I think I should start by saying that I pre-ordered this book way back on the 3rd March 2022 (basically as soon as I was able to) having waited patiently since it was even hinted at over on Hafsah Faizal's IG so my anticipation was already through the roof when I requested it, and got it! I GOT IT!!! (Thank-you so much to all involved in making that happen!)

I have deliberately savoured this, taking over a month to finish something I could have devoured in mere days, hours if I didn't have to adult. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The world building was a delightful extension of what we know from the truly beautiful Sands of Arawiya duology, skillfully bringing to life an else world London type town. The - often - savage, thieving, and heartbreaking history of colonialism laces through the story heavily, and it's truly vital to the story as a whole, to our character motivations, their presence in White Roaring and, in each instance, the why for saying yes to the heist.

Arthie, Jin, and the rest of our main characters are a true wonder. They are fully formed, each with history, secrets, love and pain, Faizal writes them into being, laying for them a path towards our dislike of the ones that deserve it, love of the ones that capture our little reader hearts and we cause us to fret over our feelings towards the morally grey.

The pace is good, with a steady introduction leading quickly into the planning and the heist itself. While the whole book takes place over barely 2/3 weeks, its peppered with the history of our characters (which just makes us love them more) but that last 20/25%, you are in for a ride.
I was blindsided thrice - having to pick my chin up off the floor, wished for something different at least once (okay, maybe 10 times!) and had my heart crushed and repaired multiple times...and the ending. Just cruel.
Please can I have more?

5 huge stars

When this was revealed to be a crime filled dark fantasy duology featuring a deadly heist, with a pinch of King Arthur, a dash of Peaky Blinders and lots of blood, I was sold.

And this book did not disappoint, a wicked blend of Secrets, Heists and Vampires, blended to perfection by Hafsah Faizal to create an unforgettable read that I could not put down.

"Why save the world when you can have tea?"

The world building was impeccable, the complexity of White Roaring and its government structure, the allure of Spindrift and its secrets and the mystery of the deadly glittering vampiric underworld of The Athereum kept me enthralled.

The characters equally are just as appealing, I love a book with multiple povs and this book flits between the three view points of Arthie, Jin, and Flick. With the main protagonist being Arthie the gritty, unapologetically angry owner of Spindrift, a teashop by day and an illegal blood den for Vampires by night. Her determined nature makes her ruthless in her drive for revenge and there is no better revenge than to succeed in the country that ruined her life. So when her enterprise is threatened she doesn't hesitate to protect her people, save her Spindrift and destroy her enemies, by any means possible. She was undoubtedly my favourite of the three.

The story is full of intrigue and suspense, it was unbelievably clever full of reveals and twists that kept me turning those pages until the most jaw-dropping last line. I am still reeling now and I need the sequel.
In fact I am so desperate to know what happens next I may have to pull a heist of my own... does Macmillan have an arc of book 2 yet?!?!

I am such a sucker for Faizal's writing. It's so lush and prosaic, always creating the exact atmosphere needed for the specific scene. She also writes the most realistic and lovable characters that are generally a little broken with some tragic backstories... so you'll know how sad I feel when I say this one didn't quite live up to my expectations.

I'm not sure what it was exactly, but I didn't quite feel that I got as invested in the story as I did with her previous sands of Arawiya series. I loved the characters, the plot, the world building, but all put together it didn't quite gel as much as I wanted it too. Now, this could be a me thing. Because of how much I loved her first series I went into this with the highest of expectations, so I could just be being picky. But as much as I loved all the individual elements, as a whole it never quite lived up to my own hype.

