Individual destinies are too entwined with one another. A combination of hundreds, thousands of choices." #AMagicSteepedInPoison #JudyILin #macmillan

📚: 1 / 2

✨Genre: #YA #Fantasy #AAPI #ChineseMythology

✨You will find in this book:

🌱Magic / Tea making / Love-hate relationships/ Friendship 🌱

Ning has lost her mother and a lot of people are dying from the poisonings.

Ning's sister is sick. And Ning decides to go to the Palace to take part in the shennong-shi competition, for the right to serve the emperor and find the cure for her sisters sickness.

Girl from the village, encounters a lot of palace intrigues, but also meets kind people, with whom her destiny will be entwined.

Beautiful and original story with a lot of tea brewing. I loved it.

I liked that author has not chosen typical "they lived happily ever after" trope. I was completely wrong about Kang and Princess, this makes me really excited for a book two.

Cool tea magic system? The cover? Competition? These were some of the things that intrigued me and I can confirm, A Magic Steeped in Poison is a beautiful debut, full of court intrigue, mysteries and pretty descriptions. It's easy to read and entertaining enough that the pages flow by as we accompany Ning in her determined quest to find a cure for the poison and save her sister.

I really liked Ning's character and how her family always propelled her through the competition and courtly schemes. Her newfound allies that support her as well the interesting side characters added to the enjoyment. Also, the worldbuilding. The best part of the book probably. I loved how it was all put together with excellent descriptions of every food, place, situation or tea; along with the inclusion of Chinese inspiration. Though the plot falls into the typical YA fantasy category plots, it was mainly the writing that kept me going.

What I didn't like mainly was the insta love that felt forced in the plot to keep up the mystery, but Kang as a character is someone I'd like to know more about in the sequel, along with his relationship with Ning. The pacing was off at times too, with a few scenes being dragged on or seemed too convenient.

Overall, a good debut though, as it provides a solid base for the sequel. I'm eager to see the improved characterization and return to the same lush world!

I confess this was a book where the book cover demanded a reading investigation by me. I was not disappointed by what I found within its cover. I really loved the idea of magic within tea steeping, especially since I live in SE Asia where tea culture is an everyday experience. I am curious how this series will continue into the next one.

I loved this book! It was so fun and fast paced. I loved the character relationships, and the beautiful descriptions of the setting. I also greatly enjoyed the magic system, and the discussions of tea! I am very excited for book 2!

I can't even begin to put into words how I much I loved this book. Forget about how gorgeous the cover art is, and it is GORGEOUS! What is inside this book is magical! I really enjoyed the magic system and the world building in this story and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

The book's pace was slow but overall was rich in detail. There was great description of socioeconomic differences which were incorporated into the competition. The tea descriptions were beautiful. Common fantasy tropes appeared throughout but they didn't feel predictable. It's a unique premise that delivers.

I ended up DNFing this book, unfortunately. I couldn’t connect to the characters and found myself not keeping up with the plot. I definitely recommend for most YA fantasy readers, but because I’m a very character driven reader this just didn’t work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title early.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This book was so good!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for allowing me early access to this book as an eARC.

Like it gave Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim vibes but this book literally had me about to cry during the last true interaction between Ning and Kang.

The magic system is so next level!! The whole magic with the tea was so unique and so cool. The amount of thought the author put into it was so cool and just made it so whimsical and beautiful in its magic.

The pacing in the beginning was a tad slow but after we got into the competition everything flew by. There was a bit of everything from romance, to political intrigue, to backstabbing betrayals.

I’m so excited for the sequel!! (And if anyone needs a kidney I’ll trade one of mine for an ARC of A Venom Dark and Sweet 👀)

Clever premise. Got a little lost in the magic but the friendships and relationships were well done. Looking forward to sequel.

Will buy a copy of this book. Didn't have time to read the ARC before the Archive Date as I got a copy a week before release. Have heard amazing things about this book though, so I am excited to read, and then read the sequel in my ARC library.

A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON was a delectably beautiful book to read. Aesthetically, the book itself is GORGEOUS. The cover? The end pages? The chapter illustrations? All amazingly beautiful. And the story itself is just as gorgeously written. I adored Judy Lin's lyrical prose that brings to life a land filled with inequities, injustice, and tradition. You can't help but love Ning from the outset as she leaves her home to save her sister from a poisoned tea. To do this, she must become the new court shennong-shi, or a magical teamaker, but she must overcome SO many hurdles to not just win the competition, but just to survive. The whole magic system was totally fascinating and wholly unique. Magic based on different types of tea is something I have never seen before. I loved how Lin's writing engages all of your senses, including taste. It really makes reading AMSIP a wonderful experience. I was also totally here for all the doomed romance, political intrigue, and secrets that are revealed throughout the plot, which I thought was paced and developed very well. I was definitely intrigued by this book and all its gorgeousness, and am here for more from this author! I have to see what happens next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the way the magic is handled through the tea, and how it embraced a culture different than the Western norm. I enjoyed the different characters and how they interacted together. I was rooting for all of them, and the ending was very good.
But, really I feel like the potential with Kang stole the show. I really hope there is more to the character than meets the eye.

