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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Such a lovely book! Elle and Luc's romance was swoony and fun and magical and grounded all at once. The world is effortlessly layered, with the beliefs and magic of different cultures interacting and overlapping, each given their own flavor and weight without any needing to beat out another as more important or more powerful. It's a beautiful coexistence! I loved seeing Elle & Luc's individual struggles and each struggle with not only those external antagonists but their own internal ones as well, and while they each played a huge role in helping the other, they also both had to overcome their own obstacles at the same time. This isn't just about two people falling in love but also finding the lives they want, and that's a beautiful thing.
The structure of the book is more like a two-act story, which makes for a different sort of pacing than many readers are used to, but it works well for it!
Beautifully written, good action, a great love story, an excellent debut from Mia Tsai!
The structure of the book is more like a two-act story, which makes for a different sort of pacing than many readers are used to, but it works well for it!
Beautifully written, good action, a great love story, an excellent debut from Mia Tsai!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-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
The book started good but dragged for a few chapters in the middle nd honestly if I didn't love the audio narrator so much, I probably would have dnfed.
This debut romantic fantasy has a lot going for it. Thing I loved most was the way the author seamlessly wove the characters' home languages in at moments. I got a thrill when I could read the Chinese as well as the French, but I don't think a reader has to know the languages to enjoy the book. The non-English bits add custom and layer to characters, but don't obscure important plot points.
I think it helps to think of this story as mainly romance, as the strongest element is the focus on Luc and Elle. The world building seemed subsidiary to the arc of their romance, and also, they didn't seem to be as old as they are: their emotional age was more like the teens they appear to be. Which, for the teen reader the book is aimed at, ought to mesh just fine. The story goes at breakneck pace, which is another element I think today's teen reader expects.
I liked Tony, and many of the subsidiary characters. I loved the mix of cultures, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
I think it helps to think of this story as mainly romance, as the strongest element is the focus on Luc and Elle. The world building seemed subsidiary to the arc of their romance, and also, they didn't seem to be as old as they are: their emotional age was more like the teens they appear to be. Which, for the teen reader the book is aimed at, ought to mesh just fine. The story goes at breakneck pace, which is another element I think today's teen reader expects.
I liked Tony, and many of the subsidiary characters. I loved the mix of cultures, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
hopeful
tense
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
🌶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
thank you to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
A romance steeped in complex characters and a contemporary fantasy world that also somewhat lives outside of time, featuring a descendant of a Chinese god of medicine giving up her life to protect her brother, and a French half-elf. BITTER MEDICINE is not the kind of book that I regularly pick up, but I overall enjoyed it nonetheless. It felt unique, and like Tsai had crafted a different world just in this one book, even if there are elements pulled from dozens of fantastical, historical, and mythological sources. For me, it felt heavier on the romance or contemporary characters aspect than it did on the fantasy at most points, although that element is at least somewhat always present. Overall, if you’re a romantic fantasy fan, I’d definitely recommend this.
BITTER MEDICINE is, at its heart, also a rich weaving of both cultural and identity within a paranormal fantasy, striking that balance between something that can feel contemporarily relatable and also relatively timeless.
In the vein of this being heavier on the romance than the fantasy, there were some moments where the pacing felt a little bit weird, or the character development didn’t feel chronologically consistent. The book immediately opens in a way that grabbed me, but some parts of the middle made this book feel longer than it actually was. The overarching plot is about Elle and Luc, and thus the fantasy plotlines become a bit more secondary and thus complete their arc before the story is actually over. But, like I mentioned, if you’re there for the romance, this could definitely be a bonus.
I’m generally a big fan of characters, and this book has several to fall for, although I’ve got to say that Tony (and his instagay thirst traps) is a personal favourite. Elle’s friends, and the Wrecking Crew, were definitively positive additions to the story, and helping expand it when it began to feel too singularly focused. I wish that some characters or antagonists like Elle’s younger brother were established with more depth, but I think the story can still stand for itself without it.
As a debut fantasy, I think that this is well worth the read, even if there are things that I would love to see Tsai develop in her future books!
A romance steeped in complex characters and a contemporary fantasy world that also somewhat lives outside of time, featuring a descendant of a Chinese god of medicine giving up her life to protect her brother, and a French half-elf. BITTER MEDICINE is not the kind of book that I regularly pick up, but I overall enjoyed it nonetheless. It felt unique, and like Tsai had crafted a different world just in this one book, even if there are elements pulled from dozens of fantastical, historical, and mythological sources. For me, it felt heavier on the romance or contemporary characters aspect than it did on the fantasy at most points, although that element is at least somewhat always present. Overall, if you’re a romantic fantasy fan, I’d definitely recommend this.
BITTER MEDICINE is, at its heart, also a rich weaving of both cultural and identity within a paranormal fantasy, striking that balance between something that can feel contemporarily relatable and also relatively timeless.
In the vein of this being heavier on the romance than the fantasy, there were some moments where the pacing felt a little bit weird, or the character development didn’t feel chronologically consistent. The book immediately opens in a way that grabbed me, but some parts of the middle made this book feel longer than it actually was. The overarching plot is about Elle and Luc, and thus the fantasy plotlines become a bit more secondary and thus complete their arc before the story is actually over. But, like I mentioned, if you’re there for the romance, this could definitely be a bonus.
I’m generally a big fan of characters, and this book has several to fall for, although I’ve got to say that Tony (and his instagay thirst traps) is a personal favourite. Elle’s friends, and the Wrecking Crew, were definitively positive additions to the story, and helping expand it when it began to feel too singularly focused. I wish that some characters or antagonists like Elle’s younger brother were established with more depth, but I think the story can still stand for itself without it.
As a debut fantasy, I think that this is well worth the read, even if there are things that I would love to see Tsai develop in her future books!
I must start off by saying I selected this book because it was compared to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It is not. This book is nothing like Moon Goddess in any aspect and am a bit annoyed it was compared to such.
Bitter Medicine is a very whimsical cozy fantasy full of lore and fast-paced scenes that will keep the reader intrigued. Tsai has a lovely writing style. She is light and carefree with her words.
Personally, I am not a fan of cozy fantasy and was not as enthralled as I had hoped. (Again I was going in with the mindset that it would be as captivating as Moon Goddess and to be honest, was sorely disappointed.) Though, for me, the characters did not leap off the page. All of that, I do think it is a very easy read and there is not so much fantasy that will leave anyone confused.
Bitter Medicine is a very whimsical cozy fantasy full of lore and fast-paced scenes that will keep the reader intrigued. Tsai has a lovely writing style. She is light and carefree with her words.
Personally, I am not a fan of cozy fantasy and was not as enthralled as I had hoped. (Again I was going in with the mindset that it would be as captivating as Moon Goddess and to be honest, was sorely disappointed.) Though, for me, the characters did not leap off the page. All of that, I do think it is a very easy read and there is not so much fantasy that will leave anyone confused.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Plot? Interesting.
Characters? Meh.
Romance? Even more meh.
Characters? Meh.
Romance? Even more meh.
Simply, It isn't for me. It didn't build the world at all.