A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal presents an intriguing premise: a tearoom that transforms into a bloodhouse at night, catering to a mysterious and dangerous clientele of vampires. The book's concept initially drew me in, but I found the execution lacking in certain areas.

The pacing of the story felt uneven, with a slow start and middle, only to speed up rapidly at the end. While the plot was interesting, it tended to drag in places, making it hard to stay engaged. I appreciated the cast of characters, but I struggled to feel a strong connection to most of them. Jin stood out to me as a highlight—his charm, humor, and bravery made him a memorable character. Flick was another character I liked for her loyalty, persistence, and resilience. However, I felt indifferent toward Arthie, who, despite being positioned as a central figure, lacked depth and development.

The audiobook, narrated by Maya Saroya, added an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading experience. Saroya's smooth and smoky voice fit the tone of the story perfectly, and she did a great job distinguishing the different characters through her vocal performance. In an ideal world, I would have preferred there to be at least two narrators, adding a distinct voice for Jin's point of view to help differentiate perspectives more clearly. However, I have no complaints about Saroya’s narration. The inclusion of a Q&A session with the author and her husband at the end was a nice bonus, providing additional insights into the book.

The book's banter, particularly between Arthie and Jin, was enjoyable and brought a few smiles, and I found the romance between Jin and Flick to be a nice touch. However, I think the author missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the characters' personal journeys, which would have made their relationships and conflicts more impactful. The ending left me feeling confused and uncertain, which has made me hesitant about picking up the sequel.

Overall, A Tempest of Tea felt like it wanted to be Six of Crows with a vampire twist, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Despite my mixed feelings, I do think that many teens will still enjoy this read, especially those who are fans of fantasy heists and morally complex characters.

While the book didn't entirely live up to its potential for me, it has intriguing elements that could appeal to readers looking for a unique take on vampire lore in a fantastical setting.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Interesting read for sure, looking forward to reading more from this series!

"Tempest of Tea" by Hafsah Faizal delivers a gripping blend of fantasy and intrigue. Set in the eerie streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir transforms her elegant tearoom into a forbidden bloodhouse at night, catering to vampires. When her world is threatened, she strikes a daring deal with a captivating adversary and assembles a crew of city outcasts to save her empire. The story dives deep into a heist within the vampire elite, unveiling betrayals and a darker conspiracy threatening her world. Faizal masterfully mixes romance and revenge, crafting a dark and action-packed narrative that sets the stage for a thrilling duology. This book is a must-read for fantasy lovers craving a tale of determination and dark alliances.

This is a review I've had a really hard time writing! The synopsis had me eager to read this, but I felt disappointed after finishing it. I expected lots of vampires, tea magic, and a crazy heist! But it was all given to us in a mid-tier fashion. However, it’s clear that Faizal is a talented writer, and that kept me engaged in the story and interested in exploring her backlist.

This was my first book by Hafsah Faizal, and it left me wanting more—a lot more. The beginning creates an incredible atmosphere that sets the mood for the entire story. However, the book’s atmosphere shifted significantly after the initial setup, leaving me feeling a bit disjointed. I initially loved the setup and the tea house, but these elements are only briefly experienced before the story transitions into something entirely different. (I'll need to return to this review once I've sorted my thoughts to explain more clearly why the book didn’t fully work for me.)

The characters are likable, and you start to understand them, but I felt we didn’t get enough insight into who they are. I'm unsure if this is a standalone novel or part of a series, but I think even a duology would help tie together the characters' arcs a bit more. While this may not work for readers who only pick up the first book, those who are already fans of the author or enjoyed the first book might find more satisfaction in a second installment. (Goodreads lists a second book, so it seems this will at least be a duology.)

I did get to listen to the audiobook and I overall enjoyed the narration, but did not feel that it added anything to the story.

Despite it not being a perfect fit for me, I would still recommend this book because it embodies everything I hoped for on paper, and I believe it will resonate with other readers. Faizal’s writing is fantastic, and I look forward to diving into her backlist soon!

*3.75⭐️
I instantly got sucked into this world! Hafsah Faisal does a great job of creating a world that you can visually see, and that really helped me to understand Arthie and Jin from the get go! I also loved how the book was written like a mystery, where different characters kept being introduced with unknown intentions that left me with the feeling I love whenever there’s a semi-unreliable narrator!

