Listen, I really wanted to love this and I tried so hard to be invested. However, the story fell flat to me. The writing was very well done, but it was so eloquent it took me out of the story at times. A story with a heist and such dynamic characters should have fast paced action — unfortunately I didn’t get that. This should have been a plot driven book but it was definitely more character driven. The concept was really unique and I liked some of the twists, but I wish I cared about the characters more. It was my first book by this author too so I’m perhaps not used to her style, or maybe the voice actor was not right for it (it was the audiobook I listened to). Unfortunately, it was just okay, not great as I was hoping from the description. I may continue with the next book if I happen to be interested in the future. This could just be my feeling about it and I’m sure others will love it! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Very six of crows meets vampires but add in a heavier critique on colonialism. This is definitely a book that I would need to read again to find more! Massive thanks to NetGalley for providing be with an audiobook ARC of A Tempest of Tea!

This is my first book that I have read by Hafsah Faizal but it will not be my last. Heist, vampires, found family. This book has it all but it was not overwhelming, beautifully put together. It was funny, exciting, and fun. The world building was developed and easy to follow, the characters are amazing and Faizal wrote them in ways that makes you invested in the story. And the narrator added so much richness the story. Cannot wait for the second book.


Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ALC.

Arthie Casimir is a young woman, an immigrant who moved when she was young, broke, and alone, to the country that colonized her home. Rising quickly out of poverty, Arthie now runs her own business, relying on her shrewdness to survive and thrive in a city where playing by the rules is the fastest way to lose at the game of life.

A Tempest of Tea promises action and romance in a turn-of-the-twentieth century urban fantasy setting. Unfortunately, I found the characters unconvincing and am going to DNF it after reading the first 20% twice (to give it a fair chance).

The problem is, I don't find myself caring about rage-driven badass female characters who aren't afraid of anything. Arthie doesn't strike me as a real person. The few times I've encountered someone who resembles the strong hero archetype in real life, it was clearly an act, covering up for a deep well of insecurity with a fake persona lifted out of fiction. In real life, that mask is obvious and doesn't fool anyone, let alone make others believe that the person should be trusted with dangerous tasks.

But in A Tempest of Tea, that Rambo front appears to be all there is to the main character, with no indication that there is a deeper, more complex side to her. If the badassery is a front, readers should have learned that very early on - no later than the first scene where the character was alone. Since this is written in Third Person Limited, meaning we know Arthie's thoughts, the discrepancy between Arthie's inner world and outer persona should have come out basically on page one.

Instead, Arthie goes about dealing with her enemies with an almost robotic amount of unflailing confidence. Arthie does not believe in murder - because blackmail is much more useful to her. That makes sense. But then she brings a revolver with her everywhere - and even shoots someone in the opening few pages. That didn't make sense.

Arthie's goal to save her business propels her to join a heist, and the rest of the plot ensues. But, again, I didn't particularly feel connected to that quest - likely because it's not clear enough what Arthie will experience internally if she doesn't succeed at saving her shop.

A Tempest of Tea is packed with lots of action, but in a slower pace. It alternates between 3 different POV's. I found myself getting lost in two of them and only wanted Arthie's POV. However I was not vibing with any of the characters. The dialogue felt short, plot was a bit of a mess and it was just not holding my interest.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

Vampires are going missing in the city of White Roaring.
Violent vampire attacks are happening within the city.
Althie, Jin, Flick, Laith, and Matteo are all determined (for their own reasons) to stop the monster responsible.

Arthie Casimir, an orphan refugee with a violent past, is a collector of secrets from whispers and loose lips at her infamous tearoom called Spindrift. By day, her proper establishment sells tea, spices, and cream…but at night, her speakeasy tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse where vampires and willing humans converge to satiate their hungers. Subject to random raids from the king’s elite guards, Althie seems untouchable by the law when no evidence ever seems to incriminate her.

