a magic steeped in poison by judy i. lin (releasing on march 22, 2022) is the first in a duology and a chinese-mythology inspired fantasy. the novel follows ning as she enters an magical tea-brewing competition in the imperial city to save her sister from dying from tea poisoning. there, she finds herself tangled into a complication of court politics and tensions between competitors. a magic steeped in poison is an fast paced and enthralling page turner, and i ended up staying up late to finish the last half of the earc.
i was immediately interested when i read the summary that it had a magic tea-brewing competition, and the book definitely did not disappoint my expectations. i think my favourite thing about a magic steeped in poison was the magic system and how it incorporated elements of chinese culture with the mythological creatures, traditional medicine, and gongfu cha ceremonies. the inclusion of the art of traditional tea brewing was really meaningful to me, especially as i've been learning more about it recently to connect to my culture. additionally, the world of a magic steeped in poison is magically vibrant and expansive and incredibly unique, unlike any fantasy i've ever read.
i also really loved the characters of a magic steeped in poison, especially ning and lian. i also really appreciated their supportive friendship. i think that the book really makes every character feel different and compelling, even the supporting characters. i really liked the narration of the book and ning's character voice and the way that judy i. lin writes dialogue.
i really loved reading a magic steeped in poison, and i'm so excited for the sequel, especially after that ending. i'm so grateful to have had the chance to read an arc of a magic steeped in poison, one of my most anticipated books of 2022. thank you so much to @macmillanusa @fiercereads for the earc :)
find me on instagram: @bookishlyizzy
or my website: jemi.so/bookishlyizzy (less)
i was immediately interested when i read the summary that it had a magic tea-brewing competition, and the book definitely did not disappoint my expectations. i think my favourite thing about a magic steeped in poison was the magic system and how it incorporated elements of chinese culture with the mythological creatures, traditional medicine, and gongfu cha ceremonies. the inclusion of the art of traditional tea brewing was really meaningful to me, especially as i've been learning more about it recently to connect to my culture. additionally, the world of a magic steeped in poison is magically vibrant and expansive and incredibly unique, unlike any fantasy i've ever read.
i also really loved the characters of a magic steeped in poison, especially ning and lian. i also really appreciated their supportive friendship. i think that the book really makes every character feel different and compelling, even the supporting characters. i really liked the narration of the book and ning's character voice and the way that judy i. lin writes dialogue.
i really loved reading a magic steeped in poison, and i'm so excited for the sequel, especially after that ending. i'm so grateful to have had the chance to read an arc of a magic steeped in poison, one of my most anticipated books of 2022. thank you so much to @macmillanusa @fiercereads for the earc :)
find me on instagram: @bookishlyizzy
or my website: jemi.so/bookishlyizzy (less)