I liked this less than the first one. The writing felt even more tell than show and there were so many repetitive moments and phrases, even from different POVs which was overkill ex “I’m arthie and I’m thinking this” next chapter “I’m Jin and I think arthie is thinking this” and we heard arthie say Matteo made her feel like fire ten million times.

The ram behaved and spoke like a villain that a teenager makes up. And the plot was both too spelled out and too convoluted at the same time? Also Matteo’s death was super obvious.

Jin and flick and Jin’s parents were the most redeeming things.

Overall this was not my cup of tea and leaned too YA for me even though all of the characters are close to if not over 20 years old.

"I'm here, Arthie," he replied. Eternally."

⋆☕︎ ˖

I actually am not okay after this book. I don't know if I'll ever be okay. You can take with that what you will just be ready when you pick up this book that youmight not be okay.

This book follows the aftermath of A Tempest of Tea and all the same characters that you originally know. With the addition of a few new ones. We've got our hottie Jin, bestie flick, girlboss supreme Arthie, dreamboat matteo, and he-who-shall-be-named laith. Oh wait, just named him. Oops!

The entirety of this book I was on the edge of my seat. I did not know what was going to happen, nor did I expect what actually did happen. And what did happen was not really okay! But that's okay! (It's not.)

Some of it was a little slow (yes I did just say I was on the edge of my seat, I'm indesicive *flips hair*) but all in all, it kept me going. Mainly because Matteo was there, who am I kidding...

I'm just a girl 🤭

The found family in this book (and in A Tempest of Tea) is top tier, top notch, 10/10, and it was still strong in this novel. Truly a plus side on the duology.

Managing without spoilers here. Yay, wow, surprised I kept my mouth shut there. The plot of those book flowed albeit a bit choppy at times, espcially with our villain. I truly just wanted the villain dead. Murder, I dunno, like stab through the heart or something? Just ✨death✨. And it took the entire book--but Jo, isn't that how it works? Yes, leave me alone--for it to happen.

Ignoring how a special type of vampires are called "Super Vampires" 💀

All in all, an epic conclusion to the stunning novel that A Tempest of Tea was. Highly reccomend you pick this book up if you liked AToT.


quotes for those who scrolled

⋆˚࿔ ☕︎"𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘱 𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴." ⋆˚࿔

⋆˚࿔ ☕︎ "𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨?" ⋆˚࿔

⋆˚࿔ ☕︎ "𝘋𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺," 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘥. ⋆˚࿔

⋆˚࿔ ☕︎ 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. "𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢." ⋆˚࿔


🩸huge thanks to the publisher/netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Omg !!!!! Screaming what a follow up!!! Wow.
Let’s just said that I love how this book developed so much. The relationship between Arthie and Matheo growing. Perfection. The trials Flick goes thru and Jin 😱. The trama keeps you on the edge all the time. When you think something finally will go right everything goes down hill. Like what a ride . Loved every second of it and wow just wow. Im speechless. Now time to keep ordering every single editions that gets announced 😅🫣.

This was certainly an improvement from book 1 but I still wanted more. And yet, I can’t put my finger on what I wanted more of - so I think it’s everything.

Thank you so much for the arc!

OMG this book!!!! I liked the first book but this book is on another level for me. The character development and the journey they each take (literally and figuratively) were so fun to see. Faizal writes relationships so wonderfully. Platonic and romantic but with this book I’ve gotta say the romance is shining. There’s so much tension and yearning and I couldn’t get enough of it. Flick and Jin are my favorites!

What I love most of all about this book is the big “f u” to colonialism. You can see it in the narrative and no matter what people think, reading is political.

I did see the twists coming but it didn’t take away from my experience. The ending is so brutal though, my heart hurts. How could you, Hafsah 😭 But really something is wrong with me because I cannot wait to read Blade of Honey.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC!

Now, on to the review.