Arthie, Jin, Flick, Laith & Matteo... every single one of these characters are so well developed, even those we don't get POV's for. Arthie is someone who has had to fight for her place in the world. She had no one, her parents died when her country was colonized and she found herself alone in a strange place where her skin colour and language ensured she didn't fit it. But that's not something that would ever stop her from claiming her place in the world. Jin, another orphan who Arthie found at the site of his parents supposed murder, is similar to her in a lot of ways, and yet wholly different in others. Someone else who doesn't quite fit into society, he longs for somewhere to call home, but doesn't quite have the vengeance streak that fuels Arthie. Flick is the daughter of a noble with a penchant for forging anything from documents to signet rings. Laith, a boy from Arawiya who has come across the sea with his own plans, plans that swiftly involve Arthie and co. And Matteo, Vampire artist extraordinaire.

Every one of these characters has some kind of tragic backstory, something Faizal does incredibly well, so even the characters we're not sure we can trust worm their way into our hearts. And I adored the interactions between them all, the flirtation, familial bonds & simple friendships that were shown. This is certainly a crew of misfits, all keeping some kind of secret from each other, but Faizal that ensures we get plenty of humour included with the drama and danger ensuring we don't get too bogged down.

The world building was amazing, something I've come to expect from Faizal, and fans of her Arawiya series will love the little nods to it throughout the story. But she takes the world she had previously built and expands on it massively. The city this book is set it is reminiscent of Victorian England but with magic, I have seen it compared to King Arthur, but that certain part of the book plays a very small part in the overall story. Instead, Faizal takes the time when England was at it's height as an Empire and weaves it into her story to show it from the view of those colonized. Those that saw their families, entire countries murdered and pillaged all so they could gain something from their culture. It's easy to see why Arthie and the crew are so willing to bring it crashing down, and the more we read of the story, the darker and more sinister their actions become.

There were two romance arc's in the book, one I loved, and one I felt was just not needed at all. The first was a sweet almost innocent/rake style romance, it was slow burn and certainly added some steam and tension to the story. I was so happy when these two characters finally admitted their feelings instead of just being idiots in love. The other was an almost weird love triangle, and it seemed overly rushed on one side. The two characters seemed to almost fall in insta love, or insta lust at least, and I think this might be where my lack of love for the story stems from because one of the POV characters spends far too much time talking about how she likes how he looks, should she trust him etc, and I felt like it detracted from the main plot in parts.

Another part that I didn't overly love was our lack of insight into the planning of the heists in the story. Because we don't get an inside view to it a lot of the actions seemed unnecessarily rash and I felt like they survived on luck alone at some points, something that seems at odds to a person who has crawled from the gutter to create one of the most prolific tea houses in the city. (The tea parts were great btw, I've never been a fan, but it made me want to try some of the flavours mentioned.) The ending certainly threw a few spanners in the works, and there was a certain plot line that definitely shocked me. Faizal certainly knows how to end of a bang and leave you wanting more, and despite my not wholly loving this one, I am certainly eager to get my hands on the sequel and find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.
I loved this book so much, I can't wait until the physical copy is in my hands, and I can gush about it to customers at work.
The plot never gave up, it was action after action, every page had something important going on and yet it didn't neglect to give the characters growth, humour, and personalities, which I have been having a hard time in finding lately.
(I will say the mention of elves nearly pulled me out because I'm sick of elves/fae in books now, and the world didn't feel magical enough for elves to be involved?)
This is a book you won't want to miss - the hype is real.

Arthie and Jin are an unlikely pair who’ve been at each other's side for years running a tea house by day and a vampire bar at night. While business is booming, vampires are going missing and their tea house is being threatened by the Ram. When an unlikely player enters the game, Arthie and Jin are forced to hatch a plan to smuggle a ledger from the vampire sanctuary. They have to add some new members to the team and unfortunately, everyone has their own agenda.

I loved this! It was gripping, full of great characters and fun world building! I really enjoyed the mix of era's as inspiration and the twist with King Arthur legends. The themes discussed were great too like colonialism and grief. I cant wait for the next book!

Six of Crows, vampires, a tearoom standing as a front for a bloodhouse, and vengeance.

Spindrift: tearoom by light, bloodhouse by dark. Spindrift was more than just a business though, more than a means of vengeance for Arthie. It was a safe place, and not just for their crew of orphans and castaways, but for vampires who were now indistinguishably hated by the rest of society despite most being as decent and relatively harmless as the next person.

