Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, which was published back in February. I’d seen tons of buzz about this book, and the cover completely sucked me in at first sight. So, I snagged it during a pre-order sale. Did I love it as much as I expected? Read on to find out… The short answer is that it is already listed in my Pango shop to find a new home. lol.

From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

I wanted to love A Tempest of Tea so much. Unfortunately, it ended up being meh for me. I don’t have super strong feelings about it one way or the other, except for disappointment. There’s lots of that. This book had so many of my favorite elements, including heists, attempts to overthrow an oppressive regime, mysterious characters with dubious pasts, magical artifacts, a cute animal companion, and vampires. That list sounds awesome, but the execution was seriously lacking. I think the author bit off more than she could chew and things were messy and disjointed as a result.

The plot and writing were the biggest weaknesses in A Tempest of Tea. I think it is safe to say that Faizal’s writing style is not for me. I found it to be really choppy and had trouble following the conversations and action scenes because of it. I often had to go back and re-read some passages to see if I’d missed something because it always felt like things were happening out of nowhere. The pacing was also a bit of mess, with the first half of the book being dragged down by conversations planning the heist that took up way too much space and didn’t help me understand their plan.

Most importantly, the heist in A Tempest of Tea was probably the shortest part of the book. I enjoyed reading it for the most part. It ultimately all felt a bit pointless, though, after some reveals happened that I cannot talk about due to spoilers. I was also frustrated that the tea house didn’t play a larger role in the plot. The characters were so attached to it, but I never got to be as the reader. I was excited about this book for the information dealing at the tea house and the promise of a good heist, and I feel like I got neither of them in this story.

The characters in A Tempest of Tea were interesting, but none of them really stood out as super memorable. I did find it a bit odd that only three of the five team members had POV chapters. It seemed like the most intriguing characters didn’t get chapters just to preserve their mystique, which I found annoying. Jin was my favorite character. He had a lot of personality, and I thought his romance with Flick was cute. Truthfully, the kitten was probably the star of this book. lol. It had some really adorable standout moments. All of the characters had secrets and hidden motives, but many of the reveals felt too abrupt and clunky.

Overall, A Tempest of Tea was a huge disappointment for me. I didn’t enjoy the writing, and the plot just felt a bit too messy. I also wanted more time with the heist and the tea house. I’m sure plenty of people will enjoy this book because it has a lot of great elements. Unfortunately, I wish I had just re-read Six of Crows again instead of picking this one up. Therefore, I give A Tempest of Tea a rating of 3.25 out of 5 stars.

Have you read A Tempest of Tea? Did you enjoy it more than I did? I’d love to know your thoughts!