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duarshe's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
This was delightful to read. I found really enjoyable the world, the magic system and the entire book itself. It wasn't slow or boring and every chapter kept me on the edge and waiting for more.
Also, the story really gave me the vibe of Akatsuki no Yona meets The Cruel Prince, but Yona is a side character and Hak is a woman.
The only thing that keeps me from giving this a 5-star rating is that some descriptions were a bit repetitive for my like and I kept skimming over them.
Overall, 4.75⭐
The only thing that keeps me from giving this a 5-star rating is that some descriptions were a bit repetitive for my like and I kept skimming over them.
Overall, 4.75⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood
sophiesmallhands's review
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism and Sexism
Minor: War, Murder, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness
rhogosch's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Judy I. Lin präsentiert in diesem Buch eine wunderschön gestaltete Welt mit Liebe zum Detail. Ob es die Beschreibung der Teesorten, die einzelnen Speisen, oder die Ausgestaltung der Umgebung war, es hat nie lange gedauert bis ich vollständig in der Immersion des Buches drin war. Besonders gut hat mir das Magiesystem gefallen, welches mal was ganz anderes war. Die Handlung kommt zu keinem Punkt zum Erliegen und bleibt unvorhersehbar. Der Spannungsbogen kommt ohne Probleme ohne große Kämpfe aus. Dies lässt mich auch die ein oder andere Schwäche bei den Charakteren verzeihen, wenn deren Handeln nicht ganz konsistent ist.
Alles in allem ein sehr schönes Buch bei dem es Spaß macht die Welt zu erkunden und eine gelungene Abwechslung zu den üblichen Vertretern dieses Genre ist. Ich freue mich auf den zweiten Teil und bin gespannt wie die Handlung zum Abschluss kommt.
Kleiner Tipp am Rande, den eigenen Teevorrat auffüllen bevor man dieses Buch anfängt zu lesen.
Alles in allem ein sehr schönes Buch bei dem es Spaß macht die Welt zu erkunden und eine gelungene Abwechslung zu den üblichen Vertretern dieses Genre ist. Ich freue mich auf den zweiten Teil und bin gespannt wie die Handlung zum Abschluss kommt.
Kleiner Tipp am Rande, den eigenen Teevorrat auffüllen bevor man dieses Buch anfängt zu lesen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
melis_salome's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Vomit, War, Torture, and Self harm
gabrielle_reads_a_lot's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, and Murder
kingphrog's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
sinceraly's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Man, this book. I haven't been this torn on a book in a while, though I land mostly positive.
Before I start on the things I didn't like about it, here are the things I did:
the world building. I am mostly distantly familiar with Asian (or Chinese, if we're being specific) tea ceremonies, or the way ancient Chinese society was built. The world building in this book is quite easy to get into, as someone without much experience, maybe due to the fact that it's more of a fantasy-China setting rather than a real Chinese setting. Allows the reader to go in semi-blind and learn as we go on so long as we pay attention, which I enjoy.
The magic system. Really, this is what brought my attention to the book in the first place. I had never thought of tea as a conductor for magic, and I really appreciate it - especially how the book considers it a partnered magic, with, yes, the tea, it's vessels, and it's accompaniments being important to the end effect, but the brewer's skill, knowledge, and conscious ability to connect with the drinker being just as important, or more so. This book approaches the art of Shénnóng-shī as an intimate experience between the brewer, their tea, and the drinker, and I loved the descriptions of the magic at work.
The supporting characters. Though some weren't in the book for as long, or as often as I'd hoped, I did find myself genuinely enjoying a lot of the side characters and the way the contributed to the plot. The staff in the kitchens in particularly really stuck out to me, as I felt the familial warmth and the solidarity they radiated every time they were in the picture. I also enjoyed some of the Shénnóng-tú in the competition, like Lian, who becomes a very important source of rationality and consciousness in the book, even though she mostly helps Ning beat understand imperial life and politics. There's also another character who grew on me very fast through some very bold actions of his towards the later part of the book, but I won't say who for fear of spoilers.
The political intrigue and mystery. This was an aspect of the book I didn't expect to love as much as I did. I adore political intrigue, but I'll be honest - I tend to have a hard time finding YA novels that do it well or to my tastes. This book, I think, did a very good job of pulling the wool over my eyes several times in what I assumed or how I assumed things would go down. Things made sense as I thought about it, and I never read something and thought well, that's just dumb. I am legitimately very excited to see where this plot goes, more than anything else that could be offered by the second book in the series.
Some of the main characters. In particular, the royal characters. No names, no names.
