I tore through this book and absolutely loved it. I loved the fantastical elements, the cultural blend, the writing style, and the character development. While Elle did, at times, feel a bit juvenile, it didn't detract from her character. Overall, the plot, pace, and characters were excellent, and I look forward to reading more by Mia Tsai.

Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Billed as a “xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy, Mia Tsai brings her vivid world to life as Elle and Luc work together to thwart Elle’s younger brother’s attempts to find her and her older brother. Throughout the narrative, Elle and Luc fall in love despite their respective motivations to find Elle’s brother but have their loyalties and ideals challenged before they can admit their feelings. Tsai crafts an intriguing narrative and immerses readers in a world where the characters and dialogue drive the story instead of extensive world-building.

I’m not sure where to start. Bitter Medicine is already a top book of 2023 for me, it is really that good. Somehow Mia Tsai looked inside my mind, looked at the tropes and character archetypes I’d love, and made me a damn near perfect book.

First, the worldbuilding. Somehow the author perfectly merged a modern world with multicultural magic systems - we’re talking Xianxia-style Chinese magic systems and combat alongside European-style fae lore, and smidges of other mythologies. It was like the urban fantasy of my dreams, down to the pertinent social commentary about San Francisco cost of living.

And then there are the characters: protagonist Elle is an absolute delight throughout her arc, a perky, high-level magic worker from Hubei province whose main medium is calligraphy, wherein different qualities of ink give her more power, and it was so cool. Taking brush to paper is both magic craft and love language for Elle. The opening passage of her lovingly crafting a glyph, which I think is equivalent to a talisman, was incredibly vivid in my mind’s eye. She's very fun and relatable, too - there is a very entertaining scene involving her and a morphine drip. Half-elf Luc is The Whole Package, tall, angsty and stoic, with a killer accent and even better combat moves. He is very damaged after years of traumatic work with the elite forces of the supernatural agency that runs the magic half of their world, and being abused by the man who was supposed to be guardian and mentor. This brings in how great the side characters are; Oberon’s bigotry and sheer awfulness drives home what a cinnamon roll Luc is. Tony, Elle’s brother, was one of the most enjoyable characters I’ve read in a while, a queer icon with snark and wit to spare.

And the [chef’s kiss] ROMANCE. I loved that the main pairing was introduced as an already-established will they or won’t they friendship, and that both characters had not-quite immortality, but supernaturally-lengthened lifespans and were both over a century old. There was no “mortal high school girl meets ancient being” vibes and the power dynamics in their relationship were fantastic. Elle gets Luc to open up, Luc gets Elle to acknowledge she is not only her powers and what she can do for others. Their steamy love scenes - oh my gosh, you guys. Incredibly sensual and emotional passages, and in one a very sexy use of meridian energy channel reading as foreplay. Another thing - I found the dramatic misunderstandings that other books or shows apply liberally were neatly avoided by these characters talking it out in this story. Cannot stress how much I appreciate the realism of characters that care enough to hear each other out and not believe the worst immediately.

I found the trifecta in this story: lovable characters, a really cool world, and great writing, from dialogue choices to outfit descriptions. And there was a fourth secret ingredient - language. Tsai has a lengthy afterword describing why she chose to leave dialogue lines in authentic Chinese characters, phrases in French, and more. As a linguistics nerd, I loved this so much.

Yes, there are a couple weaknesses; the main conflict is not really at all what is described in the summary, and some characters are kind of just…Tidied away? For plot wrap-up convenience. The book has a not-quite finished feeling, and while I can see why it wouldn’t be a series, the end didn’t feel like an end.

That said, I binged this like fanfic, ravenously, thanks to brisk pacing, oodles of romantic lines and yearning, and characters who were all seeking atonement of different kinds. This gets five exuberant stars from me and I will be immediately snapping up a physical copy when it comes out in March 2023.

