The premise for A Magic Steeped in Poison is what initially drew me in. Judy Lin combines Chinese mythology with tea making magic and court politics. Our main character, Ning, chooses to leave her family in the hopes of becoming the kingdom's new shennong-shi, in order to save her sisters life. Ning faces many challenges in the tea making competition and learns new truths about her family.
Judy Lin managed to weave Chinese mythology into this story beautifully. I found that to be the most interesting aspect of the book for me and I wanted to look into the myths that inspired the story. I also enjoyed getting a depiction of traditional tea making and the art of choosing the ingredients based on the recipients needs.
The story reads on the younger side of YA (12-15). Unfortunately, I was not drawn to any of the characters and it took me a while to really be interested in the story. I found that the world building and plot were slightly choppy and information kept coming up when it was convenient rather than being integrated into the plot. We were told a lot of things rather than shown, which kept me from being fully engrossed in the world.
With that being said, I thought the depiction of the tea ceremonies was wonderfully done. Once we truly got into the magic aspect of the tea making, that started to drawn me into the story. The last 100 pages read fast for me and I feel that is where most of the story took place. I am curious to see where the plot goes from here and how Chinese mythology is integrated into the sequel. I hope we get a further explanation of exactly how the magic works and get to see it used in new ways.
I also want to acknowledge the amazing work that Sija Hong did with the cover art for A Magic Steeped in Poison. It is truly stunning!
I would recommend this book to someone who likes lighter fantasy and a soft magic system.
Judy Lin managed to weave Chinese mythology into this story beautifully. I found that to be the most interesting aspect of the book for me and I wanted to look into the myths that inspired the story. I also enjoyed getting a depiction of traditional tea making and the art of choosing the ingredients based on the recipients needs.
The story reads on the younger side of YA (12-15). Unfortunately, I was not drawn to any of the characters and it took me a while to really be interested in the story. I found that the world building and plot were slightly choppy and information kept coming up when it was convenient rather than being integrated into the plot. We were told a lot of things rather than shown, which kept me from being fully engrossed in the world.
With that being said, I thought the depiction of the tea ceremonies was wonderfully done. Once we truly got into the magic aspect of the tea making, that started to drawn me into the story. The last 100 pages read fast for me and I feel that is where most of the story took place. I am curious to see where the plot goes from here and how Chinese mythology is integrated into the sequel. I hope we get a further explanation of exactly how the magic works and get to see it used in new ways.
I also want to acknowledge the amazing work that Sija Hong did with the cover art for A Magic Steeped in Poison. It is truly stunning!
I would recommend this book to someone who likes lighter fantasy and a soft magic system.