let’s start with the good things i liked about this book. loved the chinese rep, i always appreciate a book with good chinese representation. the magic system, ‘twas pretty cool. if a little vague at times, but definitely different from anything else i’ve seen in a book. and THAT COVER?! omg absolutely stunning.

ok now onto the things i didn’t like. the plot was. so. boring. like you’d think a magical tea wizard contest would be pretty interesting, but i was bored out of my mind. it just felt like there were no stakes in the competition, and i feel like the author relied too much on outside forces to give the book any semblance of tension. and that’s fine, but it just made the competition seem so dull and useless in comparison.

the characters also all fell flat for me, and i couldn’t bring myself to care for really any of them. the main character just felt so passive in her own story, and i don’t wanna read about a passive main character, because I’M a passive person, and i don’t wanna read about myself, you know? no but in all actuality, the only times i felt she really controlled her own narrative was when she ran away from home and when she broke one of her relationships. two scenes. that’s it. and i realize she’s not supposed to be a super headstrong character, it’s just that she was so passive because she was so bland and had no personality, which made reading from her pov incredibly boring.

the romance wasn’t anything special either. it was a very typical ya fantasy romance, you know the drill. it was insta-lovey, and i was not invested in their relationship at all. i only really started to get interested by the end of the book, but that’s by the end of the book, so it’s not much to go on lol.

eh i think i had much more excitement for this book than it deserved, but it’s a pretty solid, if slightly boring, ya fantasy.

Ning was responsible for brewing the tea that killed her mother and poisoned her sister, Shu. She needs to find the antidote for the poison before Shu dies. When Ning finds out there is a competition at the palace to find the best shennong-shi, master of ancient and magical tea-making, she knows she must compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, and Ning wants to request something to cure her sister. However, the competition becomes deadly and political, so Ning must race to save her own life.

This was a beautiful fantasy story. I loved the magical elements involving the tea. The tea was brewed with magic that could give the drinker or the brewer magical abilities. The competition was thrilling and suspenseful because each challenge had a dangerous twist.

This story moved along at a fast pace. There were lots of twists, especially in the final chapters. I couldn’t figure out how Ning was going to get out of her challenges in the final chapters, so I was surprised when she did. The story also ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m glad the sequel will be published so soon!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a great fantasy debut!

Thank you Raincoast Books and Feiwell and Friends for providing a copy of this book.

Really imaginative and entertaining - I love that the magic didn't have anything to do with combat. Made me hungry. I can't wait for the sequel.

This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It had a fun magic system (and unique, I might add), a main character I instantly found myself connected to and rooting for, and a competition within a "more than meets the eye" setting.

I was thrilled with all of the intrigue and exploration of class that we were given, especially as I wasn't quite expecting that. A welcome surprise!

I'm excited book two is coming out so soon.

This book was definitely unique from other fantasy books I have read lately, and I mean that in the best way. It has darker undertones with soft captivating writing, interesting magic systems, and a really intriguing storyline. I also loved the usage of mythology and tea, and the fact that it included politics but wasn’t hyper-political. I just found this whole book very unique! I highly recommend it.

Also, the cover is absolutely stunning!

Things to know:

-Extremely unique magic system
-First in duology (The Book of Tea)
-YA Asian inspired Fantasy
-Romance
-Court politics
-Debut

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Rounded to 5 stars on Goodreads)

Review:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I am a SUCKER for Asian inspired fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison. I am glad that I have early access from #netgalley for the second book, A Venom Dark and Sweet, because that cliffhanger though!

The magic system is extremely unique and enthralling. This book made me forget I was reading at times. Lin’s writing style really shone through and made me feel like I was living in the story rather than reading!

The MC, Ning, is extremely smart and has a heart of gold. I really love how she was written and her development throughout the book. I am excited to see the continued development for all the characters in the next book.

Village girl Ning kills her mom by accident and sickens her sister to a near death state. Feeling super guilty even if it wasn't her fault. Someone has been poisoning the locals tea bricks all across the land....they call themselves the Shadow. Ooo spooky. In this world tea is magical, and the palace wants the most magical Shennong-Shi to serve the Emperor himself.

Ning sets off to enter the contest to save her sister! But no oh hot boy Bo appears , an he has secrets!

I do overall like this book. I adore the authors descriptions of the tea brewing. The themes of the book do shine. How Ning although very naivete pulls thru her goals. The contest is at the backdrop compared to the politics. I look forward to the next book.

This book was magical I loved every second of this!! The characters were easily relatable too me. I loved how the dynamic of each character was shown. It just reminds me of some of my favorite movies and it was great every sentence.

