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carolined314's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Medical trauma, Grief, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Medical content
grets_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Ooohhhh this one was good!!! Magical realism, romance, a bit of action, and some wonderfully written and diverse multilingual characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, Medical content, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Abandonment, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
katievallin's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Racism
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Child death, Medical content, Sexual content, Confinement, Death, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
quirkykayleetam's review
emotional
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
4.5
This was a fast read, a contemporary fantasy romance that balanced the high stakes of its fantasy plot lines with a meaningful, fun romance.
The mix of mythologies was beautiful to see as, within one supernatural business bureau, elven fae True Name rules work differently than those bound to Chinese ancestral powers. This also gives the book a queernormative vibe where the male protagonist is casually bisexual and only the worst of the worst would dare misgender his nonbinary co-worker.
The sibling banter is SPOT ON!
This is a book about two people who see their worth, not in who they are, but in what they can do. They have given themselves over to seeking redemption for so long that they no longer know who they are or what they want--until they meet each other. It is a book about loss, adjusting when your life suddenly becomes something you never thought it would be. And about learning to love yourself as much as you love everyone else in your life.
Rooted in real emotion, containing fun worldbuilding, and nicely steamy, this is one that I highly recommend.
Are there dragons? Surprisingly, no. Love the Sphinx though!
The mix of mythologies was beautiful to see as, within one supernatural business bureau, elven fae True Name rules work differently than those bound to Chinese ancestral powers. This also gives the book a queernormative vibe where the male protagonist is casually bisexual and only the worst of the worst would dare misgender his nonbinary co-worker.
The sibling banter is SPOT ON!
This is a book about two people who see their worth, not in who they are, but in what they can do. They have given themselves over to seeking redemption for so long that they no longer know who they are or what they want--until they meet each other. It is a book about loss, adjusting when your life suddenly becomes something you never thought it would be. And about learning to love yourself as much as you love everyone else in your life.
Rooted in real emotion, containing fun worldbuilding, and nicely steamy, this is one that I highly recommend.
Are there dragons? Surprisingly, no. Love the Sphinx though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Transphobia
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
I had this on my radar for a while and I'm so glad I picked it up as soon as it released because it was absolutely fantastic. The magic system was wonderfully conceptualised, the fight scenes were brilliant, and I loved the main cast of characters. (I just want to be friends with Elle, is that too much to ask?) The narrative style was rich and lyrical, managing to carry the perfect amount of tension during the volatile moments and dramatic scenes. In other parts of the story, there was a blend of wry humour and sarcasm so good it had me laughing out loud. Hands down one of the best books of 2023 for me, and also one of the best fantasies I've read in the last few years.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
purplepenning's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
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: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Body horror, Abandonment, Cursing, Blood, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
Also contains use of acupuncture needles and physical compulsion via true name geas.lastblossom's review
emotional
hopeful
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
Thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for an advance copy!
tl;dr
Romance sits front and center in this urban fantasy with two smart and likable adult leads.
About
Elle is a low-level employee at Roland & Riddle, making simple magical glyphs for members of the agency. Luc is the agency's top security expert, favored by Oberon himself. When Luc starts coming to Elle for glyphs for his mission, feelings blossom on both sides. But both sides also carry a lot of secrets - Elle's hiding the true extent of her power, and Luc's still living with the fallout of an old assignment gone wrong. There's also the small matter of Elle's murderous younger brother, and Luc's latest assignment to hunt him down...
Thoughts
Congratulations to fans of pining, this one's for you. The pining is incredibly strong here, with both characters quietly and powerfully into each other before the first page, and a lot of longing thoughts even after their mid-book hookup. I typically read fantasy books with romance in them, but this is most certainly a romance book with fantasy in it. Our lead couple's relationship is firmly fixed as the focus of the book, which is a surprising thing to say about a piece that also includes family drama amongst descendants of gods, and a fight against the fae king Oberon. And yet, it works. In some ways, it feels as if we're getting a slice of insight into our two leads - all the things that mattered before do not matter quite so much in the presence of a loved one.
Elle's arc learning to love herself first before she allows herself to love Luc was incredibly painful in a very real and relatable way (I was not expecting to feel so attacked by this book, but here we are). I love that she's already extremely smart and capable, and she knows it. I also love that a plot twist in the middle could have turned into my least favorite trope - bad communication - and Elle navigated it incredibly well and made no assumptions. I genuinely cheered.
Luc is a likable lead as well, although we get significantly less insight into his story. The narration did a good job of highlighting who he is at work vs who he is with Elle, and his own struggle with who he wants to be always. Also, I will never not be excited about an elf who also cooks.
I think my only "complaint" about the book is that it's written in third person present tense, which is for some reason really hard for me to get into. It took a couple false starts from me before I could actually finish this, but I'm glad I did.
tl;dr
Romance sits front and center in this urban fantasy with two smart and likable adult leads.
About
Elle is a low-level employee at Roland & Riddle, making simple magical glyphs for members of the agency. Luc is the agency's top security expert, favored by Oberon himself. When Luc starts coming to Elle for glyphs for his mission, feelings blossom on both sides. But both sides also carry a lot of secrets - Elle's hiding the true extent of her power, and Luc's still living with the fallout of an old assignment gone wrong. There's also the small matter of Elle's murderous younger brother, and Luc's latest assignment to hunt him down...
Thoughts
Congratulations to fans of pining, this one's for you. The pining is incredibly strong here, with both characters quietly and powerfully into each other before the first page, and a lot of longing thoughts even after their mid-book hookup. I typically read fantasy books with romance in them, but this is most certainly a romance book with fantasy in it. Our lead couple's relationship is firmly fixed as the focus of the book, which is a surprising thing to say about a piece that also includes family drama amongst descendants of gods, and a fight against the fae king Oberon. And yet, it works. In some ways, it feels as if we're getting a slice of insight into our two leads - all the things that mattered before do not matter quite so much in the presence of a loved one.
Elle's arc learning to love herself first before she allows herself to love Luc was incredibly painful in a very real and relatable way (I was not expecting to feel so attacked by this book, but here we are). I love that she's already extremely smart and capable, and she knows it. I also love that a plot twist in the middle could have turned into my least favorite trope - bad communication - and Elle navigated it incredibly well and made no assumptions. I genuinely cheered.
Luc is a likable lead as well, although we get significantly less insight into his story. The narration did a good job of highlighting who he is at work vs who he is with Elle, and his own struggle with who he wants to be always. Also, I will never not be excited about an elf who also cooks.
I think my only "complaint" about the book is that it's written in third person present tense, which is for some reason really hard for me to get into. It took a couple false starts from me before I could actually finish this, but I'm glad I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, and Death
Minor: Child death and Racism
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