Set in our would where there is magic and magical beings but hidden from humans. Elle is hiding her talents for magic and art by working creating glyphs for employees of the magical company she works for. A regular customer that she has a connection with asks her to do something that is more in her power range and even as she protests she can’t she does agree to do it because she has a crush on this half elf in hiding. Everyone things Luc is a full elf, but Elle knows the difference by using her family magic of medicine to tune the glyphs to him. Elle is an immortal descendant of a Chinese god of medicine and is hiding to protect her older brother who had his magic stripped from him during a fight with their younger brother. Luc is a highly ranked agent at the agency that does missions for the head of company no matter how much he may not like the mission. His boss has magical control over him and had had him do things he loathes. Luc figures out that Elle is hiding something more than just her power level and even as they slowly become closer things secrets are going to come out on both sides and Elle will have to face what happened in her past with her family.
I really liked this book, the setting felt fresh and didn’t bog itself down with tons of worldbuilding. Just enough to get the story told and leave lots of room for more tales in this setting with either these characters or new people.

I was so set to love this book so much, but it ended up being such a disappointment. The concept and world are so interesting and it’s been compared to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, which was one of my favorite reads of 2022. This book falls terribly flat in comparison and is probably done a disservice by that ad tagline. I’m not a stickler for pacing usually, but the structure and plotting of this book is so wonky. It makes it feel about a hundred pages longer than it actually is. It’s such a plodding and often confusing story. There seemed to be references to events that either weren’t memorable enough or got cut from the final edit. I’m still not totally clear on how the contradictory world-building mechanics allow for the resolution to the centra conflict of the book, but the author doesn’t seem particularly concerned about fleshing out the world-building much anyway so perhaps that’s an unfair expectation. Ultimately, the greatest flaw of the book was the lackluster romance and dull characterization of all the characters. There were so many unsatisfying loose ends at the end of a book that was already mostly unsatisfying to read. It’s really such a shame - the concept just seemed so cool!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Truly one of the best books I've read this year. A story not only about the magic of the world, but also about the magic of moving on. The complexities of atonement, and really, what does atonement mean anyway? This book took me a while to read (I began in early November and just finished on the 29th December), but I savoured every word. No matter whether they were friends, dates, lovers or something more than this, every interaction between Luc and Elle was heartfelt and true and I commend the author for writing such a loving relationship with so much yearning I had to stop myself from kicking my feet up and giggling at several points.

I appreciated the author's note on language and translation. I must admit that I was, at first, thrown off by the Chinese characters that appeared in the book, but came to expect them, and just hope that I wasn't missing anything in context. As a black woman who can speak several languages, I appreciate that this was just another form of communication, and I liked how they were included, not to shut out the reader, but to highlight intricacies that I didn't get. I think, as books become more diverse (thankfully, might I add), readers need to broaden their perspectives to read things they don't understand and still accept them. To me, this is a great example of that.

I'd love to see what Mia Tsai does next.

Elle Mei is a gifted immortal who comes from a family of sorcerers. Shénnóng, the Chinese god of medicine, was her ancestor. Due to her lineage, Elle has an exceptional talent for magical calligraphy - which could easily lead to a lucrative career. However, to protect her family, she leads a quiet life as an "ordinary" glyphmaker in Raleigh, North Carolina. By hiding her true identity and abilities, she's able to limit the damage that would occur if she used too much power. A dangerous love affair between a human and an elf begins when security expert Luc Villois hires Elle to create custom glyphs for an upcoming assignment. Despite their reservations about each other's identities, they become close friends.

Bitter Medicine has relatable characters, a good plot, and a nice flow. Recommended.

Bitter Medicine is fantasy romance with magic and mysticism, but set in the present day. Good 🔥. I believe this is based in Chinese mythology.
I would describe it as mythology x medical drama x mercenaries x love story.
My dream casting would be Bowen Yang as Tony, Gemma Chan as Elle and Henry Cavill as Luc

