Happy Saturday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A VENOM DARK AND SWEET! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Judy I. Lin to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!
A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin Series: The Book of Tea #2
Published on August 23, 2022 by Feiwel and Friends
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Mythology, YA
Pages: 352
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram
A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.
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.
But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world...
What would you do if you spent the day with Ning, Zhen, Ruyi, and Shu? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?
To no one’s surprise, I would probably spend a day with them going out to eat. I think they would be a lot of fun to spend time with at a Taiwanese night market, because there would be something for everyone – tasty snacks, drinks, clothes, places to get a foot massage, etc.
If Ning, Zhen, Ruyi, and Shu were to hang out with other fictional characters, who would they be and why?
Because I was inspired to write some of the story after watching the live action of Disney’s Aladdin, I feel like they would get along very well with Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie!
If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?
Even though it’s not a fictional place but rather a time period… since my interest in the Song Dynasty heavily influenced my story, I’d love to travel back in time to experience what life was like during that era.
If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?
I definitely will treasure the memories of this year. I launched not only one, but two books! I would put in my journal that catalogued all the little things, good and bad, that I experienced during this time. I’d put in a tea cup that I collected while traveling to do research on this story, and also a bookmark that I picked up to commemorate the first time I ever got to meet readers in person back in June!
What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?
I researched a lot about the making of tea wares because I wanted Ning’s mother to have an interest in making pottery. It wasn’t relevant enough to the story so much of that wasn’t included, but maybe someday those details will make it into another book.
What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from A Venom Dark and Sweet?
I actually love the scene at the end of A Venom Dark and Sweet where Ning and Kang once again find themselves on a rooftop, like they once met in A Magic Steeped in Poison. They’ve changed a lot from those first encounters to that scene, and it felt very satisfying for me to write as the author.
About Judy I. Lin
Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology (A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet), was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughters.
What do you think about A Venom Dark and Sweet? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
I read and loved book one, so I preordered this book. I’m excited to read it next month.