Ahh I loved the premise of this book, but I couldn't help but to be bored when I read deeper into the book. I just couldn't really connect much with the characters. There wasn't really much chemistry between the MC and the love interest and I hated how 'insta-love' it felt. Wish it could've been more slowburn and built up. But otherwise, I still really liked the idea for the books and will check out the next book in the series!

It’s always disappointing when a highly anticipated book doesn’t quite hit the mark, and unfortunately, that was the case here for me. While the story had some standout elements, it lacked the depth I was hoping for. Outside of the main character, we don’t really get to know the other characters, leaving the supporting cast feeling one-dimensional. The plot also leaned heavily on convenience, with things falling into place a bit too easily for the protagonist, which lessened the stakes.

That said, the writing style was lovely, and the magic system was undeniably the highlight. The way the story weaves ancient Chinese tea-brewing into its magic system was unique and enchanting. Tea becomes the lifeblood of the narrative—connecting characters through magical bonds, serving as a source of strength for the main character during a family-saving competition, and even acting as a threat when poisoned. It was fascinating to learn about traditional Chinese tea customs and the connection to Chinese medicine, which added a layer of authenticity and intrigue to the world-building.

Overall, while the book didn’t fully click with me and felt a bit too familiar in its execution, I can see its appeal, especially for those who love magical stories steeped in culture and tradition. I may revisit it in the future when I’m in a better reading mood, as it wasn’t a bad book—just not the right one for me at this moment.

Ning is plagued with guilt after unknowingly brewing a tea that killer her mother, and now threatens her sister

She hears of a competition that will grant the winner a favour from the Princess, and Ning intends to use this to save her sister

However, the competition is more than she could have known with schemes, secrets and a handsome boy with even more secrets. Ning will have to make it though with a fight to get what she needs...

I really enjoyed this, lots of twists and turns, backstabbing and coverups... definitely can't wait to get stuck into book two!

Sono rimasta abbastanza delusa da questa lettura.
La storia parte bene e sembra da subito voler raccontare qualcosa di interessante, tuttavia va in stallo e non ci sono veri colpi di scena che incoraggiano la lettura. Più volte sono stata intenzionata a mollare questo libro, perché la protagonista e tutta la storia intorno non riusciva a coinvolgermi. Ci sono stati pochi momenti entusiasmanti. Ci si concentra troppo sui momenti romantici e poco sullo sviluppo della trama.
Il finale non invoglia ad andare avanti.

Better late than never, I am finally giving some feedback on Judy I Lin's A Magic Steeped in Poison!

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a fantastic and original story centred around the power of tea, in an imperial court. Ning, a young shennong-shi, feels guilty about her mother's death. The poor woman was poisoned by a tea her own daughter made and served her, and the beverage left her sister sick with the consequences of the poison. To find an antidote for her dying sister, Ning heads off to the court to join a competition with other shennong-shi. The goal? Become the best, and request of the princess a mythical remedy she isn't sure to exist. But once Ning arrives and starts making her mark among the greatest, she discovers the palace isn't the haven everybody believes it to be. A mysterious shadow makes some court members sick, also endangering the king and the princess. With the help of some friends and a handsome boy, Ning tries to survive the obstacles of the palace...

I am honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this novel. I thought the idea was very clever and weaving together an important element of Chinese culture--tea--with a fantasy storyline was really fun to read. Turning tea into a magic power some people are gifted with was ingenious, and the narrative itself worked perfectly, with little to no plot holes. The world-building was simple, yet Lin succeeded in developing a political dimension which was clear to understand.

As for the characters, readers can expect the usual determined female lead, with strong ideas and driven by her own will. Ning's backstory, as well as her family's, was really interesting and aligned well with the other characters's backstories. What was most appreciable was the fact that, despite the story being obviously centred on Ning, Lin didn't overshadow the rest of the characters, and even developed their own character arcs really well. Although I was doubtful of the princess at first, I grew to like her a lot. I'm curious to know more about her in the second book and I'm interested in reading how she might interact with others outside of her little cocoon.

The chemistry with Kang was really sweet, and considering the end of book one, I'm really looking forward to knowing how his relationship with Ning will develop in book two. For readers who like romance without it taking the most part of the story, I think they will like this novel. There is no smut; the romance develops quite quickly with a lot of flirting, yet as the story unfolds the rhythm eventually slows down. I can foresee that the second book will be a bit of an on-and-off romance, with bits of enemies-to-lovers torn between their values/people and their love for each other. Also, I loved Liang, the best friend, and Singer, the little one that erupts from nowhere. I hope to see more of them soon!

