A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea)

A Tempest of Tea has it all: devastating prose, a cast to die (and kill) for, immersive, vivid setting, intrigue, romance, betrayal, and an ending that had me gasping and cursing my own foolishness because I thought this was a stand-alone.Arthie and Jin Casimir are the criminal duel (and found siblings) White Roaring deserves, who deal in tea, blood and secrets---or should I say blackmail?! When their Tea Room by day/blood house by night is threatened by the Ram (masked monarch of the city), the Casimir must assemble a crew to steal an important ledger from the vampire high society known as the Athereum.This is a HEIST, but also, so much more. You've got the "don't trust anyone" vibes from the start, and the twists and relationships keep moving the plot forward in unpredictable and thrilling ways.I DID NOT SEE THOSE TWISTS COMING! And I'm fairy good at seeing them coming, but not here.This book explores themes such as colonialism and discrimination, but also found family and belonging. I ATE THAT UP!The characters are the best thing about this novel, even if it is more plot driven than not.Arthie: brown girl filled with rage and revenge. Yes, please!Jin: charming, handsome, scarred, and fights with an umbrella. INSTANT CRUSH.Flick: the forger, sweet privileged girl who learns the truth about her family. YEEEES FLICK!!Laith: rogue Ram soldier with one too many secrets. Crush, crush, crush... NOOOOOOO!Matteo: the vampire ally (maybe?). Can't wait to see more of him!The kitty: Opal (?), cute and helpful. Perfection.I love the mix of an industrial setting with magic and vampires, especially Arthie's gun Calibore and its obvious nod to Excalibur.And finally, THE ENDING! I listened to the audiobook, and there's an interview at the end, so I'll ask the first question again: HOW DARE YOU HAFSAH????I was dumb enough not to realise this was a series. I got too comfortable as I approached the end (hey, nice, we are kissing now, everything is going to be alright!) only to be sucker-punched in the gut with that ending! I literary gasped and cursed when the narrator announced the end, so yeah, I'll be reading book (can I get an arc please?)Easiest 5 stars. 10 stars. A thousand stars.Do yourself a favour and read this book.

I bought this book on a whim after seeing someone rave about it on Bookstagram. A heist with vampires? Yes, please! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, and while it started off slow, it really ramped up in the second act. By the time the third act hit and all the twists and reveals came in, I was totally hooked.At the center of the book is teen orphan Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who runs a prestigious tearoom that doubles as an illegal bloodhouse for vampires. Arthie receives notice from the city's powerful and mysterious king, known as "The Ram" informing her that her beloved tea shop, Spindrift, will be closed, jeopardizing her home and livelihood. Arthie, and her close friend Jin know they have to fight back. The pair are certain that The Ram is involved in some questionable dealings via ships that come in and out of the port near their tea shop. They also have a feeling that The Ram is behind the disappearances of several vampires.Arthie devises a plan to expose and potentially bring down The Ram, but she needs help and pulls together a band of unlikely allies. Arthie and Jin team up with Mateo, a vampire, Felicity (also known as Flick), the daughter of a government official, and Laith, a member of the High Order. Together, they plot a daring heist, hoping to overthrow The Ram, but what they find is much bigger than anyone could have expected and puts them in even more danger than they were before.Faizal did a great job of weaving together a tale of danger, intrigue, and unexpected alliances. Sometimes, when I read fantasy books, it takes me a while to settle in because I need to understand the world, but I didn't struggle with this one at all. The world-building is rich and detailed. White Roaring (which seems very similar to Victorian London) was easy to slip into, and it didn't take me long to get a feel for the city or its politics.As far as characters go, this book is filled with many memorable ones. Arthie is a complex and compelling protagonist. She's a young woman who experienced loss at a very young age when colonizers destroyed her homeland and killed her parents. She is a young woman who is not afraid to break the rules in order to protect what is hers - mostly because she feels she has nothing to lose. Jin was probably my favorite character. He, too, is an orphan, and while he and Arthie aren't blood siblings, they consider each other to be. Flick is another complex character dealing with her own family drama, and Mateo is quite the charming vampire. I think the only one in the group that I felt a bit disconnected from was Laith. I wanted to know more about him.While I ended up really liking this book, I must admit it took a long time for it to really take off. The first act was a lot of setup and not a whole lot of action. While it was important to settle us into the world and introduce all of the players, I found myself bored, waiting for something exciting to happen. By the time the second act rolled around, things were definitely put into a higher gear, and when the third act came around, I couldn't read fast enough. That last act introduced some mind-blowing twists and reveals that pulled me back in. Until the second act, I wasn't sure that I cared enough about any of it to continue with the series, but the third act definitely changed that for me. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel!If you are a fan of fantasy novels with political undertones and a healthy dose of intrigue, I would definitely recommend this one. It's slow to start, but once things finally take off, it's a whole lot of fun!

I can't even begin to explain how much I love this book!!! The writing is lyrical and beautiful. The story is so much fun, and the characters became instant faves. This is a rare occurrence for me but I'm excitingly waiting for the next book in the series to be published!!

I had high expectations for A Tempest Of Tea after seeing it promoted in various bookstores and I was not disappointed! It is like being swept up in a storm with vampires, romance, and betrayal. The story cleverly brews a tale as rich and complex as the finest cup of tea, where you can almost smell the spices in the air. This is an easy 5 ⭐️s and here's why..Hafsah beautifully builds character development where each has their mystery and motives that drive them. The lead character Arthie is sharp-witted and strong, giving off the vibes “do not mess with me”. She finds herself standing at the forefront of a rebellion with her best friend Jin, set against power and societal conflict. Their journey is riddled with obstacles that challenge their physical limits and force them to face the shadows within themselves.The author's exceptional world-building presents a universe where magic simmers are just below the surface and alliances are as fragile as glass. This story explores themes such as loyalty, romance, and ambition with a few heated scenes that left me wanting more. I was particularly rooting for two characters' love to enfold, and reading about their journey was a treat.A Tempest of Tea" is a compelling blend of fantasy and adventure. The plot will keep you hooked from start to finish! It is like money heist meets true blood. I can easily see this book turning into a movie I would love to watch!

A very character-driven story about a heist.Unique setting, interesting lore and a fast plot.

Perfect people who like vampires and heist reads. The characters are great. And all the mention of tea was fantastic.

"A Tempest of Tea" bietet eine gute und solide Story, aber leider auch nicht mehr. Die Verbindung zu den Charakteren wollte sich mir nicht so recht aufbauen, was das Leseerlebnis etwas beeinträchtigt hat. Die Geschichte wurde erst ab etwa zwei Dritteln tatsächlich spannend.Das Worldbuilding ist gut gelungen, aber ich bin mir noch nicht sicher, ob ich die Folgebände lesen werde, da mir die Verbindung zur Geschichte etwas fehlt. Insgesamt eine ordentliche 3,5-Sterne-Bewertung, aber es fehlt der letzte Funke, um richtig zu begeistern.