I really really wanted to like this book. I mean sapphic and faeries??? I felt the writing was juvenile, and I understand it's intended to be a cozy fantasy, sure, it was not marketed that way (that I saw) and cozy fantasy shouldn't be baseline boring, there should be SOMETHING interesting. Characters felt flat and the tension wasn't even tension-ing.

It took me a while to get into this one, longer than it normally takes for a read to hook me. I did not feel a strong connection towards the characters. Not sure if heist type of things are really my thing though, so I just might not be the target audience!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for my review.

The friends-to-lover's romance that pulled me in wasn't as present in the story as I had hoped, most of it being focused on the heist. That being said Sybil and Esme were both likeable and easy to root for as they go on this heist. There were some parts I wish were a bit more fleshed out, but overall not a bad story.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why but that cover was giving me Wicked vibes. And this book is far from it.

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton is a YA fantasy novel about Sybil Clarion who, after running away from home, is eager to embrace all the freedom the Belle Époque city of Severon has to offer. Instead, she’s traded high-society soirées for empty pockets. At least she has Esme, the girl who offered Sybil a home, and if either of them dared, something more. While Esme would rather spend the night tinkering with her clocks and snuggling her cats, Sybil craves excitement and needs money. She plans to get both by stealing the rare posters that crop up around town. But when she’s caught selling a poster by none other than its subject, Maeve, the glamorous girl invites Sybil and Esme to The Absinthe Underground, the exclusive club she co-owns, and reveals herself to be a Green Faerie, trapped in this world. Maeve wants to hire thieves for a daring heist in Fae and is willing to pay enough that Sybil and Esme never have to worry about money again. It’s too good of an offer to pass up, even if Maeve’s tragic story doesn’t quite add up, and the secrets could jeopardize everything the girls have so carefully built.

The main drawback from this book is the lack of worldbuilding. It was there, but just not enough of it. Also some of the characters were hard to recognize and follow along with their motives. But maybe that's just me getting exhausted on Fae stories once again.

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eARC.

"That was what they did: looked out for each other."

The Absinthe Underground is a cozy sapphic heist fantasy romance, following Sybil and Esme, two best friends living in a run-down clock tower apartment with their plethora of cats. Their living situation is anything but ideal and relies on Sybil routinely stealing and selling posters to collectors. That is until they steal a poster for The Absinthe Underground club and in the middle of selling it, the woman depicted arrives in the apartment of the collector, leading to an offer of riches if they conduct a dangerous and elaborate heist in the matter of days.

I really enjoyed the writing in this, and the concept is exciting and captivating. It draws on elements from Paris in the 1800-1900's and the classic absinthe ads and the broad descriptions are lush and vivid. The world is easy to imagine, both Severon and the Fae world both seem lively and vibrant. Severon feels alive on the page, brimming with activity and people running errands, going to and from clubs and parties. The Fae world reads as brimming with magic and mischief.

I also love Sybil and Esme, individually from one another and as a duo, but the romance doesn't feel completely convincing, mostly because of how much information is missing from both of their pasts. While we unpack a lot of Esme's past with her mother, we don't do the same with Sybil, not in any way that is meaningful and it is certainly not done to inform Esme of the gaps in Sybil's story. This became one of my biggest issues with the book, I was also curious of the backstory that brought Sybil to Esme's life, toward the end of the book there is a reason given, but to me, it doesn't feel convincing at all.

The other thing that I had an issue with was the abandonment of two characters at the end of the book, it feels like a plot hole, but maybe it was done intentionally.

I will be excited to read anything further from this author and this world, if it is ever visited again.

I was expecting to love this. Sapphic faerie heist? Sign me up. But it ended up falling a bit flat. I liked the two main characters, particularly Esme, and their dynamic, but they felt a bit underdeveloped both individually and together. Sybil's relationship with her brother was especially underdeveloped. The story was also a bit awkwardly paced. The heist felt somewhat rushed in the beginning whilst towards the end it got more complicated. All in all it was enjoyable, and I would try another book from this author.

I think that the premise is good, but the characters fell a little flat for me. I think that the start of the book also seemed to be slow but also rushed? And then it just took me a long time to really get into the book.

