I want to begin with a thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Hafsah Faizal for the chance to read this ARC!

I was really excited for this sequel and conclusion to the duology, since I enjoyed the first book. That being said I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I expected, and I think part of the reason was because I didn’t reread the first book, but a greater contributing factor was the pacing of this book. A Steeping of Blood was noticeably slower than the first book and really seemed to be bogged down by sequel bloat.

One of my struggles was the underdeveloped foundation of Arthie and Matteo’s relationship. I wanted more buildup between the two and to really see the emotional grounding, to feel invested in their dynamic. Even though Matteo died, I think I would have had a greater emotional response, if I had better understood their budding relationship.

My biggest qualm was the book’s reliance on the belief that the system would somehow deliver justice felt frustrating and inconsistent. In A Tempest of Tea we see the way Arthie and Jin manipulated and evaded the system because they knew it was broken, so it didn’t make sense to see the way they suddenly placed so much of their faith in the council and the Horned Guard. Where did that trust come from? It felt unearned and out of place with what we know about these characters.

I was also left with unresolved questions, especially about what happened to the governance structure after the defeat of the Ram. The story seems to end without really addressing the political aftermath.

On a positive note, I appreciated how Arthie was portrayed with such complexity. Often, leaders of heist crews are shown as near-infallible, but here, Arthie is allowed to be deeply flawed. Arthie’s continued underestimation of the Ram and her refusal to believe someone could be capable of such brutality just reminded the reader that hope springs eternal (for better or for worse). I also thought that Archie’s internal conflict, was especially poignant as she confronted the trauma of her forced immigration and her past.

Overall, I enjoyed the world and the characters that Faizal created, I just wanted to better understand their motivations and the consequences of their actions.

A steeping of blood takes off directly after the aftermath of a tempest of tea. It centers mainly around the characters from first book. After reading this book my jaw is on the floor and I am not ok 😱. The pace of this book was a bit slower for me than tempest of tea so I had some trouble getting into at first. Once I hit about the 50% it really took off. I have found this to be pretty common with heist books though because some time is needed for the characters to plan. The end of this book had many plot twists, some I loved and some I did not. The found family in this book was what really shined as well as the banter between the romantic pairs. Overall I did enjoy this book but unfortunately not as much as the first book. Thank you Natgalley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I received an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the first book of their series we are introduced to a group of friends slowly forming into a family. They go for a heist and then things don't work out how they expect. The second book starts with Arthie having been betrayed by someone she loves and being nursed back to life. The story is fast paced with lots going on, and a bunch of twists and turns. The found family grows more complex and closer, and there is a lot of character building and depth. I do feel like it feels like there's supposed to be some romance happening... and it doesn't really feel passionate. It's a solid half a pepper on the romance chart, which is completely fine... but it felt like there was a build up at points that went no where. I wasn't in love with the ending, but overall enjoyed the book as a whole.

I read A Tempest of Tea for a book club back in May of 2024, and I fell in love with it! I loved all the characters and the dynamics between them. I was also a huge fan of the heist which seems to be an unpopular opinion. I was losing my mind after the cliffhanger ending and am so glad I got the chance to read A Steeping of Blood as an ARC! This sequel was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I really enjoyed getting even more of certain characters, especially Matteo! I also loved Flick's character growth throughout the duology. She really stepped into her own and grew into her found family. I am incredibly proud of the woman she became and the fact that she was able to stand up to her mother. Jin and Arthie love each other in a way I will never understand, but despite everything they went through, they love each other and will always support one another. Overall, the found family in this duology was amazing and they have my heart. The ending though... ouch. I was sobbing for way longer than I should have. I'm sad that this is only a duology and we will likely not see more from these characters, but I am glad to have been able to read their story. I am excited to read Faizal's other works after enjoying these so much!

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the e-ARC of this!

*3.5*

“It was acceptable to gobble countries like hers whole, but how dare she fathom to walk and live and breathe upon there’s”

a beautiful conclusion to a duology, one I’m very glad I finished. we join the crew again after secret revelations about their species, bonds being broken, near death experiences, resurrections and political chaos. they’ve lost their livelihoods, their security and the only things they have to push them to continue growing is their love for one another and the vengeance of their families and people.

