I thought the narrator was great. Loved listening to her. I was a little disappointed in the book however. I was so excited for this one and I was over half way through before I became invested. I couldn’t “bond” or connect with the characters. I felt it jumped around in the beginning too much and left me lost it ended strong however. I might enjoy it better a second time around.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator made the book for me honestly! She made the characters jump to life in my mind and I was never wondering who was talking. She was amazing!

Overall the story was really interesting and had some good twists and turns. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and how the world was built. I am looking forward to the sequel and how it builds on this one.

2.5 and rounding up.
This has an intriguing premise, but it was a lackluster read, and something about the writing style was very disorienting. I was listening on audio, and by the time we were half way through I still was having trouble differentiating between the characters. They all felt like the same person, and there were many times within a POV that it felt like the POV switched even though it didn't. It was a frustrating listening experience.

The comparison to SIX OF CROWS has been mentioned to death, I do agree they have similar vibes, which I certainly would have counted it as something in it's favor, however, the things that make the found family/heist thing work in SIX OF CROWS, just didn't come together very well in this one.

I think a young YA audience will probably love it, more than someone like me who only dips in and out of YA and is comparing it to something like SIX OF CROWS.

I do want to mention that the voiceover did a great job, and it was nothing on their end that made the listening experience difficult, that is fully the responsibility of the author's writing style.

***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

3 out of 5 Stars

Ehh it was okay just not necessarily for me. The entire time I was just kinda bored but not enough to DNF it but the writing was good so I'll probably give her other series a try.

I did not finish this book. While there was a lot of characterization and intriguing world-building, I found the audiobook really hard to follow. I may not have been in the right headspace for it, so while I did not finish, I don't think that reflects on the quality of the book.

This was one of my first audiobooks, and the first I'd read with a woman narrator. I thought she did a wonderful job.

Subjectively, this book is well written. I think the characters were developed well and were, for the most part, really interesting. I'm glad I went into this book blind because I didn't realize it was about vampires.

I'm so happy that we're finally seeing women characters that can nearly be defined as morally gray. While Arthie truly thought she was doing good, she made a lot of questionable choices along the way.

This was a solid book, but I think there is a certain reader for it. I don't know if it was how the narrator chose to be, or if there truly wasn't much humor, but I do like a little levity when a story and world are dark. I know that isn't important to everyone though.

I would suggest this book to anyone who was a strong, brilliant FMC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Macmillan Children's Books, Hafsah Faizal, and Maya Saroya (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of A Tempest of Tea in exchange for an honest review.

What a perfect blend for all readers to enjoy. The first in a planned duology, A Tempest of Tea has vampires, romance, a heist plotline, and best of all, the backdrop of a teahouse for the main setting and the drive for the main character's actions. The audiobook narrator, Maya Saroya, does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and giving voice to the varying viewpoints.

Arthie runs a tea shop, Spindrift. By day, the pleasures and comforts of tea. By night,: the same, but steeped with blood for her less-liked vampire clientele. She is also a receiver and keeper of secrets, using information from her tea-goers to stay in business, mostly for the shadier aspects of who she provides for.

But the city and the people in it have other plans for Arthie and Spindrift. When her more illegal activities in correlation with her shop becoming known to a person of power, Spindrift is at risk of closure. Spindrift means everything to Arthie, so she will do anything to protect it, even infiltrating the underground society of vampires.

With a derelict group of misfits, Arthie accompanies friends, finds romance, and makes enemies as she makes every attempt to save her shop.

A wonderful novel with exciting twists, vampiric allure, and all while revolving around the exquisite allure of tea! This is an excellent book for lovers of paranormal, romance, and heist plots. The various aspects of the end already have me itching for the second book! This is one historical fantasy lovers are certain to enjoy.

This book was not for me.

Hafsah Faizal is an amazing writer, don’t get me wrong. Her prose, her world, and her characters are all beautiful and interesting. I was on the fence about reading this book since I’m not a huge fan of vampires, but I am a big fan of heists, and I’d seen a lot of hype around it, so I decided to give it a shot.

Unfortunately, I felt like this book was trying to juggle too much, too many character arcs and too many twists that the world and characters - and the heist itself - fell flat for me. The book was still a quick, page-turning read for me, so for that it gets three stars.

However, if you love vampires, 1920’s aesthetic, Camelot, and stories about dismantling empires, then this book is for you!

Thank you for the free audiobook arc.

#atempestoftea #bookreview #bookstagram #bookrecs

I tried several times, but I just can't get into this story. The characters feel flat and dull. Pacing is quite slow. And the plot was surprisingly uninteresting, perhaps because we're just tossed into this world with no buildup or explanation.

DNF

"A Tempest of Tea" is like a cup of tea that is brewed to perfection. The setting is reminiscent of an English city with the background of colonialism looking forever in the hearts of minds of the primary characters. The delightfully crafted characters seem in harmony at times and then spin off into their own worlds where they grapple with their places in this world.

A bit of a history lesson in the story reminds us that colonialism is more than just an import business.

