A Tempest of Tea

I was absolutely hooked with this book, make room for the brand new wonderful version of Six of Crows! Every character in this books had my interest and I fell in love with their back stories and their relationships with one another. Sure, I'm a sucker for vampires but everything else about this novel drew me in entirely. I can't wait for the next book in the series and the first one isn't even out yet!

EXCUSE ME! THAT ENDING HAS ME NEEDING BOOK TWO LIKE NOW
I ate this book up, I read it in its entirety in a day and I don't regret a single moment.

Imagine, Six of Crows but with vampires, an impossible heist, which turns into more than just a plan to save the home the crew have made... but instead will affect the wider realm.

After Hafsah's previous works, the hype when I saw this was REAL and it lived up if not exceeded it! From the twists and turns, the characters, the found family and exploration of effects of colonisation has on those whose countries and homes torn apart for the land and goods, everything is expertly woven into a action packed tale.

These characters, have my ENTIRE heart. The crew is just FOUND FAMILY in all the best ways. All the characters are complex and real and their growth and exploration of their pasts just had them worming themselves further into my heart.

Oh wow this book was such a treat! This is the first book I’ve read from Hafsah Faizal and I have to say I am now a fan!

A Tempest of Tea was such a fun read, and I can’t resist a book with a heist and found family, but also throw in some vampires and it's a game changer. This book had everything you could possibly want:

🩸Vampires
🩸Found Family
🩸Heists!
🩸POC MCs
🩸Feet kicking romance

The characters in this story really made it for me, you have Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind & also a badass! Arthie was such a strong independent character but she is also flawed and dealing with a lot of past trauma - I really enjoyed learning about Arthies culture and her past. Now onto Jin…. oh i loved him a lot, he was such a flirt and extremely charming but also such a kind soul! A special mention to Matteo, Flick and Laith, I don’t want to spoil too much but all the characters are so unique and flow together so well (expect lots of banter).

I don’t want to say too much about the heist itself (spoilers obviously) but everything was so well thought out and the setting was just perfect, I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and the ending…. I need book 2 rn please!

Overall I thought this book was fantastic and can’t wait to see what book 2 brings!


“Family isn’t who we live with but those we would die for”

What a deliciously written novel that sucks you in from the very first page! Full of intrigue and dimensional characters, A Tempest of Tea is everything a YA novel should be. The world-building was phenomenal and I loved the build up to the finale. Also, I ate up the romance! If you’re a fan of Hafsah Faisal’s previous books, you will be BLOWN away by this!

I don't want to review this, because once I do I have to admit I've actually finished it...

I loved this, so much. I need more of these characters, I want to know more about this world, I slightly want to live here tbh

Some really lovely phrasing in the writing too, sadly none that can be posted without spoilers, but if you're even slightly considering this book please do read it!

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

Rating 4.5

I was sent this eARC from NetGalley, Panmacmillan and Book Break UK in exchange for an honest review.

I remember when I first heard about this book and was really eager to read. I tried to go into it as blind as I could and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

This book really pulled me in. The main characters Arthie and Jin were fantastic and their personalities really shone. I found that I couldn't really connect with Flick's character as much as I would have liked but hopefully her character helped move the plot forward somewhat.

The banter, tension and just the overall interactions between all the characters was fun and written quite well.
I enjoyed following the plot and the development that was revealed along the way.

I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this fantastic work of art!

A Tempest of Tea is everything I had expected and so much more. The concept of this book was in theory a bit of an Arthurian retelling but with the most intriguing twists, imagine King Arthur mixed with Peaky Blinders and throw in some Vampires and you have A Tempest of Tea.

This YA story follows criminal mastermind Arthie, an owner of a tea room, but by night it becomes a shady blood bar for vampires. When her tea room Spindrift is under threat, she must enlist the expertise of fellow misfits in order to plan and successfully pull off the heist of their lives in order to save it.

There are many reasons why I absolutely adored and devoured this book, of course the plot was very unique in its own ways, while still taking inspiration from classic stories of a similar tone, this makes it so diverse and a very exciting read. The story moved along at a good quick pace all the way through and included some great unexpected twists and turns along the way.

The characters in this book were so well thought out, their backgrounds and histories were fleshed out with great detail making it easy to connect to them even if they aren't the sort of people you'd want to be familiar with in real life.

Arthie herself is not the most likable of people, but you do feel a real sense of need to connect to her and to be able to sympathise with her cause and her motives. The connection that she and her 'brother' Jin have is tragic yet also somewhat hilarious and full of sarcasm.

But it's not just the main characters that have been out together so well and that really draw you in, side characters Flick, Laith and Matteo all have their own interesting and somewhat heartbreaking stories that they also want to be made known. The attention to detail on them all is fantastic, so much so that I could already easily cast them all for a live action version. One character that really stood out for me though was Matteo, a character that I really did not expect to like or find any sort of connection to. Although everytime I read his quick witted one liners all I could hear in my head was Asterion from the hugely infamous video game Baldurs Gate 3. If you know, then you won't be able to unsee it ever again. For me Matteo is Asterion, which as a Dungeons & Dragons fan, I absolutely love!
When it comes to the characters, there are also some great scenes that are full of sexual tension without the need for spice.

Another great aspect to this book is the inclusion of illustrations of maps and blueprints. It really helped me to be able to picture things in much finer details.

A Tempest of Tea is a story that I will be recommending to everyone that I know for a good while to come. It is 100% a fantastic read that got me gripped and excited to turn to the next page as quickly as I could. I have also already placed a pre-order for a physical copy upon release day, so I can have it proudly on display on my bookshelves at home.

If you haven't added this book to your want to read list or TBR then I highly recommend that you do so.

This book was so engaging from the first page. It has amazing flow, fast pace, and beautiful characters. I read somewhere that this was spicy, and I doubted very much, and it is not. But there is a lot of innuendo and heat, but that's it, so don't go in, hoping for spice because you won't get it. I don't want the book to get bad reviews because someone said somewhere something that is not true. 
You will fall in love with all the characters, their inner turmoil, their traumas, and how real they feel. 
It is supposed to be set in the same word as we hunt the flame. But Ettenia is obviously England, and that gets confirmed when they mention the name of the river in the city, the river Tamesis, or Thames, but in Spanish. Also, Artie is from Ceylan, which is a mix of Ceylon in English and Ceilan in Spanish, the country island now known as Sri Lanka. I have no problem with these details, but I would have appreciated a whole different world or a parallel reality to ours. Instead of making it a mixture just to set it in the same word as we hunt the flame, as this feels more to attract readers than to actually serve a propose in the story. 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. When the book was first announced, the author did various Q&A, and I made a question many times that was never answered, and I doubt I was the only one to ask it. I wanted to know if there would be LGBTQ+ rep in the book. I have no issue with books not having rep, although I absolutely prefer they do. I know many authors who prefer to write about what they know and their experiences or that are simply scared of not doing good representation, and they will rather have no rep than bad rep. But I was inquiring, as I've done in many others Q&A of other authors, as knowing about it would place the book higher on my tbr. Now that I know the book has 0 rep, I guess she just didn't want to share it in case it put off readers? I don't know. 
Other than this, the book was perfection

Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows with a dash of Twilight? The way I ran to request this book because a) hafsah wrote this and b) I fear my vampire obsession will never leave.

This book was everything that I needed and more. These characters are so clever, and have such a rich history and depth to them that I felt Arthie and Jins pains with losing their family, I fell in love with matteos charm, how he was so different to other bloodthirsty vampires we’ve meet in other books, he was the artist with a quick wit and oozes sensuality. And Laith, Laith Laith Laith where do I even begin with him 😭😭😭 he had me from the first time he called Arthie habibti AND criminal. Just marry me why don’t you.

Hafsah is such a talented writer, she’s able to weave such an amazing world rich in heritage and culture, I felt angry on behalf of the ceylani for what the colonisers and ettiennes have done. I adored the atmosphere of spindrift and wish I too could go there for tea. And the quest! God the arthereum scenes were by far my favourite.
Hafsah we need to talk about the ending and I expect book 2 in my kindle like tomorrow 😭😭😭 how can I WAIT?!

I’m so happy I get to start off the new year with this amazing book and the beginning of another unforgettable duology. Thank you so much to netgalley, the publishers and hafsah faizal for my arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was everything I hoped it would be, a fun adventure through White Roaring (think Peaky Blinders-esque London but with vampires) with a loveable cast of characters and a plot absolutely full of mystery and intrigue - plus there’s a heist!

A Tempest of Tea is the perfect YA historical fantasy novel: the plot is super engaging, the characters are all unique (we have the badass female lead, a suave male second in command, sensual vampire artist, mysterious assassin, sunshine forger, ragtag group who work at the teashop, and a random kitten), there’s a love triangle, a friends-to-lovers story, twists and turns aplenty, and enough mystery left to have you begging for the next instalment in this duology.

If you’re looking for a fun YA read that will have you practically feral for the next book - this is the one. But just because it’s a YA novel doesn’t mean Hafsah Faizal shies away from deeper and darker themes, the topic of colonialism and looting is explored (though I wish it was explored more and we saw more of Arthie’s past and what drives her forward).

This books is essentially a YA Peaky Blinders with vampires and it was so, so good! I was hooked from the beginning and loved this spin on vampire folklore. I didn’t realise this story is set in the same world as We Hunt The Flame when I started reading, which was a lovely surprise and enriched the worldbuilding even more. Something I really enjoyed was the action and suspense that comes with heist books, made even better by the interactions of these characters and their banter. Don’t even get me started on the plot twists!! One of them I didn’t see coming and raised the stakes even more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next.

What in the Spongebob Squarepants!?

This book just flows perfectly, alternating between members of our crew and I loved it.

This is Six of Crows with Vampires and a female leader - that's exactly what it is.

The twists in the final 10% of the book had me audibly gasping! I'm shook. I'm now going to have to shoulder some serious anxiety until the next book arrives, and if there isn't a book 2 I think I might sob.

“How did you find such confidence?” he asked. “Finding it suggests I had no part in its making.” - Arthie Casimir, the woman that you are!

Already preordered a physical copy to keep re-reading until the sequel is out.
4.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the access to the ARC of this book.

I’m a sucker for multiple POV books, and the fact that it was heavily influenced by Peaky Blinders? I was sold immediately.
The characters are great, world building satisfying and the plot interesting. The end will leave you shaken and craving (pun intended) more.
A triumph, a tip my baker hat to you Miss Faizal.

(Side note: I have not read the Six of Crows but I do find it unfair that every found family book nowadays is getting compared to it. Leah did not invent the genre.)

A Tempest of Tea was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. As soon as I heard it had vampires in, I knew I had to read it.

An incredible heist with a gang of lovable misfits and put in the mix a tea house with a secret and vampires. If you love Six of Crows and you’re looking for a new vampire book then you need to check this out.

Lovable characters, romance and beautifully written.

I’m not the same one book ago. Book of the year, if you ask me.

Look, imagine this was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo BUT with vampires. Now I love that book and it getting mixed with this definitely compelled me to read it. POC sexy vampires going on a heist and drinking tea and just casually betraying each other?? Hafsah Faizal, I wasn’t familiar with your game but I can say I’m amazed. The magic system was written in a way that you’d notice Faizal’s improvement and it wasn’t hard for me to understand it at all. The premise was chef’s kiss and the plot was thickly layered in a way that will make you NOT want to end the book (so sad I still did).

However we don’t get a deep view on the plot’s progression as it felt too character-driven for me by the time I was 250 pages in. Still, the characters were amazing, complex, and you’d want to delve right into their personalities which makes this book even better. The characters don’t overshadow anyone and they actually have pasts that’s worth sticking to (as a reader). Romance is TOP-TIER because it’s Hafsah Faizal writing them. I swear to god I can’t talk about the romance in this for fear I might just spoil everything. But when this comes out I want everyone to read it and swoon over *them* with me. 🫡

And, of course, it has found-family. What more do I have to say?

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC :))

This was my first Hafsah Faizal read but will 100% not be my last!

I had seen this book hyped as Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows with vampires - that is such a bold claim however this book fully lives up to the hype! I had already preordered and I am so glad that I did.

A Tempest of Tea introduces us to Arthie and Jin Casimir proprietors of Spindrift tea room by day and blood den by night and to say they have some high level enemies is an understatement, Arthie is tough, streetwise and has a history that as the world builds we learn more and more of. Jin is sweet, charismatic, utterly loyal to Arthie and made me laugh a lot- while Jin comes from a very different background they are kin.

When an opportunity arrives from a very unexpected place which could help bring down Spindrift's enemies a plan is put into place which will lead Arthie and her gang in to danger!

While the world building is fantastic with an interwoven story of colonialism and it's effect and impact this is very much a book that is character focussed with the story told from multiple POVs including those of Arthie and Jin. The side characters were crafted so well and my favourite has to be the Matteo!

This book has romance, secrets, found family, a heist - this book had me so invested and while there were certain breadcrumbs this book instantly blindsides you and the ending was too much, that final line had me screaming, what an ending! When is book two due because I really need in it my hands now.

This was such an easy 5 star read for me, thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for approving this one.

4.5 stars for me

I'm a sucker for two things: vampires and a good heist story. And this had BOTH. I just wish I'd taken the time to read Ms. Faizal's Sands of Arawiya series beforehand (not a necessity, but it links to characters from that series, and has also been on my TBR from a long time).

I loved Arthie and her gang! Every character is memorable in their own way, and have their own thing happening that adds more flavor to the story. I read this in one go because I just could not put the book down! So many secrets and so many possibilities happening, ugh I loved every second of it. And I did not predict that ending!! Can't wait for part two and see where this goes.

Special thanks to Macmillan's Children's books and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

a tempest of tea is an ambitious powerhouse of a book that meets every expectation set by the incredible concept it promises. there are so many things to love about this book - from vampires and tea, to the stunning writing style, interwoven discussions of the impact of colonialism and the enthralling heist plot line - but everything is drawn together by its cast of characters, who are all so compelling. arthie is, however, by far my favourite, and i loved seeing how her carefully built facade starts to unravel slightly as the plot progresses. the romance in this book wasn't necessarily my favourite, but i think, given the space of a second book, the relationships will be able to flourish, which i am very much looking to.

a complex and layered narrative with cast of characters that make for an emotionally engaging story. 4 stars.