Mia Tsai's debut contemporary fantasy, Bitter Medicine, has it all: cinematic xianxia-inspired action scenes, thoroughly developed characters, romance and a diverse, fascinating magical world. When Chinese magical calligrapher Elle's younger brother attempted to murder his older siblings, Elle and her older brother faked their deaths and went into hiding. Twenty-six years later, she's selling simple glyphs for a fairy temp agency and never using the jade laes that connects her to her ancestors. French half-elf security agent Luc has been coming to Elle for years, both of them wishing for more than their brief exchanges but holding back because they don't want to endanger each other. Just as their personal relationship starts to deepen, Luc's latest assignment puts them both directly in the path of Elle's murderous brother.
Bitter Medicine is steeped in yearning. Luc has spent decades suppressing his personal feelings and desires, building a wall between himself and the world in order to tolerate the awful things he is magically compelled to do as his boss's Fixer. Elle has disconnected from her ancestors, including the Chinese god of medicine, in able to protect her brother and they've moved frequently so she has no social life.
Elle and Luc have both done things they believe unforgivable, but they're good people and easy to root for. In creating two mature, deeply empathetic characters, Tsai also avoids one of the most common plot devices: the big misunderstanding. It's a testament to Tsai's skill that even with characters who communicate with each other, she's able to keep the tension going until the very end.
Tsai sets the tone for Bitter Medicine by beginning in media res and building the setting and characters as she goes. The narrative is immersive and fast-paced, told in third person present and two points of view. Tsai takes a high-stakes adventure plot and layers it with humor, tension and the everyday moments that build the foundation of a compelling romantic relationship. Her well-developed network of coworkers and family members creates ample opportunity for sequels and readers will be clamoring for more of Mia Tsai's fresh, captivating voice.
Bitter Medicine is contemporary fantasy at its best: sharp, complex but contained and driven by two lovable characters working hard for their Happily Ever After.

3.5 rounded up
This was a very enjoyable read with wonderful lead characters and a satisfying wrap-up to the romance. However, the tone's unevenness did start to get to me, as it oscillates between serious and humorous very abruptly.. The lighter tone for a workplace urban fantasy romance made sense, but the moments of brevity and some of the jokes just felt really out of place and jarring. I also sense the worldbuilding could have been explored much more deeply than it ended up being; there was a missed opportunity there. The glimmers we saw were brilliant, and I loved the author's integration of language, geography, culture - it made the fantasy world feel so much more well thought out and real than a lot of urban fantasy does for me. The world just felt *big*, and I loved that.

All-in-all, super solid even if it was a little lighter than I personally lean towards, and a lot of fun!

Thank you to the both the author and publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, I am so grateful!

This is a modern fantasy world but I would say it sways more to speculative fiction/ a blend of historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi and romance which I believe is what the author intended. It was written beautifully and felt seamless, the writing flowed well which made it easy to read.

Our MC, Elle, is very relatable and super likeable it’s very hard not to root for her. She is a queen of avoidance and I love that- but I also love that no one lets her slip by with that behaviour, she’s forced to face her demons head on time and time again. Lucien and Elle are the perfect remedy, I absolutely adore their relationship and the way they go back and forth, and the romance was written beautifully with a reverence that you rarely find in books.

I did find the third act to be slower and found my attention straining a little- I also would have loved it to delve into the details of magic and powers a little more, it seems it was all based in gods and ancestors and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is me having a limited understanding of that, rather than the book not explaining and I’m fully prepared to take responsibility for that.

Overall, I would definitely recommend- I think there’s a little something for everyone here, whether that’s a modern fantasy world, a romance, turbulent family connections or a strong female MC.

DNF
Written in Present Tense
Script > Story

This is an unfair review. I cannot make myself read third-person present-tense books. I know that is a very strange pet peeve to have but every book I read that does this end up sounding like a poorly written script. This is completely my own bias and has NOTHING to do with the story or the ability of the author to communicate and write effectively therefore I will not be posting this review on any other platform.

Omgggg why did it take me so long to start this book??? I read it in less than a day!! I couldn't put it down. Such a good book with twists that I honestly did not see coming. 10/10 would recommend!!

Elle was destined to be a doctor but finds herself underemployed as lowly magical calligrapher in a temp agency hiding and protecting her older brother from her younger brother. One of her clients is a French elf, who she is sweet on. Turns out he likes her too. They try to navigate a budding relationship under the restrictions of her job and fear of exposure and his job (if he told you he would have to kill you. This was a delightful read!

It was really good! I loved the setting and the cast of characters. the writing style was fun too! Overall, I love this book. Can't wait to get my hands on a second book in this universe(if there will be!)

