I really enjoyed getting lost within the world of Tempest of Tea. Make sure to have a cuppa and a pastry ready, as you will be craving a brew by the very first mention. Also beware Jin’s descriptions of raspberry and dark chocolate streusels, I cannot find anything to satisfy the desire. 

This book was a really unique and creative take on the vampire genre. I was reminded often of Six of Crows, with the found family and heist plot line. The crew were a bunch of lovable rogues and you do find yourself natural rooting for them. Jin’s burgeoning love story was the most engaging for me and I hope we get to see it play out fully in future instalments. 

Hafsah Faizal has a beautiful way with words and was able to interject the action with profound statements and descriptions that give you pause. The type of quotes you want to highlight and save for later or reflect and ponder upon. 

I was generously given an e-book ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review but ended up switching to audiobook on release day and it was such a good choice for me. The narrator portrayed the subtle differences between accents and classes perfectly, it was really realistic. 

One criticism is the magic within the world was rarely utilised and I would love to know and understand more about it.