I've been eagerly awaiting this book for a long time, and while it didn't fully live up to my expectations, this was still a really fun read. The worldbuilding was fascinating and really strong, and I liked the combo of things that seemed like they could have been too much but ended up being the perfect blend. The characters were also interesting, though a bit shallow and I hope we get a better look into motivations and thoughts in the next one. The plot itself is fun, everyone loves a good heist novel, but can suffer if readers find themselves comparing it to Six of Crows. It had its ups and downs, but i'm looking forward to how things progress in the next book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, but it did have a few ups and downs for me, mostly because I found myself comparing it to Six of Crows. But although there are some similarities (and anyone who loves a found family, heist adventure should definitely check this book out), I found myself making the comparisons less often as I got further into the book. This book definitely branches out and becomes its own story.

I really enjoyed the characters but would have liked to get even more in depth with them; although we see a lot of their thoughts/emotions under the surface, I want just a little more (maybe we'll get that in the second book). There's just enough of some potential romances. A bit of betrayal. And some reveals I was not expecting but found really intriguing. And it was a quick read for me because it moved at a pretty fast pace.

Highly recommend

Loved this one! I've been waiting for the next book from this author for quite some time and can't wait to get my finished copy in the mail when it comes out.

King Arthur. Vampires. Peaky Blinders.

This description alone warrants five stars. I’ve never read a book by Hafsah Faizal so I was pleasantly surprised by the writing. This book has a great collection of characters but I loved Arthie the most. She’s such an intriguing character especially with her background. This book covers so many important topics and the author navigates it so well. Also can we talk about the world building? I felt so immersed in the world.

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

I'm here for a good heist novel!
Throw in some vampires, imperialism, and tea and there is something for everyone.

Lots of twists. This was a fun one with complex worldbuilding. Already looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for an early copy for review.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) and NetGalley for an eARC of A Tempest of Tea!

It’s 5:30 AM and I just finished @hafsahfaizal ‘s newest work of art, A Tempest of Tea. It’s hard not to fall in love with the characters Hafsah Faizal creates. If you know the me, then you the Sands of Arawiya duology is my absolute favorite. And if you loved it too, then you’re going to absolutely ADORE A Tempest of Tea. Absolutely incredible, if I could rate a million stars I would.

-> Multi POV
-> A HEIST
-> King Arthur Parallels
-> VAMPIRES

3.75 ☆

I'd been eagerly anticipating the release of A Tempest of Tea for months. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped, it is still an exciting beginning to a new duology. The novel explores powerful themes such as colonialism that go beyond what you would typically expect in a young adult book. Hafsah Faizal's take on vampires was unique and refreshing compared to the typical young adult vampire books. While the characters in this book may not be on the same level as the ones in We Hunt the Flame, they still have intriguing backstories that drew me in. I particularly enjoyed Arthie and Jin's sibling bond and their humorous moments. Although the book focuses on the found family trope, it didn't grab my attention as much as I expected it to, which was surprising because found family is one of my favorite tropes. There was nothing inherently wrong with their friendship, but I couldn't become as obsessed with them as I was with the characters in We Hunt the Flame.

A Tempest of Tea is perfect for people who …
- Loved Six of Crows
- Are ready for vampires to make a comeback
- Drink tea on a regular
- Want to wander old streets in the UK
- Don’t mind a few twists and turns
- Listen to The Japanese House

This heist novel is a fun romp with complex worldbuilding.

The main characters, Arthie and Jin (with a few secondary characters of almost equal importance), are likable rogues on a quest to find blackmail material on the mysterious masked ruler of their colonial capital, who has decided to take down their illegal enterprise of serving blood to vampires after hours in their tea shop. The Prohibition-like vibes make it easy to root for people who are decidedly on the wrong side of the law, and while the object of their heist is a bit far-fetched, it's a fun adventure while they're trying to get access to it.

Parts of the storyline didn't quite work for me as the present-day narrative collapses onto revelations about past activities/events, but overall it was a fun read and one I'd gladly read the sequel to.

