Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting heist steeped in criminals, vampires, and secrets.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In A TEMPEST OF TEA, Arthie and Jin, two orphans turned chosen family, run Spindrift, the best tea house in White Roaring, Ettenia, during the day and the best secret vampire hangout at night. The secret is not so secret, however. Guards raid Spindrift, find nothing, then go directly after their landlord to close them down. Arthie won't lose her livelihood and home without a fight and discovers a way to blackmail the Ram, the masked head of Ettenia. All they need is his ledger, and all they have to do to get it is to infiltrate the most well-protected place in the country: the Athereum, home of White Roaring's forbidding vampire elite.
Is It Any Good?
This exciting heist adventure is steeped in intriguing criminal characters, vampires, and blackmail. Everyone has their secrets, and it's funny that the best blackmailer in town is Arthie, the one with the most to hide and the most to lose if Spindrift, her beloved tea house/vampire hangout, is no more. Her chosen brother Jin also stands to lose everything. As they concoct a plan to save Spindrift, they assemble an unlikely team: Flick, a society girl forger; Matteo, a rake of a vampire; and Laith, a palace guard gone rogue -- maybe. The tension builds as the trust erodes among them, and builds some more as feelings blossom between Flick and Jin and Arthie and Laith. Backstories slow the tale's forward momentum at times. It takes especially long for Arthie to spill the tea -- and some astute readers will figure out one of her biggest secrets on their own. But don't worry, that's not the only surprise. A Tempest of Tea twists and turns its way to a cliffhanger ending that will make you clamor for the Blood and Tea finale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the teamwork in A Tempest of Tea. What skills do Arthie, Jin, Flick, Matteo, and Laith all bring to the heist? How would loyalty and trust have made them an even better team?
Arthie shows courage as a character who rebuilds her life after her parents die. She's also very angry. How does it hold her back? What can she do about it?
What do you think is next for the characters after the cliffhanger ending?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : February 20, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate