Wow, this book is delicious. Vampires and the ending oh my! This book is an enticing read, if it takes a minute to get into it don’t stop you will be rewarded. I received an ARC of this book.

A Tempest of Tea falls into the category of interesting concept with poor execution.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I was lured in with the amazing concept of a vampire heist, but it ultimately fell short. I didn’t connect with the characters (which is huge in a heist book), the love interests were awkward, and the pacing was a little jarring.

Even when we got to the heist there was more of a feeling of “ok I have no idea what the plan is, but I guess I’m along for the ride” but there was no payoff in the end. I couldn’t find myself believing that any of these characters were actually capable of the feats they were trying to pull. There was no charm and nothing making me want to pick it up.

OH, and the fact that the vampires were totally irrelevant to the story – such a letdown! They could have easily been switched out with any type of high society/nobles/elite and the story would have been the exact same. I’m just so disappointed – I really wanted to love this story.

I had high hopes, and I tried very hard to like this. I simply couldn't. The problem started with the underdeveloped plot. The world could have been built a little bit better because outside taking the vampire trope, I couldn't see anything original nor interesting in a group of people who loosely don't like each other to finish the job. The world-building was done redundantly, there was a lot of description of nothing really. Nothing that didn't draw me to the story or protagonists. Now, about characters. They are the most bland bunch who are walking trauma with no personality whatsoever. And they are just simply unlikeable. Especially the main character. There is no purpose in anything she does or says. She just runs her mouth to show everyone how badass she is. The tea house doesn't exist, in comparison to Peaky Blinder, and even worse The Six of Crows is nonexistent. The essence of these two creations was completely lost, otherwise we would have something to talk about. One thing, ONE, I appreciate is the anti-colonial themes.

If it comes to the audiobook itself, I have never experienced that before, but the narrator sounded like she didn't want this job, she didn't like the book herself and just showed up, did the job, and said bye. It was painful, I couldn't focus for the love of me, and the monotony of the storytelling was a crime against the listener. There is a great responsibility of a narrator to present even the worst story compellingly, this was not it. It's too bad because I might have even enjoyed it if the production decided to divide voices or have someone who those voices would separate. If I find myself wondering constantly who is saying what, I am not buying it.

** The ISBN could not be found so I posted the review manualy **

After listening to about half of this book I was still waiting for things to happen. I found this to be incredibly dull and over done. The "Tea Room" was not super exciting, the vampires were dull, and the main characters were all over the place. I struggled through to the end and want my 5 hrs of life back if I am honest.

Faizal weaves beauty and magic with her words, transporting the reader to another time and place, so vividly it feels like they’re there. Elegant prose and fantastic descriptions. I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrator was perfect and did a great job embodying the characters. The interview at the end with the author and her husband was a cool bonus. Definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy!

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

OH. MY. GOD.

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far. It had everything I didn't know I needed -- heists, twists and turns, vampires, a freaking cliffhanger ending that has left me reeling. (No, seriously, I listened to that ending at least 5 times now trying to figure out if I missed something and nope. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR BOOK TWO AND BOOK ONE ISN'T EVEN OUT YET 😭)

This was basically Six of Crows but with vampires, a female Kaz, and honestly a better story in a lot of ways (don't come at me, I loved Six of Crows, so for me to say this is better just tells you how amazing this book was).

We were given details and secrets at just the right moments, and to be honest, I didn't see a lot of the twists coming. Like, at all. The writing was exquisite, the narrator of the audio did such an amazing job with this, and all-in-all it was a fantastic experience.  Highly, highly recommend this one.

Arthie runs a tearoom by day. But when night falls, it turns into a secret bloodhouse for vampires. Arthie and her team of friends create a plan to keep her beloved establishment safe, but discover an abundance of secrets and conspiracies along the way.

The overall concept of this book is fantastic and I really enjoyed the characters. I also liked that colonialism was specifically called out. This book had moments of greatness, but ultimately wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was off a bit. I also never felt invested in the heist and the reveal of the Ram was anticlimactic for me.

