Elle and Luc are two people determined to find a way home to each other.
Both are grappling with issues both mundane and fantastical. Elle is a descendant of a Chinese god of medicine, and her arcane powers are vast. But she’s stuck in a menial job due to complicated circumstances, and her main goal these days is staying out of the spotlight while she protects her brother. One of the only bright spots in her life is Luc, a half-elf agent for a security company. Luc, likewise, only finds solace in his life when he gets to see Elle — but his boss has magically bound him to work for the company, regardless of his desire to take some time off. Together, they seek comfort in the other’s presence as they try to overcome their daunting problems.
The setting of “Bitter Medicine,” a new debut by Mia Tsai, is a fascinating one. An urban fantasy through and through, the novel draws inspiration from various mythologies across the world. Fairies, sphinxes, tanuki: All kinds of folklore are free game in this setting. In a way, the world Tsai has written is its own character, as familiar aspects from our world intertwine with the fearsome possibilities of the magic inherent within the lives of the novel’s cast. This twisting of the real and the wondrous makes for a creative setting that I could have easily read more and more of beyond the novel’s pages.
The romance between Elle and Luc forms the core of the story. It starts off a bit rocky, as the two of them already have a history prior to the story’s beginning that we don’t see, and from the first few pages, they have incredibly transparent crushes on each other. There’s no internal friction to their relationship, which can appeal to some readers looking for a full-comfort romance, but to others it may come across as a bit blasé. Eventually, as the plot threads surrounding Elle’s family drama and Luc’s newest assigned mission come into play, their dynamic deepens, and their bond becomes the most joyful part of the reading experience.
One really enjoyable aspects of these characters was observing their mutual selflessness — both Elle and Luc downplay themselves, and always strive to make the people around them happy without really considering their own needs. However, they both see the good in each other, and are quick to remind the other of how much value they hold irrespective of what they provide through their acts of service. “Bitter Medicine” grapples with interesting ideas of love and freedom, but above all it interrogates the notion of self-sacrifice, and what it means when someone commits to it, both the good and the bad.
The pacing of the story is a little odd. The start is a bit slow, and as a reader we’re thrust into a preexisting context of relationships between the characters (Elle and Luc, Elle and her family, Luc and his boss) that takes a bit to get used to. The story finds its pace in time. However, the climatic points of the book come earlier than expected given the remaining page length at which they happen, resulting in a sense of an extensive denouement before another narrative spike comes into play to close out the story. At times, “Bitter Medicine” grapples with being both an exciting action-tinged narrative and a down-to-earth cozy romance, leaving the story traveling at a slower pace than where you’d expect (or hope) it to be at times.
Overall, “Bitter Medicine” makes for a nice, lighthearted read full of humor and warmth. Its portrayal of relationships, sacrifice, and the nature of exploring desire underpins a love story penned by an author who has a real understanding of what honest chemistry looks like between two people. Romance fans who like their stories tinged with fantasy will find a gem in this memorable first novel by Mia Tsai.