The Absinthe Underground is an absolutely enthralling and cozy read that I am going to recommend to all of my friends.
Though I wasn't absolutely in love with the plot the whole time, the relationship between Sybil and Esme kept me interested when it was lacking a little. The Friends to Lovers Trope is one of my favourites, and it made the relationship feel super realistic.
I can't wait to read everything else Jamie Pacton releases.

3.5 stars

The Absinthe Underground is described as Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black (sapphic edition) and that is exactly what it is!

I really enjoyed this book and I think it’s a perfect cosy read for all seasons. Sybil and Esme were very likeable characters and I really found myself rooting for them to be together.

I did, however, come across some formatting issues when reading on my kindle but that may have just been an arc issue.

Overall this was a great quick cosy read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild ride of a book. I finished it just now and I think I’m going to have mixed feelings about it for a while. It was a bit of a strange reading experience for me. It both felt slow and fast at the same time. There was so much happening but also so little? It’s very hard to explain fully but that’s how it felt the entire time I was reading it. I still enjoyed it quite a bit though!

The biggest positive note for this book is the main characters. I really enjoyed reading from both Sybil and Esme’s POVs and wanted to get to know them more. Their dynamic was fun to read about! The side characters were definitely less fleshed out, in my opinion. I would’ve liked to have learned more about Lucien especially.

Overall, the plot was pretty good if not a little messy at times. I was engaged the whole time regardless and had a good time reading it.

The Absinthe Underground is an art nouveau inspired sapphic story about Fae. The main characters Sybil and Esme are roommates who are both hiding a romantic desire for each other. Sybil makes ends meet by stealing posters through town, and when selling a poster for the hottest club "The Absinthe Underground" she gets caught by the club owner Maeve. From there the two girls are roped into a jewel heist of Queen Mab's royal jewels.

Even with that exciting description I had to unfortunately DNF this book at 33%. This is a short book, so getting to 33% is less than 100 pages, but it felt like these pages were dragging, and I kept wanting to put the book down. This is due to feeling zero connection to the characters. The two female MCs POVs switch back and forth each chapter, and yet they both felt so flat and I couldn't even tell their voices apart.

I think the writing style is what was the issue, for me. Jamie Pacton relies too much on tell and there is no showing. This is a friends to lovers story, and we know they like each other, because every chapter they tell the reader this. "She's so beautiful" "I pictured kissing her" "OMG I can't date my roommate but she's so hot". But they have no chemistry, I don't feel the pull between them. They don't demonstrate this longing in their actions.
And every thought and feeling they have is laid out for us, so we the reader can't infer anything. There is no subtly.

Since this book is so short I could have forced myself through it, but I knew it would put me in a reading slump and I would not do that to myself. I don't think everyone will have this issue, but this book did not work for me.

What this book has to offer makes it a gem, especially in the YA world. It's a sweet FF slow burn, friends to lovers romantasy, fairy story set in a world much like 1890s Paris. This will hold the attention of anyone with a Moulin Rouge/Paris obsession. The heist element adds some excitement to this overall cozy read. Adults may find the world and relationship building lacking, but it is exactly what I would expect from a YA fantasy that drops you right into the story.
The unique story ideas and imagery in this book will make me watch for the author's next release. Well done!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for free access to this book.

I will say that I really enjoyed the vibe of Severon and related to Esme a lot but later lost interest, as such I only read until the 60%mark.
I did not find Esme or Sybil to be very convincing as thieves and the heist element of this book felt just lacking in the elements that I personally find the most exciting about heists (the setup and planning) which made it as enjoyable. If you want a friends-to-lovers lesbian romance with fantasy element and a heist element this is the perfect book. But if you are more interested in the heist element over the romance element it does not really work.

Also, when I read that it was friends-to-lovers I expected to get to see two friend fall in love with each other which this is not. It's more 'two friend are in love with each other but can't confess because reasons', said reasons being quite understandable.

I was so looking forward to this book, and I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately I had to DNF around 30% in.

