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harmonictempest's review against another edition
1.0
Incoherent steampunk fever dream. It’s possible I’m being unfair because this much random technobabble is standard for steampunk. I found the characters thin, the reveal was unsubstantiated and implausible, and I felt like the plot progressed mainly via random technobabble reveals.
Others might find this a fast-paced popcorn read, but I can’t recommend it.
Others might find this a fast-paced popcorn read, but I can’t recommend it.
darkskybooks's review against another edition
3.0
The basic premise of this sounds really fun - a 1920s art deco steampunk alternative history. Certainly an intriguing set up. In many ways the vibe reminds me of the boardgame Scythe. The world building is certainly the highlight of this - the combo created provides a vivid setting. The issue for me was the characters and story. It all just mulched together into a bit of mush. I dont think the memory loss story line really helped this as it just added to the sense of confusion.
I loved the setting. I just wished story was a bit more memorable. It wasn't bad, just nothing special.
I loved the setting. I just wished story was a bit more memorable. It wasn't bad, just nothing special.
zoer03's review
5.0
Oh wow wow wow, I don’t think I have the words to describe how utterly enthralling, mind blowing this book is… it’s like The Matrix crossed with the great gatsby crossed with war of the worlds then add a dash of steam punk, adventure and Inception mind bending magic and you have this power house of a book. Anyone who loves sci fi and brilliant storytelling will love this book get it now!!!
willrefuge's review against another edition
3.0
6.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/08/12/absynthe-by-brendan-p-bellecourt-review/
Liam Mulcahey remembers little of the Great War. Having sustained a head injury at the outset, the memories are all jumbled up, coming in bits and fragments. What little he does remember manifest as dreams, or nightmares.
The United States triumphed over the members of the St. Lawrence pact—consisting of Great Britain, Germany, France, and Canada—but at a terrible cost. Crumbling infrastructure, ruined economy, and massive casualties delayed the inevitable, but eventually the East was defeated. Liam’s squad, the Devil’s Henchmen, were integral in the victory, though he can’t recall how, or why.
Now employed as a mechanic for the Aysana family—one of the State’s richest—Liam is a fast friend of Morgan, the family heir and scion. In a Chicago speakeasy, everything goes awry when, over a bottle of absinthe, Morgan collapses and the mysterious Uprising arrives. Established post-war, the Uprising has a few stated goals: undermining the US government and exposing its misdeeds. While several of his friends and patrons are killed, Liam manages to save Morgan with the help of Grace, an alluring heiress able to cast illusions.
Soon after the attack, when Morgan’s state worsens, Liam is forced to take him to the doctor, whereupon the government show up and separate the two. Liam’s only hope of retrieving Morgan lies with Grace and the Uprising, though he is uncertain on allying with them. But with more of his memories coalescing—particularly in the presence of Grace—Liam soon realizes that they very well may be the lesser of two evils, and his only true hope of seeing his friend again alive.
—
You think the wheat field is the only sort of hallucination you can have with absinthe? I’ve felt myself falling apart and being rebuilt by dwarves. Dwarves, Liam. Little ones with long beards, and golden hammers. I’ve had extended conversations with alpacas—and they did most of the talking. I’ve felt myself inside a dozen people at once. Then none at all, which is a lot scarier than you think.
—
For one of the few times I simplified my blurb to fit in all the craziness of the plot without it turning into a full-blown ramble. Now, it’s not that the story is confusing—at least, not initially—it’s just that there’s so much going on. If I were to explain everything that’s happening and the plots and mysteries and motives behind it, I feel like you might as well continue straight from my review into the book itself, else it all will go over your head. Which is the exact opposite of a review; that is, the ability to discover whether or not you WANT to read a book, without actually having to read it.
The world itself is different, that much is clear. There are mechanica—both for servants and for war, and adapted to fit everything in between. The United States now faced off against the St. Lawrence Pact members, as noted above, and won. The world itself is intricate and fascinating, though I was a bit disappointed in the scale. Bradley P. Beaulieu (here, writing under the pseudonym Brendan P. Bellecourt) usually does an excellent job with his world-building, but in this I felt that the worries of the Great War weren’t ever fully realized. It’s mentioned that the infrastructure and economy were hit hard by the War, but this is never really conveyed. As a mechanic to one of the wealthiest families in the country, Liam is privy to little enough of how the lower-class lives. I feel like more background, more on the ground, and a better overarching plot would’ve helped.
