Full review on my blog.

It’s so lovely to scream about books again, especially ones that seem like they will be ho-hum predictable and completely enthrall you and surprise you and make you hungry, and all of the wonderful things books can be. A Magic Steeped in Poison is a rousing win for me, as an accessible epic fantasy setting with familiar feeling characters doing unexpected things, bringing a wholly original story to life — all centered around a magic system involving tea. I will be passing along this title to my fellow reading friends who enjoyed Iron Widow, but found it a little lacking when it came to predictability as Lin does the opposite in this first-in-a-duology.

Suffice to say, as much as I loved this book, I know court intrigue and subtle magic are not everyone’s cup of tea (and really, I had to slip in at least one tea pun when reviewing a book about tea magic, come on). However, if you do love those things and are looking for a book that starts out comfortable and familiar but by the end has elevated the stakes and shattered all expectations, not to mention cursing that you have to wait until August 2022 for the sequel to come out, A Magic Steeped in Poison has to be your next read. I recommend brewing some of your favorite tea and packing a picnic to soak up some sunshine as you read this title.

Then come scream with me about it.