JUDY I LIN
(Book 1 in the The Book of Tea duology)
Synopsis:
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.
Content:
Language: Not present
Violence: Poisoning, assassination attempts, sword-fighting, a poisonous bird (touching it results in death), using the tea magic to deceive and control, murder, some descriptions of a brutal beating that results in death, brief descriptions of blood and poisoned wounds
Sex: A few mildly descriptive kisses, romantic pining
LGBTQ: A male character is mentioned to have a husband, two female characters are implied to have a romantic relationship
My Review:
Pros:
- the cover (I will always count a pretty cover as a pro)
- cool and unique magic system (though I'm still having a bit of trouble figuring out exactly how it works)
- immersive writing
- quick-pacing and enjoyable plot
- it's easier for me to say what I didn't rather than what I did like, but the vibes were good??
Cons:
- I struggled to truly connect with any of the characters. I feel like we don't really know any of them well enough.
- There were limited answers to anything (I get that's why there's a second book, but it might have been nice to wrap up a few things)
- I know I said earlier that the pacing was quick, but the overall plot arc was really slow (sounds contradictory, but that's the best I can explain it)
- I am still confused about several points in the book (and maybe that's just me being dumb; it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book)