this book wants to be Six of Crows so bad and I don't blame it bc I also wanted it to be Six of Crows so bad.

But the thing is, if being Six of Crows were easy, everyone would be Six of Crows.

I appreciated the diversity and the callout of colonialism in fantasy worlds but the characters are pretty flat and frankly? The vampire lore is bizarre but not in a fun way just in a kind of mystifying way.

Younger readers who are less genre-savvy might still enjoy this but I was pretty disappointed :( And it sounded so cool! I wanted to like it. I almost DNFed it at several points but I persisted because I wanted to see the payoff for some of the plot threads and just...I probably did not really need to keep going.

I enjoyed the writing and the characters, but ultimately this plot was just not for me. I typically don’t like heist novels but I wanted to give this one a try because I’ve heard good things about Hafsah Faizal. Overall, I can see a lot of people loving this and I definitely see things to love in it, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea (har har).

Hafsah Faizal has done it again! I loved everything about this book, from the heist plot, to the commentary on colonialism, to the charming characters, to their individual backstories and love stories! (Jin is my favourite but don't tell the others). There was humour, romance, suspense, tension, thrill. I couldn't have asked for more. AND THAT ENDING? CRIMINAL! Cannot wait for the sequel! Thank you for writing this book, Hafsah!

My first Hafsah Faizal book and!!! Loved the characters, loved the writing, loved the plot. So excited to pick up her other books.

This book was so fun! The mystery. The heist. The vampires. Everything about this book was so good. And that ENDING!! Hafsah, we need to talk. Because WHAT! This book had much more romance than I expected it to have but it did not disappoint.

I just… I have no interest. I know I’m still in the “setting up the plot” part, but I’m just so bored and have no interest in going back.

This is very much a heist story a la Bardugo, but involving tea and vampires and I just… am not going for it.

OMG
THIS WAS AMAZING! EPIC
I love a good heist, plot twist, and secret identity.

Hafsah has GENIUS fingers to write such flowing gold of words, wit, and action.
The multi-POV were so seamless and worked so well to unfold the excitement in the plot.

WOW WOW WOW the ending... OMG.. I need someone to talk to about this.

2024 has never seem so far but this book will definitely be soaring to the sky in raves.

HIGH HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I adored this world and the definitely fell for some of characters, especially Jin. I loved the found family dynamic and the heist was a lot of fun. The romantic tension between the side characters eclipsed what I believe was supposed to be the main romantic plot. The plot twists were wild once the book got to the 80% mark. It was like an avalanche of reveals I didn't predict. My biggest complaint was that the writing style in the first 40% fluctuated to being very vivid to being a bit awkwardly phrased. I had to reread certain sentences to get the meaning, which took me out of the story a little bit. I also felt like the main love interest character fell flat. I understand he is supposed to be mysterious, but he was so mysterious that I didn't care enough about him and the romance between Arthie, our FMC. It just seems lusty rather than having something I can really root for. This book ended on a great cliff hanger so I will be excited to see where the sequel goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was so looking forward to this one. I mean, vampires? Heists? Tea? It sounded like it was written just for me. Sadly, I couldn't get into it. I don't know if it was the writing, the plot, the characters, or a mixture of all three, but something didn't work for me. The world-building wasn't as fleshed out as I'd like, and it took me a while to feel like I had my footing within the story. I liked some characters, especially Arthie, but most felt underdeveloped. It had a lot of elements that should've made for an exciting read, but the execution wasn't my favorite.

This is going to be a popular book! It reminds me of The Six of Crows books a bit, and was a fun and interesting read. The three main characters are all engaging, and I liked the alternating chapters from different points of view.

I absolutely love Faizal's work, This is such a different feel from her other duology but in the best way, She shows her diversity of writing ability. Arthie is the sort of anti-hero we love to root for and she definitely buries her way into your heart as a reader. I was so invested. I also did not expect the vampires, but I loved every second of it. Cannot WAIT for the next book!

Engaging, immersive, and expertly crafted. A recommended purchase for public YA and high school collections.

This book is easily a 10/10!

