I was sold as soon as i heard it was vampire related!
Very strong vibes of six of crows and the Netflix show Money Heist.
Very well written, great characters and i honestly couldn’t put it down

I was expecting so many things from this book and I was so excited for it!!! But it wasn't that exciting to the point that I've been 100 pages in for about six months now and I just have no motivation to finish this one I'm sorry!!

Whilst it did take me some time to get into the first act, I thought this was absolutely brilliant, I can't wait for the next one! Thank you for the ARC!

This book was quite slow paced and i did struggle to keep engaged as it was dragging a bit for me. A lot of the story was setting the scene and the actual heist seemed to be over very quickly. To be honest I just felt bored for most of this books, I wanted more action or vampires.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this! Easily in my top two reads of the year and I not think it's changing anytime soon. I loved this so much, I loved how easy it was to read. I loved the characters and how diverse they were. Being South Asian I saw myself in Arthie, especially when she rocked that Saree. The banter between the individually and as a group was done really well, they really did feel like a family. I liked that we meet the characters with them already having established relationships amongst each other too. I thoroughly enjoyed the vampires, I just wished there was more of them (hoping book two will have more!). I loved the heist and seeing the plans come together. The behind the scenes goings on was also something I loved, I enjoyed seeing our Arthie gathered her secrets. The intricacies woven throughout this story was a writing masterclass.

The story really came together in the last part. It was full of so much action that if you blinked you'd miss bits. The reveal was definitely revealing let me tell you! I didn't realise this was set in the same world as We hunt the flame until I met Laith so that was a fun surprise. Speaking of Laith, that man was seduction walking. Oooh the tension between Arthie and Laith was SO GOOD!!! Which made the betrayal all the more effective.

The only reason why I'm not giving this 5 stars is because of the pacing. I found it to be up and down throughout the book, until the last part so it gets 4.5 stars.

Arthie Casimir, a hellbent criminal mastermind, runs a tearoom in White Roaring but at nightfall the tearoom turns into an illegal safe space for the Vampires of the city.

As soon as her business is threatened, Arthie and her handsome brother Jin Casimir (🫶🏼) put together a team of outcasts to infiltrate a secret vampire society. A HEIST!!! The twists are crazy in this book but that ending is WILD (when I catch you Hafsah, when I catch you)

As for the characters, I think it’s safe to say HF has taste when it comes to tea blends. They’re so well-developed, each with their own secret desires and potential for betrayal but honestly I love the recurring theme of found family in her books.

There’s also the theme of the colonisation of Arthie’s family home that adds so much depth and realness to the storyline. The book has stunning world building, which keeps a dark, action-packed vibe, multiple unique POVs and obvs vampires 💅🏼

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for my ebook in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
This book blew me away it had everything I liked in a book, action, vampires, tea and sizzling chemistry between the Female MC Arthie and Laith.
Hafsah Faizal book was bewitching from the opening page I was pulled in to the atmospheric world of Tea, vampires and the sense of danger around every corner I was literally on my seat as she describes the plans for the heist and was gripping my book when things didn't go to plan.
The world building was well paced I wasn't overwhelmed and I settled in with the protagonist and her rag tag team of misfits and delinquents.
I loved the brother, sister dynamic between Arthie and Jin, the trust they had in each other was heartwarming and added tension when things got dicey.
Highly recommend read I purchased for the library and will be recommending for the YA/Fantasy reading group at Brompton library.

I really enjoyed this one and loved the whole premise behind this one. The atmosphere was on point and Hafsah does an amazing job of setting up this world and its characters. I will admit that the first half felt a bit slow paced for me but it quickly picked up and I found myself flying through the second half!

I liked the characters, especially Jin and Arthie. Both were interesting and complex characters who you cannot help but root for. While I liked the rest of this gang of outcasts I wishes we got to know more about them and their backstory.

Overall this was a really fun and interesting fantasy and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us, especially with the way this one ended!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Tempest of Tea follows Arthie, who owns a tearoom that transforms into an illegal blood house for vampires at night. When the tearoom is threatened, Arthie embarks on a dangerous heist to secure the safety of her establishment.

I am a huge fan of heist stories, and after seeing this book compared to Six of Crows,(one of my favourite books) I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, it fell flat in every department for me.

Firstly, the pacing. I expect a heist story to be fast-paced and gripping, but this book was neither. It was painfully slow, to the point I almost DNF’d it countless times. There was more discussion about the heist than actually carrying out the heist, which did not make for a compelling read.

