This beautiful Chinese mythology inspired story included many elements I love such as: the art of tea, a competition, court politics, Chinese lore, a mystery to be solved, conflicting alliances, and amazing descriptions of food.
I finished this book very quickly. Not because it was so fantastic that I couldn’t stop reading but rather because it moved along at a clipped pace with short chapters each ending on a cliffhanger. It also has an easy and smooth writing style. I enjoyed it well enough and will read the sequel.
My favorite aspect was definitely the descriptions of the food, the tea making process, and the ingredients used in the tea. They made me hungry and appreciative of how tea is both medicinal and enjoyable.
The characters were forgettable until the last third of the book. Ning herself has clear motives and executes them even though everyone in the court challenges her.
I finished this book very quickly. Not because it was so fantastic that I couldn’t stop reading but rather because it moved along at a clipped pace with short chapters each ending on a cliffhanger. It also has an easy and smooth writing style. I enjoyed it well enough and will read the sequel.
My favorite aspect was definitely the descriptions of the food, the tea making process, and the ingredients used in the tea. They made me hungry and appreciative of how tea is both medicinal and enjoyable.
The characters were forgettable until the last third of the book. Ning herself has clear motives and executes them even though everyone in the court challenges her.