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adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book might help you get back into reading (it did it for me) but I was sadly disappointed by it. I'd heard raving reviews about this author's earlier works, so I thought I'd dive into the newest one, assuming it would be even better now that the author has experience in the genre. But the story simply feels too raw and unpolished. I assumed all throughout it to be self-published, and therefore lacking an editor, but found out it actually did have one (and a whole team, at that).
I liked the teashop. I think it was the thing I liked the most about this book. It's actually one of the most important things in the story itself, and what silently drives the plot in the end, but strangely enough, it's also something that when you step into you immediately leave. I feel like this book could've shined so much brighter if the author had wrung out all the potential magic everything had. Stephanie Garber actually came to mind when I read this; granted, not my favorite author, but she revels in the pure wonder her stories are dripping with, and I feel like A Tempest of Tea could've benefited so much from that. The teashop hinted at so much potential in that sense, I was disappointed to watch it mostly be sidled off of the narration.
Most of the characters felt really messy, in the wrong sense. They felt messily written. I found Arthie to be a potentially interesting, solid protagonist, but throughout the story her values blurred and fluctuated, and her decisions and opinions on what was happening in the plot and especially her feelings towards the cast of characters switched from one extreme to the other in a heartbeat. Which again, would've been really interesting as a character exploration (usually most cunning head-of-gang protagonists are too smart and put-together) but those qualities didn't feel intentional, mainly because the story wasn't exploring her from that standpoint. Arthie simply ended up feeling like the author's vessel to tell the reader how to feel and what to think about each character.
And I enjoy my romance subplots, but the romance was overused to a degree that became frustrating. Every single interaction that each couple had was romantic, or ended in such way, and it drained those relationships of all substance. Jin and Flicks' I definitely liked the most, because there was a previous history established for them (which, in any case, I also would've liked to see happen, and not to be told about it).
This story can be looked up closely still, and you'll keep finding weird knots and empty spaces. There was too much flimsy tell (and not show), the dialogue tended to strengthen and collapse, along with the foundation of the story. There were some really solid, strong chapters in the middle, and definitely hearty, meaty substance here and there, but all of it melted away pretty quickly.
Despite everything though, it did leave me wondering for its author's development as a writer. Hafsah Faizal lays out definite potential, I just don't think she hit the mark here. At least not for me.
I liked the teashop. I think it was the thing I liked the most about this book. It's actually one of the most important things in the story itself, and what silently drives the plot in the end, but strangely enough, it's also something that when you step into you immediately leave. I feel like this book could've shined so much brighter if the author had wrung out all the potential magic everything had. Stephanie Garber actually came to mind when I read this; granted, not my favorite author, but she revels in the pure wonder her stories are dripping with, and I feel like A Tempest of Tea could've benefited so much from that. The teashop hinted at so much potential in that sense, I was disappointed to watch it mostly be sidled off of the narration.
Most of the characters felt really messy, in the wrong sense. They felt messily written. I found Arthie to be a potentially interesting, solid protagonist, but throughout the story her values blurred and fluctuated, and her decisions and opinions on what was happening in the plot and especially her feelings towards the cast of characters switched from one extreme to the other in a heartbeat. Which again, would've been really interesting as a character exploration (usually most cunning head-of-gang protagonists are too smart and put-together) but those qualities didn't feel intentional, mainly because the story wasn't exploring her from that standpoint. Arthie simply ended up feeling like the author's vessel to tell the reader how to feel and what to think about each character.
And I enjoy my romance subplots, but the romance was overused to a degree that became frustrating. Every single interaction that each couple had was romantic, or ended in such way, and it drained those relationships of all substance. Jin and Flicks' I definitely liked the most, because there was a previous history established for them (which, in any case, I also would've liked to see happen, and not to be told about it).
This story can be looked up closely still, and you'll keep finding weird knots and empty spaces. There was too much flimsy tell (and not show), the dialogue tended to strengthen and collapse, along with the foundation of the story. There were some really solid, strong chapters in the middle, and definitely hearty, meaty substance here and there, but all of it melted away pretty quickly.
Despite everything though, it did leave me wondering for its author's development as a writer. Hafsah Faizal lays out definite potential, I just don't think she hit the mark here. At least not for me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Faizal writes really beautifully, there were so many lines in this book that I wanted to highlight. But I feel like the story was lacking and confusing at times. There were a couple of points where I legitimately felt like I lost track of character/plot details somehow? Or perhaps that they were missing altogether? Certain characters and relationships didn't feel developed enough for my taste. Especially Penn, when he died at the end I really did not care at all. He’s been in the story for less than 5 chapters?? like??? And the dynamics between Arthie and Matteo, and Arthie and Laith were confusing. It was like she wanted to establish a love triangle but then halfway through she decided to scrap it in favor of….. nothing? I guess this one just wasn’t really my cup of tea (no pun intended).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
yeah... i don't know how i feel about this. faizal is a competent writer but i just didn't find the plot compelling. i found myself frequently asking, did this need to have a fantasy setting? sure, there's some magic and vampires but i don't see the need to have different names for countries and such when the world 'mirrors' ours pretty directly outside of a few certain aspects that could've made for a far more engaging alternative history setting than fantasy, imo. i think the vampirism aspect of the plot would've been more interesting in a historical setting as well - as it stands, despite how necessary they are to the story, i just found their inclusion boring and underutilized. maybe that could've been corrected if the reveal of arthie's nature hadn't been withheld until nearly the end, or if matteo had been given a perspective - because while i enjoy the multiple POVs more than i typically do, arthie and jin and flick are so deeply intertwined that their narratives occasionally bleed together. a more 'outside' perspective was desperately needed to add some depth to the story, i think; if not matteo, then laith, or even some 'interlude' chapters featuring the ram - to make the ram a more 'real' and tangible villain - would've helped immensely in really immersing the reader more into the world.
