“The more you ask of the magic, the more it takes, either from her one who casts or the one who receives.”
Judy I. Lin’s debut YA novel A MAGIC STEEPED IN POSION is the first book in an enchanting new fantasy duology. A deeply engrossing story packed full of rich descriptions of the prepration and magic of tea ceremonies, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON is a page-turning debut sure to delight fantasy readers of all ages.
Ning has lived her entire life in the agricultural province of Sù with her parents and her sister, Shu. But when Ning unknowingly brews a poisoned batch of tea for her mother and sister, her life as she knows it crumbles. Now, with her mother dead, her sister gravely ill, and her father deeply grieving, Ning takes it upon herself to figure out how to save the family she has left. The answer comes to her in the form of an invitation from the capital: there will be a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shénnóng-shī — a master of the ancient art of magical tea-making — and the winner will receive a favor from the princess. Realizing that this is her only chance to save her sister, Ning travels to the imperial city of Jia to compete in her mother’s stead.
But with the culprit responsible for the rash of tea poisonings still at large and rumors of “The Shadow” and “The Banished Prince” sweeping along the countryside, Ning’s journey to Jia is a treacherous one. And once inside the capital’s walls — despite its pretense of opulence and comfort — Ning is faced with cut-throat competitors, bloody court politics, underhanded political scheming, and a potentially dangerous relationship with a mysterious (and handsome) boy. As she navigates this overwhelming new world in which everyone’s loyalties are unclear, Ning must learn to trust her own instincts and step into her power.
Packed full of adventure, family loyalty, and a breathtaking magic system rooted in Chinese mythology and tea-making, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON is a story you don’t want to miss. Lin’s debut is hitting shelves on 3/29/22! Thank you to @macmillanusa for the ARC.
(And can we just take one final moment to appreciate THAT COVER!?)
CW: death of a parent, violence, medical trauma
Judy I. Lin’s debut YA novel A MAGIC STEEPED IN POSION is the first book in an enchanting new fantasy duology. A deeply engrossing story packed full of rich descriptions of the prepration and magic of tea ceremonies, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON is a page-turning debut sure to delight fantasy readers of all ages.
Ning has lived her entire life in the agricultural province of Sù with her parents and her sister, Shu. But when Ning unknowingly brews a poisoned batch of tea for her mother and sister, her life as she knows it crumbles. Now, with her mother dead, her sister gravely ill, and her father deeply grieving, Ning takes it upon herself to figure out how to save the family she has left. The answer comes to her in the form of an invitation from the capital: there will be a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shénnóng-shī — a master of the ancient art of magical tea-making — and the winner will receive a favor from the princess. Realizing that this is her only chance to save her sister, Ning travels to the imperial city of Jia to compete in her mother’s stead.
But with the culprit responsible for the rash of tea poisonings still at large and rumors of “The Shadow” and “The Banished Prince” sweeping along the countryside, Ning’s journey to Jia is a treacherous one. And once inside the capital’s walls — despite its pretense of opulence and comfort — Ning is faced with cut-throat competitors, bloody court politics, underhanded political scheming, and a potentially dangerous relationship with a mysterious (and handsome) boy. As she navigates this overwhelming new world in which everyone’s loyalties are unclear, Ning must learn to trust her own instincts and step into her power.
Packed full of adventure, family loyalty, and a breathtaking magic system rooted in Chinese mythology and tea-making, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON is a story you don’t want to miss. Lin’s debut is hitting shelves on 3/29/22! Thank you to @macmillanusa for the ARC.
(And can we just take one final moment to appreciate THAT COVER!?)
CW: death of a parent, violence, medical trauma