I definitely liked book 2 a lot more than book 1! Book one felt slow and draggy but man book 2 said hold my drink and was full speed the entire time!

Matteo is such a flirt 😂 I couldn’t get over some of the things that were flowing from his mouth. 😂 The romance was great, there was fun and actual support between Flick and Jin. I ate it up!

My one thing I’m going to say is OUCH. HEA who???? Not this book. Hafsah Faizal came at us full force and held nothing back and again all I can say is OUCH. 😭 I also feel like the ending is rushed but I think it always feels that way when you’re not ready for it to be over… so maybe that was just me. Still a great ending to the duology!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

I love Hafsah Faizal and I loved Tempest of Tea, so this was highly anticipated and I was thrilled to receive it. Steeping of Blood did not disappoint! Vampire romance will never get old, and Hafsah puts an original spin on it with characters that you can't help but love.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate it!

The perfect sequel does exist because it is right here!! 👏🏽👏🏽
Although it was slow moving at times it till grabs you in so you wanna keep reading! Most definitely is an emotional roller coaster that I was ready for!

There wasn’t anything overtly terrible about this book, but it was just kind of… slow? Despite there being a lot of heavy hitting emotional events, I just couldn’t bring myself to feel invested in them.

I don’t know if it was the dialogue that was lacking, or the way the author is putting these really heavy themes on display in more of a “tell”, rather than showing the reader. It felt like she didn’t trust us to come to our own conclusions about these clearly terrible things (murder of the press, mutating the story, and colonialism), she just told us these things were bad repeatedly, it just made for the same lesson over and over again.

The ending also felt like it provided a shock factor, rather than what was truly intended for a certain character. It felt… forced? Unnatural? I can’t put my finger on it, but something felt off about it.

There was a lot of important character development, and no shortage of heartbreaking events, so it certainly wasn’t lacking there. The found family aspect is also one that shines in books such as these, and this was no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. My opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️

First I’d just like to say how much vampire metaphors for colonialism intrigue me. I would write a paper on it for fun, I love them so much.

Anyways, I was surprised at how excited I was to return to this world. I liked the first book but it wasn’t a home run for me. So when I opened the sequel and felt a sense of comfort, I was surprised at how much I had fallen in love with these characters without realizing it. Faizal does a phenomenal job of tying in those themes of colonialism and oppression in her plot line, but also shows the characters on a journey of self discovery and acceptance through it all. I loved every minute of it. The found family of this book will tug on your heartstrings and connect you to their world. Though parts seem rushed at times, I can’t break that feeling of comfort I get from these characters.

Except that ending was diabolical and I’m sending you my therapy bill 💔😭

An absolutely wonderful sequel to A Tempest of Tea! I was hooked from the beginning and was taken on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the book, which is always a good thing.

Overall, that was a fun sequel to read!

A Steeping Blood picks up nicely after the events of the first book (A Tempest of Tea). I think what I loved most about this sequel is what I loved most about the first book--the characters! I loved seeing them interact with each other, mending and breaking relationships with one another, be they platonic or romantic. I also loved seeing certain characters come into their own, while others open up more than they have in the past!

The plot was enjoyable too. Rather than having one heist to pull off, the plot was all about taking down the Ram (and rightfully so)! It was interesting to see how Arthie and the crew planned on taking her down, and following along with all the obstacles they faced along the way. I guessed many of the plot twists, but it was still fun to see how the characters reacted to such surprises.

I was not expecting that ending, which I thought was a good thing! That was probably my favorite part of the book, as it got me emotional.

I would definitely recommend this second book for anyone who enjoyed the first book. You will not be disappointed with this conclusion!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to read the digital ARC!

My initial thought is that it’s hard to review this book because “A Tempest of Tea” was absolutely incredible and one of those books sticks with you. While this book was good, I would say the sequel fell just short in comparison.

