A 3.5, or maybe even a 3.75.

This book is good and it strives to be great, but it makes the climb to great too late for me. The characters, most of them, are very interesting, with wells of potential that I think they might tap into even more in the second book. Not all characters are on the same level though.

What strikes me about this story is it really wants to be Six of Crows, but only Six of Crows can be Six of Crows. Had this story taken the Six feel and improved upon it in some way, I might feel differently, but unfortunately, for me, there are too many comparisons and Faizal doesn't make them feel unique.

Ultimately, though the downfall of this story is a lack. Even through the end of the story, which really worked to pique my interest for the sequel, I really had no idea what the ultimate goal was. I didn't get a clear picture of what the characters wanted, other than to save their "home." Then, a secondary goal was thrown in and that was stronger, but it came to light far too late for it to make any real difference. There is random worldbuilding thrown in here and there, but its all very scattered and doesn't amount to a clear picture of this world. The only thing that IS clear, is that Ettenia is a stand in for the British Empire and the habit of colonialization. (habit is too weak a word, but as of writing this i hadn't had coffee).

The strongest part of this book was the heist. Faizal focused on quick changes of POV chapters to keep the action moving and that was perfect. Speaking of POV chapters... none of them felt different enough to truly feel like different characters. In some instances, I found myself forgetting who was actually the POV. I don't know WHY but there was something generic about the way they were all written that does the story a disservice.

And yet... i do want to know what happens next!

Thank you to Edelweiss+, Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my 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 details to love about this book - from vampires & tea, to the stunning writing style, entwined discussions of the impact of colonialism and the beguiling heist plot line - but everything is drawn together by its cast of compelling characters.
Hafsah's writing skills only got better since We Hunt the Flame, now her words and her characters are unbelievably smooth and effortless; the story picks its own pace - almost like a haunting lullaby - turning and trapesing around the narrative while still managing to keep you captivated. It's an exquisite book, with characters you easily get attached to and a storyline that pulls you in without you noticing. It's a lush, deep, multifaceted story. Every word feels like it's put there lovingly, with care and reverence. The easy way to describe this is that the book feels like an ode to the art of writing itself. The ONLY reason I did not give it a full 5 stars is because at times the book felt too "perfect". I, at times, was left feeling like the characters were not given enough leeway to be wrong, to make mistakes, and then correct themselves. Every instance felt exceedingly scheduled, leaving the book with next to no character development.

Young adult at its best. I can’t wait to recommend this one to our YA patrons, and to see our community love it just as much as I did.

A Tempest of Tea is set in a world where there are vampires. People know they exist but they are still a bit taboo and lurk in the dark. This world also has a very powerful government in which they take over lands and declare colonies, leaving the natives dead. Arthie is an orphan whose homeland was destroyed by the powerful Rams. She makes it her mission to collect secrets and use them in order to gain power. She does pretty good for herself, she owns a tea shop with her best friend Jin and they are respected around the city. This tea shop turns into a vampire hub at night where they serve blood. When their shop is threatened, they team up with an unlikely group of characters in order to complete a heist for a ledger that they can use to save their shop.

I am having a hard time rating this book. I think I will settle on 3 stars. Going in to this book, I knew it probably was not for me. It is a YA fantasy with romance and that is not a genre I typically enjoy. However, I thought maybe with the vampires I would like it. Alas, I did not really enjoy myself. I do think it had good qualities that others will enjoy though so that is why it is 3 stars for me.

I think people who like YA fantasy and romance will enjoy this book. The vampires were a fun element and added some darkness to this story. I also liked the different characters and the different backstories that everyone had. I love when unlikely characters team up. The heist was interesting to read about and unfold.

I do feel like it took a long time to actually get to the action of the book and I was a bit bored in the beginning. I also feel like the romances throughout were all just based on physical attraction and there was not a lot of chemistry between the characters. I feel like there were a lot of clichés in this book as well. Certain things kept hitting us over the head a lot and it was like "ok we get it!" The story just fell a bit flat for me.

All in all, there were parts I liked and parts I didn't. It just fell in the middle for me. I probably will not continue with this series. I think this book was not for me but others who enjoy this author or this genre will probably really enjoy it. Thanks so much to netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Other than the frustration of wanting the rest of the duology NOW NOW NOW, please and thank you, I found this to be a total delight! Tea and vampires and romantic tension and betrayal and moral ambiguity? More, please!

