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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
"Who are you when you aren't here?"
*4.5, rounded up
I AM IN LOVE. I was so enamored with the characters and the world. Luc, my heart, are soft no matter what anyway says. Elle is just that best friend and sister you can ever ask for.
I knocked .5 down because the middle was climactic, and I was left wondering where we went from there with the rest of the plot lines. But, I loved the characters so much that I continued.
Anyways, Tony is right. If you ever bone someone, I hope it's someone who knows how to cook and cook well.
*4.5, rounded up
I AM IN LOVE. I was so enamored with the characters and the world. Luc, my heart, are soft no matter what anyway says. Elle is just that best friend and sister you can ever ask for.
I knocked .5 down because the middle was climactic, and I was left wondering where we went from there with the rest of the plot lines. But, I loved the characters so much that I continued.
Anyways, Tony is right. If you ever bone someone, I hope it's someone who knows how to cook and cook well.
Sweet, rather cozy despite the life threatening nature of the plot. I took a long pause about 70% of the way through; this book is structured like two novellas put together or one novel and a really long fix-it fic.
emotional
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
Reads like a contemporary romance but focused on global fae culture. I loved how it focused on character development and that this relationship was helpful for both characters in recognizing their worth. Not an all time favorite but a great way to end my reading year
Brimming with rich Chinese mythology and delightfully casual queerness, Bitter Medicine is a refreshingly diverse paranormal fantasy romance that reads like the best type of fanfiction, and I say that in the most loving way possible!
From page one, Tsai just sucked me into this delightful romp of a story with her beautifully immersive and addictive prose. The pacing might not be incredibly fast in the beginning of this novel, but I guarantee that you won't be able to stop turning the pages. Everything about this story is just so refreshing, and I loved how Tsai took some of the most beloved fantasy (romance) tropes, only to put a completely unexpected and unique twist on them.
The world building is simply phenomenal, and I was quickly enamoured with Tsai's wonderful imagination. From the diverse races, to the culture clashes, to the Chinese lore-inspired soft magic system, to the unique take on the Fae, to the casual queer-normativity, to the excellent implementation of Chinese and French language; it was all just so organically woven into this beautifully character-driven romp, which made Bitter Medicine such a well-rounded story.
Though, while I loved the world building and riveting plot, the characters are what truly made this story for me. I personally immediately latched onto both Elle and Luc (the descendant of the Chinese God of Medicine and a half-Elf security expert, respectively) as protagonists, and I loved that the tentative development of their romance never overtook their own powerful personal arcs. They both have so much personality and their intriguing backstories are revealed in the most captivating way possible, giving them incredible complexity and emotional depth. Moreover, I loved that they both have such long lifespans and are already over 100 years old, because that added a level of maturity to them and their dynamic that I really enjoyed.
Yes, there is plenty of delicious pining and yearning here, but all without the insufferable teenage angst and annoying melodrama or miscommunication. The witty banter and the 'will they, won't they' vibes are to die for in here, and I was eating up every single moment of emotional turmoil! Also, when the steamy scenes did eventually hit... holy smokes were those perfectly written. I mean, who knew you could use a qi meridian reading as foreplay?! So sensual, so tender, and soooo hot!
But it is not just the romance that gives this story so much heart, but arguably even more so the friendships and (found) family vibes. The entire diverse cast of side characters is established with so much skill, and they all leap off the page with personality. I especially loved Elle's brother, who I would absolutely love to read an entire spin-off novel about, thank you very much!
Sometimes I did feel like some of the dialogue came across a bit sillier and more juvenile than you'd expect from these otherwise very mature characters, but I also really liked how those light-hearted interactions balanced out the more serious and tragic moments of the story. In a way, the tone and humour in Bitter Medicine really reminded me of that in Django Wexler's Burningblade & Silvereye series, and I was kinda here for it.
If you are looking for a very character-driven paranormal fantasy romance with plenty of family drama, emotional turmoil, Chinese mythology, delicious pining, teasing banter, a touch of tragedy, and some surprisingly sensual steamy scenes, you have to check out Bitter Medicine. I had a true blast, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for whatever Tsai writes next!
From page one, Tsai just sucked me into this delightful romp of a story with her beautifully immersive and addictive prose. The pacing might not be incredibly fast in the beginning of this novel, but I guarantee that you won't be able to stop turning the pages. Everything about this story is just so refreshing, and I loved how Tsai took some of the most beloved fantasy (romance) tropes, only to put a completely unexpected and unique twist on them.
