3.5/5

Esme and Sybil are two best friends (with secret feelings for each other!) who find themselves engrossed in a plot to help a Fae who runs The Absinthe Underground but all isn’t what it seems in a world they aren’t familiar with.

I enjoyed the characters and quite enjoyed the longing they had for each other. The plot seemed pretty steady and then all of a sudden everything came to a climax and the ending felt a little rushed.

I loved the Paris world and the concept. The fantasy elements were unexpected but I enjoyed them, it just felt like it was all wrapped up too quickly and a few questions went unanswered.

This was good, but still i feel like something was missing. i loved the two main characters.
it was kinda of a slow start

I've tried to read this book again and again, but every single time I find myself uninterested in the book. While it is fantasy, it still is this historical fantasy attempt that feels so ahistorical that I'm unable to immerse myself within the setting that I was pitched.

This was an unexpected gem. I had not heard much about this book at all but I will definitely be recommending it! The atmosphere was fantastic.

The ideal cozy fantasy novel for unwinding, making you lose track of reality and encouraging you to pause and savor the moment. This book was truly delightful.

This is a cozy/low stakes fantasy, so this can be a hit or miss depending on the reader. I think was a fine read, but do not expect a gripping plot.

I wanted to love this book so bad, Sybil and Esme had my heart from the very beginning but the world building could have been sharper, there were moments were things were unclear especially with sybil's secrets and what Esme did or did not know.

This book also introduced a human desperate to get home named Chloe and had Sybil so upset that she couldn't rescue her and then a few pages later basically say "oh well." Introducing this character and her love interest only to lose them, introducing Sybil to the world of the fae as a half fae oly for her to maybe return one day made this story so uneven and the unevenness slowed down the story.

The ending was so damn rushed it really brought the book down, especially as Maeve goes full Disney villain five or six pages before the book is over.

I think this had such amazing potential, it makes me want to read more by Jamie Pacton, but the follow through just missed the mark.

**Review of *The Absinthe Underground* by Jamie Pacton**

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

*The Absinthe Underground* by Jamie Pacton offers a captivating blend of mystery, rebellion, and self-discovery, set against a backdrop of underground art and activism. The novel’s premise of exploring personal and societal issues through the lens of a secretive subculture is intriguing, and Pacton’s writing style is engaging, drawing readers into the protagonist's journey.

However, while the atmosphere is immersive and the themes are timely, the pacing felt uneven at times, with certain sections dragging on without much forward movement. The characters are interesting but could have been developed further, as some of their motivations and arcs felt underexplored. Additionally, while the plot has its twists, it often leans into predictability, and I found myself hoping for a bit more complexity.

Overall, *The Absinthe Underground* is an interesting and thought-provoking read, but it doesn’t quite live up to its potential. It’s an enjoyable story for fans of contemporary fiction with social commentary, but may leave readers craving more depth and surprise.

Omg I loved this book! Everything about it was just perfection! Everything about the characters and the world around them was just done perfectly!

To begin with, I was definitely drawn in by the gorgeous Mucha-inspired cover! But to me, the book was fine. I think, after reading the Author's Notes, that the heavy editing it went through actually aligned with what I would have wanted more or less of (Pacton references that originally they were only in Faerie for like 20 pages), but in a ~300 page book there wasn't so much room to breathe or blossom really as we had what felt like a while learning the girls being very "but they were roommates! We must not!" (a bit heavier when neither of them have anywhere else to go, really, either), and then suddenly we're doing three quick quests over the course of a day in a magic house and a museum and a wardrobe that's there just so the two DON'T kiss and then we're depending on several very convenient factors to get us into and out of the world of Fae. We know they're unspokenly in teenage love with each other (fair) and then we're doing a high stakes one-day-turnaround quest-of-questionable-intent (but we need the money!) and!

I think as a story if you just sit back and enjoy what it is without thinking too hard that can be fine, or maybe it's that I kept forgetting it was YA and then being like, "what do you mean she's like seventeen" but the teenage-ness probably also fed into the ride or die feelings these girls had, bonding over the trauma of being orphans/half-orphans, scraping together from nothing into building a little life with each other.

Additionally, I found it strange to mix named parts of real-life Paris into a fantasy city inspired by that very artsy era OF Paris and wish it had gone full fantasy instead.

It was fine! Would I have enjoyed this as a teen? I'm not sure because as a teen the YA world was SO different so I was reading full adult by then, but honestly I'm always happy these kids have so many choices nowadays! I think I would have enjoyed the friends-with-feelings aspect as a queer teen, so maybe this wasn't just for me personally, but I appreciated the characters (I wish we got more of Lucien! He seemed fun) best of all.

Thank you to Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for the eARC in exchange for review!

3 stars.

*The Absinthe Underground* offers a unique and whimsical premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to its full potential. Set in the vibrant Belle Époque city of Severon, the story follows Sybil and Esme—two young women navigating a life of poverty and secrecy, while also grappling with the allure of danger and opportunity. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they’re invited into the world of the Green Faerie, Maeve, who offers them a heist job in the magical Fae realm that promises unimaginable wealth.

