A review by hann_cant_read
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I really really wanted to love this, but to be honest it was only okay. The pacing was just a little off - really slow at some points that should have been exciting.
The love triangle, instead of being dramatic just kind of felt confusing, almost as if the author kept forgetting which one was supposed to be the love interest. There was also very little build up for them - just suddenly  it was insanely intense, and maybe that's a me problem but I need more tension.
Then there were things logistically that just didn't make sense. Laith, in general. How is he new to Ettenia but also a high ranking official in the Horned Guard? How did he escape the vampires that captured him and/or why did they just let him go? (essentially rendering Arthie's betrayal completely useless/pointless without her having to do any internal work?) Why was she so thrown off by him wanting Calibore at the end when he literally told you he wanted the artifact right after you showed it to him?
How did everyone except Jin realize she was a half-vampire? Does she literally only drink coconuts and no blood? That just feels so weird and random, even with all the mentions of coconut throughout the story.
I know I complain a lot, but I did actually enjoy it, and I'm curious to see where the story goes.