I also found the writing style strange for this type of story. It felt very purple, which just didn’t work well for what was supposed to be an action-packed heist story. As for the action, I found it difficult to follow, especially when there was dialogue within the action scenes. I sometimes couldn’t tell who was actually speaking.

I found the idea of the tearoom so exciting, but there’s barely one scene that takes place there. The tearoom means a lot to the characters, seeing as they’re prepared to go on a dangerous heist to save it, but I felt no connection to it as we were barely there.

As well as a lack of tearoom, there was also a lack of vampires. And from the glimpses we did see, they just didn’t seem that exciting. I wanted to know more about their lives and more about the vampire lore.

As for the characters, they were, ultimately, forgettable. Arthie felt like she was cosplaying Kaz Brekker; I just found it all a bit cringe. The romances felt forced and added nothing to the story.

There was a twist I didn’t see coming at the end, but it unfortunately didn’t save this book for me, nor will it tempt me to pick up the sequel. I should have listened to my gut and DNF’d this. It was just not my cup of tea, pun intended.

This book was SO MUCH FUN! I liked the characters and their back stories, I liked the changing POV between the shortish chapters, I liked the mix of characters, I liked the setting. I thought that the story was simple, but complex enough to keep my attention; and the writing was addictive. The only *very very very small' criticism that I have is that I would have liked the heist to have lasted longer, but that is it. I loved everything about this book; but even with everything that I found enjoyable I commend the author for the discussions on colonialism and how it was weaved into the story.

Hafsah Faizal is now an auto buy author for me; I cannot wait to get into the backlist of her work and eagerly await the next book in this series/duology(?)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early access to this book.

I loved, loved, loved this book! It was well written, fun, engaging and fast paced. Can't wait for the next book.

I really really really wanted to like this book. The premise sounds amazing and I am always on the hunt for my next vampire fix. But unfortunately this massively missed the mark for me. I was just extremely bored?? I don’t want to read 80% of setting the scene until I get any action. This whole book is a whole lot of planning. Not the usual run straight into danger without a plan fantasy I’m used to.

Great premise just absolutely did not give what I wanted it to give. Sadly, can’t recommend.

4 Stars

The winning element to any heist book (for me) comes down to characters, and my desire to see them achieve their goal. Whether they are ultimately successful or not is inconsequential. The cast of characters in A Tempest of Tea are so much fun to read about. I absolutely loved their individual personalities as well as their inner dynamics with one another.

I loved The Sands of Ariwaya duology by this author too so I loved all the small references thrown in here and there (you do not need to have read these books first, but the events and outcome at the end of the duology is mentioned in passing so this will be spoiled for you if you plan on reading them).

One of the things this author does well is romantic tension, so be prepared for a lot of flirty banter from multiple characters, secret pining and plenty of lustful gazing between potential couples.

I thought the heist itself was really entertaining and easy to follow along, with a few twists along the way because these things are never simple. Fair warning - it does end on a cliffhanger, but not too brutal of one.

Overall, a lot of fun and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Dnf but will hopefully return to it at some point now that I bought a physical copy.

For my first readthrough of the arc, I just felt like it took too long for anything to happen and the characters also felt a bit flat at times.

The concept of the book excited me so much and I'm sure I will love this book but since I had to keep stopping and starting out of, not boredom but just not feeling engaged or eager to read more, I'm making the decision to put the book down ans try at a later date.

I will still post about the book on my socials but won't be providing a review until I have actually read the book.

A Tenpest of Tea is a tea infused vampiric heist book which really gave me some serious Six of Crows vibes which I LOVED! I also think parts were inspired by King Arthur and the legend, which was a really cool touch!

Arthie was such a cool character and I really enjoyed seeing her thinking and plans, I think the heist could’ve had a little more of somwthing to it, but I still found it to be really enjoyable. I also really liked the tea room, and I hope to see more tea related things in the next book! My favourite character was Jin, I feel like there is something mysterious about him.
All the characters had a really good dynamic, which for a book that is very focused on characters trusting and working together is very important, and I think it was done well.


I think that rhere could have been more tension build up, especially towards the end, but as this is book 1 I think it sets up quite nicely for the next one!

I enjoyed A Tempest of Tea and I am giving it 4 stars!

A land where vampires exist alongside humans. A city of many cultures, ruled by a mysterious masked figure known as The Ram. A tea house, run by a young woman who is always one step ahead of the authorities and her daring plan to bring The Ram down. I loved this book! The story is told from multiple points of view and rattles along at a great pace. There is humour and love, and plenty of action. I didn't realise when I picked this up that it was a duology. The second book cannot be published soon enough for me!

