But the story is good, even if I didn't feel the sense of urgency, and I enjoyed the characters and their growth. The world-building was really good too, I loved how unique and well done it was. Overall, a solid ending that certainly tied the story together. The magic is not in the ceremony of pouring the tea or the sharing of the cup. It is in the connection, the brief joining of souls. The tea leaves are the channel, the ingredients the signposts.”

Beautifully written, from the setting to the magic system, A Magic Steeped in Poison is sure to enchant both fantasy lovers and cdrama aficionados. I’ll be inhaling whatever Judy I. Lin brews up next." —Joan He, New York Times-bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find You must leave tonight.” Her voice takes on a stern tone, sounding like she is the older sister, and me, the younger. “Don’t stuff yourself with too many chestnut tarts.” While the plot and writing style didn't combine as well as in the last book for me, the characters were still just as wonderful as the last book. Ning is the main character, though the reader also gets chapters from Kang's perspective which I would argue is very important. Ning is a magician who uses her tea to help people and is very determined to help her sister with her magic. That part of the story, as she was around her sister a lot more in this book, was really elevated and I loved that part of her character. As well Ning is just inquisitive and stubborn in her own right and is rightfully determined to achieve her goals. Kang as a character isn't as nuanced as I've read from some other books, but he's still really interesting in the context of his situation. I enjoyed how we got to see more from his perspective and understand more of his thoughts or motivations. My throat clenches as I look down at my sister now, sleeping soundly beside me. If I could take the poison inside of her and ingest it myself, I would do so gladly. I would do anything to ease her suffering.Another thing that Lin does very well is the tension between Ning and Kang, both in the previous book and in this one. They went from having a blooming connection in the last one, to it being very complicated because of the betrayals that happened in the palace. Obviously, this affects how they view one another and react to one another. I think the tension they still had between them was very well done, both of them were affected by what happened but still wanted to be close to the other person. Another POV was introduced out of the blue, which also confused me. The narrative is told from Ning's and Kang's perspectives, and aside from Kang's perspective being told in the third person, both perspectives sounded the same. Actually, almost all of the characters shared a similar sound. It was challenging to get engaged in the story because the entire thing was told in a detached, mass manner. This story felt drawn out and repetitive because Ning's thoughts and emotions were constantly described rather than actually demonstrated, a flaw I was willing to ignore in the first book.

This wasn’t as fast-paced as some others I’ve read recently, but it’s just as engaging as the best of them, especially by the end. The political components were fun to try to unravel. You think you understand who the major players are and where their loyalty lies, only for everything to be eventually flipped on its head. We’re left on a cliffhanger, not one that will totally destroy your life ( All of Us Villains 😠), but one that will simply haunt your every waking hour. Probably even some sleeping ones, too. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life. I really wanted to love this one bc Book #1 was so good- but I ended up having mixed feelings 🫤 It definitely wasn't bad and I still think this is such a good Asian fantasy series, but the pacing and romance in this one just wasn't it 😬🫣 There has not been a shénnóng-shi admitted to court this generation, and to be the one selected would be the highest honor. It would allow a shénnóng-tú to bypass the trials and become a master. Riches would be bestowed on their household, their village celebrated. But it is the hope of the favor that calls out to me the most. I could demand that my sister be attended by the best physicians in the realm, those who have read the pulse of the emperor himself. Una premisa sin duda diferente y atractiva, pero si además le añades magia oscura, peligro, amor prohibido y un chico misterioso, el libro se convierte en imprescindible.

Zwischen Freundschaften, Bündnissen und Loyalitäten gibt es auch die Liebesgeschichte mit Kang, die noch komplizierter ist als zuvor, da er als Sohn des neuen Regenten zu den Feinden gehört. Er sieht aber auch die Probleme, die der Machtwechsel mit sich bringt und das bringt ihn in eine schwierige Lage. A breathtaking tale with a stunning magic system rooted deep in Chinese mythology and tea-making traditions. Lin's originality truly blew my mind. Love and magic overflows past the brim in this work of beauty." —Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Iron Widow I hear her voice as the leaves expand in the water. How she used to tell us the evening fog follows the white wingtips of the Mountain Guardian, the goddess who turns into a bird at dusk. She is the Lady of the South, who dropped a single leaf from her beak into the cup of the First Emperor, and gifted humans the pleasure of tea.

First of all, this cover is devastatingly stunning, just as much if not more than the first book. That's probably my favorite thing about this series, which might seem trivial, but I truly enjoy how gorgeous these books look together. I remember giving the last book five stars, but not remembering everything that happened in it. Unfortunately, this book didn't completely live up to the high expectations I had for it, but I think it was still a nice story. That intricate nature of tea steeping plays such a huge and immersive part of the narrative. Could you speak to building that into the story?Kang is a charming hero. He’s mysterious, and I enjoyed getting to know his a dark past and secrets. Even though I didn’t like all of his actions, I still think he was a cute character and love interest. The novel is steeped in Chinese mythology and magic. We read frequent references to various gods and goddesses of old and who are worshipped by the people. These gods and goddesses are the source of the magic utilized in the tea rituals. The shénnóng magic is like a conversation with them, according to Ning’s mom. Characters tell several stories of the old gods’ actions and their consequences. Specific spaces in the castle are meant for worship and include representations of the gods. As well, the author's writing style is very gorgeous and has a ton of potential to create a very expansive and wonderful story, but like I said before I just felt that it didn't blend as well with this book. There was an attempt at more expansive world-building in this book, but in my opinion, it felt very confusing. I didn't really seem to be able to grasp what the author was trying to do, and it really didn't seem to expand on the world that much. I know it was supposed to be important what did happen, but I think there was some tension missing. Also, kang's pov chapters?? Literally so bland. I was so excited when I saw this was dual pov so that was a big bummer... 🙈🙈