First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC for an honest review.

I personally had a fantastic time with 'A Steeping of Blood,' because as a sequel, I feel like it was successful in all the places it needed to be. Each of our main characters was given the time and space they needed to breathe, and each was given a solid conclusion to their arcs. The conflicts and escalation felt appropriate throughout, as well. I will say that the pacing does feel a little odd at times, and a few characters are given less time than I would like, but overall, I think that this one lives up to the first and concludes what was a generally fun story quite well!

Dark, romantic, and utterly addictive, A Steeping of Blood ] is a breathtaking sequel that raises the stakes in every way. Hafsah Faizal masterfully blends political intrigue, simmering romance, and razor-sharp twists in a lush vampire fantasy world. Arthie Casimir’s fierce determination and morally complex choices make her impossible to look away from, and the relentless tension keeps the pages turning until the heart-pounding finale. Fans of A Tempest of Tea will be devouring this one in a single sitting.

I was really excited to get a copy of this book as I loved the first one and was crushed by the cliffhanger. But I have to say I’m a little bit more crushed by this one and it’s ending. Though I believe it was well written, my attachments to the characters and the storyline led to a lot of heartbreak. I knew with this genre that we were probably going to have a few deaths, but I didn’t realize that it would make me as sad as it did. Overall, I loved the book and the duology, and can’t wait to read more from the author.

Hafsah Faizal’s A Steeping of Blood is a fierce and atmospheric sequel that raises the stakes—literally and emotionally—for tea-brewer-turned-vampire-revolutionary Arthie Casimir. Steeped in gothic ambiance and brimming with political tension, this installment builds on the rich world introduced in A Tempest of Tea, delivering a tale of loyalty, grief, and survival that cuts as sharply as a broken teacup.

In the aftermath of a deadly uprising, Arthie is more haunted than ever. The city of White Roaring is boiling with unrest, and with the press silenced and the public on edge, the Ram's announcement of a grand celebration only stokes the flames. Arthie, emotionally raw and physically scarred, must navigate the ruins of rebellion while rebuilding her fractured crew and forging uneasy alliances—some of which stir feelings she’s determined to ignore.

Faizal’s prose is as lyrical and razor-edged as ever, immersing readers in a world of shadowy opulence and simmering revolution. Arthie remains a compelling, complex lead: ruthless yet wounded, vulnerable yet unyielding. The romantic undercurrents are subtle but meaningful, adding depth without distracting from the central struggle.

Though some pacing lulls surface in the middle chapters, the emotional stakes remain high throughout. Themes of found family, vengeance, and reclaiming power are handled with nuance, and the story’s resolution feels both earned and satisfying—though not without scars.

A Steeping of Blood is a darkly brewed fantasy filled with bite and heart. Fans of vampire lore, revolution stories, and morally gray heroines will find plenty to savor.

I was really looking forward to this conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology. I loved being back with the crew from A Tempest of Tea, and the found family dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the book. The world-building remained rich and immersive, and the fast-paced action in this sequel was a definite change from the slower burn of book one. Jin in particular stood out to me, he felt like the most grounded and consistent character across both books, and I found myself always looking forward to his scenes.

However, despite these strengths, I struggled with some aspects of the story. The romantic tension between Arthie and Matteo, which started off strong, became repetitive to the point of distraction. Arthie, who had been such a fierce and sharp presence in the first book, often felt dulled here, making decisions that didn’t always feel true to the character I’d grown attached to, especially when it came to her relationship with Matteo.

The final act delivered in terms of action, but the build-up didn’t feel as solid as it needed to be. Things wrapped up too neatly and too fast for the emotional and narrative weight the story had been carrying. I found myself wishing the resolution had more impact.

I enjoyed revisiting this world and these characters, but this book didn’t quite stick the landing for me. It had some memorable moments and solid emotional beats, but they were occasionally buried under uneven pacing and a romance that overshadowed Arthie’s arc.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25 ⭐

Wow I was not expecting to be somewhat heartbroken by the end of this book! While some sorrowful tears were shed while reading this book, I can say that this book is just as strong as the first one and I truly enjoyed reading every minute of it.

It has heists, yearning, slow burn, twists, great character development and naturally more vampires and truly what more can you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC!

The second and final book in Faizal's duology. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book because it felt so fresh and new and dark (and obviously had tea) so I could have ended it there because I loved it but wasn't absolutely eager to jump into the second one, yet here we are Netgalley.