The writing style was plain and immature, there was too much telling instead of showing and exposition dumping, and the word poster is used 144 times in the 300 page book. Maybe I will come back to this, but there are too many releases and other books that I wish to read instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ 3.75 stars

Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Peachtree Teen, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.



"A willow, a word, a slip into the night. Your blood is a map to find your way home, little spite . . ."


The Absinthe Underground follows the story of Sybil Clarion—an adventurous seventeen year old who left her life of luxury to find the freedom she'd never had under her father's care—and Esme Rimbaud—a part-time waitress and mother of many cats, who's content to spend her free time tinkering with the cogs and gears of clocks—as they struggle to make ends meet in the busy city of Severon.

Roommates who share a tiny attic apartment in a clock tower, Sybil and Esme could not be more different. Sybil longs to sample every decadence the Belle Époque has to offer, where as all Esme wants is to have a quiet, cozy life. The one thing the girls do have in common is that they're both secretly, hopelessly in love with one another. And neither girl wants to risk telling the other their feelings in case they don't reciprocate, thus ruining their friendship. Talk about sapphic drama!

Sybil can't commit to job for long without getting bored, so when rent is due she plans to do what she does best to make a quick buck: steal rare posters from around Severon and sell them off to collectors who are willing to pay a hefty price. But Esme, who wants nothing more than to protect the girl she's in love with from herself, insists on tagging along on this particular night. Poster stealing isn't safe for anyone, and Esme is not about to let her best friend get into more trouble.
After a successful night of poster stealing, the girls take their haul to one of Severon's biggest collectors, and just as they're about to make a deal on a new poster for The Absinthe Underground, one of Severon's most exclusive clubs, the club's enchanting owner Maeve waltzes in. Rather than reprimand them, Maeve offers the girls a job thieving for her—the reward enough money for the girls to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to work or steal ever again. All they have to do is meet Maeve at the club later than night to hash out the details.

The Absinthe Underground is a club beyond Sybil and Esme's wildest dreams. Glamour all but drips from the marbled walls, floor, and opera boxes. People of all genders and orientations waltz and kiss, women in fabulous dresses perform on stage for all to enjoy (think Moulin Rouge), and everybody drinks to their hearts content.
Syb and Ez, being too poor to afford suitable garments for such a venue, are whisked away to Maeve's private dressing room to choose outfits from her personal collection, and once they're appropriately attired the woman of the hour appears to ply them with the famed Green Fairy drink that the establishment is named for before divesting her plans for the girls. Before getting into the details Maeve tells the girls some truths about their world that they might not be ready to hear or believe: not only is the world of Fae real, but Maeve herself is a faerie—a green faerie—who is stuck in the human world, and can only return home to Fae if Sybil and Esme steal Queen Mab's crown jewels and bring them to Maeve, and they have to do it on the equinox, which is in two days. All they need to complete the task are a few special items—one of which is the key Sybil wears around her neck, which she's never told Esme the origins of. Curious.
Though something about Maeve seems a little off, especially after she revealed her true appearance to the girls, Sybil and Esme are short on rent and short on time to come up with the money. This job for Maeve is their best chance not only making rent but a better life in full. They're not really in any position to turn it down. And so their adventure begins.

While The Absinthe Underground is well written, imaginative, cozy, and dazzling, and while the Pacton's writing is atmospheric,—whether the girls are in the clock tower, hiding in the collector's wardrobe, at Chloe's cottage, trying to survive Lucien's trap ridden house, in Queen Mab's palace or at The Absinthe Underground itself—the highlight of the book for me was definitely the relationship between Esme and Sybil. Despite Sybil knowing everything there is to know about Esme, Esme knows little of Sybil's life before they met each other, yet she still trusts and loves Sybil completely. The girls' love for each other is so sincere and pure that it's truly lovely to read.
Pacton perfectly encapsulates the very special relationship between two sapphic teens that toes the line between between best friends and something more. She writes yearning so wonderfully that it almost felt like Sybil and Esme invented yearning themselves. If yearning were a paid job the girls wouldn't have had to take Maeve's job. They would have been out of that shabby apartment within a week of meeting.