The characters were definitely the best part! I think my favorite is Mateo simply because his entrance was iconic and I was invested in the idea of him and Arthie from that very moment (we’ll have to see what happens there…).

My main issue with the book is that I was left kind of confused. Like, the first 60% or so of the book, I was genuinely confused about how parts of the fantasy world worked and what the point of the heist was (I’m still not even sure…). I also was annoyed by a few characters that seemed to do things that didn’t make sense for their character. Flick is the best example, because for some reason, she is both a high-society daughter so desperate for mother’s love that she’ll betray anyone to earn it back, but she’ll also change her name to distance herself from her mother. I mean, I guess people can be contradictions of themselves sometimes, but it still felt out of place. I also saw someone else on Instagram saying that her name didn’t fit her and I totally agree! I get changing Felicity, it’s just that Flick wasn’t really her vibe.

I really enjoyed the audiobook production! I thought that the bonus interview with Hafsah Faisal and her husband was really cool and had a lot of great insight! The narrator also did a phenomenal job with all of the different characters!

Overall, I am excited for the next book (especially after that cliffhanger), I just think that maybe I need to read We Hunt The Flame (which has been on my physical TBR for over two years) so that I can understand the world better.

While A Tempest of Tea has garnered much acclaim my experience with the book was quite different. Despite the beautifully crafted setting and the ambitious plot, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters. I frankly did not care about them nor was I invested in them.

That ending has me needing the next book right this very minute. How will I ever wait? I am attached to our ragtag crew. I need them all to be ok. I really enjoyed the different vampire lore in the story. I loved the writing style. It just pulls you in. I loved the cozy feel of the tea house. I cannot wait to read the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I did not enjoy A Tempest of Tea as an audiobook. I had a difficult time with the alternating narratives as the same narrator was used for each chapter and there was no audible indication as to when a chapter concluded. I will try to get my hands on a print copy to finish the story as the plot (that I could wrap my head around) was interesting.

3.5 stars, rounding down because I’m so disappointed in the ending. A Tempest of Tea is a pretty good book until about 80% of the way through. The characters are (mostly) believable and likeable (if morally subject) in their own ways. The setting is well put together, the world building is vague (but that didn’t seem like a deal breaker at first), and the plot is intriguing. Seems like a heist in a fantasy realm with some minor romances possibly bubbling up on the side… and then something happens that felt so out of character, that came off awkward, that just ruined every page that came after. It’s the first of a couple ‘bigger’ reveals; and it came off as cheap. It annoyed me as it didn’t feel natural (and the lack of world building just makes it seem more abrupt and ‘cheapens’ the whole set-up, as had we known more it wouldn’t have been such a big surprise…), and overall just irritated me. I am not a fan of books that change the rules or seem to leave rules out just to have reveals. I like when reveals are done in a way whereas soon as I read the reveal I can recall all the hints throughout the book, even if I never guessed what the reveal would be. In those books where I do guess the reveal I’m still less annoyed than with cheap reveals because at least it feels in line with what has happened and fits the narrative.

The reveal also leads us into a very odd little section and ending. Things are happening quickly as its climax time, and suddenly all the romances are brought together (presumably?) because characters are in peril. Another troupe I am not a big fan of. What’s worse is how lame and stilted the romantic moments come off as, and the lack of gothic allure (set up earlier in the book) is suddenly gone. It’s as though someone told Hafsah Faizal she had to put romance in her book and so she did. It would have been so much better with teasers and adhering to the less is more philosophy (to clarify it’s not raunchy romance or anything it just feels forced). Also less is more (should) make readers want to carry onto the next book in the series (not yet published). Instead this big ending made me go, meh. It’s truly unfortunate as Faizal has a knack for writing great one liner quotes, has cute little jokes throughout and real talent for sarcasm in her characters actions and words. But none of that matters if the core story and world building is not there. The plot was good, the characters (mostly) good, the writing very good; and yet I walk away from this one just feeling ‘meh’.