4.5 stars

A Tempest of Tea was so much fun! I really loved the world building and lore in this one. Faizal shines when it comes to her characters. Everyone was so well fleshed out and I truly adored this cast. Arthie was my favorite. She is a badass and I love her so much. I love a heist plot and I think this one really checked off all my boxes. I do wish we got a little more insight into Arthie’s thought process here. I struggled a bit with the pacing at times, especially leading up to the heist and right after, but I understand that things had to slow down to ramp back up again. The ending had me looking like the surprised Pikachu picture and I absolutely cannot wait for book two!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️ rounded to 4 stars! let me start off that this book was extremely anticipated for me and I had really high expectations for it. It sounds right up my alley, however it fell a little short for me. my biggest issue in this book was the pacing. I had a very hard time staying engaged in the plot and found that dragged for awhile. Once it got to what should have been the climax, it was a bit anticlimactic. The ending had me interested in the next book and I most likely will read it.

I was actually surprised this was considered YA and I feel like maybe it should be more NA. The plot is a bit dense for young adult, but that’s just me!

Let’s talk characters! I did really enjoy Arthie and Jin as main characters. Jin had me giggling and I really loved him. Arthie has such bad ass energy and I loved that about her. The love interest and connections just didn’t do it for me though. They just didn’t feel natural.

I would recommend this book if you like a heist book and the authors other books! The vampires are not a huge aspect of the story and if you want romance maybe pick up a different book.

An engaging, fun, fantasy heist novel that includes a lot of representation where the main motivations behind some of the characters--and the heist--is going against colonial power and political corruption. While the book definitely gives Six of Crows vibes--with its clever quips, scoundrel-like group of teenagers who are able to intimidate adult gangs, and fast-paced heist sequence--Faizal's writing lends itself to more poetic prose.

Some of the twists were really fun and as soon as I finished the book, I felt the urge to flip back to the start and reread it! Overall, I think A Tempest of Tea is a great installment to the YA fantasy genre and I'm excited to continue the story and see where these characters end up!

The world-building is really great, though I wish we had spent some more time understanding it a little bit better. My biggest complaint was there were times when my attention-waned during chapters that focused on world-building and character backgrounds, but it was mostly repetitive information. One character would think something that gave the reader information about the world, its policies, etc, and then another character would say nearly the same exact thing, but it felt like it was supposed to be new info to the reader when it wasn't.

I really enjoyed the characters but I wasn't sold on the multiple POV's. All three of them did not feel distinct from the other, especially with Jin and Archie--so many times Arthie would narrate how Jin felt about something (because she knows him so well) and vice versa, but it verged on omniscient POV's and detracted from the POV characters voice.

"It's teatime, scoundrels."

The minute I finished this book, I wanted to read it again and I honestly have no idea how I am supposed to just go on with my life of reading other books. Despite this giving Six of Crow vibes, the premise for this book was so unique. From the premise to the characters to the plot, everything felt familiar but new and fresh.

While the beginning of this book may seem slow, it truly sets the reader up for all of the action, twists, and reveals that are going to be slapping you in the face left and right once the heist is underway. Hfasah's decision to make each of the chapters (from the various POVs) during the heist shorter, had my heart racing and I felt like I was right there alongside our characters.

I could not turn these pages quickly enough, and honestly, had no idea what was going to happen. This is definitely one of my top reads of 2024, and I am not sure how any other YA book is going to compare.

This was such a fun young adult fantasy and I don't know why I'm surprised. I absolutely ADORE Hafsah Faizal. I highly recommend & think you should read Hafsah's entire backlist too <3

Thank you to Netgalley, Hafsah Faizal, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the eARC.

I've not read the author's previous work, but I am interested to see how this shapes up in comparison. I do have some mixed thoughts, but let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. If you're looking for a SIX OF CROWS-like experience, you're going to be disappointed. Faizal isn't anywhere near the same skill level as Bardugo, but I've seen this book pitched against it, so I wanted to clear up that straight away. If you're comparing those books, you're going to like A TEMPEST OF TEA a lot, lot less than you should. There's a lot to like about this book that would just get shadowed if you're comparing the two.

The characters--unsurprisingly for this type of novel--are the standout, along with the world. It felt rich and intriguing, and although I did feel at times there was maybe too much telling instead of showing, it was a solid, good premise. I have some minor irritants with the cast but that's more due to personal preference rather than fair criticism. Telling aside, I liked the writing mostly, though at times I felt it lacked punch at emotional junctures.

My advice? Don't compare to SoC (you'll just be disappointed) and instead enjoy this for what it is.

THOUGHTS

I'm somewhat conflicted in this review, because I loved every single element of this book. But at the same time, I found my attention constantly wandering. I think this is more a me problem than anything else, because there's nothing here that isn't really well done.


PROS
Tools Against an Empire: You know what I like? Fantasy that isn't just Eurocentric. And that's definitely what we get here. But more than that, this fantasy world has elements of colonial power, and the team of misfits that come together to pull of their epic heist... are also actively working against that colonial power that has directly affected their lives, their cultures, and every aspect of their identity. They're caught up under the influence of an empire, strangers in the land they live in, and they face persecution on the basis of ethnic identity and skin color. And they're not ready to take that lying down. And I really, really like that.

