Vampires, gangs, a heist and badass characters? SIGN ME THE EFFFF UP!

I freakin devoured this book! The story was very well written and held my attention from the first page. The pacing was a little slower but once it picked up, it was nonstop. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. Arthie and Jin’s relationship was adorable. I loved their sibling banter. They are the perfect definition of family doesn’t have to be blood.

After that cliffhanger, I’m really excited to see what Hafsah does with this series!

WOW - I knew I was going to love this one and BOY did it still blow my expectations out of the water. What a GREAT first book in a new duology by Faizal.

This delivers an intense and luxurious story set on the streets of White Roaring, where Arthie and Jin Casimir operate a prestigious tearoom that clandestinely caters to vampires at night. The novel has an atmosphere that reminds me of Peaky Blinders vibes that are mixed with vampires. This has layers of romance, revenge, and the determination of an orphan girl to protect her self-made kingdom.

Arthie, a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets, faces the threat of losing her beloved establishment. She forms an uneasy alliance with an alluring adversary and assembles a team of skilled outcasts to infiltrate a secret vampire club. That's right, a heist!! This story has a series of twists and turns that entice readers and the ending is a punch in the gut.

These characters are SO well-developed, each harboring their secret desires and the potential for betrayal. The exploration of themes such as colonialism and self-discovery adds so much depth to the storyline. The book maintains a dark, action-packed atmosphere, and Faizal's storytelling prowess shines throughout the narrative. She writes such amazing characters and I love the constant theme of found family in her books. As a reader, I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their fates, appreciating the complexities of their relationships.

This is a compelling and well-crafted fantasy novel, showcasing Hafsah Faizal at her best. The blend of intricate world-building, engaging characters, and a riveting plot makes this a must-read for fans of gaslamp fantasy.

*4.5 Stars*

This was great. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading it and I don't regret that at all. It took me by surprise left and right and I loved the intrigue and the characters and the twists. I was stuck to the page and cannot wait for book two. I loved all the different points of view. I felt like they all brought something different and so interesting to the story.
I've been meaning to read We Hunt the Flame since forever and now I just know I have to. I just really want to read more from Hafsah Faizal.

Easy 5/5 review. More details to come later, but I adored reading Tempest, and I devoured it, as I do most of Hafsah's work. Impeccably written, wonderful premise, and a definite must-read for any reader looking for a spicy thrill paired with luscious prose, plot, and characters who stay with you long after you hit "The End".

This book has so many aspects that could lead to an epic plot: vampires, magic light, heists, long burning revenge, with a little romance on the side. Despite all this, however, I found myself a little bored! I didn't enjoy the main character's point of view and the writing style in places felt overly ornate (which may have been intentional for characterization, but didn't work for me). I did really enjoy Flick and Jin, so I spent a little more time savoring their sections, and the actual heist scene and subsequent conclusion were satisfying, conclusive, but open ended enough for future books. While in the same vein as "Six of Crows" or "Peaky Blinders", it's missing a little bit of the grit and intensity I associate with those two. If you enjoy heist stories generally and have enjoyed Faizal's books in the past, you'll enjoy this one too!

This book has more twists than a roller coaster!

Arthie runs a tea shop (that serves as a blood shop at night for vampires). It's not legal, and the Spindrift serves the everyday working person vampires, meaning she has to stay one step ahead of the police and the courts. Her best friend Jin runs the shop with her. They are both orphans and have survived the streets together.

Now the government wants to shut the Spindrift down, and Arthie and Jin must make some unholy alliances to save their shop, and their lives. A vampire, the daughter of a shipping magnate, and a member of the police force (the Horned Guard) join her crew to bring down the Ram. But what sacrifices will they have to make to succeed?

I adore this book. There is action, romance, heists, double crosses, and the aforementioned twists that had me gasping. The sequel can't come too soon! If you like historical mysteries and fantasies, this book is the perfect combination of the two.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

I’m obsessed with this book, I got to the end and immediately wanted to turn back to page one and start reading all over again.

Arthie Casimir runs a tearoom that turns into an illegal bloodhouse at night for the vampire population, but when threatened by the authorities, she has to use all of her wits and more than a handful of bribes and manipulations to pull off a heist to bring down the corrupted government. Betrayals, secrets, vampires, magic, and of course tea and blood all come together in this magical story.

So many twists and turns, I love a good heist book, but this one was more than just a heist book. There were so many layers of secrets (some came out early, and some bombshells came later) from all of the characters. I normally can figure out who did what now, but this book actually kept me on my toes and the ending really threw me for a loop.

