Unfortunately, "A tempest of tea" didn't work for me even as I wanted it so badly.

But after 25 % I couldn't keep on listening. I liked the speaker overall but the fake east european accent of one character threw me totally off. Because I have family from slawic settlements it always gets on my nerves when there is a certain kind of accent that people think the people from there sound which I hate.

On another note I never felt for the characters. Hafsah Faizal has strong writing when it comes to overviews and flashbacks of the characters but when the story zooms into the few main pov's it felt always a little bit disjointed.

Maybe I will try it with the print version again but the audio book wasn't for me. :(

Brilliant! I loved everything about this one! The audio was fab and really immersive, I felt like I was within the world this was set.

I didn’t realise it was a vampire book until I started listening and LOVED the tea house/blood house setting! Thought it was really cleverly done. The peaky blinders vibes throughout really perfected this one, I loved the atmosphere!

Oh, let me just start by saying, if you're not already on the Hafsah Faizal bandwagon, you're seriously missing out! This is my first book by her and I'm so glad I got to read it!

First things first, let's talk about this mishmash of genres. It's like Faizal went into a literary kitchen and decided to whip up a dish with a dash of "Six of Crows", a sprinkle of "Peaky Blinders", a pinch of King Arthur's Legend, and a whole lot of vampire lore thrown in for good measure. It sounds wild, right? Well, it absolutely is, and it works brilliantly. I mean, who knew vampires and heists could go together like tea and biscuits? Faizal did, apparently.

Now, onto the characters. Arthie, Jin, and Flick are the three POVs we follow through this whirlwind of a story.

“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔, 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒖𝒕, 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆.”

Arthie, in particular, steals the show with her unapologetic grit and determination to wreak havoc on the colonialists who've wronged her. The way she talks about her land the family she comes from shows a lot of passion and added depth to her character. I loved the mention of sari in this book 😍 and it got me sooo excited that the main character in a "non-Indian" book is wearing one 💖.

“𝑰𝒇 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔, 𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒎.”

Jin is Arthie's brother in all but blood, whose wit and charm could probably get him out of any sticky situation. The bond between Jin and Arthie was so strong and I loved the backstory of how that came to be and how, in some sense, each of them saved the other from something dreadful.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒗𝒆.”

Flick, short for Felicity, is the daughter of a government official who mainly cares about her image in the high society and seems to be tired of her daughter. Regardless, Flick is very talented at forgery and that's why she is pulled into Arthie's crew. She's the biggest misfit in the crew though, because she just can't shake off her posh mannerisms and is too naive for this type of world. It's quite interesting to follow her POV because of this.

But let's talk about the boys who've got me swooning—Matteo and Laith. Matteo, the artsy vampire with a penchant for charm, and Laith, the mysterious gentleman who's got secrets lurking beneath the surface. Faizal knows how to write swoon-worthy characters, that's for sure! I really hope we get their POVs in the next book too.

“𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒔!”

As for the plot, it's a slow burn that eventually explodes into a flurry of action and intrigue. Sure, there were moments where I found myself wishing for a bit more adrenaline-pumping heist action, but the world-building more than makes up for it. I mean, who wouldn't want to explore a Victorian England teeming with vampires and political intrigue?

Now, let's address the elephant in the room—the romance. While I'm all for a bit of sizzling tension and forbidden love, sometimes it felt like the romance took center stage when I wanted more heist shenanigans. But hey, when the chemistry's as palpable as it is between these characters, who am I to complain?

In the end, A Tempest of Tea is a must-read for fans of Faizal's work and anyone looking for a thrilling ride through a fantastical world filled with vampires, heists, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I'd seen this book described as Six of Crows with Vampires and honestly it really did feel like that to me!

The plot felt fairly slow to begin with but it gave me time to get to know the characters, world and setting which I was happy about. I think the slower plot really suited this story. I was kept intrigued throughout the book waiting to see what happened.

I think my favourite bit about this book was the found family element. I also enjoyed the snippets of the past that helped us understand how the characters ended up where they did.

I listened to the audiobook for this and really enjoyed this method. The narrator was clear and easy to understand. The audio really made the book fly by! I'd recommend this to other readers who enjoy audiobooks.

Thank you to Macmillan UK Audio and Netgalley for this audio copy.