After reading an excerpt of A Magic Steeped In Poison, I was hooked. Judy I. Lin brews pure magic in this young adult book. This is a fantastic debut! The amount of research she poured into this Chinese mythology is amazing!

In the steps of her mother, Ning enters a magical competition at the palace in hopes of saving her sister from the same poison that took her mother. I nearly cried for Ning, her family, and her village!

The mystery of who is responsible for the poisonings and who will be the next shénnóng-shi for the next palace held my attention. However, there is a bit of a lull in the middle, but the ending took me by surprise. I gasped!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is part of a duology, and I look forward to reading the second book!

How far would you go to save your family?

Ning illicitly obtains a scroll, poses as a shénnóng-tu, and joins the shénnóng-shi competition to earn a favor from the princess.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, Judy I. Lin and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this magical book!

A brilliant fantasy debut! Lin’s writing was lovely and captivating, her world-building intricate yet easily understood. There were multiple plot twists that took me by surprise, proving every one of my many theories wrong, so props to her for that as well.

The only reason I didn’t give it a higher rating is because I found myself not very attached to or interested in Ning, the protagonist. My favorite characters—Kang, Lian and Zhen—were all part of the supporting cast; they had sizable roles in the story, yes, but nonetheless were side characters.

Despite that, I’ll definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out. I have high hopes, especially after that brutal cliffhanger.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes magical competitions and unique magic systems, and/or the books Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim and Lobizona by Romina Garber.

I was so surprised with how much I loved this book! The writing was beautiful and I found myself obsessed with the plot and unable to put it down. This is for fans of Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn!

"Human hands make mistakes, Ning, but they are the hands the gods gave us. We use them to make amends, to do good things."

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me access to this book before publication in exchange for an honest review.
AAAAHHH this book is amazing!! Automatically one of my favorites!! OMG it's so good!!

Idk where to start with my review because I love this book so much lol. The setting is beautiful, inspired by China and portrayed through such beautiful language you feel like you're actually there. The greatest things from mountains to small things like flower petals are described with loving detail, so the whole book is basically a love letter to China and to the Shénnóng art.

The descriptions of magic, especially Ning's shénnóng-tu magic, are breathtaking and they rope you in immediately. I so wish I saw the world through her eyes. I loved every bit of the contrast between the handcrafted and secretive opulence of the court and the simpler but even more exquisite beauty of nature Ning is so familiar with. loved seeing her knowledge and expertise of interpreting tea as well as people grow throughout the novel. The other major female characters were all amazing as well, my favorite besides Ning being the princess. I can't say too much about the princess for fear of spoiling, but I'm eager to see how her character grows in the next novel in particular. I'm not usually one to go for political intrigue plots, but the princess made this one worth it.

Strangely, I didn't love Kang as much as the rest of the main characters. He's not a bad character, I just don't feel there is much to set him and the romance apart from others in the YA genre. In other words, he's well written but a bit stereotypical, so he doesn't shine as much as the other character's more nuanced personalities. The romance feels a bit underdeveloped as a result, but since the romance was overshadowed by the politics, that kind of makes sense. The book is so amazing in other aspects that I don't mind a lack of well developed romance, and I won't actually mind too much if the second novel continues with the romance in a necessary back seat. Readers who like a splash of romance but don't want one that dominates the plot would probably agree.

I really can't say enough about this book to do it justice, so just go read it already!! This is seriously one of the best YA books I'll probably ever read, and I'll pick up the sequel ASAP. And I HAVE to get physical copies of the duology so I can display these absolutely gorgeous covers!

Thanks to St. Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

First off, the cover is absolutely stunning.

Inspired by Chinese history and mythology. The story follows Ning. She is gifted in the art of tea-making, and she fights to save her dying sister by entering the magical tea-brewing competition that was held in the palace.

The idea of the shénnóng magic was interesting to read, and the plot was fast-paced and well-written. I loved the atmosphere of this book and the bonds between the characters. The book ends with a cliffhanger, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

Overall, I recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy books.

3.5 stars

Truly a noteworthy YA fantasy set in ancient China that was heavily steeped in myth and lore.The use of tea as a medium for magic within the book was a unique choice that I really enjoyed reading about. I definitely would recommend this to any fans of period dramas, the writing was rich with vivid detail and lush imagery.

The plot does take a while to pick up and the political intrigue left a bit to be desired as at times it felt to be thick with interlude without any of the intrigue. That being said, the second half of the book was when things really picked up and it quickly became unputdownable. I found this to be a very solid debut with a strong, capable protagonist and I thought the finale was a gripping buildup for the sequel.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Magic Steeped in Poison has a great beginning and ending, but a bit of a confused middle part with some logic holes and things that made no sense to me, as if the author had not had the time to edit the middle as thoroughly as the rest.

I'm actually still looking forward to the sequel--this is only a debut, and the author clearly has a lot of talent for beautiful prose and creating tension. With a bit more attention to more thoughtful plotting, characterization and world-building, this series could become a favorite.

I wanted to read this book ever since I saw the cover, and the story did not disappoint. This had one of the most unique magic systems I've read in quite a while. Ning was a complex and lovely protagonist and her relationship with her sister was one of my favorite parts. Politics in fantasy always get me, and this one was just as exciting, but somehow with even more elevated stakes. The person I will become when its sequel comes out...