When Laith, a striking figure from Arawiya and a Horned guard, begs Arthie’s help in retrieving a ledger which will topple the King, Arthie assembles a team to do the impossible.

Arthie is a tempest in a bottle, tiny and simmering and ready to obliterate. White Roaring has whittled her sharp as a blade with her homeland destroyed by those claiming to ‘civilise’ it. She is eager to tear down the place which caused so much ruin in their greed.
Her crew consists of Jin, a genius orphan she rescued from a fire and her partner in crime; Flick, a noble daughter practising criminal craft as a forger; Matteo, an artist vampire; and Laith, the mysterious boy who appeared at her window.

The heist was tonight. There was a chance he might die, but there was also the utmost certainty that he would do so in style.

This hit a lot of YA troupes - enemies to lovers (to enemies), a literal ‘touch her and you die’ moment (verbatim word for word), betrayal, dress gowns, instant love…. You name it.

The writing was spectacular. Evocative, luscious, and extremely compelling. I now really want to read an adult historical fantasy written by Faizal.

”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.”

Overall, I think this will be a hit! And do be worried - major cliffhanger!
What a bloody good time!🩸🧛🏻‍♀️

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing me with the physical arc in exchange for a review!

Peaky blinders + Victoria style setting + found family + vampires = A tempest of Tea

What more could a girl want? I really enjoyed this, I was reading at a slower pace at first struggling to get into it, but then after about 20%/30% it had me hooked.

I can’t wait to see where this story goes !

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'A Tempest of Tea' by Hafsah Faizal.

I adore Hafsah Faizal's writing and this new book from her is no exception. I'm not a vampire girl, I'll be honest. But this book is so well written, I felt okay reading the vampire bits and I didn't feel bored like I usually do when I read these types of books. I truly did enjoy this.

First of all, can we talk about the cover of this book? STUNNING! Secondly, apparently this had been a lot of people's anticipated reads for over two years now and I can see why.

A Tempest of Tea is described as 'Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur with vampires' and it also has an element of Six of Crows, which is such a delightful combination. AND this is a YA novel too, so it has all the glorious parts of one great novel, which this is. This book is going to do incredible things once it comes out. I could also see it making a brilliant on-screen adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I find it hard to review A Tempest of Tea because on the one hand, I loved the premise, I really enjoyed the take on colonialism, the way cultures are built and spoken about, and the twists (even thought I had guessed a few of them!) On the other hand I found some of the world building quite clunky and hard to follow, there a few instances that I am hoping are maybe just errors that will be caught before the final version goes to print were interactions just don't seem to make sense. The sentence seems to run into something new, or the speech doesn't seem to got together. Similarly, I found the action sequences a tale of two halves. Some of them were excellent, cinematic and lyrically described. Others were difficult to track, I was more assuming than understanding. However, overall, I really did enjoy A Tempest of Tea a lot.

The romances in this book are beautifully built, I am not anti-love-triangle, but this is the obligatory warning that there is something of one in this book! I really liked how Faizal built romance into the characters; Arthie was resistant to romance in exactly the way you might expect her to be; Flick was enamoured by romance in exactly the way you might expect her to be. It was really refreshing to see an author consider how romance fits into the wider characterisation of a person, and consider that in how the relationship progressed.

I loved the ending, I think the last 1/3 of A Tempest of Tea is the strongest. I had guessed at some of the twists, but I think that just shows the success of Faizal's foreshadowing. Other twists were genuine surprises, and some sat in the middle, not totally shocking, but not expected either. Regardless of the category they sat in I would describe all of the twists in this book as deeply satisfying.

This is a twisty, romantic, well-plotted adventure of a novel. Whilst I have some niggles with the writing, overall I think it is a brilliant start to what I am sure will be a spectacular series. I am looking forward to the next one!

Holy moly. This book was brilliant; absolutely fantastic.

