About The Book
Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi―a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making―has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess’ loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning’s newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen’s rightful throne.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4g2SC2m
My Rating
This book wraps up the ‘Magic Steeped In Poison’ duology. Just so you know, this review could have spoilers because it’s the last book in the series. The story starts right where the last one left off, but now we get chapters from both Ning’s and Kang’s points of view, whereas in the first book we only got Ning’s perspective.
This book, unlike the first, wasn’t very interesting, which was a letdown considering it was the conclusion to the series. I thought it would be full of action, but it was more about Ning’s struggles with her inner demons. Kang’s chapters show him torn between being loyal to his dad and doubting whether his dad’s actions are right. Aside from that, he’s trying to fight his feelings for Ning while uncovering the truth behind the tea poisoning from the first book.
One of the major issues I had with the story was that the two perspectives felt like they were competing against each other. Personally, I’m not a fan of stories where characters in different perspectives don’t interact, because one perspective usually ends up being more intriguing. For me, Kang’s story—despite its predictable outcome—was more interesting than Ning’s plot.
“The bond of family is a kind of magic all its own.”
As for the ending, it just didn’t deliver the action and thrill I was hoping for. Even though I liked the direction the plot took, everything wrapped up way too quickly for my liking. Also sadly, the romance subplot was really weak in this book, which is a disappointment since Ning and Kang’s relationship in the first book was very much a slow burn. I was really hoping we’d see their relationship grow.
Overall, this book doesn’t surpass the first one in the duology. It read more like the second book in a trilogy and lacked the impact I’d expect from a last installment. The world and characters are great, but I’m not sure I’d recommend the series. On the other hand, this series could be a hit for readers who prefer fantasy over romantasy.
Have you read this duology? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments! Don’t forget to sign up for the blog’s mailing list so you never miss out on bookish content, and be sure to share this post with other readers.
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny
All book synopses are sourced from Amazon or Goodreads.
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It’s a shame that this book did not quite live up to the first one and have a bit of a flat ending. I have read a few series/duology collections like that, which can be a shame overall.