The Victorian London atmosphere is the perfect setting for gang activity, street violence, settling vendettas, and a Heist against the Crown that could change the future of the country overnight. The king, known as the Ram, is a notorious and crooked leader who is taking notice of Alfie’s considerable blackmail power over the rich and notable citizens in the city. Suddenly no one is safe, vampires continue to disappear, and even the loyalties of her found family are tested as the Ram tightens the tourniquet on them.

The author smartly uses the backdrop of Britian (called Ettenia in this world) to comment on colonialism of other countries. The main character, Arthie, had her home country violently taken over and witnessed her own parents’ deaths. After almost dying, she found herself in the very country that ripped away her childhood, destroyed her culture, and ravaged her native land for its natural resources. Her need for revenge is soul deep—it drove her survival and ability to cultivate her shadowy power in secrets. In my opinion, the hatred of vampires described in this world is metaphorical to racism and hate crimes; the fact that no one seems to care that vampires are continuously going missing and only speak up when humans get murdered speaks volumes. This blatant apathy for vampire life is reinforced through the Ram’s open derision towards vampires. Arthie ultimately decides that the Ram must be dealt with when he zeros in on her family and Spindrift. She isn’t above playing a deadly game rife with secrets and blackmail, finally culminating in the Heist for the Ram’s personal logbook full of horrible deeds. Immigrant versus Imperial King, underdog versus tyrant, the people versus corrupt power…the fight to be the last one standing will be dirty, brutal, and unforgiving.

Honestly, the Heist plot line took a backseat to the characters’ development in love, revenge, and fight to protect family against the dangers around them. This character-driven story also weaves in two separate romances—a love triangle between Arthie, Laith, and Matteo as well as a developing romance between Jin and Flick. Arthie’s choice between Laith and Matteo reflects on how she wishes to be known and her legacy in this world: should she choose Laith, whom she is strongly attracted to for both his physical traits as well as his mental fortitude, protects her at every dangerous turn, and commiserates with her lifelong need for revenge against the Ram? Or should she choose Matteo, the undead artist who relates to her on a more intellectual level, sees her as a smart, powerful woman, and encourages her to embrace who she is? In contrast, Jin and Flick’s love story is sweeter and quieter—they already appreciated and liked each other for who the other is, and you see them fall in love as the story progresses.

The narrator of the audiobook, Maya Saroya, did a great job at different voices for each character. Her voice sounded smooth and smokey, and it fit amazingly well with the story. Because of this, the audio book serves to enhance the reader’s experience. This was a Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Will this ragtag group of reluctant vigilantes manage to topple the corrupt Imperial King? Will the king vengefully demolish all in his quest to quieten damning secrets? What will be the cost of finally unraveling the mystery behind the missing vampires? Read The Tempest of Tea to find out if everything goes up in flames or if the characters effectively navigate a deadly game of survival against the Ram.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. Publication is Feb 20th! I have posted this review to my Goodreads account and my Facebook group page, The Book Banquet. I will be posting to retail sites on the day of publication.

“Family isn't who we live with but those we would die for"

I ended going back and forth for some time on if this was a 4 or 5 star read for me, but I decided to settle on 4! Don’t get me wrong, I loved so much about this story! The characters, the setting, the time period (which was like Victorian London vibes to me) the heist and the vampires!! It’s not often I read a book with vampires so I was really excited about this one lol.

Clearly I loved a lot about the book but there was a point where I felt a little distracted and was getting lost (could have totally been me) but because of that, I was having a hard time caring. HOWEVER, by the last 100 pages or so I cared VERY MUCH. Especially after the explosive ending 🥲.

Overall, LOVED the vibes of this one and I’m really looking forward to its sequel!

Read if you like:
- Touch her and you die
- Found family 🥹
- HEISTS
- VAMPIRES!!
- Tea aesthetic
- Peaky Blinders vibes
- Multiple POV’s
- Gang of outcasts

This book is amazing. It’s smart, action packed, and full of tension. The characters are wonderful and the writing sharp. It is a great fantasy heist book, and I need the second one asap.

