DNF. Sorry, but despite getting to halfway I could not get on with this book. The writing was fine, but the content didn’t grab me I’m afraid. That said if you like an intricate plot set against a sci-fi back drop this may well be for you.

DNF at 7%
I tried to get into this one, but nothing captured me. I will admit to being a mood readers so it's very possible that it wasn't the right time for me to pick up Absynthe.

It's a good debut and I loved the fascinating art-deco worldbuilding and the cast of characters.
It's a bit slow at times but I appreciated and enjoyed the plot and the idea.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Such an interesting idea, really enjoyed this. I did rate it 4, just for how interesting this alternate history is. While the world was interesting sometimes it felt a bit off, a mix of steampunk mish mash and art deco opulence.
Having said that I loved the cast, so diverse, the story is action-packed. At points, it feels more like Sci-fi than fantasy but I found that blurred line very enjoyable.

What if WWI meant war between the USA against the rest of the world? What if the military engineered telepathic hive-mind soldiers? And what if the inter-war States were built on mass hallucinations and delusions?

God, I love the concept of dieselpunk. But I also love alternate history where there is a definite turning point in science and/or technology that allows the -punk part to happen, and that sadly wasn’t the case here. There are mecha suits, and epigenetics, and androids, but I would like to know what made this version of the 1920s different enough from the real-life decade to have [vaguely waves hands] all of that happen?

That is to say, Absynthe is still a remarkable debut with an enjoyable, diverse cast of characters that jump from action scene to action scene. I found the idea of bio-enhanced soldiers extremely interesting (and frighteningly feasible). That being said, the plot could have taken place in any given decade the author chose, since Bellecourt in my opinion didn't put a lot of emphasis on historical detail research (e.g. costuming), and the setting therefore lacked the flair of the Roaring Twenties.

This just needed a bit more art deco.

This is an intriguing world, clearly still fractured and struggling after the terrible events of the Great War. In this alternate United States ended up fighting a desperate war against a coalition of Britain, France, Canada and Germany and only narrowly managed to win, thanks to the valiant intervention of the now-President De Pere. Their technology is far in advance of where we were in the 1920s, as huge strides have been made in the field of virology, so that people can undergo major transformations, both physically and mentally on being injected by serums.

I particularly enjoyed the opening sequences of this book, where we are firmly in Liam’s head and he reluctantly attends a public opening for a new train as a favour to his friend – and it is Liam’s journey that powers this narrative. Personally, I would have preferred it if the narrative had kept with Liam throughout, as there were times when we were with other characters and I was conscious that I was flipping the pages wanting to get back to him.

The fast-moving, twisty plot provides a number of surprises. The worldbuilding was especially well done, so that I was able to visualise the interesting blend of art deco and steampunk, with a helping of speakeasies and vintage cars to add to the richness. This is an ambitious novel that examines the theme of power – who has it, who wants it and what some people will do for it. None of the conclusions are particularly original or world-shattering. But I like the fact that Bellacourt ends up having power as a personification – and that the damage started when initially decent people decided that the means justified the ends when they were in desperate straits.

However, if you’d rather read it as a straightforward 1920s steampunk action adventure story – fans of this genre should find it an entertaining book. While I obtained an arc of Absynthe from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

The cover and blurb drew me in and the well-paced, well written plot kept me reading.
I really liked the characters and felt I could connect with them.
The book was not without its flaws but the ending was good after how intense the story was.

Many thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus / Ad Astra, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The book has themes I love and I was really looking forward to digging into it. Sadly the writing style didn't suit me. The book is very descriptive with a very neutral voice meaning the beginning felt slow with too much exposition despite interesting characters, intriguing foreshadowing and plot. I am not a visual person so I don't picture all the details thrown in and to me it just weighs down the real story too much. I hung on for a while, but didn't manage to pull past the first half of the book.. This was not for me.

In Absynthe, Bellecourt creates a deco-punk world set in alternate history 1920s. The novel has plenty of elements that appealed to me from the outset: jazz age and speakeasies, automata, cutting-edge science and a large-scale conspiracy theory. It’s ‘Matrix’ meets ‘The Great Gatsby’, with a good dose of alternate WW1 history added to the mix.