Utterly captivating and fabulous. I had no idea how this would play out as we meet a young woman running a teahouse by daytime that transforms at night into a blood haven for Vampires ! In a city rife with corruption and division our intrepid heroes straddle a dangerous line between life and the loss of everything they work for.
The characters delight and surprise constantly, the story twists, turns, builds and then wham totally blindsided the reader in the most delightful way. Yes there are insidious clues along the way perhaps but played down beautifully to truly entrap the reader. I defy anyone to read this and not instantly want more because trust me the journey is most definitely worth it !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I think I should start by saying that I pre-ordered this book way back on the 3rd March 2022 (basically as soon as I was able to) having waited patiently since it was even hinted at over on Hafsah Faizal's IG so my anticipation was already through the roof when I requested it, and got it! I GOT IT!!! (Thank-you so much to all involved in making that happen!)

I have deliberately savoured this, taking over a month to finish something I could have devoured in mere days, hours if I didn't have to adult. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The world building was a delightful extension of what we know from the truly beautiful Sands of Arawiya duology, skillfully bringing to life an else world London type town. The - often - savage, thieving, and heartbreaking history of colonialism laces through the story heavily, and it's truly vital to the story as a whole, to our character motivations, their presence in White Roaring and, in each instance, the why for saying yes to the heist.

Arthie, Jin, and the rest of our main characters are a true wonder. They are fully formed, each with history, secrets, love and pain, Faizal writes them into being, laying for them a path towards our dislike of the ones that deserve it, love of the ones that capture our little reader hearts and we cause us to fret over our feelings towards the morally grey.

The pace is good, with a steady introduction leading quickly into the planning and the heist itself. While the whole book takes place over barely 2/3 weeks, its peppered with the history of our characters (which just makes us love them more) but that last 20/25%, you are in for a ride.
I was blindsided thrice - having to pick my chin up off the floor, wished for something different at least once (okay, maybe 10 times!) and had my heart crushed and repaired multiple times...and the ending. Just cruel.
Please can I have more?

5 huge stars

When this was revealed to be a crime filled dark fantasy duology featuring a deadly heist, with a pinch of King Arthur, a dash of Peaky Blinders and lots of blood, I was sold.

And this book did not disappoint, a wicked blend of Secrets, Heists and Vampires, blended to perfection by Hafsah Faizal to create an unforgettable read that I could not put down.

"Why save the world when you can have tea?"

The world building was impeccable, the complexity of White Roaring and its government structure, the allure of Spindrift and its secrets and the mystery of the deadly glittering vampiric underworld of The Athereum kept me enthralled.

The characters equally are just as appealing, I love a book with multiple povs and this book flits between the three view points of Arthie, Jin, and Flick. With the main protagonist being Arthie the gritty, unapologetically angry owner of Spindrift, a teashop by day and an illegal blood den for Vampires by night. Her determined nature makes her ruthless in her drive for revenge and there is no better revenge than to succeed in the country that ruined her life. So when her enterprise is threatened she doesn't hesitate to protect her people, save her Spindrift and destroy her enemies, by any means possible. She was undoubtedly my favourite of the three.

The story is full of intrigue and suspense, it was unbelievably clever full of reveals and twists that kept me turning those pages until the most jaw-dropping last line. I am still reeling now and I need the sequel.
In fact I am so desperate to know what happens next I may have to pull a heist of my own... does Macmillan have an arc of book 2 yet?!?!

I am such a sucker for Faizal's writing. It's so lush and prosaic, always creating the exact atmosphere needed for the specific scene. She also writes the most realistic and lovable characters that are generally a little broken with some tragic backstories... so you'll know how sad I feel when I say this one didn't quite live up to my expectations.

I'm not sure what it was exactly, but I didn't quite feel that I got as invested in the story as I did with her previous sands of Arawiya series. I loved the characters, the plot, the world building, but all put together it didn't quite gel as much as I wanted it too. Now, this could be a me thing. Because of how much I loved her first series I went into this with the highest of expectations, so I could just be being picky. But as much as I loved all the individual elements, as a whole it never quite lived up to my own hype.

Arthie, Jin, Flick, Laith & Matteo... every single one of these characters are so well developed, even those we don't get POV's for. Arthie is someone who has had to fight for her place in the world. She had no one, her parents died when her country was colonized and she found herself alone in a strange place where her skin colour and language ensured she didn't fit it. But that's not something that would ever stop her from claiming her place in the world. Jin, another orphan who Arthie found at the site of his parents supposed murder, is similar to her in a lot of ways, and yet wholly different in others. Someone else who doesn't quite fit into society, he longs for somewhere to call home, but doesn't quite have the vengeance streak that fuels Arthie. Flick is the daughter of a noble with a penchant for forging anything from documents to signet rings. Laith, a boy from Arawiya who has come across the sea with his own plans, plans that swiftly involve Arthie and co. And Matteo, Vampire artist extraordinaire.

Every one of these characters has some kind of tragic backstory, something Faizal does incredibly well, so even the characters we're not sure we can trust worm their way into our hearts. And I adored the interactions between them all, the flirtation, familial bonds & simple friendships that were shown. This is certainly a crew of misfits, all keeping some kind of secret from each other, but Faizal that ensures we get plenty of humour included with the drama and danger ensuring we don't get too bogged down.

The world building was amazing, something I've come to expect from Faizal, and fans of her Arawiya series will love the little nods to it throughout the story. But she takes the world she had previously built and expands on it massively. The city this book is set it is reminiscent of Victorian England but with magic, I have seen it compared to King Arthur, but that certain part of the book plays a very small part in the overall story. Instead, Faizal takes the time when England was at it's height as an Empire and weaves it into her story to show it from the view of those colonized. Those that saw their families, entire countries murdered and pillaged all so they could gain something from their culture. It's easy to see why Arthie and the crew are so willing to bring it crashing down, and the more we read of the story, the darker and more sinister their actions become.

There were two romance arc's in the book, one I loved, and one I felt was just not needed at all. The first was a sweet almost innocent/rake style romance, it was slow burn and certainly added some steam and tension to the story. I was so happy when these two characters finally admitted their feelings instead of just being idiots in love. The other was an almost weird love triangle, and it seemed overly rushed on one side. The two characters seemed to almost fall in insta love, or insta lust at least, and I think this might be where my lack of love for the story stems from because one of the POV characters spends far too much time talking about how she likes how he looks, should she trust him etc, and I felt like it detracted from the main plot in parts.

Another part that I didn't overly love was our lack of insight into the planning of the heists in the story. Because we don't get an inside view to it a lot of the actions seemed unnecessarily rash and I felt like they survived on luck alone at some points, something that seems at odds to a person who has crawled from the gutter to create one of the most prolific tea houses in the city. (The tea parts were great btw, I've never been a fan, but it made me want to try some of the flavours mentioned.) The ending certainly threw a few spanners in the works, and there was a certain plot line that definitely shocked me. Faizal certainly knows how to end of a bang and leave you wanting more, and despite my not wholly loving this one, I am certainly eager to get my hands on the sequel and find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.
I loved this book so much, I can't wait until the physical copy is in my hands, and I can gush about it to customers at work.
The plot never gave up, it was action after action, every page had something important going on and yet it didn't neglect to give the characters growth, humour, and personalities, which I have been having a hard time in finding lately.
(I will say the mention of elves nearly pulled me out because I'm sick of elves/fae in books now, and the world didn't feel magical enough for elves to be involved?)
This is a book you won't want to miss - the hype is real.

Arthie and Jin are an unlikely pair who’ve been at each other's side for years running a tea house by day and a vampire bar at night. While business is booming, vampires are going missing and their tea house is being threatened by the Ram. When an unlikely player enters the game, Arthie and Jin are forced to hatch a plan to smuggle a ledger from the vampire sanctuary. They have to add some new members to the team and unfortunately, everyone has their own agenda.

I loved this! It was gripping, full of great characters and fun world building! I really enjoyed the mix of era's as inspiration and the twist with King Arthur legends. The themes discussed were great too like colonialism and grief. I cant wait for the next book!

Six of Crows, vampires, a tearoom standing as a front for a bloodhouse, and vengeance.

Spindrift: tearoom by light, bloodhouse by dark. Spindrift was more than just a business though, more than a means of vengeance for Arthie. It was a safe place, and not just for their crew of orphans and castaways, but for vampires who were now indistinguishably hated by the rest of society despite most being as decent and relatively harmless as the next person.

When Laith, a striking figure from Arawiya and a Horned guard, begs Arthie’s help in retrieving a ledger which will topple the King, Arthie assembles a team to do the impossible.

Arthie is a tempest in a bottle, tiny and simmering and ready to obliterate. White Roaring has whittled her sharp as a blade with her homeland destroyed by those claiming to ‘civilise’ it. She is eager to tear down the place which caused so much ruin in their greed.
Her crew consists of Jin, a genius orphan she rescued from a fire and her partner in crime; Flick, a noble daughter practising criminal craft as a forger; Matteo, an artist vampire; and Laith, the mysterious boy who appeared at her window.

The heist was tonight. There was a chance he might die, but there was also the utmost certainty that he would do so in style.

This hit a lot of YA troupes - enemies to lovers (to enemies), a literal ‘touch her and you die’ moment (verbatim word for word), betrayal, dress gowns, instant love…. You name it.

The writing was spectacular. Evocative, luscious, and extremely compelling. I now really want to read an adult historical fantasy written by Faizal.

”We are the same, Arthie. We understand what it's like to grieve with fire and not tears. What it’s like to do anything for those we love.”

Overall, I think this will be a hit! And do be worried - major cliffhanger!
What a bloody good time!🩸🧛🏻‍♀️

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing me with the physical arc in exchange for a review!

Peaky blinders + Victoria style setting + found family + vampires = A tempest of Tea

What more could a girl want? I really enjoyed this, I was reading at a slower pace at first struggling to get into it, but then after about 20%/30% it had me hooked.

I can’t wait to see where this story goes !

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'A Tempest of Tea' by Hafsah Faizal.

I adore Hafsah Faizal's writing and this new book from her is no exception. I'm not a vampire girl, I'll be honest. But this book is so well written, I felt okay reading the vampire bits and I didn't feel bored like I usually do when I read these types of books. I truly did enjoy this.

First of all, can we talk about the cover of this book? STUNNING! Secondly, apparently this had been a lot of people's anticipated reads for over two years now and I can see why.

A Tempest of Tea is described as 'Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur with vampires' and it also has an element of Six of Crows, which is such a delightful combination. AND this is a YA novel too, so it has all the glorious parts of one great novel, which this is. This book is going to do incredible things once it comes out. I could also see it making a brilliant on-screen adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I find it hard to review A Tempest of Tea because on the one hand, I loved the premise, I really enjoyed the take on colonialism, the way cultures are built and spoken about, and the twists (even thought I had guessed a few of them!) On the other hand I found some of the world building quite clunky and hard to follow, there a few instances that I am hoping are maybe just errors that will be caught before the final version goes to print were interactions just don't seem to make sense. The sentence seems to run into something new, or the speech doesn't seem to got together. Similarly, I found the action sequences a tale of two halves. Some of them were excellent, cinematic and lyrically described. Others were difficult to track, I was more assuming than understanding. However, overall, I really did enjoy A Tempest of Tea a lot.

The romances in this book are beautifully built, I am not anti-love-triangle, but this is the obligatory warning that there is something of one in this book! I really liked how Faizal built romance into the characters; Arthie was resistant to romance in exactly the way you might expect her to be; Flick was enamoured by romance in exactly the way you might expect her to be. It was really refreshing to see an author consider how romance fits into the wider characterisation of a person, and consider that in how the relationship progressed.

I loved the ending, I think the last 1/3 of A Tempest of Tea is the strongest. I had guessed at some of the twists, but I think that just shows the success of Faizal's foreshadowing. Other twists were genuine surprises, and some sat in the middle, not totally shocking, but not expected either. Regardless of the category they sat in I would describe all of the twists in this book as deeply satisfying.

This is a twisty, romantic, well-plotted adventure of a novel. Whilst I have some niggles with the writing, overall I think it is a brilliant start to what I am sure will be a spectacular series. I am looking forward to the next one!

Holy moly. This book was brilliant; absolutely fantastic.

First of all, I was intrigued by the plot. It sounded so wacky and random, that I just knew that I had to read it. It is presented as Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows, but with vampires. That is one hell of a plot.

Arthie is a fantastic protagonist. She is the leader of an enterprising gang, who run a tea shop while also running a sort of vampire speakeasy, supplying blood in a society which abhors vampires. She is so great because she’s a woman in a man’s world, but doesn’t let that stop her or frighten her. She’s strong and independent, while being fiercely loyal to those that matter to her But while she collects secrets like currency, she is also keeping a few herself, which she keeps from even the most important in her life. Namely, her adoptive brother, Jin.

The whole cast of characters are so well written and integrated; no-one lets the team down and they all work together so well. There is lots of banter and funny moments, which compliment the angsty and angry moments fluidly.

It is so well-written than I could not put it down and read it entirely in one sitting. It’s a very atmospheric book, with lots of beautiful descriptions. I particularly liked the attention to detail when discussing tea (I love tea).

This book is so fast paced and exhilarating; you’re kept on your toes until the very end. There are so many twists and turns that keep you holding your breath.

While this is a fantasy book, there are serious discussions of colonisation which I think are dealt with well and not written about lightly. There is passion behind the writing and I think it really shows.

It’s difficult to put into words just how much I enjoyed this book. It’s an absolutely brilliant fantasy read and I cannot wait for the next book. Especially after THAT ending! Wowzers.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was such an amazing book, I was hooked from start to finish. This felt a lot more like The Gilded Wolves series rather than Six of Crows, but still had very similar aspects to both. I really loved Arthie as a character, I thought she was very strong. I would’ve liked if there were POV’s from Matteo and Laith. I need book 2 now!