I liked the concept / set up of this book - a heist with vampires sounds awesome. For me personally I didn't enjoy the writing style. I found the dialogue wasn't for me - which I think is because it leans younger in the YA category and I am an adult in my 30s myself. Some YA can be enjoyed by adults but I feel this one is more for the late teens - early twenties bracket.

For the second book, I hope there is more time with the vampires. At 50% there was little interaction / mention of vampires in the first book.

Thanks very much for the advanced copy!

I went into this book fairly blind and it really paid off so I’m reluctant to say too much about it. Not useful for a book review, I know…
Arthie runs a tea shop by day, which transforms into a vampiric establishment at night. Events lead her to take on a heist, along with a gang of highly-skilled individuals. And a cat.
There wasn’t too much world building and the info dump was minimal. The world created was a vivid postcolonial, Victorian-esque setting with vampires and an unknown masked person, the Ram, as its ruler.

This story kept me interested all the way through and then it completely became more than I was expecting. Can’t say more than that! Some romance but nothing more, apart from a particular character I wish had more page space.

Highly recommend as both a read and an audiobook, as the narrator was fab. A heist with vampires, tea and a weapon unlike any other. Loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Macmillan Children’s Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: racism, emotional abuse, colonialism, grief, blood

I was a huge fan of Hafsah Faizal’s debut series “The Sands of Arawiya” so I was delighted to be approved for a digital ARC of her next book (set in the same world but unconnected) “A Tempest of Tea”. Following a hugely original story based around a shop that operates as a tearoom in daylight and an illegal blood den at night, “A Tempest of Tea” is set in a world where vampires quietly exist within the population, and the city of White Roaring is no exception. Arthie Casimir, a girl who has made collecting secrets her business of choice, will do anything to protect the life she’s built for herself (and her adopted brother Jin, who was once much higher in class than he is now) at the Spindrift tea room. However, after it’s all threatened, Arthie agrees to team up with a member of the royal guard, Laith, to expose and destroy the current ruler on the throne using a ledger hidden inside a secret vampire court. Forced to call on people from all sides of society, Arthie creates a team of five: herself and Jin, Flick (a forger from the upper classes currently in disgrace), Laith (who has many secrets of his own and an unexpected connection to Arthie) and the mysterious vampire artist Matteo (who can get them in, but at risk to himself). As the truth behind Arthie’s heist is revealed, and the relationships between the five outcasts deepen as they’re put further into danger to protect what they love, the team is forced to face a much larger conspiracy than they thought.

This is a fast paced, dark YA that deals with themes of colonialism, revenge for the past and the importance of finding people who understand you. I immediately connected to Arthie who runs her small empire very carefully but incredibly deliberately as she tries to get vengeance for the white supremacy that destroyed her home and killed her parents. “A Tempest of Tea” is a gorgeous combination of Peaky Blinders, King Arthur, Six of Crows and vampires while also being completely original with its settings of tea rooms and courts, I loved the vibe from the first page. Jin and Arthie’s relationship is one of the biggest parts of this book and I adored how they support each other, even when everything else is against them. Likewise, Jin and Flick’s gradual romance was full of tension, which made their scenes even more enjoyable as they both found themselves deeply affected. All of these characters are so much fun to read, even at their darkest, and I loved the journey Arthie went on with both Matteo, a shameless flirt who likes to enjoy himself even as other vampires are vanishing, and Laith, who went up in my eyes as soon as he appeared with his cat. With its combination of multiple POVs, an epic heist, betrayals, romance and action, “A Tempest of Tea” was a delight to read (and that ending killed me, I need the sequel soon).

This had been on my TBR for a while now and after reading a light fantasy romance I felt it was time to launch into this.

Gripping from the start, though the first chapters felt a bit tumbled and confusing as there was so much going on in them.

Set in a thinly-veiled version of the British Empire with the East India Company rampaging and conquering around the world in the name of civilisation and trade. There is also a nod to Arthurian legend in one of the main characters.

Once the story settled down and the characters got into a rhythm it started to steam ahead at breakneck pace, and I really enjoyed the heist planning. Who doesn’t enjoy a good heist?

Each chapter is from the point of view of a few of the main characters and it gives a great insight into what’s going on throughout, and makes it easy to see different spaces around the city.

It got so tense at times, and the revelations came thick and fast at a couple of times I just couldn’t cope and had to put the book down for a couple of hours to recover.

Two big reveals near the end of the book, one I was starting to suspect and one out of the blue! Both reveals were great and there is still one massive reveal to come but I’m pretty sure who it is, may be mistaken but I love guessing.

Oh, and thanks for the cliffhanger! Really appreciated that 😉

I received this from NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s Books in exchange for an honest review.