I absolutely loved the first book in this series -- and I felt like it had been strong enough to not need a sequel. That being said, I did enjoy A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin.

The first half of the book is very exposition heavy, especially for a sequel. They spent a lot of time getting us BACK to where the last book left off. While I still really love the magic system in this world, it was a little slow for the first 50%. It does pick up after that, but it felt like a book I'd ready before -- unlike Book 1, which had felt new and shiny and different.

For me, a solid 3.5-4/5 stars. I'll reread the first book in the series over and over again -- but probably not this one.

In this conclusion to The Book of Tea duology (sequel to A Magic Steeped in Poison), Ning continues to grow into her own power while on the run as an assumed fugitive in the wake of a palace coup. As she harnesses all her skills to protect her loved ones from the encroaching darkness that spreads in the form of poisoned tea and mind-controlled shadow warriors, she must also grapple with the politics of her world, with ever-shifting loyalties, and with her conflicted feelings for someone who may be her enemy.

Lin writes a beautifully absorbing fantasy story steeped in Chinese myth and tradition. In our very real world, tea was a commodity whose unrelenting demand in Europe caused the British to pillage China with war and colonialism for much of the 1700's, so it's delightful to see it as a source of power here that is wielded by a young woman who must continually tap into untold stores of strength for those most vulnerable. I found the plot to be fast-paced but easy to follow, and I really grew up care for the characters.

I enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison so much, so I was very excited to be able to read the ARC of #AVenonDarkAndSweet by Judy I. Lin. The conclusion to the duology did not disappoint one bit. I think this book is flying under the radar and needs more notice, to be honest! The sequel is an excellent ending to the story while still maintaining its own unique parts.

The book picks up where the first one leaves off, and it is easy to jump right back in without needing too much backstory: Ning, her sister, the princess, and Ruyi are fleeing throughout the kingdom as the Banished Price and his family have returned to power. The world building in this book is so beautiful. Lin balances action and plot with character development and relationships as well as intricate details on legends and food and locations and more. These details are not asides; they are integral to the storyline, which makes them all the better. Really just a beautiful story.

The duology is the perfect pace for teens who want some good world building alongside a light romance and action. I am looking forward to sharing this one with our library. Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions and views expressed in this book are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This book was so good. I really loved Judy I. Lin's writing and story telling ability. She weaves together a beautiful story that is so engaging and fun to read. I can't wait to read the next book she releases.

This was an amazing conclusion to the duology! Though I was able to piece together some things ahead of time there were definitely twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. If you read the first one and loved it, don't miss out on this one. If you enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea or Spin the Dawn, definitely try this book!

I adore the magic system and writing style of this author. I could stay in this world forever! A great end to this duology.

A thrilling conclusion to the Book of Tea duology, Ning finds herself on the run with her sister, the princess, and the princess' faithful bodyguard. After being declared a murderer and being struck with the poison of the serpent, she makes a vow to herself that no matter what she must keep her sister safe and that she gets the princess back on the throne. Even if it costs her her life.

Judy I. Lin strikes again with an absolutely beautiful book describing the conclusion of Ning's adventures. I found myself lost many times in her prose, effortlessly setting up scenes that are just utterly gorgeous. It seriously felt as if it were a movie playing in my mind. Everything is so clear, and written in such a beautiful way that you cannot help but to ponder over every word.

The plot of this book was a lot better paced than the first one in my opinion. I didn't feel as if it slowed down at all, and rather kept a smooth momentum throughout. Not to mention that I love how the book is not super heavy on romance but still has the inclusion of some relationships here and there. They are beautiful connections between the characters that do not need to be shoved into your face. You can see the characters love each other through their thoughts.

Of course, the characters are so very dear to me that I really hate to let them go so soon. They are very relatable in their own ways, and yet the fantastical elements that each possesses is unique in their own way and keeps you yearning to hear more about them.

Overall, I loved this book and I loved the duology itself even more. I cannot wait to see more from the author in the future, and I will definitely be buying this book once it comes out on August 23, 2022. I already have the first book sitting on my shelf, waiting for its companion!

Thank you so much to Feiwel and Friends and to NetGalley for allowing me to receive an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will post on TikTok about this book closer to the release date.