Overall, I think this story has a lot of potential and, so far, this potential has been used well to get readers hooked for a second book. I will definitely give it a shot soon to conclude the story.

I really loved this book! I loved the characters and the world. I really enjoyed the mythology aspects as well as the fantastical elements. I can't wait to see what happens next

2.5 stars

Ning's life was changed forever on the day her mother died from drinking poisoned tea. Tea that Ning herself brewed.
Now Ning's sister has also been poisoned, and Ning finds herself making her way to the imperial city to compete in the competition that will appoint the new palace shennong-shi (tea master). Ning hopes that by winning she will save her sister's life through a favour from the princess.
Once in the imperial city, Ning finds herself embroiled in court politics and discovers secrets that threaten the future of the empire.
Can Ning survive the competition long enough to save her sister?

The gorgeous cover drew me to this book, as did the concept of magical tea.
Ning was a likeable protagonist. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
Whilst I liked several of the supporting characters, I didn't have a favourite character overall.
The setting was interesting, and we are told a little bit of history.
The concept of tea masters - shennong-shi - and the tea magic was my favourite aspect of the book. I found it really interesting and would have liked to find out more.
The plot was mixed for me as I preferred the first half and lost interest a little in the second half. I wasn't very invested in what happened and nothing particularly surprised me.
I am a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Incredible. Beautiful, worldbuilding is immaculate. Really unique and enchanting. Would definitely recommend to any like-minded fantasy readers. Full of melancholy and sadness, dealing with themes of guilt and grief throughout. Love a MC who isn't perfect.

I think this may have been an absolute cover request for me. I just didn't seem to enjoy it as much as many others did. It felt as if lately we have had this influx of similar fantasies, and maybe because of that, I struggled to find this story engaging. It didn't really stand out in any shape or form.

Although I initially struggled to sink into this world, I'm glad that I persisted. The magic of this world is very unique and I was captivated by the many uses and powers the shennong-shi hold. I also liked the tension between Ning and Kang although I wish more had happened between them to make the ending hit all the more harder.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

The coolest book EVER. I forgot to cross post my review from GR to here but oops. If you like magic, tension and the BEST CLIFFHANGER, go for this book immediately.

2.5

A Magic Steeped in Poison had so much promise. The magic system was incredibly unique and intriguing. The writing style was pretty and descriptive. I was surprised by my interest in the world’s politics.

However, unfortunately, there were a few key things lacking. The pacing of the book was odd, throwing us right into a set of trials without build up and then moved very slowly for the rest of the book. Though the magic system was interesting, the book lacked adequate depth around the way the magic works and its intricacies. I still do not entirely understand it and that made engaging with the trials difficult because I was never really sure what was going on.

It’s a shame because the promise was there. I can appreciate what Lin tried to do and I am curious as to what happens next so I may read the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. I have requested this because of the interesting synopsis. I was curious to see what the world building will be like in this one. It definitely did not disappoint on this aspect. The world and magic are incredible. I love every aspect of this. Unfortunately none of the characters stood up for me, but I cannot say there was something wrong in their development. The plot was interesting and it took some turns that surprised me.

This didn't make to my all time favourites, but it is a wonderful book with a great story and I highly recommend it. I will definitely read vol 2.

"A Magic Steeped In Poison" by Judy I Lin is a wickedly enchanting read that'll cast a spell on your book-loving heart! It's a dark and twisted fantasy full of deliciously complex characters and a magic system that's as intoxicating as it is dangerous. Lin's writing is like a potion, drawing you into a world of secrets, curses, and intrigue that you won't want to escape from. Plus, the protagonist is really snarky, which adds a dash of humour to the mix. If you're looking for a book that'll keep you on your toes and craving more, this one's a must-read.

The book cover is stunning, the concept and world are very unique but sadly that is all i can say about this book as the plot for me fell flat, i felt the characters were very flat and their development was a second thought more then natural, this made the plot feel very wooly and holey.

it was a okay book just one i might have built up in my head and failed to deliver. i am hoping to re-read in the future and see if my view on this have changed

I bounced off this book early the first two times I tried to read it, but the third time was the charm. I don’t know why I couldn’t get along with it, I would just put it down and then… forget to pick it up again.

