ARC provided by NetGalley for a fair and honest review

I. Loved. This. Sequel. This was action packed from the start and immensely more emotional. This really connected me to the main characters and I was hooked from the first chapter. I don’t think this could’ve been written better. Highly recommend this series.

This was pretty good as far as sequels go! Lots of fun, but not quite as engaging for me as the first book. Still loved seeing where things go for all of the characters and it was an enjoyable read!

“I suppose we can save the world and have tea”

What a fun book! I would argue that it’s not as strong at the first book, but this was a really fun read with high stakes and a rag-tag group bonded by their love for each other. Will forever love Arthie as a FMC and I want to give her a hug at the end of the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this thrilling and amazing book!

A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
A haunting, lyrical fantasy that explores vengeance, magic, and the cost of legacy. Faizal crafts a rich world layered with dark intrigue and poetic prose. Perfect for fans of atmospheric storytelling and morally complex heroes.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "Stop" Someone shouted from the fort gates. Bloodworth. He was aiming a gun at her. "I will kill you."
"Then bury me shallow, for I will return."

A Steeping of Blood was very difficult to rate. On the one hand, I deeply enjoyed many of the plot twists and all of the character's relationships, and on the other hand, some of the writing was poor and the middle of the book suffered from a lack of stakes and real emotion.

I was extremely excited when I received the ARC- thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me one. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 (among Sunrise on the Reaping, Watch Me, and Every Spiral of Fate), however, when I neared the halfway mark, it began to disappoint me deeply.

Before I delve into that, however, I would like to point out the things I enjoyed.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "I supposed I want peace. I want to live again." He lowered his voice. "With you. For you."

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ He breathed a laugh, brushing away the hair that clung to her damp skin. "My praecantrix."

1- Arthie and Mattheo were truly very sweet and enjoyable to root for. I'm also very proud of Hafsah for making a difficult decision and killing him off in the end. I loved him, but it felt correct.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ What a delight it was, to be seen.

2- Flick! Her character is truly very relatable to me, with her distractability and loyalty (and attraction to Jin). She never felt flat, even when the other characters did, and her development was lovely.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "I thought you were a man of many talents," Arthie said.
Mattheo's jaw dropped open. "Are you flirting with me, darling?"
Jin flicked a brow. "Don't get your hopes up."
"Oh, they're up, all right."
"That better not mean what I think it means."
Mattheo gave him a wink.
"I don't know what that means," Flick said.

3- The found family. Even when I grew disappointed, their banter cheered me up. Their connections felt genuine throughout the entire book, and Arthie and Jin are truly special to me.

Now, to what disappointed me:

The writing grew bland- and almost cringeworthy, as much as it pains me to admit. The pacing of the sentences was often off, containing the same punctuational structures 4 times in a row. The diction of the characters varied from formal to casual at random, from phrases such as "does it not" "are we not" to words like "stinky" and exclamations like "by golly". Other examples of poor dialogue are these:

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "You have my fangs," one said.
"And my claws," said another.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "...a specialized breed of super vampires."

Yes, you read that correctly, 'super vampires'. I also grew tired of how many times Mattheo said "darling", and how many times the Ram "hmm"ed.

The stakes fell flat, rendering my interest to a low I would never have expected from a book by Hafsah Faizal. I could not bring myself to care when the Siwangs died, because, unfortunately, they had never felt permanent, and their disappearance didn't create a lasting impact.

The characters somehow grew into caricatures by the 50% mark, which frustrated me deeply, because one of the main reasons I enjoyed A Tempest of Tea so deeply was because of the found family.

My last complaint is, unfortunately, how Arthie- and Jin- dealt with those who had wronged her. Only Mattheo seemed to have no qualms about dealing out consequences to people who had done truly horrible things. For example-

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "I know they're colonizers, but you can't mean to kill them," Jin said, brow furrowed.

It's possible that I may be too harsh when discussing this, but it reminds me of the trope- which Arthie fell into, to my utter dismay- where the hero refuses to kill the villain because it will make them just as bad as their enemy. I could write an essay on all the reasons I dislike that trope.