There is something very magical and poetic about the words that grace these pages. Written with the same level of precision, thoughtfulness, emotional empathy, and flow as the shennongshi practice their tea ceremony, it is easy to get pulled into the lives of our protagonist, her companions, and even that of her enemies. The descriptions are exquisite, full of gorgeous details and compelling character profiles. I found myself longing to get to my evening reading time just so i could get lost In the adventure again. I hope that this one day gets its own movie treatment, because I can only imagine what the scenery, costume, and dreamlike magical sequences will look like. I also found myself craving more than one cup of tea throughout, a craving i would have indulged had I not read it over warm weather days. Still, the saga of Ning and Shu and Kang and Zhen and their companions is hypnotic and engrossing. I cannot wait to go start the sequel! What fun this was to read, and I look forward to getting my niece a copy as this is right up her alley! All the women in this book are so powerful and inspiring and I loved that most of all, and I think preteen and teens will really find that enthralling and engaging.

This might be the most beautiful cover I have ever seen.

A Magic Stepped in Poison tells the story of backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious boy with a shocking secret.

I loved the magic system and the setting of the story. This is perfect for anyone who loves a good YA fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for review.

I picked this up because the second in the duology is coming out next month. The cover is what drew me to this book initially, but I was intrigued by the idea of tea magic.

After Ning's mother dies, and her sister is dying from a poisoned tea, Ning plans to enter into a tea competition that allows the winner to ask for a favor. She's hoping to save her sister's life with a magical stone she heard the princess has.

There is a trial (one of my favorite fantasy tropes), tea magic, friendship, a little romance, and politics. I can't wait to read book two! I think you don't have to be a YA reader to love and enjoy this book.

Judy Lin is A MASTER in world-building. Her characters are poignant and her ability to wear words into a lush visual backdrop that sets the stage for her unique plot is unmatched. Beautiful. Stunning. I will read anything she writes. AMAZING.

The magic system is stunning. Reading tea leaves is a beautiful art and being able to read that in a fantasy was a lovely change from magic systems I’m used to. The cover and title caught my attention when I first saw the book in my feed. Great read for anyone into Chinese mythology.

This was a really fun and quick read. I really loved the magic system with the tea, and I enjoyed the palace politics. The romance was a little lacking for me and very instalove but has some potential.

I need the sequel to this book immediately! I loved the premise, and that it was a competition for tea-makers. Being an avid-tea drinker, I loved the connection between magic, tea, and herbology.

A Magic Steeped in Poison was a fantastically wonderful book! The only thing that is stopping me from giving it a solid 5 star was the pacing of it. It was so fast in the beginning and then it slowed down then it picked back up, I just couldn't get a feel for it while reading the book.

That being said, the representation of this book was fantastic! I enjoyed reading the combination of the different asian mythology. I loved the plot and the story behind it. While this one did take a little longer for me to read, I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to read the next book!.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends and to NetGalley for the eARC for review! All thoughts are my own.

This book was exactly what I hoped it would be, and more: a beautiful, vivid, wild ride from start to finish, with so many wicked twists and turns! I got so attached to every character, even the small side characters that made small appearances.

The way that Ning's journey progressed, from its tragic and heartbreaking beginning (unknowingly poisoning her own mother and sister, her mother perishing), taking her sister's place in the competition solely to find the cure for her, to thriving and *almost* winning the competition, kept me on the edge of my seat in itself. But having the court officials, competitors, and even palace service staff participating in the backstabbing and MULTIPLE attempted murders was WILD. I loved the blend of Chinese mythology, fantasy, romance, and the old magical folklore feel to the story. I could picture everything SO vividly, and felt like I was experiencing the MC's difficulties alongside her. The magic system being based around brewing tea and the tea ingredients properties was SO refreshing, yet tangible to understand at the same time. As many other reviewers have stated both here and on GR, Lin has an absolute gift of writing such intense scenes while also achieving a certain softness/soothing sensation to her writing. I'm lucky enough to also have an eARC of A Venom Dark and Sweet, so I can't wait to jump right in to get some answers to that insane cliffhanger!

This debut novel is full of magic, culture, adventure, and intrigue. Perfect for fans of Chinese fantasy and historical dramas. The plot is solid, and even though the pacing was a little slow in the middle, the ending delivered. Great read.

A Magic Steeped in Poison plays on the complexity of tea leaves and the flavors it invokes. Through this story, tea is central and the author uses it to the benefit of the plot and characters. Tea has been poisoned and is claiming lives, even Ning's mother and will now take her sisters life if she doest find a cure. When a competition is announced to find the next greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making, she jumps at the chance. Each competition is complex and pushes the characters to develop in ways that push at the extremes. By allowing the different sides of the tea tradition shine, the culture and care of tea is shown with delicate and multifaceted senses.

Absolutely lovely!!
Chinese mythology and magic based on different kinds of tea?! Sign me right up!
Can't wait for the sequel!