The second in the Book of Tea Duology, A Venom Dark and Sweet picks up after the Shennong-shi competition has fallen apart as the farce it was.

Ning is in the run with her sister, the princess and her body guard. Kang is now a prince as his father, the general, has been elevated to be an emperor in waiting.

The shadow of a serpent haunts Ning in her dreams and somehow under her skin.

The chancellor seems more and more suspicious to Kang.

How can they bring to light the truth and peace to Jia?

I really wanted to give this one a shot, even though I didn't love the first. I mean, the world-building is absolutely beautiful, and I love the way tea-making plays such a huge role in this story. I just...had the same problems I did with the first.

These characters are very one-note to me, and even when they are professing love or adoration for each other, I don't understand where their relationships were built. I think they all speak so formally that they seem robotic, but then one of them will make a joke and I'm completely taken out of the book because it's so out of character to me. Kang says "of course, you would say that..." and I'm like "would she...?"

Without giving spoilers (because this is book two and has not gotten out to the public), I felt that the story reached a satisfying ending and was guided by good twists. Plot-wise, it was quite different from book one, which I wondered about. I didn't see what more could be said after book one and suddenly there was a cliffhanger. It made sense for it to be a duology, though.

All-in-all, I tried! You can't love them all.

Again, Lin writes a masterpiece. This is a thrilling conclusion to the duology. Leaving the palace brings a new depth to the series and opens the storyline up to unravel the myseries while creating new ones. Who is the hero and who is the villian?

This sequel picks up right where A Magic Steeped in Poison left off and continues the story. It is really more of a second half than a stand alone sequel, and the books really need to be read in order and together. Ning is still working to save her family and the kingdom, trying to figure out who she can trust along the way. A major difference in this one is that it alternates viewpoints between Ning and Kang. This took a bit to get used to hearing from Kang's perspective but gives a richer sense to the story. Highly recommended for grades 7 & up. Must read in order.

A remarkable end to a wonderful duology. I was really impressed by the author's creativity in creating this awesome magic system. The mythos and the world-building were incredible. I enjoyed how this book explored Kang's perspective as well, he really grew as a character. The scope of the book certainly exceeded the first book, which will satisfy readers who longed for more of the empire to be explored.

Fans of "Magic Steeped in Poison" will find a lot to enjoy with its sequel, "A Venom Dark and Sweet". Rather than focus merely on Ning's story, we have an additional POV in Kang, the disgraced prince who assisted his father in seizing power out from under Ning's friend and exiled princess, Zhen. There's a lot of moving parts here - protagonists separated, multiple threats, and a kingdom at risk - but this book sticks the landing. I particularly enjoyed that the overall ending was bittersweet - it felt right considering the love story in the first book.. The only complaint I have is that I needed to brush up on book one before reading the second; there were several minor characters that were recalled that I flat didn't remember and I could have used maybe a summary or a "previous on"? That may be more of a Me Thing than a real problem, however.

🐍 A Venom Dark and Sweet 🐛

✨3.75/5✨

‼️ SPOILERS BELOW‼️

"𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜."

Shared room trope

The demon bug centipede thing in her wound was disgusting. To be honest, I don't really see where that played a huge role and why it was important.

Ning and Kang are sweet. I'm glad they end up together.

The magic is still kinda underdeveloped in my opinion. I don't get what Shu is fully and why it was significant. Ning, I feel like I understood better.

I wish we had more understanding on the serpent and what his ultimate goal was. Was it just killing?

I really enjoyed this series. Definitely a good read! A lot of beautiful descriptions. Judy Lin is a wonderful wordsmith.

Thank you to MacMillan and Judy Lin for giving me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Please remember, anything above a three is good in my book. The first book was definitely better and this one was still good.

Happy reading!

#amagicsteepedinpoison #judylin #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #reading #books #booknerd #bookcommunity #booksofinstgram #bookinspiration #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreview #reviews #bookbloggershub #bookpiles #bookhack #bookideas #currentlyreading #tbr #tbrlistthatneverends #arcreader #arc #advancedreaderscopy

The Banished Prince returns and a dark evil is unleash in the conclusion of the Book of Tea duology, A Venom Dark and Sweet. Judy I. Lin truly wasted no time in creating a masterpiece sequel to A Magic Steeped in Poison.