The setting is intriguing, though I found myself craving more details about both Severon and Fae. While the world-building is creative, particularly the concept of stealing rare posters, it doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. I had a good sense of the atmosphere in Severon—lively, artistic, with a touch of mystery—but the details about Fae and its customs were a bit sparse, leaving me wanting more depth.

The character dynamics are another highlight, especially the contrast between Sybil’s adventurous spirit and Esme’s more introverted, clock-tinkering nature. Their friendship (and possibly something more) is the heart of the story, but I struggled to feel fully connected to them. They’re interesting, but I didn’t find their personalities or motivations as deep as I’d hoped. The romance, though a slow burn, didn’t quite hit the emotional beats I was expecting. Their relationship felt somewhat static, with little development beyond the initial pining.

The plot holds promise, but it didn’t always deliver. Some twists were predictable, and certain moments felt rushed or disjointed. While the heist plot and the twist were intriguing, the execution felt a bit scattered, making the overall experience feel a bit loose. That said, *The Absinthe Underground* has a cozy charm to it and could be a fun, light read for fans of whimsical fantasy with LGBTQ+ elements and slow-burn romances.

It’s a book that starts with a lot of promise but doesn’t fully realize its potential. The magic and adventure are there, but the connections between characters, plot, and world-building felt too shallow to leave a lasting impact. Still, if you’re looking for something with a touch of magic and mystery, this could be an enjoyable, easy read.

This book is what I would call a typical Cozy Fantasy which are pretty common in adult but not YA. A little slow to start and you never are really scared about the situations they end up in. The worldbuilding of Severon is beautiful but the worldbuilding of the Fae world is somewhat lacking.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this. I liked the characters and I liked them together. This book is incredibly atmospheric and I loved the world that was created. I am new to cozy/low stakes fantasy, so it will take me some time to adjust my expectations. I am expecting to change my rating to something higher once I become more acquainted with the sub-genre. I am very eager to read more by this author though.

(sorry for the delay, I have been very unwell this year)

The Absinthe Underground is a novel about two best friends, Esme and Sybil, pining for the other and getting roped into stealing items from the Fae realm.

I didn't enjoy this book, unfortunately. There really wasn't a lot of meat to this book. The description I provide is basically what you get with little other conflicts happening, internal or external. This also makes it hard to distinguish characters from each other. Sybil is worried about her secret getting out and Esme is thinking about what Sybil is hiding. Even their pining for each other is also basically the same; they met at the same time and starting falling in love as they started living together. They had slight different interests in painting vs clockwork, adventure vs staying at home, but it barely comes up as the novel is focused on the heist.

I did enjoy both the human and Fae settings. I thought both were appropriately descriptive. I especially enjoy books that let Fae look different than just handsome humans with wings. They were mostly set dressing, but there were very non-human faes mentioned.

I rated this book 2 stars. I'm sure this is the perfect book for people who need less complicated fantasy storylines and characters, but it wasn't for me.

Okay, I liked and disliked this book all at once, so I'll keep this short.

The book had a unique setting and concept, especially with how the Fae were integrated into the world. It was a very cozy read and outright cute at some points. However... The descriptions of the places left -- for my taste -- too much room for imagination, and the plot and characters felt rather shallow md flat. It seemed neither story nor character driven. So while I did enjoy this book as a cozy cutesy read, it felt like eating empty calories. It scratched the itch but didn't satiate or fill me up. I'd still recommend it though if you're looking for something cozy along the lines of Legends and Lattes.

This is a heist of jewels from the fairy castle, with sapphic main characters. that is the good of it. the bad is that my enjoyment and attention dwindled as father as I got into it. That being said I dnfed it at 37 %.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

With a cover this beautiful I wish I loved this book! I just found the story so boring, slow, and surface level. I know it is YA, but this felt too simple. I did not really feel the chemistry between Sybil and Esme (a bit at the end though!) but the plot was really what did not work for me. I will say that I did love the setting, however, and I thought the author created the magical vibe of this time period very well. Overall, just not for me.

I read about 20% of this before putting it down for something else. I've since forgotten everything that has happened so far and I did not enjoy it enough to go back and start from the beginning. What I read was perfectly fine I'm just not interested enough.

This read was a cozy sapphic heist and it’s just the read I needed when I was looking for something short, low stakes, and cute.

This story follows roommates Sybil, an adventure seeking thief, and Esme, who prefers cats and clocks and staying at home, as they navigate the struggle to afford life in early Paris-like Severon. Soon after the story begins, they will meet mysterious woman, Maeve, and find themselves delving into the world of the Absinthe Underground on a quest that promises them enough fortune to never pay rent again. But much is not what it seems. LGBTQ+ romance and fae adventure.

This story had I’m interested immediately upon reading, as I found the early Paris-esque world, Severon, and the contrasting and relatable characters easy to fall in tune with.

This heist story was cozy and cute, which was exactly what I was needing. (Note: if you’re looking for a thrilling high stakes page turner, this might not be the book for you.) Snd the sapphic romance was bubbly and heartwarming (no smut, just light, budding romance).

My one critique of this read is that I wish it would have been longer and more in depth. I wanted to see much more of the Absinthe Underground than we were given.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

2.5 stars Fast-paced and enjoyable for someone wanting a quick story that involves a heist but other aspects that are introduced in the story as possible plot pieces are left behind.