I listened to the audio and the narrator has an incredibly soothing, crisp, and clear voice. I would have loved a bit more emotion and the story may have benefited from adding another narrator for Jin’s POV to add some character distinction. The Q&A between the author and her husband at the end was so fun!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

First thing first, vibes are immaculate. Descriptive writing, superb. I wish the romances were more developed. They felt a little jumpy and disjointed from the rest of the story. I was also listening to this arc and I may be able to connect more if I read it. The found family aspect was endearing - a bunch of kids surviving on their own on the streets then coming together to protect and support each other. I am eagerly awaiting the hard copy because it looks spectacular with the smoky artwork and color overlay. The narrator worked wonderfully for most of the characters, especially the ones with the heavy cockney accent. The voice for Laith was not my favorite. Thank you Net Galley for the audiobook arc!

As soon as I started it, I could not stop. Although it is compared with other heist books, such as Six of Crows, it was able to hold its own. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook to read and review.

Maya Saroya is an excellent narrator. This was easy to listen to!

A Tempest of Tea is very much in the vein of (pun intended) Six of Crows. Honestly, if this wasn't written as beautifully or had any fewer delicious twists, it would have been TOO alike. The romance and drama is excellent! Nothing over the top, all of it was believable.

The vampires! Faizal created a fascinating world, a great cast of characters, and balanced that off with the tea house setting that was sooooo good. I loved all the talk of tea and food! And the kitten <3

Excellent book, definitely recommend!

<i><b>"We are the same, Arthie. We understand what it's like to grieve with fire and not tears. What it's like to do anything for those we love.”</b></i>

<u>Tropes</u>
• Enemies to lovers
• Touch her and you ☠️
• Vampires
• Betrayal

<b>Perfect for Fans of Six of Crows & Peaky Blinders!</b>


⭐️⭐️
I heard amazing things about this novel and really wanted to get into it but unfortunately I couldn’t. It was very confusing especially with multiple POVs. I did enjoy the narrator of the audiobook and she did an amazing job at trying to use different voices for each character which did help a bit.

I’ll definitely try to reread this novel again once I get a physical copy!

<b>Thank you to NetGalley, Hafsah Faizal, and Macmillan audio for the chance to listen and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thought and opinions remain my own.</b>

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m super thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This book follows Arthie, A young woman, who has fought her way to success as a Tea Room owner a long with being a criminal mastermind and providing the cities vampires a unground blood house. When Arthie finds her business and home being threatened by a powerful vampire she teams up with her adoptive brother Jin, talented forger Flick, famous artist and vampire Matteo, and Arawiyan Hashishin Laith to steal a ledger in hopes of saving the Tea Room.

Overall I had a fairly good time with the book, I really loved Arthie and Jin’s characters and sibling relationship the two of them really carry the story. I also adored the references to and condemnation of colonialism is the book, and I ate every tid bit of what was going on in Arawiya after the end of We Free the Stars up. Most of my issues with the story have to do with the romance elements and the fact that a lot of the subplots don’t seem to work very will the the main overarching plot for me, Arthie’s Love triangle really being a low point for me

While I enjoyed the narration and I believe the narrator did a fantastic job I do feel this book would have been easier to understand with the shifting POVs if multiple Narrators had been utilized. I really loved the Narrator’s various voices and accents for her characters and found her narration crisp and easy to understand.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, so thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this early arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the start of a vampire heist fantasy duology, and I lapped it up. If you were a fan of Six of Crows, found family, or multi-POV, this is a story for you. I found the cast of characters intriguing, engaging, and relatable. I really enjoy the love triangle for our heroine, it kept me guessing. And the romance between two of our other side characters was cute and vulnerable--the pining practically leaps off the page. There is love, friendship, betrayal, vulnerability, and many a twist and turn. Discourse on racism, classism, greed, and power are seamlessly incorporated. This is YA but still borders on romantsy despite its thrilling plotline. Arthie is an amazingly well-reasoned protagonist despite her secrets. She seems to always be one step ahead - she's everything a YA lead should be in my opinion. We don't waste a lot of time on world-building at the outset, instead, we continue to learn about the world our story is set in as it progresses, which frankly I find more fun. Brew a cup of tea and settle in for this clever and cozy tale of heists and revenge.

Firstly, the audiobook format was great to listen to and I really enjoyed listening to this story.

Secondly, I liked the characters. Especially the main character, Arthie was a great front person to read about. The other characters we meet along the way add to the fun and complex layers of this story.

