Pondathon II is a year-long gardening-themed readathon hosted by The Quiet Pond! Help us restore the forest by reading to earn plants and decorate your own garden. For more information about Pondathon, read our Readathon Information Post or check out our Pondathon II Portal.
The story:
Looking around you, you see all the Pond friends – including fellow visitors and friends of the Pond – coming together to help and nurture the forest and the land to grow. You feel a little sense of pride, knowing that everyone has come together for this.
In your latest visit to the Pond, you spot a cute bespectacled purple penguin wearing, what appears to be, very cosy earmuffs. And it looks like you may have arrived just in time for tea time, because you see Xiaolong and friends huddle around sipping tea together.
“Good morning, friend!” sing-songs Xiaolong. “Come join us for tea time! Judy brought all of us our favourite drinks! But wait…” Xiaolong drifts off, pondering for a moment. “Wait, we don’t know what your favourite drink is, friend! Oh no!”
Xiaolong jumps up to her feet, the pearls in her bubble tea jiggling in her cup. “Well, we can’t have that, friend. You must join us for tea time… but, why don’t you tell us about your favourite drink?”
Before we share the quest, let’s have a quick look at Judy’s book, A Magic Steeped in Poison:
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy 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.
Find A Magic Steeped in Poison on:
Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound | Bookshop
About the Author
Judy I. Lin was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist, and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughter. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.
Find Judy on: Website | Instagram | Twitter
You’ve received a quest!
It’s tea time, friend! True to A Magic Steeped in Poison which has a magical and mysterious art of tea making, Judy would love to see what everyone loves to drink while reading! That’s right, friends – get your cameras ready: take a photo (or simply share one if you don’t have a camera) of your favourite drink with your current read/your favourite book and share it with everyone. Let’s get that tea-magic brewing!
Quest expires on: 2nd April 2022, 8PM NZT. [?]
Objectives:
- Share a picture of your favourite drink that they like to enjoy while reading and the cover of your current read/favourite book and post it on social media/your blog.
- If you do not have social media/blog, tell us your favourite beverage in the Google Form below.
- This quest is not repeatable (i.e., objectives can only be completed once).
- Bonus: To earn the small pagodas for your garden:
- In the same post/thread/caption, give a shout-out to A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy Lin (i.e., including the title, author, and a link to Goodreads or your preferred book retailer for A Magic Steeped in Poison).
- For those who do not have social media ONLY: Tell us about your favourite snack to enjoy while reading in the Google Form.
Quest Rewards:
1. A pagoda inspired by A Magic Steeped in Poison (1 design)
2. Bonus achievement reward: A pagoda sculpture (1 design each)
The Quiet Pond 
These companion quests are so cute! I’ve really enjoyed them. 🙂 ❤
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