The narration was great, but the story was lacking. I found my mind wandering throughout this audiobook and struggled to really follow the storyline. The premise sounded so great, but there wasn't as much action to keep the story moving as I needed.

"The Tempest of Tea" by Hafsah Faizal is a vampire, heist, fantasy story.. The characters are fierce and a gang of misfits. The story was for sure a "fun" story but I thought it burned a little long at certain points especially describing the heist, it went on for eternity and then they do the heist...

I would recommend this book to Young and New Adult Readers who enjoy fantasy, romance, and heist storylines... oh and vampires! and 1930's gangster vibes.

Thank you NetGalley for providing us readers with this title.

2.5 stars.

Honestly, this was really disappointing. The book started off well enough and I liked the concept of the tea house and the peaky-blinders vibe first 100 pages offered. However, the moment the “heist” was revealed and the reason for the it, I lost interest. It just felt incredibly vanilla.

I struggled with a couple things with this book. First, the writing was incredibly clunky. I was fortunately given an audiobook arc of this one and would often lose track of the plot. Additionally, as other reviewers pointed out, the voice amongst the characters is incredibly similar. I would often forget whose perspective I was in. I also read the physical book, so the issue was not just the audiobook, which I still maintain is not my favorite. The plot was incredibly confusing and the pacing was off. I think Six of Crows did it better, unfortunately.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! The band of misfits, the slow burn, the atmosphere, the backstories, the characters themselves, it was all a great combination. I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn't listening to the audiobook. I did find the narrator a bit monotone at times but overall, well done.
I will be recommending this book to everyone.

Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, A Tempest of Tea was an exciting heist story full of twists, turns, and vampires.

I absolutely loved Arthie and her band of misfits, and was engaged through the whole story waiting to see what would happen and how it was all going to come together. The way the different characters and personalities melded was really interesting, and I can only imagine they will become more so in the next book.

The plot was fast paced and intriguing, and came to a satisfying conclusion while still making me want to see what will happen in the next book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Tempest of Tea and would highly recommend it for fans of YA fantasy heists.

I wanted to like this so much - an anti-colonialism MC, vampires, and a heist a la Six of Crows? Count me in!

However, I kept having the go back to verify whose POV I was reading since at times, the voices were so similar. The narrator made what might have been a lively, vibrant story into a monotone drone that kept me dozing off, and as much as I wanted to like Arthie, I didn't care what happened in the end, and that is the worst thing for me, to just not care about what happens in the book.

The setup and aesthetic are there, but unfortunately, there was little else of substance to recommend this book.

I wanted to love this one so much. I listened to the audiobook through twice - the first time around, I had found myself zoning out. The second time went a bit better but the pacing was still giving me difficulty. I was excited at the aspect of the tea house in this one especially given it served humans during the day and vamps at night, I thought there would surely be some drama attached to this but after the first few chapters, we barely hear about it. The characters are OK, I found myself having a hard time attaching to them and as a result didn’t find myself very invested in the romance. I think the biggest disappointment for me was the heist itself - there was so much talk and planning around it and I just didn’t feel like the high stakes were there. Normally, I would say that maybe it would’ve gone better if I had read this one with my eyes but the narration of the book was actually really good so I don’t think it’s that. This book is quite character driven and for a heist book, I think I just needed more action in the plot.

I’d give this one a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Content warnings: racism, xenophobia, colonialism, violence.

A huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Compare any novel to Six of Crows, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to read it. Same with vampires and heist stories, so this was a no brainer to request from NetGalley.

A criminal mastermind and collector of secrets who owns a tearoom she transforms into a bloodhouse at night for vampires in a Victorian London setting? I wanted to meet this character, and Arthie didn’t disappoint. She doesn’t trust easily and will protect those she does with her life. As a child on her own in the world, she encounters Jin, a boy her age who just lost his parents in a fire, and she takes him under her wing. Years later, they consider each other siblings, and Jin works for Arthie doing – various things. Their relationship is one of my favorite parts of the story – I love the found family trope. Jin is clever and charming, while Arthie is cold and calculating. They make a good team.

The King, aka the Ram, takes notice of Arthie and the power she holds over the city with her secrets and is determined to put her out of business. The Ram also isn’t a friend of the vampires, and many have gone missing. To save her business/home, Arthie puts together a team made up of herself, Jin, Flick (forger), Leith (guard and cat lover), and Matteo (vampire) to steal the Ram’s ledger filled with dastardly deeds. Although the heist is full of tension and some surprise, it’s overshadowed a bit by a couple romances and didn’t take up as much of the plot as I’d expected. I liked all five of these characters, and the story is made up of three POVs (Arthie, Jin, and Flick). I listened to the audiobook and narrator Maya Saroya does an outstanding job.

