Yikes. Oh, jeez. So YA. Protagonist was foolish, plot was simplistic and melodramatic, the whole magical-tea-brewer competition was wildly dumb, romance was stupid, ending was a contrived cliffhanger that really wasn't in the slightest bit necessary. The plot threads were already in place for a sequel. And yet--see, here's where I think I'm just a curmudgeonly fart. Because I can imagine someone who doesn't mind simplistic obvious contrived plots finding a lot to love in this book. The tea magic was very beautifully evoked, the descriptions of food were incredible, and the pacing was perfectly fine. And it was very steeped (heh) in Chinese culture, with names and images and descriptions of decor and dress and hair and politics solidly c-drama affiliated. The audiobook narrator took pains to pronounce every proper name with the appropriate tones. This is a bit of representation in fantasy that I think is good and necessary, and I think that fourteen-year-old girls need rousing stories like this, of plucky teens fighting to do court intrigue and wield magic. Just because I found it juvenile and tedious doesn't mean everyone will. It just means I've aged out of this book's demographic.