In 1920s Chicago, Liam Mulhaney and Morgan Aysana spend an evening of debauchery at a speakeasy, drinking absynthe with the rich and beautiful. In both Liam and Morgan, the absynthe causes life-altering changes: for Liam, it lifts a veil and allows him to see the world without its illusion and it makes him remember fragments of his past, and in Morgan, it causes an adverse and potentially life-threatening reaction. Soon both find themselves at the centre of a conspiracy of an enormous magnitude.

I found the world building in this novel intricate and unique and the uncovering of the conspiracy well layered. There were plenty of unexpected plot twists, and while the middle of the story dragged a bit for me, I found the rest well-paced. The story has a clear sci-fi vibe, and there are plenty of battle-related scenes, so this is best suited to audiences that enjoy these genres.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Head of Zeus, Ad Astra, for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the aesthetic of this book.  The descriptions of a decopunk mechanika 1920s prohibition America created some fantastic imagery. Add in the illusionary nature of the world and you have an amazing backdrop for some really trippy fight sequences and action scenes.  If like me you have a very visual reading process it makes for a really cool mental picture (it kind of reminded me of that scene in Inception where the dream city starts folding in on itself.)  However, I do feel like certain aspects of plot and characterisation were sacrificed in favour of visual storytelling.

The first part of the book involves Liam wanting to help his friend Morgan while trying to figure out what is wrong with the world around him, all while feeling lost and suffering memory loss after being injured in the war.  When Morgan is kidnapped he goes on a mission to find him, joins a rebel group and tried to learn the motivations and plans of the person behind the state of America.

Honestly the opening mystery of the world with the brief glimpses into the illusions was so much more interesting than the main mystery and plot of who was behind them and why.  Once that original question was answered and we progress into hunting down the person responsible the story loses some of its momentum and originality that had kept me hooked up until that point. The pace slowed down considerably, the action scenes became repetitive and it relied too much on exposition.  The flashbacks into Liam's memories helped remedy this and his scenes with the rest of his squad were among my favourites.

My main complaint comes from the big twist about a particular character in the main climax of the story.  I found it to be an overused plot device and an outdated bad stereotype on mental health.  There were so many other options that could have been taken that I think would have had a bigger and better impact and it ruined my enjoyment of the ending.

This book had all my buzzwords, 1920's, the jazz Age, steampunk and telepathy. And while those elements of the story were fun, it really wasn't enough to carry the rest of this book for me.

What I struggled with most was how much war content there was in this book. While I had expected a few flashbacks from Liam's time at war, it was a lot more involved than I expected and it really wasn't something I enjoyed.

I loved the alternate history, that was a blast. But it felt like this book was trying to do too much plot wise and the story could've flourished with a little bit less going on.

Overall it was a three star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Head of Zeus, Ad Astra for an arc of this book

Ok, it was fun. Well-written, well-paced entertaining, and surprising. With that said, I have to say the world was too ornate at times and the plot repetitive. I would prefer the story tighter and more focused but it's still quite impressive.

All told, an interesting entry in a "deco-punk" genre.

A very intriguing story that takes place during the 1920’s in an alternate America where all is not what it seems. It is described in the synopsis as Inception meets Metropolis. I also read a review that said Pacific Rim meets Captain America. Both are very accurate. So if you love Art Deco steampunk, alternate history and sci-fi then I definitely recommend this one.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Our perception of what is real is an ongoing fascination of humanity. We read books on paper or spoken aloud and cerates its own reality. How do we know this too is real? We touch the realm of the metaphysical and as there can be no satisfactory answers it always comes back in some shape or form or sequel (Hi Keanu!). In Brendan Bellecourt’s Absynthe this is touched upon as is alternate 1920s version of America, strange experiments, and lost memories but sadly this mix left me very disappointed.

In Chicago 1928 Liam Mulcahey and his best friend Morgan go to see a new super-fast train and the President. But while there as the president offers vaccines to the populace to help against a potential infection from their enemies in Europe Liam sees a group of rebels steal from the train car the vaccine and a shoot out emerges only saved by their robotic chauffeur. Liam a war veteran with memory gaps starts to find his war time experiences returning. Morgan starts to feel ill after the vaccine but a night on the town with friends leads Liam and Morgan to a speakeasy where another shootout and an encounter with a mysterious woman named Grace leads to revelations and strange powers. Liam is plunged into a resistance against powers who want to control everything.