From the start it was probably a mindset of publishers pushing for a series however there was plenty of perspectives like the first to give you many characters to pay attention and that could be wholly developed but still centering on Arthie who has an ax to grind. But it felt long and drawn out with pops of action and darkness but couldn't sustain the chunkiness of the final book.

Reading A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal was an intense, immersive experience that pulled me deeper into a world of shadows, vengeance, and haunting beauty. Picking up after the chaos of the first book, the stakes felt immediately higher, and the atmosphere even more charged. Arthie Casimir is no longer just surviving, she’s burning with purpose, and I could feel that fire in every page. Faizal’s writing is lyrical yet razor-sharp, blending lush imagery with brutal action in a way that made the danger and emotion feel palpably real. I found myself constantly on edge, unsure who would make it out alive, and I loved the unpredictability of it all.
What stayed with me most was Arthie’s inner struggle, her pain, her anger, her refusal to be consumed by either. Watching her confront the ruins of everything she built, all while carrying the emotional weight of love, loss, and betrayal, was deeply compelling. Her relationships, particularly those fractured by recent events, brought layers of tension and heartbreak that made every alliance feel fragile and meaningful. As she pieced together her crew for one final stand, I was gripped not just by the action, but by the quiet, aching moments in between. A Steeping of Blood left me breathless and aching in the best way, a haunting, beautifully told sequel that lingers long after the last page.

I don't know what I expected, as I didn't really enjoy the first book. I probably should have just given up, but I wanted to push through and finish the story. I wish I didn't. I wanted SO badly to like this duology, but it just fell flat. The characters were repetitive and grating, and I just couldn't find myself caring what happened to them. I love the idea of vampires and tea and that interesting magic system, but this was not executed well. It just lacked so much emotion, and like the first book it told me things instead of showing me things. You can't just tell me a character is a badass but not give me any reason to believe it. The found family trope was the best part, and even that felt forced. Very sad about this, I have heard such great things about the author's other series.

I absolutely loved this! 4.5 ⭐️. We pick up right where A Temptest of Tea left off and I was hooked from the start. I never wanted to put this book down and absolutely loved all the mini plot twists throughout the book. This book is an emotional rollercoaster and a great way to close off the series.

Rating: 4.25/5
Spice: Yes (light—more tension than explicit)

It’s hard to review this one because I was so close to giving it five stars. I was locked in for most of the book—emotionally invested, heart racing, loving the world, the characters, and the high-stakes plot. But the ending threw me off enough that I had to sit with my thoughts for a bit.

The first third of the book slows down a little, but it makes sense—it's picking up right after the chaos at the end of book one, and the characters are scrambling to regroup after betrayal, loss, and their whole plan falling apart. Once the journey to rescue Jin’s parents and the kidnapped vampires kicks off, the pacing takes off and I couldn’t stop turning pages. It was fast, intense, and full of tension.

And then the ending happened.

Jin’s parents dying? I sadly saw that coming. But Matteo’s death? That one hurt. Not just because I liked him, but because it felt like a rushed sacrifice without enough emotional fallout. Arthie, who had finally opened herself up to someone after everything she’s been through, just kind of… moved on. I don’t mean she wasn’t sad, but we didn’t feel the weight of it the way I expected. Especially if this really is the end of the story—which it seems like it is. There’s been no word on a third book, and the ending felt pretty final.

That said, I still loved this book overall. The worldbuilding is unique, the characters are layered, and the stakes are high throughout. I’m still deeply invested in Arthie’s journey, her found family, and the way she navigates through the chaos.

Would I have loved a different ending? Yes. Do I wish we got a little more space to breathe after all that loss? Absolutely. But I’m still glad I read it. And if this truly is the end, I’ll remember it as a story that kept me on my toes and made me feel a lot!

Thank you to Macmillan for the e-ARC.

There is much to love about Hafsah Faizal's A STEEPING OF BLOOD. I still adore Arthie Casimir and her crew, in particular Jin, who has had my heart since A TEMPEST OF TEA. For those looking for a found family book (with a healthy dose of anti-imperialist conversation), this is exactly the book for you.

There were two things that gave me pause in this novel. The first is the constant repetition of information. I don't think this is necessarily Faizal's fault, but more a symptom of where we are in the current climate. Authors feel it necessary to constantly remind readers of details in case their short attention spans (a consequence of social media and cell phones) have caused them to forget. But there are several moments where I felt we belabored certain points (for example, Flick's disillusionment with her mother and her "recognition" of her mother's evils. This was so well set up that I didn't feel we needed to be TOLD about it as much as we were. I rather would have had the relationship and her mother's actions stand on their own).