First of all, I was intrigued by the plot. It sounded so wacky and random, that I just knew that I had to read it. It is presented as Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows, but with vampires. That is one hell of a plot.

Arthie is a fantastic protagonist. She is the leader of an enterprising gang, who run a tea shop while also running a sort of vampire speakeasy, supplying blood in a society which abhors vampires. She is so great because she’s a woman in a man’s world, but doesn’t let that stop her or frighten her. She’s strong and independent, while being fiercely loyal to those that matter to her But while she collects secrets like currency, she is also keeping a few herself, which she keeps from even the most important in her life. Namely, her adoptive brother, Jin.

The whole cast of characters are so well written and integrated; no-one lets the team down and they all work together so well. There is lots of banter and funny moments, which compliment the angsty and angry moments fluidly.

It is so well-written than I could not put it down and read it entirely in one sitting. It’s a very atmospheric book, with lots of beautiful descriptions. I particularly liked the attention to detail when discussing tea (I love tea).

This book is so fast paced and exhilarating; you’re kept on your toes until the very end. There are so many twists and turns that keep you holding your breath.

While this is a fantasy book, there are serious discussions of colonisation which I think are dealt with well and not written about lightly. There is passion behind the writing and I think it really shows.

It’s difficult to put into words just how much I enjoyed this book. It’s an absolutely brilliant fantasy read and I cannot wait for the next book. Especially after THAT ending! Wowzers.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was such an amazing book, I was hooked from start to finish. This felt a lot more like The Gilded Wolves series rather than Six of Crows, but still had very similar aspects to both. I really loved Arthie as a character, I thought she was very strong. I would’ve liked if there were POV’s from Matteo and Laith. I need book 2 now!

The obvious comparison (indeed one that has been used in the marketing copy) for Hafsah Faizal's newest book 'A Tempest of Tea' is Leigh Bardugo's 'Six of Crows' duology. For those who don't know, Six of Crows is a heist story about a group of young criminals working out of the seedier part of a city rife with corruption. Many books have been compared to Six of Crows and it's hard to really say whether that comparison has been beneficial or not, given the sheer size and passion of that particular fandom.
However, in this instance, I do think Hafsah Faizal's work manages to touch on some of the particular elements that made Six of Crows so compelling while bringing in enough new elements to the story that the book doesn't feel like a copycat.
Of course the main difference is the fact that this particular series has everyone's favourite paranormal friend - Vampires. I thought this was an excellent take on Vampires with some very interesting worldbuilding implications for a world aware of paranormal creatures.
The other thread running prominently through this story is that of colonialism and the idea of having a place to belong. I thought Hafsah Faizal managed to navigate an exploration of those themes without compromising on the 'fun' heist storyline. It is very much a sense of a theme that has shaped this world and the feelings of characters within it but the characters are primarily engaged in this particular adventure.
I think one of the things that made this slightly less enjoyable to me was that there were a couple of elements that felt tonally odd. I can't mention some of them without a spoiler but there were some 'solutions' that felt rather pulled out of nowhere.
That being said I think this book is well worth reading, sometimes you just need a YA heist novel that hits you in the found family feelings.
I receieved a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

A Tempest of Tea is the first book in the Blood and Tea duology from “We Hunt the Flame” author Hafsah Faizal. A Tempest of Tea more than exceeded my expectations, with Vampires and heists, what’s not to like? If I could give this book infinite stars, I would. There are just not enough stars on here.

🫂Found Family
🧛‍♀️Vampires
3️⃣Multi-POV
🦹‍♀️Heists
🩶Morally-Grey characters
💞POC Main characters

In A Tempest of Tea, we follow Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who deals in secrets. During the day, she runs a tearoom, by night, it’s an illegal bloodhouse which caters to the vampires that society fears. When it’s threatened, Arthie’s hand is forced, and she strikes a deal with an alluring adversary to try and save it. There’s only one problem, she can’t do the job alone. She puts together a plan and brings together a group of misfits to infiltrate the Arthereum, the dark vampire society. However, not every member of the crew is on her side and the real reason behind the heist becomes clear. She finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that will no doubt threaten the world she lives in.