As if that isn't enough, Faizal brings in vampires and they have their own stories to tell.

A Tempest of Tea is a web of dangerous liaisons. It's a tempest of emotions and life challenges that gather together to create a perfect storm.

This was my first read from Hafsah Faizal and it left me eager to explore her backlist of titles! The atmosphere, the chemistry, and the suspense of this story was top tier. The entire story was so immersive and I savored my time listening. The characters are all so memorable and dimensional. I have realized that as a reader, I struggle listening to fantasy audiobooks, excluding rereads, I struggle to pick up on some of the intricate details of the world-building. I am excited to reread the physical book and I think that will elevate my own personal reading experience but even struggling to follow (especially in the beginning) did not inhibit my enjoyment and connection to the text.

I have mixed feeling with this book. I loved the premise but the story was just lacking and left me uninterested in how things turned out. The world built was fairly complex and hard to follow at times on audiobook. It was the pacing however that got to me, it was just too slow.

3.8⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for this arc! This was SUCH a fun book, wow. I loved the dangerous vibe and high stakes heist. All though i hate books with two potential “love interests”, i loved the drama it added to this book. Ioved the romance and relationships between the characters. I found each character to be so unique and interesting. I was kind of lost through out the book, but that might be my fault. The betrayals and twists that happened caught me off guard and made the book even more entertaining. That ending is making me want to read book 2.
If you like dangerous heists, complex characters, and secrets, I recommend this book.

Arthie runs a tearoom by day and a blood house by night. I was so enamored with the concept that I'll admit I wish this setting played a bigger part in this book because it's a fun concept. Would loved to have seen it explored more. The tearoom is threatened and she must assemble a crew (old and new) for a heist that will change her world forever.

While this is set in historical Victorian London, there are many things about this world that felt like current day settings. I loved seeing vampires from a POC perspective, delving into things like first and second generation immigrants mindset and even colonialism. So many things that made this story a lot deeper. At times it gave Jade City flashbacks but I think only because of the "gangs" vibe. Although I think you'll certainly enjoy reading this if you like that.

A Tempest of Tea is a deeply rich story full of intrigue and suspense. While this book may not come across super flashy and maybe even a bit more subdued, it certainly delivers a story that you want to slowly peel back the layers. With some drama and romance, the stakes are high and the characters are deep. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Peaky Binders, or anyone wanting a different and original take on vampires.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun fantasy with some good twists and turns, a clever heist, and intriguing characters that kept me coming back for more. The audio narration was especially good, differentiating between the characters well and pacing the story well. I loved Arthie, Jin, and Flick, but Mateo was probably my favorite of all the characters; what can I say, I love a sarcastic bad boy with a secret heart of gold. And while I saw some of the twists coming (and given the author interview at the end, I was meant to), I was pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by many of the other twists (that ending! Dear lord, how am I supposed to wait for the sequel???). I'm very much looking forward to another adventure with Arthie, Jin, and their crew and can't wait to see how it all works out. I would especially be interested in listening to the audio version if it's by the same narrator.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was unable to finish this audio book in a timely manner and for that I would like to send my apologies to the publisher, the author, the narrator and netgalley. Life happened and when I came back to finish the book, it was gone and I was only given the option to review.
What I did finish, I thought was spectacular. The voice of the narrator was absolutely perfect and I wish I had been able to finish this book. I will have to purchase the audio book.

I really wanted to like this one, as it is so popular on Booktok and has been picked up for special editions by several of the major book boxes. I was also intrigued by the vampire bit. However, the story fell very flat for me. I had a hard time understanding the point of the plot, and though very character driven, the characters were not interesting to me. The cozy tearoom for vampires also felt very out of place and odd. The characters fell flat, the plot fell flat, and I ultimately DNFd it around 30%. I couldn't take it anymore, even with the audiobook.

I have to be honest, I've made it through about 30%. I can't bring myself to finish right now, and maybe I will at a later date, but I felt like it was a bit too clunky for me, for sure a pacing issue and the plot was lacking in favour of character, which is fine in a lot of other books, but not in this one :') I really wanted to love this

Vengeance, heists, and ragtag crews: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

An interesting world full of beautifully written interwoven stories. Arthie thirsts for vengeance and her group of criminals have a wild heist to execute. There’s adventure, action, romance, and a twist. The audiobook production was excellent and the narrator did an amazing job. Also THAT ENDING!

Author: Hafsah Faizal
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Audio: Macmillan Audio

🔔Content notes: classism, violence, colonization, death, loss, mild language (couple uses of d****), kissing, innuendo about blood merchants

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC of this great story.

i am literally obsessed with this book. i can't remember the last time i have so quickly fallen in love with a cast of characters! their banter was genuinely next level; why was i giddy and kicking my feet in a YA fantasy paranormal heist novel??? hafsah, explain yourself. the different dynamics explored amongst the crew also really ups the stakes in a high pressure plot. the politics of their society between the humans and vampires really bring it all together to create this super immersive, fast-paced story.

i need the next book like i need air!!

*thank you netgalley & macmillan audio for the early copy!