I love how the author discusses colonisation throughout these stories, highlighting not only the long term political impacts that can flatten countries and leave them on their knees, but also the individuals who have their lives up turned upside down and are expected to deal with it in silence. I enjoy having a female main character who is morally grey, who does bad things for the right reasons and will not hesitate to kill and maim to protect her family, one who is willing to do whatever is necessary to enact her revenge to single handedly save her people. I think the found family element is gorgeous, how they all come from different backgrounds and different lived experience but truly love one another as though they have been together since birth, using their differences as strengths within their ache,es rather than allowing it to separate them- I adore this little ragtag group.

I think the only reason this isn’t getting four stars, and this is not a fault to the other completely, I take some of the blame: o found it hard to adjust back into the world, it has been so long since I read book one and without an effective summary at the beginning it took me a little while to remember exactly what had happened and readjust to where we left off. this made the side characters hard for me to emotionally connect to and caused the plot for the first 100 pages to really hook me, but again I could’ve re read book one and probably have been fine, so this is more a me thing.

Faisal has done it again! Faizal has done a fantastic job of taking us back to Arthie’s world of vampires and suspense as her and her chosen family fight to save everyone. A Steeping of Blood was even better than I had hoped, and right of the bat Faizal gives us a little romantic 🌶️ which was very unexpected. Characters are given a chance to connect with each other in a way that feels very natural.

A Steeping of Blood is a smooth transition from its predecessor, A Tempest of Tea. The plot transitions smoothly with the characters continuing to grow and build/maintain relationships. There is some romance for our heroine Arthur, and I appreciated how her emotions and relationships added to the story rather than detracted.

“At some point between putting a bullet in Matteo’s chest and now, Arthie had made room in her heart for him. She didn’t know why. She didn’t know when. Only that he had swept in and taken it, nestling into her veins even as she taunted and groused and pushed him away.”

Well, my heart is sad. The ending was so bittersweet.

First things first—Arthie and Matteo were so sweet. Their romance felt really important to show her emotional growth and I loved seeing her more vulnerable (I liked her a lot more in this book), and Matteo was just smitten.

I dont hate Laith (I think I’m in the minority, but I never hated him haha), and feel like he was super glossed over.

Flick and Jin are my favorite. I’m obsessed with them. I’d riot if they didn’t have a happy ending—though I feel like their ending was glossed over too. I guess the ending just felt abrupt, and I wanted the relationships to flesh out a little more.

I love what happened to the Ram. And I love Arthie’s character growth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!


SPOILERS AHEAD
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You’ve been warned
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Uhm so why did Matteo die?
Like i guess it kinda fits and there was totally foreshadowing, but honestly, I don’t know why it had to happen. Why couldn’t they just be happy? So much death and sadness already permeated everything.

I actually think it’s stupid that he died and low key hope (even though I know it won’t happen) that the author changes it before it’s officially published. I was so upset I recommended to my friends they NOT read this duology, but that’s more of a personal preference I suppose😅

I just loved him so much and loved him and Arthie together. I did find it so incredibly tender that she turned his home into the new Spindrift tea house; he would have wanted it.

Things I should’ve done before tackling A Steeping of Blood. Re-Read the first one 😂 So take my misgivings as advice, re-read the first one you’ll thank me later.

Like I mentioned when I first started A Steeping of Blood I was extremely confused. Because I had completely forgotten how the first book had ended, and book 2 waits no time to throw you right back into it. Plus the immediate name drop of like 6 characters right off the back. Internally I was screaming “WHO ARE YOU?!?!” Now once I re-skimmed through book one and it’s ending things started to click again. But man in man it was a trip.

