A Magic Steeped in Poison tells the story of Ning, who journeys to the capital city to compete to become the palace’s new shénnóng-shī— a master of magical tea-making and advisor to the Emperor— in order to gain the means to save her poisoned and dying sister.
I’ll start by saying I absolutely loved the magic system used here. It intrigued me from the start and did not disappoint. While fictional, it is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine use. It’s well structured, but it can also be taken in many different directions, which sets the story up for a complex and intriguing premise. (There’s also something immensely satisfying about sitting down with a chai in hand to read a book about magic tea.)
I will say that there is no shortage of familiar literary tropes throughout the whole book, but especially in the main romance. Their first meeting is fairly insta-love-y. However, I wouldn’t say it detracted from the reading experience at all. The tropes have enough of a fresh spin on them that they manage to feel comfortable yet engaging rather than cliché. I think these moments keep the book fun and entertaining between the more serious moments.
The writing style gets all the stars from me. Light, engaging, and easy to read, but also beautifully descriptive. I mean, check this out:
Descriptions!
“From here, the latticed windows are cut into the shape of flowers and reveal the lights of the palace grounds and the city beyond. Outside, a warm spring rain drizzles over the rooftops, casting everything in a misty hue.”
Similes! “His sword is flung into the crowd of officials, and they scatter like fish in a pond.”
Mouth-watering foods! "We’re given buns with airy pockets inside them, a center of juicy pork, mixed with minced shallots and ginger.” (Seriously, you will be hungry while reading this book.)
I also need to take a second to acknowledge that gorgeous cover! I think it’s the prettiest book I own now.
Finally, though I loved the premise, the story, and the writing, one area that fell short for me unfortunately was the characters. They did their job to tell the story, and I didn’t dislike any of them. I just… didn’t fall in love with them either. By the end of the book, I still didn’t feel very connected to any of them, like I didn’t really understand them or know them as well as I should.
Overall, I still had a really fun time reading this, and I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel. I loved the political court intrigue of the first book, but it seems like the next book might be headed in a new direction, and I’m excited to see what all that will entail.
I’ll start by saying I absolutely loved the magic system used here. It intrigued me from the start and did not disappoint. While fictional, it is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine use. It’s well structured, but it can also be taken in many different directions, which sets the story up for a complex and intriguing premise. (There’s also something immensely satisfying about sitting down with a chai in hand to read a book about magic tea.)
I will say that there is no shortage of familiar literary tropes throughout the whole book, but especially in the main romance. Their first meeting is fairly insta-love-y. However, I wouldn’t say it detracted from the reading experience at all. The tropes have enough of a fresh spin on them that they manage to feel comfortable yet engaging rather than cliché. I think these moments keep the book fun and entertaining between the more serious moments.
The writing style gets all the stars from me. Light, engaging, and easy to read, but also beautifully descriptive. I mean, check this out:
Descriptions!
“From here, the latticed windows are cut into the shape of flowers and reveal the lights of the palace grounds and the city beyond. Outside, a warm spring rain drizzles over the rooftops, casting everything in a misty hue.”
Similes! “His sword is flung into the crowd of officials, and they scatter like fish in a pond.”
Mouth-watering foods! "We’re given buns with airy pockets inside them, a center of juicy pork, mixed with minced shallots and ginger.” (Seriously, you will be hungry while reading this book.)
I also need to take a second to acknowledge that gorgeous cover! I think it’s the prettiest book I own now.
Finally, though I loved the premise, the story, and the writing, one area that fell short for me unfortunately was the characters. They did their job to tell the story, and I didn’t dislike any of them. I just… didn’t fall in love with them either. By the end of the book, I still didn’t feel very connected to any of them, like I didn’t really understand them or know them as well as I should.
Overall, I still had a really fun time reading this, and I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel. I loved the political court intrigue of the first book, but it seems like the next book might be headed in a new direction, and I’m excited to see what all that will entail.