The obvious comparison (indeed one that has been used in the marketing copy) for Hafsah Faizal's newest book 'A Tempest of Tea' is Leigh Bardugo's 'Six of Crows' duology. For those who don't know, Six of Crows is a heist story about a group of young criminals working out of the seedier part of a city rife with corruption. Many books have been compared to Six of Crows and it's hard to really say whether that comparison has been beneficial or not, given the sheer size and passion of that particular fandom.
However, in this instance, I do think Hafsah Faizal's work manages to touch on some of the particular elements that made Six of Crows so compelling while bringing in enough new elements to the story that the book doesn't feel like a copycat.
Of course the main difference is the fact that this particular series has everyone's favourite paranormal friend - Vampires. I thought this was an excellent take on Vampires with some very interesting worldbuilding implications for a world aware of paranormal creatures.
The other thread running prominently through this story is that of colonialism and the idea of having a place to belong. I thought Hafsah Faizal managed to navigate an exploration of those themes without compromising on the 'fun' heist storyline. It is very much a sense of a theme that has shaped this world and the feelings of characters within it but the characters are primarily engaged in this particular adventure.
I think one of the things that made this slightly less enjoyable to me was that there were a couple of elements that felt tonally odd. I can't mention some of them without a spoiler but there were some 'solutions' that felt rather pulled out of nowhere.
That being said I think this book is well worth reading, sometimes you just need a YA heist novel that hits you in the found family feelings.
I receieved a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

A Tempest of Tea is the first book in the Blood and Tea duology from “We Hunt the Flame” author Hafsah Faizal. A Tempest of Tea more than exceeded my expectations, with Vampires and heists, what’s not to like? If I could give this book infinite stars, I would. There are just not enough stars on here.

🫂Found Family
🧛‍♀️Vampires
3️⃣Multi-POV
🦹‍♀️Heists
🩶Morally-Grey characters
💞POC Main characters

In A Tempest of Tea, we follow Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who deals in secrets. During the day, she runs a tearoom, by night, it’s an illegal bloodhouse which caters to the vampires that society fears. When it’s threatened, Arthie’s hand is forced, and she strikes a deal with an alluring adversary to try and save it. There’s only one problem, she can’t do the job alone. She puts together a plan and brings together a group of misfits to infiltrate the Arthereum, the dark vampire society. However, not every member of the crew is on her side and the real reason behind the heist becomes clear. She finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that will no doubt threaten the world she lives in.

If you're a fan of Six of Crows, you will LOVE this book!

This book was so well written. I absolutely devoured it, I could not put it down. This book will easily lure you into the trap of one more chapter. I certainly did. Every character is so well developed, Arthie, who trades secrets, has secrets of her own, Jin is a charmer and Flick is someone who is desperate for her mother's affection and will do anything to get it. I am obsessed with these characters and cannot wait to scream about this book and the characters. Everything was on point, from the description of the world and characters to the descriptions of the tea. I felt really immersed in this world and wish I could read this book for the first time all over again. I kid you not, when I finished this book, I started at it for a solid half hour contemplating what to do with my life next.

There is some romance in the book, Arthie is stuck in a somewhat love triangle and Jin, well, you'll have to wait and see who his love interest is 😏. There were some squeal-worthy, leg-kicking moments in this, it was so hard to keep quiet so I didn't wake up everyone else in the house. The romance we got didn't overpower the plot and main focus of the story which I loved. Some books now, particularly fantasy, seem to add too much romance and it takes away from the main plot. Faizal didn't, she added just the right amount.

I had so many crazy theories during this book, none of which were right. The amount of times I gasped or went "WTF?!!" is unreal.

All in all, A Tempest of Tea is such an enjoyable read. It will capture you and drag you into the world almost instantly. Add this book to your TBRs now, I have a feeling this will become one of 2024's biggest releases.

I will gladly give Arthie all my secrets for the next book, like now. Now, I'm gonna cry whilst I wait for that.

I was absolutely hooked on this book. The new version of Six of Crows is excellent! Every character in this book had my interest, and I fell in love with their backstories and relationships. Although I'm a sucker for vampires, everything else about this novel drew me in entirely. I can't wait for the next book in the series, even though the first one isn't out yet."
.
I recently read A Tempest of Tea, which was a very enjoyable book. I particularly like stories involving heists, so this book was right up my alley. I also read Family, which includes vampires and it completely changed the game. This book has everything one could possibly want in a story."
🩸Vampires
🩸Found Family
🩸Heists!
🩸POC MCs
🩸 Feet-kicking romance

The characters in this story really made it for me. Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind & also a badass! Arthie is a robust and independent character but also flawed and deals with many past traumas. I really enjoyed learning about Arthie's culture and her past. Now, onto Jin…. oh, I loved him a lot; he was such a flirt and incredibly charming but also such a kind soul! A special mention to Matteo, Flick and Laith: I don't want to spoil too much, but all the characters are unique and flow together so well (expect lots of banter).

I don't want to say too much about the heist (spoilers obviously), but everything was so well thought out, and the setting was perfect; I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and the ending…. I need to book 2 right now, please!

Overall, this book was fantastic, and I can't wait to see what book 2 brings!
#ATempestofTea #NetGalley #Bookreview #bookbloggers #5starreview

“We were made for trouble, you and me.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

Arthie is a bit of an enigma, wrapped in mystery and steeped in tea. Someone you certainly don’t want to cross but if you have her on your side, you’ll certainly do well for yourself. She’s spirited for want of a better word and the dedication she has to her business and those in it is incredibly admirable. I think she has a great arc with a lot of growth in this story. We get to know her decently well but there is still an intrigue to her, even at the end which absolutely thrills me. I love it when there are many layers to a character to peep back and discover. Arthie is a wonder!
Jin is, without a doubt, cocky. But it really works for him and his character. He offers a lot of comedic relief for the story whilst helping keep it grounded. He’s an anchor for Arthie in the dangerous life they live and I really enjoyed seeing that sibling bond between them. Initially, I saw mentions of his name and thought he may be Arthie’s love interest but I am glad things did not swing that way. I think their dynamic would have been off if that happened - the sibling rivalry and protectiveness over each other is perfect in my eyes.
Flick has lived a very sheltered life so she jumps at the chance to be independent - no matter the consequence. I really liked Flick and the growth she goes through in this book! She’s a delight to read about and her POV is certainly interesting. The relationships she builds with the other main characters are fantastic. I hope we get to see more of Flick in the future!
Laith is someone who rather annoyed me across the book. He hovers a lot, thinking he knows best. I did think there was a possibility of me liking him towards the end of the book but no… definitely not.

I must admit, when I see a story includes vampires I tend to avoid it. It’s never much been an interest of mine to read - I was never a fan of Twilight and just have never entirely understood the hype. However, I am such a big fan of Faizal’s previous works that I was happy to just dive in feet first and see what I thought of her newest book. And I am so glad I did! The plot is relatively seamless, moving from event to event with nary a pause which helped keep the story exciting and engaging. The descriptions of the tea in this novel make me so sad I’m not a tea drinker. They sound so yummy and I just wanted to dive in and have Arthie serve me tea until I liked it! The characters all felt real and interesting. I was totally invested in each of them, wondering how they would contribute to the overall story and what would happen to each of them. There is little romance but oh lordy is there a lot of angsty longing and I AM HERE FOR IT! I definitely love me some angst and Faizal is flawless at writing it. It went perfectly hand in hand with the tension from the heist, keeping me on tender hooks and eager to finish. That ending though… Hafsah, what have you done to me?! It was so brilliantly written and has left me feeling incredibly bereft and desperate for the next book. Bravo!

Overall, A Tempest of Tea is another stunning book from Faizal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

☕A Tempest of Tea review☕

Thoughts:
- As soon as I heard this being described as perfect for fans of Six of Crows, I knew this book was a must-read for me, and I am so happy to say that it didn't disappoint.
- It features a crew of misfits, vampires, a heist, a bit of whimsy, a lot of tea, found family, and truly beautiful writing.
- The novel was entirely action packed, and about 2/3 of the way through the action picked up even more and I was completely shocked by the turns the story took! The last section of this book was mind-blowing, and made the entire book a five star read for me, and has also made me desperate for the next book.
- There were plenty of twists throughout the story, and I was constantly second-guessing each characters' motives, which made for some really exciting character development. I think the pacing was perfectly balanced, with a great mix of action, world-building and character backstories.
- This book had so much heart - it had me all over the shop emotionally - laughing, at points holding back tears, outraged, shocked, at times confused, and really touched at heartwarming moments throughout.
- I will 100% be reading the sequel whenever it comes out, and I can already anticipate this book being one of my favourite releases of 2024.

A Tempest of Tea follows Arthie, a young woman who runs a teashop by day and an illegal bloodhouse for vampires by night, who along with her crew of friends and reluctant allies finds herself on a daring heist to save the teashop and, quite possibly, the entire country.

This book has absolutely everything. It’s split POV from three fascinating characters – Arthie, her co-conspirator Jin, and reluctant-criminal Flick – and follows a whole ensemble cast of rebels and outcasts who I absolutely adored. Arthie is one of the most exciting, intelligent, morally-grey protagonists I’ve read in years, and her charming chosen-brother Jin is my latest fictional obsession, whose every line had me grinning. Flick offers a great contrast to their natural criminal instincts, and the other new additions to their crew were equally fascinating.

With swoon-worthy romance, an incredible cast of characters, a complex, high-stakes heist, the most genuine found-family I’ve read since Six of Crows, and witty, hilarious dialogue throughout, this is easily one of the most entertaining fantasy books I’ve read in years. I was drawn in by the absolutely stunning cover but stayed for the incredible writing, and cannot wait to force this book on everyone I know.

Fast-paced and character-driven, A Tempest of Tea will hook fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows. High stakes, a daring heist, and a diverse cast of characters come together to make an overall successful story. Oh, and there’s vampires.
Slightly predictable and literal to an adult reader, it would however suit teen and YA readers by proposing a thrilling read.

“she liked her men a little afraid of her”
“one gets a taste for blood when they have to lick their own wounds”

I have been DYING for Hassan Faizal to write a new book ever since i fell in love with the “we hunt the flame” duo logo, so as soon as I saw this- I knew i had to get my hands on it. I am so so so happy i did, because it did not disappoint.

this is marketed towards fans of peaky blinders and six of crows- which i would say is accurate. the world building managed to combine both of these worlds to create this super atmospheric, fun and entertaining world. I was so invested in the setting, dying to know more about the vampire high society and all of the blackmailing that somehow makes this place function. It was just so fun to read and i genuinely could not put it down. on top of the great world building, the characters were also just as good. like it says, if you’re a fan of the found family within six of crows, this is 100% up your alley. I became so emotionally invested in this little rag tag crew, i was dying to read about their interactions and how to watch their bond develop. I thought they were all so layered and complex. I love how we have a young woman of colour as the main character, in a typically male dominated trope, just being herself and killing it whilst she does. arthie is quite possibly one of my new favourite characters, the author managed to capture the strength and determination so beautifully but then also portray the hidden anguish and fear in a way that felt so raw and relatable. Jin is the perfect, cocky, attractive maniac of a man that we all love 9very similar to Jesper in that sense, so if he’s your comfort character, again, you will love this.) flick is Whalen, a spoilt princess who grew up sheltered but then finds out the ugly truth about her parent, choosing family that found her rather than the family she was raised with.

the plot was somehow high stakes yet cosy fantasy, which i think is amazing because I couldn’t put it down yet it was so comforting. It had a really steady pace where everything felt thought out and thorough, but didn’t drag or feel boring at times. there were some aspects that I predicted, but I wasn’t even mad about it because the way it was uncovered still made the storyline interesting. BUT??? THE ENDING?? the only thing worse than a cliff hanger is a cliff hanger on an ARC because now i have to wait twice as long for book two. this was amazing, and i am so so excited to see where this continues.

I cannot thank you the publisher enough for the opportunity to read this before the release in 2024.
I was such a huge fan of Nasir and Zafira and that universe but this book might have surpassed that.

🫖Arthur, Jin, Matteo, Laith and Flick are very different people that meet under such unusual circumstances but still they managed to work together and in some cases to have a bond stronger than real family.

🫖Now let’s talk about my baby and my love: JIN

🫖He comes on the page and I knew it was game over for me. He was so funny, honest and so sure of himself that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. Also let’s talk of his usage of the world “love”. Cause I was dead every time 😂

🫖I loved how so many thematics where introduced in the book and how the author stress the immigrant aspect of the characters.
There is a scene I really loved, where the two main female characters talks about skin colour and how when people look at them that’s the first thing people notice, and especially for this reason one of them decides to die her hair. In this way people notice her hair colour before the colour of her skin. And it made me think a lot.

🫖The found family was such a great aspect and how willing they are to die for each other.

🫖 The Tea culture was amazing to see. And to witness how important it was for some people in the book. And how it was the main event.

🫖What was really cool was seeing the leader of the band a female. And how it was stressed for the entire of the book until the very end that no one ever complimented Arthie for her intelligent, just because she was a girl.

If you think I don’t ship characters in this book we are so wrong. 🙃🙃

All I ask now is for book 2 cause that ending was illegal

A Tempest of Tea is the first book I've read from Hafsah Faizal and what a great introduction to her writing. This book has made me an instant fan and I will be catching up on her previous work sooner rather than later (especially since this one sort of tied in to it).

I absolutely loved Arthie. What an icon. I loved her intelligence, her ruthlessness, her sass, her care for others. I loved her scheming. What a brilliant protagonist. I liked how Faizal showed Arthie's rage, her quest for vengeance, her sadness, her ambition. She was such a well rounded and in depth character.

Faizal's worldbuilding is top tier. THE ATMOSPHERE! THE VIBES WERE VIBING! The setting was so vivid, and it did not take much effort at all on my part to picture the scenes as they were happening. I felt fully immersed in to the world throughout the entire story.

