Amazing photo by @jbooksndreams!
Hello bookworms!
Happy Thursday and welcome to day 4 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!
Wow, there was a lot of excitement and tension in yesterday’s chapters!
Today we’re reading from chapter 23 to the end of chapter 42. Let’s do this!
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 Chapter 23 to Chapter 42. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
Well after yesterday’s tense chapters I’m glad to see that Jin hasn’t lost his sense of humour after he could have died. Him saying if there is a chance he might die he would do so in style? Truly iconic to be honest.
Jin plans to use a vampire called Rose to get into the Arthereum; he helped her out in the past by killing her brother before he was made into a vampire by her family.
“It’s teatime scoundrels” has to be the best line I haver ever heard when a heist is about to begin.
As they split up to enter the Arthereum, Arthie is recognized by a guard. She leverages a secret to blackmail him for entry and cleverly steals his gun as planned. Meanwhile, Jin joins Rose in line and bluffs his way inside, keeping us on edge before they’re all in.
Arthie fires the guards stolen gun at another guard they needed to knockout for ten minutes. She then makes her way to the front of the queue where she’s immediately recognised and denied entry after dropping her marker in, knowing Flick hadn’t yet been able to forge it. The bouncer then grabs her and leads her away. Oh no…
Arthie uses the stolen gun to incapacitate a guard temporarily. Once at the front of the queue she gets recognised and denied entry. The bouncer apprehends her and leads her to the dungeons.
My heart was in my mouth when Flick faced a problem in the marker archives; the log turned out to be a lock and was missing its weighted discs. Eventually, Flick finds a solution and manages to forge the log. I think my heart skipped a few beats during that entire chapter; I was so sure she would get caught!
Hafsah had me fooled for a moment. In chapter 36, Arthie’s supposed capture and dungeon scene were all part of the plan, with the bouncer in on it. She meets Matteo there, and his endearing “darling” gets me swooning once more.
Wild theory: Could Arthie be part vampire? Her reaction to Matteo swishing the blood around his glass and her heightened senses suggest so. Plus, Matteo’s hints about shared experiences with Penn. I think I’m putting pieces of a puzzle together here… What do you think?
Jin causing chaos by hitting a vampire with an auction paddle to make an exit with Flick is so quintessentially him. He might just be my favorite character (besides Laith’s kitten, of course). Who’s yours?
The more we delve into Arthie’s character, the more I suspect she’s hiding more than we realise, deepening my theory… It’s unsettling to say the least.
Arthie, accompanied by Laith, heads to Penn’s office to retrieve the ledger. She discovers the mirrors hold the key to unlocking a hidden vault, and voila, there’s the ledger.
My heart is broken along with Laith’s. I knew the betrayal was coming but it still hurts. He’s dragged to the dungeons while Arthie, holding the real ledger, locks herself back in the vault, leaving him to shoulder the blame with the fake one she passed to him.
Eventually she leaves the vault and finds Jin, Flick and Matteo, as well as Penn himself. Oh no.
Penn saying “Hello Daughter”. I KNEW IT! But I am still shook. And her having a ‘bloody’ flashback is really cementing my theory. Could Penn have turned her and that’s why she ran away?
EJC exports, alongside the Ram, tie into the vanishing vampires—I can’t say I’m surprised. But drugging and starving them to use as weapons in colonising countries? I have no words.
The fabricated “Wolf of White Roaring” attack (as Arthie suspected) and the potential survival of Jin’s parents, leave me with my jaw-dropped.
They decide to join forces with Penn to expose the Ram. Later, the Ram confronts Arthie about the ledger and of course she doesn’t give it up. But what’s the Ram’s next move?
Flick confronting her mother leaves today’s reading on a satisfying note!
Well, that was an action-packed few chapters today, wasn’t it? So many new developments that have me reeling.
Do you think Arthie could be part vampire somehow? Do you have any theories?
Do you think Jin’s parents could still be alive?
Are you as heartbroken about Arthie betraying Laith as I am?
And most importantly, where is Laith’s kitten?!
I’m so excited to see what will happen in tomorrow’s chapters, see you there fairies!
Love,
Jodie
Blog Post Copied to Clipboard
Conversation
15 Comments
Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Most Recent Stories
Follow Us
Most Recent Stories
Absolutely HOWLING at the paddle hitting scene 😂 😂
I’m still not sold on Laith, he’s falling to easily. Clearly, I’m about as paranoid as Arthie is… 🙈
I’m feeling Matteo thooooo 😏 (despite the fact he’s clearly got more secrets than Arthie’s back catalogue of the whole city’s secrets combined 😂)
These chapters had me on the edge of my seat!! Arthie is definitely part vampire, she was drinking the coconut mixture which Jins family probably made and has blood in it. Maybe thats why she was by his house, to get more? She can smell blood easily and is starting to get weak and faint from finishing her coconut stuff.
Im sad about Laith, but hopefully if she breaks him out, he will forgive her.
I cant wait to finish the book tomorrow!
Do you think Arthie could be part vampire somehow? Do you have any theories? – yes I’ve thought this for a while. Not sure why she is hiding it though.
Do you think Jin’s parents could still be alive? – yes I think they are alive and possibly the ram. The ram is definitely someone who we know not some random new person.
Are you as heartbroken about Arthie betraying Laith as I am? – I wasn’t shocked and I’m not disappointed- Arthie will always put herself first I believe.