This book didn't do everything I was hoping and expecting it to, and it makes me sad. This is a story about humans and vampires and a tea house that moonlights as a vampire hangout owned by an orphan who finds a group of very one-dimensional characters to plan a heist. <br /><br />I didn't feel any connection to the characters or really get to understand them enough to follow along with their motives for being part of the heist. And don't even get me started on the heist that wasn't. If you are looking for action and high stakes, then I would definitely pass on this one. <br /><br />Then specifically for the audio book, I may be the only one to think so, but I didn't love the narrator and believe the story would have flowed better with at least 1 other narrator especially since there are 3 POVs in the story. There is a slight romantic subplot, where the main character is flirty with two different people, but the way they are read I would sometimes have trouble figuring out whom was speaking and it made me not care for either of them. <br /><br />I do feel like the story has the potential to go somewhere, especially after the way the book ends, so I am intrigued enough to maybe read the sequel. <br /><br />Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC in return for an honest review.

**Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.”

Arthie is the owner of a tearoom that is a front for an illegal blood house. When it is threatened she gathers a crew of misfits around her to take on a deadly heist. Not everyone in the crew can be trusted. Secrets are revealed, lives forever changed, and the world as she knows it is in danger.

This hasn’t even released yet and I am dying for book 2. This gave me “Final Empire” by Brandon Sanderson vibes. I love it, the characters and the setting **chef’s kiss**. There are a few characters that absolutely captured my heart but Jin takes the cake. New book boyfriend ✅ The story is quick paced, packed with scheming, plotting, and action. The ending left my jaw on the floor. I have never read the authors other works but I will definitely be investing in them now. If this book doesn’t start trending after its release I will be so surprised. Now I’ll just patiently wait for this to release in paperback so I can add it to my collection.

Thank you Net Galley for the arc. Tempest of Tea is amazing vampire, heist book that keeps the reader engaged from the first page. If you love morally grey characters, discussions of immigration, vampires, slow burn and tea this book is for you. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this series.

What do you get when you mix tea, vampires, a heist, and found family? THIS BOOK!! 😍 This was a really fun and action packed fantasy filled with romance and revenge. I loved the rag tag crew of characters who make up the found family of the start to this duology. The paranormal creature aspect, and kind of dystopian world gave it a really unique setting. The plot flow was steady with the perfect amount of swoon and action.

I really enjoyed the audiobook! The narrator was engaging and easy to listen to, even at different speeds. If you’re interested in this one, I highly recommend the audiobook 🤩. I can’t wait for the finale@to this duology, as I have absolutely no clue where our motley crew will lead us now.

A solid fantasy heist novel set in a London-like city with vampires and half-vampires. At times, it reminded me of Bec McMaster's London Steampunk series, except without the open door romance. It has a YA lean to it, and also reminded me of the Found Family in Six of Crows. I'll be curious as the story continues to learn more about the vampire lore. While the book felt more plot driven than character driven (as a heist, that makes sense), the worldbuilding of the place of vampires in society is still only lightly developed. Faizal has given herself much more room to grow.

Excellent audiobook narration by Maya Saroya; a genuine delight to listen to. The audiobook also features an interview between Hafsah Faizal and her husband, which gives some really interesting insight into Faizal's writing process and her approach to storytelling as well as the way this book developed into a critique of colonialism (when it didn't start out that way.)

I'm not the target audience for this book - it was lighter on the romance and I think geared to a younger audience than I typically read - but I still thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience, and I think readers are going to love falling for some morally gray vampires!

I loved this so fully! Such a phenomenal YA Fantasy- and what a start to this new series! I was hooked from the first chapter and there was never a dull moment. Every POV was exciting and I adored all of these characters.

It gave me all of the heisty, found family goodness of Six of Crows but with vampires. And I am so thrilled that this series is in the series world as Faizal's first duology 🥰

*Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advanced audio copy!*

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 - 4 ⭐️ as I enjoyed a Tempest of Tea, the characters, and plot. Vampires and thieves? Sign me up! This book was fast paced however I felt like I just wanted, more? I don’t know. It might be more me vs the boom but I had difficulty fully investing myself. However, I did enjoy the book.

this book was so adventurous and fast paced! always something was going on, some action, some mystery, betrayals.
I'm blushing reading this book from all the emotions and excitement.

