A Magic Steeped in Poison

Judy I. Lin

Mar 2022 · The Book of Tea Book 1 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Carolyn Kang

About this audiobook

Judy I. Lin's sweeping debut A Magic Steeped in Poison, first in a duology, is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother."

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her―the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

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.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

Ratings and reviews

I loved it A lot. This was a distinctive story with genre's full of fantasy, mythology and mystery. The book was written fantasticly. I was easily drawn to the wonderful book because of the cover, that sparked my interest and I stayed for the even more wonderful story that unraveled. We meet our amazing, bright and marvelous Ning. We follow her along her journey. As she joins a competition in the hopes of winning the reward money to heal her sister who was poisoned by tea.

POV: first-person, limited Characters: Zhang Ning: - daughter of Dr. Zhang (a renowned doctor in the village of Su) and a famous Shénnóng-shi. - exposed to both the physician's and Shénnóng's art of healing - traveled to the province of Jia City under the guise of her dying sister to partake in a tea brewing tournament to save the said sister from a poison sweeping the nation. Li Xu Kang "Bo/Kang": - son of Li Yuang (once known as the Prince of Dài, now the Banished Prince) - came to the palace to seek the assistance of Princess Li Ying-Zhen to help his town. Princess Li Ying-Zhen: - daughter of the Ascending Emperor, niece of the Banished Prince, cousin of Li Xu Kang - continued with the tradition of honoring the Shénnóng culture by bringing back the tea brewing tournament to find the next Shénnóng who will be part of the Royal Court. Observations: The author is smart enough to keep the first-person, limited POV (Zhang Ning's) as it is essential to make the story work. The one-way view makes the mystery of the tea poisoning, the brewing competition, the royal palace politics, etc., build up the mystery, suspense, and ultimate plot twist in the end. During the tea ceremonies, readers will be enthralled with the intricate art and feel the solemnity, respect, and seriousness of such a revered and timeless Asian tradition. These serene, calming moments balance the other things happening - tumultuous royal family relationship, threats of death and assassination, family love and loyalty, and honor. The book contains many detailed descriptors of the locations, sights, sounds, tastes intricacies intertwined by a few Chinese poetry and sayings. Every detail is written with much love, care, and respect, from each leaf's texture to its veins. The pacing is perfectly timed, especially how the ending happened. It was impossible to ignore the vast world-building of the story since it sets the stage to immerse readers into the world of the palace like the elaborate ceremonies and tournament backdrops, then bring readers back to the formal tea brewing challenges. I love how in-depth the ritual of tea brewing was explored and expounded. It will give a wonderful glimpse of what types of teas stand for and yield the drinker. Each tea leaf was researched and explained for its purpose and use. I was amazed at how complex tea leaves' purpose ran throughout the book; even boiling water and letting it "rest" blew me away. (It may explain why a few tea brews of mine tasted differently from what I had at the tea shop.) Each character's development explored showed the vulnerability of humanity. Each situation was unpredictable and unexpected because of manipulation and deceit. Alliances immediately forged crumbles that shaped these characters to realize how much a pawn each was in the grander scheme at play. Many moments in the book made me stop and ponder Ning's problems, especially a challenge that calls the contestants to go against everything that Shénnóng stood for! Overall, A Magic Steeped in Poison is a captivating escapism read. It lived up to all my expectations and delivered beyond by hooking me from the very beginning, making it impossible to put down the book! The character development reflects a very "coming of age" story, wherein hope, aspiration, determination, disappointment, mistakes, and betrayal happen in their life's journey. There were a lot of lessons learned from the story - from the young to the old. Some turned out to be "cautionary tales," but for the most part, it all boils down to being true to one's heart and social empathy. I did not see the cliffhanger coming until it was too late! Be warned, and I cannot wait for the next book in this duology!! Words to Describe the book: spectacular world-building scenes, a cultural voyage into the art of tea brewing, true to Asian heritage with references to olden mythology, an emotional rollercoaster of love, loyalty, hope, manipulation, and deceit, the perfect balance of mystery and unpredictability of the people, and situations, young love and LOTS of MAGIC!

absolutely incredible! had me hooked on every word!!! I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a unique take on magic!

About the author

Judy I. Lin was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband, daughter and elderly cat. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.