And most importantly, where is Laith’s kitten? – is he really a kitten 👀
Yeah so much happened in these chapters that it’s hard to process. I wouldn’t be surprised if Arthie is half vampire and Jin’s parents are alive.
Arthie has to do what she has to do. It’s gotten her this far in life. If she has to betray Laith, I’m sure she’ll turn around and rescue him at some point. I’m sure the kitten is hiding out somewhere as they do
Yesss, I am also wondering that! Very excited to find out. 👀 My biggest concern right now is the kitten. 😂
Honestly i didn’t even think of Arthie being part vampire but now you mention it it’s definitely possible.
Yes i thought they were definitely dead until these chapters but now i think it’s more likely Jin’s parents are alive.
Yes I like Laith😭 I was rooting for him and Arthie!
Yesss, I definitely have my suspicions! I’m hoping they are alive! Me too. 💔
Id love to see some artwork of Jin with the paddle hitting a stunned vampire 😂
Honestly? Same. 👀
OMG Arthie being a vampire (or at least half) never crossed my mind, but in hindsight it makes so much more sense now. I wonder if this would be yet another secret she kept from Jin and how would her crew react to it?
Jin and Flick were again my favourites this section (I love Flick’s character development), but Arthie betraying Laith hurt so much. I can’t wait to see how their next meeting is gonna look like.
1. Do you think Arthie could be part vampire somehow? Do you have any theories?
I didn’t really think that until you mentioned the possibility. Now, I can kinda picture it! It would explain that we never really see her eat and only drink that coconut drink.
2. Do you think Jin’s parents could still be alive?
I think they are, but at the same time I wonder how they wouldn’t know Jin was alive, since he is quite known. I don’t really know what to think about the fact that they wouldn’t come find their child if they know he survived
3. Are you as heartbroken about Arthie betraying Laith as I am?
Yes and no. Yes, because I really like them together, but at the same time I kinda expected this to happen
4. And most importantly, where is Laith’s kitten?!
NO CLUE T_T
I’m not sure if Arthie could be half-vampire and not know it?
I’m annoyed that Arthie let Laith take the fall, especially after she seemed to be unsure about her decision, but I’m not surprised she did in the end because it’s the antihero thing to do!
I don’t trust a single one of these characters anymore, except maybe Jin. All they do is lie to and keep secrets from one another, and from the reader! 😂
That’s what makes them so interesting! 👀 Yesss, we love Jin. 😂💜
I suspected Arthie could be part vampire since she often reacted to blood in a strange way. When the story was narrated from her point of view, she described the scent of blood more than once.
I still have a question. I’m not sure I understand the position vampires occupy in this society. The Arthereum’s vampires are elite, but their names are not well-known since Matteo was hiding his true identity. However, it seemed pretty easy to discover who they were just by passing by during one of the Arthereum events. If anyone can shed some light on this, I’d be grateful.
Everyone getting into costumes for the heist. Jin realizing Laith knows about Arthie’s Calibore. Arthie’s entrance. Jin’s 1st part shakily done, but done. Flick’s 1st part done. Arthie’s 1st & 2nd part done, but that distraction for Flick while getting into the room most likely to have the damning evidence? 😬 Jin’s 2nd part done. Flick’s 2nd part done, but the real hero is Laith’s kitten. Matteo’s 1st part done. Laith’s 1st part done. Finally on to Phase 2. Matteo was in the back room *&* Arthie knew the bouncer?? Matteo knew Penn Arundel & his connection to Arthie before he met her. Jin’s 3rd part done. 😅 Plan C. Laith’s concern. What is it with the coconut water anyway? The theory that Arthie is ½-vampire (or something) is gaining traction. I wonder if the mirrors pinpoint the location. Yes! Aw, heartbroken Laith. Vampires are being exported by the EJC. Arawiyans have magic, so Laith has magic because of the hilarious. So there are elven & ghoulish immortals not just vampirism going around. The Ram created the Wolf of White Roaring. Silver inoculations… that Jin’s parents made. Coconuts & transfusions? Is that why Arthie needed her coconut water? Arthie is face-to-face, well, face-to-MASK with the Ram. Flick’s mother didn’t even try to deny her involvement while corroborating when Penn said.
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) Do you think Arthie could be part vampire somehow? Do you have any theories?
2.) Do you think Jin’s parents could still be alive?
3.) Are you as heartbroken about Arthie betraying Laith as I am?
4.) And most importantly, where is Laith’s kitten?!
A:
1.) I think there’s definitely something off with her. Matteo mentioned her coming “to Ettenia in a boat full of blood” could mean she “unleashed [her] pain upon the innocent without even realizing it” because she was turned while still alive against her will. The way she seems to lose focus/control until she had a bit of her coconut water & the mention of coconut transfusions Jin’s parents were working on during their vampire research/experiments, Matteo offering her blood, Penn Arundel (a vampire known for taking in vampires) taking her in when she 1st arrived in White Roaring, etc.
2.) Possibly alive & being forced to continue their research/experiments for the Ram after being abducted during the fire. (I’m hoping they didn’t willingly stage that, leave Jin, & go to work for the Ram).
3.) Yes. She keeps thinking about his last words, “Get behind me” & the heartbreak on his face & so do I. 🥺
4.) Last I remember, Flick picked up the kitty when she left after Eleanor left the 2nd time (to repair the marker chute) & was carrying her around the Athereum, but I don’t tremendously seeing anything else after Jin & Flick passed the keys to Laith before heading back to the auction.