This book shattered me. Days later, I'm still feeling the emotional aftershocks of this Blood and Tea finale.

Arthie's journey to reunite her crew against White Roaring showcases her brilliant tactical mind. She's relentless, even when everything seems lost. As secrets spill out, relationships within the crew transform. Trust breaks, reforms, and evolves in ways that feel earned rather than manufactured for drama.

The vampire world of Ceylan feels fresh and original. Faizal builds a society with clear power structures and government control that actually matters to the story. The social hierarchy creates genuine conflict beyond typical vampire tropes.

I loved the strategic cat-and-mouse game between Arthie's team and the Ram. Plans succeed, fail, and adapt constantly. One moment you're celebrating a small victory; the next, you're crushed by an unexpected setback. This rollercoaster kept me turning pages late into the night.

That controversial twist though? Bold move. Some readers will love it; others won't. I'm still sorting through my feelings about it.

What sets this vampire story apart is its focus on political intrigue and character growth over romance. The personal stakes feel as important as the fate of Ceylan itself.

Four stars for this thrilling yet heartbreaking conclusion. Highly recommended, but fair warning—prepare for emotional damage.

Special thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for my advance copy. As always, the thoughts shared here are completely my own.

Hafsah Faizal is so evil for that ending like....I'm devastated. No one is safe and everyone should know that going into this second book of the Blood and Tea duology. HOW DARE YOU I TRUSTED YOU WE ALL TRUSTED YOU.

Anyway. Arthie is reeling from a deadly night after breaking into the Aethereum. Her crew got the Ram's ledger, but at what cost? Jin and Arthie have now both been turned into vampires. Arthie's tearoom has been burned down. Her crew is scattered. And Laith, who betrayed them all, is dead (?). Arthie has to reassemble the crew, but Jin doesn't trust her after she kept her half-vampirism a secret from him. She and the others discover the Ram's plot to unleash starved vampires on the populations of colonized countries, including Arthie's homeland, Ceylan, to keep growing the Ettenian Empire and consolidate power. They also learn that Jin's parents, the scientists whose experiments have allowed the Ram to kidnap and turn the vampires into mindless monsters, are still alive. They must travel to Ceylan to try and topple the Ram's empire from the inside out.

This book definitely suffers from some pacing issues, and tbh the Ram's plots are so convoluted I'm not entirely sure they make sense. We also spend a lot of time with Jin's parents which slowed things down until the rug was pulled (Hafsah loves to do that, btw). Matteo....he's so perfect. Also (spoiler) Laith isn't really dead but he doesn't show up until way too late which lessens the emotional impact imo and I feel like things weren't really resolved with that? Like there wasn't really a discussion or digging into the betrayal and the reasoning and all that. So I was like...shrug! Idk maybe it's been too long since I've read the first one.

Netgalley and Macmillan provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A steeping of Blood takes us back to the world of Arthie Casimir and her band of misfit criminals. I personally love the "found family" trope, which is something that I think this series does perfectly. They may have their disagreements and they may fight, but at the end of the day, they are and always will be family. The charecters are the very heart of this book, each one bringing somthing unique to the story.
I think that this book was the perfect sequel to A Tempest of Tea. It had me hooked from beginning to end!🫖

Much as I love this world and the characters in it, this was a bit of a letdown in comparison to the previous book. The highlights are still there: Matteo and Arthie's burgeoning relationship was well done (I only wish there had been more time with it), and Jin and Flick remain my favorites (again, wish for more time with them though). The world of the series also is just fantastically portrayed - it's a world that you want to live in and experience, and the author's writing makes it vivid and alive. Overall, I just wished for more time with this story, especially since the characters were separated for a chunk of it and then the ending moved very quickly without a lot of time to stew in the choices that led there.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have honestly been waiting for this one! i loved the first book and this one was one of my most anticipated reads. i love the crew and the found family aspect, how many times they’re tested and how they work out things and come together. i was on my edge of the seat at some parts, other parts seemed to drag on a bit but otherwise it was still enjoyable! this book had a ton of high stakes and i loved it. the strongest parts of this book for me was really the characters and the found family parts. it’s one that will stick with me, the conclusion was really great.

A Steeping of Blood was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it did not disappoint! It was a brilliant follow up and conclusion to Arthie's story.
I loved everything about this sequel. From the growing bond between the found family, the development of the relationships (especially Arthie and Flick, so cute!), to Flick coming into her own, and Arthie making some much needed realisations.