A tempest of tea was high on my "must reads" for 20204 and for good reason. This book deserves all of the hype that it gets - I mean come on, vampires, tea rooms, found family and heist vibes - what's not to love?

Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur.
Dive into an atmospheric setting where you can expect vampires, found family, an amazing heist with a thrilling plotteist, a character driven story and an adorable kitten!

I cannot express how much I loved that story and the featured characters.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was truly amazing.

Laith is my baby. I mean - he is not at all like a helpless little toddler, but he does deserve all the love, understanding and protecting babies do. I loved him with all my heart and desperately wanted him to end up with Arthie. The tension was real! Well, and then came the ending, which totally caught me by surprise and now I'm sitting here and need, need, need the conclusion of this breathtaking duology! (and more of Laith of course)
(How do we know his cats name is Opal tho? I mean, the author shared it, but reading the book, it could have been a couple other names as well ...)

Arthie and Jin. Such a great sibling relationship. The love they have for each other, the worries and the loyalty, the life-saving moments that occur over and over again - chefs kiss. I loved how even lies and secrets cannot shatter the bond between them.

Then there is Flick, who is super cute but still has to discover her place in this world. While everyone is suffering due to occurring circumstances, Flick is enjoying the change it means for her life - even tho she is facing some terrible reveals herself.

And Matteo - excuse me? I don't see him as a love interest but that doesn't make him less loveable in any way. His calm and classy character is so fun to read and increases the level of every conversation and he - just like Laith - has such a depth to his character that I could cry (not because it's sad, don't worry).

The dialogues were so great, the characters so well developed and the story such a cool experience!

Highly recommend this one to - everyone basically.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the arc!

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.

This was absolutely fantastic. Definitely my favourite book of the year so far. The characters were delightful, compelling, and I was rooting for Arthie and Jin from page one. The writing is lovely, inviting you into the world with an open hand, and offering a generous amount of world-building while still mostly avoiding info-dumping. We see the rich backdrop of White Roaring unfold before us and learn about how Spindrift came to be. The plot was gripping and delicious and Hafsah Faizal did a great job of creating a lovable squad of characters that I'd happily tank a bullet for. The audiobook was also excellent, the narrator did an exquisite job of bringing the story to life.

*4.5 Stars*

This was great. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading it and I don't regret that at all. It took me by surprise left and right and I loved the intrigue and the characters and the twists. I was stuck to the page and cannot wait for book two. I loved all the different points of view. I felt like they all brought something different and so interesting to the story.
I've been meaning to read We Hunt the Flame since forever and now I just know I have to. I just really want to read more from Hafsah Faizal.

Six of crows meets peaky blinders meets vampires.
My favourite aspect of this book was the found family which has got me excited for the next book.
The story is so action packed and I loved the intertwining of mystery, history and fantasy.
Surprisingly I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the book, the angst was perfect.
I also really enjoyed the audio narration of the audiobook, it felt really immersive.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is just beautiful, lyrical, and all the sumptuousness. 💙 The narrator on the audiobook did an amazing job of bring the characters to life. A wonderful listen.

Oh wow, I just loved this one entirely - right from the off I was completely immersed and engaged with this story. The tagline of Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur had intrigued me, but then the Six of Crows vibes once I got started definitely won me over.

The pacing and main plot of this was spot on and it was narrated really well to engage us in the suspense of it all. Haven’t stopped gushing about it since I finished listening really!

Its been a while since a YA kept my interest and Hafsah Faizal’s new book didnt disappoint. The entire story was unlike anything I had read before and with themes of a great heist and enemies to lovers it kept my attention throughout. If you are looking for a crazy adventure filled with mystery then this book is for you.

