Hi Everyone!
Welcome back to Read or Roast: a monthly post to forcehelp me to reach my goal of having a maximum of one hundred books in my Goodreads TBR by the end of 202223.
Every month I’ll go through my TBR and pick one book I want to read, and one book to roast in Dragon Fire!* You can check out the last post here.
*Important Disclaimer: absolutely no books will be burned in making of this meme. I’m a book dragon not a monster.
Read or Roast…?
A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea #1)
By Judy I. Lin
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. 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.
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. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.
But 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.
THE VERDICT…..?
What is it about deadly competitions and mysterious (and handsome) boys that make them so irresistible to me? I know what’s coming with these plots (for the most part anyway) but I just can’t look away!
And it centers around a tea competition? You spoil me! Going to have to keep this one safely in the hoard and find the perfect brew to enjoy it with.
Read or Roast…?
Together We Burn
By Isabel Ibañez
Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see her father fight in their arena, which will one day be hers.
But disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s father is horribly injured. Facing punishment from the Dragon Guild, Zarela must keep the arena—her ancestral home and inheritance —safe from their greedy hands. She has no choice but to take her father’s place as the next Dragonador. When the infuriatingly handsome dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, withholds his help, she refuses to take no for an answer.
But even if he agrees, there’s someone out to ruin the Zalvidar family, and Zarela will have to do whatever it takes in order to prevent the Dragon Guild from taking away her birthright.
THE VERDICT…..?
Whereas A Magic Steeped in Poison hits all the familiar notes in all the best ways, for some reason I can’t say the same for this title.
Honestly, I think I’m a little too used to the overall formula I’m expecting here based on the summary, and I’m just not enthusiastic enough to dive in. Which is saying something considering it’s about dragon matadors.
Am I judging a book by its cover? Maybe. But it’s my TBR, and I’m the book dragon who gets to make these decisions!
Current Number of Books in my TBR: 271
Clearly, my goal is sight and definitely not farther away than ever. At least it’s a smaller number than last time!
Progress!
Thanks for reading everyone!
Here Be Dragons 
This is such a fun idea!
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Thank you! ☺️
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