Thank you to Titan and NetGalley for sending me a copy to review!

I enjoyed this book! By far my favourite parts we’re the plot and magic system. I found the courtly intrigue and political landscape really interesting and the world was really well built and intriguing. The tea based magic system was amazing and so well thought out! I especially loved as later in the book Ning was clearly really honing her craft and her thought process choosing each ingredient was really interesting and satisfying to read.

Although it picked up in the second half, I did find it a little slow to start and I struggled to connect to this book, especially the characters. Although they improved towards the end, the characters all felt a little flat and unbelievable for most of it. This wasn’t helped by the insta love which could’ve been developed over a little more time.

Overall, I really liked this book and it was only a couple of elements that didn’t grab me as much!

I tried so hard with A Magic Steeped in Poison, but ultimately it just didn't hold my interest. I had heard lots of great things about the tea-based magic system, but it felt like a very passé magic system in an interesting hat. That's also how the setting felt: I'm desperate for less eurocentric medieval-style fantasy but there was no life to this setting, despite its potential. The characters also followed this pattern: I didn't put this book down more than a day ago and everyone's names have already completely evaporated from my mind. I didn't feel a particular investment in any of them, nor did their wants feel palpable or urgent to me, which brings me to the prose. Perhaps my expectations were high, because I'd heard much made of this book's lush descriptions, but the writing itself felt very generic to me. Not necessarily poor by any means, but bereft of any unique strengths. Everything about A Magic Steeped in Poison just fades into the background.

I DNF'd a little further than fifty percent through, but I don't think this is necessarily a bad book: I just think everything that's good about it has been done better elsewhere. It's fairly formulaic YA, albeit with a slightly more interesting coat of paint than other formulaic YA.

The magic system is so cool! But the rest of the book was quite slow for me unfortunately. A solid debut.

You’ve probably seen this book all over TikTok with the very brief summary of “tea-based magic!”. Yes, it’s incredibly inventive and a very unique magic system, the likes of which a mainstream book hasn’t seen before (to my knowledge). Unfortunately, that is the only thing that this book has going for it.
I so badly wanted to like this book, but creative magic system aside there was really nothing there for me to like. The characters are so boring and lifeless that I genuinely struggle to remember the name of a single one. The story is tedious and so predictable - you could paint by numbers every beat of each chapter if I gave you the first fifth of this book on it’s own. I actively rolled my eyes at more than one point whilst reading.
If this hadn’t been a review copy, I probably would have DNF’d this book - I certainly have no desire at all to read the sequel.

2/10

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC! This review is voluntarily written by me.

In general, the reading is a pleasant one although I thought the pace of the story is a little bit slower, especially around the first half of the story which is acceptable in my opinion. For me, the strength of this story is its worldbuilding which is the key part of a fantasy story. In this universe, in the hands of the experts, tea can be used for magic, like, different types of teas have different magical uses (which are awesome by the way). I also can see how the author put a lot of effort into the description used in the story such as about the places, the people, the ingredients and the legend of the land itself. Plus, the glossary at the back helps to understand more about the certain words used in the story. The writing, plot development and characters’ development is good for me even though I don’t have any favourite characters yet. Even though I really like the worldbuilding in this story, I don’t really get the romance part (I’m sorry). I just don’t know why, but maybe because I’m focusing more on the mystery or suspense part of the story. However, I’m still excited for the next book because I want to read more about Ning’s adventure and the end of the story.

Magical tea making competition with high stakes and lots of political intrigue. This fantasy novel blew me away with its originality and unique magic system. Truly beautiful and a lot of fun.

Only problem I had was the cliffhanger, I hate it and I need to read the next one asap.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for sending me the eARC of this book.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

Gorgeous, lush, utterly enchanting. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. Very much looking forward to the next installment!

I found this book to be so unique! As a tea lover (and former tea shop owner) myself, I knew I had to read this book. It was so much fun seeing all the different blends come together! I wasn't the biggest fan of the plot itself, though. I found it to be a little slow paced. All in all it did make for a great read, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

The cover for this book is the first thing I noticed about this book and when I heard the synopsis I knew I had to read it.

It is filled with mythology and magic while still keeping its believability. I never struggled to picture what I was reading, which I sometimes struggle to do with some fantasy books.

The characters were my favourite part of it, fully fleshed out and deep. I can't wait to see more of them in the next book and to also see how the story progresses after that ending!

The romance is light as the main focus is on the story, but the connection between them is lovely and I'm eager to see it progress further.

The magic system in this book is so unique as the main characters magic stems from brewing and serving tea which was really interesting to read about.

This book is just the fantasy book that I needed. One of my favourite plot themes is a magical competition, Ning brewed the poison tea that killed her mother, now her sister is suffering. The only way to save her sister is to enter a magical contest to find the kingdoms best tea brewer, the winner of which will win a wish. This is the only way Ning can save her sister. Loved reading this first book in the series and I cannot wait to read the next one.

The cover of this book was hunting me, I kept seeing it everywhere. The cover is just so stunning, I admit it’s the main reason why I wanted to read it. I also read that there were LGBT characters, but they are not the main characters. And so, when I started reading this one, I quickly realised that this book was completely different from my expectations.

I still enjoyed it. The magic system is the strongest part of this story. The magic connected to the ancient Chinese art of tea brewing was absolutely fascinating and made the story more intriguing. It is beautifully written but these lengthy descriptions kind of slow down the flowing of the plot. Overall, it was quite weird because it’s well written you can easily and clearly see this world, the palace and the settings. However, the characters don’t have the same treatment and lack a definite personality and background story. Even the main character’s personality is also broadly described, and quite often Ning’s actions and consciousness don’t match.