If you're a fan of Six of Crows, you will LOVE this book!

This book was so well written. I absolutely devoured it, I could not put it down. This book will easily lure you into the trap of one more chapter. I certainly did. Every character is so well developed, Arthie, who trades secrets, has secrets of her own, Jin is a charmer and Flick is someone who is desperate for her mother's affection and will do anything to get it. I am obsessed with these characters and cannot wait to scream about this book and the characters. Everything was on point, from the description of the world and characters to the descriptions of the tea. I felt really immersed in this world and wish I could read this book for the first time all over again. I kid you not, when I finished this book, I started at it for a solid half hour contemplating what to do with my life next.

There is some romance in the book, Arthie is stuck in a somewhat love triangle and Jin, well, you'll have to wait and see who his love interest is 😏. There were some squeal-worthy, leg-kicking moments in this, it was so hard to keep quiet so I didn't wake up everyone else in the house. The romance we got didn't overpower the plot and main focus of the story which I loved. Some books now, particularly fantasy, seem to add too much romance and it takes away from the main plot. Faizal didn't, she added just the right amount.

I had so many crazy theories during this book, none of which were right. The amount of times I gasped or went "WTF?!!" is unreal.

All in all, A Tempest of Tea is such an enjoyable read. It will capture you and drag you into the world almost instantly. Add this book to your TBRs now, I have a feeling this will become one of 2024's biggest releases.

I will gladly give Arthie all my secrets for the next book, like now. Now, I'm gonna cry whilst I wait for that.

I wanted to really enjoy this, but in the end I just felt a bit meh about it, if you loved six of crows you will like this, but it does feel pretty much like a carbon copy, but with vampires. It is well written though and I feel this might be a case of me having a bit of fantasy fatigue rather than it being an issue with the book itself,

I was absolutely hooked on this book. The new version of Six of Crows is excellent! Every character in this book had my interest, and I fell in love with their backstories and relationships. Although I'm a sucker for vampires, everything else about this novel drew me in entirely. I can't wait for the next book in the series, even though the first one isn't out yet."
.
I recently read A Tempest of Tea, which was a very enjoyable book. I particularly like stories involving heists, so this book was right up my alley. I also read Family, which includes vampires and it completely changed the game. This book has everything one could possibly want in a story."
🩸Vampires
🩸Found Family
🩸Heists!
🩸POC MCs
🩸 Feet-kicking romance

The characters in this story really made it for me. Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind & also a badass! Arthie is a robust and independent character but also flawed and deals with many past traumas. I really enjoyed learning about Arthie's culture and her past. Now, onto Jin…. oh, I loved him a lot; he was such a flirt and incredibly charming but also such a kind soul! A special mention to Matteo, Flick and Laith: I don't want to spoil too much, but all the characters are unique and flow together so well (expect lots of banter).

I don't want to say too much about the heist (spoilers obviously), but everything was so well thought out, and the setting was perfect; I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and the ending…. I need to book 2 right now, please!

Overall, this book was fantastic, and I can't wait to see what book 2 brings!
#ATempestofTea #NetGalley #Bookreview #bookbloggers #5starreview

“We were made for trouble, you and me.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