I was a bit skeptical about this having vampires in it, usually that's not my cup of tea (hehe) but I was surprised by how much I liked that part of this book. I think the world building and the magic and tea being a big part of the book helped to create a unique story even though things like vampires and heists aren't new. Hafsah Faizal's writing was captivating and I was hooked into the story from the first couple chapters, easily too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook copy.
Audiobook: The narrator was very good. The audio quality was crisp and oddly satisfying. The narrator differentiates the characters pretty well. This audiobook may have benefited from multiple narrators for different character POV's, but this didn't limit my enjoyment of the book. I hope she narrates the next one.

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year. I really enjoy Hafsah Faizal's writing style, and she delivers some really good writing in this novel. I like Faizal's portrayal of vampirism. This book is set in a different country, but exists in the same world as We Hunt the Flame. You do not need prior knowledge of the first series to enjoy this one, though it was a nice surprise to hear some updates about Zafira and Nasir.

A Tempest of Tea was primarily exposition, and missed on opportunities to connect the characters with the reader. The world felt real, but the characters felt thin. The heist plot in this book was very contained and confusingly smalls-scale. Additionally, Faizal heavily focused on the romantic relationships between its main characters. Both relationships felt too intense and rushed for me, and were dangerously insta-lovey.

In the next books, I hope we can learn more about the friendships within the crew, as I missed the found-family dynamic in this book. The most compelling aspect of this book was Jin's relationship to Arthie, and how he will have to deal with Arthie's character reveals. Flick's relationship with her mother was confusing but impactful.

This book was solid. The plot twists were set up well, and had satisfying reveals, and deals with issues like colonization and racism. Faizal sets a solid foundation for a series in this first book, and I do look forward to reading the next one. If you liked We Hunt the Flame, this book is worth checking out.

Publish date: 20 Feb 2024

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.25/5 stars

The production and narrator on this were PHENOMENAL! From the first chapter through the author interview, this was just a wonderful experience for any audiobook listener.

I love a good heist story and A Tempest of Tea did not disappoint - but I wouldn't say the heist was the central plot. To me it felt much more a story of self discovery, the dangers of secrets, prejudice, and colonialism. All that said - the heist was freaking awesome and I did really love the strong female lead with an incredibly sharp wit, a clever mind, and all the sass I could ever hope for.

This was such an excellently crafted story, with 3 fantastic POVs, hidden and conflicting agendas, and perfectly timed, deliciously jaw-dropping twists, reveals, and betrayals. I love a story where I can guess some things but not others, and Faizal masterfully executed the old bait and switch here by teasing one big reveal to hide several others. I did not expect everything that happened at the end but I am dying to find out what happens next.

Last thing I'll say....that last chapter was just RUDE with the cliffhanger - this author is vocal about wanting her characters and readers suffer and she holds true in A Tempest and Tea. Not one any fantasy lover will want to miss!

A Tempest of Tea takes place in the same world as the author's previous novel, We Hunt the Flame.
What I liked: An underground bloodhouse catering to vampires
What I didn't like: the plot. It felt flimsy, like much ado about nothing. A lot of running around and hijinks built around trying to save the main character's teahouse.
I really wanted to like this more, because vampires! There was a great spicy scene that I appreciated.
Overall, I'm a little disappointed.

This was disappointing. It was so unnecessarily complicated. Information was just tossed at us with no real explanation at the beginning. My head was quite literally hurting from trying to piece it all together and keep my povs straight. The chemistry wasn’t there and none of the characters felt real to me. Even the setting felt distant and convoluted.

The idea of this book is absolutely fantastic but it just fell short in too many areas.

I loved Hafsah Faizal's Sands of Arawiya series so when I heard she was writing a new book set in the same world I knew I would love it too. Plus it has two of my favourite things, vampires and tea. After that cliffhanger I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

- I don't think I've stopped screaming since I ended this book!!
- The way fire shows up throughout this book is so so interesting, especially with Flick and Jin!
- This was one of those books that I finished and immediately started realizing how many hints were dropped throughout the book that I didn't notice! Pulling that off is not easy and this book did it so so so well.
- I love the way Arthie's and Flick's POVs showed such different ideals towards the government, and Arthie's rage vs Flick's desperation to placate her mother were so tragic when read back to back.
- The magic system/vampire system in this universe is so interesting, and I desperately need more!!
- I really liked the narration, and I thought the accent helped me really slip into the story!