Once I got the hang of it my reading journey was still difficult. And I’m finding it really hard to rank this. I debated between a 2⭐️ or 3⭐️. Ultimately the 2 star rating is what won out. For several reasons. My first big issue was the writing specifically with the pacing. The beginning of the book was fine. I was enjoying getting back into the found family dynamics, their were stakes and tension. But then we got to the middle of the book and it felt like we hit a brick wall. The middle of the book suffered immensely. The high stakes were just randomly gone and any real emotion had been sucked out.

Now even though I had my issues there were still some things I really enjoyed. The Found Family element! The dynamic between this group honestly saved the book for me. Even when I started to grow more and more disappointed our crews banter snuck in and out a smile on my face. The crew’s relationship felt real from start to finish. Especially Arthie and Jin, and that epilogue chef 😘.

Overall, even though this wasn’t for me I’d still recommend it. I think fans of the first one deserve to know how it ends. And I can’t wait to see how the rest of the bookish community reacts once it releases September 23. Lastly thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC.

At first I was scared to read it since I had quite a hard time with the first book.
I loved the plot and the characters but I felt like the development was really hard to follow.
But, this second volume was quite different and easier to read in my opinion so I am glad I didn't give up on this one.

A great conclusion to this duology.

Thus concludes a solid YA fantasy duology. The first book left on the best cliffhanger (and by best, I mean worst because then I spent a year and a half dying to know what happened next) and the second book tied it up nicely and then some. I’m devastated by the ending, but I’m not ready to talk about it. 🥺 (Plus, spoilers.)

Read A Tempest of Tea first. I recommend this duology to people who love any of the following: found family, urban fantasy settings with real world parallels, elaborate heists, slow burn romances, and fun banter. If you liked Six of Crows, this should be right up your alley.

Don’t let the vampire bit scare you off; I’m not into vampire books either, but I loved these and wouldn’t call them “vampire books.” This is a great story with beautiful writing, memorable characters, and so many layers.

An emotional follow-up to A Tempest of Tea. We have our original characters, and some new players that added some richness to this story. This found family was the balm I needed when Hafsah Faizal destroyed me.

All in all, an exceptional conclusion to this duology and I will never recover from it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Hafsah Faizal for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced copy of <i>A Steeping of Blood</i>. After falling in love with the first book, <i>A Tempest of Tea</i>, I couldn’t wait to dive back into Faizal’s lush, blood-soaked world of rebellion, identity, and tea-fueled revolution.

What initially drew me to the duology was the striking cover of <i>A Tempest of Tea</i>, but what kept me hooked was the refreshingly original worldbuilding where coconut and tea are more than commodities. Symbolic lifelines for immigrant vampires fighting to survive and be seen? The metaphor of lifeblood is <i>so</i> good. Faizal, a Sri Lankan author who wears a niqab, brings a rare and much-needed perspective to fantasy, infusing her storytelling with cultural richness, a dash of Arthurian legend, and nuance that deepens the entire narrative.

While I don't typically gravitate toward heist-centered plots, Faizal’s immersive storytelling made Book 1 an instant favorite. Book 2 shifts away from the heist structure into more traditional romantasy territory, following Arthie and her crew as they return to her homeland to confront the betrayals and revelations left unresolved. Though the plot here is more straightforward, it wasn't quite as engaging as Book 1. My expectations were insanely high, but it does end up tying up arcs with a conclusion that’s as heartbreaking as it is satisfying. If you enjoyed the first book, I'd still recommend this for the world I didn't want to leave that hits like a comfort read until the final few chapters tear your heart out.

Rating: 4/5

this was just a bad life choice in general
i knew going into it that i aggressively don't like this writing style
it makes me feel like a four year old who needs everything spelled out for them
like i literally didn't have the chance to guess or use my brain at all reading this book
which felt like a missed opportunity?
idk, im not the brightest by any means, but i do feel dumber after reading this?
im sure somebody out there loves this book, but its not my cup of tea.

Wow, wow, wow. I am blown away by this sequel. It’s action-packed, shocking, heartwarming and wrenching–I am just so, so grateful to Hafsah Faizal and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for letting me get my hands on this early.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easily five stars. Might I even say, better than the first? I'm going to miss this crew so much! 💜

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC.