This book made me grin madly, then ugly cry out of sadness, and then made me cry again out of happiness. Thanks, I needed that cry, really needed this feel-good. 😭😭🥰🥰

I really loved the book; the plot, the characters, and the romance. It started off sweet and cute; just two immortals finding they can't be apart from each other. Their chemistry is super cute and I could almost taste the sugar on my tongue whenever I read about them. As their relationship progresses, their secrets and pasts catch up with their present, leaving them no choice but to have courage and make hard choices.

But this story is also about finding our worth in a world that just loves to under-appreciate and take people for granted. Elle and Luc have to give and give so much without taking, and as noble as they have been, it is not a healthy way to live. They learn this throughout the story; they learn to stand up to those who only seek them to use them, who treat them as tools. They learn to fight for the people they love, but also to fight for themselves out of self-love and self-respect.

Thank you, I needed this. 😭😭 (okay, I'm crying again)

The world-building reminded me of Men in Black with a complex hidden system on top of the mundane world. I like that the author explained the setting as the story progresses so it didn't appear as an info dump.

The storytelling is great; I love the pacing and the poetic prose, yet it is still easy to read that I could have finished this in a day if I didn't have an exam to go to. Another thing I love is how the angst was building ever so slowly but surely and then it climaxed beautifully (it hurts 😭, it made me cry 😭, but damn it, it's awesome! 🥰🥰) However, I find it a bit inconvenient to have to search through some of the foreign words; mandarin and french. Some of the foreign words were not translated, either directly or indirectly, and I was lazy to have to open up the dictionary every time.

If you like a feel-good story, that would take you on a journey of self-discovery down to the darkest moment and then rising up to fight for what you care about despite the heavy costs, with a caramel-sweet romance, and a heartwarming found family, please pick up this book. 🙌🙌🙌

You might need this book as I did.

I've been given a free arc from Netgalley for an honest review all opinions are my own.

I love the book cover. It gives me Sailor Moon vibes with the drawing style!

I liked this book, but sometimes the writing had me a little confused.
I liked the story and the characters.
I think this book is a solid 4 stars from me.

3 stars

There was much to enjoy in this urban fantasy romance - real, weighty stakes; two complex lead characters; an interesting world (though I did think the world-building could have been more detailed and clearer in many areas); and a super cute romance for all that their lives and pasts intervened (I particularly enjoyed how much genuine communication there was between these two - including at a point where other novels will insert the second/third act miscommunication trope). I also had an issue with the pacing of the plot and felt like the book took on too much as a standalone story and somehow didn't fully satisfy either the romance plot or the fantasy elements and the plot involving Elle's younger brother and family (though I can see the potential for expanding the world, especially with some of the side characters).

I feel like the blurb misled me on this one. I thought it was a magical adventure with romance, but it turned out to be a romance with some magical adventure.

The pacing was all over the place. Things changed in the relationship very suddenly, and then we had a moment of action that felt like the climax...but it was only halfway through the book. The second half dragged and felt like it went on forever.

I also had a really hard time with the FMC making excuses for all the men who used her and/or betrayed her trust. Her purpose both in her mind and in the book seemed to be what she could do for her love interest and her brother. No thanks.

I was not a huge fan of this, but someone who doesn't mind a romance with the main conflict being a terrible, exhausting corporate job and for a random sex scene that lasts forever??? This could be for you.

I received an arc through NetGalley and Tachyon Publications in exchange for an honest review.

It's a very well-written paranormal fantasy that takes you to a world of intrigue and romance. The beginning is a little slower for my taste but I think it's perfect in this case because it gives you a chance to get into the story. I especially loved how it combines so many cultures and languages. It's one of the best books I have read with diverse characters.
Elle is more powerful than she admits to anyone, most of all to herself. In the past, she did something that is haunting her and she thinks happiness isn't for her. That is until Luc comes into her life and proves her wrong.
Lucien is working for a man he can't respect doing a job he hates. There is no way out, though. That is until he has a reason to try harder. Now, he is determined to change his circumstances and help Elle regain her happiness.
I'm a fan of Asian Fantasy and the premise of this book is what piqued my interest first. Then I read more about it and knew I would love it and I wasn't wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and loved every character.