I'll start off this review by saying I don't think I'm the ideal audience for this book. I prefer books with a little more teeth, and this leans more toward cosy.
I enjoyed the setting, and the initial premise. The descriptions of the girls' real world were interesting and relatively vivid. The plot felt more middle grade to me, if you take out the alcohol. The stakes weren't very high, and the motivations not very complex.
The cover is stunning and is a large part of why I picked this up.
For anyone wanting a sweet, cosy sapphire fae book this would be perfect.

I enjoyed reading this. The world in Jamie Pacton's THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND is richly developed and vividly rendered; it was a particular highlight of the novel. I've already recommended it to several of my creative writing students and they are very eager to read the book.

I really enjoyed the Absinthe Underground. The characters were well developed and I could visualize the world they lived. I do feel that once the action started, some things felt rushed and not as flushed out as the beginning. I would love to read more by this author in this same world. Also, loved the queer representation.

When I read that this was a moulin rouge-esque, steampunk-y, fantasy heist with fae and also SAPPHIC I was thrilled.

The glittering setting of underground clubs and secretive heists was great, along with the premise of stealing/reselling rare posters. (I love street gremlin, gotta-make-money-somehow-vibes.)

The actual plot development and character building fell flat for me, but I really appreciated the idea of where the story was going!

Overall a fun debut – would love to see more stories in this world.

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CW: alcohol consumption, death of family member, grief, blood, imprisonment, violence

Arc received by the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#TheAbsintheUnderground #NetGalley

Such a great cozy book! I love the characters and the world building! Can't wait to see what else this author brings to the table!

4 ⭐️

This was such a sweet friends to lovers romance and a fantasy that felt cozy while still being high stakes. I had a lot of fun reading it and it really sucked me in towards the end. I love both Sybil and Esme and really enjoyed their adventure.

Now we just need a story about Chloe and Hyacinth 👀.


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

The Absinthe Underground was an amazing book, and definitely a five star read! Jamie Pacton DID NOT disappoint!
I adored the characters and the dynamics as well as the setting of the book and tbh? Sybil and Esme live in my dream home! That is all, haha!

Such an amazing adventure!

It was a great idea to use Belle Epoque Paris as an inspiration for the world - the content of the book turned out to be as beautiful as the cover. Sybil and Esme are very likable characters, both so different, and yet, they worked together so well. I followed their adventure with bated breath.

Sybil and Emse become entangled in a heist. But it’s not a regular kind of heist, they have to go to another world to steal jewels belonging to Queen Mab, queen of Fae. It’s not an easy task, and before they go into Fae they need to steal some other things that’ll help them in the heist. And so the story begins - Sybil, a thief yearning for an adventure, and Emse, a clock repairer dreaming of peace, despite their differences explore something new, supporting each other.

I was so invested in the story, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s a solid sapphic young adult fantasy book, with a friends-to-lovers trope and a magical world. It may not meet its full potential (I’d like magic to be more explained), however, it was such a compelling story, I wish it had more to tell. Sybil and Esme’s apartment felt very homey, Severon had an amazing Belle Epoque vibe (Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec!), and Fae - I could feel real magic there. It was a very enjoyable read (me want more!).

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars! Rounded up because I enjoyed myself, and think this would be solid for the target audience.

The Absinthe Underground is a relatively cozy young adult fantasy featuring fae, a friends-to-lovers romantic subplot, and early 1900s vibes, and I had fun while reading it. I liked the world Pacton created quite a bit, and while the overall story read a little younger than I had anticipated, I think it’d be a very solid read for teen readers in the 13-16 age bracket. Despite the simplicity of the plot and characters, I thought the writing captured the beauty of the world very nicely. It is a little on the more tell side of show and tell, but I wasn’t personally all that bothered, though again—the plot is rather thin and I do think the execution could’ve been stronger. It’s a quick read with a sweet ending and there are tiny, baby dragons, so while the execution wasn’t quite what I’d been expecting (mostly, I had assumed this would be on the older end of YA, sort of in line with The Cruel Prince, since this was comped to Holly Black and the Moulin Rouge), it was still an overall good time.

{ dnf @ 50%}

I really wanted to like this book (or at least finish it), but unfortunately I couldn't connect with it, I found the beginning confusing while NOTHING happened. I'm a big fan of cozy fantasy, but I couldn't like this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I really wanted to love this story. The GORGEOUS cover, sapphic love, art nouveau, fae, & a magical heist. There was so much potential with the story.
From the start of the book, and throughout the rest, we are blatantly told how the characters are feeling and why. Every emotion and thought is followed by an explanation, leaving no room for inferences or for the reader to come up with their own ideas or conclusions. Maybe this is the writer in me but… show your reader, don’t tell them.
I felt almost no connection to the characters and it was a bit predictable I’m so sorry. This felt like a low level YA book but with sexual themes & alcohol use?

I originally wanted to read this book simply because of the cover—Alfons Mucha is one of my favorite artists and I had just been to an exhibition of his work, so naturally The Absinthe Underground's art nouveau styled cover caught my eye.

