Before I start this review, can we take a moment to talk about how beautiful the cover is? I mean look at it. The color scheme, the art work, the way everything flows together. A Magic Steeped in Poison was a fun fantasy that I really enjoyed. It had magic and court politics and everything I look for in a fantasy.
A Magic Steeped in Poison revolves around Nim. After accidentally killimg her mother and poising her sister with a tea she made, she enters a competition to become a shennong-shi, which is a master of making magic tea. The winner is granted one favor by the princess, which she hopes to use in order to save her sister. There's also court politics, backstabbing and magic.
Our main character is Ning. I really liked her. I like how she would do anything for her family. She's determined and loyal and strong, but she also carries guilt and we kind of see her deal with it as she tries to make amends and save her sister.
The magic system was also really cool. The magic depends on the different types of tea. Different teas do different magic depending on how it's prepared. The world building around this system was so interesting. There's some mythology mixed in as well. There were so many fantastical elements that really brought this story to life.
I also really liked the writing. There was prose and beautiful descriptions as well as straight forward verses. It was easy to follow and had multiple quotes and lines that I wanted to save.
Over all, A Magic Steeped in Poison was a fast paced read that thrusts its readers into this magical world of tea and adventure. It's definitely one of my favorite reads this year.
A Magic Steeped in Poison revolves around Nim. After accidentally killimg her mother and poising her sister with a tea she made, she enters a competition to become a shennong-shi, which is a master of making magic tea. The winner is granted one favor by the princess, which she hopes to use in order to save her sister. There's also court politics, backstabbing and magic.
Our main character is Ning. I really liked her. I like how she would do anything for her family. She's determined and loyal and strong, but she also carries guilt and we kind of see her deal with it as she tries to make amends and save her sister.
The magic system was also really cool. The magic depends on the different types of tea. Different teas do different magic depending on how it's prepared. The world building around this system was so interesting. There's some mythology mixed in as well. There were so many fantastical elements that really brought this story to life.
I also really liked the writing. There was prose and beautiful descriptions as well as straight forward verses. It was easy to follow and had multiple quotes and lines that I wanted to save.
Over all, A Magic Steeped in Poison was a fast paced read that thrusts its readers into this magical world of tea and adventure. It's definitely one of my favorite reads this year.