tayat99 's review for:

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin

5.0

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This book fulfilled all of my expectations and more. I am usually skeptical about sequels, as they are usually not as good as the first book. This book was the first equal in enrapturing fantasy and Chinese lore. I LOVED diving back into this world because it kept the same balance between the two. We still learned about how much tea is woven into the culture, so deftly woven into the story as well. I really liked that the romance element was kept as minor side-plot, and that Kang was an aide to the heroine rather than taking over.
This story was so amazing and I love how you can tell how much is based in folktales. It gives the story so much more substance and wonder.