I really like the story so far but the audiobook narrators British accent is too thick for me to really be able to enjoy the story and audiobook, so I’m going to be finishing it as soon as it comes out and I can read the story.

Do you love a good heist?
Vampires?
Tea?
Cats?
Bipoc authors and characters?
Found Family?
Then this book is for you!
Arthie runs a tea shop by day and an illegal vampire den by night. Shenanigans happen and a heist is needed to save her tea shop.
Industrial and vampiric, crazy heist, a band of misfits. It's the perfect combination. The author has confirmed that she was inspired by Peaky Blinders. I've never watched Peaky Blinders, but I know the concept and now want to watch it because of this book.
And the ending! WHAT??? I won't give any spoilers but WHAT???
Since I read the audio arc, I will also discuss the narrator. She has such a soothing voice. Her various voices for the different characters was really well done and added so much to the story. She was a great choice for this book.

I’m so thankful to NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and of course Hafsah Faizal for giving me the opportunity to listen to A Tempest of Tea before release! I was a big fan of We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars, so this was my number one top anticipated read of 2024 and it did not disappoint!

While listening to A Tempest of Tea, I realized I quickly reached the halfway point, but it also felt like not much had happened by then. The first half was definitely focused on the planning of the actual heist, introducing the dynamics between characters and setting up the romantic relationships, which felt dragged out at the time I was reading it. I was in a rush to get to the more action-packed parts of the plot, but once I got there, I found myself desiring that we had more time with each of the characters, so I definitely recommend readers BE PATIENT and enjoy the development of characters. There were small details in the slower parts of the story that made later events much more heartbreaking and meaningful. The second half made me appreciate the first half a lot more, but it doesn’t change that the pacing was definitely off. I think it would have been better for there to be less planning of the heist and more execution, or if there were more challenges in preparation to create more suspense in the slower parts of the novel.

A Tempest of Tea has a diverse cast of characters WITHOUT feeling as if Faizal was just trying to check off boxes or disregarding their identities as some little side detail that has nothing to do with the plot. Some other authors seem to really struggle with this and make a character of a minority background without acknowledging how that character’s identity would impact their interactions with the world and the character’s motivations. Because of this, I really want to point out that in A Tempest of Tea, the characters openly talk about how their identities motivate them, shape their past, and the biases they face living in the country that has colonized their homes. I also appreciated how colorism was discussed and characters acknowledged how it made it easier for some minorities to pass and progress in the country compared to others. Hafsah Faizal did an amazing job with this, and she deserves praise for it. This is how it is done!

If I had a nickel for every spin off book about found families and heists in the seedy underbelly of a city then I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.
This book desperately wants to be Six of Crows and yet it doesn’t quite reach that goal post. We have the found family, the morally grey characters, and of course the heist, the writing isn’t always there in my opinion. While I find this novel to be a great step up from her first series, I still think Faizal has room for improvement. She needs to make the voices of these characters more distinct. Often I would forget whose POV I was in. Overall, it is not a bad book. But it isn’t my favorite either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Where do I start with such a crazy ride? How about, HOW DARE IT END LIKE THAT? Okay I am calm and collected now. But seriously, this is a dazzling world full of such cinnamon roll characters and twists and turns that they honestly don't deserve.

I think this book excels in the character department, and I absolutely adored every last one of them. They were all so different but definitely showed their struggles and growth in such relatable ways. I think it lacked slightly in the worldbuilding department. I found myself confused about what was what pretty far into the book still, and I'm not sure that I ever really got everything down.

All in all, this is such a fun ride with some amazing new characters that I cannot wait to see continue their journeys! Get your hands on this book the moment it comes out!

Oh. My. Gosh. This book was incredible!! It was told from multiple perspectives, it was a heist, there were vampires, there was a tea house that converted into a blood house for vampires, the world building was phenomenal, each character has such a fascinating backstory, and it ends with a cliffhanger - this book is SO good!! I cannot wait to read the second book when it comes out - and I definitely want to check out the other books this author has penned.

I’ve read vampire books before but the element of a heist and each character bringing such an interesting backstory that fuels their specific skills and then how pieces of the story are revealed slowly over time is.. this book is in a league all in its own!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced electronic version of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Heist. Vampires. Tea. What’s not to love?
I was expecting a cozy fantasy since this story was based around a tea shop but A Tempest of Tea isn’t a cozy fantasy. It’s fast paced, adventurous story with high stakes. The heist was well done and I enjoyed learning about each character and their motivations. Each character was well written and worked well in the story.
The audiobook narrator was good. They spoke at a good speed so I only had to speed it up to 1.5x instead of 2x.

