emeraldeunoia's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood and Alcohol
Minor: Torture and War
emburke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Alcohol, and Bullying
euphemiajo's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Grief, Death, War, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
ajozna's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, Vomit, Murder, Grief, Death, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, and Medical content
Minor: War and Injury/Injury detail
k_aro's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I honestly wished I enjoyed this book more.
This is not to say by any means that this was a bad book, but I think I've grown out of this genre more generally (what genre? Good question. My mind always calls it YA Fic, but then that's a massive genre - so, just think something between Hunger Games, Six of Crows, and Marie Lu's whole oeuvre. I think you get an idea). On the other hand, I also enjoy that there's more Chinese representation in fields I didn't see myself represented in, though on the third, mutant hand, my brain treacherously (and cynically) wonders whether this is just regurgitation of tokenization etc etc. Not to belabor the point.
I enjoyed the way that Lin really does infuse a lot of Chinese culture (but again, third mutant hand, etc etc. I had similar problems with Six Crimson Cranes, which I didn't mention because, like, it's a kid's book lol who cares). I love seeing familiar foods being represented, even without having them named - whoever mentioned that this book has lush food descriptions was totally right. I love the concept of tea as a magic, even if it didn't really turn out the way I entirely expected?
As for my misgivings... well, the culture thing has been mentioned. But I am also kind of ambiguous on how Chinese medicine/tea is being framed as magical, which is obviously the central conceit but does also reflect modern attitudes on Chinese medicine. I mean I don't think it'll heal a broken leg or anything, but it has legitimately helped where "Western" has failed.
I'm also not entirely sure I like the characters. I appreciate that Ning is so headstrong, but, I don't know, I think she exhibits a lot of problems I have with YA Fic headstrong female characters. Something like she's an archetype? It's just, I don't know, been done before. I honestly prefer Lian, even though I don't necessarily agree with some of Lian's actions and words - she just felt more, unconstrained by conventions of characters in YA Fic.
I also don't know about where the book lands on the monarchy/emperorship (what is the correct term???). I think it's kind of hard about this genre of Chinese drama where, like, on the one hand the monarchy is OBVIOUSLY corrupt to a certain degree because that's how trying to tame an ever-swelling bureaucracy is like. But then like, it's okay? I don't know, I guess I just don't love monarchy generally. I guess the empress is only 19 though. It's difficult.
This is not to say by any means that this was a bad book, but I think I've grown out of this genre more generally (what genre? Good question. My mind always calls it YA Fic, but then that's a massive genre - so, just think something between Hunger Games, Six of Crows, and Marie Lu's whole oeuvre. I think you get an idea). On the other hand, I also enjoy that there's more Chinese representation in fields I didn't see myself represented in, though on the third, mutant hand, my brain treacherously (and cynically) wonders whether this is just regurgitation of tokenization etc etc. Not to belabor the point.
I enjoyed the way that Lin really does infuse a lot of Chinese culture (but again, third mutant hand, etc etc. I had similar problems with Six Crimson Cranes, which I didn't mention because, like, it's a kid's book lol who cares). I love seeing familiar foods being represented, even without having them named - whoever mentioned that this book has lush food descriptions was totally right. I love the concept of tea as a magic, even if it didn't really turn out the way I entirely expected?
As for my misgivings... well, the culture thing has been mentioned. But I am also kind of ambiguous on how Chinese medicine/tea is being framed as magical, which is obviously the central conceit but does also reflect modern attitudes on Chinese medicine. I mean I don't think it'll heal a broken leg or anything, but it has legitimately helped where "Western" has failed.
I'm also not entirely sure I like the characters. I appreciate that Ning is so headstrong, but, I don't know, I think she exhibits a lot of problems I have with YA Fic headstrong female characters. Something like she's an archetype? It's just, I don't know, been done before. I honestly prefer Lian, even though I don't necessarily agree with some of Lian's actions and words - she just felt more, unconstrained by conventions of characters in YA Fic.