A Tempest of Tea is my first Hafsah Faizal book, Sands of Arawiya duology has been on my tbr since forever, but I need to correct that immidiately. Reading We Hunt the Flame asap, I swear.

strong six of crows vibes, but with vampires??? slay. I'm sold. Heist, many povs, blood drinking skskjsjsjsj, loved every second of this book. the main characters were great, badass, interesting.

for sure will do reread when it cames out!

Thank you Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

I had to sit and think on this one awhile.

At first, I was really angry with the writer. So many secrets, so many lies, an ending that did not leave me happily satiated. The more I thought about it...the more I began to accept it and even appreciate the nuance. Not every book needs to feel tied up and happy -- this one definitely doesn't -- but I'm here for it.

This is a heavy book. It has a lot of character/world building that is extremely complex. There are also many characters that all carry an importance to both the overarching story AND the secret one that isn't really revealed until far later. It's fairly dark and angry in the context, so don't read this if you're looking for a fantasy world of happy magic.

I listened to this and think I would have been better off reading it. I will definitely be picking up the next book, and will make sure to re-read this one before I do. There are so many smaller components that I feel I don't fully have a handle on and will need to remind myself of after being away from this book for so long.

Marked as DNF @26% on 2/16/24 | Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook review copy. This did not affect my review or experience in any way.

This concept sounded so amazing and it's been a long time since I've been super excited for a fantasy novel, so I was hoping this one would finally grab me. It also received rave reviews from the few Goodreads friends who have read it so far and I was REALLY hoping I'd feel the same.

Honestly, I think the blurbs are doing it a disservice by comparing it to SIX OF CROWS. Part of the charm of SoC is how vibrant all of the characters are. Wit, cleverness, humor, and a gang that just fits together. I found the characters in A TEMPEST OF TEA to be highly lacking and I didn't connect to them at all. Arthie is so bland and any backstory of the characters I felt was just info dumped in some flashbacks half the time and it just didn't feel natural at all.

I was waiting to see if things would get better once the heist was introduced and it sounded low-stakes, boring, and like it wouldn't really matter much at all. I don't know, I could just not get interested in the plot.

The audiobook narrator for this was also PAINFULLY boring. Everything was so monotone and dull. I knew I didn't like her narration right off the bat but sometimes I can move past that if the plot is good. Without all those pieces coming together, this would have been a struggle and if I'm not captivated by 25%, it won't get much better. I'd rather not listen to this narration for another 75%.

A Tempest of Tea is a captivating book following Arthie Casimir, who runs a tea shop by day and an illegal blood house by night. I've seen this book compared to Six of Crows which I think is a really good comparison. However, I wish I hadn't gone in actively comparing the books.

Things I liked: Heist, vampires, twists, multiple POVs. This book was a fun and action packed ride.

I listened to this in audio format. Overall, the narrator did well. When it comes to audio books, especially in the fantasy genre, I do like to tandem ready with the audio + physical/e-book. In this case, I think I would have connected a lot more with the story and characters if I had a physical copy to go along with the audio. While the audio is good, when I reread, I will get myself a physical copy.

My rating is 4.5 stars. I can't wait for the second book, and to reread A Tempest of Tea when the time comes time to prep for the story to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this audio book from NetGalley and MacMillian Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a fantastic combo of elements combined into a compelling story. It's a story of found family, the long reaching effects of colonization, prejudices, a heist, and magic! Artie and Jin run a local gang
teahouse that's a vampire blood house by night. When the government targets their teahouse, they need to get together a team to gather some important info. But everyone has a different and secret reason for joining.

Theres not a ton I can say about this story that won't be a spoiler because it's riddled with twists. I absolutely loved this story. I loved the characters, and I loved the world building. I am already desperate for the next book. The story is so engaging and exciting. The audiobook is narrated by Maya Saroya and she is soooo good. I absolutely love her voice, her cadence, and how she reads the story.