A Magic Steeped In Poison (The book of tea, 1)

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Take this with you,” my sister says, “so you can feel beautiful in the palace. As beautiful as she was.”

Starting with the characters- I really liked them! ✨ Our mc, Ning, was super easy to connect to and I really admired her willingness to do anything for her sister. Her development throughout the story was really well-done and I was rooting for her throughout the competition 💗💗 I also really liked our mmc, Kang- he was such an interesting character and finding out more about him throughout the story was so interesting. He's honestly so sweet, i love him! 🥰🥰 The romance in the book piqued my interest and I’m sure that it’ll be explored further in the next book. But what stood out to me were the female friendships and relationships, and how strong they were. From Ning’s bond with her late mother and dying sister, to Princess Zhen’s relationship and bond with her bodyguard Ruyi, I was invested in all of these relationships. Ning was actually the most difficult character for me to figure out because it felt like she fought me every step of the way! But I think it resulted in a complexity to her character that resonates with many readers. She begins the story struggling with her self-doubt. She feels like an imposter while associating with others who have already mastered the magic she struggles to wield. It is through her experiences where she begins to grow into her confidence, and even though there are easier ways out, she makes difficult choices time and time again: to remain in the competition for her sister, and then eventually, for herself. I hope she is a relatable character to those who may have also travelled far from home and felt like a fish out of water or thrust into roles they did not believe they were capable of. I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother." A childhood favorite that I revisit every so often is the Crown Duel duology by Sherwood Smith. It has action and romance and adventure with a little bit of magic, but I liked how a lot of times the heroine Mel had to rely on her wits instead of magical solutions to her problems.Ning, however, has come up with a plan to try and save Shu. The capital is currently holding a competition to crown a new shennong-shi, a magic user that is able to brew different teas to craft spells, combat poisons, and perform amazing feats. The winner of the competition will be given a place of honour among society as the shennong-shi for the royal family, but will also be granted access to cures and resources that Ning believes would allow her to save her sister. Stealing off into the night, Ning makes her way to the capital where she’s able to use the invitation sent to her mother – who was a shennong-shi and taught Ning – to enter the competition. A Magic Steeped in Poison follows our mc Ning, who is suffering from the grief and guilt from losing her mother after she unknowingly brewed a batch of poison tea- the tea that is now killing her sister, Shu, too. Then Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's best shennong-shi (masters of the ancient, magical art of tea-making), where the winner will receive a favor, she travels to the palace to compete, desperate to save Shu. But Ning is soon caught up within the bloody court politics and with a handsome boy with a terrible secret distracting her, her life may actually be the one in danger... The novel is steeped in Chinese mythology and magic. We read frequent references to various gods and goddesses of old and who are worshipped by the people. These gods and goddesses are the source of the magic utilized in the tea rituals. The shénnóng magic is like a conversation with them, according to Ning’s mom. Characters tell several stories of the old gods’ actions and their consequences. Specific spaces in the castle are meant for worship and include representations of the gods. The greatest shénnóng-shi can see the future unfolding, wavering in the steam over a well-brewed cup. Once, Mother brewed fù pén zi, dried from the leaves of the raspberry bush, for a pregnant woman in the village. The steam burned blue in the morning air, taking the form of four shining needles. From this, she discerned correctly that the child would be stillborn. Seppur sia vero che rispetto al primo libro questo era un po' più 'sottotono', la cosa ha ovviamente i suoi perché: mentre in 'Una magia infusa di veleno' era tutto molto più misterioso e movimentato dato che la protagonista, Ning, sta partecipando alla sfida per diventare shennong-shi e nel frattempo trovare una cura per la sorella mentre finiva in mezzo ai misteri di corte, qui abbiamo abbandonato il palazzo e siamo perennemente in viaggio insieme ai protagonisti per un solo e semplice motivo: sopravvivere. Per la maggior parte del tempo si fugge e le 'avventure'/side quests che i protagonisti affrontano sembrano più situazioni di contorno per quello che resta il loro obiettivo principale, ovvero cercare di restare in vita continuando a proteggere quelli che amano

I had really expectations going into this- and i'm really sad to say this was a bit meh... 😒😒 It definitely wasn't bad and there were some things I enjoyed about it, but it's nowhere near as good as the first book in this series, sadly 🥲🥲 Doubt crawls across my skin as my fingers return to clutch the scroll once more. An invitation meant for someone else—my mother’s true apprentice. Also, kang's pov chapters?? Literally so bland. I was so excited when I saw this was dual pov so that was a big bummer... 🙈🙈

Blends traditional tea-making with familiar tropes about magic and medicine to create something that feels wonderfully new." — Paste Magazine Tea has the ability to change emotions, heal or harm people and create illusions. We see people and creatures manipulated by tea magic. Some residents of the nation are more superstitious than others, believing in supernatural beings like ghosts and spirits. The tea sometimes produces omens and apparitions. Astronomy, though a rare profession, is still practiced and used to tell the future. For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her — the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. For me the romance started out well in this series- in #1, it was super cute and I felt the chemistry, so I was excited to see more of Ning and Kang in this book. But... it just fell so flat 🥲🥲☹️☹️ I really didn't feel a whole ton of chemistry or tension between them, which was SO disappointing 😭😭 The romance was also nonexistent for the first half and by the time we saw more of them in the second half i was just so uninvested in their relationship 🫤

Initially, the book’s premise reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn, and to a lesser extent Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess. But the story is a little darker than Spin the Dawn and feels more mature. Like with Spin the Dawn, the story revolves around a small town girl who is talented in her craft and follows a call from the Crown to compete for a coveted job in the court. Unlike in Spin the Dawn however, this heroine competes completely under her own power. There might be help along the way, but there is no supernatural magic beyond that which she channels herself. She succeeds and fails on her own merit and skill.I just wish the pacing of this book wasn't this much of a mess. Sure, the writing flows so smoothly that I almost felt as if I'd been swept away by a stream, but it was as though I was simply carried from plot point to plot point, never once immersed. It was hard to follow the story for this reason, and even harder to keep myself from losing interest. You must leave tonight.” Her voice takes on a stern tone, sounding like she is the older sister, and me, the younger. “Don’t stuff yourself with too many chestnut tarts.” We have tried our best, my father and I, to treat Shu in the absence of my mother’s knowledge. Me, struggling to recall those childhood lessons, and my father, himself a trained physician, educated at the imperial college. He knows how to set bones and mend cuts, how to treat the external ailments. Although he’s familiar with some of the internal medicines, he always deferred to Mother’s art for the more complex problems. It was what made their partnership work so well.

My father has used every drop of knowledge he possesses, even swallowed his pride to send a letter to the college for aid. All possible antidotes within his reach, he’s tried. But I know the dark truth we circle around. too many gratuitous food descriptions for my taste (this might be a plus point for you, but I started rolling my eyes a bit at all the glazed things drizzled with this and that) Kang is a charming hero. He’s mysterious, and I enjoyed getting to know his a dark past and secrets. Even though I didn’t like all of his actions, I still think he was a cute character and love interest.

Success!

I am an avid reader of fantasy from Middle Grade to Adult, because that feeling of magic potentially being all around us is something that I don’t ever want to lose. Este libro es un frasco de veneno, hermoso e inofensivo desde el exterior, pero hecho de una combinación de elementos que encajan adecuadamente entre ellos para componer algo tan perfecto como mortal. Ning doesn’t have many choices left. After her mother died of the same poison that’s slowly killing her sister, she’s running out of options—and also time. Her hopes to save Shu’s life are now tethered to a competition in their kingdom’s capital. The princess has sent an invitation to all who study magical tea-making to compete for a chance to be the next royal shennong-shi. The odds are slim, but along with the title and prestige the winner will be able to ask the emperor for one favor. And what Ning needs more than anything is access to the best medical treatment in the kingdom for her dying sister. A Magic Steeped in Poison is the debut novel of author Judy I. Lin, who has crafted a truly breathtaking world based upon Chinese culture and mythology, delivering a unique and wonderful magic system that not only makes this book stand out, but will also have you craving a good cup of tea. A Magic Steeped in Poison contains all the ingredients for a wonderful story. And, as I've mentioned, the writing had so much potential. But I won't lie and say I wasn't disappointed. As it stands, I'm not sure if I will be continuing on with this series.