A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea, 1)

 

Publication date: March 29, 2022

My Thoughts:

This debut Asian fantasy book by Judy I. Lin just adds magic and world building to the other Asian fantasy books making a mark on the YA scene. In this year of the water tiger, arts will be strong, and I find that Magic can hold up along with other strong YA Asian fantasy books that are also getting lots of love. 

Ning, the main character, may not be ready to take her mother's place in the shennong-shi competition, and her sister Shu is supposed to be her mother's apprentice, but when her mother and sister fall victim to poisoned tea, like Maia from Spin the Dawn, Ning must win a competition to save her family.  Shennong-shi are magic tea makers, but each person has magic in different areas. Some are healers, like Ning and her mother. Some wield magic in tea that can give strength to the drinker. Although Ning has not officially trained with her mother, she must rely on her gift for plants, her ability to speak to flowers and her training with her father, a physician. 

Like Mina, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, Nng is headstrong and brash. She often acts first without thinking through consequences which makes this first of two books twisty and exacerbating, packed with action, high court intrigue, revolution and espionage. 

This book is going to be another hit. I am just loving these beautiful covers and the devour worthy AAPI fantasy books coming out. This one is good for YA and middle grades if readers are ok with the violence and death.

From the Publisher:

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.