The ending. Of course, no spoilers, but when I got to the last 25% of the book I legitimately could not put it down. Things layered beautifully, and every action cascaded onto itself in this tense, chaotic, and attention-grabbing final act of the book. It suddenly shook itself of any inconsistent writing and became a real gem. The political intrigue hit a head and really set the scene for the next book and the threats Ning will have no choice but to deal with, and I, for one, am so excited to see what that means.
But now, the things I didn't like about the book at all:
The romance. I knew going into this book that it contained a romance, and I didn't feel upset when it came up, but it was just badly done and shallow. The characters fell for each other in their first interaction, essentially, and though they did have a few times to chat and learn about each other, they kissed before their fifth interaction. There was something there, and if the romance had been nurtured, rather than thrown in at a shallow depth, I think it would have been something legitimately good. But as it stands, there is little to it and it made the little tug it got from my heart towards the end disappointing. If it had been done well, it really would have left an emotional impact. However, I am also someone who tends to be very picky about romances, so take that as you will.
The main character. Ning herself is so inconsistently written that it really makes it hard to understand how she reacts to the things going on around her. She claims that she's an outsider, that no one in her village likes her because she speaks her mind and is a troublemaker, yet she's more often than not demure. I wish so badly that the book was more consistent on her being a proponent of truth and honesty, because she really shines in the last quarter of the book, but struggles to be interesting for the majority of it. She loves her family, she wishes she could be like her mother, and she doesn't like imperial life. That's what I could gather from her. I want to know about her opinions, how what she's gone through has shaped her. She mentions from time to time the way that greedy imperial rules and their upholders have worsened the quality of life around her, even quotes revolutionaries, but none of that does anything to actually spur her into action. It falls flat because they come from the mind of a character that's purposely kept flat until the last quarter of the book to keep up with a competition plot that, honestly, falls apart halfway through the book and feels inconsequential.
Anime Jesus Syndrome. I can't think of a better way to describe this than this stupid joke. In isekai anime, the main character is often this unbeatable, all-knowing character who wins all the games and gets all the attention just because they conveniently have all of the experience with it. Ning has that too. The book states multiple times that she isn't an explicitly trained Shénnóng-tú - her mother had been training her sister to take up the mantle. Instead, Ning was learning to be a physician like her father, and had only sat in on her mother performing the magic or teaching lessons a few times, and yet you'd never think so with how Ning always knows the answer. All we can really tell is that she's not the most graceful when brewing the tea, but she knows every leaf, every material, every effect, every counter, despite not having professionally studied the art. It's a bit hard to believe. I wanted to feel like she grew during the competition, but it feels more like she started off at god-tier because the plot demanded it. I wish more focus had been put on her having to adapt through the competition, maybe use rural remedies and tricks against the more performative and pretty ones of the city-dwelling competitors.
Overall, this book's biggest flaws stem from what I think were common stumbles in a debut novel, and though it's certainly far from a perfect read, I think so long as the author is confident in how she approaches the world from her character's eyes, the next book will be something wonderful. I'm excited to see what happens next!
Before I start on the things I didn't like about it, here are the things I did:
the world building. I am mostly distantly familiar with Asian (or Chinese, if we're being specific) tea ceremonies, or the way ancient Chinese society was built. The world building in this book is quite easy to get into, as someone without much experience, maybe due to the fact that it's more of a fantasy-China setting rather than a real Chinese setting. Allows the reader to go in semi-blind and learn as we go on so long as we pay attention, which I enjoy.
The magic system. Really, this is what brought my attention to the book in the first place. I had never thought of tea as a conductor for magic, and I really appreciate it - especially how the book considers it a partnered magic, with, yes, the tea, it's vessels, and it's accompaniments being important to the end effect, but the brewer's skill, knowledge, and conscious ability to connect with the drinker being just as important, or more so. This book approaches the art of Shénnóng-shī as an intimate experience between the brewer, their tea, and the drinker, and I loved the descriptions of the magic at work.
The supporting characters. Though some weren't in the book for as long, or as often as I'd hoped, I did find myself genuinely enjoying a lot of the side characters and the way the contributed to the plot. The staff in the kitchens in particularly really stuck out to me, as I felt the familial warmth and the solidarity they radiated every time they were in the picture. I also enjoyed some of the Shénnóng-tú in the competition, like Lian, who becomes a very important source of rationality and consciousness in the book, even though she mostly helps Ning beat understand imperial life and politics. There's also another character who grew on me very fast through some very bold actions of his towards the later part of the book, but I won't say who for fear of spoilers.
The political intrigue and mystery. This was an aspect of the book I didn't expect to love as much as I did. I adore political intrigue, but I'll be honest - I tend to have a hard time finding YA novels that do it well or to my tastes. This book, I think, did a very good job of pulling the wool over my eyes several times in what I assumed or how I assumed things would go down. Things made sense as I thought about it, and I never read something and thought well, that's just dumb. I am legitimately very excited to see where this plot goes, more than anything else that could be offered by the second book in the series.