I think it is best suited to teens who enjoy more complex and interesting language while still needing some hand-holding in terms of narrative - the vocabulary is broad but every step of the plot and character development is spelled out clearly and descriptively, not requiring stronger reading comprehension to work between the lines.

The worldbuilding was my favourite part of this book. The magic system especially, with the tea magic, inspired by Chinese Traditional Medicine, and also some interesting commentary related to this about the role and societal perception of physicians vs shennong-shi, as well as class commentary within the court. The magic competition provided a helpful structure to the book while also allowing the worldbuilding to unfurl slowly, as each new detail became relevant. The politics and court intrigue were very promising in the first half of the book, although I felt like it didn’t totally follow through in the second.

I really didn’t get along with the prose. It was just So Much - and by that I don’t meant that is was descriptive (although it was, and kudos for that) or particularly flowery, I mean that I’d read a sentence or a paragraph and think, half of those words could be removed and no meaning would be lost. And this happened not infrequently. At a slightly larger scale, I got frustrated with all the times the flow of a scene stalled so the protagonist could ask questions in her head. There was so much time devoted to thinking, which, as a character-driven reader, I didn’t think could bother me, but here we are. All of that said, the food descriptions were really great - this is not a book to read on an empty stomach.

I also struggled with the characters and their relationship, because it felt like Ning was the only one who was really fleshed out, while her friendships with people at the court didn’t get deep enough to be satisfying, and the romantic relationship was similarly shallow while veering too close to insta-love to be my cut of tea (pun intended). She is driven by her relationship with her poisoned-and-dying sister, but because Ning ran away in the hopes of winning more resources to help her, it wasn’t something we really got to see the nuances of on page, just in Ning’s narration.

Ning has brewed many teas in her life, learning the art of shénnóng-shī, the ancient and magical art of tea making, from her mother. But when she unwittingly brews a tea tainted with poison it has devastating consequences and her mother loses her life as a result. Poison tea bricks are showing up everywhere, and Ning’s loss is compounded when her sister also falls ill. Desperate not to lose her as well, she makes an impulsive decision to run away from home to take part in a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shénnóng-shī who will serve at the Imperial court. The winner will is granted a favour from the Empress herself, and Ning is determined to use that to save her sister’s life.

When she reaches the Imperial court she finds that it isn’t going to be as simple as proving that she’s the best. There’s much more happening behind the scenes at the competition with politics and deadly plots, and Ning finds herself embroiled in situations that put her in danger. Her focus becomes surviving the competition, not just winning it.

The idea of magic tea in A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is what drew me in, and I did not regret this decision for a second. Lin’s world-building is brilliant from start to finish, and coupled with her wonderful characters that defy stereotypes and have strong character development this is a must-read fantasy book. Ning was very easy to like, and I became emotionally engaged easily with her story from the beginning. Likewise, for many of the characters including several minor characters. It is also always great to see a LGBTQIA+ rep and the Book of Tea duology has a beautiful sapphic relationship.

While tea is a huge part of this book, obviously, I should mention as someone who isn’t a massive tear love (yes, not all Brits love tea) that this isn’t a book about people sitting around drinking lots of tea. It’s so much more than that. This is very much a political fantasy with some romance and a lot of court drama and brilliant world-building thrown in. If you love interesting and unique magic systems then this is the one for you.

Lin is a writer that knows how to play with a reader’s emotions and this is one you are definitely going to need tissues handy for. It does end on a huge cliffhanger, so I would suggest having the second book handy if that is not your thing. I did, and I’m not sure if I could have handled waiting to see what happened next!

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

A gripping start!

"A Magic Stepped in Poison" is the first book of The Book of Tea dilogy by Judi I. Lin and tells the story of Ning and Kang.

Jodi I. Lin created an amazing world. I've read quite a few stories that come from Asian mythology, but with the tea magic the author has really created a unique element. We accompany Ning to the palace where she competes as a tea magician to become a Shennong-shi so she can save her sister so she can save her sister who dies the same way her mother.
I loved how the author managed to subtly weave Ning and Kang's love story into the plot. The description of the tea magic was amazing! I've never read of such a magic system. In addition to the exciting magic elements, we dive into a world full of political intrigues, family secrets, murder and forbidden love.

I give "A Magic Steeped in Poison" 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I just sadly see myself never getting around to picking this one up.

I loved the sound of it when I first requested but unfortunately there are just so many books I would prioritise over it.

So sorry!!