Confessions of a Literary Addict

This review is spoiler-free!

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Genres: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Mythology
Release Date:  March 29th 2022 by Feiwel and Friends
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Rating: ★★★★★
Find it here: Goodreads

I was hoping this one would be a winner for me, mostly because of the absolutely gorgeous cover, and it was. It was so good. And this is the author’s debut? I can’t wait to see what else comes!

(I still need to read the second book, but I already own it, so it won’t be long now!)

The magic was hands-down the coolest part of the whole story. I’ve never read (or, at least, I don’t remember reading) a story where the magic is so closely entwined with tea, something you can find in so many cultures and is so central to Asian cultures, which this world is styled after. (I’m actually not sure if it’s supposed to be China but magical? It seemed that way, but I’m not solid on that.)

Now, the competition. It was central to the story without being everything the story covered, which I liked a lot. Don’t get me wrong, The Hunger Games is one of my favorite series of all time, but sometimes I like it when we get a little in-between, especially since the first plot point we get doesn’t even have anything to do with the competition. Well-executed, I’d say!

I’m ready for the next one!

Thanks for reading!