Beautiful photo by @marvelousringer!
Hello fairy friends!
Happy Monday and welcome to day 1 of our readalong of A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you all love it!
Before we get into the book, how are we all doing today? I hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of amazing books and relaxing vibes!
Since today is day 1, we’ll be reading from the beginning to the end of Chapter 7. It’s time to get comfy and cosy with our book and get started!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal from the beginning to Chapter 7. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
So the opening paragraph immediately had me hooked! ‘When the moon dragged a claw…’ WOW! The dark eerie vibes are already perfect. 😍 I’m also instantly intrigued on the second page because what do you mean vampires are going missing?!
And a monarch called the ‘Masked Ram’? I already have SO many questions.
Arthie’s gun being one of a kind, kind of feels like a reflection of our main character herself. I have a feeling that this will be a character that will stay with me long after I finish reading this book.
The butler asking for their weapons and her replying “No, thank you. I have my own.” is SO funny. I love her sarcasm. I can tell this book will make me laugh (and probably cry too).
I don’t know their dynamic yet, but the banter between Arthie and Matteo? Unmatched.
Our main character Arthie is an orphan who came to Ettenia in a ‘boat full of blood’. But not only that, we also learn that this Matteo guy is a vampire!
Arthie and Jin make the perfect duo. In a moment they go from being the ones in a compromised position to turning the tables on Matteo completely. And then we get one of my favourite lines I’ve ever read in a book: ‘She liked her men a little afraid of her.’ Honestly? She’s so iconic for that.
“Every good love story starts with a bullet to the heart.” Excuse me sir, vampire or not, you just got SHOT?! But why am I grinning? 👀
Things take a tense turn when it’s revealed that a raid is about to occur on the Spindrift. Jin and Arthie quickly head back and hide any evidence of it being a ‘bloodhouse’ by night. I love how quick-witted these characters are.
I’m sensing a dark conspiracy in regards to the revealing of vampires and the ‘Wolf of White Roaring’ – the massacre that occurred seems suspicious and it seems like our main character Arthie also finds it a little odd. What do you think? Could the massacre and the revealing of vampires have been on purpose as Arthie suggests?
We also have half-vampires in this world – the intrigue keeps going!
Arthie has a network of maids and stewards within the palace walls who feed her information but she hasn’t heard from them for two weeks. It’s suspected that the palace is on lockdown… but why?
Okay, all this talk of tea is making me want to pop the kettle on. I need to try a spiced pekoe. What tea would you drink at the Spindrift?
We find out the lore behind Arthie’s gun was all a hoax by the Ram, and Arthie and Jin had orchestrated a plan for her to pull the gun free upon discovering this. The gun itself gave her a semblance of status and power which of course she has used to her advantage. Our main character is quite the schemer don’t you think?
The scheming didn’t end there… They also managed to sabotage the museum to obtain it as their tea room at a low price when no one else wanted it. Genius to be quite honest.
After the raid by the Ram’s guards that turned up nothing, Arthie and Jin go to visit the proprietor. One of the guards remarked that they were behind on their monthly payments – which is untrue and begs the question, why do the guards think that?
Turns out the proprietor had been threatened by the Ram and in two weeks the building they use for the Spindrift will no longer be his or theirs either. 😮
It is rumoured that some vampires have gifts such as the ability to manipulate the elements or even control minds. YES. Give me all the powerful vampire vibes, please!
“We’ll have ourselves a tempest of tea on the horizon.” Me after reading the book’s title in the book:
A guard named Laith Sayaad sneaks in through Arthie’s window and offers her a deal that could solve her problem. A very damming ledger has gone missing from the palace, and the Ram has sent their best guards to locate it – this also explains why the palace is currently in lockdown. Our mysterious guard believes the Ram has too much power and offers Arthie a deal: help him get the ledger and then use it against the Ram to keep the Spindrift.
But there’s a catch, this ledger is believed to be in Athereum within the vampire underworld, which’s near impossible to enter, with a man named Penn Arundel who hasn’t been seen outside the Athereum in weeks. Ooooo could there be something even more sinister going on?
We come to learn that Jin became an Orphan after his parents were killed in a fire – which Arthie saved him from – suspected to be caused by the Ram. This is how their story began.
In our final chapter Arthie begins plotting their way into the vampire underworld to retrieve the ledger. Let the scheming commence! 👀
Well, that was quite the intense start! I can’t believe all of this has happened in a single night?! I can’t wait for tomorrow’s reading!
What are your thoughts so far?
