in that sweet and peaceful rest

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin



Blurb:

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.

This was the April read for bookclub_dw; my answers to the discussion post can be found here: discussion post answers

I really liked this book - I've enjoyed the fantasy novels that feature East Asian mythology and tropes that I've read in the past year. This one focuses on brewing tea as a method of magic. There's also political intrigue and a hint of forbidden romance. I would probably call it YA. It is the first of a duology so I may pick the next one up if my library has it.