The tournament may have ended, but the fight for the empire has barely begun. After the jaw-dropping ending of A Magic Steeped in Poison, Ning and Kang are separated by destiny and destruction, left to deal with the consequences of their actions alone. Reunited with her sister Shu, Ning is hunted across the kingdom while Kang battles the inner workings of the Imperial Court. But an ancient darkness is stirring in the shadows, and civil war is the least of their worries if it rises again.

I must preface this review by saying that I adored book one. Full of whimsical magic, betrayal, romance, politics, and a dash of danger, A Magic Steeped in Poison is easily one of my favorite debuts this year. It featured a world where the preparation of tea held great power, and managed to stay light while dealing with a few darker concepts. Sadly, A Venom Dark and Sweet didn’t live up to book one.

My main issue with the narrative was that it simply wasn’t original. While book one has a fascinating main character and an interesting magic system, book two somehow managed to undo the originality that made this duology stand out. All of the carefully crafted worldbuilding was brushed aside in favor of a greater evil–one that was barely alluded to in the first novel. The Imperial Court setting and the mystery around Kang were completely gone, leaving behind a story lacking in vibrancy and depth.

The plot followed a rather predictable structure that is echoed in many other YA fantasy texts: the ending was lackluster when compared to how high the stakes were. Every event felt too convenient. The heroes never lost anything, despite the apparent danger. That being said, I still adored the sensory writing style. The prose was gorgeously constructed, with the perfect brew of eloquence and casualness.

Thankfully, Ning remained an excellent main character. While some of her motivations were questionable, I appreciated her determination and grit. She was not a female character who needed to fight with a sword: her best weapons were magic, cleverness, and creativity. She was not a chosen one, and instead chose to fight for a better world.

A Venom Dark and Sweet was a good book despite its flaws, it just didn’t match the magic of the first novel. While A Magic Steeped in Poison was tea freshly poured from the pot, bursting with flavor and richness, A Venom Dark and Sweet was the same brew that had been left out a little too long, slightly cold with a hint of the dregs.