I went into this really wanting to love the book and the characters, but unfortunately I struggled with the story. I always enjoy a book about a heist, but the one in this book felt underdeveloped. I had trouble understanding the importance of the urgency of what was unfolding. I also didn't connect or really like any of the main characters, so I had a hard time staying invested and carrying what happened to them.

THIS WAS SO SO SO GOOD! OH MY GOD OKAY so first impressions, this is Peaky Blinders mixed with Six of Crows mixed with vampires and I gobbled this one UP and need to get a physical copy ASAP (although I LOVED the audiobook because we got a wonderful little interview at the end between Hafsah and her husband and they're so cute omg).

Okay first things first: Arthie means everything to me and while I sort of guessed her back story, I think it was intentionally made a bit easy for us to come to the conclusions before we're told ahead of time, so it didn't feel like a mystery that was poorly hidden. She reminds me of Kaz from Six of Crows in the sense that she's snarky, has a head for business, and is smarter than everyone else in the room, and I loved her all the more for it.

Jin is my favorite character and I love him dearly - he is my comedic relief who gives off himbo vibes while actually being incredibly smart and caring. AND HIS DYNAMIC WITH FLICK OOOOOO YOU WANNA KISS SO BAD!!! I love them all so much, but this duo was probably my favorite to watch in action because I was giggling and kicking my feet any time they interacted.

Matteo and Laith were cool guys too, although I found myself not caring about them at all most of the time solely because I was so obsessed with the other three (and that's on me). However... Laith did hold a bit higher position in my ranking solely because he's a cat person, therefore he's right.

All these characters are fantastically written, the plot MOVES, and the backstory is THERE! Please please please pick this one up, it was so amazing and I can't wait to get myself like 20 copies to give to friends.

The author claims to enjoy making her readers suffer. Accurate. This book ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. I'm going to be salivating for the next book.

I loved this story. Several twists and reveals kept me on the edge of my seat. You never knew who to trust. The characters had great depth and were relatable. I was emotionally attached to several of them.

The plot was captivating and pulled you along well. There were a couple slow parts but they were not deal breakers overall. When it was thrilling it was amazing and it was definitely more thrilling than boring. I can't wait for the next installment.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faisalis fun heist story but add in the element of vampires. It is very reminiscent of Six of Crows being there is a high stake mission with a band of characters. I was not the biggest fan of Six of crows but this was better since adds the element of vampire society. Spindrift the tea house that is a front for a blood house is in peril of closing and our group has to save it.At first the story was slow for me and not making me excited to pick up but it did get there luckily.

The ending was super action packed and literally made me go…wait what it’s over. Yes there will be a sequel so that is great. The audiobook narrator was great and did each character wonderfully.

Thank you to Net Galley, Macmillan Audio and Hafsah Faisal for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhh, this was such a fun and creative heist story! Also love a good vampire story, so I really enjoyed this!

So many fun twists and turns! There were several POVs, but the distribution was well-balanced, and I cared pretty equally about all of the characters.

The ending was rough, and I'm looking forward to book 2!

Cue the book hangover! A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal was so good. I went into this book not really knowing what to expect and now I need to read everything Faizal has written. Just wow! The world of this historical romantasy sucked me in. From its vampires and magic to its heist and found family, this book was everything I didn’t know I was looking for in a read. Also, the audio added an element of depth to the story that I adored.

*Thank you Netgalley, Hagsah Faizal, and Macmillan for an audio arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is incredibly atmospheric. Vampires hold a place as outsiders in this world and this novel’s tea room holds space for them. Set among a world of gangs and struggle, this is a must read!

On top of a phenomenal narrator, Faizal followed through on the promise of an immersive world! Such a unique setting with the tea house, vampires, and a hesit. This jsut felt like everything I love about YA fantasy smushed in one!

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is one of my most anticipated books of 2024, so I was elated at having the opportunity to review the audiobook. The narrator was so easy to listen to and did an excellent job!

As far as the story goes, the idea of a tea house/blood house, vampires, and a heist was enough to hook me! I really enjoyed the world that this story took place in and I’m looking forward to revisiting it in the future. The characters were also amazing! I knew that I’d love Arthur, but Jin and Flick also grew to become favorites. The book had a lot going on at times and the plot was relatively complex, but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review an eARC of this audiobook!

Are you ready for a heist? But make it with vampires! Arthie and Jin Casimir (siblings but not by blood) run the teahouse known as Spindrift, a proper place to get all the best teas in White Roaring. However, by night, Spindrift becomes a bloodhouse, a place where vampires can feast on those willing humans without judgment. When their business is threatened, they employ some of the last people they ever thought they'd be dealing with. Master forger Felicity aka Flick joins the heist along with the handsome and alluring artist, Matteo. And did I mention there's a kitten? What's not to love?

First of all, I loved this this book (obvi). I appreciate a good heist story, and this one is up there in my opinion, Secondly this book offers a scathing commentary on colonialism as Arthie lives and works in the very country that colonized her own. Then we add, my favorite trope in all of fiction, found family. Again, what's not to love? I'm not sure if this book is YA or adult, but it felt more adult to me. Either way, I don't think that's a bad thing. Maybe it's NA? It toes the line for sure. There's a sprinkling of romance in this book, but it felt a bit lusty rather than romantic. Again, that's not a bad thing. In the moment kind of feelings do take over sometimes. I loved Arthie as a character. Jin and Flick were interesting too, but Arthie, the badass, take no nonsense female lead, really had my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. This book had been on my radar for some time, and I was over the moon to get it. Maya Saroya was a great narrator, and I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an ARC copy of the audiobook. I was so excited to get one because everything about this book sounded right up my alley, and it did not disappoint!