The story picks up right where we left off, in the aftermath of the debacle at the Athereum. Arthie and her band of misfits are reeling after the Ram ruined their plans and coming to terms with new truths about themselves. The rest of the novel follows them as they try to thwart the Ram at their own game. There were twists and turns, and bittersweet moments, all packed into one novel.

The creativity of this author to develop the story is admirable. Although it is a fiction novel, there is a heavy emphasis on the impact of colonialism. To take magic elements and vampires but illustrate themes that are relevant to our own society, I think that takes a lot of thought and imagination.

One critique is that although the story was rich and illustrative, I felt like the entire book was so action packed with little reprieve. I love the characters and the romantic subplots, so I would have liked to see more continued character development. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of growth or a character arc, mostly just grit and determination to make White Roaring a better place.

As a final thought, it’s just challenging to make a unbiased judgment because I had a fantastic ride reading the first book. I have mixed feelings about this book, but I genuinely enjoyed the story. I would recommend this book to a friend! Thank you to the author, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the hardest I have ever had to fight to finish an ARC.

I ended up stopping and restarting several times, in hopes that it would magically get better, but it never did.

A Steeping of Blood has the awkward feeling of a book written more for middle schoolers while tackling adult issues, so they split the difference and called it YA.

It’s not my intention to just bash on this book for fun, so to keep this brief I’ve found a section that perfectly demonstrates the issues I had with this book:

Before Jin could react, the guards began pulling a sack over his head, and it took every ounce of effort not to search for Arthie in the shadows. Days ago, Jin had been ready to leave Arthie in the dust. He had been ready to leave her behind in Ettenia and sail to Ceylan himself. But he wasn’t a child; he wasn’t silly. He needed her, and she needed him. He was half her brain. He couldn’t help her if they were separated.
“What about the other two? Where’d they go?” one of the guards asked. The captain ignored him, and another guard ushered him to be quiet and pulled him along.
Jin stomped his feet, trying to draw their attention. It worked. Several of the guards shouted. He was whipped around, and that was when he caught one last glimpse at her under the cover of a stack of trunks.
We were made for trouble, you and me, he tried to convey with his eyes before the darkness swallowed him whole and he was dragged away.


First off, this pacing... It takes nearly 180 words for guards to go from starting to pull a sack over Jin’s head to covering his eyes–a quick, simple action stretched out to cover lengthy introspection. That is something that should get weeded out in one of the first drafts!

Secondly, we are about halfway through Book 2 and still getting hit over the head with very obvious, repetitive information. WE KNOW that Jin and Arthie are partners in crime, that they are each other’s family, that they hold deep loyalty for each other! Instead of showing us some depth to that bond, and letting us see it grow as the characters grow and change, we get the same information regurgitated over and over again.
Ultimately, it feels like the author does not trust her readers to hold onto any lessons or themes in this book, let alone draw any conclusions of our own.

Third, there is so much build up that just…fizzles, and feels very timid. Jin stomps his feet in this scene. He has been captured in the secret lair of the Big Bad Guy. The stakes are about as high as they can get! And in a desperate attempt to save his BFF, he heroically stomps his feet. And that's supposedly enough to get several guards shouting and leaping into action.

These three issues rear their ugly heads consistently through the book. Perhaps other people will enjoy the story enough to overlook them, but I felt that A Steeping of Blood was a huge downgrade from A Tempest of Tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC; I only wish I had better things to say.

A Tempest of Tea was a book that I had fun with, but it wasn't like my favorite book in the whole world, that's the same with a Steeping of Blood, but it did pick up a little more, and I was a little more invested in the characters than the first book. It was fun, just not something that I'll probably think about and be obsessed about

