[Blog Tour] Moodboard & Top 5 Reasons to read A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Hi!!

It’s me posting a top-5-reasons post after two months. A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I was so thrilled that I got the chance to be on this blogtour. I remember the evening I saw the sign-up forms for this tour and stopped breathing for a while. My mom thought I had lost it, but it made my day. A huge thanks to TBR and Beyond tours for letting me join this tour. Don’t forget to check out other lovely bloggers on this tour; some have already posted, and many more to follow by this week. You can check their posts through the tour schedule here.

Now let’s start this post!

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I received an eARC of this book courtesy of TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Book DETAILS

► Title: A Magic Steeped in Poison

► BY: Judy I. Lin

► Publishing: Feiwel and Friends

► on: March 29, 2022

► GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy

► SERIES: The Book of Tea #1

► PACING: Medium ► PAGES: 384

► AGE: 13+ ► Rating: 3/5 ★

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BUY BOOK: AMAZON | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

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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.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Rep: East-Asian Main and Side Characters; f/f relationship

Here’s why you should read A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin this summer—

• For the myths

If you like the Moon Goddess myth and would like to read yet another narrative of the myth, this book is clearly for you. While this myth is not the core of the story, it frequently appears in the book. There’s also another myth closely tied to the story of how humans were gifted the pleasure of tea. So be prepared to be enlightened.

• The competition is tea-riffic!

The tea brewing competition is not as simple as it sounds. Tea apprentices (Shénnóng Tu) have to compete and outdo others in tasks that are more challenging than the previous ones and prove their mettle by using their wit and creativity. I personally liked the competition part. We see more of it in the second half, but it’s packed with intrigue and tricky riddles that make this book more thrilling.

• A Shennong’s Guide to Brewing Powerful MagiC

The concept of Shénnóng magic was intriguing. We have Shénnóng-shi— masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—competing and sabotaging others’ chances to serve the throne in the book. While many can’t serve the King, the others practice it (Shénnóng magic) as an esteemed healing art to cure the sick or whatever works for them. Each Shénnóng-shi have their own power. Some can heal the sick, some create illusions, some can distort shadows, etc., all while brewing tea. If you’re like me, who likes to read and discover unique magic systems in Fantasy books, this book might just be your cup of tea.

• All chai lovers, where you at?!

This book spells VARIE-TEA! The story unfolds a world of tea as never seen before and this is not an exaggeration. I have not read these many kinds of tea in a book, Fantasy at least, to date. This story is built intricately on brewing tea, not just the ordinary ones but magical and dangerous ones too. It was refreshing and fascinating to learn more about them in the book and can’t wait to read more in book 2.

• Lots Of Tropes to Choose from

There’s a lot that happens besides the tea competition in the book. There’s a deadly disease in the Daxi Kingdom, killing its people and a shadow threatening the throne. So there’s sickness to fight, a mysterious assassin to catch, tea to brew, and familial duty to uphold. As I told you, there’s a spectrum of tropes represented in the book to keep us engrossed till the end.

CW // poisoning, death of a parent, sexism, blood, animals harmed

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 and daughter. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.

website | twitter | instagram | goodreads

Let’s Chat

What are some Fantasy books with unique magic systems in your opinion?

“Everyone is able to see the stars; it’s the interpretation that is the dangerous part.”

― Judy I. Lin, A Magic Steeped in Poison