Can not recommend enough if you enjoyed reading The Gilded Wolves, Six of Crows, and liked the aesthetics of Peaky Blinders and Gangs of New York, then consider giving this a try.

Vampires, Peaky Blinders vibes, Arthurian remix storytelling, and a badass crew trying to pull off the heist of their lives?? Sign me up for this phenomenal book! Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for this early E-ARC.

A wonderful story of camaraderie within our group of thieves that are trying to survive and thrive in the city that Vampires are the ruling class, and trying to bring down it's force will prove that this ragtag crew is entering a conspiracy they were not quite as prepared for.

Arthie is the perfect female representation of Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders, and the fact that the story being remixed as she is a prophesied figure in her community just like King Arthur was, it made me needing to burn all midnight and even early morning oil to finish this amazing book!

Cannot wait for more from this crew and story!

Oh this book was really cool! The story was new and fresh, the prose was very vivid and descriptive, and I might, maybe want to read it again before the next book comes out. I really wish we could give half stars on this app. If that was possible, this book would be an easy 4.5 stars. I won’t round up to 5 simply because I’m not sure I would read it again. Some people have said they don’t feel the characters were fleshed out enough, I beg to differ. I feel they were written in such a way that I could understand their thought processes and why they made the choices they made. There were some surprises - I won’t spoil them - and they were great! The tea room was super cool and described well, but I do wish the Atherium (sp?) was described more. I’m not going into the synopsis, you can read that for yourself, and probably have. You want to know if you should read this book? Is it worth your time? Absolutely! It’s a great little read, with a rich storyline that feels fresh, and likable characters that you can get behind. The only problem with reading it now? You have to wait a year for the sequel!!

This was an absolutely beautiful book. Matteo is dreamy. I always love Hafsah’s writing, and this was no exception. This book is ethereal, fun, and quick-witted.

I really wanted to like this! The premise for this promised vampires, heists, and tea magic, but fell flat on all fronts. The heist is only a small portion of the plot and the tearoom was not a prominent setting. I also feel like the vampire aspect was quite underdeveloped. Overall, this book had great potential and a fantastic cover but I was disappointed by the plot development.

Loved the world building in this one, especially the diversity of the characters. Eager to see where the author will take this story in the sequel. A definite addition to the collection.

I need book 2 in my hands immediately!! Vampires, cinnamon roll heroes, heists, adventure and fantastical world building?? 100% yes!

🧛🏻‍♂️ Vampires
🫖 Tea
🫶 Found Family
🎢 Emotional Rollercoaster
🩸 Bloodhouse
🔐 Secrets
🖤 Romance

This was such a fun read and amazing start to the Blood and Tea duology! I can’t wait to see what Hafsah Faizal will brew up next!

Method Read: 📖 & 🎧

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

While I own other books by Hafsah Faizal, this is my first read from her. I really enjoyed this! I really connected with, and enjoyed reading from the lens of, the main character, Arthie. I loved the way she was characterized, and we follow her as she runs a tea house for vampires with her brother. The heist component of this book was really fun, and I had a fun time reading about the shenanigans that ensue. I do wish we got a little more time to stew in the world-building and learn about the different characters--I almost feel like the story was too fast in some spots. The romance also suffered from how fast this seemed to move. Because I didn't really know the characters that well, and the pacing was so fast, the romance wasn't really given time to develop and ended up feeling a bit tropey/cringey. I enjoyed the narrative voice of this story, but I do wish we could have gotten more depth--the very beginning and end were great, but the middle felt at times very surface-level. This wasn't a bad story by any means, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.

A Tempest of Tea was released about five days ago and I meant to read and post this sooner. But I'm very bad with deadlines.
Without further ado, here are my thoughts.

The things I liked:
☕The plot twists that came in one after the other in the latter half of the book were wholly unexpected even though enough hints were dropped. I should have seen them coming!

☕I love that not all the adults and family figures in this book were evil. Not everyone is out there to get you. Some people are kind.

☕The diversity?? Loveee! The crew is from several different backgrounds.

☕It was very clear way that history shapes this fictional world. There is a thread of colonialism, the brutality it brings, etc and it is well executed. Reminds me of Babel, which is also a great read.

☕The premise of it does remind me of Six of Crows. It's not a bad thing at all. That kind of story formula is just my cup of tea 😏

The things that felt like they needed improvement:
☕Some of the dialogue felt awkward and unnatural. I just knew there was info dumping that needed to happen.