It sounds an interesting story? Sadly, this was a failure of execution in so many ways. The ornate steampunk/hi tech art deco 1920s setting is wasted and really acts as just pretty scenery. Liam is a very dull main character with very little personality bar being bewildered and having to be told revelations but not all in one go as that would delay the plot. I was unimpressed with the character of Grace who fits the long line of competent female characters who help a hero learn who they really are and step back for the finale. It most reminded me of those action-adventure serials from the 1920s but where they would have lots of pace, action and daring this was leaden, contrived and slow.

I’m afraid Abysnthe like all alcohol gave me no pleasure and just a sour empty taste in my mouth. Hugely disappointing as a very below average read.

3.5*

Before I talk about the story I’d like to say that I love the cover. It’s one of the most beautiful I’ve seen this year. Fantastic artwork!

The book itself was a bit weird. I still can’t say if I liked it. I think I was glad it’s not a series because I wouldn’t want to read another one. Although the ending was great!

I really liked the characters and I could connect with them. The good and the bad guys were written perfectly and the reveals were interesting (and I liked that the author allowed the readers to guess some of the secrets before the characters did).
I truly enjoyed the flashbacks and I found them way more interesting than the main plot.
The idea of illusions and manipulating the mind was brilliant and I wish it was the main focus.

The present storyline was slow, repetitive. I felt they were constantly going somewhere, fighting, coming back half-defeated and again and again the same. That’s what didn’t work for me in the story.

On top of that I’m quite sensitive to how the condition described in the book (I don’t want to add any spoilers) is portrayed. In the real life it’s nearly impossible to have a bad and hateful person. I think it’s very hurtful to people who suffer from a said condition when authors create bad characters using it.

The ending was good and hopeful. I enjoyed it after the darkness and misery throughout the story.

This was really interesting. It was Deco-punk and aesthetic a really enjoy. I feel it was missing a little of the glamour and Deco aspects promised by the blurb, which initially left me a little disappointed. However, as the story built a rich alternative history emerged with a creative use of technology. I really like the use of the 'Magic system' the various character's ability to distort reality. I thought this was really interesting and how that played into the reveals of information for Liam ( the Main Character).

The plot did begin to feel a little repetitive, particularly in the try fail cycles. It became formulaic in these set pieces. Characters disguise themselves, easily break into a facility, get discovered after a short while, fight way out with some rescued people. This occurs a fair few times and without much variation and that disappointed me how similar these events were. This was amplified by these being the major source of action for the plot. The rest of the plot relaying highly on flashbacks to reveal what is happening with Liam internally and how that relates to him rediscovering aspects that help his plight in his current predicaments.

I actually preferred the flashbacks and Liam's rediscovery of himself than the main plotline. While this is a slower paced sub plot, Liam is a fantastic character and having his known world, thoughts and feelings broken down and memories rebuilt and how he as a character reshapes in response to the new knowledge is really subtle and fantastically well written. This is also the sections where the most world building is done. We learn about the Alternative history which is incredibly detailed but it never feels like an info dump.

I do wish he had explored the 'illusions' more and that the side characters got more time so we could get to know them and feel for their cause a bit more. However, with all my reservations it is still a very well written book, with an enjoyable character driven plot.

In an alternate version of America, they are at war against a coalition of Germany, Canada, France & Britain, & led by a charismatic leader, President Leland De Pere. Liam Mulcahey, Great War veteran, remembers little of the war itself, but a meeting with an alluring heiress, Grace, in a Chicago speakeasy is the start of Liam experiencing flashbacks of his life in the Devil's Henchmen - a crack team of soldiers who communicated by telepathy via a serum. Liam learns that most of his fellow soldiers in the team are now either missing or dead, & that De Pere is hiding a big secret that he wants to stop Liam uncovering - at any cost.

This is a really intriguing set-up; I really enjoyed the 1920s flavour with the speakeasies, jazz, & flapper dresses, alongside the steampunk aspects of 'mechanika' (androids) & dirigibles. It's an ambitious cross between sci-fi & fantasy, & it works for the most part. There were one or two twists I didn't see coming, which is always good. The world-building is good & the main character, Liam, is easy to empathise with & root for. I really enjoyed reading it.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus / Ad Astra, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Art Deco steampunk is 100% my bag right now and I absolutely adored this reimagined 1920s America. Great world building, relatable characters and all the action. Highly recommended - absolutely ready to read anything Brendan writes next!

Wow!! What a read! This book screamed at on its virtual shelf with such an amazing cover! I am glad to say, it did NOT disappoint. I was absolutely hooked & would most definitely recommend!