Faizal cut to the core and did not beat around the bush (nor should she) on the topic of colonialism. She exposed it for all it's ugly elements, with scathing descriptions, showing the impact that colonialism has on people. This really opened up a dialogue o the state of our history and our present - this might be a fictional world, but what Faizal is writing about, where she is drawing from, is anything but fictional. This is the reality, and has been the reality, so many are afraid to face or outright deny (all, typically, for their own benefit or privilege).

I really enjoyed the plot twists and the reveals. There's one big one, which in retrospect was so glaringly obvious it was ridiculous that I did not notice. But I was GASPING. Like OH MY? It was WONDERFUL. I LOVED IT. I genuinely want to yell at everyone about how brilliant it was but I'm keeping my mouth shut because I believe everyone deserves the thrill of experiencing that reveal for the first time.

All the characters were great in their own ways and I loved the dynamics. I want to comment on Arthie and Jin - I love their found family relationship. I cried at several points in the book because of them.

I'm really excited for the next book for so many reasons. I've got a few theories that I need answers to (I think I'm right on at least one of them!!!!).

Just had to drop that I love Matteo before I end this review.

I recommend this book to literally everyone because it is brilliant and I'm really sad that it isn't out yet because 1) have to wait for people to get it to shout at them 2) a longer wait for the sequel for me.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Please send me the second one whenever you receive it, please and thank you.

This is going to be a game changer for the YA Fantasy genre.

Thank you so much Netgalley UK for giving me an E-Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Tempest of Tea" by Hafsah Faizal is a spellbinding journey through the city of White Roaring in the country of Ettenia, filled with complex characters, political intrigue, and a dash of romance. The author's prowess in writing and world-building shines through, creating a vivid tapestry that captivates the reader from the very beginning.

The writing style of Faizal is commendable, drawing the reader in with rich and descriptive prose. The city and capital of White Roaring, reminiscent of Ketterdam, are brought to life with evocative details that immerse the reader in the world of "A Tempest of Tea." The author's ability to create a captivating atmosphere contributes significantly to the overall appeal of the narrative.

Arthie, the main protagonist, is a multifaceted character who exudes strength and wit. Drawing parallels to Kaz Brekker, her prowess in business and negotiations is evident from the early stages of the story. The narrative skillfully unfolds Arthie's journey from a girl in rags to a master of her trade, showcasing her progression and resilience. The use of humour, sarcasm, and wit in Arthie's character, adds a layer of charm to her personality.

The world-building in "A Tempest of Tea" is intricately crafted, with Ettenia being a realm filled with political strife, colonial influences, and hidden secrets. The establishment of Spindrift, Arthie's tea house by day and vampire haven by night, adds a unique layer to the world-building, creating a safe space for vampires and outcasts alike.

Magic, an integral part of the narrative, is seamlessly woven into the plot. Arthie's actions, especially her involvement in reclaiming stolen artifices and her interactions with vampires, showcase the magical elements present in Ettenia. The incorporation of vampire lore and their covert existence in the city adds a layer of mystery and intrigue.

The plot unfolds perfectly with action, suspense, and political machinations. Arthie's motivations rooted in revenge against colonial oppression and her determination to protect her found family at Spindrift drive the narrative forward. The heist setup, involving Arthie, Jin, and their crew, introduces a thrilling and unpredictable element that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

The characters, individually and in their relationships, contribute significantly to the richness of the narrative. Arthie and Jin's sibling bond is portrayed with affection and warmth, while the dynamics between Arthie and Flick showcase the strength of female friendships. The budding romance between Arthie and Laith adds a delightful layer of complexity to the story. Additionally, the interactions between Flick and Jin hint at a potential romantic subplot, creating an intriguing dynamic within the group.

The introduction of Laith Sayaad adds another layer to the narrative, with his charm, mysterious past, and undeniable chemistry with Arthie. The depiction of their interactions reveals a captivating dynamic that promises further exploration in the narrative.

In summary, "A Tempest of Tea" is a compelling fantasy novel with impeccable writing, immersive world-building, magical elements, intricate plot, well-developed characters, and nuanced exploration of themes such as colonialism, revenge, and found family. Hafsah Faizal's ability to create a world that is both enchanting and thought-provoking makes this book a must-read for fans of fantasy and heist narratives.

I enjoyed this book so much! The characters were amazing, the story was incredible, ever changing, quick paced, so many twists and turns throughout! I’m beyond excited to read the next book!

This book is a wild ride - right from the get-go, and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last sentence. A truly brilliant mash up of Arthurian and Vampiric lore, with all the jeopardy of a classic heist movie. Plus tea! What's not to love?

This book reminded me of all my favourite things... The scene setting and world building reminded me of Laini Taylor's 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone', the incredible characters and shady dealings brought to mind Scott Lynch's 'The Lies of Locke Lamora' and the Scooby-Gang/found family vibes were as fun and witty as the 'Firefly' TV series.

Faizal has given us a fun and exciting book that also explores class, race, revenge and effects of colonisation, through the lens of some well-rounded and interesting characters. I had such a good time reading this book and I just know it will be one of my favourites for the year.

This was such an enigmatic read! I was enamoured by the writing style from the get go, the worldbuilding so fascinating without being too overwhelming to follow. I was addicted, flying through the pages, obsessed with our heroine Arthie — she’s truly the shunting star of the book, her chapters were my favourite and the love triangle she finds herself in was one of the best aspects of the book for me! I haven’t felt this strongly about a love triangle in forever (team Matteo always <3). I love the Victorian and Wildean quality of the aesthetic and setting, plus the Six of Crows inspired heist with a group of mismatched misfits was just so fabulous to read.

My only critique would be Flick’s POV felt a bit unnecessary. I much preferred following Arthie and Jin, both equally fascinating as individuals but I also adored their deep platonic bond and admiration of one another.

I really can’t wait for the next book, ahhhhh! I have some theories about the ending and I’m just praying for an Arthie and Matteo endgame!!

STUNNING. i am so in awe of this masterpiece. will never be the same again and i need book two in my hands asap.

My first impressions of this book were quite simple - tea, vampires, heist, found family.
I don't like to fall for the idea of a book when I have such a vague idea of the plot, but I couldn't help but have my curiosity piqued when the synopsis for A Tempest of Tea came upon my radar.
Our story follows the perspectives of a handful of characters, primarily those of Arthie and Jin. Arthie and Jin are two young adults who run a tea house by day, which becomes a place for vampires to come to feed under the cover of night. The Spindrift (their tea house) is not just their place of work, but also their home. When The Spindrift comes under threat, an opportunity to break into a building to retrieve a document crosses their laps, and if successful, they'll save their beloved cafe.
This is a YA novel, and so there isn't any heavy world building, and the story is plot heavy. It feels quite dark, without being too sinister, and manages to retain an element of fun throughout, while dealing with some heavy themes.
I enjoyed the book throughout, but it absolutely levelled up in the last third of the book, becoming incredibly fast paced, full of action, and incredibly twisty.
The only real complaint that I have about this book is that it's the first book in a series, and I'm going to have to wait far too long to get the opportunity to pick up the second book to find out where the story goes.

this book was so fun!!! i didn’t know what to expect but i was truly obsessed and will be needing more from faizal!! <3

A Tempest of Tea is a delightful, atmospheric fantasy about an unlikely group of social outcasts tentatively working together to go up against some of the most powerful in society and pull off a heist.

Secrets, and the power you can have over someone by knowing their secrets, play a big role in this story. There is some clever plotting that meant some of the revelations I had started to piece together, whilst others took me by surprise which made it a very satisfying read. The setting is an urban historical fantasy world, not our own, but the parallels are clear. There is some romance element, but the development of the familial and friendship relationships was much more interesting to me and I would most happily return to their world for a sequel.

Recommended to all fantasy fans.

A great novel full of intrigue and suspense, as well as a satisfying romance element. It had a slow start, with a less exciting first half followed by a very good latter half.

Thank you to Netgalley for the EARC in exchange for a honest review.

A Tempest of Tea is a book filled with all things I love; found family, a heist, Vampires, assassins, multiple POV's and a too top it all of some tea.
This book had so many loveable characters in it from out FMC Arthie all the way to Opal the kitten.
Arthie and Jin own a tea shop called the Spindrift; servicing tea during the day and a secret vampire hangout serving blood at night. With Spindrift on the edge of being shut down, Arthie and Jin must put together a crew of misfits to take part in a dangerous heist to break into the well known vampire auction and steal a ledger fill of incriminating activity about the Ram. They must work together to gain access to the well guarded auction and steal it from right under the vampires noses.
This b0ok had me on the edge of my chair while reading, when I thought I knew the outcome and what was going to happen next Hafsah Faizal had me question everyone motives and wondering how they were going to pull the heist off.
Even now nearly 24 hours after reading I am still questioning everything and counting the days until the next books is out.
I prewarn this book does have a massive cliffhanger and with no date on when the next book will be out. You can bet I will be preordering it as soon as we get a date.

I was very excited for this heist novel with vampires set in a colonial Victorian-esque setting, especially because I loved the author’s first series. I overall enjoyed the book but there were a few things that let me down.

To start with what I liked, mainly the atmosphere and setting. You really got a sense of this gritty and corrupt country, with vampires roaming and violence around the corner. I liked the tearoom, even though we weren’t in it enough, and the characters too. They weren’t as compelling as I wanted but still enjoyable to read from the POV of - I think my favourite was Jin. And plus for having a cute cat!

Now what I was mainly let down by was the heist. There was a slow buildup to it with the characters discussing the plan, and the heist was short and lacklustre in comparison. Generally, I felt the pacing was off, and I only really got invested in the last third. After that point, though, I did like the story more and didn’t expect some of the plot twists.

The ending was definitely tense and left me on edge waiting for the next week, which I hope I will enjoy more.

A must read for six of crows and peaks blinder fans! This book did not disappoint. If you love, vampires, heists, found familly, touch her, you die trope this book is for you!!!! Counting down the days until the second one now.

Content Warnings: Colonisation, War, Blood, Violence, Death of a Parent, Emotional Abuse (from a parent), Racism, Xenophobia, Stalking (minor).

Representations: https://trello.com/c/nsqzygec/93-blood-and-tea-1-a-tempest-of-tea-by-hafsah-faizal

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm conflicted on if I should recommend this or not, but overall I think I had a good enough time with it that I would. The only issue I really had with this book is how it handled romance - especially with a bit at the end.

The way I'd describe this book is vampires and tea meets assassins creed and heists. I know the order of assassins was a thing but the way it's portrayed in this book I'd really say is more from the IP assassins creed specifically - there's a ton of similarities and tbh I found that quite fun as someone who loves AC a ton. This whole book revolves around this one major heist, around 60% setting up and 40% heist and the aftermath.

I quite enjoyed the characters mostly, they all had their own goals and motivations which clashed quite nicely throughout the story. The only negative about that is not everyone was clear on that specifically with side characters. This is one thing the book did throughout the whole thing but was more clear in terms of character motivations, but important information was just drip-fed to you. So important info that's critical to the overall story, that's just not told to you until it's needed. Does help with making it a bit less predictable, but the twists then feel a bit undermined as it's not really a twist then it's just "you had no idea about this and this is what it is!".

The romance was quite a weird one in this. The less romance in fantasy, the more I enjoy it. I thought at first this was going to be pretty light on that and it both was and wasn't. Thoughout the middle section of the book it's just constant "oh these feelings are weird but I'm going to ignore them" and that's *constant* in the middle section and often feels really forced in. Like every couple pages kinda thing for all the POVs. The ending quickly changes it up though for a more intimate scene (though there's a shorter scene in the middle that's also more intimate, and that bit feels even more out of place. But gotta get in that description of water running down a bare mans chest....) just because it can kinda. It sorta has a reason in-universe, but the way it's written is just 100% for the romance only. There's many different ways the motivation could have been done other than suddenly ramping up the romance which hadn't really been near that point.
It's in that weird limbo between if you want to read it for romance you might be disappointed and if you want to read it for the low-romance you'll be disappointed in the ending a fair bit.

Also Jin, you gotta stop wanting to sniff women's hair. Please. It's kinda creepy how often it's mentioned.

I did love the heisting, I loved certain parts of the ending (the action parts) and I absolutely loved the kitten. The kitten really made the book for me they were super adorable, really well described, and I absolutely loved how they were used throughout the whole book. Honestly recommend reading for the kitten alone hehe.

Get ready to meet Arthie, Jin, Flick, Matteo and Laith...

A world of humans, Vampires, cross breed vampires and a little tea house known as Spindrift, serving tea by day and blood by night.

Covering difficult themes of discontent, inequality, immigrants and colonisation.

Ettenia is where the Ram rules, a place of magic where the Ettenia pistol was once lodged in a plinth - surrounded by mystery.
Be prepared for the greatest Heist - this book gave me big six of crows vibes. A daring motley crew, with great chemistry and a range of characters. Mix in some Slow burn - and I was sold.

Thank you to Macmillian & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own. @panmacmillan and @bookbreaku

I just reviewed A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. #ATempestofTea #NetGalley

This was worth every second of the extended wait. Hafsah Faizal DELIVERED and more so.

Heists. Vampires. An incredible, diverse cast of characters, all of which feel so real it hurts. Tension. Swoon-worthy, toe-curling romances. Found family. Twists and turns round every corner. Lush, sweeping prose.

A Tempest of Tea leaves you no room to catch your breath. From the very first page, you are transported to White Roaring and you live alongside the characters as they commit their hijinks.

This is a must-read for fans of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves. Whilst many don’t care for comparisons between them, this truly completes the Big Three of the beloved subgenre: ‘crew of intelligent idiots making questionable choices.’ The plots are entirely different, but if you love a ragtag found family, then these five will work their way into your heart.

Hafsah really packed a punch with the ending. I need book 2 yesterday.

Thank you to Macmillian & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

From the first 25 pages, I thought it was going to be a 5 ⭐ read and oh my word, it was!

All the things I loved:
💕 Arthie as an MC and her whole personality and strength.
💕 The group of friends. Every character has a layered personality and I especially loved the banter.
💕 Laith as a morally grey MMC. He kept me guessing the entire time! Loved the will they/won't they with Arthie.
💕 The fact everything revolves around a tea room!!

