This is the second/final book of The Book of Tea duology. I read the first book almost exactly a year ago, and I gave it 4.5 stars, so I know I really enjoyed it. But I also know that 2022 was a pretty crazy year and there was so much going on that my memory gets pretty hazy of some of it.

So I probably could have used a little refresher before jumping into this one. Because it doesn’t ease you into things or spend time reacquainting you with the characters and the world and what happened in the previous book. You just jump straight into the action so to speak.

We bounce back and forth between Ning’s and Kang’s chapters, following both of their journeys after the events of the first book.

There was not nearly as much tea magic this time around, and that was pretty disappointing for me. The tea brewing magic was such a cool element of the first book, and I was so hoping to see even more of it.

And with this book, I feel like the actual adventure/quest aspect didn’t start until more than halfway through the book. So it felt like even though we start off with Ning and the others in her group traveling and trying to keep themselves safe, overall the story felt like it was a meandering journey to get to where the story has a focus and a direction that leads to the conclusion.

That final drive with an adventure to complete in order to achieve their goals and save themselves and their people, was an entertaining one, and I think I would have liked more with that, instead of rushing to fit it into the latter portion of the book.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this duology, and I’m glad I read it. The magic system was something unique and interesting. I will definitely keep on the lookout for future books by Judy I. Lin.

I had hoped to get to this sequel finale when it was released last summer, but I'm happy to finally be able to say that I've finished out The Book of Tea duology! Fresh off a reread of the first book, it was nice to just hop right into the continuation of Ning's story. While the first one had its hints of magic and lore in it, this follow-up just infused the tale with even more wonderful, fantastical elements that broadened the scope of the world and the lore. It really set up the stakes to be even higher, made the relationships even more poignant on all fronts and ultimately wrapped things up in a way that felt really satisfying for me as a reader. I quite enjoyed my time reading the series and would highly recommend it!

While I absolutely loved book one, A Venom Dark and Sweet fell short for me. There was a drastic change in tone. I missed the magic of tea making - the intricacies and thought that went into it. There were also parts that felt rushed. It’s been a bit since I read the story and I’m admittedly struggling to remember set of the story. I think that’s telling within itself.

I still recommend reading A Magic Steeped in Poison with lowered expectations going into book two.

i want to start out by saying that this book was so good. I really liked the story and it kept me hook and interested the whole entire time. That hasn't been happening to me lately so i was glad when i couldnt put this book down. I also really enjoyed the characters. The author wrote them in a way where it is impossible not to connect with them nor care about them.

Overall this was a great read and I definitely recommend it.

3.5. The worldbuilding was still fascinating but something about the ending just didn't stick it for me. I wish this had either been worked into one standalone novel, or expanded a little more into three and go into some aspects of the story, like what happens with Shu, a little more. Still an enjoyable read, and if you've read the first one you might as well read the second.

Hmmm, I need a minute.

I enjoyed this, I did, but it did not do what it was supposed to. I gave the first book five stars because I loved it. Well-written, cool magic system, and awesome political intrigue. However, and this feels so strange to say because I don't think there's really anyone to blame for this, but when I compare it to this sequel, I want to drop it to three stars.

More seeds needed to be planted in the first book to make the second just as strong. The Serpent as the villain did not hit as hard as it could have because it felt like it was barely mentioned in the first book, so I wasn't sure what was going on. The relics and the gods too, wish more had been sprinkled in the first book so that the story was a bit more contiguous. As it is, it felt a bit like two separate stories.

That said, the political and court intrigue I loved from the start is still present here, and we get to see it from two different sides. If you loved Kang, he gets his own POV in this book! And while accompanying him we get to see what's going on in the palace with his general father and the chancellor. Meanwhile, Ning takes us away with the princess in the hunt for allies to reclaim her throne.

I'll still happily read whatever Judy I. Lin puts out next. This was a solid debut duology with such an intricate magic system and I'm excited to see what else she has.

The sequel! I usually never like the sequel as much as the first in a series, so I am really bad at follow through with reading them. However, the covers for both of these novels are just so visually stunning and beautiful that I couldn't resist picking this one up. Plus, the cliffhanger... I needed to know what happened next.

While this novel reads like a mix of mythology and a history book, it was still engaging and kept my interest. Ning is an unlikely heroine. She knows all about tea from her mom and healing/medicine from her dad. Her time at the palace was laced with mistrust, betrayals and in the end, an overthrowing of the princess. Ning goes with Princess Zhen and her love Ruyi into exile. Along the way, they pick up her sister Shu. Evil grows and the serpent's shadow haunts Ning's waking and dreaming hours. Can Ning destroy the serpent once and for all.

What I loved most: the twisted serpent at the end, the love and devotion between Ning and Shu, the whole ending

What I Wish I had More of: politics, magic, magical tea, follow up to the ending

What I didn't love so much: at times, this novel does feel like a history lesson and it drags a little, but if your jam is historical fiction -> this is the novel for you!

I don’t think this capitalized well on the momentum of the first book. Splitting POVs is always a risk, I wish we only had one!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

Wowowowow! This sequel was a good one! I loved diving back into Dàxi and seeing what all the characters were up to. I love Ning, and seeing her grow even more during this book was fantastic.

I was unable to provide review due to time constraints of me starting college. I look forward however to reading this book in the future simply as a fan, not a reviewer.

Just like the first book in the duology, I found myself fascinated by the writing style which created one of the most immersive atmospheres I have ever found in a book. The overall arc of the book made complete sense but something about the overall pacing felt not quite right which the short denouement highlighted and kept this book from being a five star. I still thoroughly enjoyed this story.

This was a great follow up to the first book! I really liked how imaginative the world was. And gosh that cover is just so gorgeous. Such a cool magic system.

the first one was better again... but i'm still in awe with the magic system.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.

This was a great conclusion to the duology and I really enjoyed the magic in this world. This one was very action packed and had a more in depth explanation of how the magic works with the ingredients in the teas was really interesting. The plot was very fast paced and it was a fast read.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was a good conclusion to the duology. However, I did prefer the first book. This one was a bit underwhelming compared to the first one. Something I really enjoyed about this sequel was that there was more development into the magical properties in tea. I did have a hard time getting into this one. Overall I would still recommend those who read and enjoyed book 1 to read this book.
*thank you to netgalley for an arc.

A great ending to the duology - it was great to see the sister dynamics at play and as ever the tea magic system was so clever. Looking forward to what Judy I. Lin writes next!

🌟3.5

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I am loving reading more types of fantasy books, and when I picked up the first book of the Book of Tea duology, I was excited to read the second. If you are looking for a fast paced Asian fantasy that you can read in a few sittings, this is a great duology to consider. The sequel follows two POVs, Kang and Ning, both of whom you meet in book one.

Where book one is a trial based fantasy (one of my favorite tropes), this book follows the rise of the Banished Prince, the exile of the princess, and a serpent who haunts Ning's dreams. This book is fast paced, and enjoyable, though I felt like the ending felt a little rushed. However, it was still a stratifying conclusion. The book also includes a pronunciation guide of names and descriptions of some of the words in the back.

Side note, can we please take a moment for the beautiful artwork?

I gave this a one out of five stars. I ended up dnfing this, it just couldn’t keep my interest. It wasn’t very memorable either..

Book: A Venom Dark and Sweet.

I thought this was an okay book. It had a nice pace but for me fell a little flat.