Anything with vampires and I’m willing to read it. I was very excited to read this book. The appearance of the book is absolutely stunning. From the dust jacket to the cover itself. Theres a map in the book which should excite fantasy readers.
There was a lot of espionage aspects to it as well. Which reminded me a lot of Oceans 11. There was also a feel of it taking place in Victorian era even though it definitely did not. Theres a quote I loved from the book”every good love story starts with a bullet to the heart” since I read the book I’ve been thinking about that quote and it’s a good way to sum up the book. The quote seemed to foreshadow some of the events that take place later in the book.
Most of the book is planning and executing a heist and it does take awhile for the action to kick In but when it does it’s definitely worth the ride. Those last 100 pages are so worth the buildup the rest of the book takes to set up that action. ( )

A Tempest of Tea is a YA historical fantasy set on the streets of White Roaring, Ettenia which has a Victorian London vibe to it. Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who trades in secrets, runs Spindrift, a teahouse by day which, at night, becomes an illegal bloodhouse for vampires. When Spindrift is threatened, Archie is forced to conspire with an adversary and a band of outcasts to carry out the theft of an item from a sinister, elite vampire society.
A Tempest of Tea is an engaging story with secrets, vampires, magic, found family, romance, colonialism, gangs, a complex heist and a multitude of twists, turns and conspiracies. It was a little slow to start due to character building and scene setting, but the last one hundred pages will blow the reader away and wallop them with the cliffhanger ending. The events unfolded through the points of view of three characters which made the story richer and more nuanced. I liked the fantasy map. Sign me up for the sequel. ( )

Good but not a new favorite. I love the setting, and the author has great writing when it comes to this aspect and her characters. Arthie in particular is an incredibly interesting character and I enjoyed getting to know her throughout the story. The pacing is a bit slow, but I didn't really feel impatient for the plot to get a move on or anything. I also didn't really like where the book ended, which was with a cliffhanger. I was aware that it was the first book in a series, so I was expecting that.

People of course are saying that "A Tempest of Tea" is comparable to "Six of "Crows" and "The Gilded Wolves," being that it's a fantasy YA heist story, but I have to say that going into the book with those expectations will probably not go well. I personally didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed those books. I do really want to know where the story goes, so I'm planning on reading the second book.

This was a fun Young Adult fantasy heist with some great twists and a solid four star book for me.

I enjoyed the setting and the concept the most in this book. The tea house, Spindrift, is so interesting and imaginative. Definitely could have spent even more time there.

There are some wonderful characters in the crew and Jin was definitely my favorite with his dark backstory, hope for the future, and care for the people in his life. I can’t wait to see more development with him. Also I could totally imagine him and Flick coming up with all sorts of interesting projects.

I also liked the descriptions of the Athereum and how it operated during their heist - it was definitely fun imagining all of the details of their plan and seeing it all unfold. The place and plan were both so elaborate and entertaining.

I felt like the romance involving Arthur was a bit all over the place. There’s this love triangle between Arthie and two other characters. I really liked both love interests as characters and could see a lot of potential with both of them. But the writing of the romance just didn't feel convincing or compelling and fell a tad flat for me until literally the final page of the book. Then I felt like the cliffhanger made me look forward to the romance developing in the next book. That could just be a me-thing since I’m picky about relationship development!

All in all, I think this book is perfect if you like a heist in a fantasy setting. I thought the writing style was solidly more YA than adult. ( )

A TEMPEST OF TEA is the first novel by Hafsah Faizal that I have read, and I will definitely be reading more. It reminds me of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows series mixed with Peaky Blinders but with vampires and a masked despot. Trust me when I say both comparisons are a compliment.

Arthie Casimir is the type of character I adore. She is fiercely loyal to her chosen family. Moreover, she is confident, brazen, and a wee bit scary. Most importantly, she actively undermines Ettenia's colonialism and endeavors to rectify as many wrongs as she can control. Arthie is a great reminder that even small actions can have big consequences.

I am so happy that vampires are back in fashion. While I love the Fae, dragons, shapeshifters, and other beasties, my heart belongs to the fanged ones. The vampires created by Ms. Faizal are drop-dead gorgeous and lethal, but they are not the most frightening creatures that Arthie has to deal with. That honor belongs to the masked Ram, proving once again that the enemy you know is nowhere near as fearful or dangerous as the enemy you don't.

A TEMPEST OF TEA is part heist, part colonialism warning, and part dystopian thriller. With a story that keeps you guessing and larger-than-life characters, A TEMPEST OF TEA keeps your interest and makes for a fast, engaging read. Given its surprising ending, I eagerly anticipate the sequel and am sure I won't be alone. ( )