I’ve had an itch for a really riveting heist story ever since I finished Six of Crows, and I’ve always been weak for found family stories, so when I saw this come in I immediately snatched it up and I’m so glad I did. The world-building is intricate and vivid; the White Roaring is a perfectly dark, glittering gothic city with so much personality, and the characters are wonderful. Arthie and Jin are some of my new favorites; Arthie is chaotic and clever and selfish at times but in the best way, and Jin is so charming and a complete flirt and so fun to follow. I could say great things about all the characters, no one feels shorted in terms of development and personality, they all mesh together so well, and the conflict is so tangible and easy to get invested in. The plot is a little slow at times, but those slow moments aren’t wasted, the found family dynamic is always showcased and developed in these moments, so they never feel wasted, and it definitely picks up when it needs to. I’m already ready for the sequel, I adore this.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, (List Price: $20.99, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 9780374389406, February 2024)
Reviewed by Winter Goldsmith, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia