A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

 

"I used to look at my hands with pride.

Now, all I can think is, These are the hands that buried my mother".

"I understand now. The magic is not in the ceremony of pouring the tea or the sharing of the cup. It is in the connection, the brief joining of souls. The tea leaves are a channel, the ingredients the signposts".

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a YA fantasy debut by #1 New York Times bestselling author Judy I. Lin (released 6 September 2022). The thrilling combination of fantasy and romance is based on the Chinese mythology as well as the cultural traditions of tea.

Ning lives with her family in a small village in the Sù province. Her beloved mother has died recently, having injested a poisoned tea, brewed by Ning. Her sister Shu is slowly dying from the same poison.

Ning is racked with guilt, since it was she who served the deadly brew to her mother and sister, not realising it's being poisoned. Her late mother was one of the shénnóng-shī , and Ning has learnt many skills of the tea art from her. 

"People who don't know any better often reduce the shénnóng-shī to the role of the skilled entertainer, able to artfully pour and present the common drink. Trained shénnóng-shī are proficient at the basic, of course - the flavours appropriate for different occasions, the correct shape and make of the cup to match the tea being served. But the true wielders of shénnóng magic have their unique specialties. Some brew teas for emotions - compassion, hope, love. Others are able to imbue the body with energy or encourage the drinker to remember something long thought lost. They move past the walls of the body and into the sould itself".

Ning has always felt different, like she doesn't belong in the village. "Even when Mother was alive, even when I was happy in the garden with my family, I always felt like I was orbiting them, occupying a similar space but charting my own invisible course, with no idea where it would take me."

When an invitation arrives from the Imperial court for all the shénnóng-shī to attend a tea competition, Ning leaves her home, hoping to win the competition and the royal favour which might or might not save the life of her sister.

The imperial city of Jia is a nest of vipers. There is a threat of a rising rebellion led by the banished prince. The current emperor is sick, and nobody has seen him for ages. His young daughter, Princess Li Ying-Zhen, tries to navigate the political intrigues with a ruthless abandon.

Against this venomous background, the tea brewing competition reveals its dark side. The competitors would go to any lengths to discredit their opponents and win the main prize - the favour from the princess and the position at court. 

While visiting the town to get ingredients for the first round of the tournament, Ning meets a mysterious young man who sets her heart aflutter. He appears to be charming and courteous, but there is a barely concealed sadness about him too. Just what is he hiding?

As the competition progresses, there is a lot at stake. Ning finds herself in danger, getting inadvertently involved in the bloody court politics, and torn between her loyalties and sense of justice.

Who will win the much coveted prize? 

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a spectacular tale of magic, ancient Chinese mythology and tea culture. It will make an epic series for Netflix or Disney +, someone give them a nudge! I can easily imagine the tea ceremony rituals in slow motion. The scenes of the contest are written so expressively, they are a visual feast of colours, scents and tastes. 

Some of the fighting scenes made me think of one of my favourite films, The House of Flying Daggers with its visually distinct aesthetics. There are similar themes of the corrupt government, evil officials and ruthless rebels.

The contest tasks are a combination of craftsmanship, elegance, beauty and extreme cruelty.

As a self-confessed tea addict with over a hundred of different kinds of tea in my kitchen, I found the theme of a tea brewing competition a great selling point. All the magic revolves around tea: it gives strength, helps look inside someone's inner thoughts and desires, it also has dangerous qualities which could leave one incapacitated or dead. The tea is the absolute element, which could cure or kill. The juxtaposition of life and death through the power of tea is at the heart of the concept of this story.

I loved the descriptions of the tea properties, food from different regions and the kitchen insights. The first test of the competition is to brew a tea that is a perfect accompaniment to the dish from the competitiors' home provinces. 

The descriptions of different teas are a joy to read. "Silver Needle is a tribute tea, each leaf plucked individually from the tree by hand. The weight is so featherlight, even the slightest movement of the water sends each strand swirling in a vortex, down to a point. That is where it is said to be able to pierce the veil, to draw out the fine thread of truth from the mind".

This book is part 1 of a duology, and ends on a cliffhanger. The second book will be published in January 2023.

A Magic Steeped in Poison will sweep you away. Bold, romantic, fast-paced, and infused with magic.

I should also mention the most exquisite book cover illustration by Sija Hong (book cover design by Rich Deas and Kathleen Breitenfeld).

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

 

"She could have done any of a thousand small things that would have changed the course of events and prevented things unfolding as they had. But that was hindsight: no use for anything except exacerbating regret".

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas is a tense, suspensful and engrossing mystery, set in the seaside town of Morannez in Brittany.

Mila Shepherd has temporarily moved to France to look after her orphaned niece Ani. Ani's parents, Mila's stepsister Sophie and her husband, were lost at sea. Mila moves into their family home, on the outskirts of Morannez. She is also working in the successful family business, Toussaint's Agency, which specialises in tracking down family members with whom their clients have lost contact over the years, having taken over Sophie's position. This is an interim position, until the new recruit, Carter Jackson, starts the job.

Carter is a blast from the past. Years ago, Sophie and Carter have been lovers, and Mila was holding a torch for her step-sister's love interest. What brings him back to Morannez?

Mila is writing a novel, but has to suspend her creative activities until the agency position is taken over by Carter. 

Mila doesn't have children of her own, and finds it hard to look after her teenager niece. "She was frustrated that after all these months, she still couldn't seem to balance her responsibilities towards Ani with the rest of her life. She was no good at being in loco parentis. She was a crap carer". 

The relationship between Ani and Mila is strained and awkward. Ani resents Mila's plans to send her to a boarding school in Switzerland. Each time her aunt tries to talk to Ani about her going away to school, she walks away or shuts the conversation down. Both bury their heads in sand, like proverbial ostriches. They are equally difficult, and not easy to like.

One evening, when Ani has a bike accident, Mila meets an elderly woman in a horsebox van, stationed out by the woods. "Depending on your point of view, the old woman was either a charming eccentric, an object of pity or someone feral who would deter the tourists and ought to be chased out of town". 

Gosia is keeping a notebook, where she writes down her secrets. "Beside her chair was an enormous book, like a ledger, too full of pictures and pieces of paper to close, with a pen lying in the gulley of its spine. One side of the open book was covered in lines of small, neat, handwriting..."

When Gosia is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Mila is reluctant to accept the official line of police inquiry. Ani immediately jumps to conclusions that Gosia's death is related to the prehistoric curse which has been triggered when the archeological dig outside Morannez started.

It's the height of summer, and the seaside town is flooded with holidaymakers. The historical town by the sea appears to be a perfect setting for the summer vacations. 

The idyll is an illusion though. There is a sinister side to the pretty façade. Another untimely death happens at Morannez, when someone at the dig is being subjected to a hate campaign. And again, the police seem to be if not indifferent, then totally clueless.

Observant Mila begins to ask uncomfortable questions. "If Mila was right then someone was acting the role of choreographer, someone connected to the two dead people, someone with a reason to kill".

It seems only she and Carter care enough to dig deeper, trying to uncover the truth about what's really happening. And someone would go to any length to protect the awful truth going back to the tragic past.

Will Mila and Carter uncover what really happened?

Themes of love and loss, bereavement and grief, family relationships and bonds runs through the story, just like in two other books by Louise Douglas that I have read - The Room in the Attic and The Scarlett Dress.

Mila and Ani are coping with grief in their own way. Mila "hears" her dead sister and has conversations with her. Sophie appears as a carefree, ego-centric and irresponsible person. She is a kind of woman you would find rather annoying in real life, and as a manifestation of inner torment she is totally insufferable.

You feel sorry for Mila, who feels compelled to leave her country, boyfriend and suspend her job, to move to France to look after her niece.

The setting is, as always, spot on. It creates an evocative, plaintive background for the sequence of unfolding dramatic events.

Without giving many spoilers, what Gosia tries to unravel, writing her findings in the big notebook, is portrayed in an unflinching, poignant way.

The Lost Notebook is an absorbing, suspensful and riveting story, a tale that is both sinister and incredibly sad. Entirely compelling and full of realistic heart-rending, emotional twists.

This review is part of the blog tour.

Many thanks to Louise Douglas and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3HNYxqV

 

Author Bio –

Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author and an RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Louise-Douglas-Author-340228039335215/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisedouglas3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LouiseDouglas3/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LouiseDouglas

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/louise-douglas

Back to School & Relaxing Evenings Degustabox

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in the Back to School & Relaxing Evenings Degustabox box?

SXOLLIE Packham's Triumph Perry (£2.20) is more like a wine than a cider. This medium dry perry has notes of  honey, caramel and a subtle hint of elderflower. Contains no added sugar, flavourings or concentrate, it is 100% natural, gluten free, 100% vegan, lower in calories, 4.5% ABV and B Corp Certified. Product of South Africa. 

Pair with cheese and preserves. If you prefer to use it in cooking, how about a cider cake with almonds, or a chicken in perry and cream sauce?

Price can vary between £1.80-2.20.

Available at Waitrose and on Amazon Prime.

Good Earth Pomegranate & Blueberry Kombucha (£1.60) is a refreshing organic drink made with natural ingredients and live cultures. It is low in sugar and calorie intake (4g of sugar and 28kcal per 250ml).

Kombucha is an acquired taste, it's a bit like Marmite. Its bold, fizzy, slightly sour taste might not appeal to everyone. It has soared in popularity in the few last years due to its health properties.

