A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

5 out of 5 teapots!

Them: "Critique colonialism, but make it a YA action-packed heist adventure."

Hafsah Faizal: "Hold my tea"

This book has been described as the Legend of King Arthur, meeting Peaky Blinders meets vampires. It takes place in an alternative 1800s (ish) London (called here White Roaring), where our two main characters Arthie and Jinn have escaped poverty together and now run a tearoom by day and serve blood to vampires in the evenings. When the tearoom's future is threatened Arthie and Jinn gather a ragtag group of misfits to steal a ledger in order to leverage their freedom - chaos, plot twists and angsty teenage love ensues.

I love the setting Hafsah has created for us, this alternative London (White Roaring) serves as a a third main character as we follow the crew along the gas lamp lit streets, through alleys and behind locked doors in this community.

I really resonated with the conversation of racism, classism and colonialism, as they were essential to our characters' history, motivation and sense of self.

Narrator, Maya Saroya, is perfect for this book. She easily flips between the six characters that make up the core team and a whole host of other side characters from children to elderly adults. This is my first time hearing them narrate, but I'll be looking for Maya more often now. The audiobook is 13 hours, which is the perfect length for this story.

I won't give away the ending, but let me tell you, I can not wait for the second one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. I devoured it.

This book is best read while shopping for an umbrella on a foggy day in 1800s London. If it feels like someone is following you, you're probably right.