The Absinthe Underground is incredibly romantic and made my heart flutter just reading about Sybil and Esme's feeling for each other. It's a testament to the love between women throughout history.
I hope that in any further books Ez and Syb get to live the life they planned together, full of painting, reading, drinking tea, sharing pastries, snuggly kitties and have adventures when the time is right. And I hope that they go back to Fae to bring Chloe back to the human world.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Esme asked, looking at Sybil. "Perhaps find an adventure somewhere in the city?"
Sybil took a long sip of her tea and gripped the key around her neck. "You know," she said, looking around their apartment. A smile flitter across her lips. "I think I've had enough adventure at least for a little while. Can we stay in tonight?"
Esme raised her teacup and clicked it against Sybil's. "I'd like nothing better."

If Holly Black and Barbie had a cute gay baby. I love them romance in this, I love the way it handled friends to lovers but outside of that I found the heist element a tab bit boring.

I wanted to love this one, but despite its lovely setting and adorable characters, I couldn’t ignore the glaringly obvious issues with the plot. The girls are presumably around the ages of sixteen to seventeen based on a reference to Sybil’s background, and while girls this age can be naive, the author also written both characters to be smart (book smart in Esme’s case and street smart in Sybil’s). It's a bit pet peeve of mine when authors write smart teenage girls and then completely dismiss those very qualities.

Yet neither of them seem worried that they’re meant to pop into a Fae realm, and steal the Queen’s Crown Jewels without being caught using a half-baked plan given to them by a random Fae they’ve just met. The synopsis makes the heist sound as though the Green Fairy is in need of saving, however, the way it is written in the book is extremely flimsy at best. This poor trapped Fae offers them her sob story and a job while plying them with magic infused alcohol…. Nope, nothing at all seedy or questionable about any of this.

Yet still the girls don't question it.


I also noted some worrying characteristics about the romance between Esme and Sybil that felt very reminiscent from the unhealthy romances of 90s YA novels. Esme will do anything for Sybil, unquestionably so, and this is all explained away under her wanting to "look after" Sybil.

It also concerns me that Esme brought Sybil back to her home without knowing anything about her, telling herself that "it’s never a mistake to help someone [...] even if it got her into trouble sometimes". The 'trouble' is not elaborated on, and while it is admirable to help people, bringing a random person who just wandered into your place of work back to live with you is not smart. Sybil could have been anyone.

I DNFed before they went into Fae. If February was less packed with new releases I might have continued with this one to see what the twist might be, but as it stands while it has many beautiful components, the actual main plot just wasn’t well written - at least not for the first 50%.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

First I wanted to say I wanted to love this book so much….moulin rouge but sapphic and with heists? Right up my alley

The stuff I liked:
I really liked the idea where this was heading… I really enjoyed the museum heist (even though it was like 5 pages) .. and the fact that it’s sapphic (always a win)

What I didn’t like:
I don’t know when I began to be so critical with my reads but this was a fun short read …not memorable at all and the plot twist was solved in less than 20 pages … and I hate when everything comes so easily to the characters… they barely struggled because there was always a convenient escape/ solution to their problem. Another major problem was with the writing style 😭 very tell over showing in a blunt manner….

I would recommend this to someone looking for a light hearted read maybe a new reader … I think this is ya so definitely would recommend to a barely getting into reading teen who is looking for something new to try.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a copy of this!
I really loved this book. The world building was fantastic. The characters are very likable. The writing is very intricate and detail oriented.
They live in a CLOCK TOWER with SEVEN cats.
Oh, the pining. So swoon-worthy. Very slow burn. So much envy.
Sybil and Esme are everything to each other. And me, lol.
Would read future releases by Pacton. Would want a story of their adventures in Fae.

-they were roommates
-mutual pining
-“I don’t have/need anyone but her”
-cat mom
-clock repairer
-thief and adventurer
-fae
-complicated family dynamics
-sapphic!!

Cats. Gays. Romantasy. Must I say more?
Jamie Pacton is an extremely underrated author and I hope this book gets the accolades it deserves. A lot of people are comparing this book to Howl’s Moving Castle and I’d have to agree. The whimsical adventure feels almost Ghibli. Love this author and can’t wait to read more from her.