This book was pacy, grilling and I was completely obsessed by the characters. The twists need to be applauded!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed the found family aspect of this novel - it's definitely one you'll like if you enjoyed Six of Crows and the Dregs. I didn't twig about Arthie until embarrassingly late on, though all the signs were there! However, I would love it if not everyone immediately hooked up with other members of their crew, and there was something about the writing style that didn't quite gel with me, otherwise it would have been 5 stars.

first of all, what a beautifully written novel. i ATE this book up and devoured every word!!

think six of crows, meets peaky blinders, and sprinkle in some vampires.

a tempest of tea drops you into the action straight away, we meet our FMC arthie who quite possibly is one of the most badass and delightfully unapologetic female characters i have ever had the pleasure of reading about. tea house owner by day and blood house runner by night, arthie is thrown into planning a heist to help keep her livelihood intact, and with the help of her cohorts jin and flick, she unwravels something far more sinister than she’d ever imagined. secrets, lies, conspiracies, you name it, this book had me guessing its twists and turns from the first page.

you get easily attached to the characters with their complex and heartbreaking backgrounds, immersing you in the storyline that has you questioning from page to page what’s going to happen next. ambitious, daring and exciting, faizal sucks you in to their world from the very first sentence.

my only slight gripe is that, although i am a huge lover of romance, in my opinion it’s unnecessary here. some of the romance felt a bit forced and took away from the platonic bond between arthie and jin which i loved. their found family-esque style friendship pulled at my heartstrings and i yearned for more.

and i wanted more vampires…hopefully we get this in book 2, especially with that cliffhanger!!

all in all a very solid first book to a series i’ll definitely be continuing!

*a huge thank you to netgalley and macmillan’s children’s books for the e-arc*

A Tempest of Tea was my most anticipated release of the year and, wow, it did NOT disappoint!

This book is described as Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur but mix in some vampires (plus some of the vibes from Six of crows). It follows the main character, Arthie, who owns a tea shop that converts into a blood house for vampires at night... And, yes, it's as cool as it sounds.

Arthie goes on to recruit a few other characters to help her in a heist that will save her tea shop which means a band of misfits running round committing crimes together and it doesn't get much better than that if you ask me. On top of that, though, all of this takes place within a 1920s London setting... The vibes were PERFECT! I have not had so much fun with a book in a long time.

I read We Hunt the Flame by this author a few months ago and loved it so I already knew I would love the writing in this. Hafsah Faizal has such talent for writing complex relationships between characters that actually have depth, and that really came through in this.. especially with the sibling dynamic Arthie and Jin have. I loved that so much!

I do think it has it’s faults like any book but the intricate world building and fantastic writing made up for any I noticed. With the amount of fun I had, I couldn’t bring myself to rate it any less than 5 stars!

A Tempest of Tea deserves to be one of the biggest books of the year (if not the biggest).

3.5 stars
I really enjoyed it but sadly didn’t click with the characters :( I loved them but I just didn’t feel that ID DIE FOR THEM feeling. Also I think this just solidifies that I don’t care much for heist books which is not the books fault that’s just something I had to discover about myself. I did enjoy the writing and the plot was pretty fast paced and the VIBES were immaculate. A great new fantasy for SURE and I loved how it was more unique than others I’ve recently read

Peaky blinders meets 6 of crows meets true blood with a smattering of Arthurian legend.

Fans of:
Heists
Revenge
Vampires
Fantasy
Found family

The style of writing by Hafsah Faizal is so beautiful painting such a vidid picture of the world she has created.

I loved Artie and Jin and their found family status is brother and sister. Flick made me laugh and her interactions with Jin were great.

I could not put this book down I loved it from start to finish. The glimpses into the characters pasts that’s were sprinkled throughout bought them to life.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this. It’s been a while since I’ve read YA but this reminds me of the good ol’ days when I consumed YA fantasy. The writing alone was great, descriptive yet still grounded to keep you in the story.

I loved the main character, Arthie. She was ruthless but still very much a likeable character and the way she viewed the world was beautifully written. She also has a right hand man in Jin and their friendship was one of my favourite things to read.

I’ve seen the book touted as great for fans of Six of Crows. Now I’ve only seen a couple of episodes of the show but I have to admit, this felt like a similar world. Kind of Victorian-esque/Dickens-esque so if you’re a fan of that series, you’ll definitely like this.

My only really criticism is around the romance in the book. Now I have a very good understanding of the difference between YA romance and full blown romance and that’s not it. It’s the only thing that felt oddly introduced and kind of heavy-handed in how it attempts to be a slow burn of ‘I have to ignore these feelings’ and it ended up being a little bit of an annoying plot line.

Think Six Of Crows meets Vampires and a Victorian setting when going into this book, but be warned, it does end on a massive cliffhanger that had me questioning everything!

The pacing was a little slow to start off with because of all the world building and character introductions/development that needed to happen, but it sped up drastically after the first half of the book. While i say that i was gripped almost instantly when reading this book, and once the story started to move forward quicker i really struggled to put it down. The only thing i wish was slightly different was that there were more appearances from vampires, but that's just because of how much i like reading about vampires. Maybe in the second book i will get my wish!
The concept of this book was the main thing that drew me in and had me incredibly intrigued. The FMC runs a tea house by day but by night it turns into a blood house, with her and her associates having to plan a heist to help keep themselves afloat in a dangerous world.
Another aspect i loved were the multiple POVs! They always help to keep the story feeling active, and can really help me as the reader appreciate what the characters are all going through.

Overall really enjoyed reading this, there were just a couple things that stopped it from being a 5 star read personally, but i usually find that with series the first book is never as good as the second or third, so i have high hopes that the next ones will have higher stakes, more intrigue, and will make me fall in love/hate with characters!!

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

A TEMPEST OF TEA - HAFSAH FAISAL

Thank you @panmacmillan @bookbreakuk
@netgalley and #hafsahfaizal for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

UK publication date: 22/02/2024

I've not read anything by Faisal before but she had me at tea.
I loved this book; it's the perfect balance of tea, wit, tragedy, found family and vampire! Despite being of another world the book confronts the very real issues of colonism, immigration, people smuggling, slavery and racism with a sharp tongue that slices through the poop and lays out the real ugliness of it.
The characters are fab, there's a nice amount of sexual tension and the plot is paced well.
And that ending 😱
Can't wait for the second installment!

#atempestoftea #netgalley
#panmacmillan
#arc #erac #fantasybooks #femaleauthors

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow - it’s not very often that you start a book and get immediate 5-star feels, but that’s what happened here and I wasn’t wrong!

Described as ‘Peaky Blinders’ meets ‘Six of Crows’ but with vampires, I was unquestionably excited before I even set foot on the page. Set in a world that’s being colonised and taken control of by Ettenia and the East Jeevant Company (not difficult to make the connection to the real world there), there is growing unrest between humans and vampires amongst a slew vampire disappearances.

It’s told by 3 diverse POV’s, each with their own flaws and tragic backstories that were woven nicely into the story rather than stilting it with huge flashbacks. Arthie and Jin, 2 of our MC’s, own Spindrift – ran by a crew of orphans, a tearoom by day and a bloodroom catering to vampires by dark. When Spindrift becomes threatened, Arthie must assign a heist crew to take back what’s theirs.

This is expertly written and so much more than a heist story - with a rich history, swoonworthy romance, beautiful friendship and many profound political messages that gave me food for thought.

There was at no point reading this that I was bored, I was captivated by the characters and how everything was coming together, and there are SO many twists and turns. I predicted a twist early on, but there was so much more to it that I didn’t guess and I literally GASPED at the ending!

I’m very keen to read more from Hafsah Faizal after this and predict big things for this duology.

Note: Review will be posted on Instagram (link below) on 30th January 2024

I have been so looking forward to this book since Hafsah announced it whenever it was years back. There's always a worry that a book won't be worth the wait but this one absolutely was!

Vampires, outcasts, found families, mysteries, F colonialism attitude, a kitten! A Tempest of Tea isn't missing anything. Hafsah has shown off again how well she writes complicated and compelling characters, and how she layers hint after hint to pull off an eye raising reveal when the time is right.

I loved Arthie and Jin. They are just a perfect brother-sister duo and complimented each other brilliantly. I thought I'd get annoyed with Flick but she was actually quite a fun and complimentary character. I really am excited to see where her development goes, especially after everything that happened towards the end. I think Matteo was my biggest surprise. I fully expected him to be underhanded, backstabbing and spent almost every scene with him waiting for the double-cross to happen. He's another I'm really keen to see what he does next.

I have to say as well, I loved the little nod to We Hunt the Flame/We Free the Stars when talking about the magic of Arawiyan. I'd love to see book after book in this same world sharing the magic and societies of all the places they mention. I have no doubt it'd be a wild and wholly captivating journey to take.

The shining moment here was the ending. Hafsah absolutely knows how to leave us with a 'Wait, what?! That's it??' and if you're anything like me, you're crying for the next book because how can you leave us like that?! I just can't wait to see what happens next and pick up whatever Hafsah writes going forward.

There has been a lot of hype for this book and i couldn’t wait to get stuck in to see what it was all about. Vampire and peaky blinders, sign me up.

I think this book could have been so much more. The pacing for the first half of the book felt so slow and I was waiting for something to finally happen. But the final half was EVERYTHING! I loved the way the heist played out and the twists that were revealed. I literally could not have guessed some of them and that made me so happy.

I loved the found family aspect of the book. Arthie and Jin were such great characters and their bond was obviously so special. I just wish we got to see a bit more them together outside of a serious situation.

The one thing I could have done without was the love triangle. It wasn’t needed at all and added nothing to the story.

Either way, I will most definitely be reading the sequel to this one.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & and PanMacmillan, for approving for the ARC of this book and OMG, I loved this so much.

This book isn't like any YA fantasy ice read before. We have a tea room, vampires, a heist, and the last 40% has enough twists and turns to make your head spin.

We have a band of found family who, in order to save their home (tearoom) they need this ledger, which highlights the people who control the 'law' are essentially corrupted.

It's multiple POV, which I really like and you genuinely like every character, they are so well written and the plot is fantastic, there isn't any complex world building and the pace of the book is really good.

Hidden in plain sight, Arthie Casimir’s business caters to two clashing types of clientele. Built on the border of the fashionable part of town and the criminal White Roaring, it is a prestigious tearoom by day and a bloodhouse by dark, where the city’s vampires can meet with blood merchants. When the establishment is threatened, Arthie must make an unusual deal and assemble an unlikely team to infiltrate the prestigious and deadly vampire society called Athereum...

This was my first book by Hafsah Faizal, and I will definitely read her other novels soon. A Tempest of Tea is a well-written heist narrative with a band of outcasts and vampires. Plot twists, secrets, intrigues, humour, and banter are intertwined with the more reflective scenes or retrospections. The main cast of characters is described in detail, as we gradually learn not only how they look or behave but where they came from. This made me very attached to them and piqued my interest in their story. It is also another novel that touches on the topic of anti-colonialism.

Most of all, A Tempest of Tea was just fun to read. The pacing was perfect, the storyline thrilling, and the characters vivid. There is also an exciting romance and found family theme. I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you to the author and netgalley!

This is so far my best read of 2024 and has soared into my all time top ten.

Arthie is my hero and my first book crush, she's just perfect. Everything about this book is.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. A Tempest of Tea is a stunning, original fantasy adventure. I loved the world of vampires, magic, this wonderful family of Arthie, Jin and Felicity. It’s action packed, realistic and left me hooked with the ending twist.

We Hunt the Flame was one of the biggest hots in our Library and recent years and my students are already anticipating this release. This action packed adventure with a paranormal twist is another surefire hit for Faizal

From the best selling author of We Hunt the flame, comes a new duology which features some tea, a group of bandits, some vampires and a job that could change everything.

Tempest of Tea is told from character based views with each chapter dedicated to a character so the story is told from multiple perspectives. The story introduces us to White Roaring; a society that is built around the colonialist values of Ettenia where humans and vampires live side by side. Arthie, Jin and their crew run a tearoom called “Spindrift” which deals in more than tea; it deals in blood and secrets. If there is a secret in White Roaring, Arthie will uncover it and use it when needed.

However, when Spindrift is threatened with being closed forever, Arthie and the gang must make deals with adversaries and vampires to save it - but in undertaking a job that could solve all their problems, they find themselves walking into something much bigger; something that could turn the current ruling order on its head.

Tempest of Tea is a great read, with secrets within the story itself. I love the broad range of characters from Arthie and Flick to Jin and Matteo; all of whom have had different experiences with Ettenia and its treatment of its “citizens”. The story is evenly paced and with each chapter by a character it’s easy to come back to if you need to step away for a bit.

Highly looking forward to the next part of the duology :)

I absolutely adored this book! The writing style and prose are stunning.
All of the characters were so well fleshed out, and I loved all of them,I wanted to dive headfirst into the book, and run around with Jin, and have tea with Arthie and flick.
The cliffhanger was insane and I can't wait to read the second one.

Super fantasy (somewhat), heist story, a bit of romance, lots of tempest, along with more than just a tea shop and a cat. For older teens and up. Back story is to do with colonial aggression and orphans and deciding to not take grief from anyone. Easier said than done! The characters all have baggage, which adds to the fun and twists. Be warned big cliff hanger, but I’m sure that just means there is more fun reading to be had in the near (I hope) future. Thank you to Macmillan children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Hafsah Faizal is a genius. I've been looking forward to this book for ages, ever since I first read the pitch and saw the INCREDIBLE cover. Vampires are BACK, baby, and oh boy is this book proof of it. It has everything: a feisty female MC, a super suspenseful and clever heist, a super vivid setting... this is such a pacy, mischievous, imaginative, DELICIOUS novel. A real romp, and swoon-worthy in every sense. DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK.