Overall, I'm truly disappointed. I fervently wanted to like this book- love it, in fact- but it fell flat. (less) [edit]

A Steeping in of Blood

Rating: 4.25
Genre: Fantasy, Historial Fiction, Vampires

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of my most anticipated release of 2025!

This book was everything you could want in a duo, given how the first book ended. Hafsah Faizal has done it yet again with this sequel.

If you remember what happened in the first book then you’ll fall right in line with the story and plot of this book, If not I recommend a reread. I say this because the book jumps straight into the action from where a tempest of tea leaves off. Since the beginning of the book there was chaos, grit and emotions. The plot not only has advanced from the first book, the characters development will make you fall in love with them even more. NOW I will say there is some slight spice in this book that I was defiantly not expecting but it made the yearn from the characters that much more intriguing. The way things were written transformed me to White Roaring myself whilst reading this arc. The beauty behind the meanings of every detail that you wouldn’t think mattered it did so pay attention ;). There was some romance that not just built off At Tempest of Tea but compelled me as a reader to want more.

From the plot, to the characters, the details of the why and how’s..this novel was the perfect sequel to the first book. She truly knows how to make people stop in their tracks to read a book. The atmosphere of this book was perfect.

A Steeping of Blood picks up right where A Tempest of Tea left off, with our heroes scattered and traumatized by the brutal massacre carried out by the tyrannical monarch of Ettenia. Jin and Arthie have to come to terms with secrets they've kept from each other while plotting to take down the monarch through a network of colonial conquests that has destroyed the lives and cultures of thousands of people. I wasn't sure how this sequel would play out, because the stakes were so high, but the story keeps its momentum and Jin, Arthie, Flick, and Matteo manage what seems impossible, despite facing torture, imprisonment, loss, grief, and betrayal. The setting of this duology is clearly intended to be an alternate London, with Ceylan an allegory for India and other South Asian countries that were invaded by the British to colonize. This book touches more on the evils of colonialism than the first, because the characters actually travel to a colony and see what's being done to the people there. There's also the clever comparison of vampirism and colonialism, both of which harm innocent people and "other" entire groups of people. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

4.25

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

An excellent, heartbreaking, full circle conclusion to the duology.

This book is much more politic-heavy than book one. I appreciated the three different POVs, especially since characters were constantly being separated. It's definitely a story of "if it can go wrong, it will go wrong", but I enjoyed that almost nothing went to plan which made the story slightly less predictable. It really highlighted the growth of the characters as the story progressed since they had to constantly pivot and think on their feet.

A Steeping of Blood is a powerful and emotionally intense conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology. The stakes are higher, the action is relentless, and the characters are faced with the consequences of their choices. Faizal expertly brings her characters to life, particularly Arthie, whose journey of self-discovery, power, and sacrifice is both captivating and painful.

The world-building in this book continues to impress. The lush, atmospheric settings are rich with culture, intrigue, and political tension. The interactions between the various factions are nuanced and add complexity to the overarching plot, creating a layered, engaging narrative.

What stands out most in this book is the emotional depth. The relationships between characters—particularly within the tight-knit crew—are beautifully crafted, offering moments of genuine connection amidst the turmoil. However, at times the pacing feels a bit uneven, particularly when focusing on the quieter, more introspective moments. While these moments are necessary for character development, they can slow down the flow of the action.

Despite these pacing issues, A Steeping of Blood is a strong and satisfying conclusion to the series. The emotional payoff, while earned, is bittersweet, and the ending leaves room for reflection. This is a story about redemption, love, and the cost of power—one that sticks with you long after the last page.