Arthie is a bit of an enigma, wrapped in mystery and steeped in tea. Someone you certainly don’t want to cross but if you have her on your side, you’ll certainly do well for yourself. She’s spirited for want of a better word and the dedication she has to her business and those in it is incredibly admirable. I think she has a great arc with a lot of growth in this story. We get to know her decently well but there is still an intrigue to her, even at the end which absolutely thrills me. I love it when there are many layers to a character to peep back and discover. Arthie is a wonder!
Jin is, without a doubt, cocky. But it really works for him and his character. He offers a lot of comedic relief for the story whilst helping keep it grounded. He’s an anchor for Arthie in the dangerous life they live and I really enjoyed seeing that sibling bond between them. Initially, I saw mentions of his name and thought he may be Arthie’s love interest but I am glad things did not swing that way. I think their dynamic would have been off if that happened - the sibling rivalry and protectiveness over each other is perfect in my eyes.
Flick has lived a very sheltered life so she jumps at the chance to be independent - no matter the consequence. I really liked Flick and the growth she goes through in this book! She’s a delight to read about and her POV is certainly interesting. The relationships she builds with the other main characters are fantastic. I hope we get to see more of Flick in the future!
Laith is someone who rather annoyed me across the book. He hovers a lot, thinking he knows best. I did think there was a possibility of me liking him towards the end of the book but no… definitely not.

I must admit, when I see a story includes vampires I tend to avoid it. It’s never much been an interest of mine to read - I was never a fan of Twilight and just have never entirely understood the hype. However, I am such a big fan of Faizal’s previous works that I was happy to just dive in feet first and see what I thought of her newest book. And I am so glad I did! The plot is relatively seamless, moving from event to event with nary a pause which helped keep the story exciting and engaging. The descriptions of the tea in this novel make me so sad I’m not a tea drinker. They sound so yummy and I just wanted to dive in and have Arthie serve me tea until I liked it! The characters all felt real and interesting. I was totally invested in each of them, wondering how they would contribute to the overall story and what would happen to each of them. There is little romance but oh lordy is there a lot of angsty longing and I AM HERE FOR IT! I definitely love me some angst and Faizal is flawless at writing it. It went perfectly hand in hand with the tension from the heist, keeping me on tender hooks and eager to finish. That ending though… Hafsah, what have you done to me?! It was so brilliantly written and has left me feeling incredibly bereft and desperate for the next book. Bravo!

Overall, A Tempest of Tea is another stunning book from Faizal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

☕A Tempest of Tea review☕

Thoughts:
- As soon as I heard this being described as perfect for fans of Six of Crows, I knew this book was a must-read for me, and I am so happy to say that it didn't disappoint.
- It features a crew of misfits, vampires, a heist, a bit of whimsy, a lot of tea, found family, and truly beautiful writing.
- The novel was entirely action packed, and about 2/3 of the way through the action picked up even more and I was completely shocked by the turns the story took! The last section of this book was mind-blowing, and made the entire book a five star read for me, and has also made me desperate for the next book.
- There were plenty of twists throughout the story, and I was constantly second-guessing each characters' motives, which made for some really exciting character development. I think the pacing was perfectly balanced, with a great mix of action, world-building and character backstories.
- This book had so much heart - it had me all over the shop emotionally - laughing, at points holding back tears, outraged, shocked, at times confused, and really touched at heartwarming moments throughout.
- I will 100% be reading the sequel whenever it comes out, and I can already anticipate this book being one of my favourite releases of 2024.

A Tempest of Tea follows Arthie, a young woman who runs a teashop by day and an illegal bloodhouse for vampires by night, who along with her crew of friends and reluctant allies finds herself on a daring heist to save the teashop and, quite possibly, the entire country.

This book has absolutely everything. It’s split POV from three fascinating characters – Arthie, her co-conspirator Jin, and reluctant-criminal Flick – and follows a whole ensemble cast of rebels and outcasts who I absolutely adored. Arthie is one of the most exciting, intelligent, morally-grey protagonists I’ve read in years, and her charming chosen-brother Jin is my latest fictional obsession, whose every line had me grinning. Flick offers a great contrast to their natural criminal instincts, and the other new additions to their crew were equally fascinating.

With swoon-worthy romance, an incredible cast of characters, a complex, high-stakes heist, the most genuine found-family I’ve read since Six of Crows, and witty, hilarious dialogue throughout, this is easily one of the most entertaining fantasy books I’ve read in years. I was drawn in by the absolutely stunning cover but stayed for the incredible writing, and cannot wait to force this book on everyone I know.