A Tempest of Tea

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Average customer rating 3.8 (5 comments)

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I was excited to read A TEMPEST OF TEA with its premise including a tearoom, vampires, and themes including the exploration of impacts of colonialism. Unfortunately, I really struggled getting through the book. It felt like there was an overabundance of dialogue that wasn’t productive in moving the plot forward or aiding in character development. This made reading feel like a slog at times. Will I still read the second book in this duology? Yes. Despite the issues I have with the execution, the story is interesting enough for me to want to know the conclusion.

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First off, I love this gorgeous cover and that is what first drew me to the book. Arthie is an interesting character carrying a special gun and running Spindrift, a tea house that turns into an illegal bloodhouse that she also got by trickery and keep going with secrets and blackmail. So, cool premise. It tried to be like Six of Crows but with vampires instead of grisha. It did not quite reach that level but had enough twists and turns to keep me reading to see if Arthie and gang could steal the ledger and save her tea house. And while I though the interactions between Jin and Flick were cute, it really didn't need Arthie fall for Laith or anyone else. I liked the kitten. The story did drag a little bit with the setup of the heist but redeemed itself with the ending, much as downer it is with everything going but secrets revealed and I am sufficiently intrigued to find out what happens in the next book with Jin and Arthie and who that mysterious Wolf is.

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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.

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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. 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.

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A Tempest of Tea is a multicultural powerhouse. There are characters of all colors and from all walks of life. Characters frequently discuss imperialism, colonialism, and racism. Unfortunately, A Tempest of Tea has a lot of tropes that bog down these themes. All the following tropes appear in heavy doses: a love triangle, enemies to lovers, vampires, “touch her and die,” and “she’s under my protection now.” I’m not against tropes, but they were heavily done here and never seemed to stop. When A Tempest of Tea was about a devious tea house and secret vampire bloodhouse, it so worked for me. When there were conversations about colonialism and trade and imperialism, it was incredible. When it reduced itself to pandering tropes, it lost me. This wasn’t a perfect read for me, but I enjoyed it. If you like historical fantasy, YA romantasy, or books with vampires and colonialism, A Tempest of Tea will suit you just fine. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced review copy! All thoughts are my own.