Everything about this book sounded like it was right up my alley. Peaky Blinders/Six of Crows vibes with vampires, tea, heists, and a bit of King Arthur thrown in. Sign me up!

Sadly, the book isn't able to deliver on all it promises. I really think its downfall was trying to do too much and pandering to popular tropes.

Where the book does succeed are the bits that deal with tea and the tearoom by day/blood house by night. Unfortunately, the plot of the book doesn't have many scenes that take place in the tearoom, which seems like a disservice unto itself. I also really enjoyed all the anti-colonialism themes, and the parts where we learn more of the main characters' back stories. The author also did a wonderful job of creating a world that feels both familiar and new at the same time.

The vampire lore is never fully established, and I am still next to clueless on the magic system of this world. I also never really bought into how close the group was, or felt like they meshed well as a whole. The romance plotlines felt like an unnecessary addition, and I really didn't enjoy them.

The ending of the book has several twists and has a massive cliffhanger, but even that is not enough for me to want to read the second book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy for review.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from the publisher via Netgally for an honest review.

I love the cover of this novel and I loved the idea and was super excited to pick this novel up. However, I feel like from the beginning, I was just lost the entire story. This was not just me, I had a buddy listen with this novel and she was confused the whole time too! The reader was mostly good, until we moved onto a different character speaking or thinking and her voice did not change at all, so I would get confused as to who was speaking....which would confuse me even more! Near the end I would start to pick up a little here and there and think that I was understanding the story more....and then would get lost. I feel like this novel had so much potential but was horribly, utterly confusing the entire time that I could not even tell you what happened. Disappointing.

2.5 stars rounded up

I feel like the odd one out here, but I thought this was just...fine. The setup and vibes were fun- a Peaky Blinders era teahouse that secretly serves blood to vampires and a group getting together for a heist a la Six of Crows. Plus getting into the impact of colonialism, and being an immigrant creating a life for yourself. Sounds great.

But while the characters seem specific on the surface, their dialogue and internal monologues weren't really distinguishable and kind of bled together for me. They didn't feel distinct and I was never as invested as I wanted to be. There's a lot of flirting, done in a way I probably would have been into as a teen reader. So I'm sure that will hit for much of the intended audience, even if I didn't care enough about the potential relationships for it to really work for me. In terms of plot, there are a lot of moving pieces and it ends up being kind of confusing at times. The heist element is okay and will probably be fun for some readers. There are reveals, most of which aren't terribly surprising, and some of which don't totally make sense to me. Like the coconut thing? Feels a little out of left field.

The other thing that's sort of niggling at me is that Arthie REALLY reads as queer-coded, but then isn't. And of course authors can do what they want with their character's sexuality, but something about the way her romantic moments were handled always felt off to me. I don't know exactly what it is but there's something there. None of the characters are actually queer, but they read like some of them should be. And maybe it's the similarities to Six of Crows? (in which a few of the Crows are in fact queer) I'm not sure I want to say it's a problem per se, but I thought I should mention the discrepancy and how it felt weird to me reading it, especially as a queer person.

Overall thoughts- this is heavy on vibes, light on distinctive character voice, and a bit messy in terms of plot. It was fine, but I didn't love it in the way I hoped to. I also think the audio narrator may have exacerbated the existing problems. A better voice actor might have been able to infuse characters with more distinct personality, even if it wasn't entirely there on the page. I received a copy of this audiobook for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The concept is interesting, but lacked in execution. I wouldn't say this is a vampire novel, there just happens to be some vampiric characters. Connection to the characters was lacking and the plot moved slowly. There was so much hype for the tea room and the heist, but the story did not deliver. The narration of the audiobook could've been improved by distinct voices between the different characters or a full cast.

Vampires, heist, found family. Including a wide cast of characters. This has been described as King Arthur meets Peaky Blinders and I can absolutely see why these comparisons are made. This was an interesting read and I would be interested in what the next book brings.

I have read We Hunt the Flame in the past and found it interesting so when this author's name came up on yet another book, I knew I had to give it a shot. I really enjoyed this book. The cover was alright but the blurb pulled me in.
My favorite part of this read was the detailed world building. I was so thankful for vampires not sparkling....I am not a twilight fan. That being said, I loved the concept that vampires who consumed enough blood were nearly living in appearance. What a unique idea.
I was not a fan of the rushed romance in this novel but overall I did enjoy the book.

I am an unwavering member of "camp tea" (discussed in the interview with Hafsah Faizal at the end of the book) so the title immediately caught my attention, the cover design sucked me in, and the description (Vampires!) drained me of all abilities to resist requesting ARC access through NetGalley. As an avid audiobook consumer, I was thrilled to death to be granted access to the ARC audio version.