A Steeping of Blood is the completion of the Blood and Tea duology and Hafsah did not mess around (🚨🚨this post contains spoilers for A Tempest of Tea🚨🚨). This was a rollercoaster of emotions and when I was finished I was UNWELL 🫠🫠. There were a lot of twists and turns, Hafsah kept me on the edge of my seat. The tension in this book was THICK- romantic tension and just the overall story; admittedly a lot happened that I was not anticipating.
We pick up where we left off- Arthie has been rescued by Matteo after being shot with Calibor, Jin has been turned by Arthie in order to save his life, and is struggling with the secret she’s kept from him for their entire relationship, and Flick is reeling from having her life turned upside down. We got a bit more with time the side characters and I loved Chester, Reni, and Felix. Flick has truly grown into herself, I felt so proud of her character, what she’s learned, and how she adapted to the world around her, even with such weighty realizations.
Arthie is easily still my favorite character, I adored this strong woman, overcoming so many obstacles that have been thrown in her path, in a society that judges her skin color, her sex, and her homeland has been violently colonized.
Matteo… lord what can I say about Matteo? I spent a lot of this book just absolutely 💕swooning 💕 over him. I love Jin, but Matteo is absolutely my leading man.
This was a great completion to the duology, even if Hafsah hurt my feelings and left me reeling for a few days. 4.5 ⭐️

I had been waiting for the sequel to A Tempest of Tea and it did not disappoint. I was so happy to be back in the story. It was an excellent continuation

I was soo excited for this when I got approved. So excited that I was actually very terrified to read it. So excited that I actually didn’t do any research, and had assumed this was a trilogy and not a duology.

To be fair, I feel as though a lot of this book was set up like a trilogy. I struggle to say not a lot happened (I was going to initially say it had middle book syndrome but it’s not a middle book) because things definitely did. It just took about 50 or so percent in for it to happen.

So many scenes and little moments in this book really blew me away. For those who did not get the ARC… please be wary. The ending hurts.

Dark, daring, and beautifully written. A Steeping of Blood takes everything I loved about A Tempest of Tea and raises the stakes… politically, emotionally, and magically. Arthie is as fierce and clever as ever, and the crew’s fractured dynamics add so much depth. The world drips with danger, and the tension never lets up. Hafsah Faizal delivers a sequel that’s sharp, stylish, and utterly addictive! Thank you NetGalley for the arc this is my honest review

A gorgeous follow-up and conclusion to A Tempest of Tea. Faizal tells a spellbinding story with characters you can't help but root for.

I’m feeling torn over how I feel about this book because I loved the first book, but found it difficult to get into this one. I am an audiobook enthusiast, so that may be the disconnect. I am going to revisit the story once the audio is available, I don’t think it would be fair to pass judgement right now as it’s a me problem.

A very intense read. The extremely serious topics were very needed but it doesn’t make it any easier to consume. I enjoyed it quite a bit but def not a happily ever after type book.

This wasn’t my favorite, but I know students will love it. Perfect for readers who love Six of Crows.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this eARC.

I give this a 3/5 stars. I think I need to sit with this book a little more. This fell flat for me because I felt that a lot of it was filler. I felt there was a disconnect with the characters in this compared to the first. I read them back to back but I am not a fan of all the POVs. I do however liked the action and how many twist and turns there were. Some will really like it but others may be expecting too much.

This book said “I’m gonna drown you in blood, betrayal, and bisexual yearning” and honestly? I let it. Arthie is spiraling, the gang is fractured, Matteo’s heart is one heartbreak away from exploding, and everything burns. Literally. White Roaring is a mess. We’ve got vampire politics, hot people being sad and angry, and a heist so stressful I nearly bit my own nails off. The drama is gothic, the romance is intense, and the found-family tension is hotter than dragon breath in a tea shop.

But also? The pacing be trippin’. One chapter’s punching you in the throat with emotion, the next one drags like it’s trying to remember what story it’s in. Some plotlines got abandoned like yesterday’s leftovers and that ending—whew. It wanted to be tragic and moving but lowkey felt like someone hit fast-forward and left me sobbing in confusion. Still, I respect the chaos. It’s messy, it’s moody, and it tastes like blood-spiced chai. Would I read it again? Hell yeah. Would I scream while doing it? Also yes.