Some of the main characters. In particular, the royal characters. No names, no names.
The ending. Of course, no spoilers, but when I got to the last 25% of the book I legitimately could not put it down. Things layered beautifully, and every action cascaded onto itself in this tense, chaotic, and attention-grabbing final act of the book. It suddenly shook itself of any inconsistent writing and became a real gem. The political intrigue hit a head and really set the scene for the next book and the threats Ning will have no choice but to deal with, and I, for one, am so excited to see what that means.
But now, the things I didn't like about the book at all:
The romance. I knew going into this book that it contained a romance, and I didn't feel upset when it came up, but it was just badly done and shallow. The characters fell for each other in their first interaction, essentially, and though they did have a few times to chat and learn about each other, they kissed before their fifth interaction. There was something there, and if the romance had been nurtured, rather than thrown in at a shallow depth, I think it would have been something legitimately good. But as it stands, there is little to it and it made the little tug it got from my heart towards the end disappointing. If it had been done well, it really would have left an emotional impact. However, I am also someone who tends to be very picky about romances, so take that as you will.
The main character. Ning herself is so inconsistently written that it really makes it hard to understand how she reacts to the things going on around her. She claims that she's an outsider, that no one in her village likes her because she speaks her mind and is a troublemaker, yet she's more often than not demure. I wish so badly that the book was more consistent on her being a proponent of truth and honesty, because she really shines in the last quarter of the book, but struggles to be interesting for the majority of it. She loves her family, she wishes she could be like her mother, and she doesn't like imperial life. That's what I could gather from her. I want to know about her opinions, how what she's gone through has shaped her. She mentions from time to time the way that greedy imperial rules and their upholders have worsened the quality of life around her, even quotes revolutionaries, but none of that does anything to actually spur her into action. It falls flat because they come from the mind of a character that's purposely kept flat until the last quarter of the book to keep up with a competition plot that, honestly, falls apart halfway through the book and feels inconsequential.
Anime Jesus Syndrome. I can't think of a better way to describe this than this stupid joke. In isekai anime, the main character is often this unbeatable, all-knowing character who wins all the games and gets all the attention just because they conveniently have all of the experience with it. Ning has that too. The book states multiple times that she isn't an explicitly trained Shénnóng-tú - her mother had been training her sister to take up the mantle. Instead, Ning was learning to be a physician like her father, and had only sat in on her mother performing the magic or teaching lessons a few times, and yet you'd never think so with how Ning always knows the answer. All we can really tell is that she's not the most graceful when brewing the tea, but she knows every leaf, every material, every effect, every counter, despite not having professionally studied the art. It's a bit hard to believe. I wanted to feel like she grew during the competition, but it feels more like she started off at god-tier because the plot demanded it. I wish more focus had been put on her having to adapt through the competition, maybe use rural remedies and tricks against the more performative and pretty ones of the city-dwelling competitors.
Overall, this book's biggest flaws stem from what I think were common stumbles in a debut novel, and though it's certainly far from a perfect read, I think so long as the author is confident in how she approaches the world from her character's eyes, the next book will be something wonderful. I'm excited to see what happens next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Grief, and Murder
simplyammee's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Blood and Vomit
Minor: Murder
bridge_to_narnia's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This is a lovely tale with rich lore behind it. I ended up looking for into the background of the lore grounded in real life culture, then I spent on the book. A very easy read, a little hard to get into/care for the MC (Ning) to begin with, but by the middle you are drawn in.
Cons: the romance(?). It feels like two scenes and I hate every minute of it, if the author wanted that in there, there should have been more establishment, but you can basically ignore it. Also, the lack of explanation for what the herbs do. Sometimes it's explained, sometimes not. I've tried to look them all up, but not everything could be found.
THE MAJOR CON: this ends on a cliff hanger. It it not a complete complete story, the side plot feels settled and the main plot is only halve way through. Have the sequel at hand or you will be majorly unhappy.
Overall, a nice quick relaxing read.
Cons: the romance(?). It feels like two scenes and I hate every minute of it, if the author wanted that in there, there should have been more establishment, but you can basically ignore it. Also, the lack of explanation for what the herbs do. Sometimes it's explained, sometimes not. I've tried to look them all up, but not everything could be found.
THE MAJOR CON: this ends on a cliff hanger. It it not a complete complete story, the side plot feels settled and the main plot is only halve way through. Have the sequel at hand or you will be majorly unhappy.
Overall, a nice quick relaxing read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Murder, and War
magnan1mouse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Bullying, and Medical content
Minor: Torture, Self harm, and War