she unknowingly brewed. Her sister, Shu, is terribly sick from the tea as well. In an attempt to save her, Ning travels to the imperial city to compete in a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi--masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. The winner receives a favor from the princess, and Ning plans to ask to save her sister's life. It's a lot more than she expected, though, among the court politics, jerk competitors, and a mysterious--but cute--boy with a deeply hidden secret.
The worldbuilding in general is pretty tight for a debut. I really dig the magic system here, especially the parts tied to different types of tea! The author did a great job weaving in Chinese mythology and traditional medicines. Her prose is wonderfully lyrical.
The plot felt mostly like a typical YA fantasy story, and sometimes it didn't really feel like the stakes were very high.
All that being said, I read this book in basically one sitting and I definitely plan to read the final book in the duology. That cliffhanger though!
Also can we talk bout this cover! The artist, Sija Hong, did a phenomenal job.
Tropes in this book include: folklore retelling (Chinese mythology), secret identity
CW: death of a parent (referenced), grief, violence, medical trauma, torture, blood, emesis, poison, death, snakes, murder, attempted murder
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Death, Violence, Medical trauma, Vomit, Grief, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
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