Thank you to Netgalley the publisher for the ARC.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc of this book. Sadly it fell short. It was slightly better than the first so I would give it a 3.25 rating. I absolutely loved how it started. The prologue started right where the last book ended and came from a new pov. I wish we had seen more of this pov in the book because this was one of the more interesting characters. I enjoyed this book more than the first as there was more going on and things started to make sense. However, there were a lot of scenes that simply didn’t make sense and prolonged the story without any actual reasoning behind it. For example <spoiler>it made absolutely no sense that Arthie allowed herself to get captured by the Ram instead of just ending her there. </spoiler> I did enjoy the different plot points and reveals that happened. I also really liked the characters and their relationships. The final reveals in the book I did see coming so if they were meant to be big twists, they fell short. Also, while I enjoyed the action at the end it seemed to be resolved very quickly and without much impact.
<spoiler>The death of Matteo seemed to be simply for shock value and to be honest, I absolutely hated it! It was completely unnecessary and if the ripper vampires were that super, they would have disposed of him in a second so it also made no sense for the author not only to kill him off but to do it in that way </spoiler> Overall, this book had an interesting premise with good characters but the execution of the story fell short. I do think there is an audience for this and many will most likely love it for the vampire aspect and the characters. So if it sounds interesting to you, this may be worth a read. Especially if you enjoyed the first book then you are sure to enjoy this conclusion to their story.

I liked this slightly more than the first book because it moved at a faster clip. However I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending for OTP reasons. I guess I don’t have much to critique. It was fine.

I was so excited to receive this as A Tempest of Tea was just... Incredible. I feel like there were some struggles writing this one though.

It was beautiful and whitty in the writing style seeming almost childish for the topic. While I know it's YA, it seemed to lean more heavily towards the young and I think could've benefited from more sensitivity. It was definitely a bit on the cheesy side as well.

While it was faster paced than Tempest, it also felt more drawn out. I enjoyed getting to see more of certain characters, but not at the expense of others.

The end completely threw me off. It seemed almost meant for a shock factor, and not like it was supposed to end that way.

Well written but just lacked execution I think

A Steeping of Blood picks up right where A Tempest of Tea ended and concludes the duology.

I loved everything about this book except for one part of the ending. I love Hafsah Faisal’s writing style and her characters so much. I loved Arthie and Flick’s growth in A Steeping of Blood. This is one of my favorites found families. I enjoyed the plot and thought it was well paced. I loved the discussion of colonization and identity. Aside from the part of the ending I didn’t like, this duet was wrapped up very well. I can’t wait to read more from Hafsah Faisal.

I was really looking forward to this book. I loved the first in the series. But this book was just ok. For much of it I felt like I was just reading to try to finish it rather than actually enjoying it.

Things I liked: the character relationships and character growth (especially flick). I did really enjoyed Arthies character.

Things I didn’t like: there was so much unnecessary, long, drawn out description of every scene that I found myself skimming a lot. I did not like the ending. The main character death felt unnecessary

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

this book tore into me, spilled my feelings all over the floor, and now i won’t bloody shut up about it.

i’ve never been able to write a review about we hunt the flame or we free the stars, even after reading them a thousand times. using hafsah’s own words, i could say that i love those books and talk about how it changed my life, but the words for what i feel about it do not yet exist.

now, i’m here to talk a little about a steeping of blood, because this one i can do.

starting with something that truly surprised me: i switched sides when it comes to arthie’s relationship. just to be clear — i LOVE laith. he’s by far my favourite character. and i still really enjoyed the romantic scenes between him and arthie in a tempest of tea. but here in asob, i found myself wishing for a different ending for him.

laith and arthie were equal; matteo and arthie are the same.
that’s a tiny difference between them — and that’s where the endgame leans in favour of matteo.

and i’m not disappointed with that.

long story short: they were both important to arthie’s development.

the promise of twists, political tension, and mainly (personal opinion) the ROMANCE was delivered (haha). but i didn’t love 100% of the overall pacing, especially when comparing it to the development in we free the stars. and there’s simply no reality where i could not compare it — it’s the sequel in a brilliant duology by hafsah, just like wfts, so i did have expectations for asob.

the drama here is definitely heavier than in a tempest of tea. getting to know each crew member’s backstory made everything more layered. it’s easy to connect with them all, and even easier to understand their choices and behaviours throughout the plot.