A female main character, Arthie, who has made her way in an unforgiving town... full of vampires. Arthie must lead a crew, that doesn't get along, to carry off a heist that will allow her business & "family" to stay afloat. And did I mention vampires. Fans of Six of Crows will definitely enjoy this book.

As each chapter was from a different characters point of view, I thought the narrator did an amazing job giving all of them their own voice & personality. Additionally, the multi-character chapters hooked me into the story immediately. The only downside is having to wait for book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
A Tempest of Tea releases February 20, 2024

A tearoom by day, converted to a bloodhouse for vampires by night; this establishment run by found family in theory, is an innovative idea, but I could not get into the story. I don’t know if it was the narrator, the writing itself, or a combination of the two.

I can’t get behind the logistics (or lack thereof) of a world that exists with “half vampires” when the blood in the human body cycles out and replenishes itself… it just doesn’t make sense.
You can age slowly if you drink vampire blood when you're alive, but do you have to then continuously consume vampire blood for the rest of your life? Do human blood cells not take over from the living half as they naturally regenerate? SOMEONE MAKE IT MAKE SENSE FOR ME.

Heists should be fun, but this was the most boring few hours of my life.

I listened to this through netgalley as an ARC. The narrator was good. The written style was good. I liked the idea and the description of the book got me interested. I'm in a reading slump for sure so nothing is really scratching my itch, and I don't even know what it's for. I can summarize the first 60% in 3 sentences, but the last 40% was good, it was able to keep my attention and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I don't have strong feelings about the love stories which is unusual for me, I LOVE romance. Maybe I'm not into heist plots like I thought, but I feel like I had to power through a lot to get to anything entertaining. I never start series that are incomplete, and I ALWAYS finish a series when I start one. I'm on the fence if I want to continue but I guess I'll think about it while I wait for the next book to come out and what my year-long lingering feelings will be on this book.

Hafsah Faizal is among the best Fantasy writers out there at world building, probably because she somehow manages to create an intense and often brutal atmosphere that somehow fuses together with a sense of place that feels cozy in the best way.

The juxtaposition of a tea shop with a vampire feeding outlet is perhaps the best literal example of that, but the whole book seems to work comfortably within these two evocations of sense of place.

The book also has an intriguingly nuanced cast of characters, where the line between hero and anti-hero (or should I say heroine and anti-heroine) often blurs in a way that both makes you think and leaves you appreciative of a writer who never keeps it all neat and clean but gets you fully on board with a protagonist who makes some decisions you might not like very much.

Great stuff, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the second book in the duology. And in case it wasn’t apparent from the title, you’re going to need to brew some tea to drink while reading this one. Specifically some Ceylon tea.

A Tempest of tea was so extremely interesting! Think, Six of Crows, but with vampires and lower stakes! I loved reading about the characters, especially Arthie, the main character, who owns a tea-shop by day, and a bloodhouse by night! The character Gin reminded me so much of Kaz from Six of Crows, I feel like they would have been great friends!
When Arthie and Gin’s tea shop is threatened, they go into stealth mode, digging up all the tea (see what I did there) on the local vampires in order to get dirt on whoever they need to, to protect their shop and keep it under their ownership.

Who doesn’t love back stabbing, heists, a nice cup of tea, and some vampires? Absolutely fantastic read!

Be sure to pick this lovely story up today February 22nd!

Ok , staring by thanking the publisher for this copy, second the audio omg 😱, beyond amazing , the voice was on point. The story got me hooked right away and the plot was beyond amazing. The cliffhanger was masterful and the plot twist amazing. Can’t wait for the second book

Such a beautifuly written book!!
The quotes were amazing.
This is my first but I want to read the rest of Hafsahs books. The world building was amazing.
There was so many twists and turns. I didn’t see so much of that coming! Can’t wait for the next book and I’m so sad this one is over! Just absolutely amazing.

I thought this book was very engaging and had an intriguing story. Vampires, magic, a heist, a little bit of romance, caffeinated beverages,--what else do you need in a good book? I am definitely going to recommend this title to teens coming to my library. I cannot wait for the second title in this duology because the cliffhanger was brutal!

A Tempest of Tea presents a captivating blend with its unique world, engaging characters, and unexpected twists. Despite a lackluster romance and a slow start to the heist-themed plot, the novel, marked by a standout character like Arthie, delivers an enjoyable and gritty experience. Jin's charm adds depth to the narrative, but Flick's perspective feels unnecessary. The fantasy world, reminiscent of Victorian England, stands out as a strong suit, although the romance tends to overshadow the high-stakes elements. The ending surprises elevate the overall rating, making it a compelling read for Hafsah Faizal fans who appreciate improvements from her debut. Patience for a captivating finale and a tolerance for cheesy romance are advised for readers diving into this tempestuous tale.

Maya Saroya did a wonderful job narrating, however distinguishing between some characters in the audiobook proved challenging due to there not being enough variation in the tones/accents used.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is going to be huge! Fans of "Six of Crows" will enjoy the heist plot and found family aspect, and fans of Rebecca Ross will enjoy the lovely writing. Plus vampires, need I say more?!?