Available on Ocado, WHSmith and GoodEarth.co.uk.

Nesquick All Natural Ready To Drink Strawberry/Chocolate (£1.80) is a flavoured milk drink. Made from 100% natural ingredients (93% milk, sugar and flavourings). It provides a source of calcium and protein. Great on the go or in packed lunches.

Nutritional information: 13.1g of sugar and 90kcal per carton.

You should receive 1 of 2 items in your box.

Available at Sainsbury's and on Ocado.

Horlicks Vegan Malt Drink (£3.49) will allow you to enjoy the classuc malty taste of Horlicks, enriched with vitamins and minerals, minus dairy. Just add vegan milk of choice.

Free from artificial colours and flavours, sweeteners and preservatives.

Horlicks is a national institution, going back to the late 1800s when it was first developed by the Horlicks brothers.

Nutritional values: 9.4g of sugar and 84kcal per 25g serve.

You can also use it as an ingredient in baking for the malty twists in cakes, muffins or cupcakes.

Available at ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons, Amazon or www.horlicks.co.uk.

Dr Will's Classic Mayo/Chilli Mayo (£3).

Dr Will's mayo recipes are sugar free, and are packed full of quality ingredients (like free range egg yolk, Dijon mustard etc).  Use as a spread in sandwiches, or make a salad dressing. To jazz up a plain mayo, add some ketchup, mustard or pesto.

Nutritional values: 107kcal and 0% sugar per 14g).

You should receive one of two items in your box.

Available at Tesco and on Ocado.

Heinz Veg Hoops 400g (£1.25) is a vegan tinned pasta with a vegetable sauce made with carrot and cauliflower. Contains 30% more veg, it's a source of fibre. 1 of your 5 a day in 1/2 can when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Available at Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Waitrose.

Nutritional information: 117kcal and 8.5g of sugar per can.

Nissin Cup Noodles 5 Spices Beef/Katsu Curry (£1.75) is a flavourful Japanese curry.

You will receive one of two flavours. The Cup Noodles Katsu Curry with a chicken flavour and fine vegetables is no.1 in Japan. Easy to prepare, just open the lid, pour boiling water, wait 3 minutes, stir well and enjoy.

Typical nutritional values per 100g prepared product: 81kal and 1.4g of sugar.

Invented in Japan in 1971, CUP Noodles were the world's first instant noodles in a pot.

My younger son loves pot noodles, and curry is one of his favourite flavours.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

I enjoy trying authentic products, and was pleased to find a bottle of Ocean's Halo Organic Spicy Korean BBQ Soy-free sauce (£4). This organic kelp based sauce gets its flavour from red Jalapeños and sesame tahini. Great for BBQ, dipping or marinades. 

Certified vegan and organic. Nutrition: 35kcal and 4g of sugar per 15ml.

This BBQ sauce definitely has a bite, so use it sparingly if you enjoy your food not too spicy. It will last us a while, and thankfully, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 8 weeks after opening.

Available in ASDA and independent retailers.

Palmini Pasta - Linguine/Angel Hair/Lasagna/Rice/Mashed (£4.49 for the pasta or £4.99 for the mash) is made out of hearts of palm, harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. You will receive one item in your box.

We got a pack of Palmini lasagna sheets. Haven't tried it yet, as I don't often make lasagna.

Nutritional values: 20kcal and 4g of carbs per serving. Gluten free, sugar free, vegan, GMO-free.

Palmini products are available on Amazon and Planet Organic.

Urban Fruit Wellness Glow (£3) is a pack of blended fruit bites: mango, pineapple, acerola cherry and turmeric. A good source of vitamin C, it is also high in fibre. 1 of your 5 a day, vegan friendly, gluten free. These tasty fruit bites are full of flavour.

Nutritional values: 334kcal and 61g of sugar (naturally occuring) per 100g.

Available in Tesco and online at Amazon and Ocado.

Product of the month:

McVitie's Mini BN Strawberry Biscuits (£1) - we're not surprised that these delicious biscuits were chosen a product of the month, they are absolutely moreish. Light, gloden-baked biscuits are sandwiched together with a delicious strawberry flavour filling. There are 5 mini packs of 5 biscuits each, lovely for lunch boxes or as an after-school treat. 

Only natural flavours and colours, they are 32kcal per biscuit (though it's not easy to stop at one).

Available in most major supermarkets.

McVitie's BN Chocolate Biscuits (£1) are light, golden-baked biscuits, sandwiched with a chocolate flavour filling. Lovely with a cup of coffee or tea.

Contains only natural flavours.

Nutritional values: 84kcal and 5.4g of sugar per biscuit.

Available in most major supermarkets.

What was your favourite product in the last Degustabox?