Do you think the Ram is responsible for the death of Jin’s parents? Could it be linked to their scientific research on vampires?
What do you make of this guards convenient proposal to save the Spindrift?
And lastly, are you loving the vampire vibes as much as I am? 😍
See you tomorrow for another day of reading!
Love,
Jodie
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1. What are your thoughts so far?
I’m really liking it so far! It’s intriguing and engaging!
2. Do you think the Ram is responsible for the death of Jin’s parents? Could it be linked to their scientific research on vampires?
I think it the Ram had something to do with it and that it indeed might be connected to their research
3. What do you make of this guards convenient proposal to save the Spindrift?
I feel like there is much more to this than meets the eye
4. And lastly, are you loving the vampire vibes as much as I am?
I AM~~~!
We’re so happy to hear you’re liking it so far! And we agree, it is very intriguing! 💜
First of all, thank you for the great summary Jodie!
I love Arthie’s description, from the skin, the hair the outfit to what tea she would be!
I love how Jin is described as well and the little hints you get in the story, like Jin saying he wished his dad had seen how the roles were reversed when Arthie saved him.
I adore the fact we already have four of the five characters in the artwork!
Regarding the questions, were the bodies of Jin’s parents ever found though?
I like this traitorous guard and his proposals, seems like Matteo might have competition.
Loving the vibes!
This gives me Six of Crows and Vampire Academy vibes and I love it!
Happy Reading Everyone! 📖
You’re so welcome, thank you for joining in with our Readalong!🥰 Yes, we’ve got to know the characters and the world so fast which makes it even more intriguing. We’re so happy to hear you’re loving it so far! 💜
I love when a book throws me right in the middle of the action! And the entire aesthetic of White Roaring with the teahouses, the vampires, the mysterious Ram, I can already tell it’s gonna be one of my favs worldbuilding-wise.
So far Arthie and Matteo are my favourite characters (we already need more Matteo), and I’m excited with how much info we get in these first chapters alone. We already know that the Ram and the Horned Guard are implicated in a lot of illicit affairs, so them being the culprits for Jin’s parents’ murder wouldn’t surprise me. The guard, Laith, is very intriguing indeed, since it’s hard to pinpoint his true motives. It could be that he engineered the whole Spindrift problem to begin with, to force Arthie to help him.
The vampires are my favourite part as well and it’s interesting and refreshing to see them mingling with the society. I can’t wait to see what more implications and consequences this will bring, especially after the whole deal with the Wolf of White Roaring.
I feel like we got layers and layers in the short space of 7 chapters!
Really like the set up though, picking over a number of bread crumbs currently.
Laith is definitely hiding motivations too…👀
And why was Athie just conveniently hanging around outside Jin’s burning house?? 🤔
Anyone else hoping for the world’s most messy and morally grey love triangle too? 😂🤞
Yes, it’s so fast paced and full of action! Oooo a morally grey love triangle would be very fun indeed! 👀 💜
This section was a solid introduction to the world and Arthie and Jin. There were a few sections that were a little info dumpy, but I didn’t mind them too much.
Bring on the heist.
What are your thoughts so far?
I’m intrigued but unfortunately not loving this one so far. I feel as if we’ve jumped right in with no character or world building. Hopefully it picks up in section 2.
Do you think the Ram is responsible for the death of Jin’s parents? Could it be linked to their scientific research on vampires?
As we didn’t see the bodies of his parents they could still be alive? Perhaps the Ram has them if he’s actually the bad guy.
What do you make of this guards convenient proposal to save the Spindrift?
I’m more interested in what’s in the ledger but I wouldn’t trust the guard he could be working for the ram still.
And lastly, are you loving the vampire vibes as much as I am? 😍
I don’t feel as if we’ve seen a lot of them, I would have thought at least one of our main characters would be a vampire but it seems not to be the case so far 🤷🏼♀️.
Ooh, let the heist begin!!
We hope you enjoy it! 💜
I’m not sure how I feel about it so far. I’m finding the world building and plot a little bit confusing right now but that could be because its been a long day and I started reading it really late when I was already tired! 😂 also maybe it’s because all the action so far has taken place in one night and its a lot to keep up with!
I do really like the characters so far though! I absolutely adore the endpapers on this edition and love that I can match the characters to the artwork, that’s really a nice touch to the book!
I’m not sure about Jin’s parents yet! I feel so awful for him that not only he lost them but he actually watched it happen! 😢 I think his parents’ research and the disappearance of the vampires and the fact that this missing ledger is supposedly inside the vampire underworld will surely all be linked!?