I also understand that this is a romantasy. However, the number of times Arthie longed for (and COULD HAVE HAD) Matteo began to grate a little as the book wore on. At times, I felt like we lost that fiery girl from the first book, as she was so gobsmacked by a boy, she often made careless mistakes. The chemistry was GREAT, but I wish it had been allowed to breathe a little more.

All in all, a fun read, and one that I know many readers will enjoy!

Rated 3.75 stars but rounding up. I will preface by saying the parts of this that didn’t work for me were based on my preferences as a reader, and my mood, as I typically do not click with heists and break-outs, which is insane to me because everything about a heist is appealing. I may be one of the only people to not enjoy Six of Crows and it broke my heart.

I think the hardest part of this was to remember that this is YA fantasy, and I feel like that is the main driver behind so much of this being told instead of being seen, especially the colonization of Ceylan. Arthie was the character I connected to the least in the first book, and I don’t feel that her connection to her homeland or the homeland itself was fleshed out enough for me to feel any emotion during her return. I did just come off of reading The Poppy War which is an Adult fantasy trilogy and therefore much more detailed and graphic when covering similar topics, but I would have liked to see more of Ceylan through the eyes of those still living there and experiencing the horrors, not in some fetishistic or sadistic way, but just so I could have some sort of emotional attachment to the land.

I absolutely loved Jin. He seemed the most realistic and consistent character between the first and second books. I did love Matteo as well, but he seemed very different from the first book. I do understand that characters can and should grow and that is the beauty of storytelling, but he seemed to make a jump from one to the next with not much reasoning.

I felt similar about Flick as well. She was raised in a fairly spoiled manner (physically though not emotionally LOL) but took VERY quickly to a life on the run with no guaranteed shelter, and held up incredibly well under her capture. But dangit, I just adore her. She was so spunky and clever and I was honestly rushing through some scenes just to get back to her budding relationship with Jin.

I do feel it was a great conclusion to the first book, and I daresay I enjoyed it more. I found myself wanting to pick it back up more often to see what happens. If you enjoyed SoC I would 100% recommend this book as it had a lot of the same mischief, roguishness, and feel good vibes, but enough uniqueness and worldbuilding to really stand out on its own.

A Steeping of Blood is the epic sequel to A Tempest of Tea in the Blood and Tea duology. Tonally different, yet still having the same amazing emotionally devastating writing like the Sands of Arawiya duology, ASOB does not have a second where the action stops. Arthie is one of my favorite characters ever. Through her eyes, we see how colonialism stole so much from her and Jin both emotionally and physically. Colonization impacts every aspect of a person's life. The view of colonization through a fantasy lens will make one think about the world around them and how colonization still exists today.

Arthie's determination to her mission and devotion to her friends made me love her. I think the ending was so good and so heartbreaking. I highly recommend A Steeping of Blood and I hope you all read it! Also, I cannot wait to see what Faizal writes next because her books have a place in my heart forever.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Steeping of Blood is a solid follow-up to A Tempest of Tea, although it moves away from the heist mechanics into more of an action-thriller, which might not work for everyone.

The prose continues to be gorgeous and transports you right to the islands. Arthie, Jin, and Flick grow, bringing the novel a lot more character-development-driven flair, and it's full of classic YA gems.

There is yearning, there are hints of romance, and there is tension.

That said, the plot felt a bit too inspired by the Six of Crows duology at times, and the magic system didn't go as far as I would've liked. I really do not like the plot device used for the ending, it always feels so cheap to me :( Although I'd still recommend reading it if you want to know how the journey ends, you might want to re-Calibore your expectations (I'm very proud of this one).

You can read my full ARC review on our blog.

This book surprised me with how much I liked it!

Right from the get go, we start where we left off in A Tempest of Tea, and now we get to know the secret Arthie has been keeping from everyone. It really opens up the story and opens up a potential relationship with Matteo. Matteo! I was not expecting to like him so much. You truly get to know him in this book, and get to know more and more the affection *wink wink* that he feels for Arthie.

I was not expecting to blush every time he talks, but here we are.

I really loved the direction this story goes in A Steeping of Blood. We are shown more and more of the consequences of colonialism from the Ram and how it affects more than the streets of White Roaring.

Arthie and Matteo are not the only ones who undergo character development. We see Jin and Flick grow so much in this book. Jin is reeling from the events of A Tempest of Tea, feeling lost and alone. All of these emotions culminate when he meets some people from his past that make him question everything. Flick has officially cut off ties with her mother, and is starting to get the feel of being herself again. She mourns the loss of her mother in her life, but slowly realizes that family isn’t only found in the comfort of your home. I loved reading about her starting to trust herself again and find confidence in her choices! Flick is a sweet character that represents all of the soft girls in the world. She shows the reader you can be soft and strong.

