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••• The International Writers Magazine - YA Review

A Magic Steeped in Poison By Judy I. Lin ISBN: 9781803362182  (Book 1 of a duology) • Sam Hawksmoor review

Set in a mythical China a very long time ago, Ning, a country girl, blames herself for her mother’s untimely death. It was Ning who unwittingly administered the poisoned tea that killed her and even now is slowly killing her younger sister Shu.

Ning discovers there is a tournament in the big city of Jia to find the best shennong-shi – a master of the ancient art of tea making imbued with magic. The invite is for her younger sister, but she takes up the task herself.  The winner will serve as the young Princess’s shennong-shi and give her access to favours and perhaps the antidote to the poisoned tea that is everywhere now sowing discontent and confusion.

The competition is hard, there are others there who know more than Ning and desperately want to win. 
On her first day at the palace as she seeks ingredients for her first trial, she meets a young handsome man and shares tea with him. He may not be all he seems to be, but Ning has never met such a confident man before who seems to have taken a shine to her.

Inside the palace as the trials begin; she discovers the powers that be have no intention of letting a peasant girl such as Ning win. Some competitors have access to the judges and socialize with them. Meanwhile Ning secretly meets the young man in the midnight garden believing his interest in her is genuine.  She may be disappointed in that assumption.

A Magic Steeped in Poison is beautifully written, the plotting is tight and there are so many colourful characters. We follow the many ups and downs of Ning who is determined to beat everyone and return home with the antidote to save her sister.

This is Judy I Lin’s first novel and throughout the endless action Ning finds time to savour the dumplings, inhale the wonderful aromas of the exotic food and knows without a doubt that one does not go into battle without a good cup of tea.
Excellent.

*A word about the sequel ‘A Venom Dark and Sweet’. It continues Ning’s story and that of the handsome young man called Kang, but perhaps JK Rowling needs to have a stern word with Ms. Lin because the entire plot of book two is lifted wholesale from the rise of a certain ‘He who shall not be named’ as he seeks to reclaim certain items to make him whole again. OK it’s an evil serpent who is plotting revenge but y’know, it’s close.
Nevertheless, the story is wonderful and moves along at a rapid pace and would enthrall any young reader as a treachery abounds in every fibre of Jia.

© Sam Hawksmoor - September 2024 – author of Girl with Cat ‘Blue’.

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