The jaw-dropping twist near the end made me wonder why I didn’t see it coming, and there’s a perfect setup for the next book. Which I will absolutely be impatiently waiting for. I’d recommend this novel to fans of found family, strong female MCs, and surprising betrayals.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 ⭐️ This book started off slow, and the vibes were strong , the tea house and the peaky blinders feels , but once the heist starts in act two, the book took off like a shot (shorter fast chapters , whizzing between the three POVs ) and slamming me into the cliff hanger ending that left me in a choke hold (on audio in my car listening to this with my mouth hanging open) I CANNOT wait for book 2. Vampires, some slow burn, political intrigue , a heist , double crosses. Really enjoyed this

3 Stars

i really wanted to love this but I think it was just a little to dark and deep for me. I listened to the audiobook and it was a little hard to follow. I might pick it up again as a physical book and try it again. The writing was beautiful and that makes it worth trying again. I will recommend it to friends who enjoy this type of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I am a huge fan of Hafsah Faizal - and I enjoyed this book like I have enjoyed all of her others! This one was a bit more confusing, so it took me a while to get through. Because of the confusion, I rated this one a little lower than her others. HOWEVER I still really enjoyed it - vampires, a tea room, and a HEIST? An incredible plot regardless of confusion. It was so unique and I did not see the ending coming - need that sequel ASAP!

This was a really neat premise. I've not read a heist fantasy other than Six of Crows, and I definitely can see how this was a more diverse SoC meets Peaky Blinders. The writing was absolutely beautiful and the story was very unique. That being said, I think heist stories might not be for me. I struggled to connect to the characters and while I enjoyed the 3 different POVs, I was never truly invested or eagerly awaiting what came next. The audiobook narration is amazing. Overall, I would categorize this story as a really great time and enjoyable read, but not something that I will be thinking about for months.

Overall, the writing and the plot of A Tempest of Tea were fine. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and that there was a little bit of a different take on Vampires in this than typically done. But it was a little confusing at times, like they were trying to put too much into it. I’m still not quite sure what was going on with Arthie’s gun, but I could have just missed it.

I’m not sure what it is about Faizal’s writing, but I always feel a little disconnected from the characters. I’m interested in them, I want to care about what happens to them. But it always feels like it comes up just a little short for me and I never fully connect to them.

The fact that I listened to this on audio is probably the only reason I was able to get through it in its entirety. The narrator did a fantastic job with the multitude of characters, though at times, I feel like it could have benefited from a full cast.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Young Listeners, and Hafsah Faizal for the advanced listening copy of A Tempest of Tea in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*This and the rating are in regards to the audiobook, and not the story itself*

I really enjoyed this narration. The book has a grittiness to it that I found the narrator brought out well through her general narration.

The characters themselves always sounded distinct, and the voices fit their described personalities, which was needed, given how the reader is thrown into the world, and how quickly POVs change.

Would definitely listen to something else with this narrator!

4.75⭐️

The story follows Arthie Casamir as the owner of the tea shop by day/blood shop by night, Spindrift. Arthie is a badass - she and everyone around her knows it. When Spindrift is at risk, she pulls together a crew to do the impossible to save their beloved home.

A Tempest of Tea is set in a fictional version of England, with a ton of commentary on anti-colonialism. It blends found family, an impossible heist, vampires and a dash of Arthurian legends. Hafsah Faizal managed to put it all together - carefully and very VERY well.

I had so much fun with this audiobook from the start. The heist did not start fully until post 55%, however, I enjoyed the tension and the suspense as it all laid out. The only thing I didn't enjoy is the last 15% - the twists fell a bit flat. That ending made me so mad. I was initially rating this a 5⭐️, but Hafsah wanted me to feel pain. If I was reading a physical book I probably would've thrown it across the room for that ending. I cannot wait for the next book.




Jin, Flick, & Laith (and his kitty) were my favorite characters and honestly I would die for them.

☕ POC Main characters
☕ Found family - Cast of misfits style
☕ Multi POV
☕ Vampires, King Arthur's Legend, Peaky Blinders & Six of Crows vibes
☕ Intrigue & Suspense & Twists galore
☕ Tension filled romance. ❤️
☕ Ending = emotional damage

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Listener's copy of A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal.