The world building is simply phenomenal, and I was quickly enamoured with Tsai's wonderful imagination. From the diverse races, to the culture clashes, to the Chinese lore-inspired soft magic system, to the unique take on the Fae, to the casual queer-normativity, to the excellent implementation of Chinese and French language; it was all just so organically woven into this beautifully character-driven romp, which made Bitter Medicine such a well-rounded story.
Though, while I loved the world building and riveting plot, the characters are what truly made this story for me. I personally immediately latched onto both Elle and Luc (the descendant of the Chinese God of Medicine and a half-Elf security expert, respectively) as protagonists, and I loved that the tentative development of their romance never overtook their own powerful personal arcs. They both have so much personality and their intriguing backstories are revealed in the most captivating way possible, giving them incredible complexity and emotional depth. Moreover, I loved that they both have such long lifespans and are already over 100 years old, because that added a level of maturity to them and their dynamic that I really enjoyed.
Yes, there is plenty of delicious pining and yearning here, but all without the insufferable teenage angst and annoying melodrama or miscommunication. The witty banter and the 'will they, won't they' vibes are to die for in here, and I was eating up every single moment of emotional turmoil! Also, when the steamy scenes did eventually hit... holy smokes were those perfectly written. I mean, who knew you could use a qi meridian reading as foreplay?! So sensual, so tender, and soooo hot!
But it is not just the romance that gives this story so much heart, but arguably even more so the friendships and (found) family vibes. The entire diverse cast of side characters is established with so much skill, and they all leap off the page with personality. I especially loved Elle's brother, who I would absolutely love to read an entire spin-off novel about, thank you very much!
Sometimes I did feel like some of the dialogue came across a bit sillier and more juvenile than you'd expect from these otherwise very mature characters, but I also really liked how those light-hearted interactions balanced out the more serious and tragic moments of the story. In a way, the tone and humour in Bitter Medicine really reminded me of that in Django Wexler's Burningblade & Silvereye series, and I was kinda here for it.
If you are looking for a very character-driven paranormal fantasy romance with plenty of family drama, emotional turmoil, Chinese mythology, delicious pining, teasing banter, a touch of tragedy, and some surprisingly sensual steamy scenes, you have to check out Bitter Medicine. I had a true blast, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for whatever Tsai writes next!
4.5, happily rounded up! Wonderfully easy to read without ever feeling dumbed-down, brilliant characters, and great worldbuilding. Just a super FUN read!
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Yes
slow-paced
The magic system in this one was absolutely fantastic. For my fantasy fans this was delightful.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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
It's a cozy contemporary love story set in a fantasy world. Both Elle and Luc are rediscovering themselves after going through traumatic events.
Though I love the couple, I felt misled after reading the blurb. It stated a murderous younger brother was after Elle and Luc was searching for a cure to save two children from their curse. I thought that it was a fantastic concept, I felt that these two conflicts were only used to progress the story, treated more like C-plot more than anything.
I did had a theory about
The writing is fantastic, the character's personality, including Luc, stand out. Especially Tony's personality, my god he is brother of the decade. Not the Crew. I hated the Crew, they were a bunch of jackasses (not the team lead though). I would have love the story, if it was more fleshed out or if the blurb was more accurate.
Though I love the couple, I felt misled after reading the blurb. It stated a murderous younger brother was after Elle and Luc was searching for a cure to save two children from their curse. I thought that it was a fantastic concept,
Spoiler
but the brother conflict got resolved in one chapter, then the whole sibling situation was never brought up again. We get a backstory about the kids, we see them physically once, then we never see them again or see that their curse was resolved. Yes, it was mentioned that Tony was handling it, but that's it, that is all we get out from it.I did had a theory about
Spoiler
why Elle can preform a miracle on Tony, herself, and later Luc, was because it needed to be act by a person who loves them. That's why she stated to her mother, "who amongst them (her family) can sacrifice for me" But turns out there was a technical explanation.The writing is fantastic, the character's personality, including Luc, stand out. Especially Tony's personality, my god he is brother of the decade. Not the Crew. I hated the Crew, they were a bunch of jackasses (not the team lead though). I would have love the story, if it was more fleshed out or if the blurb was more accurate.