In Faizal’s sophomore series, we get to expand the world of We Hunt the Flame to Ettenia, a fantasy counterpart to the British empire. While there are interesting elements in the new cast of characters, the story fails to deliver on pacing, plot, and tension. Even the attempts at poignant political commentary on colonialism becomes lackluster when everything is so explicitly stated aloud instead of revealed through engaging storytelling. I don’t know why this book was marketed about vampires when that aspect of the story was heavily sidelined for most of the first part of the book, without the thrilling development of lore that would make a book like this stand out in the genre. Altogether, this book isn’t quite beating the SOC allegations

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
Orphans Arthie and Jin run a respectable tea house by day and a classy vampire bloodhouse by night. Then she gets asked to help find a stolen government ledger. She has to get crew together, an upper class girl who is a world class forger, an elite vampire artiste and a somewhat mysterious government guard. No one is what they seem, and more mysteries pop up at every step.
It’s a heist book! Admittedly, I read this book because of the author. When I started and there were vampires, I paused (not my thing), but read on and was really pleased with this book. The characters and their relationships are fantastic and believable. And there is a tea house. The descriptions of the characters attraction to each other are swoonworthy.


#ATempestofTea #NetGalley

I don’t think I’ve had more fun with a book this year. This book is my fourth wing. But instead of dragons, it has vampires and women of color committing crimes & running lucrative criminal empires.

Arthie has the best tea shop in the city, during the day she serves tea to the gentry and at night she serves blood to the vampires who roam the city. She uses the information she overhears to blackmail folks to get anything she needs.

The governing body has no love for Archie not just because she’s a criminal but because she and her brother are both immigrant living and thriving in the homeland of their colonizers.

Archie is forced to strike a deal with her enemy in order to try and save her tea shop and the life and family shes built.

This is a heist book. It has everything that you like, if you like, if you like heist and gangsters and women’s wrongs. It has Romance and action and adventure and a really cute cat. I read we hunt the flame and I wasn’t blown away by it but this book is significantly better, in my opinion. The world doesn’t feel as large, the mythology doesn’t feel as cemented but I don’t think it needs to be.

I truly think this is going to be on my favorite reads of 2023.

First, we need to take a moment for the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous. Wow, what a stunningly written novel. First of all, if you thought We Hunt the Flame was good, you’re not ready for how much better A Tempest of Tea is. I ate this book up so quickly and immediately fell in love with the whole cast of characters. It’s Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows if it was set in colonial England with a heavy emphasis on the dangers and repercussions of colonization. I’m so excited to see where the rest of the story is going and I promise this has been worth the wait.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

initial reaction: IM SORRY WHAT

Where do I even start?

We Hunt The Flame was so incredibly special to me- a fact I've been so vocal about. Tempest was one of the most anticipated reads for me and as excited as I was, there's always that sliver of doubt. "What if I'm disappointed? What if it doesn't measure up?" I am a FOOL. Tempest was everything I could have thought and more.

First things to get out of the way, Tempest is it's own book. It's set in the universe of We Hunt The Flame but in a different country and there's brief mentions here and there but that's all! Now that we've settled that, if you loved the zumra, you're going to LOVE this group! It's very much a bunch of people who don't trust each other at all getting together to try and pull off a heist and they're so perfect I could cry. I love each and every one of them so much.

Arthie and Jin have wormed their way into my heart so bad I should see a doctor. Arthie is such a badass (sorry for swearing, there's no other word that better fits her) and she's so SMART, I love being in her head and seeing how much she cares without actually showing it. Jin is perfect in every way and he balances out Arthie so well with his wit and compassion. They're the epitome of found family with just each other and we see that found family expand a bit with the new characters. With that said, I was losing my mind over Laith and that's all I can say without spoilers.

Hafsah's writing only gets better and better. We get multiple POVs in this book and she fleshes out each individual character so well. The world and magic system were written really well and I still have so many questions that we hopefully get answered!

The end was WILD and I need the sequel right now!

On shelves in three months!!! go preorder!!

This was such an incredible read! It was atmospheric and magical, and I could not put it down! I genuinely can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it in February.

I LOVE IT. I love it when the main character is a clever, cunning, morally grey woman. I love it when they have platonic love. I love it when there are layers of antagonizing colonialization and tackling one or two real life issues with the power houses. I love it when they have slow burn romance as the subplot (with other characters). It's a well-written fantasy of heist and found family.
Everyone has their own background and the main 5 characters are lovable, and the world building is nicely described. I need to visit Spindrift and order a cup or two. Yes, the writing is (typical Hafsah) very atmospheric.

