#Bitter Medicine
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so, i guess i should probably talk about Bitter Medicine on this website, as i'm watching twitter burn down and my reach do its best impression of a shrinkydink. let me figure out how to get this book across...
Bitter Medicine stars:
Elle, a kind of (read: very) disorganized descendant of the Chinese god of medicine who is basically a wimpy Sailor Mars who'd rather do art all day but is forced to undersell her abilities to protect her big brother
an emotionally constipated French elf who is a secret softy but has to be Hard and Tough because reasons; also he is seventeen anxieties in a Savile Row suit
Tony, the very gay, very self-absorbed brother who is a main character cursed to be a side character in a book that's not actually about him (how could this be? why would i do this to Tony? he doesn't know)
It's got:
two people who definitely like each other but can't figure out how to say it because they're isolated and don't people that often
a different act structure than you're used to, most likely
at least three chili peppers, according to sources not me (these are open door scenes, folks)
creatures from world mythology! actually it's pretty heavy on non-Western mythology
a Men in Black, but with faeries vibe
Nirvana in Fire references, because of course
but also a La Haine reference because i could
a teenaged tanuki, a ghost-spirit hybrid, a Jersey Devil, and a disaster polycule in possession of a single brain cell
calligraphy magic! which I have been told is very cool and unique by someone who i never thought would say those words to me and now my entire life has been made
AND A VERY IMPORTANT AFTERWORD, PLEASE DON'T SKIP THAT, it's where i get more serious and talk about stuff like colonization
at least five dick jokes. the dick jokes are really important
okay... any questions?
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I don't have enough of a following to be a Bigolas Dickolas but if you liked the Mordion/Vierran dynamic in Hexwood you need to read Mia Tsai's Bitter Medicine immediately.
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Half a year and so many books!!
I think I have read a lot of good ones so far, new releases and ones that came out years ago. Although I'm pretty sure most were not from tbr 😚
I started a book club with some friends and will be posting the books we chose for that, one being part of this list!
#booklr#bookstagram#la libreria chula#libros#beautiful libraries#library#booklover#book review#book nerd#long reads#reading#bookshelf#booksbooksbooks#manga#witch hat atelier#bitter medicine#kikis delivery service#fantasy#mystery#fiction#romance#Instagram
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April Book Reviews: Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
Another book I picked up from the library based on the cool cover and premise. Magical calligrapher Elle is in deep cover, hiding her skills in order to remain unnoticed. But a job writing glyphs for pretty half-elf agent Luc tempts her to show off her talent-- plunging her back into a world of magical intrigue she thought she'd left behind decades ago.
The fairly standard urban fantasy setup of this book is elevated by drawing heavily from Chinese mythology, rather than just the usual vampires and werewolves. I also liked that both protagonists are one hundred year plus experienced immortals. However, I did think the pacing was slightly wonky-- the romance plotline was resolved two-thirds into the book, leaving the action plotline to wobble on by itself, when I like it better when these resolve simultaneously for Maximum Drama.
Overall, a genuinely original debut rooted in Chinese mythology. I'll be interested to see what Tsai writes next.
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19 New Fantasy And Science Fiction Books You've Got To Read
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/margaretkingsbury/new-science-fiction-fantasy-novels-2023
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aesthetic | Bitter Medicine - Mia Tsai
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Hey! I wanted to say I agree totally with your tags on that bitter med post. I dispensed some iron pills the other day and was surprised at how much they looked like little bright red M&M’s- and iron is one of the vitamins someone can actually overdose on! There are sugar-coated tablets like some aspirins that would be horrific for a child to ingest, both because of the risk of Reye’s Syndrome and because of the blood-thinning. It’s pretty scary to think about and I’m glad the majority of products have child-proof packaging. Anyway I just wanted to say you’re right and it gave me some thoughts :)
@queerouterspacecat Ah, thanks! Yeah, some pills out there look SO similar to candy, it always makes me realize how important childproof packaging and bitter tasting medicine is! Hopefully a kid will just spit out a bitter pill if they got their hands on them, but if it tasted good, then there goes that last line of defense. And kids DO get past child-proof packaging sometimes. My sister and I both did as infants. My poor panicking mom (thankfully she got to us before we swallowed anything). Medicine tastes bad for a very good reason!
And of course, this classic covers it well, lol: https://youtu.be/LECSVlc6O1g
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I’m so happy about BITTER MEDICINE. Often I can get very stressed out by stories where the two parties are lying or misrepresenting things, usually because the reasons don’t make any sense, except as transparent excuses to further the plot. When this happens I either become distressed by the lie(s) or I’ll lose the suspension of disbelief and can’t stay in the story. At all points in BITTER MEDICINE, Elle and Luc are being as honest as they possibly can be with each other (given the constraints on them). As they grow closer they work first individually, and then mutually, to get rid of the barriers between them. In each new stage of their relationship they work to accept whatever obstacles cannot yet be removed. The story is driven by their need to fix their individual problems, gradually turning into a realization that they can help each other accomplish more than either could without help.
Full Review at Link.
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Writing Organically
Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Pace
A Guest Post by Author Mia Tsai
Pace and Structure
Pace is, I think, one of the toughest things to wrap your mind around as an author. The mechanics of writing can be learned; structure can be applied to give a story shape and direction. Tension and conflict can be created through character interaction. But pace can remain elusive no matter how…
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#amwriting#author mia tsai#beat sheets#bitter medicine#creative writing#give your characters a rest#mia tsai#pacing like music#Paranormal Romance#robin woods#robin woods blog#robin woods fiction#story shape#story structure#worry about pace#writing#writing beats#writing organically#writing resources#writing tips
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#book#2023#Bitter Medicine#fantasy#fantasy romance#romance#Mia Tsai#contemporary fantasy#contemporary#holy shit#H OLY SHIT#THE NEED THAT I HAVE FOR THIS BOOK#TO READ#asian#chinese#asianlit
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incorrect bitter medicine
realized i never posted the incorrect BITTER MEDICINE meme that @inkcurlsandknives made about a million years ago. i'm rectifying that mistake now
#incorrect bitter medicine#gabriella i love you#sometimes i take this out and just laugh at it#the number of incorrect tony and luc quotes i could write are staggering#except i did write them and they are correct and they're in THE BOOK OF TONY#bitter medicine
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I just finished reading Mia Tsai's Bitter Medicine a second time because it's just so... I mean, yeah obviously I'm going into autism hyperfixation mode but have you ever read a book that felt like it was written specifically for you? One that looked deep into your eyes and said "I'm going to give you everything you ever wanted. I'm going to give you a queer man who's had his free will stripped away from him and thinks the only thing he's good for is killing, and I'm going to give you a character with complicated feelings about being a Chinese daughter and sister, and Chinese magic that goes beyond martial arts and that layers and clashes with Western magic, and fairies who are genuinely terrifying, and love for family as powerful as romantic love, and love as sacrifice, love as defiance, love as joy." I am doing my best to sink into the pages of this book and live there and it's absolute agony that I can't.
#bitter medicine#bitter medicine mia tsai#i can never tell if it's polite or gauche to tag the author in things like this#books
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I've decided to rework my WIP that's be stagnant as hell the past couple month
#personal#writing#bitter medicine#rip half a years worth of work!#It's worth it though this one is far better than what I was going for
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Bitter Medicine Signed Book + Event
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