As soon as I hit play to begin listening, I was transported to the setting and mood of the book with the haunting bells that chime as the intro (and outro) music. Once the narration began, I knew it would be difficult to stop listening to this tale.; absolutely perfect narrator choice!

This was the first book written by Hafsah Faizal that I've read and I guarantee it will not be my last. The author diligently builds the world for the reader(s) and smoothly introduces each character throughout this heist novel. The detail that Faizal provides is perfectly balanced to describe her vision to the reader while also empowering the reader's imagination to formulate the rest. For example, if I were a Vampire, the Spindrift is precisely the type of establishment I would haunt with religious regularity. But, alas, as a mortal, I simply find myself longing for such a tea room to visit.

As the plans and execution of the heist progressed, I felt like I fluctuated between being an attendee/observer at the main event and being a participant striving for success with the mission!

Faizal reveals additional subplots and surprises throughout the book. At times, these felt like strange detours; however, after reaching the end of the book, I can see the reason for a variety of introductions and back stories.

I am already looking forward to the sequel and diving into Faizal's additional works! Thank you, NetGalley, Hafsah Faizal, and Macmillan Publishers for this ARC!

(4.9 stars) Honestly this is a 5 star read for me, I’m only knocking it down because I hate cliffhangers! In her post audiobook interview Hafsah Faizal says she loves to cause suffering and here I am suffering!! I love a good heist story and I’m in my vampire era so this really fit the bill for me. Arthie is such a great headstrong and complex character, I love seeing her thoughts and reading her POV was great but all the POVs in this were so good. There was never a time where I was bored or thought “ugh, I can’t wait for this chapter to be over” because of a POV change. I really love the found family aspect and how each of the characters brought something unique to the story. I cannot wait for the second book to come out.

‘Abandoned souls bound by the restless anger in their veins’ could describe every single character in a Tempest of Tea. The slow burn, plot twists, found family, heist plans, and vampires all combined into one of the best books I’ve ever read.

The story picks up about halfway through as each character backstory is explored more and secrets are revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed the character depth and twists in the story - each new twist was so unexpected.

Thank you for the opportunity of an ARC, and I am leaving this review willingly.

I really like the narrator of this book, the story is very immersive. I can’t wait for this book to be released I think it’s going to be very popular. I will say this was entertaining the whole way through.

I was provided and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. The narrator was wonderful and really brought the characters and story to life.

This is told from the perspectives of Arthie, Flick, and Jin who all play parts in this YA fantasy heist novel. There are also some very important side characters that play a part in their group as they navigate the underbelly of vampire politics and polite society. By day Arthie and Jin run a tea house, by night it turns into a haven for vampires. At any time a of day Arthie is always collecting secrets that she can use to her advantage at a later date. When their establishment is threatened and they are soon to be without a place to call home, Arthie and Jin devise a plan to steal valuable information that will upset the ruling powers. To do so, Arthie must put together a crew to make the heist go smoothly, but she doesn't trust everyone in the crew and must stay 2 steps ahead of everyone. I loved Arthie, and the King Arthur aspect of her character. I can't wait for more of her in book 2. All the characters bring something to the table that make you want to get to know them more.

This has everything you want from a good novel. It has action, twists and turns, betrayal, and a hint of romance. Some of the twists you see coming and they are pretty obvious, while others are a little more subtle and you don't quite see them coming. Each of the characters has their own motivations and growth arc which is very well done.

This ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, but the audiobook contains a lovely interview with the author and her husband. I'm not sure if it is included in the print version, but it was really enjoyable to hear about her writing process, why she chose to tell the book from 3 POVs, and her love of tea. Their interaction was really enjoyable and they play off of one another so nicely. It is full of spoilers so you will want to have read the book first before listening or reading the interview. I loved hearing her discuss about why she chose to do certain things with certain characters and while she doesn't give much away for book two, she gives hope that all will be answered in the next book.

This really is perfect for fans of Six of Crows. This also has the same sort of found family vibe, but the characters are vastly different. I loved it and I can't wait for book 2! This is my first book from the author though I can quickly see her becoming a favorite! It was so refreshing to pick up such a fun book with a unique take on the heist and political intrigue aspects.

I really don't know what else to say other than I LOVED this book. I highly recommend the audio!

Vampires.
Found family.
A heist.
Steamy make outs.
And a tea shop owner with a taste for chaos.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my alc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

HAFSAH NEVER FAILS!!!!! Sands of Arawiya is one of my favourite series of all times and I was so eager to read this as it had a lot to live up to and oh boy does it deliver!!!! I’ve already listened to it 3 times and I preordered the audiobook because this is definitely being added into my regular rotation of re reads!

Full review to come when the excitement has worn off a bit and I can put together a coherent sentence