☕It was hard to believe that Arthie is a force to be reckoned with, given that there were lots of telling and not a lot of showing. It was here and there but the telling overshadowed the actual times she showed her strength.

☕This is what really bothered me: the romance felt off . . . The barest hint of a love triangle that didn't fit in the story. At least, for me. It wasn't articulate how/why Arthie would connect to one of the two interests. As for the one she does connect with, it didn't feel like it was enough to warrant the interest she did have in him. (I did like him, though. He just didn't get enough of a spotlight and I'm sad about that.)

Overall, liked the characters a lot and I do want to continue the duology.

🌟🌟🌟💫/5

Hafsah Faizal has quickly become one of my favorite new young voices in YA fiction, blending unique world building with intriguing diverse characters that keep you invested from page one. A Tempest of Tea is no exception, introducing us to a delightful cast of characters, a blood room for vampires masquerading as a tea shop, PoC vampires, and a heist targeting a colonizing empire.

Where this book has its strengths is absolutely in its diverse lead characters that Arthie gathers around her, both to run her tea shop, Spindrift, and to successfully pull off this heist. From Arthie herself with her quick wit and calculating nature and her adopted brother Jin with his suave cunning, both are out to save their shop and ruin Etenia, the colonizing country that ruined their lives in one way or another. Then there's Flick, so lovable and naive and desperate to be loved as their forger, and Matteo, the flirtatious vampire artist and their inside man... And the mysterious Laith, a hashashin from far away who brings this heist to Arthie in the first place. Their dynamic, apart and together, are all SO MUCH fun, and no narrative seems to be neglected for another.

The heist itself was actually a bit of a low point for me. I found it a bit too rudimentary and unremarkable. But all of that was saved by the existence of those character interactions and the plot twists at the end - one predictable, and one absolutely not. I'm SO hyped to see where the second book goes after that cliffhanger ending!

Hafsah Faizal is among the best Fantasy writers out there at world building, probably because she somehow manages to create an intense and often brutal atmosphere that somehow fuses together with a sense of place that feels cozy in the best way.

The juxtaposition of a tea shop with a vampire feeding outlet is perhaps the best literal example of that, but the whole book seems to work comfortably within these two evocations of sense of place.

The book also has an intriguingly nuanced cast of characters, where the line between hero and anti-hero (or should I say heroine and anti-heroine) often blurs in a way that both makes you think and leaves you appreciative of a writer who never keeps it all neat and clean but gets you fully on board with a protagonist who makes some decisions you might not like very much.

Great stuff, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the second book in the duology. And in case it wasn’t apparent from the title, you’re going to need to brew some tea to drink while reading this one. Specifically some Ceylon tea.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance

Thank you for the E-ARC @coloredbooktours @fiercereads.

SYNOPSIS: The streets of white roaring is all too familiar with Arthie Cassimir and her infamous Tearoom (spindrift)that transforms into an illegal blood house at night ,Arthie is forced to strike a deadly deal as everything she has worked for is at stake,as she joins forces with her dream team to infiltrate the impossible (read a high security vampire society) she can’t shake off the feeling that perhaps her crew isn’t as tenacious and trustworthy as she presumed,as alliances change and new bonds form, Will arthie risk it all? Everything is fair in love and war and well this is ………

Let me not go into nitty gritty details because this book is definitely a force to reckon with and people who love a bit of fantasy ought to read this one,also @hafsah Faizal what have you done maam ,you are telling me I need wait with bated breath for part two because ,what was that ending ,why,WHYYYY![cliff hanger alert]

1. Perfect for the fans of SOC×Mistborn trilogy with hints of peaky blinders energy,this book is literally the drug that quenched my thirst and filled the void that Six Of Crows duology left! I am super glad that this book happened to be the solace I was seeking for some time now, action packed with full on drama and entertainment perfectly blended with hints of romance and elements of paranormal, what more could I ask for, this book is literally that perfect cup of tea on a rainy evening.

2.The BIPOC representation in the book was legit *chefs kiss* ,again ,its been a while since I felt like I went on an adventure especially being a south Asian at times I feel like I am missing out on all the fantasy fun but its books like these that make me feel seen and heard,SOC duology did it for me and now I am super glad I found `blood and tea duology’.