Spoiler
I'm not convinced of Ning and Kang's relationship, either. It feels a little forced, and like it never ends up anywhere before, oh I guess they're kissing now that's great. And this is not to say I am biased against this kind of relationship - one of my favourite books of all time, Alanna: The First Adventure, features a relationship that is honestly pretty close to one-for-one, I guess aside from Kang needing to hide his identity. And like I said, I really like it! And I'm honestly convinced of Alannna and Jonathan's relationship. I do have similar misgivings about Alanna and this book tho, lol.I also don't know about where the book lands on the monarchy/emperorship (what is the correct term???). I think it's kind of hard about this genre of Chinese drama where, like, on the one hand the monarchy is OBVIOUSLY corrupt to a certain degree because that's how trying to tame an ever-swelling bureaucracy is like. But then like, it's okay? I don't know, I guess I just don't love monarchy generally. I guess the empress is only 19 though. It's difficult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, and War
indeedithappens's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Blood, Gaslighting, Classism, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Grief, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, War, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Murder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Ning leaves her village to try and save her sister's life, joining a competition in the palace in hopes of winning a favor from the princess.
A lot of the worldbuilding revolves around every bit of her surroundings looks. The descriptions are usually brief enough to not slow things down too much, but this is a book that makes sure you get a sense of how most rooms (or at least the people in them) appear. There's also a lot of sensory information related to the tea. The magic system is consistent enough to make sense but loose enough to allow for a bunch of cool stuff which fits the kind of thing we know can be done even if it wasn't mentioned before it initially appears.
The audiobook narrator is great, her style fit the story and it was pretty easy to tell everyone apart (even minor characters).
One thing which was a bit frustrating is that Ning kept obsessing (and trying not to obsess) about this guy who at first appears unconnected to the palace but turns out to be much more than he appears. He works well as a plot device but I don't feel like I know anything about him and I don't get why she's interested in him (other than him being mysterious). Plots where people are lying stress me out, and having Ning not seem to know why she was so interested in him made it a bit harder for me to believe their romantic tension as well.
I'm confused by some of the strategies in the competition and the treatment of animals. It's so morally grey (even within the book, as evidenced by the judges' reactions) that it made me wonder if this is actually a villain arc rather than a hero arc. It establishes how far Ning will go to try to get this position and save her sister, but I can't tell whether that's meant to be good or bad.
As the first book in a duology, this ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Most major things from early in the book get a resolution, but right at the end several things happen which set up a direction for the sequel, but leave this book frustratingly unresolved on some key points. It works in the book, but whether it works for any reader will depend on your tolerance (or desire) for unresolved endings. This is the first half of a specific longer story, and it shows. I'm interested enough to finish that story and find out.
A lot of the worldbuilding revolves around every bit of her surroundings looks. The descriptions are usually brief enough to not slow things down too much, but this is a book that makes sure you get a sense of how most rooms (or at least the people in them) appear. There's also a lot of sensory information related to the tea. The magic system is consistent enough to make sense but loose enough to allow for a bunch of cool stuff which fits the kind of thing we know can be done even if it wasn't mentioned before it initially appears.
The audiobook narrator is great, her style fit the story and it was pretty easy to tell everyone apart (even minor characters).
One thing which was a bit frustrating is that Ning kept obsessing (and trying not to obsess) about this guy who at first appears unconnected to the palace but turns out to be much more than he appears. He works well as a plot device but I don't feel like I know anything about him and I don't get why she's interested in him (other than him being mysterious). Plots where people are lying stress me out, and having Ning not seem to know why she was so interested in him made it a bit harder for me to believe their romantic tension as well.
I'm confused by some of the strategies in the competition and the treatment of animals. It's so morally grey (even within the book, as evidenced by the judges' reactions) that it made me wonder if this is actually a villain arc rather than a hero arc. It establishes how far Ning will go to try to get this position and save her sister, but I can't tell whether that's meant to be good or bad.
As the first book in a duology, this ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Most major things from early in the book get a resolution, but right at the end several things happen which set up a direction for the sequel, but leave this book frustratingly unresolved on some key points. It works in the book, but whether it works for any reader will depend on your tolerance (or desire) for unresolved endings. This is the first half of a specific longer story, and it shows. I'm interested enough to finish that story and find out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Classism, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Confinement, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Torture, and Death
Minor: Vomit
bookishpriest's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An engaging young adult (YA) fantasy novel in a setting inspired by imperial Chinese history. The magic system is fascinating and meshes well with the worldbuilding going on around it. The plot is surrounded and influenced by politics, court intrigue, and family secrets from more than one tree.