“It’s tea time, scoundrels”
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So I already shared my review of A Tempest of Tea but I specifically wanted to speak about the audiobook today because I already loved the book but the audiobook made me love it even more!
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The narrator was so good at bringing life to the story and keeping me wanting to read just one more chapter.
She was great at differentiating between characters and the different accents.
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Every single time I heard Jin say love, I giggled like a little girl and melted. I absolutely loved every single Jin chapter so much.
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I listened to the whole audiobook over two evenings and if you enjoy listening to audiobooks then I highly recommend listening to this one!
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This book has my whole heart! I loved it so much. From the wonderful cast of characters to the tea room and the vampires and most importantly, Opal the cat who is the star of the book.
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I devoured this book, once I started I could not put it down. It’s such a compulsive read and starts with a bang that had me instantly hooked.
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Arthie is the owner of the tea room which also doubles as a blood house at night. She has fought and clawed her way to building a life there and her establishment and is understandably angry when it’s threatened.
She is smart and resilient and uses her rage at how she is treated less than to fuel her and push her forward.
I loved her so much and related a lot to her anger at the colonisation of her people and her land being pillaged for it’s wealth.
How she has to live in the land of her colonisers because they destroyed her home but she isn’t welcome there.
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We also meet Jin who met Arthie as kids and have become siblings to each other. I loved their relationship so much. Jin fast became my fave! He’s charming and kind and cares deeply for those around him. He will also flirt with everything and anything and whenever he called Flick, love, I giggled like a little girl.
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Flick is the third PoV character and she has such a great arc. She will do anything to get the approval of her mother, even be someone she isn’t, but over the course of the story she learns to be true to herself and realise that there are others who care for her and accept her as she is. She is a forger and wants to be her own person.
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We also meet Laith, an assassin from Arawiya and Matteo who is a vampire. Laith also adopts a kitten who is also a member of the crew and he carries her everywhere, even on the heist.
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The story itself was fast paced and I loved the build up to the heist as we got to see each of the characters in their area of expertise. There is also some great banter and of course all the angst!
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I am absolutely dying for the sequel and I need you all to go read it asap!

The way I screamed when I received the email that my request to this arc was approved.
A Tempest of Tea had been on my list of anticipated books for a few years now (I mean come on: a ‘teahouse’, a heist, found family, romance and POC VAMPIRES!!), and WOW, did it live up to all my expectations! Hafsah DID NOT disappoint, she delivered such a unique story with such an amazing cast of characters that you can’t help but love. I’m obsessed with Arthie and Jin has my whole heart.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal was truly amazing and I just couldn’t stop listening to this story as I just had to find out what would happen next! So many twists and turns that just keep you holding on for dear life as you wait for what Hafsah will throw at you next. How am I supposed to wait for a whole year to get my hands on the sequel after that ending?!

The audiobook narrator, Maya Saroya, portrayed the characters beautifully. She did such an amazing job bringing them to life and capturing the essence of the cast which only added to the amazing story Hafsah created.
And can we talk about the artwork on the book cover?! Perfection! I can’t wait until I have the special edition of A Tempest of Tea in my hands.

If it wasn’t already clear: I highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to Macmillan UK Audio, Hafsah Faizal and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I want to say I hated this audiobook. I normally love them as they help me read books and get jobs done especially with a new born, they have helped me keep my enjoyment of reading alive. But this was absolutely painful.

I have never experienced this with a audiobook, but the narrator just ruined this for me. It sounded like she didn’t want the job and hated the book she was reading. It was like she showed up, did the job and said bye. I couldn’t focus for the love of me, the monotony storyteller was just a crime against everything. There is a responsibility for the narrator to go back and listen and make sure they give even the dullest of stories character and life. This narrator just ruined the 13% I managed to listen to.

Of that 13% thought the story just feel flat as well. Just felt bland and there were lots of names mentioned and street names, the whole vampires thing just seemed to be added as an extra rather than it was meant to be part of the whole story. The tea was just like there and the heist was so much planning I got bored. I hope to come back to this with a different narrator or I’ll just read the physical book. But I wouldn’t not recommend from the 13% I painfully managed to listen to.

Book Review: A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal.
Recommended? YES

Enjoyment: 9.5/10

Keeping my Attention: 8.5/10

Comments: Something I felt drawn to and kept my attention. Hafsah Faizal is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers.

So. Let me drop the tea on this little marvel.

First- a little run down- a synopsis if you will. A Tempest of Tea (by Hafsah Faizal- who btw is really cool and has an adorable marriage) is the first book of a duology about one Arthie Casimir; founder of a teahouse by day, vampire blood den hostess by night. The story follows Arthie trying to save her teahouse by taking on high vampire society in a heist of a lifetime. Her and her ragtag crew, brought together by various happenstance will need to work together to achieve their individual means- but what happens when those means don’t align?