I liked this so much that I went out and bought a copy of my own.
It was so fun and magical. I really liked the world and the vampire lore. The outfits and the settings were so cool and vivid. I loved Spindrift, the idea of it even is just so cool and creative.
I really enjoyed the characters too. Arthie was my favourite, but the rest were so good too. (I personally loved Chester. Adorable little criminal). My only problem with the book is that I felt like even though we got three POV chapters, it still felt like Arthie was the only main character. In Flick and Jin's POVs, there is still so much description and narrative space given to Arthie. If that was the reverse in her chapters it would've been fine, but I felt like Jin and Flick were more after-thoughts than true main characters. I hope this changes in the next book because I really liked them both. I also really liked Matteo, and I'm torn on who I think should be the endgame choice. Laith was so interesting (and he had a cat who he loved which gets him major bonus points), but he was just so, idk, shady? I felt like he was more fleshed out than Matteo though, because we spend so much more time with him in Arthie's chapters. I feel like Matteo didn't get a fair chance and I hope the next book either has his POV or spends much more time with him.
The heist was fun and the plot was very interesting. I liked all of the different moving parts in it and all the ways in which magic was infused in the story. It was in such little things, like Calibore or Laith's weirdly good climbing abilities. It's just such a cool and intriguing world.
Also the narrator for this audiobook did a spectacular job. I loved listening to her.

I have been so excited about this book and it did not disappoint. Arthie and Jin were an amazing duo. And their crew was amazing. Also love the cat. It had all the pieces of a good heist. I will definitely reread it before the second book comes out. The narrator was excellent as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc.

I really really wanted to love this, but to be honest it was only okay. The pacing was just a little off - really slow at some points that should have been exciting.
The love triangle, instead of being dramatic just kind of felt confusing, almost as if the author kept forgetting which one was supposed to be the love interest. There was also very little build up for them - just suddenly it was insanely intense, and maybe that's a me problem but I need more tension.
Then there were things logistically that just didn't make sense. Laith, in general. How is he new to Ettenia but also a high ranking official in the Horned Guard? How did he escape the vampires that captured him and/or why did they just let him go? (essentially rendering Arthie's betrayal completely useless/pointless without her having to do any internal work?) Why was she so thrown off by him wanting Calibore at the end when he literally told you he wanted the artifact right after you showed it to him?
How did everyone except Jin realize she was a half-vampire? Does she literally only drink coconuts and no blood? That just feels so weird and random, even with all the mentions of coconut throughout the story.
I know I complain a lot, but I did actually enjoy it, and I'm curious to see where the story goes.

Criminal mastermind, Arthie, will do all she can to save her tearoom so when she's offered a chance to take on a heist she will. now facing the threats and conspiracies of a society that's against her she and her crew will do what they must to save what they love.

Going in I knew a few things. One, the title, A Tempest of Tea, what more from a name do you need? Next, the author, nothing by talent. Third, "Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night," I read just that line and stopped reading the blud as I didn't want to know anything more than that. Those three things there had me wanting to dive into these pages and I couldn't be more happy that I read this book.

For that, I am not going to go much into the plot but will mention things that I enjoyed or wanted more of.

Arthie is a strong and independent character who is out for what she wants. I love the found family in this intense world. You feel on edge and there is a feeling that the characters will and can lose everything they love, but also know that they care for each other. There is a plotline of a heist and if you know me you know I love a story with a heist. I'm not going to say anything about vampires but I will say I liked Hafsah's take on vampires.

Hafsah Faizal has easily become one of my favorite authors in recent years. I am just in love with her writing style and the worlds she has created. I found and enjoyed the tearooms and bloddhouses; I wish we got even more about them and that part of the world. There are also past plotlines that we get to see unfold and play out and Hafsah Faizal does a great job of making the past feel just as important as the present.

Heavey topics like colonialism, racism, death, and more so please look up content warnings. I think the author does a good job of writing about these topics in a way that is part of the world and story. You get to see and learn about the topics and how they affect the characters.

I listened to the audiobook. I loved it! The narrator Maya Saroya did such a good job. The passions, feelings, style, and vibe that Maya was able to put into the story are top-level. The voice fits the characters and world. I also enjoyed that at the end of the audiobook I listened to there was a bonus conversation with the author and that was a blast!

I can't believe that this is just a duology, I feel like I am going to want more in the world. Overall, this is a magical read that is beautifully written.

If Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves was smashed with vampires you'd get A Tempest of Tea!

This young adult historical fantasy of found family, romance, and finding a place when facing a society that is against her.

This is one of my favorite reads this year! I LOVED this audiobook the inflection and personality the narrator brought to life. I also quite enjoyed the author's Q&A at the end of the audiobook. I have to say though, I didn't see the obvious distractor. I was honestly surprised by every twist and turn with just an inkling that something could go wrong. There are a lot of characters to follow in this book, which I didn't always like as it can get a bit confusing in audio format. So some of the side characters are still quite murky in my brain. However, I enjoyed Faizal's world-building and heist-planning. It takes a talented writer to plan out the heists and then actually map them out in the plot. I highly, highly recommend the read!