The characters are interesting, though both they and the resulting plot are frequently predictable. In the middle section of the book there were a few moments where the characters' motivation for their actions was unclear and I had to do a double-take to figure out why events were unfolding as they did, but none of it was derailing. Just a few speed-bumps. There was good 2SLGBTQ+ representation in the cast with characters who had personalities and roles beyond their sexualities while also demonstrating some of the necessary nuances of living as members of a minority group in this world.
Carolyn Kang does an excellent job narrating the audiobook, giving an easy to listen to performance with plenty of drama but never overtaking the story with her own personality.
Overall a very enjoyabler read and definitely recommended if you like mystery, tension, and a great fantasy setting.
The characters are interesting, though both they and the resulting plot are frequently predictable. In the middle section of the book there were a few moments where the characters' motivation for their actions was unclear and I had to do a double-take to figure out why events were unfolding as they did, but none of it was derailing. Just a few speed-bumps. There was good 2SLGBTQ+ representation in the cast with characters who had personalities and roles beyond their sexualities while also demonstrating some of the necessary nuances of living as members of a minority group in this world.
Carolyn Kang does an excellent job narrating the audiobook, giving an easy to listen to performance with plenty of drama but never overtaking the story with her own personality.
Overall a very enjoyabler read and definitely recommended if you like mystery, tension, and a great fantasy setting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Gore, and Medical content
karcitis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, War, Vomit, Torture, Bullying, Sexism, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Gore, Confinement, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to B2 Weird bookclub, Fierce Reads and Feiwel and Friends for a review copy in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
4.5/5 rounded up! I need everyone to pick up this book immediately!
A Magic Steeped in Poison features a magic system based on Taiwanese tea culture! This story follows Ning as she navigates the grief over her mother's death and trying to find a cure for her sister who is deathly ill. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi, she travels to the imperial city to compete in the hopes that winning will grant her a favor to cure her sister.
Between dark court politics, backstabbing competitors and the challenging contest, Ning has her hands full. Not to mention Ning wasn't actually her mother's apprentice, so her knowledge about the art of brewing tea is not as strong as other competitors.
I was swept away by the world building and amazing magic system. I loved seeing Ning navigate the challenges of the shennong-shi. Competition books like this are some of my favorite fantasy books to read. The competition is so fun and cool. I loved the various events, except the one that involved birds. Ning's skill and magic was so freaking cool. I loved that she could do so many things with tea and I need her to come over and make me so magic tea.
I loved Ning’s character. She was curious, protective and dedicated. I have a feeling we’ve only seen the tip of her magical abilities and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the sequel.
Chinese coded cast. Cis female MC, sapphic female side characters, achillean male side characters, various side characters are poisoned and terminally ill.
CW: Violence, bullying, grief, death of parent, classism, animal cruelty, animal death, death, attempted murder/murder, blood, medical content, injury/injury detail. Moderate: alcohol consumption, misogyny, sexism, terminal illness. Minor: vomit, confinement, torture, war.
4.5/5 rounded up! I need everyone to pick up this book immediately!
A Magic Steeped in Poison features a magic system based on Taiwanese tea culture! This story follows Ning as she navigates the grief over her mother's death and trying to find a cure for her sister who is deathly ill. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi, she travels to the imperial city to compete in the hopes that winning will grant her a favor to cure her sister.
Between dark court politics, backstabbing competitors and the challenging contest, Ning has her hands full. Not to mention Ning wasn't actually her mother's apprentice, so her knowledge about the art of brewing tea is not as strong as other competitors.
I was swept away by the world building and amazing magic system. I loved seeing Ning navigate the challenges of the shennong-shi. Competition books like this are some of my favorite fantasy books to read. The competition is so fun and cool. I loved the various events, except the one that involved birds. Ning's skill and magic was so freaking cool. I loved that she could do so many things with tea and I need her to come over and make me so magic tea.
I loved Ning’s character. She was curious, protective and dedicated. I have a feeling we’ve only seen the tip of her magical abilities and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the sequel.
Chinese coded cast. Cis female MC, sapphic female side characters, achillean male side characters, various side characters are poisoned and terminally ill.
CW: Violence, bullying, grief, death of parent, classism, animal cruelty, animal death, death, attempted murder/murder, blood, medical content, injury/injury detail. Moderate: alcohol consumption, misogyny, sexism, terminal illness. Minor: vomit, confinement, torture, war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Classism, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Sexism
Minor: War, Torture, Vomit, and Confinement