A review by cortanasreadingnook
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 What a clever way of sharing ancient Chinese mythology to readers. A Magic Steeped in Poison is without a doubt, a very unique story infused with the charm of tea, fantasy, and tantalizing, twisted court politics.  The author has managed to configure a fantasy book that unites archaic texts with the richness of legends and folklore. I initially set my eyes on the beautiful cover, and I expected to like this, so I’m dissatisfied at my own rating, but I just felt detached from the lengthy style this book was narrated in. Nothing happened for the majority of the book and the extreme information overload and poor pacing did not endear me to this tale at all. Halfway through and still no emphasis of tension or conflict. Zhen was more appealing to me than Kang and Ning’s passing affection for each other. I found that the characters were poorly developed, especially that of a potential love interest, and I feel so bad for not caring at all. Nevertheless, I liked how strategic and smart the women are in this book, and I am still looking forward to the sequel, with hope of it being better.