Scan barcode
solarel's review against another edition
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.
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
Graphic: Medical content, War, Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Torture
fscherlie's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Violence and Physical abuse
honeyoat_nolanexa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.25
Loving the world building in this book and the use of herbalism as magic. The setting of a competition keeps it engaging and the mysteries and mythology that unfolds keeps the reader engaged. The pacing shifts and a lot happens in the last quarter of the book as the events unfolding would happen but after reading the second book I wonder if the author has trouble with pacing
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Torture
lilly_reads98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoy some parts of this like when it’s descriptive of the setting and focusing on the love interest, but I don’t like everyone being so mean to our main character. I like the main characters interactions with Kang, and her roommate but everyone else is so mean to her. And it doesn’t focus much on the love interest because their interactions are short and they really only interact a handful of times in the entire book. I like the setting of the palace: “a rock garden, a glimmering koi pond, flickers of orange, white, and gold beneath the rippling surface. Dainty, dark-branched cherry trees covered in shimmering pink and white flowers. The heady scents of blossoms and incense swirl through the air.” (P 28) In the beginning I thought I would like this but I didn’t really have any positives besides the pretty descriptions and meeting Kang was nice. I was thinking about halfway through that I was enjoying it more and that it had potential to get better but it did not get better. The attacks on the palace are just so repetitive and the constant mentioning of poison and the main character never trusting anyone got so annoying. I just don’t understand what this book is supposed to be besides a tea competition and the political intrigue. The pacing is just constantly changing between being fast paced because something dangerous is happening and then to just a slow conversation. I was constantly wondering where the story is supposed to go. I don’t like books where the main character is constantly being abused by people, like it makes it hard for me to enjoy the book or give it a high rating; I like books that are enjoyable to read. I just would’ve enjoyed it more if it were a more lighthearted read. Also, I really like tea but I don’t think magic tea is like extremely interesting? Like the concept of magic tea is cool but I just wasn’t wowed by the main use of magic being throug tea. I also wish this had focused on the romance more. I like Kang a lot but he’s not in the book a lot. It feels like the main plot is the court politics and if it had more romance to balance it out I would have enjoyed it more. Nearing the end it was so annoying when the main character calls Kang a liar again when he’s obviously not. I was just bored for a lot of the second half but I wanted to know what happens so I finished it. Like there needs to be more time spent between Kang and Ning in order for me to care more. They kiss and she just goes straight back to calling him a liar the next time she sees him? The plot is also too repetitive, someone gets sabotaged or almost killed in every single trial of the competition. It’s nice Zhen is more friendly to Ning at the end and (spoilers ahead) that they leave together, but I just don’t like how dark this gets. I’m interested in seeing what happens in the next book but since I didn’t enjoy this one that much, I don’t think I would enjoy the next one either. Anytime I’ve ever read a sequel to a book I gave 3 stars I don’t really enjoy the second one either. The authors just always throw in these things at the end to make you want to read the next one! I was hoping for the ending to be really good so I could give it a higher rating but it’s just not.. so many things are left unresolved so you’d have to read the next one to get the ending to this one. I do want to know what happens in the next one and it may have potential to be better than this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Physical abuse
biobeetle's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Moderate: Violence
nillech's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
More prequel than standalone in a series. Captivating in its world rife with creative magical realism before the midway slump, but quickly rewarding in its final act if you've managed to overcome the lull.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Torture and Vomit
corin_134340's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, and Violence
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
pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The beginning is a slow burn, introducing us carefully and patiently to the world politics and tea magic system, dropping hints of danger and conspiracy to draw us in. About a quarter of the way in, it starts to pick up with the danger and submerges us into the deeply forged ways of Ning's powers with tea. She is a wonderful character, myself being an older sibling I completely resonated with her drive to keep her sister alive. She is indignant toward condescending politicians, sassy with flirtatious strangers, and quick to defend others. I love her and cannot wait to read the second installment to see how this all unfolds. Full of twists, Judy I. Lin leaves us wondering who we can trust.
Queer representation is pretty good in this one. There is only one relationship (not MC), but it is tender and sweet, fierce, and absolutely normalized and not made a point of.
Queer representation is pretty good in this one. There is only one relationship (not MC), but it is tender and sweet, fierce, and absolutely normalized and not made a point of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Death of parent
kstacy91's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Classism