This was a good conclusion. The story drew me in and I liked seeing the characters again. This was straight action, but I liked all of the twists and turns. I am not sure how I feel about the end of the book, but it was a good read.

🖤🌂Grab your umbrella, and hold on to your newsboy hat, because the moment we’ve all been waiting for is just about here… A Steeping of Blood releases September 25th, and this epic conclusion isn’t one to be missed!

Everything about this book is just more- more intense scenes, including multiple torture scenes, more romance, more action, big conclusion and sacrifice at the end. You can tell Hafsah left everything on the table with this book. She did not hold back.

We leave off on book 1, A Tempest of Tea, with the desire to find Jin’s parents. The crew travels to find them, so it was neat to have a setting location change for part of the book. Jin’s parents are scientists working with the vampires, but we aren’t sure if they are for, or against, the corrupt government. Some of their scenes gave me a little bit of X-men mutation and laboratory vibes.. I love it!

We see much deeper character development in this book, which really moved and touched me. Each character grows and steps into their own, stretching themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. We do still have our 3 main characters, and their 3 POV’s within Steeping. I was also happily surprised to see more romantic scenes, banter, and dialogue in this book. Those moments were so heartfelt, and had she wrote a line or two more, it could have easily turned from YA to NA in spice level.

Compared with Tempest, Steeping is much less of a traditional heist book this time around, but more of a continuation of the greater story, of fighting against the corrupt government.

All in all, I’m happy to see Arthie and her crew live on to make White Roaring a better place. It was a beautiful duology, with characters I won’t easily forget. Snag this duology if you like…

🖤 Dapper or Peaky Blinders aesthetic
🖤 Vampires
🖤 Found family
🖤 Action scenes, and witty dialogue
🖤 Vigilante work, and fighting against a corrupt government
🖤 Tea, cats, pistols, and coconuts 🤭

Massive thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for an e-arc of this delightful book!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I'm so thankful to Hafsah Faizal and the Netgalley team for providing the ARC! I love the fast paced action of these books, although in my opinion this one was a little bit slower than the 1st. I continued to love the world building in this duology and the characters are so much fun! This book was a great read, but heart-wrenching and I was not prepared for it to be over. Read at your own discretion and don't say I didn't warn you! I do recommend this book especially for those readers that enjoyed the first one.

✨ Book Review ✨

A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫


This is the anticipated sequel to Tempest of Tea and I couldn’t wait to dive into it!

This sequel picks up exactly where the first book left off, Arthie and Jin are fighting for their lives against the Ram…

The first part of the book, I felt like I was flying through it! The build up of the plan to get the crew back together and get the ultimate payback against the Ram, I was here for it!

The second half fell a little flat for me, the play by play of each POV slowed down the pacing for me and left me rushing through so I can get to the finale of what the story was trying to build up.

AND THAT ENDING!! I can’t wait to talk with y’all about the ending of this book!! You’ll have to pick it up and read it for yourself 🥲

Overall, I felt like this was a satisfying conclusion to the duology but the first book will always have my heart in a grip!

This review will be posted to instagram on the week of publication

This book was everything I needed it to be and it also broke my heart.
It picks up right after the events of Tempest of Tea.
A Steeping Of Blood kept me on the edge of my seat basically the whole time as the crew works to decode the ledger and overthrow the Ram.
I don't want to give anything away. If you enjoyed the first installment, this is a must read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for an early copy for review.

It was so good to be back with all of the gang in a Steeping of Blood!! I loved Arthie’s character development throughout this whole book and I loved seeing her vulnerability AND strength. Mateo, oh Mateo will always have my heart. I was so happy to see Jin and how he adjusted to his new normal. I adored every part of Flick’s journey to self discovery and strength (and that precious and mischievous kitten). I will say that the ending partially broke my heart and I feel like I would have been happier with the book as a whole if the heart breaking event hadn't taken place. It seemed like something that the author did for dramatic effect, and someone like me, who prefers absolute happy endings, was never going to be completely happy with the way the story concluded. So I'd say this is a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to 4.

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an early copy of this book