the ending?
it leaves a door wide open for another book (blade of honey, perhaps?) set in arawiya, and as a huge fan of this universe, that would make me VERY HAPPY. especially if there’s a character crossover.

personally, i find hafsah’s writing sharp, emotional, and fantastic. she’s a stunning fantasy author.

one thing that made me absolutely furious about the ending: arthie lacked BLOODLUST. we were rooting for a beautiful, delicious revenge after everything the Ram did, and that’s not exactly what we got.

i cried like a bitch in the last 15%, felt like a starving, homeless baby missing their mom.

if i had to describe this book in one word, it’d definitely be: intense.

i screamed.
i cried.
i love it.
i hate it.

that was my a steeping of blood reading

I really liked this book! The first one was good but not an all time favorite but this was a good sequel that picked up right where book one left off. It felt like it flowed very while together with nice pacing. The end hurt though 😂. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. This book picks up after the first and trust me when I say it is probably even better! I enjoyed the plot twists, the character development, the found family vibes and the banter were all amazing.

Personally. We Hunt the Flame + We Free the Stars will always be my favorite of Faizal's, but i do think that the vibes of the blood and tea duology made it work for me. Vampires and tea houses are absolutely enough to keep me interested in a story thank you very much. I can see where the criticisms of this book - mainly that it felt like it was written/certain scenes where put in for a certain audience of readers on tiktok. and like. yeah i can see it. however in my case, i specifically tried to avoid books like that when i could, so most of the stuff in A Tempest of Tea felt new to me lmao like. and you know what if it's a trope or a trend whatever. i read the same fanfic tropes and aus over and over and i love it. having certain scenes in a novel that are written for a specific audience and purpose well obviously. that said, I didn't care for either of the romantic relationships arthie found herself in.

My favorites from A Steeping of Blood - vibes. of course always. nothing gets better than weird vampires causing mayhem and also tea.

-jin and flick !!!!!! those two are 100% my favorites i think they're sweet.

-the writing style.... i had forgotten from the first book how lush and vivid all of the descriptions were, how beautifully described and sensory these books were.... ough.

-i do like the inclusion of arawiya ! hearing about arawiya and it's release from the curse from an outsider's pov is really interesting in my opinion, and i would have loved to learn more about laith's mission and motives,,,,,,, i mean well i guess we do know everything but. ouhg moar.

-i do like how blatant the themes of anti-colonialism were. there is a time and place for subtlety, and i still would have appreciated the themes if they were more subtle. however, as of may 8 2025 when i'm writing this. i feel like people have had more than enough subtlety and still aren't getting it so. to me, yes it's preaching to the choir but for some other readers who (since this is a YA series) may need an introduction to these ideas, or who somehow still don't get it, the bluntness is necessary.

Unfortunately, though, this series wasn't as emotionally hard hitting for me as the sands of arawiya. I wasn't as connected to arthie as the book wanted me to be, and i felt like i didn't know her as much as the other characters. i Loved her relationship with jin, but with everyone else, not as much.

Overall, if you were a fan of the first book, i absolutely think you'll love the second! It's a wonderfully good time throughout and the gang goes on even wider reaching adventures to cause as much chaos as possible, in true professional criminal fashion.

3.75 stars from me!

Such an outstanding sequel! I really love Faisal’s writing style and throughly enjoyed where the story went in this instalment. Definitely recommend to anyone who was a fan of book 1!

An excellent, well crafted sequel in the rich words of Ettenia and Ceylan. This story picks up right where the first book (A Tempest of Tea) left off, immediately answering all of the questions I had been left screaming for answers for! The plot was well developed and the twists were great - the action and character development never let up. This story also had the perfect mix of sweet moments and heartbreak. My only hesitation while reading was that the sequel lacked some of the romantic tension that littered the first book, but it all made sense in the end. Ultimately, each character and their relationships are well thought out and interesting. It wrapped beautifully and I wholeheartedly recommend this duology to fantasy fans that want books with political and relevant commentary (with a side of vampires)!