because there really is potential in this (though i don't think it needed to be dragged out into a duology). i haven't read six of crows but i do LOVE a good heist and honestly the heist planning and actual heist itself really is the highlight of the book - very entertaining, very well-written. what mainly drags the narrative down for me is the boring romances: most notably, the love triangle between arthie/laith/matteo. i really don't like the insta-attraction solely because it feels forced. the execution of it is just awkward and i really don't see any reason for arthie not to act on her attraction to either of them so the pseudo-forbidden romance/attraction thing just becomes frustrating. and i really don't like romances that just go on and on about how the attraction is SO intense and SO palpable that they just CAN'T ACT NORMALLY AROUND EACH OTHER!! like it just feels cringe. jin and flick feel a lot more natural and i guess it's because they're already established as Liking Each Other but they do end up falling victim to the "can't act normally around each other" 'trope' or whatever that is just embarrassing to read sometimes but it makes more sense for flick, given the class she was raised in. i don't really know what arthie's excuse is, though. i don't know what her deal is at all. frankly i think too many twists and reveals came too late to make her a compelling character and i really don't get the whole king arthur / excalibur thing she has going on? it felt very random. i was trying to figure out the entire time if the story of king arthur was going to be relevant beyond the weapon but i just don't know if it was?? is this some kind of stealth retelling??? am i the only one confused???
like i said, i don't think this needed to be dragged out into a duology. the ending feels very 'cheap' and frustrating, not only because of how many reveals come so late, but because of the plot lines that could've been easily wrapped up with another 50-100 pages instead of being drawn out into another book. i'll probably read it just to see if the context it provides help changes my mind on this book and makes it less of a disappointment but i'm not going to let myself get my hopes up about it
because there really is potential in this (though i don't think it needed to be dragged out into a duology). i haven't read six of crows but i do LOVE a good heist and honestly the heist planning and actual heist itself really is the highlight of the book - very entertaining, very well-written. what mainly drags the narrative down for me is the boring romances: most notably, the love triangle between arthie/laith/matteo. i really don't like the insta-attraction solely because it feels forced. the execution of it is just awkward and i really don't see any reason for arthie not to act on her attraction to either of them so the pseudo-forbidden romance/attraction thing just becomes frustrating. and i really don't like romances that just go on and on about how the attraction is SO intense and SO palpable that they just CAN'T ACT NORMALLY AROUND EACH OTHER!! like it just feels cringe. jin and flick feel a lot more natural and i guess it's because they're already established as Liking Each Other but they do end up falling victim to the "can't act normally around each other" 'trope' or whatever that is just embarrassing to read sometimes but it makes more sense for flick, given the class she was raised in. i don't really know what arthie's excuse is, though. i don't know what her deal is at all. frankly i think too many twists and reveals came too late to make her a compelling character and i really don't get the whole
like i said, i don't think this needed to be dragged out into a duology. the ending feels very 'cheap' and frustrating, not only because of how many reveals come so late, but because of the plot lines that could've been easily wrapped up with another 50-100 pages instead of being drawn out into another book. i'll probably read it just to see if the context it provides help changes my mind on this book and makes it less of a disappointment but i'm not going to let myself get my hopes up about it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Gore, Blood
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not even gonna lie this book ending pissed me off. It was a slow start but around the middle it started getting good and near the ending around part 3 I thought it was getting pretty good and then it ended a bit rushed but it was pretty clear it ended beause the book was going to have a sequel. Literally pushed a couple 100 pages and it probably could have gotten a nicer ending.
Most likely will pick up the second book when it comes out.
Most likely will pick up the second book when it comes out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: War
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this worldbuilding was real cool, with the vampire system and the cultural incorporations
also damn you cliffhanger
also damn you cliffhanger
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Colonisation
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A young adult Ocean's Eleven/Six of Crows but with vampires. I really liked this one. The banter was good, the backstories interesting, and the gathering of the crew was well done. I liked the interconnectedness to her previous series (Sands of Arawiya) with the introduction of a character from that country, and some gossip and political updates from the region. The author has a really great way of hiding her twists, and while I did get an inkling towards the end of the book, other readers may suspect earlier or later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Minor: Racism, Murder
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First off: I enjoyed the book. It was something different, and I haven't read anything like this before.
However, the pacing was...odd. It would slow way down, then flip through a week's worth of time in a single page. I felt jerked around a bit, never able to settle down into a reading pace.
The author also has an odd habit of mentioning things and then never bringing them up again (unless they're going to show up in the second book). I think the biggest issue with this isArthie has a "magic" gun, and they go through great lengths to say that the gun was in a rock (like Excalibur) and that whoever pulled the gun from the rock would be the "rightful ruler" of the city. However, once Arthie pulls the gun out...nothing happens? She just has it. There's no mention of "Hey, she's supposed to be the rightful ruler but she pulled it out as a kid so they told her she couldn't be the ruler" or anything like that. It's just...glossed over.
The ending seems rushed, but I'm still going to read the second book. I need to know how all of this comes together in the end.
However, the pacing was...odd. It would slow way down, then flip through a week's worth of time in a single page. I felt jerked around a bit, never able to settle down into a reading pace.
The author also has an odd habit of mentioning things and then never bringing them up again (unless they're going to show up in the second book). I think the biggest issue with this is
The ending seems rushed, but I'm still going to read the second book. I need to know how all of this comes together in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Slavery
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
Minor: Gaslighting