3.Okay so everytime I have read SoC I constantly wanted a female character to be as cool as Kaz brekker I mean our bastard of barrel has got the swag and GUESS WHAT,My prayers have been officially answered,Arthie Cassimir &Kaz Brekker could literally pass off as siblings,I mean the brains,the scheming,the ruthlessness,the swagger,weapon of choice (read cane/pistol)
The refined aristocratic air and polished looks, Aaaarghhhhhh Arthie Cassimir has it all baby!!!
4.FOUND FAMILY, I swear I am a sucker for this trope, always and forever, yessss this is it.
I mean, desperate times, desperate measures and an adversity brings people closer together.
No, not a trauma bond but the fact that you chose to trust someone with your life even when things haven’t worked out before with other people in general but these little band of misfits are the closest you will ever have to a family& to officially feel the warmth of love is truly *heart eyes *if you ask me.
5.what is important for survival?
what is so refreshing about freedom to choose and ability to express yourself and when it comes to being a women ,what is all the social constraints that prevent you from being your true self, I just love to see a wall flower bloom and Flick my girl, you and Arthie are definitely polar opposites but whatever you both are made of ,at your core, is essentially the same, I wouldn’t be lying if I tell you guys that you would be introduced to bad ass female M.C’s

6.Okay I am being biased I always talk about women, why would I choose to forget Jin’s Charm or Matteo’s talent or even Laith’s deadly looks, if you ask me to choose between the three of them, I will definitely be in a pickle, I will let you in on a secret, Jin, well let’s save him for someone, shall we??! but between Mr Artist and Mr Deadly looks, I wouldn’t know what to go for, sigh

7.ROMANCE, yes you have breadcrumbs of it, throughout the book, just enough, just the way I would like.
(ALSO, IF YOU DON’T LIKE A MAJOR CLIFFHANGER IN THE END, WELL, DON’T SAY I DIDN’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU.)
P.S please let me know when the second part is gonna be out ,please
Trust me, this is a fantasy nerd right here, suggesting a 5/5 read;Happy reading!

3.5/5 rounded down

“Every good love story starts with a bullet to the heart.”

I have some mixed feelings about this one, but overall I mostly enjoyed! The beginning started off strong and I immediately loved Arthie, the main character. She’s witty, strong-willed, and she runs a tea house that caters to vampires by night with her brother, Jin. When a mysterious figure arrives one night with an offer Arthie can’t refuse, she gathers a group together and heist shenanigans ensue.

Strangely, once the story picks up I became less invested. Everything was a bit too fast-paced and I wasn’t able to connect with any of the side characters. There is a ton of romantic tension, but again it felt too fast and I didn’t know anyone well enough to strongly root for their relationships. I enjoy some good romantic tension, but it can’t be used as a replacement for character development. Around the 75-80% mark I was pulled back in and the last 10% was great, but the impact would have been stronger if the rest of the book wasn’t so surface level.

I haven’t read the Sands of Arawiya duology yet, which is set in the same world, but I had no difficulties understanding the worldbuilding. I thought the setting was really fun (at least Arthie made it fun) and I appreciated the anti-colonial themes and the mysterious villain. And of course there are plenty vampires!! Despite some of my issues with this one, I’m still excited for the second installment and can’t wait to see how this story continues.

TW: Colonialism, blood (drinking...this is about vampires), parental loss

Wow, that ending has me just flabbergasted! Oh my god! I think the last 10% was like the craziest wild ride, my heart was beating so fast!

This was my first book of Hafsah Faizal, though I've meant to get to the Hunt the Flame duology like forever but just haven't, but anyway I found myself really enjoying her writing style. A Tempest of Tea has a Peaky Blinders feel to it, Arthie actually has a signature baker boy hat she wears all the time. But more than the clothes and time it just had that feel to it that there's something ELSE going on than the main story like Peak Blinders did and I really enjoyed that.

Vampires are known and walking freely amongst humans but they unless they are rich they are shunned a bit. I found this refreshing from other vampire stories where they keep their statuses hidden and even then they are almost always rich and powerful and all knowing type beings. I enjoyed the heist aspect of Tempest as well. There was so much delicious tension gearing up and planning and executing it and just waiting for any little thing to go wrong was so nuts. Hafsah's characters were fantastic, Arthie and Jin's relationship was heart melting, Flick was so relatable, and let's not forget Matteo's sassiness...just amazing! I did not feel the chemistry between Arthie and Laith, that's the only complaint I really have. But I did like his cat so his character is some what redeemed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will be waiting on pins and needles for the sequel. Tempest ends on a HUGE cliffhanger so beware! Thank you so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!