Love Triangle: Love triangle isn't my favorite YA trope to come around again, but this is a love triangle done right. Because none of the corners, if you will, of this triangle are quite right for each other, and yet the attraction is still obvious. They're not perfect matches, but they wouldn't necessarily be bad matches. They're also not entangled with one another already. There are no commitments, said or unsaid, between any of them. There's just the sort of tension of what could be, and if a love triangle has to exist, I'd much prefer it like this--possibilities, not "I have to choose!" You know what I mean?

Intricate: The world that Hafsah Faizal creates really comes alive. Every nook and cranny of White Roaring feels real, from the shady vampire haunts in the lower classes to the glitzy chambers of the vampire elites. There are shady dealings, lots of scheming, and a bit of conspiracy. Blood and imported coconuts, knife fights and gunshot wounds that come with a touch of magic: this is the absolute best type of fantasy world because it is a world wholly its own and wholly realized.


CONS
Intricate: This book is incredibly well-written, from the plot and character arcs to the intricate worldbuilding. But the writing, too, is intricate and not necessarily in the best way. There were times when I would find myself distracted, and I'd have to go back to reread sentences or paragraphs at a time because each word was so important to the writing. If I missed any little thing, I was quickly lost. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it's not a light read, that's for sure.

Timeline Troubles: The biggest complaint I think I have with this book is that, in all of the intricacies of its worldbuilding and great writing, the sense of tension was a little bit lost. I think this comes down to timeline trouble. I knew they were on a time crunch, because it said as much... but I never had a great sense of exactly how much of a crunch that time crunch was. I didn't know exactly how quickly, on what timeline, all of these little pieces had to be executed. The tension at times felt low, which is unfortunate in a high-stakes heist fantasy like this one.

Who?: There was a whole cast of characters working behind the scenes in this book--specifically, those employed by Spindrift. And we didn't see much of these characters. Which is absolutely fine, except for the few times when their names are dropped in at (seemingly) random. Because they're mentioned by name so rarely, these instances shocked me out of the story as I tried to recall who was who and why they were significant. Not a major problem, but anything that pulls you out of the story, I think, is at least a bit of a problem.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows will love this ragged band of misfit criminals. Those who enjoyed Emily Lloyd-Jones's The Drowned Woods will like this new high-stakes heist fantasy.

This book was one of the best YA fantasies I've read in a while! It had all the great qualities (especially the writing) of an adult fantasy, but of course, for young adults. The characters were all unique with their own fleshed out backstories (and you can't help but care for each one). I expected another vampire fantasy to feel stale, but it felt new and didn't overpower the story. The author really didn't skip on a single thing from a good fantasy book. The only thing I didn't like was that I wanted to keep reading!

Am I...back in my vampire era? Oh my god, I have found the book that has cured my Six of Crows hangover!!!

A Tempest of Tea is my first introduction to Hafsah's work, but I will for sure be hunting down her previous titles after this. The action? The characters? The romantic subplots?? This was YA heist perfection, and I loved it!
I loved the worldbuilding and how the political corruption is a big driving part of the plot and the character's background stories. There were fun twists revealed along the way and I couldn't put this down once I started it!

Definitely recommend this for a fun and fast read, filled with complex characters and excellent worldbuilding. I can't wait to return to this world already!

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Blood and Tea series. I got an eGalley for this for review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this a lot. This was a fun read in an intriguing world with a lot of interesting characters and a bit of a heist feel to it as well. This is the first book I have read by Faizal and it made me want to go back and read her other duology (Sands of Arawiya).

The world building here is well done. You have a world with corrupt politics, vampires, and an empire trying to take over everything. The characters are intriguing too. Arthie is a tough young woman with a lot of secrets but her teahouse, the Spindrift, is her life. When it is threatened she assembles a crew to get it back. The crew consists Jin (co-owner and like a brother to her), Flick (a young woman with a noble background who is a wonderful forger), Matteo (vampire artist); and Laith (mystery boy who works for the enemy but wants to switch sides).

This is fast-paced and well done. I really enjoyed the characters and some of the twists and turns to the plot. This has a very Ocean's Eleven or Six of Crows feel to it at points but with vampires and deadly world politics. There is a bit of a steampunk vibe to this as well because Jin excels at building clever contraptions.

The writing style feels a bit juvenile at times but was still easy to read and follow.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book it was a fun and fast-paced read. There are quirky characters, intriguing contraptions, a bit of a romance, lots of action, and deadly politics. It was a well done blend that I found entertaining. I look forward to the next book in the duology and will probably pick up "We Hunt the Flame", the first book in the Sands of Arawiya, to read at some point as well.