Absolutely adored this book, 10/10, please get me book 2 right now. I did NOT see the twist coming and absolute had my jaw dropped for a good 10 min. This was such a good older YA book, and beautiful writing from Hafsah

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun fantasy that is different from any book I have read recently.
The book follows a group of characters as the plot a heist in order to save Arthie and Jin's tea shop. They face lots of twists and turns along the way with the plot really picking up pace towards the end of the book and setting the scene for the second book.
The characters are unique and well developed. I really enjoyed Arthie's character and the sense of mystery that she built throughout the book. It was clear that she had a few secrets and that the plot would develop further. My favourite characters were Jin and Flick and the development of their relationship and I cant wait to see more of them in the next book.

4.75
Did you read The Six of Crows and wished the Crows were led by Inej?

Did you read the Lies of Locke Lamora and wished the Gentleman Bastards were led by Sabetha?

Well then it's tea time scoundrels! read A Tempest of Tea!

OMG , I need book two LIKE yesterday.

The twists really twisted and the betrayal was Bloody. Hafsah really said suprise suprise, SUPRISE SUPRISE!

This book single handedly saved me from a reading slump. The aromatic descriptions of teas flavour and brewing was so comforting and sensational.

Arthies was ruthless as hell and I loved it. Like she didn't care! Even if it's her first time meeting you and she might like you she would not hesisttebto shoot you or stab you in the back!

Her encounter with the main political power did feel a little rushed BUT I can't wait for their downfall! Because what they did !

A mysterious teahouse at the intersection of upper-class and working class society. A powerful girl who refuses to let anyone go by unseen, along with their secrets. A talented boy and his umbrella rescued from a fire. And the perfect heist to top it all off. Oh, and did I mention- Vampires!

My word, this was a brilliant introduction for me into Hafsah Faizal’s work.

I loved this book! It came at such a great time for me when I was feeling bogged down by heavier literature. The pacing is brilliant, written in smaller chapters that make you feel like you’re able to read more because you can stop almost whenever you like (not that you ever want to), with several plot points being masterfully spun before you.

Arthie and Jin are a cracking main character duo. Each with such different, distinct character voices which unusually compliment each other so well. I adore their siblinghood, their deep understanding of one another and their ability to turn fear into fuel for one another. And then there’s Matteo who bought so much humour to the novel, though you know so much more lies beneath that exterior. Flick and her wonderful creations, too! The cast of Tempest of Tea has such a homely, family-like feel to it.

I won’t go on any longer, as I fear spoiling it all- just know, if you want a fun, hearty fantasy novel that is beautifully written and you love a good vampire trope, this one is for you.

I wish I had chosen this as my first ARC of the year because wow I was blown away. A Tempest of Tea was completely intoxicating and I didn’t want to put it down. I read over 40% of the book in my first sitting, which is very impressive considering how long it has been taking me to get through books lately.

I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of vampire books, but this one is very good. The vampire’s are fairly classy and there’s no cringe involved. I love that there are different types of vampires and it feels like their lore and this entire world is so rich.

I’m a little bit in love with this cast of characters. They all have such distinct personalities and really bring something to the story. My absolute favourite was Jin, he was not only the engineering brain behind Spindrift, which was super cool, but he also had an interesting past and what looks to be an interesting future. I love how he was super cool and suave around every woman but Flick, he was a bit of a bumbling idiot with her at times - so cute!

Arthie was of course a really cool character too. I love her character design and if there’s one word to describe her it would have to be badass. Especially when she’s wielding Calibore (no spoilers on that though, but trust me it’s sooo cool!).

I absolutely love a heist book and this one does have Six of Crows vibes. I wouldn’t say it was as intricate, but it did have its blood pumping moments. I enjoyed the planning and build up to the heist more than the actual event itself, but still, very fun.

The reasons why A Tempest of Tea is a five star read are not ones I can talk about without spoiling huge plot points - hence why this review is pretty short. Right until the end, this book was sitting at maybe a 4 or 4.5 stars, but the revelations in the final few chapters pushed it all the way to a five. Honestly, it’s incredible, I can’t recommend it enough.

Tempest of Tea stirred up a storm of emotions in me! (sorry, I had to.)

The world-building is intricate and immersive, and had me hooked from the start.

White Roaring is a city of contrasts, where opulent mansions meet grimy back alleys and vampires mix with humans.
The characters are complex and engaging. Arthie is a fierce and resourceful protagonist, and her crew is a motley bunch of misfits with their own secrets and motivations.

Admittedly, I was drawn in by the cover and wondered what I was thinking when I reread the blurb a week or two later. But once I started reading, I knew I would enthusiastically recommend this book.

wow. this book truly has been worth the wait, literally had no idea what i was expecting going into this but miss hafsah blew me away immediately. six of crows meets peaky blinders with vampires!! this book was fast paced and also filled with suspense, twists and betrayals dare i add, the world building was well written and captivating and it drew me in rather quickly. arthie was beyond incredible and i loved how her character developed even more throughout the book, she was truly everything, the found family aspect here got me so bad, everyone was so amazing and their own storyline and i loved every second of it, arthie and jin.. my favorite siblings youre wholeheartedly loved by me. they were so amazing. i genuinely cant wait to see more of matteo and see how his story develops in the next book, i just know hes gonna serve so hard. idk what hafsah has in store for us but i NEED the next book right now, anyways team arthiematteo all the way. still love laith tho! AND OPAL

This review is for A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal which released in the UK on 22nd February! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Books for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is not the first book I have read by Hafsah, as I had read her Sands of Arawiya series before, but this book really cemented her as one of my favourite authors.

It features a found family troupe which is one my of my favourites and very much reminded me of Six of Crows but with vampires… literally what more could I ask for?? It also has hints of Arthurian legends, as well feeling a lot like a Peaky Blinders with the gang dramas.

This story was incredibly written, and as per usual I could not put this down and read again in nearly one sitting. The world building was beautiful, and you are constantly kept on your toes, wondering what’s going to happen to the characters next and what plot twists are coming… the ending… it’s all I’m gunna say. This cliffhanger will bother me until the next ones comes out, I need it immediately.

It features a wide range of characters that are so well rounded out that you feel like you know them personally. The romance is a little more of a subplot, but oh the tension!! It also has some hints towards Hafsah’s other series, so it’s not a must to read them first but you will begin to see some links.

I would 100% recommend this to any fantasy readers out there, I can’t wait for this to be published and the wait for the next book begins now!

I have been waiting to write a review on this book as I just want to absorb and take in what I read. I have read other books from this author before, but this one showcases their growth as a writer. I got completely lost in the world they created. This is exactly what I have been looking for in a YA book. Many YA books these days don't feel challenging and can be too predictable. However, this book was full of suspense and left me wanting more.

I have not read We Hunt the Flame but it has been on my list for a long long time, however when I saw the author was bringing out a new book I was very excited and requested it immediately. The book is a young adult spin on Peaky Blinders set in White Roaring, a London-esque city. I was hooked in from the very beginning, and enjoyed the way the author weaved in vampire folklore. The action and suspense that the author crafted was wonderful, and the character's personalities really shone. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be reading the author's first two books.

The speed with which I became obsessed with this book needs to be studied. Seriously. Within one single, solitary chapter…I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down. Whenever I DID manage to pry myself away from this book? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The vibes? Immaculate. We’ve got some good solid found family vibes mixed with King Arthur and Six of Crows, BUT with vampires, heists, betrayal, quests for vengeance AND a love triangle. So basically all the good stuff! I also want to stress that while this put me in mind of Six of Crows, that was more down to the found family and banter vibes, as well as Arthie kind of giving Kaz a bit, rather than anything else!

The atmosphere for this was stunning as was the world building and the intricate vampire lore! I’m truly obsessed and the more I read the more the world rose up around me and I felt like I was right there with the characters! The vampire lore was just so intriguing because there’s half-vampires and they have their own kind of little fiefdom which low-key put me in mind of Seraph of the End, if I’m being honest!

The writing is just so on point, I loved the prose and the snark and banter had me giggling to myself SO many times! The prose and the descriptions just really worked to not only make this easy to binge read in massive chunks, but to build up the settings and vibe perfectly! I also think there’s some brilliant commentary on colonialism in here too, given that Arthie had a front row seat to it.

Then we have the characters. When I tell you I’m OBSESSED with them! They were such an interesting bunch and had some on point banter between them all. The cast were also incredibly diverse as well! I think pastry-loving Jin is my favourite? Maybe? Tied with Arthie who has become my favourite little badass! She truly knows how to handle herself and her relationship with Jin had me in my feels so many times! I DID side-eye Flick a little in the beginning BUT she goes on an interesting journey in this! Then we have Matteo and Leith. The undead, charming artsy boy and the mysterious guard.

The romance isn’t the main focus of this, given everything going on, BUT it’s there. There’s flirty banter and some swoony moments to go with the sweeter ones! Though I’ll be honest, I’m still not entirely sure who I ship Arthie with. Especially after THAT ending.

Speaking of…the cliffhanger. Hafsah…Hafsah why? I spent the last few chapters internally screaming the entire time because just when you thought it couldn’t get worse…SURPRISE, it did! Now I have so many questions which are going to be on my mind until the next book!

I don’t think I’ve had this much fun or been this obsessed with a book in such a long time, I genuinely enjoyed every single page and was on the edge of my seat so many times waiting to see what was going to happen next! There were some brilliant twists and I just adored the world and characters! If anyone needs me, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel and mulling over the possibilities presented for it!

Oh wow! This book was incredible from start to finish; I'm completely just- impressed and in awe and in love with how quickly and how thoroughly Hafsah managed to draw me into this story and make me care for its protagonists.

I saw 3 POVs and gave it a bit of a side eye but this ended up being one of my favourite things about the book! I think it would have been very easy to make the POVs centre around a different set of characters, and although I would've eaten that up (Laith and Matteo my loves), I'm SO glad she went with this because not only was it crucial for the mystery and the plot twists but it also gave us a dual POV of Arthie and Jin's bond- which might just be the best thing about this book (and I say this as someone who sniffs out the romance in every single book I read). Their dynamic genuinely brought me to tears in some moments. The dedication they have towards each other, the love, the understanding, the empathy makes my heart hurt in the best way. Of all the relationships, all the dynamics, this one really felt like it had aged with the characters, their dialogue felt like the product of years of relying on each other etc. it was beautiful. The parallels we got where each one of them thought about how well suited a specific tea was to the other, or the way her POV said something about how he knew he didn't have to worry about her and then his POV would confirm that- it really convinced me that these are siblings who have lived a life together, and really knew each other. Their love was so tender, and genuine- a lot of the time, found family can feel like a group of friends (which isn't bad, but if you're trying to make it a found family it should feel like something more essential, more permanent than friendship) but this did everything right and I love these two with all my heart. She could've taken out everything else and just given me Jin and Arthie shenanigans and I would've still given this 5 stars! The way her smell would calm him, or her laugh, or the way she would literally die for him- I have no words. None.

The plot- loved it. I ate it up. At no point did I understand what the hell was going on (I need to reread because I'm always very character-focused the first time I read a book, and then the second time have more of a Birds Eye view), at no point did I know who to trust, at no point did I trust my own judgement of the situation but I had the time of my life nonetheless. It was the right amount of planning for the heist, actual heist, and chaos following the heist to keep me GRIPPED!

The romances (plural, because she really is giving the girls what that want) were PHENOMENAL!!!! The yearning???? The pining from Jin???? The banter when they're in a group and everyone is side eyeing everyone????? When Laith tells him to stop looking (which- lets get back to this because aint no way this didn't come from deeeeep in that man's soul LMAO I'm not giving up on him),, the way Arthie was eating up the attention but giving them NOTHING???? I am obsessed with that woman and she can do no wrong, she deserves all the praise oof- Jin and Flick are honestly the loves of my life, they're adorable and sweet and so freaking perfect for each other!!!!! The parallels about fire and the way that did a full circle at the end- speaking of, because I wouldn't be me if I didn't bring this back to my fave siblings- thE FIRE SCENE?!!!!!!! No because no one has ever sobbed the way I did reading that scene. Back to the romances- don't even get me started on Laith because after he called her habibti the first time- I'm pretty sure I blacked out and came back to only to read "Destroy me" and then I blacked right back out. That scene- needs to be framed. But also, no one can convince me he didn't mean every single thing he said- I refuse to believe that was all for the hilya- aint no bloody way (pun absolutely intended). I love Matteo, and I also love chaos, so I'm very much here for how this is shaping up to develop- gonna be in shambles either way confirmed because I KNOWWWWWW, based on how well she does pining and yearning, that heartbreak is going to actually wreck me. ANYWAYS- The way there's multiple references to his art and the way he uses colour.......and then that sentence about her being the colour in his otherwise monochrome life.....OOP who am I to deny soulmates :DDDD

I loved how diverse this cast of characters was. This might just be me reading the wrong books but sometimes it feels like the diversity is something an author had ticked off a checklist. But this????? Delicious. I went into this book only expecting vampires, tea, and peaky blinders (which, it did in fact deliver on, I freaking LOVED how well the vibes were integrated in)- and although the story is about a bunch of sexy vampiric criminals pulling off a heist, it's more about the why behind their actions. There is something so visceral, palpable about Arthie's anger towards the country she's in, and rightly so- I'm first in line to punch the Ram in the face lol. But I really loved how eloquently, and how thoroughly Hafsah explored the different layers of her pain, her identity, her love, her goals. You see it in moments where she tells the group to dress their best so other don't have anything else to look down on them for, or when she has these intense moments of battling between giving up (which no one could blame her for) and finishing off what she started. The vampirism being used as a vehicle for this discussion was really really brilliant- it didn't sacrifice the fantastical elements for the commentary, nor did it brush over those discussions of why a white vampire had more wiggle room than a brown human. Long story short: I love that she said teehee sexy vampires....and then BAM brown girl putting colonialists in their place while looking dapper and also while stealing hearts :)))))))

This book is everything I didn't know I needed. What I didn't need before I read this but I am in desperate need of right now is 1) to be sedated, and 2) help. The ending was unnecessarily stressful (I loved every bloody second of it). My heart was being thrown around like a half deflated, soggy football on a snowy day, and it was being used to smack me in the face over and over and over again. I cannot blame Arthie for what she did because the Lord knows he deserved it HOWEVER- I did NOT expect him to also?????Like hello????// hELOO??? I will beat him up myself. I had a mini spiral when I couldn't figure out who it was in the last chapter but quick discussions and a lil flicking back made it abundantly clear and honestly- like I said, I'm so here for this chaos- that man has LAYERSSSSSSS. The way her bonds with both of them are so????? OMNOMNOM but in different ways,, this is going to be so so so interesting TTEEEEHEEEEEEEE. But also the way each character she has a relationship with gives us insight into the limits of each of her emotions- the way you don't see her great capacity for love and tenderness until Jin is hurt or needs reassurance, or the way you don't realise how observant she is until you see how much and how deeply she understands Flick and her need to be called Flick instead of Felicity. Or the way you might miss how desperately she needs someone to look after HER until we meet Penn, or she has that moment with Matteo. Or when you think she absolutely has herself on a tight leash but then Laith strolls in and well- no one can blame her :)) MY POINT: the way each character is deeply complex and contradictory and interesting but we are never told this- we're shown. And that, ladies and gentlemen, will always have me slapping a 5 stars onto a book.

The only singular criticism I have is that the bit where the ledger etc. is explained felt the tiniest bit convenient, and I didn't really know if I could trust Penn (Or Matteo for that matter) so then when the end happening I was just like.....oh my. I feel like the gravity of that scene didn't hit me as hard as it could have (and probably will, when I do a reread of this, which I absolutely will be doing). This could also be a me problem- I know I missed a lot of stuff- I always do when I'm reading faster than my silly little brain can process, so there's a chance I'm the problem here. I don't think it damaged the pacing or the tension at all because everything went to hell right after anyways so :))))

I loved this book with all my heart and soul.

This was a really enjoyable heist novel set in a world where vampires exist and are an accepted part of society. I loved the vibe of the Spindrift tea shop/blood house and the relationship between the Casimir siblings Jin and Arthie was wonderful. Arthie was a good protagonist and the plot was simple to follow without spoonfeeding the reader, which I appreciated. There were some good reveals and some great character moments and overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by this one and will definitely be picking up the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was such a fantastic start to this series and i cannot wait for the next installments! I read this so quickly and could not put it down!

This book was my most anticipated read of 2023 and honestly 2024 as well. I adored Hafsah's duology WHTF- I remember being absolutely swept away by the world and the magic and the romance in her first books, But for some reason this one not quite do it for me? I'm not sure if I can quite put my finger on what was missing, but I've been left feeling a little confused and disappointed.

That being said, this book was full of things I like. The found family trope, an epic heist and a good dollop of romance mixed in too. A lot of the characters were extremely endearing, with the boys especially (Jin, Matteo and Laith) being the right amount of cheeky and suave that really brought them to life in my mind. The girls on the other hand didn't really match up. Arthie had a good arc, but the way the book was paced meant that for the majority of the book she was just angry and vengeful and not entirely likeable (like a lot of female protagonists in books unfortunately). Her rage was entirely justified, but it would have been nice to witness a softer side to her, because at times even when she was with Jin she came across as too cold and wholly focused on planning how to manipulate people post-heist. I'm glad she had that change at the end of the book, when she reflected on where she'd let her revenge hold her back, because if not I think I would have little hope for the following books. Flick on the other hand was most likely meant to be her foil, sweet and innocent and very naïve. Whilst she was all of these things and at times still very likeable, there were moments when she felt like she was just along for the ride and was a bit flat and not fleshed out enough- like a filler character whose perspective didn't really add much to the plot of the story.

The romantic elements of this book did occasionally steal my heart, and I was enjoying the development of the relationship between Laith and Arthie particularly until of course he shot her adoptive dad and then also shot her? Him being some what of a villain but also a love interest in this story was so confusing for me. And can we just talk about THAT scene?! Where did that come from? Laith, who up until that point was subtle and respectful just pulled an Uno reverse and turned into this weirdly forceful beg? When I was reading that I genuinely thought Arthie was dreaming or having a hunger hallucination because what about Laith's past actions led to that happening? None that I could see anyway.

It's also tricky because the triangle is between Arthie and Laith and Matteo, and maybe it's clever of Hafsah to leave me with literally no idea who Arthie should be with but as a reader I don't think I particularly like being kept this in the dark about who's the right guy. She's clearly equally attracted to both of them, and the ending leaves me thinking Laith is a no go (which breaks my heart a bit) but I genuinely don't see how Hafsah can make Laith good again or make me vouch more for Matteo over Laith? Am I a psycho for that? (book two better be on it's way to print quickly because I need closure).

But, in conclusion, it's left me with a lot of thoughts. The WHTF crossover make me SO happy, and as a whole the reading experience was similar to that of Six of Crows which is honestly my bench mark for any book now. I didn't predict all of the plot twists which was great, and as far as endings go I'm itching to read what happens next. The concept was really fun, and there were definitely a few five star moments in this book for me. I'll likely still read anything Hafsah writes, I just think I would have just enjoyed this book more if there had been more happy / peaceful moments in and amongst all of the rage and plotting and vengeance.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, the author of the TikTok sensation We Hunt the Flame (Blood and Tea), is an absolute must-read YA fantasy of 2024, set to release on February 22nd.

Imagine a captivating blend of King Arthur and Peaky Blinders, infused with vampires and swoon worthy romance, all set in the enchanting world of Ettenia—a place that seamlessly merges the essence of 1920s and Victorian London.

The story revolves around a brilliant and chaotic ragtag group that come together to execute a spectacular heist. I was captivated by the well-developed characters, engaging dialogue, thought-provoking commentary on colonization, and the perfect blend of humor and shocking twists and turns. Hafsah's writing is nothing short of phenomenal. I found myself completely invested in the characters, the prose, the compelling plot, and intricate world-building. Highly recommend! But brace yourself, as the ending will undoubtedly blow your mind!

4.7 stars

A Tempest of Tea was a beguiling, beautifully written and brutal read. This was the oncoming storm and readers better brace themselves for what Faizal has in store.

Just the concept alone of a tearoom converting into an illegal bloodhouse is fantastic – let alone before you add in a heist, incredible characters, twists aplenty and an exploration of the deeply destructive power of colonisation and its repercussions.

The characterisation here is off the charts. Arthie Casimir is one of my favourite characters of all time – stealing my heart while she rules from her seat of power and plans an extraordinary heist. She is ruthless and cunning, which are qualities that Faizal celebrates but also makes clear that these are tools needed in her arsenal to survive in a world that has forced her to change in this way. Her narrative voice is stylish and often infused with a ting of dark humour, though you always get that sense of anger and resentment running just beneath the surface. Every character in this book is layered, complex and three-dimensional, Faizal dedicates time to allow each of them to develop and unveil some secrets they are holding close to their chest. In mere lines of text, you are completely rooting for them though.

The sheer quality of the writing in this book is extraordinary. Certain quotes keep ruminating in my brain and sizzle with their brilliance. All at once, Faizal’s writing is exquisite, immersive, subtle and stunning. You feel utterly caught up in this vividly described and emotionally rich world of corruption, colonial power and cutthroat heists. There is a predominant focus on the corrosive influence of colonial power and how it obliterates people, cultures and ways of living – wanting to subsume them into following the ideals of one nation by force. The devastation of this is keenly felt in a myriad of ways and I loved how Faizal explored the repercussions of colonisation. In particular, the resulting anger and generational trauma from living under this oppression is keenly apparent. It is everywhere and controls everything. Colonial power contains cataclysmic violence and feeds into every aspect of suffering in the narrative. I also enjoyed the way Faizal explored issues of the class system and how that influences everything. In short, I adored every second of reading this.

Faizal’s world-building is also excellent. It feels expansive and lived in, with a detailed tapestry of history and mythology behind it. The inclusion of vampires is superb and executed in such spectacular and surprising ways. There is so much here that blew me away completely. In addition to this, the city of White Roaring feels like its own character. The atmosphere is so thick – you can practically inhale the smoke. It is just intoxicating in every sense.

Also, I want to highlight the pacing, atmosphere and tension. Every page is filled to the brim with suspense, building and building this unrelenting time bomb that you are just waiting to go off. It is a fast paced and exhilarating read, but still allows pauses for those moments of character development without sacrificing the mounting tension you can feel vibrating throughout. Without giving too much away, Faizal has crafted an ending that is beyond explosive. It is jaw-dropping and makes you demand more immediately. You can look back through and see the breadcrumb trail that has lead to this.

A Tempest of Tea is a smoking gun of a book – powerful, incendiary and finishes with one hell of a bang.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book with interesting twists and turns. The characters were well-rounded, the world-building was well done, and the plot was intriguing and fun.

I loved the relationships between all of the characters, with a certain forger and paramour at the top of my list. This book is going to be a huge hit when it's released.

Wow okay, this was delicious. I was hooked from the first chapter.

The characters, the plot, the twists and turns oh my god. The found family, the drama and the vampires. What more could a reader want, oh romance too!!! This is a new favourite of mine and I can't wait for the series to continue and see what happens next!

The tempest of tea was a great book 1 to the start of this series by Hafsah Faizal.

The multi POV from the perspectives of Jin, Arthie and Flick allowed this book to flow throughout by prioritising the best character to narrate the POV at various points in the book to allow for insightful and impactful storytelling.

The characters development throughout the book was brilliant and has set up the series amazingly leaving behind burning questions to be answered in the books to come.

With some hints at romance throughout the book it left me desperately needing more to know about the characters and their future adventures.

Arthie (FMC) and her friend Jin are in need of a saving grace to protect their tea shop and Spindrift from the ‘Ram’ who have overthrown the land with their power and deceit. Their only hope is to steal a ledger containing blackmailing secrets from an impenetrable vampire run society but all does not go exactly to plan.
There is betrayal, deceit, corruption and lots of plot twists leaving you needing to know more!

Jin and Arthie’s friendship is delightful and the bond they have from deep rooted past trauma and loss has allowed for them to put great trust in each other and provides a great depth to the story. Their dedication to each other and Spindrift really shows in the writing allowing for the passion and devotion to be reflected in the words.

“Fear stops life, not death”

Flick is delightful. She is so pure and unaware of her actions. Her character development throughout the story was so lovely and seeing her come into her own and become a more independent and sure women away from her mothers control was powerful.

Arthie the FMC is depicted as a strong powerful ‘half vampire’ who is able to command and lead when needed. But her vulnerability in hard times allowed for a better connection to her character as a reader.

The world building was slightly confusing and I don’t feel like I connected to the characters as much as I’d hoped to begin with. I wish to have heard more about Arthie and her back story or even about her being feared in the town more due to her ability to collect secrets to use as weapons.

The heist was good but felt slightly rushed to me with a lot of things happening with some small suspense being built up and then it all working out for the characters very quickly. It is a very fast paced book at times and then seemed slightly slower at other times. Definitely great for people who don’t like to be bombarded with lots of world building and high intense detail that can sometimes get lost over the course of the series!

This was a great first book and I cannot wait to see what happens next with Arthie and Jin and the rest of the group!
I have so many questions this plot twist and cliff hanger has me desperately in need of answers… I cannot wait for book 2 🤍🤍

“Why save the world when you can have tea “

Arthie Casimir arrived in the city of White Roaring, alone, in a boat full of blood - an orphaned child immigrant. Many years on, she’s built a life for herself (and the others who’ve come to rely on her) and runs a tea shop for the higher classes. However, come nightfall, that same tea shop transforms to serve an altogether different kind of clientele- ones who prefer the taste of blood.

However, when the tea shop comes under threat, Arthie finds herself pulled into an even darker underworld than the one she usually inhabits, one full of danger, conspiracy, and secrets.

It took me a while to sink my teeth into this book (pun intended) - I think the main issue is that a lot of the first three quarters is taken up by romance, which I wouldn’t dislike if it wasn’t for the fact that I felt like I still barely knew the characters. However, by the end of the book, I was more invested in the characters, and all aspects of their stories - I just felt like the romance aspects were introduced way too quickly, before I’d even had time to settle in with the story and the setting. However, that is a me issue, and I’m sure many others will be hooked in far quicker than me!

I think the approach to colonisation was very well done - showing how western countries take and take, leaving devastation in their wake, and how that affects the countries they’ve pillaged, and the people who live there, within it’s YA fantasy confines.

This book is quiet reminiscent of Six of Crows - you have the found family dynamic, a business that the characters run, and a heist plot - however, here we also have vampires, which is what sets it aside. I found it sometimes made for an overall darker, more sensual, tone, which I appreciated.

When the action did kick in, it was fast paced and fun, and there are quite a lot of fantastical twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

Enough groundwork has been set up that intrigues me, and oh Lord, that ending got me. It was a slow burn, but I’ve ended the book quite invested! I’m looking forward to the sequel, and seeing where this story goes.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review!

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed getting lost within the world of Tempest of Tea. Make sure to have a cuppa and a pastry ready, as you will be craving a brew by the very first mention. Also beware Jin’s descriptions of raspberry and dark chocolate streusels, I cannot find anything to satisfy the desire.

This book was a really unique and creative take on the vampire genre. I was reminded often of Six of Crows, with the found family and heist plot line. The crew were a bunch of lovable rogues and you do find yourself natural rooting for them. Jin’s burgeoning love story was the most engaging for me and I hope we get to see it play out fully in future instalments.

Hafsah Faizal has a beautiful way with words and was able to interject the action with profound statements and descriptions that give you pause. The type of quotes you want to highlight and save for later or reflect and ponder upon.

I was generously given an e-book ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review but ended up switching to audiobook on release day and it was such a good choice for me. The narrator portrayed the subtle differences between accents and classes perfectly, it was really realistic.

One criticism is the magic within the world was rarely utilised and I would love to know and understand more about it.

☆☆☆☆½

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

What drew me to the book / Why I requested: I'd only heard good things about Hafsah Faizal and her books paired with the fact that A Tempest of Tea was said to have heists, Vampires and a touch of King Arthur, I simply couldn't refuse.
How long it’s been on my TBR: I couldn't say how long but as soon as I saw it on Netgalley I simply had to request it.
My expectations: I was expecting a good Fantasy book, interesting characters and well written relationships as well as a solid heist (with tension and action). I also expected some good world-building and a little romance.