I think it's a solid book, especially for the younger YA age range as the story is very lighthearted, dynamic and adventurous. I can see myself at 13 really having fun with this book, and it reminds me of other adventure books I read at that age.

At some points, certain things felt underexplained or contradictory, but they were easily glossed over. The main characters are fun and engaging, and despite certain aspects of the plot being predictable, that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the story itself.

This book took me longer to get through than expected. I was not as captivated with the story as I initially expected to be and found it a little difficult to maintain my interest.

The plot was a bit much.
Set in the Belle Epoque era. A focus on class systems. Feminist ideals. Sapphic-love between two young women. Fae, faeries, & magic. Themes of art & avant-garde expression. Thievery & heist. Lots of absinthe. There's a dragon in the end? Plus more, more, more - & all without the amount of explanation & depth I believe it needed.

After reading the author's note at the end, the whole book just seems like Pacton took her favorite things & tried to weave together a story that included every last one, regardless of plot development.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it just did not translate well to me, as the reader.

Pacton's love for the arts & fantasy can definitely be felt throughout the story, which I appreciate.
The beautiful cover & initial story description really drew me in.

Maybe it's the first of a series to come? With more depth to the characters & their relationships, hopefully.

Where is Sybil & Luciens dad? Did Esme find her voice ever in her relationship with Sybil, & did Sybil ever learn to care really? What happened to Chloe? What was the point of obtaining the jewels, if they were so easily taken back? I won't ever find out any of these answers, & I am ok with that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

3,5/5 Stars

The Absinth Underground is a sapphic fantasy book about faeries, heists and more. Which is why I’m a bit sad that this wasn’t a five star read for me. (It was still good though, just not as spectacular as I had hoped.)

My absolute highlight in this were definitely the characters. Sybil and Esme are adorable and have amazing chemistry together. Them working together so well, even through their differences and both of them constantly trying to protect the other one was so adorable to read. I also absolutely loved the descriptions of their apartment and all the cats, I don’t know what it is about that specific place, but it felt so homey and sweet, I would’ve been down to just read 200 pages about the two main characters chilling with their cats.

My problem was the story itself, especially the middle part (but pay in mind that it was still fine, just not great). The first half or so of the book were amazing. I loved the setting and the way more and more of the magic were slowly revealed. But once the actual heist part of the story started, I got a bit bored. Because everything was just a bit too predictable and a good bit too easy and convenient. Even the main heist was over in what felt like two pages. I wish that whole middle part had been an actual thrilling heist, and then this book would’ve easily been a four or five star read.

Overall, it was still a very entertaining read with two amazing main characters and a writing style that makes it incredibly easy to fall into the story. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a short and sweet fantasy book with amazing characters.

3,5-3,75⭐️

What catches the eye in "The Absinthe Underground" is the cover, and later on the story – Belle Epoque in Paris, sapphics, mystical intrigue. It is a gift wrapped in such a lovely form. I'm a bit sad that the time and setting didn't play much bigger role in the end, but regardless of that I would lie if I said I hadn't had fun reading it. I had lots of fun; characters are charming, their adventures rather stoic than adrenaline-rushed, yet still interesting to follow. Pacton's writing catches the essence of magic, beauty and love in small details. I wished it was longer, so I could stay with Sybil and Esme longer, visiting the Absinthe Underground, exploring Fae courts and stealing the posters under the cover of the night. Greatly recommended!

The Absinthe Underground is a sweet, sapphic friends to lovers set in a magical historically inspired world.
I love that the cover is a Mucha inspired design (my favourite artist) and the dedication warmed my heart!
While reading, I felt like I was wearing green-tinted glasses sipping a glass of Death in the Afternoon. It was incredibly atmospheric, although I felt the cosiest in their clock tower apartment surrounded by cats.
Unfortunately, even though this book had so much potential, I just couldn’t connect with it. It read quite slowly for such a short book and every time I picked it up, I was bored and distracted. But maybe Jamie Pacton books are just hit-or-miss for me because The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly was a five-star read for sure!

This book was so good! I’m always here for a saphic “and they were roommates.” I loved the characters and all of their niches little personality bits! Made them feel so real! I also love the world building soooo much! Excited to read more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC of this title. I loved the characters and I am a sucker for dual perspectives. This book hit so many notes for me. It really is more a 4.5 but that sadly is not an option here. I really really enjoyed it and the only reason it isn't getting 5 stars is just because I have some other books I love a little bit more. This was my first time reading any Jamie Pacton, but I am now tempted to go look at her previous works!

Also ... the cover? Stunning!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great sapphic friends to lovers fantasy romance novel like it says.
It’s magical and cozy all at once.
They are so sweet and cute. I loved their chemistry.

Utterly disappointing. "Cozy fantasy" if cozy fantasy is boring and flat, cliche, nothing interesting happened in the first half of the book (not even in character development) so I had to DNF at 120 pages.