Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

3 reviews

vixenreader's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Despite some plot thread being left unresolved, and some overstuffing, this debut is impressive in its concept, sensitive protagonist, and strong female relationships. The tea has been spilled. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, War, Classism, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Medical trauma, Death, and Drug use

Moderate: Gaslighting, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Colonisation, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

There is a heavy amount of poisoning and a conspiracy theory driving the plot.

nytephoenyx's review

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I thought A Magic Steeped in Poison was good, but not great. I appreciate the twist Judy I. Lin employed in this book, leaning in to tea as magic. My understanding is that the tea ceremony and traditions surrounding it are revered by many Asian cultures, and as such, I loved that Judy I. Lin gave tea this additional sway.

That said, the emotions were flat in this book. I’m not sure if it was intentional. The world was interesting enough to bring me in every time I read it, but the characters weren’t so compelling that I felt invested, excited, or disappointed. They simply… were. For that, this gets 3.5 stars instead of 4. The book was interesting and I’m curious to see where it’s going, but I’m not compelled to reread it or own it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: War, Grief, Medical content, and Torture

The characters in this book and their culture is Asian-coded, albeit it is a fantasy story. The author is Taiwanese and currently lives in Canada.

saratonin_stories's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was beautiful, in this case definitely judge a book by the cover. This gorgeous cover absolutely
encompasses the beauty of this book, from the magic of the tea, to the flowery prose, and the magestic
landscapes, Lin builds a world that captivates readers. The magic system was fascinating, and one of a kind; learning about the significance of tea and ceremony around it was wondrous. Definitely don't be fooled because the contrast to all this beauty is the dark rooted political games that lead to tenuous situations that Ning finds herself. Some of the relationship development between Ning and other characters was a bit clunky to me, but it didn't impact the story line significantly and ultimately the character relationships came to fruition.

Ning's twisty relationship with Kang didn't quite hit the way it was intended, it felt like it needed more build-up and tension. Ning's friendship and partnership with Zheng and Ruyi equally needed more development. That being said, the gay tension between Zheng and Ruyi was perfection, and hopefully in the sequel we get to see more of their relationship. Ning and her sister's relationship is also something to hopefully look forward to in the next book

Ultimately excited to read more about this magical world in the sequel.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Death, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, War, and Medical trauma