Beautiful, atmospheric, and magical, a must-read fantasy
Overview—A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin is a novel that introduces a world filled with tea-based magic, intriguing court politics, a magical competition, a string of murders, and Ning, the seventeen-year-old girl tied up with them all. This book literally has it all. I mean, between the plot (a magical tea-brewing competition plus a strong (murder) mystery aspect, I mean, sign me up!), the worldbuilding (the world is mesmerizing and so atmospheric, it felt like I was there), the (complex and dynamic) characters, the magic (magic tied to tea making, such a unique concept in and of itself), and not to mention that stunning cover, I enjoyed every minute of this book.
The Plot— The entire story kept me thoroughly engaged, especially the entire tea-brewing competition, complete with unique tasks and backstabbing competitors, working alongside Ning and the other characters in trying to figure out who was behind the tea brick poisonings and deadly attacks on the court, and witnessing the lengths to which Ning would go to save her sister from the poison that has already taken her mother.
The Worldbuilding, the Writing & the Pacing— The writing style was beautiful and so atmospheric, which I think paired nicely with the world that Lin has crafted; between the various descriptions and the sense of immersion created through including vivid details related to the five senses (namely sight, smell, and taste), it truly felt as though you as the reader were exploring and experiencing the world alongside Ning. My only (slight) complaint when it comes to the writing would have to be the pacing; although the story is quite engaging, the pacing was a bit too slow for my taste (up until the end), although I still enjoyed the story either way.
The Magic— The entire magic system within this story was so unique! I mean, magic related to the art of tea-brewing? Totally unlike anything that I have ever read before! I enjoyed learning about the history and mythology behind the entire process and witnessing Ning and the other shénnóng-shī at work. I likewise loved learning about the various types of “powers” that the different types of tea and tea combinations produced and the sort of connections between people that were a result of sharing tea.
The Characters— The characters themselves were so complex, dynamic, and multi-layered and it was fun getting to know them over the course of the novel, although our protagonist, Ning, was definitely my favorite character. I absolutely loved Ning’s character, between her loyalty and dedication to her family, her bravery and ingenuity in relation to the competition as well as her situation in general, and her unflinching ability to question authority and the world around her. I especially enjoyed the various relationships that Ning possessed over the course of the novel, namely with her sister, Shu, and her fellow competitor, Lian. The one thing that I will say is that I was not a huge fan of the romance between her and Kang, it was a bit too insta-lovey for me and I wish that we got to see them interact a bit more in general before this romance was developed.
The Mystery— The mystery itself was one of my favorite aspects of the novel; between the tea brick poisonings, the various attacks on the court (namely the princess), and the motivations of the various characters, there were a wide variety of mysteries to unravel and I greatly enjoyed working alongside Ning in trying to figure out who was behind the murders and attacks. Likewise, I enjoyed how the various twists and turns kept you guessing and that the motivations and loyalty of the characters were not black-and-white in the slightest and that you do not know until the end (and even not concretely) as to who can be trusted.
Conclusion— Overall, A Magic Steeped in Poison is an amazing debut and I cannot wait to read the sequel (which comes out in three(!) months) because that ending!
The Plot— The entire story kept me thoroughly engaged, especially the entire tea-brewing competition, complete with unique tasks and backstabbing competitors, working alongside Ning and the other characters in trying to figure out who was behind the tea brick poisonings and deadly attacks on the court, and witnessing the lengths to which Ning would go to save her sister from the poison that has already taken her mother.
The Worldbuilding, the Writing & the Pacing— The writing style was beautiful and so atmospheric, which I think paired nicely with the world that Lin has crafted; between the various descriptions and the sense of immersion created through including vivid details related to the five senses (namely sight, smell, and taste), it truly felt as though you as the reader were exploring and experiencing the world alongside Ning. My only (slight) complaint when it comes to the writing would have to be the pacing; although the story is quite engaging, the pacing was a bit too slow for my taste (up until the end), although I still enjoyed the story either way.
The Magic— The entire magic system within this story was so unique! I mean, magic related to the art of tea-brewing? Totally unlike anything that I have ever read before! I enjoyed learning about the history and mythology behind the entire process and witnessing Ning and the other shénnóng-shī at work. I likewise loved learning about the various types of “powers” that the different types of tea and tea combinations produced and the sort of connections between people that were a result of sharing tea.
The Characters— The characters themselves were so complex, dynamic, and multi-layered and it was fun getting to know them over the course of the novel, although our protagonist, Ning, was definitely my favorite character. I absolutely loved Ning’s character, between her loyalty and dedication to her family, her bravery and ingenuity in relation to the competition as well as her situation in general, and her unflinching ability to question authority and the world around her. I especially enjoyed the various relationships that Ning possessed over the course of the novel, namely with her sister, Shu, and her fellow competitor, Lian. The one thing that I will say is that I was not a huge fan of the romance between her and Kang, it was a bit too insta-lovey for me and I wish that we got to see them interact a bit more in general before this romance was developed.
The Mystery— The mystery itself was one of my favorite aspects of the novel; between the tea brick poisonings, the various attacks on the court (namely the princess), and the motivations of the various characters, there were a wide variety of mysteries to unravel and I greatly enjoyed working alongside Ning in trying to figure out who was behind the murders and attacks. Likewise, I enjoyed how the various twists and turns kept you guessing and that the motivations and loyalty of the characters were not black-and-white in the slightest and that you do not know until the end (and even not concretely) as to who can be trusted.
Conclusion— Overall, A Magic Steeped in Poison is an amazing debut and I cannot wait to read the sequel (which comes out in three(!) months) because that ending!