Infusing Tea, Magic, and Culture: Five Questions for Judy I. Lin, Author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, Our April YA Book Club Pick

Tea and Chinese medicinal practices are infused throughout the pages of your book.  What inspired you to write a book centered around these two aspects in particular?  

When I was working on the research for tea in the world building for A Magic Steeped in Poison, there were many articles referencing tea as a medicinal ingredient. In the Tang Dynasty document “The Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu, there was a description of how the use of tea originated with the mystical figure of Shennong. Legend has it that Shennong tasted one hundred plants and encountered seventy-two poisons, and tea was the antidote to each one. Since Shennong is also the God of Medicine, it made sense to play with the qualities of Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients and imagine their potential magical elements when brewed with tea.  

What books and authors have influenced you as a writer?   

I’ve always had an appreciation for folklore and legends, not only from my own cultural background, but from many other cultures as well. The first book that had an impact on me as a writer was The Singing Stone by O.R. Melling. It was a portal fantasy about a modern girl who travels to Ireland and is transported back in time and goes on an adventure collecting treasures, meeting a lost princess and falling in love. The way the story blended myth and history was beautiful.  

Since then, I’ve been influenced by authors that reimagined history and/or mythology with their own unique twist. Such as Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao which is a Chinese-inspired retelling of Snow White or The Blood of Stars duology by Elizabeth Lim, which is a fantastical reimagining of the legend of Mulan if Mulan was a tailor instead of a soldier. I also loved the lush, immersive world created by Roshani Chokshi in The Star-Touched Queen.  

Your book is so vivid, but it’s also full of so much history and culture. How did you go about researching for this book, and what was your favorite piece of knowledge you gained?  

I’m lucky in that even though I moved from Taiwan to Canada when I was young, I was able to retain my ability to read Traditional Chinese. My Chinese writing ability is poor, but I am able to type Chinese characters, which allowed me to access a lot of resources that would be inaccessible if I had to rely on English translations. I was able to find books published in Taiwan on more obscure topics such as tea culture in the Song Dynasty and also books on foods prepared in the imperial palace in the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, which contained many details that I was able to incorporate into the story.  

My favorite piece of knowledge that came to me quite early in the research process was the discovery that the way my family prepared tea was actually a type of tea ceremony called “Gongfu Cha,” which translates to “tea made with skill.” I did not understand the particulars of this type of ceremony that is very prevalent in Taiwanese culture, but through my research found a greater appreciation and understanding of it.  Writing the process of Gongfu Cha into my story was a wonderful way for me to connect with my cultural heritage and brought back many fond memories of drinking tea with family friends and visiting tea shops.  

Ning and Lian’s friendship is quickly formed but quickly dives deep, and it’s very important to the story. Did you know immediately that you wanted to have an empowering female friendship to support Ning as she progressed through the competition and managed all her feelings surrounding family, love, and the potential for betrayal asked of her? 

I knew from the very beginning when I was first writing the story that in the competition, I did not want Ning to be the lone woman vying to secure her place among a group of young men. I also did not want to have a competition where women are climbing over one another in order to succeed. I wanted her to have a friendship that is collaborative, to have her grow into the understanding that she does not have to face all of her problems alone, and for her to finally be able to accept help and trust others. Ning and Lian’s relationship grew from that, and I enjoyed writing about their friendship immensely.

I know you’re a big tea drinker, so I wanted to know, if you could pair some of your favorite teas with book recommendations, what would you pair together? 

There are two fantasy books that came out this year that I read recently and enjoyed: