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A review by aliciawhatsthestory
A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A Venom Dark and Sweet is the sequel to one of my favorite books of the year, A Magic Steeped in Poison, and the conclusion of this duology. It is also special to me because it is the first ARC I have ever been approved for after reaching out to the publisher directly. Special thanks to Sara at Macmillan Children’s for being so kind and helpful!
The tea-based magic system in this series is still one of the most interesting that I have come across in a while. Something that I missed from the first book was the frequent discussions of the tea magic and how tea ingredients affect the magic. While we don’t get these details as much in A Venom Dark and Sweet, we do learn about a darker side of the magic through Ning’s attempts to rid people she meets of poisoning. I was especially glad to see Wenyi’s story come full circle, though I won’t say how to avoid spoilers!
I am also impressed with how seamlessly Lin pulls in Chinese myth, language, and stories while keeping Ning’s story fully her own—an addition rather than a retelling.
I have to admit that I liked the first book better, and I think that’s because the pacing in this sequel felt a little off to me. Much of the book seems to go a bit slowly, while the conclusion felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly.
That said, this is still a very fun and interesting duology. I was glad to see more of Kang in this book, though some people might find it jarring that his perspective is written in third person, while Ning’s is written in first.
Overall, this was an engaging sequel that fell a bit short of its predecessor for me. However, it is an interesting conclusion to a strong YA duology, and I would highly recommend this (now completed) series to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy. I will be keeping my eye out for more for Judy I. Lin in the future.
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa #feiwelandfriends for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for my honest review.
A Venom Dark and Sweet released August 23, 2022.
The tea-based magic system in this series is still one of the most interesting that I have come across in a while. Something that I missed from the first book was the frequent discussions of the tea magic and how tea ingredients affect the magic. While we don’t get these details as much in A Venom Dark and Sweet, we do learn about a darker side of the magic through Ning’s attempts to rid people she meets of poisoning. I was especially glad to see Wenyi’s story come full circle, though I won’t say how to avoid spoilers!
I am also impressed with how seamlessly Lin pulls in Chinese myth, language, and stories while keeping Ning’s story fully her own—an addition rather than a retelling.
I have to admit that I liked the first book better, and I think that’s because the pacing in this sequel felt a little off to me. Much of the book seems to go a bit slowly, while the conclusion felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly.
That said, this is still a very fun and interesting duology. I was glad to see more of Kang in this book, though some people might find it jarring that his perspective is written in third person, while Ning’s is written in first.
Overall, this was an engaging sequel that fell a bit short of its predecessor for me. However, it is an interesting conclusion to a strong YA duology, and I would highly recommend this (now completed) series to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy. I will be keeping my eye out for more for Judy I. Lin in the future.
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa #feiwelandfriends for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for my honest review.
A Venom Dark and Sweet released August 23, 2022.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence and War