I ADORED this world that Hafsah Faizal has created. This world addresses themes of colonialism and racism is such a clever way. Her writing is very atmospheric, with major cinematic vibes. From the start I could picture it easily in my head as a film.
The story is told from three POVs and all three characters were absolutely a joy to be with.
I read the whole book in 24 hs and I was so sad when it was over.
All of my favorite elements were present:
- vampires
- sassy characters
- heist
- mysterious backstories
- shocking revelations
- found family of truly endearing characters you can't help but root for.
- the dialogue, the banter was FIRE!!!!

I haven't read Hafsah's other duology but with A Tempest of Tea she has become an auto buy author for me. And you better be sure I will be reading her back catalogue over the holidays.

If this doesn't convince you to read A Tempest Of Tea then I don't know what will... SO GO PRE-ORDER IT NOW!
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) and #NetGAlley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
A TEMPEST OF TEA IS OUT 2/20/2024!!!

My favorite book of 2024 and it isn't even 2024 yet. This book was hands down every single thing I didn't know I need in a book. It's like peaky blinders with vampires and arthurian legends and just the best book I've read this year. Could not put it down, will be forcing all my friends to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.

I really need to stop trying to read books by this author. I think their writing style just isn't my thing. Confusing worldbuilding, bare-bones characters, and somehow even the vampires were made dull. Definitely not for me.

This book has a very cool vibe to it. Tea and vampires? How unique! I didn't like it as much as We Hunt the Flame, but this cover drew me in. Didn't connect with the characters as much, but I enjoyed their roles in the heist plot.

A Tempest of Tea is incredible. This book is about vampires, heists, found family, betrayals, survival, and colonialism. It has tea houses and criminal gangs and cats. How could I not fall in love? With memorable characters, addictive writing, and powerful themes, A Tempest of Tea is an absolute gem. I can't wait to see where the next book goes! Please read this if you support women's wrongs and love well written, intelligent, and morally grey women.

A highly anticipated book that was as good as I'd hoped, with some extra twists! Definitely worth the anticipation. Eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I absolutely loved this - it reminded me why I love Six of Crows... the found family, unlikely crew, and twists and turns had me turning pages as fast as I could.

I'm very excited to see where Hafsah takes this series go forward and can't wait to put this final copy on my shelves.

Thank you for the early copy.

I consider Hafsah Faizal to be one of the greatest YA authors of this generation. “We Hunt the Flame” was a sensational debut and remains one of my favorite book series of all time. It's why I jumped to read her latest once ARCs of “A Tempest of Tea” became available. And I adored every last bit of it.

I am forever a fan of Faizal’s inimitably gorgeous writing. Her talent alone here makes what she writes addictive and easy to lose yourself in. I would go as far as to say I don’t think there is another YA author out there that comes close to the breathtaking mastery on display in Faizal’s unbelievably tangible descriptions and gut-punchingly good dialogue. Her writing is what makes “A Tempest of Tea” such a treat to read. Each line feels like you’re unveiling a once-in-a-lifetime portrait; one that transforms before your very eyes into a portal to another world.

The world-building here is as impossibly good as it was in this series predecessor, but while the latter was spun around a storyline that was intricate but accessible, with romance and nuanced character relationships that had you following along breathlessly, this series starts off lacking much of that magic. Don’t get me wrong: the big heist at the heart of this is fun, and feels reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s finest work. But the undisclosed motivations of some pivotal characters, judgement calls from MCs that don't line up with the characters themselves and the rapidfire pace of the story here left me reeling, somewhat confused and a little discontent.

It's also worth noting that so many new characters are introduced throughout the text it’s harder to connect to the handful that quickly become integral to the story. I’m all for unanswered questions and lingering mysteries, but that’s where the web of intrigue being spun in “A Tempest of Tea” nearly gets tripped up by itself. Still, a redeeming element is Faizal’s focus on the harmful lasting toll of colonization; a timely, important narrative that is powerfully delivered here, and something we don’t see nearly enough in YA.

With multiple POVs throughout the text, the characters in "A Tempest of Tea" are as well-developed as the widely beloved ones from Faizal’s first duology. Arthie, a fascinating, deeply troubled and somewhat morally grey protagonist, leads the fray. Jin, her adopted-of-a-sort brother, has his own dimensions that make his POV also interesting, although not as dynamic as Arthie’s chapters. We also see the world from the perspective of naïve, sheltered Flick.

Needless to say, “A Tempest of Tea” is unquestionably good. Faizal’s latest is both bold and beautifully done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for the ARC. All opinions my own.