When Ning accidentally causes her mother's death with a poisoned tea brick, she refuses to lose her sister Shu the same way. Although she is an amateur Shennong-shi, who are masters of the magical art of tea-making, she travels to the capital for a Shennong-shi competition hoping to win a favor from the princess: a remedy for Shu. However, as she tests her strength, skill, and wherewithal throughout the increasingly difficult tasks, Ning meets discrimination and political tension at every turn. As she gets deeper in the competition and the kingdom's intensifying political conflict, she forms an emotional alliance with the handsome Kang - until she finds his kingdom may be behind the poisoned tea bricks. The atmosphere and writing style of AMSIP were gorgeous. An enchanted tea competition set against the lush backdrop of the palace and infused with Lin's writing magic made for a captivating read. Lin delivered the tea lore and ancient medicinal tidbits I was expecting, but she surprised me with the amount of courtly intrigue and politics she included. I enjoyed navigating sabotages, betrayals, and heartaches with Ning, all while she clutched to the promise of her family waiting at home. The main romance threw me off. I didn't feel any chemistry between Ning and Kang; it felt more like a stepping stone in the plot than a concept to be developed and explored. I also disliked how things between Ning and her newfound friend, Lian, ended. Lian was such a close companion to Ning - I kept waiting for a more final goodbye that never came. I wish the author had spent more time pacing the relationships if she wanted them to be integral to the story. Overall, though, the premise of this book was amazing and the execution was well-done, especially for a debut. I can't wait to delve into the sequel!