3.5 stars rounded up. A Tempest of Tea is a solid heist drama, with King Arthur references, East India Company references, and vampires. It would be impossible to read this book without comparing it to Six of Crows, which in my opinion, is the best of the heist/fantasy genre. And the cast of characters that are part of Arthie's gang def draw parallels to the characters from Six of Crows. And it's probably not fair, but since I can't really help compare them (the vibes truly are SO similar), Six of Crows just packs a bigger punch, and Arthie just doesn't quite live up to Kaz. But that's not to say there isn't a lot to enjoy about A Tempest of Tea. There definitely is.

A Tempest of Tea is super fast paced and like any good heist drama, there are twists and surprises. And if there's something I really enjoy, it's twists and surprises. I really appreciate that we get multiple POVs from several of the members on Arthie's team. And even though she's not Kaz, I still did like Arthie as a character. I love that she made some decisions I wasn't always a fan of (because any realistic character needs to be fallible). I loved how multilayered and complex she was. Loved her backstory. And I loved her relationship with Jin. So, why only 4ish stars? It's not just because Six of Crows is better. If I'm honest, some of the surprises/ twists were a bit obvious. And while I loved Arthie and Jin's relationship, I felt like the majority of the other relationships in the book fell flat. If I'm reading a heist drama, I need me that found family vibe. And Arhtie's team just didn't really feel like a team to me. Sure, some of the characters had a good banter, but in general, I had a hard time feeling like there were real emotions/ feelings between the team. And this is especially true for the characters who still played a big part in the story, but didn't have their POV shared. And at the end of the day, the relationships between all of the characters was a big part of the book. A Tempest of Tea does end with some pretty big surprises and cliffhangers. And to be honest, I love a cliffhanger. Do I recommend this? Yes. Will I read the next book? Most likely yes.

Thank you so much to Faizal, Macmillan, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

You know how sometimes you come across a book, and you read it, and you know that's there absolutely no one you can ever be normal about this book because it's THAT good and you love it THAT much? This is one of those books for me. At various points throughout reading, I had to stop and marvel and share my thoughts with my family and co-workers because they NEEDED TO KNOW how good this book is. It's got just about everything I love in a book: heists, fantasy, vampires, action, slow burn romance, "enemies" who flirt a little too much, found family, a critique of colonialism, tea, betrayals, twists, a cute cat! The minute I finished reading the last word, I quite literally scream-laughed because THAT ENDING? If cliffhangers are not your jam, buy this book now (gotta support amazing authors, after all), but wait until the second one comes out before you start reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Fierce Reads for this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed the city of White Roaring and its characters — the world, cultures, and fantastical handling of real-world social issues were all standout facets. While there were times that I felt like the plot was moving around me instead of carrying me with it, making it a little hard to follow the characters’ pace, I loved spending time in this world, and cannot wait to see what happens next. Excited to read more of Hafsah Faizal’s work, too, since this was my introduction to her!

Strong cast of characters, Mischief, Angst!! ugh the angst, Found Family, Duel POV, Can't help but root for them and more! These are all the things you'll find in A Tempest of Tea.

Hafsah Faizal is one of my favorite writers. She writes about characters who shouldn't get along but some how do, gives us love interests and will they won't they vibes, is so great at pacing and makes you want the sequel out as soon as you read the last sentence.

I loved ARTHIE and you can feel the power she has whenever she's mentioned on a page. She comes off tough and cutthroat but really she's a marshmallow.

Let's be real JIN is a babygirl, but don't let that fool you into thinking he can't hold his own.

FLICK is the one to keep your eye on. She is finally becoming the person she was always meant to be.

LAITH.........well all I can say is he's from Arawiya (IYKYK)

And no one could ever forget MATTEO. He gives off confidence and is carefree.

The way this book is written makes you think you're watching a movie. Her world building is clear, the pace is perfect, the action and interactions are spot on. It's so easy to get lost in this story. My only complaint is that it's not long enough haha.

This is a fast paced, very entertaining heist story that also has vampires. Actually it’s got a lot more than that going on. We have a verrrry Six of Crows style heist. We’ve got vampires. We’ve got a soupçon of Arthurian elements. We’ve got an East India Company stand-in with British colonialism. You’ve got characters of color fighting to surreptitiously fight the established power. And you’ve got a mysterious character with questionable motives who comes from a land far away with magic.
All that being said, I did have some issues with the story. Arthie isn’t exactly Kaz, and her crew seems a bit less buttoned-up. They luckily seem to get away with being sloppy in the execution of their plans and schemes for the most part. I did figure out one of the big twists, but another took me completely by surprise. The end left me in shock and absolutely needing the next book though!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a preview. All opinions are my own.