Speaking of Jin and Flick, I think they’ve had enough dancing around each other. In A Steeping of Blood, we see them start to admit their feelings and it’s just so wholesome. Overall, I loved the character development in all of them, and the way the story unfolds. Hafsah Faizal has crafted a beautiful yet heartbreaking message about colonialism.

In a world that is so very reminiscent of our own, Faizal challenges the idea of “conquer or be conquered.” This story is written to all the generations of people who have had their countries invaded by the West and their idea of “Manifest Destiny”.

I can’t wait for this to be published!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC!

**3.5 STARS**

+ This is the conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology and I thought it was a pretty good end to the story.

+ I still love the found family that is Arthie, Jin, Flick and the others. After the wild events of book one, Arthie and her family are picking up the pieces and trying to take down the Ram. Everyone has their role and parts to help with the mission which makes them strong together. Although there is a part where this found family breaks apart for a little bit.

+ I enjoyed the vampirism and politics. There is a lot of action as Arthie and her friends try to stop the Ram. They travel to Ceylan, where they find out things have changed and there is a new type of vampire among them. A lot of the action come in the second half of this book.

+ I loved the relationship and romance between Flick and Jin – they are so sweet together! I thought Flick’s POV in book was the weakest but in this book she really shines. As for Arthie, Matteo is there for her this time and it was nice to see her open up, fall for his charms and let him in.

~ I don’t know why but with book one, I read it in one day. This book took me a whole week or more. I think it’s because the beginning moves slow but everything picks up in the second half. But there was something about the story that wasn’t hooking me like book one.

~ There are a bunch of heartbreaking moments in the second half of this book. It made me so sad!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid conclusion! Arthie and her friends completed their mission, taking down the Ram but with a lot of loss. I loved the romance relationships, especially between Flick and Jin. The beginning was slow but it picks up at the halfway point and ends in a heartbreaker. It’s a bittersweet conclusion.

Welllll I'm ruined! I am writing this from the afterlife! Holy smokes. This book was a TRIP and everything you could want out of a conclusion. The characters went through so much (and boy do I mean so much #ruthless); there was no shortage of action and I think I audibly gasped like 600 times? What I especially liked is that I haven't read the first book since before release and I was able to jump in pretty easily; there were subtle references throughout the book so while a reread may have enhanced the experience, it wasn't necessary. I highly recommend this one even though it means I'll be seeing you all post-life:)

I wish I could explain why I didn’t love this as much as the first. I cant quite put my finger on it. I did reread book one (and fully enjoyed it a second time around!) so I’m not sure what went wrong here. I think just wasn’t vibing with the overall plot direction, so I wasn’t as interested in it as book one.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan for this eARC!
2.5⭐️ Wow this book was a whirlwind. I have some conflicting feelings on this second book considering I really enjoyed and flew through the first one !

I will say this second book almost feels like it was written by a completely different person. The pacing was the biggest issue I had with this book. Considering this book was over 400 pages, and I feel like there were so many words for absolutely nothing to happen for the first like 80% of the book. We blew through important character development, and then dragged through the most mundane things? I feel like there was so much detail that was attempted to be slotted in but it was done in the most bizarre way, and that it would have been more beneficial to just make this a trilogy and really flushed out some of the more overarching themes and relationship dynamics.
The pacing for characters was also weird. We had characters in love with people, all of a sudden hate them, and then be in love with someone else like all in the same chapter it felt. We had someone who was raised practically like a princess, and then all of a sudden she’s a badass and can withstand torture and practically self mutilation? Which is all fine and good for her but it was just such a flip of the switch transition.
A big thing I felt like that bothered me is that our “villain” seemed to have ZERO motive to be so horrible. Sure she was a vampire and she hates them all so much. But even so, she was unnecessarily violent, power hungry, and overall horrible. It just made no sense, there seemed to be no drive behind it besides just the fact she was a “villain”, a vampire, and powerful and wanted everyone to know that? I have no idea.
Overall I didn’t HATE this book, I just found it to be super disappointing after the high praise I had for book one. It just felt like we were trying to shove SO MUCH in the last 20% of the book, and Include as many buzzwords and tropes as physically possible to the point it was almost enough to take you out of the story. Also the end felt super unnecessary and like forced. She needed to kill someone off so basically just picked someone who she dangled as a HEA, then said SIKE. Idk , I hate to give a bad review but this was just not it for me.