A review by mmccombs
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

This was a compelling story that kept me engaged and excited for the sequel. The plot was snappy and the political twists and turns were fun to follow along with. I didn’t really connect with Ning and thought she was just coincidentally around in a lot of the plot points that drove the story forward. I also don’t really enjoy when characters are just randomly incredibly talented (in this case in the art of magic through tea) with no indication that she worked for that talent at all. This magic system seemed to hinge on both natural talent in addition to training, so it seemed strange that Ning was so powerful without her even being aware of it even though we are told training is important. In the end I really had fun reading this and will be on the edge of my seat for the 2nd installment.
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