My thoughts whilst reading: Starting of at the beginning I loved the first line and I was immediately intrigued by the gun in the stone (Calibore). I was excited when I found that there was more than one point of view and I loved how the main characters compared themselves to tea and said what kind of teas they were. A lot of spoiler-y thoughts (including assumptions and guesses, some of which turned out to be correct) and therefore excluded. Insert me being surprised at 46% because [redacted]. 53% In and I was feeling like the Heist should've been underway by now, but it wasn't long after this when we got to it and then I couldn't stop reading. After this I forgot about my notes and didn't write anything else down but I can tell you the last 20% had me screaming and crying, there were so many twists and turns and reveals that I had to stop reading for a minute to soak in what was happening before diving back into the book eager to know what would happen next.
Overall: A Tempest of Tea was a really good, and enjoyable read. None of the characters fell flat, each had their own well-written motivations, backstories and developments, the relationships too were brilliant, each was so different and yet all managed to be well written and have their time to shine (and not just the romantic ones). Despite feeling like the heist could've happened sooner I appreciated the time we got to know the characters and their bonds and motivations, properly allowing us to connect with them and the time we got to spend in White Roaring and learning of the world, speaking of the world I really enjoyed how it was written and how natural it felt. I really enjoyed Spindrift, the idea, and execution, were so cool, especially how it was tied to many things and what it meant. And at the end I loved how all the threads in the book connected and all came together, whether it be what things represented or throwaway lines at the beginning, it came together brilliantly.
Miscellaneous: I guessed a certain thing would happen so when it did I was surprised but not extremely shocked but it was like the smallest thing in comparison to everything else that happened.
Did it meet my expectations: It met every single one and then went above and beyond.

Favourite character: I loved Arthie, she was a really interesting character from her scheming to her secrets and all that she was carrying around.
Favourite scene: This is a tough one, there were so many great parts to the book but for the sake of giving this a proper answer I'd have to say at the end there was a final confrontation and it was Brilliant!
Favourite relationship: This is another tough one to answer as there were so many great relationships in the book, all of them different which again makes it hard to choose, there were great romantic relationships and great familial ones too, there was also a lot of good conflict in some of the relationships which was a great addition. I think rather than my favourite relationship I'll leave the one I can't wait to see develop further in book 2 which is the relationship between Arthie and Matteo.
Favourite quote: There was a quote I wanted to use instead but it is very, very spoiler-y so I thought it best to go for something else so instead I choose: 'We were made for trouble, you and me.'

Why I rounded the review up: I probably would've rounded it down to 4 stars but the ending was outstanding and so if I didn't round it up to 5 I think I'd kick myself a little, the book deserves it too.
Do I regret reading it: Absolutely not, I'm glad I picked it up.
Will I be reading the sequel: Yes!
Will I invest in a physical copy: Most likely.
Do I recommend it: 100% Yes, everyone needs to pick this one up!

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillans Children's Books for the E-ARC.

*(for rating systems such as Goodreads)

A Tempest of Tea follows Arthie and Jin as they try to save their tea shop/vampire blood house from closing by embarking on a heist to steal something to use as leverage. The characters are all very unique and have interesting stories of their own which impact their decisions and actions throughout the book and makes for a very fun read.

Arthie and Jin have grown up on the streets together and are renowned for their ability to use the secrets of others for their gain. When their underground activities threaten the local authorities they find themselves facing eviction from their home and business. After gathering together a group of people that they definitely can’t trust but are forced to anyway, they set out to break into the vampire's arthereum and steal a ledger that would be their means of blackmailing their way out of their situation.

I can’t decide whether I loved A Tempest of Tea or not and that frustrates me. The first 60% of this book was world-building and planning the heist. Yes, there is a little bit of flirting between the characters but as this is YA it was very slow and never felt very pivotal to the story. The last third of this book was AMAZING and I sat and finished it in one go, the twists at the end were brilliant and I will definitely be reading the sequel.

Ratings
Spice: 0.🌶
Story: ⭐️⭐⭐️.5
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Arthie, owner of a tearoom by day, bloodhouse by night. Arthies establishment comes under threat and she needs to pull off a heist to save it, but she cannot do it alone

She is joined by Jin, her partner in crime and Flick a master forger... who we see their own sides of things. We also have Mateo and Laith along for the ride

Each of this ragtag bunch has something to bring to the table, but none of them could forsee how this heist will change them along the way, and what they will mean to each other by the end of it.

Slow start, felt took to about the halfway mark to really get invested and the heist to get underway but built up the second half of the book nicely and I'll definitely be picking up book two to see where things go

This was released 22nd February so you can pick this up now, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian for the review copy (I read mostly on kindle but tuned into the audio whilst working and loved the narration too!)

Book 1 in the Blood and Tea duology.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Without giving too much away, "A Tempest of Tea" is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys a touch of "vampire" in their adventures. Faizal's writing keeps you turning the pages, eager to uncover the next twist in this thrilling book. Whether you're a tea connoisseur or simply love a good fantasy tale, this book is sure to enchant you from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hafsah Faizal, and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a big fan of heists in fantasy, I was so excited to get into this one and I was not disappointed! I'm new to Faizal's work, but this story was so good that I'll definitely be checking out more of her books soon! A Tempest of Tea had all my favourite things: found family, impossible odds, adorable romance, unexpected twists.

The story follows a group of misfits as they plan and then carry out an elaborate heist in the city of White Roaring. There are three main POV characters and each has a dark and tragic past that is revealed to the reader as the story develops. The characters perfectly balanced and complemented each other throughout, and I found myself rooting for them all right from the start (which is rare for me!). The narrative was fast paced and kept me hooked throughout. Some of the reveals were predictable, but they also distracted from other reveals that really took me by surprise! I absolutely DEVOURED this story in 3 days and the cliff-hanger ending has left me itching for the next book in the series!

I also have to mention just how visually gorgeous this book is! As with all good fantasy books, it opens with a map of the city which always helps me visualise things as events unfold. I also loved that the beginning of each act had a beautifully illustrated title page!

4.5 stars rounded up because of that ending!

Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, A Tempest of Tea was an exciting heist story full of twists, turns, and vampires.

I absolutely loved Arthie and her band of misfits, and was engaged through the whole story waiting to see what would happen and how it was all going to come together. The way the different characters and personalities melded was really interesting, and I can only imagine they will become more so in the next book.

The plot was fast paced and intriguing, and came to a satisfying conclusion while still making me want to see what will happen in the next book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Tempest of Tea and would highly recommend it for fans of YA fantasy heists.

And Hafsah Faisal did it again. I would read her shopping list, that is how good this book was. I had such a blast reading this, I finished it while I was on the flight.

Six of Crows meets Peaky Blinders!

This book was thrilling, full of great characters and a fab high stakes plot!

Vampires, a gang of misfits and perfect tea puns - what more could you ask for!

A Tempest of Tea is an absolute MUST read for fans of Peaky Blinders who also wanted vampires in it! I found this a super fun read, with found family, heists, and suspense. I'm excited now for the second!

Hafsah Faizal’s latest novel is a breath of fresh air in fantasy literature, offering readers a unique blend of thrilling heists, bloodthirsty vampires, forbidden romance, and layered social commentary. The story throws you into the bustling world of White Roaring, where Arthie Casimir, a resourceful orphan, runs a dual-life operation: a prestigious teahouse by day, and a clandestine “bloodhouse” for vampires by night.

Faizal's writing is beautifully evocative, drawing readers into the vibrant world she's created. The city of White Roaring, with its stark contrasts between opulence and poverty, serves as a compelling backdrop for the narrative. The characters, especially the strong-willed Arthie and her diverse crew, are well-developed and engaging. Their motivations and dynamics add depth to the story, keeping you invested in their journey.

The plot itself is fast-paced, filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. The heist element adds a layer of excitement, while the underlying themes of prejudice and societal injustice provide food for thought. However, the ending, while intriguing, feels slightly rushed compared to the meticulous build-up, leaving room for improvement, which feels like a bit of a waste, given that it’s the first part of a duology and Faizal can afford to take her time.

In the realm of fantasy fiction, “A Tempest of Tea” shares common ground with Leigh Bardugo’s novels, such as “Six of Crows” or “Ninth House”, and works by Sarah J Maas and Holly Black, but sets itself apart with its unique setting and its intriguing mystery.

Overall, "A Tempest of Tea" is a highly enjoyable read, especially for fans of fantasy with a dash of romance and mystery. Fans of clever schemes, charismatic characters, and bewitching world building will find this book to be a solid and intriguing choice that will keep them on their toes.

A delightful escapade into a world of heists and monsters, the world-building, intriguing characters, and action-packed plot will leave you eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

this book gripped me from the very first page. I had heard a lot of talk that it was a mash-up of six of crows, heists and magic and that completely sold the book for me. this is the first book that I have read by faizal and I was not disappointed in the slightest - I definitely (and finally) need to check out the other books!!! I think if I had to name a favourite character, it would be jin.

the only grievance I have with the book is that it is MAJORLY character-based and the plot felt as thought it lacked in some spaces. but, nevertheless, this novel was filled with a lot of suspense, a brilliant writing style and intrigue!

I would highly recommend!

Today I’m so excited to share my review for A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal 💖 Thank you so much to the lovely Book Break UK for my e-arc!

I’ve got my hat and I’m ready to join Arthie’s crew if she’ll have me! I don’t have any heist skills but I make quite a good cup of tea 😂

This book was so much FUN! Fair warning, I’m fully back into my vampire phase now 😂

I loved the characters! Our main character Arthie is cunning and steps ahead of everyone else. I loved reading from her POV and her sibling bond with Jin was so special, I loved it! Plus, the tagline “It’s teatime, scoundrels” is one of the best things I’ve ever read! I need that on a teacup! 😂 This ragtag group of misfits definitely have a special space in my heart!

The worldbuilding was so enjoyable and i especially loved Arthie’s teahouse that turns into a blood den after hours! The mechanics of it were so fun and it was described so visually, I felt like I was right there!

I love a story with a heist and this is another great one! The suspense and the twists were absolutely amazing, I loved discovering all of the secrets of White Roaring and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

A Tempest of Tea is a fast paced story with great tension and high stakes (sorry I had to do a vampire pun, I couldn’t resist 😂)

Wow what a book. I have to admit I struggled a little bit with the formatting of the book as the spacing on the kindle were not in the right places. I also didn’t see any of the artwork that was in the book. But overall the story was amazing. It’s as much about love and friendship as it is about revenge and I love how it’s been left with a cliffhanger as I need to know what is going to happen next.

Described as "King Arthur meets peaky blinders with vampires" - well I knew I was in for treat. And it did not disappoint. This may end up being one of my favourite reads of the year. If you need something to fill that Six of Crows shaped hole, this is it.
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Our characters own a tea house, that doubles as a vampire bar in the evenings, but it's under threat. So our motley ragtag crew must assemble and perform a heist, against the elite, to blackmail the elite. What could possibly go wrong?
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I was hooked on this and read it so fast, I couldn't put it down. Arthie and Jin are such amazing characters, and so detailed I felt their emotions and highs and lows as my own! Arthie is a such a badass as well, I'd feel safe in her team no matter how dangerous the heist.
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I can't describe how much I loved this book, and that ending!? I need book two in my life already.

“Why save the world when you can have tea?”

My thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for sending me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way.

Hafsah Faizal is back in this new, riveting installment, the first of another incredible duology perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Thieves Gambit! I’ve never felt this way about another book in months, but A Tempest of Tea certainly pulled me out of my miserable slump. Set in the same world as We Hunt The Flame, we now travel to Ettenia and meet a new and equally diverse cast while still seeing remnants of our beloved Arawiyan characters. Not only is this brewed with tea, but it also has vampires, magic, tension, and thrilling politics with a plot that mainly ventures into the effects of imperial colonialism, illegal settlements, and exploitation. The story itself astonishingly mirrors the genocide Palestinians have been experiencing for over 75+ years, so this book was impressively a statement as much as it’s a YA fantasy novel with lots of unpredictable twists that will keep you hooked. Therefore, no one can tell me that reading isn’t political because it most certainly is.

It was a very entertaining read for me, and I’m already looking forward to the sequel! There was no dull moments throughout the book. The humor-filled banter within the found family and character dynamics were truly delightful to read. It was without a doubt, worth the wait and hype. Hafsah is a really remarkable storyteller. It’s high time readers actually support authors who know what they stand for.

“It’s tea time, scoundrels”
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This book has my whole heart! I loved it so much. From the wonderful cast of characters to the tea room and the vampires and most importantly, Opal the cat who is the star of the book.
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I devoured this book, once I started I could not put it down. It’s such a compulsive read and starts with a bang that had me instantly hooked.
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Arthie is the owner of the tea room which also doubles as a blood house at night. She has fought and clawed her way to building a life there and her establishment and is understandably angry when it’s threatened.
She is smart and resilient and uses her rage at how she is treated less than to fuel her and push her forward.
I loved her so much and related a lot to her anger at the colonisation of her people and her land being pillaged for it’s wealth.
How she has to live in the land of her colonisers because they destroyed her home but she isn’t welcome there.
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We also meet Jin who met Arthie as kids and have become siblings to each other. I loved their relationship so much. Jin fast became my fave! He’s charming and kind and cares deeply for those around him. He will also flirt with everything and anything and whenever he called Flick, love, I giggled like a little girl.
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Flick is the third PoV character and she has such a great arc. She will do anything to get the approval of her mother, even be someone she isn’t, but over the course of the story she learns to be true to herself and realise that there are others who care for her and accept her as she is. She is a forger and wants to be her own person.
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We also meet Laith, an assassin from Arawiya and Matteo who is a vampire. Laith also adopts a kitten who is also a member of the crew and he carries her everywhere, even on the heist.
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The story itself was fast paced and I loved the build up to the heist as we got to see each of the characters in their area of expertise. There is also some great banter and of course all the angst!
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I am absolutely dying for the sequel and I need you all to go read it asap!