Is it with the princess? Is it with the mysterious boy, Kang, who’s somehow captured her heart? Is it with her sister and ensuring that she can save her life? A lot is held back and even as I approached the final pages of the story, I found more of it unfolding in front of me. I found it so difficult to see where Ning’s loyalties lie, which is great because that level of mystery kept me reading.
The competition stages weren’t rushed, but you also get an idea of what’s happening beyond that. The royal and political drama was palatable and I really loved the pacing here. I loved that I was seeing what was happening rather than being told or worse, being left behind while the characters go off to carry out some truth the reader doesn’t even see. I felt like I knew Ning and following along with her as she finds out more truths within the palace. Judy Lin is able to really lay the character out for you through her almost poetic tone.
And what I love about the writing in this story. She may stumble and perhaps make the wrong deduction from time to time, but that’s what I love about her. She doesn’t have it completely together and easily able to insult the leaders of the country by accidentally reciting the wrong poem, but she’s smart. And as Ning spends weeks in the capital city earning her place as the Shennong-shi, she learns that there is much more at stake for the entire kingdom. There’s word of a rebellion and an old banished prince who wants to claim the throne for his own. What Ning doesn’t know is that there’s some bigger problems brewing (pardon my pun) within the kingdom. However, Ning has her reasons for going in her sister’s stead her sister has been poisoned by tea and she needs the help of the princess to save her. I mean, this position is important and comes with the ear of the princess at your beckon call.
This isn’t some simpleton position making tea everyday of your life, but you’re a wielder of magic and using that magic not only for its medicinal purposes, but also to guide the hand of the kingdom. It was prominent and it was bold like a really well brewed cup.īut the story is about young Ning, a physician’s assistant who’s sister is summoned to the palace and win a coveted position as the princess’s “shennong-shi”. There were moments throughout the story where I worried that this tea business would take a backseat to the rest of the plot, but it didn’t. Tea plays a vital role in this story and the culture of this story expertly combining with real world tradition including the use of medicinal herbs is just fantastic. I mean, you have to consider the fact that the book uses metaphor as a title, the main character is a tea-making apprentice, and she’s on her way to a tea competition to be the royal tea master. I think the star of this book is the tea. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.īut 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.įind it on Amazon | Find it on My thoughts 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. 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. For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault.
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