I’m suspicious of the guard. I’m actually suspicious of mostly everyone right now! Aside from Arthie and Jin who are really close and have each others backs it seems like the city is a free for all and it’s every man for himself so it wouldn’t surprise me if they get stabbed in the back!
I feel like I’ll enjoy the vampire vibes more when they get into Athereum and we get a better insight into how they coexist in this world – there’s a lot of world building going on right now and I’m still trying to process all the info!
I’m not going to lie i was a bit confused at parts so this summary really helped😂
Its took me a while to get into it but the last couple of chapters have me intrigued.
I think the ram is responsible for Jins parents but not sure exactly why.
I’m feeling a bit of chemistry between Laith and Arthie😏 but it seems very convenient what he was saying – not sure if i trust him.
Yes im really hoping to see more of the vampires in the next chapters!
What are your thoughts so far?
I am really interested. I think the part I am the most interested in right now is what Jin’s parents were doing and why did the Ram go so far as to kill them and explode their house. I also have many questions about the coconuts.
Do you think the Ram is responsible for the death of Jin’s parents? Could it be linked to their scientific research on vampires?
I think they are. It seems too suspicious that Jin’s dad had just had a talk with a sus man who was always kind and then the next day they are killed and the house is in flames. I am curious to know more about their research and what exactly they were doing. Whatever it was the Ram did not want Jin’s parents discovering it or they wanted to hide what was discovered.
What do you make of this guards convenient proposal to save the Spindrift?
I think it could be a set up. I currently don’t trust the guard however, with him speaking treason I can see him also trying to help. I am more interested in how he found Arthie. Part of me is sus of a proposal like that.
And lastly, are you loving the vampire vibes as much as I am? 😍
This book is a lot of fun so far. It’s my first Hafsah Faizel book so I am excited to see where it goes and what happens as the plot thickens!
Yes, me too! I hope we find out more about Jin’s parents and what they where working on. So happy you’re enjoying it so far! 💜
The vampire vibes definitely have me intrigued. But connecting the Ram to Jin’s parent’s deaths? IDK, seems a bit far fetched.
We’ll see where this proposal heads. Though it does seem very suspicious..
Im loving this one so far! I love all the action we’ve had already and the vampire vibes.
Im not sure it was the ram. I feel like that would be too easy. I wonder if jins parents found put something they shouldnt have and that put their lives in danger.
I feel like the proposal was too convenient and is probably a trap… but Im already rooting for arthie and penn! Even though we havent really met Penn yet i want it to be the enemies to lovers we all cant get enought of 😂
We’re so happy you’re loving it! Oooo that’s an interesting theory! 💜
I love that we got thrown to the action straight away, the danger, the stake, and our characters. Building up the foundations of the character, and the plan of course, is crucial. And now let the scheming begin.
I agree, it’s so exciting! 😍
I loved the first 7 chapters and am getting a Six of Crows vibe which is amazing. Matteo seems like someone I am going to want more of, but also of the guard!
Matteo is so funny it makes him so likeable! 💜
I love the Six of Crows vibe and the fact that each character has their own secrets.
I really love Jin and I’m pretty intrigued by Matteo!
No blood relation between Arthie & Jin. Neat, how everything folds up & transforms. Arthurian Legends but twisted into fraud? A foreigner as a high captain within the Ram, & he wants to cooperate with HER to find/ steal (steal back or not) damning evidence? Also, if the guy who supposedly has the ledger by hasn’t been seen in weeks, is this connected to the vampires going missing? Jin’s backstory. 🥺 Could their stolen research be aiding in these vampire disappearances? I like how she picked a new name for them to share. Heist time! I think the “inside man” will be Matteo, & I’m interested to see who the forger will be (I’m assuming the other girl from the end paper art) to round out their team.
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) What are your thoughts so far?
2.) Do you think the Ram is responsible for the death of Jin’s parents? Could it be linked to their scientific research on vampires?
3.) What do you make of this guards convenient proposal to save the Spindrift?
4.) And lastly, are you loving the vampire vibes as much as I am? 😍
A:
1.) It’s an interesting premise.
2.) That’s an interesting theory. Jin seemed convinced he saw a Ram member in the fire. It might’ve been someone posing as a Ram member or even the White Wolf. Maybe it was nothing, & his eyes were playing tricks on him. It’s too early to say much.
3.) It’s super suspicious as if he had a hand in putting her/them in that predicament in the 1st place, & why does he seem foreign (not “peaky”) especially as a high ranking officer speak while speaking so treasonous?
4.) Yes. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Matteo & these vampires with special abilities.