However, when I got to the end, facing a big cliffhanger, I actually felt I cared more than I thought about these characters and I’m curious to read the sequel. It’s a great debut, but at the same time, the plot didn’t strike me as exceptional. The competition, the political intrigue and insta-love romance are all elements widely explored in YA. The magic system is what saves the story and makes it worth it that you want to read the sequel.

"My people have a blessing," he whispers, eyes as deep as sacred pools and mountain lakes. "May the sea be willing. May it bring you what you are looking for. I will never begrudge you that."

Ning is desperate. Her sister is dying, after drinking poisoned tea, the same tea that killed their mother. And Ning is the one who unwittingly brewed it, so she blames herself.

Ning is part of a tradition of the shennong-shi – people who can access magic through the ancient art of tea-making. While Ning is not a shennong-shi herself, she was taught by her mother. Then, she hears of a competition hosted by the princess of the empire to find the greatest shennong-shi. The winner will be granted a favour from the princess, and Ning hopes this means she can find a cure for her sister.

But as soon as Ning arrives in the capital city, she learns that the machinations behind the scenes of the competition, the backstabbing and politicking, might be putting her in danger. She also meets a mysterious young man, one she can't forget. But he has a secret that threatens any connection Ning has to him.

I really enjoyed this novel, which is steeped in Chinese mythology. It's beautifully told and I was fascinated by the stunning depictions of tea-making. Even though I am a coffee drinker, I could imagine the ceremonies and drinking the different kinds of tea themselves. The story is rendered in rich detail.

The sequel is out in the next few months and I'm really looking forward to reading more about Ning's adventures.

i love this idea I love competitions magic and course tea so how could i not read this it was such a good time the only problem i had with this book was the ending it sort of just stopped right in the middle of things with on conclusion i know theres a sequel but it seemed odd after the build up to not have a solid conclusion

Of course, this is only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher & Judy I. Lin for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

First of all, the cover of this book is just downright GORGEOUS! I love the colours. This book is an eye-catcher on your shelf!
I’ve read an ARC, so maybe things will have changed in the final version.

I wanted to love this book, but I couldn’t connect fully to the stories and the characters. I liked the main idea and also the tea aspect. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed them. Nevertheless, I couldn’t get completely into the story and I just don’t know why. Towards the end, it got better and maybe this book was more build-up for the second volume. I will read that one too, but I am still bummed, that I didn’t like it as much, as I hoped I would. I think that this is more of a me-problem, so please still check out this book.

Conclusion
A nice start to a new duology. If you liked Spin the Dawn, make sure to check this one out!

My rating: 3,5 stars

A Magic Steeped in Poison is an Asian inspired young adult fantasy novel with a unique concept surrounding the magical art of brewing tea. There is also a small element of murder mystery within the storyline too. Ning is desperate to save her sibling and obtain medical treatment for her dying sister. In order to do this she has no other option than to enter their kingdom’s competition to find the next royal Shennong-Shi, a master of the ancient and magical art of tea making. The odds are slim but along with a prestigious title the winner can ask the emperor for a favour.

The majority of fantasy lovers will find this book irresistible, especially readers who enjoy Asian inspired fantasies. There are a lot of them around at the moment and competition is high. Sadly, this particular one didn’t really stand out for me and although the writing is solid, it’s smooth and easy to read, the pacing is slow and there is not a lot happening in terms of excitement and action. I struggled to engage with the storyline to begin with and I found some of the chapters a little dull. I am one of those fantasy readers that enjoys a romance element in the story and this one is certainly not the best I’ve read. Kang, the love interest, came across as an interesting and intriguing character and I would have liked to have seen more of him. However, although there were one or two stumbling blocks for me, it didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment of the book and as a debut novel this is pretty good. The world building is fabulous with lots of political intrigue. I enjoyed the delicious food descriptions, the intricate magic system and the author conjured up some lovely Chinese imagery. The vibrant and colourful cover is stunning and needs to be framed as a work of art.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC and paperback for review.

Will finish this later.

Not in the right frame of mind, this needs an empty brain and a lot of patience.

A Magic Steeped In Poison follows Ning, a shennong-shi - masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. After unknowingly brewing poisoned tea which killed her mother and left her sister ill, she enters a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi. The winner will get a favour from the princess which may be her only chance to save her sister. But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

The incredible world building, passionate characters and enchanting tea magic made for an amazing reading experience! I think the magic system was probably my favourite part of this book, it was so unique and I loved that it was not only used in the competition to test each person but also to create connections between characters and discover who is behind the poisonings.

All of the characters had their own unique voice and I loved them all! Ning was great to follow as we discover secrets about the competition and the palace, she's determined, kind and cares so much about family and friends. She had the sweetest friendships and a romance too. I'm excited to see how it will develop as it definitely had its ups and downs. The story has loads of twists, especially towards the end that will leave you desperate for the second book like me. I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

from the first page, I loved this book! The writing style was absolutely beautiful and the plot was really gripping. I came away gasping for a cup of tea, and hungry for the wonderful food described inside.
What a book!

A Magic Steeped in Posion

Amazon Summary

I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, These are the hands that buried my mother.
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.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi--masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making--she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favour from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

My Review

I love Chinese Mythology and this didn’t let me down!

The Magic system is based of different types of tea with it really unique and delivered very well, the world building is amazing.

I love the plot of the novel and Ning is a great character to experience this world with. The ending finishes on a cliff hanger but good news the next chapter in this story will be out sooner than usual.

A brilliant 5 stars for this book.