I was able to go straight into this sequel after (re)reading the first book, but it honestly wasn’t even needed. The author was fantastic about reintroducing characters and plot points from the first book so the reader feels connected to the previous book. The characters remain true to their established selves and the character growth in this book was immaculate to watch and so well written. Ning is the heroine I didn’t know my life needed until now.

I love that the author doesn’t shy away from Chinese mythology and traditions, doesn’t try to “wash” the culture like can sometimes happen in books geared at younger audiences. The dialogue doesn’t feel overly modernized for the period, and I loved how the author highlighted the importance of ritual and food, truly drawing the reader into the culture its establishing and honoring.

My main complaint with this book was it felt like it dragged a bit through the middle and threw a ton of information right at the end. The final scene prior to the epilogue is the most important. And yet it happens less than the last 10% of the book. The multiple POVs added something really nice to this novel that the first lacked, but I wish they were both first or third person and not one of each, as it was a little hard to adjust to at first. Other than that, this book is an absolute masterpiece of YA literature.

Judy I Lin truly entered the writing world with a bang with this duopoly.

(Shoutout Fewer & Friends, Sara at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group & NetGalley for letting me read this galley!)

Original review posted on Goodreads.

FYI, review contains some slight spoilers from the end of the first book.

Because it was coming out so soon after the first one, I wanted to dive right in so the first book was still fresh in my head. Then I spent almost a month trying to finish it... It was definitely two-fold: partly my own lack of interest in picking up <i>any</i> book and reading for the last month or so, and partly because the story just wasn't grabbing me.

The first book ended with a lot of movement, protagonists scattered, and then when this book starts it's...a lot of setup. We get this dual narrative suddenly between Ning and Kang, so we're seeing the palace from Kang's perspective and Ning's as she travels with exiled Zhen. Even though I JUST read the first one, there were so many I couldn't easily recall each palace traitor or lackey from the other (plus we'd never met them from Kang's perspective so their relationship/recognizable reactions to Ning were gone). It set a tone for me that I never really recovered from, unfortunately.

The outcome of final few chapters was also...fine. Look, endings are hard. It was serviceable, but didn't wow me. Ultimately I enjoyed the first one much more, with its promise of what was to come versus the actual execution of the conclusion. But I think I may be in the minority and, for many others, it will work well! I wouldn't be opposed to reading more by the author in a new world!

**FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Feiwel and Friends. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review.**

Thank you Sara Elroubi and macmillians childrens publishing for the arc!!
I loved this first book and even though the second one was coming out pretty soon, it ended on a cliffhanger that gave me anxiety so I hunted this arc down lol
I liked this sequel more than the first book! Kang felt like he had a much bigger role, it’s even in dual POV with him and Ning! I loved seeing where their relationship went and how they still trusted each other despite being on seemingly opposite sides. The mythology felt more ingrained in the story this time, especially with the objects and the hermit. Everything about the serpent also starts to make sense. I also loved getting to see more of her sister Shu and her magic! My only complaint is we didn’t get that much of the other side characters I loved in the first book. I recommend this duology to anyone who likes unique magic systems, YA books, or mythology.

Champion of putting off writing a review until I’ve forgotten absolutely every opinion I had 😗✌🏻 but for reals tho this was so good. I feel like I say that about every book but it was so fun to read!!!! Tea!!! More Shu content! Yay!!!! No thoughts head empty just happy feelings

After devouring the first book twice (first the ARC and then the physical), reading this final book was so satisfying. Everything about this book was incredible. I always find it hard to believe in sequels, but this did not fail me. There was never a single low moment, every bit was powerful and built the whole book up. And there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I was prepared for this book to be emotional and it certainly was. I loved Ning as a character. I honestly think she is one of my favorite leading ladies and I'm truly inspired by the depth of her character.

I can't imagine changing a thing about this book. The only thing I could ask for is more, but I'm totally fine with not getting that. I can't wait for the physical of this to come out so I can complete my collection.

A beautiful adventure, gorgeous imagery, and emotional storytelling. I'll never forget this!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.