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)!

This was a solid conclusion to the duology and I look forward to the author's future works. I was so excited to get reacquainted with my favorite character Flick! There are a lot of good twists and turns, and the pacing is well done. I definitely found this book to be enthralling than the first one and read it in about three sittings.

The first book, A Tempest of Tea, was more than I expected it to be. Dreamy, exciting, and full of great characters you want to root for. That ending left me wanting more, and I'm so happy to have gotten to read this as soon as I did. While this isn't as exciting as the first in my opinion, it builds upon the first by really fleshing out Arthie into an even more endearing character. If you liked the first, I strongly believe you'll enjoy this as it builds upon the first one in many ways.

4.5 stars rounded up.

What a wild ride from start to finish. This is an excellent conclusion to the events of "A Tempest of Tea," and a definitely an emotional roller coaster! Flick has emerged as probably my favorite character in the series. She really came into herself and grew as a person throughout the events of this book. She and Jin fit perfectly together.

This book was action packed and there was never a dull moment as we follow Arthie and her crew's mission to destroy the Ram. I enjoyed the scenes taking place in Ceylan. Like "A Tempest of Tea," colonialism and the impact it has on those who are from colonized countries was a constant, and it is an important part of the story.

"How could someone take over another land and live guilt-free? How could they destroy and pillage and act as if it was wholly natural"

This quote in particular hits home, especially considering current world events.

I love found family, and this definitely gives found family. Watching Arthie and Jin navigate their relationship after Arthie's secret is revealed, the events on Ceylan, and how the crew rallies together was all written exceptionally well.

My only complaint is that one of the events right after Ceylan, and I won't give spoilers here, seemed like it was done more for shock value than plot value. The twist at the end, I feel, fit the story quite well and worked. But there was a character death I disagreed with. I also feel that, at times, this would have been better written as a New Adult book than YA. The themes are quite heavy, and while that does have a place in YA, in particular the chemistry between some characters I think almost would have been better as a NA book. It sits kind of in the middle, in my opinion.

I do think that the ending was a great way to end the book. The Ram got the ending she deserved, and it was quite fitting. There were a couple of twists with her character towards the end that I didn't see coming, but it wrapped up the story nicely, and I wasn't left wanting more. A great end to a great duology.

A lot of people tended to rate the first one kind of low so I'm expecting that the sequel will have some lower reviews as well, but I felt it was a wonderful conclusion, and one of the best sequels I've read. Things from the first book are brought in and mentioned throughout the book and not just in the beginning as like, an expose of the story so far. It wasn't like a "previously on..." the writing style was consistent, and so were the characters. They were the same characters from the first book, their personalities were the same, but there was a lot of character growth. The ending was mostly everything I wanted. There were many things that were expected and foreseen, but there were also things that I didn't see coming that I felt I should have. I also don't feel like there needs to be more. Like, reading more about these characters living their lives would be wonderful, as they're wonderful characters, but the story feels complete, it doesn't leave me wanting more or going "okay but now what?"

3.5 Stars

White Roaring is in turmoil following the events of the Ram's recent attack on the press and Arthie's crew. But the Ram's not wasting any time, and now she's called for a celebration of her rule. Arthie has to rally her crew and find a way to expose the Ram, while dealing with new emotions and new allies. She will have to face the ghosts of her past, by traveling to Ceylan to expose the atrocities that the Ram is committing against vampires. Arthie's never without a plan, but she might just be underestimating the lengths the Ram is willing to go, to hold on to her power.

A Steeping of Blood brings an action-filled conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology. Arthie and the crew face a lot of dangerous moments in this book, and the non-stop action made for a quick read. I liked the fact that Faizal picked up A Steeping of Blood right where A Tempest of Tea left off, and brought the reader right back into the chaos of the cliffhanger.

The found family and character relationships are definitely my favorite part of these books. And Faizal really does a great job of writing each of the characters through the multiple POVs. I loved seeing more of the romantic relationships between Arthie and Matteo and Flick and Jin in this book. Flick is definitely the star of the show in this book. Her character and character growth is done so well, and I found myself looking forward to chapter after chapter from her POV.

As much as I loved A Tempest of Tea, I found that A Steeping of Blood didn't quite live up to my expectations from the first book. I was looking for more of an impactful storyline with the vampires, but most of the time I felt like they weren't much different from the humans. The evil machinations and plans from the Ram seemed very convoluted, and her plot twist and motivations didn't come together, for me, in a satisfying conclusion. And I'm not bothered by storylines that don't have a HEA ending for all of the characters, but I felt like the ending for one of the main characters really made me dislike the ending of this book. I felt like it didn't add any kind of resolution or emotional value to the story, other than being a shock factor.

Overall, I enjoyed A Steeping of Blood as a conclusion to the series. The book does deal with heavy themes of racism, death, and stealing/colonizing other lands in a Young Adult fantasy world. If you love vampire stories, with morally grey characters, romance, and unexpected plot twists, then I would recommend A Steeping of Blood.

The amount of action and twists is what I expected to be in A Tempest of Tea and was disappointed at its lack. A Steeping of Blood starts off running and keeps going. I truly enjoyed that aspect. I also felt more emotion in this book then book 1. I really felt for Flick and Jinn. This book did suffer from some of the same issues book one had. Just like book 1 this book feels like we are being told the story and not immersed in it. Maybe that is the just authors writing style. But this book does have a lot more action and twists then the first book so I did not have any issues with it keeping my interest. Overall an interesting story and a fun read.

This was a great continuation and completion of the Blood and Tea duology. It picks up right where the last book left off, so immediately drops you right into the action, and doesn't stop until the last page is turned. This led to not being able to put the book down because once the ball started rolling there was no stopping it.

I wouldn't say that I was surprised by any of the "twists" throughout the book, but that still leant to great plot moments even if I may have seen them coming. The commentaries on colonialism and monopolies were poignant and real and the author did a great job of using a fantastical setting to highlight real world problems.

Huge amounts of character growth, especially for my girl Flick. So glad to see how much she's grown and changed since the first one and throughout this one.

The one downer I have about this book is a death at the end. No spoilers for who it was, but it felt wholly unnecessary and took away from the ending for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a copy of this ARC!

After the end of Tempest of Tea, Spindrift being gone literally feels like the death of a character.

The tension is so high in the sequel and I love it! Everyone’s development is so good especially with the introduction of new characters and new dynamics. Killing off my favorite character for seemingly no reason hurt me though. It furthered the plot but not in any meaningful way. I might have to sit with it for a bit more.

Overall, a solid finale.

Phew, buddy. Let me just start with, A Steeping of Blood was such a wild ride. I loved following Arthie and the crew on their quest to take down the Ram/Lady Linden. This was such an emotional roller coaster. I’m so proud of Flick for really coming into her own and standing up to her mother. The story kept me engaged, and I feel as though it ended well. EXCEPT FOR THE ONE THING! You know what you did, Hafsah! I won’t spoil it for anybody reading my review, but just know that you will be crushed. I cried. My heart broke. Be prepared.
I absolutely recommend reading this book! I know I can see myself reading it again in the future.