I've got to say, as a big HF fan, this book really fell short for me. I really enjoyed the first book in this duology and had high hopes for the conclusion, but unfortunately, I was left pretty disappointed. The beginning seemed promising as it began with a POV from Matteo. However, that's the first and last time we got a POV from him. This makes sense given the ending of the book, but it makes the story lack depth. He's basically turned from an interesting and mysterious character to a paper doll in the second book.
This book also relies heavily on the Jin and Flick storyline more than anything else. So, if you go into this one as an Arthie/Matteo shipper, prepare to be dissatisfied/crushed.
The pacing in the second book also feels both slow--From the 0 to 78% marker--And then super rushed after that. The deaths feel skipped over and, in turn, don't hit as hard. There's all this build-up that feels like a weak payoff at the end.

Unfortunately, this one just was not my cup of tea... Pun intended.

Truly an epic conclusion to A Tempest of Tea, one of my favorite reads last year! I was NOT prepared for that ending, just as I thought everyone was safe *heartbreak*. I appreciated how the book explored how colonialism and diaspora shape and irrevocably effect identity, while never slowing down the fast paced plot, making for a read that's both thrilling and devastatingly painful. A beautiful end to an excellent duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Tempest of Tea was everything I had expected for a vampire heist novel inspired by King Arthur. The sequel? Not so much. I loved the foundation set by the first book, but A Steeping of Blood didn't feel like a good conclusion to the series.
I had hoped that Ceylan would have taken up more of the story and given Arthie a chance to heal, but it ended up being a very small part of the plot. The characters remained static except for Flick, who is easily my favorite.
The plot made sense and the pacing was good - I liked how multiple POVs helped to develop the story with different perspectives. However, the amount of unnecessary deaths and anticlimactic reveals were disappointing. [There was no reason to kill Matteo off in the story, and his death felt like a massive plot hole. It felt like a reason for Arthie to eventually end up with Laith, so this was disappointing. Similarly, Jin's parents were killed off really abruptly. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, I loved the premise but felt like A Tempest of Tea might have been better off as a standalone. Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's for the eARC!

I could not love this series more. This was the perfect follow up for book one and I ATE IT UP! These characters, this incredible world, the banter, the adventure. All of it. This has filled a Six of Crows sized hole in my heart and I am beyond in love with the story. The twists and turns kept coming, but Hafsah knows how to keep you hooked and wanting more each time. These characters broke my heart and put it back together again and I would love to know where to send the therapy bill. Anyways, read this IMMEDIATELY.

A massive thank you to Macmillian Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I absolutely loved A Tempest of Tea and needed to read its sequel immediately.

This book was SO GOOD. It took me a while to finish simply because I didn’t want it to end and also because it evoked a lot of emotion for me and I needed breaks. This one was INTENSE.

A Steeping Of Tea delivered and packed a punch. Hafsah Faizal really amped up the story in this one.
I already adored the characters after book 1 but this just solidified my love for each of them and they’ll will live in my heart forever.

This story was full of action, adventure, suspense, grief, anger, love, hope and revenge. I laughed, cried, and my stomach was in knots several times.

The yearning between the love interest was top tier, and as someone who reads a lot of adult romance, this book satisfied my need for love while being a YA.

I did see the plot twist coming but it didn’t make the blow any less.

I love Hafsah’s beautiful writing and I’m so sad Arthie and Jin’s story has come to an end.

Hafsah Faizal delivers another captivating story drawing you into the heart of White Roaring and the intricate lives of Arthie and her crew. I really enjoyed the balance of the thrill of heists and political intrigue with moments of genuine warmth and connection between the characters. I loved seeing more of Flick and Jin's romance, and Arthie's growth throughout the story. The pacing was great, the plot unfolds at a satisfying pace, with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged, and the world building was rich and immersive. Definitely worth the read if you enjoyed the first book.
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the sequel and the ending of the series. I felt it was a similar style to the first while providing new storylines and arcs. While not my favorite in terms of writing style, I enjoyed the book overall.

Everything by Hafsah Faizal is incredible! I appreciate the fast-paced story, plot twists I didn't see coming, and characters that are fleshed out and interesting.

Glorious.
Hasfah writing is beautiful. The way you are instantly back into the world even though I had to wait a year to read this masterpiece.

The stakes are even higher. I love the multiple POV. It brought richness to the tale. The adrenaline of what is to come kept me on my toes. Every plot seemed to he throttled.