The story plot itself is very gripping. From start to finish, layers upon layers of alibis and plot twists:))))
(I kinda need book 2 right now!!!)

This is a story about a society of thugs, aristocrat, and vampires running a country. It's a fight against powerhouse to keep on living from what they've built bricks to bricks. 5 creatures who didn't really trust one another securing an important evidence of savagery acts. It bleeds betrayal and tricks.

Heard that this book sit on B&N an WS front page? Well deserved indeed👌

It makes me want to re-read Sands of Arawiya duology :)))
And NO you don't have to read Sand of Arawiya first before diving into this story, but I bet you would want to read Sands of Arawiya duology after reading this 🥰🥰🥰

If you love beautiful writing, clever plot, and Six of Crows, go read this book!!!!!!!

Hafsah Faizal is back! And with vampires and tea and all sorts of shenanigans! Consider me signed and sealed.

This book was wonderful— I’d forgotten how much I love her easily digestible, atmospheric and emotionally driven writing style. Set in colonial England and pitched as Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows, it was the perfect mix of action, thoughtful conversations around colonisation, and deliciously slow burn romance. I adored the magic system and the heist was so fascinating, plus that ending!! Needless to say, I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel. I think this will go down very well with Faisal’s fans both old and new, and it’s a great start to what will sure to be a fantastic new series.

I absolutely adored this book from Faizal and couldn't put it down. Refreshingly inventive and magnificently rendered, I can't wait to shout about this from the rooftops!

We're nearing the end of 2023 and I have found my first five star read of the year! I think we can all agree that title comparisons are rarely accurate, but trust me when I say that if you're a fan of Six of Crows you will love this. It has all the same ingredients - found family, a diverse cast of characters, a heist, and ship worthy romances. On top of all that there is an all POC cast, vampires, and colonialism!

A Tempest of Tea is told from the point of view of Arthie, Jin, and Flick. Going back to the Six of Crows comparison, Arthie is Kaz Brekker coded and Jin is Jesper coded, in my opinion. I really enjoyed their brother/sister type relationship, and how he balanced her serious nature with his charm. Both are orphans who have worked hard to make a name for themselves. Completing this trio, there is Flick. She is from a more privileged background and while not quite as interesting as Arthie and Jin she is no less likable.

I had a hard time putting a Tempest of Tea down, it was action packed from the get go and the short chapters made it fast paced. It delves into talks of colonialism, which I wasn't expecting but loved. There is even a East India Company adjacent called the East Jeevant Company. I also found the heist aspect of the story, from the planning to the actual execution to be fun. Add in Vampires, my favourite supernatural creature, and a tea room that turns into a bloodhouse for vampires by night and you've got yourself a winner.

There are two central romances. Arthie's romantic arc involves a love triangle, but I say that in the loosest sense of the word. I wasn't really keen on the obvious love interest, he wasn't giving anything. The second and more subtle love interest is Matteo, and let me tell you as soon as he appeared on page I was captivated. There isn't really anything concrete between them, romantically, apart from a very small sprinkle of tension. However, I can see something potentially developing in the sequel. At least, I hope so!

I will say that to me the twist was quite obvious from the start, but honestly that didn't take away from my enjoyment. If anything, I was more invested and wanted to see how it would play out. If you can't already tell I absolutely devoured A Tempest of Tea and am so, so excited about the sequel.

This was a story full of complex, ever-evolving relationships.
Arthie and Jin run Sprindrift; a tea house by day for humans and a blood house by night for the vampires of White Roaring. When Spindrift is threatened, Arthie is forced to bring a small group of people with different goals to complete a heist with the goal of exposing the government.
The characters in A Tempest of Tea are so fully fleshed out, with each POV contributing a unique voice. Every character has their own developed backstory, arc and motivations for their behavior, they seem more like real people than fictional characters. As readers, we are given information as we need it, not in a huge world dump at the beginning of the story. New information is constantly being revealed, which kept me engaged and curious. Things are never really as they seem, and I was constantly guessing about possible betrayals and loyalties.
On the surface, this book may seem like a lighthearted story about a heist in a fictional world, but there are very real and prevalent undertones and discussions about colonialism and the repercussions on oppressed people.
The cliffhanger that this book ends on has ensured that I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel.