The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the magic system. Tea is the foundation of the magic. Different ingredients have different effects when brewed into tea by a shennong-shi, masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making. To use the magic the shennong-shi also have to give some of their own energy to create the magical effects making it so it is not limitless. This was a unique system that caught my interest immediately and it fit in with the Asian culture in the book beautifully.
However, there were many parts of the book where I felt I was left wanting more as I became engrossed in the story. The world and the magic are so unique, and sometimes I felt parts of the story were rushed to move forward to the next plot point when I wanted more details. I hope that some of the questions I have from book one will be answered in the second book coming out later this year. Overall, the writing itself was fantastic and I am excited to read the next book Lin writes.
However, there were many parts of the book where I felt I was left wanting more as I became engrossed in the story. The world and the magic are so unique, and sometimes I felt parts of the story were rushed to move forward to the next plot point when I wanted more details. I hope that some of the questions I have from book one will be answered in the second book coming out later this year. Overall, the writing itself was fantastic and I am excited to read the next book Lin writes.