Let’s start with the writing itself. Sometimes it’s okay to take a step back and admire a writer’s crafting of words and by golly does this book have you hanging on each word and (ironically) thirsting for more. I found myself immersed into this world from the first sentence. The drag keeping me from ever wanting to surface from outside the mysticism and intrigue the author builds so successfully. You want something calm and smooth? This is not it. From the very first page, your jaw will hit the floor as you’re hit with adrenaline and hit again in awe of what transpires. I’m still not sure my jaw ever came back up.

Now let’s take a bite out of the plot. Pacing is gorgeous. It slows when it need to and rushes with your heart rate when you get to the climax. Think irresistible character development entwining with a heist with a splash of tea and vampires. The book oozes in a main plot at its foundation that entwines so well with all the characters and their subplots. Honestly, I can’t think of a single character that was wasted. Each of them had a storyline that I was satisfied with more or less. I hate endings, especially if I enjoy something so ending this was a frustrating experience for sure. They have a cat too so I don’t know what else I can ask for.

The characters I could go on and on about and never stop so I’ll keep myself accountable and not run my mouth too much and spoil the fun. Arthie however. I adore Arthie. She’s your stereotypical badass protagonist for sure. But she’s so much more than that. She’s an icon in the way she accepts herself, her past and the fact that she’s the way she is. Equal parts powerful and vulnerable I wish I could just sit down and interview her about the way she sees the world. Not only that, the author is poignant with the way Arthie expresses her past. Something a person who is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) well especially sympathise with. When I revisit this book- because oh boy I will- I may just write about Arthie (hopefully by then you’ll have read the book so you can swoon with me about her).

What can I say? Hafsah Faizal is an artist and I am infatuated by every word she has put in this book. It’s the first book of hers that I’ve read and I feel as though it’s almost incumbent on me to go back and hunt for the books she’s already graced us with.

Arthie, owner of a tearoom by day, bloodhouse by night. Arthies establishment comes under threat and she needs to pull off a heist to save it, but she cannot do it alone

She is joined by Jin, her partner in crime and Flick a master forger... who we see their own sides of things. We also have Mateo and Laith along for the ride

Each of this ragtag bunch has something to bring to the table, but none of them could forsee how this heist will change them along the way, and what they will mean to each other by the end of it.

Slow start, felt took to about the halfway mark to really get invested and the heist to get underway but built up the second half of the book nicely and I'll definitely be picking up book two to see where things go

This was released 22nd February so you can pick this up now, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian for the review copy (I read mostly on kindle but tuned into the audio whilst working and loved the narration too!)

A Tempest of Tea, is a great heist story of Arthie and her band of misfits who run a tea house by day and illegal blood house by night, catering to the feared vampires of society. Arthie finds herself in a situation where she may lose everything unless she pulls the heist of her life, banding with a very unlikely figure to pull it off.

This has lots of fun, politics, grief, fear, laughs,,, a kitten. I found it a really easy read and finished within a few days. The audio version was excellent and I found Maya Saroya to really portal the characters well with her voice, especially Laith. It was also easy to understand when I sped up the audio,

‘We understand what it’s like to grieve with fire and not tears.’

This did really remind me of Six of Crows and I love the found family trope in this book. All the characters are really fun and well developed, with so much traumatic back story, Very much the underdog rising up. This was YA adventure and there were parts that were predictable, however it all felt like a dangerous , but cozy read.

I had a lot of fun with this book and that ending! If you know, you know.. I’ll be awaiting book two.

Thanks you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastically diverse and wonderfully cosy story of vampires, a heist and a whole lot of tea - I enjoyed my time immersed in the world of white roaring, spindrift, it’s owner, Arthie and her brother, Jin. While it did take me a while to get into this story, once in I sped through it quickly - its characters are well developed and endearing, Flick and Jin were particular faves of mine.

Six of Crows meets King Arthur - I can see this YA book being a huge hit, while vampire books aren’t my usual thing I was totally invested in its world. I listened to the second half of this book on audio and felt that the narration really brought another dimension to the book. After finding the first half slow the second half felt much more fast paced and exciting.