Is that a recommendation you might ask? I couldn’t say. If you love mild YA vampires then yes I might recommend you read this. However, if you are hoping for something more gothic or intimate then A Tempest of Tea will likely disappoint you in the end. It just feels too immature; not because it’s YA, but because the ending doesn’t seem like the same narrative. An unfortunate situation as the potential is all there; but final delivery must be bang on (for me) to make a book rise above being more than just good enough.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this title. This one was top of my 2024 new releases and I was beyond excited to a chance to read this early. It causes me actual pain to have to say, but this book ended up being a DNF for me. I even tried the audio hoping to get through it but I just could not stick with the story any longer. For as far as I got into the story, it feels very unpolished and the pacing is excruciatingly slow. This felt like a book that didn't know if it wanted to be a low stakes, cozy read or a thriller. I had a hard time keeping track of all the main characters and wasn't particularly drawn to any of them. I think in the end, what finally convinced me to give up on the book was how slow the story moved.

I just didn't love this. I feel like it wasn't a good balance of action and planning out the heist and I was pretty bored at various parts of the stories. I didn't find the characters compelling, and I don't think the story was done well.

The Lies of Locke Lamora meets Six of Crows with vampires! This was such a fun read. Beautiful magic system and enjoyable world building! The dialogue felt clunky at times but I was willing to overlook it because of the great characters and anti-colonization themes!

‘A Tempest of Tea’ sounded so good from all the reviews I had read and quickly gained my attention. The narrator’s voice was silky and soothing, but I did have a hard time differentiating between the characters. I had a hard time of figuring out who was who and what was what.

Many thanks to Hafsah Faizal, Macmillan Audio, , and Netgalley for providing me with an ALC of this book.

I've seen this being marketed as Six of Crows meets Peaky Blinders and it's not really enough of either to warrant it. With that being said, this is a really enjoyable read.

I do wish it was more heist-focused than it was, but I thought the twists and turns the plot took were good and kept me hooked in reading. Arthie and Jin are great contrasts to each other and I REALLY appreciate that this may hint at potential romances - and there is some kissing - but overall this is a YA that doesn't focus on romance (we need more of those).

I'm really intrigued to see where Faizal takes the coconuts as a way for vampires to sustain themselves plot point and imagine that Jin's parents (or at least their research) will be a more prominent feature in the sequel.

Side note - the cover art is GORGEOUS.

While Maya Saroya does a good job with the audiobook narration, I do wish there were individual narrators for each POV.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator did an amazing job with this read! I loved the action and found family. The magic and vampires were unique and fresh. I truly enjoyed the rich world and character building. The author was AMAZING with those plot twists - I did NOT see them coming at all. My only complaint would be that the pacing was a little slow to get to the exciting stuff. It only took one star off for that because I normally enjoy the slow pacing like in Ninth House and other novels and the exciting parts definitely made up for it! 🤍

Soo if you like:

✔️ Heists
✔️ Magic
✔️ Vampires
✔️ YA Fantasy
✔️ Found Family

I highly recommend checking this out! 😍🤍

God, do I love a heist book with morally grey characters, and this one really drew me in. This one let me think I had figured out the twists before adding one or two in that I didn't see coming for good measure. I love these characters and I need the next book!

This was definitely a wild fantasy ride from start to finish. There were plot twists at every turn, betrayal, and backstabbing. This is definitely more romance than fantasy so keep that in mind. I don't care for romances but this one had me falling in love with mostly because the central setting is a teahouse. Who can resist such a comforting cozy place.

"A Tempest of Tea" sounded so good in theory, but overall was clunky and suffered from trying to do too much. I was not a fan of the narrator, in fact, I found it challenge to follow the narration which is not typical for me. I thought there were too many characters and most were wet blankets. The setting was interesting and I loved the idea of a teahouse moonlighting as a "blood bank" for vampires, but that is honestly were my enthusiasm for this one ends.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC.

all i have to say is this was a masterpiece and omg I saw the hardback in stores before the release date but i NEVER by before release date and was shocked to see Faizal reply and REPOST my story ahhh the book was magic and raw and diverse I loved it!!!

Hafsah Faizal really knows how to get the reader's attention. When I first heard about this book and that it contained vampires, gangs, tea, and other things I was totally in. I was ready to read this book even before I saw it on NetGalley. Which thank you by the way for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book. I am not going to lie there were some parts of this book where I felt like I was loosing interest, but the author just pulls me back in. I totally didn't expect the ending and the plot twists and betrayals were just wow. Plus the bonus chapter is chief's kiss! Love the cover too!