I've been a fan of Hafsah Faizal and her books since her debut. Although I don't gravitate towards young adult stories anymore, I was excited about her newest novel when she first announced it. Part of me worried that, since YA no longer appeals to me, I wouldn't enjoy A Tempest of Tea. However, I found myself staying up late at night to read another chapter, and the next chapter, and then the following chapter after that. I had a hard time putting the book down, and I ended up reading half of it in one sitting. AToT is set in the same universe as Faizal's previous duology, and there were some references within the story. You absolutely do not need to read We Hunt the Flame or We Free the Stars to understand and enjoy A Tempest of Tea. I loved the characters in their own ways, flaws and all. Maybe it's recency bias, but I'm more invested in AToT's world than I was with WHTF/WFTS. The only thing I don't like is that now I have to wait who-knows-how-long to read the sequel!