It's more than just a fantasy book - it tackles colonialism, prejudice, and oppression. Arthie has to confront her past and return to her country of birth, Ceylan
(a colonised modern day Sri-Lanka.) As with the first book the chapters were short and told from the POV of three of the main characters, with the added bonus of Matteo's POV (which as someone who was intrigued by his character in the first book, I loved!). There was nonstop action, which kept the story moving with no boring moments.

There was also the perfect amount of romantic tension from both couples, though Arthie and spoiler were by far my favourite. Right from the start there was romantic yearning galore.

The ending was bitter sweet, and unfortunately the bitter part is what kept this from a being a five star for me.

The character work was one of the strongest parts for me. You can really see how the crew is tested when loyalties are questioned and the stakes get higher. I loved the push and pull of trust vs. betrayal—it gave the book that aching, messy, human edge. The prose was still lush and atmospheric, and the tea-house underworld aesthetic stayed unique and fresh. My only drawback is that it sometimes felt like the plot leaned more on drama than actual momentum. There were points where I wanted the pacing to move quicker, and certain twists were easier to spot coming than in the first book. Still, the payoffs and emotional gut-punches were satisfying enough that I couldn’t put it down.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This was pretty equivalent to the first book in my mind until the ending. And then I wanted to throw the book. There were other choices that could have been made and I’m SALTY about it.

Otherwise, this is a high stakes, lots of action story with even more vampires. If the first book tried to be Six of Crows, this tried to be Crooked Kingdom. But again, these “plans” are usually haphazard, poorly executed, tend to go sideways, and yet, things don’t turn out as bad as they could each time. The found family and commentary on colonialism are strong points. But it all just felt a little bit half-baked. And again, I’m mad about the ending.

Basically if you liked the first one, you might like this one, but it will depend on how you feel about the end.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
I loved A Tempest of Tea and have enjoyed other works by Hafsah Faizal so I was so excited to get my hands on this sequel. I tore through A Tempest of Tea but this book was a slog for at least 40% of it. I was considering a DNF around 30% but I went and read some other reviews and was encouraged by other readers' reactions to an exciting ending and their claims that the pace does pick up. Thankfully the pace does pick up and the ending is eventful but it is not the earth shattering shock I thought it would be based on other reviews. The big reveal is something that I saw coming.
The pacing issue was mostly that the story was moving event to event instead of one larger overarching storyline. Eventually we did get onto one nice long arc but it still felt a little clunky at times. Heist books are great because of the detailed planning that goes into the heist, this book had the characters just running at the problem and freestyling it once they got there. I eventually forgave a lot of gripes I was having with the book as the pace picked up again but one thing that kept bringing me back to a state of haterism was Matteo and Arthie’s relationship. Everytime I got over my ick with them and forgot about their relationship Matteo would appear calling her some pet name again. I really hate Matteo and Arthie together, the vibe is often that of a 16 year old girl (Matteo) telling her highschool QB boyfriend “Jake (Arthie) listen to me this isn't you, babe look at me babe, babe” when he is about to get into a sticky situation.
There is something to be said about a previously hardened and calculating character getting to feel soft and safe with someone but they just felt off. I don’t think they really had any buildup to romance or at least the amount of buildup someone like Arthie might need to let someone in. I was trying to pinpoint my ick and I think doing some triangulation of their ages and checking the wiki really helped me: Arthie age 19, physically 16 and Matteo age ~100, physically early 20s. I know that as fantasy readers we sometimes suspend our expectations about age gaps when immortals are involved but this one felt ew. Maybe because this society is majority human, not immortal?
I fear that if we removed Arthie and Matteo’s romance and just had Matteo as a new member of the gang this book would be closer to a 4+ star rating.

Vague Spoiler ahead
I enjoyed We Hunt the Flame and would love if there were more future installments in this world that perhaps involved a light haired assassin and his adventures returning a magic weapon to his kingdom??? Perhaps maybe please…

A great ending to this duology! Matteo and Arthie were so sweet and definitely a highlight in the book for me. I love the found family and I was so happy to see them all back. This series reads a little slow for me but I still enjoyed seeing how it all ended.

🩸☕ ARC Review – A Steeping in Blood by Hafsah Faizal 🩸☕

✨ Brewed to perfection indeed! After the heart-stopping finale of A Tempest of Tea, Hafsah Faizal serves us a sequel that’s just as intoxicating—only this time, the tea is stronger, darker, and laced with blood. 🫖🧛‍♀️

💔 Arthie Casimir is still reeling from devastating loss, but there’s no time to grieve—White Roaring is on the edge of chaos, vampires are in danger, and danger lurks behind every shadow 🌒. Faizal masterfully blends romance 💕, vengeance 🔪, and political intrigue 🏛️ into a plot that twists and turns until the very last page 📖.

🔥 The atmosphere is lush, the stakes are sky-high, and the slow-burn emotions hit just as hard as the action scenes. This is a vampire fantasy that doesn’t just bite—it lingers. 🦇

⭐ Verdict: A seductive, high-stakes finale that will leave you breathless and begging for just one more chapter. 🌹

I’m not sure what to rate this honestly. I was so excited and I loved coming back to this cast of characters but some things happened that I’m not ok with and I don’t know how to feel. This was looking to be a 4-5 star read for me but I feel bad rating it a 3 when maybe it’s a me and my preferences problem? I don’t want to say anything to spoil anything but I kept hoping for something to change at the end and it be like..just kidding..but it didn’t and idk. Knowing what I know now I wouldn’t read it again but it was still a great book and I think a lot of people will love it and enjoy being wrecked but I personally do not lol

3.5

I was really happy to get to see this story come to a satisfying conclusion. this book was fast paced, with twists, turns, and reveals that kept things moving. a lot of doors opened in book one were returned to here, and I enjoyed seeing so many pieces resolved. I did feel like the book was missing a strong story arc that drove the plot; this was more like event-to-event pacing.

I enjoyed the different interpersonal conflicts throughout: we had to actually deal with the different ways characters had betrayed or lied to each other in book one. I felt like the character dynamics rang true in these moments.

Favorite quote(s):

“There's a time and place to fight, Jin had said.

This was the time for fighting.”

‘"Unless that deal includes shoving the barrel down your throat, I'll pass," Arthie said.’

Review:

This was a great read. Each character had growth and was still unique. I loved getting more of the world and the story of each character. I did want more of Matteo and Arthie. There wasn't enough of them for me. What happened to both Matteo and Jin's parents was unfortunate. They deserved better. The Ram sucked and I despised her so much. She was horrible. I adored that there were multiple POVs so we got more of what was happening with each character. Flick was great in this and I loved how she stood up against her mother. There was a lot of action in this book and I loved that. The last few chapters were both intense and emotional. It was a nice end to the duology despite the sad moments. I can't wait for what Hafsah writes next.

Damn. This was even better than the auction. I cannot WAIT for book 2!!!!! It’s so fun reading this and seeing where Julie laid the stones for the rest of the plot to unfold. Things I missed on my original read were like “ooo that’s what that meant!!!!” Excited to see more of tovey.

This book takes place right after the events that happened in The Tempest of Tea. The whole gang is back.. Arthie, Matteo, Jin, Flick and unfortunately Laith.


It had a little bit of a slow start but once it gets going.. I was scared of what will happen next. The found family in this book had me like ❤️🥺🫶🏻.
After I finish this book, I had to stare at the wall cause I can’t believe this duology is over. It was amazing!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. 🫶🏻

A great tie off to the duology! Stakes have been heightened for all of the cast and the anti-colonization messaging could not be more clear. It was, at points, a little heavy handed, but for a YA audience that will be reading it in the current climate I think it appropriate to ensure there be no confusion.

The characters have a lot of heart and carry the story forward in ways that keep the reader immersed in the world. all for a bittersweet payoff that is worth the read.

“She was ruin personified, and her enemies would know it.”

A fantastic sequel A Tempest of Tea!

What I liked:

I absolutely love Arthie and her crew, Flick, Jin, and Mateo. The chemistry with the group and the banter between them all is so good.

This one was a little slow moving to start, but I was hooked by about 20%. I could not get enough of the three POVs, and their respective jobs.

The politics of the empire and the effects of colonization are steady through this duology.

Faizal may have made me ugly cry towards the end, but I really love how everything was wrapped up.

What didn’t work for me:

Nothing major

Oh, Ms. Faizal....Why'd you have to go and break my heart like that?

All in all, this is a satisfying - if bittersweet - conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology. Arthie, Jin, Flick, and Matteo are back and better than ever. There's plenty of action, some romance, good character development, and a villain who's...well a real piece of work. Some of the twists I predicted, and some caught me unaware, but, ultimately, there were enough surprises (once the book reached a certain point) to keep me turning the page, which is all that matters.

The biggest issue I have with the book is the way the anti-colonization message takes over the rest of the story. I get it - our world has an ugly history with colonization, specifically white colonization - and there's nothing wrong with making that point in fiction. But there's making a point and then there's making a POINT. I'm much more in favor of an author presenting a social issue and allowing the reader to think critically about it rather than feeling like I'm being beaten over the head with it. This book skewed more toward the latter, which left me dragging my feet during the middle part of the book.

But I really do love these characters and, Arthie, well, she grew a lot in this book, and that was a beautiful thing to see.

*I received a free Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*