There was a bittersweet moment. One i so painfully wish for an unrealistic HEA.

But the ending was perfect.

Highly recommend this duology!

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book, but for me I don’t think this one was quite as captivating as the first book. The vibe in A Tempest of Tea was just more to my liking than this one. While the pacing of this was faster than in the previous book, it also seemed very sporadic. There were a lot of intense action-packed scenes; however, there were just as many scenes that felt unnecessarily prolonged. I did enjoy Matteo’s and Arthie’s flirting in this one. Their push and pull interactions were intense and I loved the vulnerability that they shared. I also appreciated the insight we got into the backstories of these characters. It helped me to understand their motives and actions even more.

A Steeping of Blood starts off with everyone recuperating with the events that befell them in A Tempest of Tea. The crew must once again come together to find a way to push the Ram out of a position of power and expose her crimes to the public.

This was filled with yearning, heartbreak, resilience, and twists around every corner. I was surprised by a lot of the Rams actions at the end. This book took a lot of turns I wasn’t expecting. Although, there was one shocking event that I was not happy with at all. It felt unnecessarily cruel, and I think the storyline could have been propelled along in a different way. However, it was a satisfying conclusion to this duology.

If you’re a fan of found family, politically driven storylines, vampires, and a crew that’s a magnetic for trouble this is the book for you!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My review is based solely on my own opinion, and I appreciate the chance to read A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc ❤️❤️ I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I am in tears over that ending

his is a little hard to rate, and I am ending up giving it a three, but it may be a 2.5.

I'm glad this was only a duology because this story definitely could not have stretched to a trilogy, as the story barely seemed enough to fill up this book, as well, at times. The middle of this book really suffered, and I got severely bored reading small conversations and plot points being drawn out just for page count. Earn your pages pleaaaase.

The characters in this series are what truly save it. I really enjoy each of the characters in this team of diverse and unique individuals. Found family will forever be a god-tier trope for me. But, I do have to say that I am a little disappointed in the lack of happy endings in this as well. I know quite a lot of readers are going to be specifically disappointed at one plot point. And I am an advocate for not everything needing to be a happy ending, but there were several different things that led to a very bittersweet ending. I could have done with maybe one more happy plot point to end things off.

I will also say that this did have a good amount of twists in it. But I think this could have been done with another round of editing. I found a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes that were making it hard to enjoy at times. The writing, too, had moments of decency but overall was lacking in structure and depth. Overall, I found myself not caring about the outcome as much as I wished. It just fell flat at the end, and a lot of the "wow" moments I recognized, but couldn't find myself really and truly caring.

Also, having vampire "rippers" only made me think of Vampire Diaries.

I am rating this the same as the first one, but I do think the first book was stronger overall.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was even more packed with action and adventure than the first one! I loved the growth in character: from the self-reflection and healing, to evolving relationships.

I feel like this book really showcased the author's style and allowed the story to shine. I appreciated how the author gave just enough history to remember what happened in the first book (or a very brief summary, if you haven't read #1), but dove right in to the thick of things.

POV changes between Arthie, Jin, and Flick with distinct personalities from each. The book only covers a short amount of time, but manages to filled with pretty intense situations.

Admittedly, my heart was pretty broken by the ending. I don't know if there will be more, but I sure hope so. A must read for fans of A Tempest of Tea!

By far my favorite of Hafsah's works at the time. A Steeping of Blood improved upon the folies that I had with the first book in the duology. The pacing, dialogue and character growth. All around the book was more engaging. There are little things that I found that were irksome but at the end of the day it was a good sequel and I was genuinely surprised at the route the ending took.

+character growth
+beautiful world building

-drawn out a little
-an ending that feels off

Thank you NetGalley for the copy to review.

I LOVE all of Hafsah Faizal's work. We Hunt the Flame is one of my auto-recommendations to people when they ask for a fantasy book. A Tempest of Tea was such a thrilling and compelling story and read, I loved the way Hafsah writes a cast of characters and i LOVE vampires.

A Steeping of Blood was such a perfect continuation of A Tempest of Tea. I love Archie's anger. I love the crew's interactions with each other. ahhhhh!!