While the plot itself isn’t bad at first, I felt that it really starts to fray when the illusions came to dominate the story. It does add a wrinkle to the otherwise dime-a-dozen tale of a little rebellion out to take down the big, bad government—I felt that it all was a bit too confusing and a bit too drab when everything came together. The ending itself was interesting, though by that time I was hoping for it to pass, as I’d given up on anything truly exciting happening.
Now the characters, the atmosphere, and the setting is where the meat and potatoes of the story is (i.e. my favorite bits) (okay, mostly just the potatoes). Alastair the mechanica, Morgan the scion, Grace the heiress, Bailey and Clay the sidekicks, and Liam the lead were all excellent characters—not to mention Liam’s lovely nan—though I was especially taken with the first three we’re introduced to, in Alastair, Morgan and Liam. I would’ve read about their adventures published in a weekly, newsprint or radio serial and lapped it up.
In fact, while I had reservations about the plot, I would read any handful of stories set in this world. The Great War, mechanica, Tesla/steampunk-esque stuff has always fascinated me. Something like Wolfenstein or Absynthe, if only well, um… better? Love that. Or I feel like I would. But as ever my unrealistic expectations see the downfall of another decent read. And yet… everything that I’ve seen or read about this one says that it really is a decent read. And it is. It’s not bad, by any stretch. A little too confusing, a little too illusion-dependent, with a little too much going on for its small size. But at the heart of Absynthe lies a good story and a great cast and an excellent world. Just not all these things came together well.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/08/12/absynthe-by-brendan-p-bellecourt-review/
Liam Mulcahey remembers little of the Great War. Having sustained a head injury at the outset, the memories are all jumbled up, coming in bits and fragments. What little he does remember manifest as dreams, or nightmares.
The United States triumphed over the members of the St. Lawrence pact—consisting of Great Britain, Germany, France, and Canada—but at a terrible cost. Crumbling infrastructure, ruined economy, and massive casualties delayed the inevitable, but eventually the East was defeated. Liam’s squad, the Devil’s Henchmen, were integral in the victory, though he can’t recall how, or why.
Now employed as a mechanic for the Aysana family—one of the State’s richest—Liam is a fast friend of Morgan, the family heir and scion. In a Chicago speakeasy, everything goes awry when, over a bottle of absinthe, Morgan collapses and the mysterious Uprising arrives. Established post-war, the Uprising has a few stated goals: undermining the US government and exposing its misdeeds. While several of his friends and patrons are killed, Liam manages to save Morgan with the help of Grace, an alluring heiress able to cast illusions.
Soon after the attack, when Morgan’s state worsens, Liam is forced to take him to the doctor, whereupon the government show up and separate the two. Liam’s only hope of retrieving Morgan lies with Grace and the Uprising, though he is uncertain on allying with them. But with more of his memories coalescing—particularly in the presence of Grace—Liam soon realizes that they very well may be the lesser of two evils, and his only true hope of seeing his friend again alive.
—
You think the wheat field is the only sort of hallucination you can have with absinthe? I’ve felt myself falling apart and being rebuilt by dwarves. Dwarves, Liam. Little ones with long beards, and golden hammers. I’ve had extended conversations with alpacas—and they did most of the talking. I’ve felt myself inside a dozen people at once. Then none at all, which is a lot scarier than you think.
—
For one of the few times I simplified my blurb to fit in all the craziness of the plot without it turning into a full-blown ramble. Now, it’s not that the story is confusing—at least, not initially—it’s just that there’s so much going on. If I were to explain everything that’s happening and the plots and mysteries and motives behind it, I feel like you might as well continue straight from my review into the book itself, else it all will go over your head. Which is the exact opposite of a review; that is, the ability to discover whether or not you WANT to read a book, without actually having to read it.
The world itself is different, that much is clear. There are mechanica—both for servants and for war, and adapted to fit everything in between. The United States now faced off against the St. Lawrence Pact members, as noted above, and won. The world itself is intricate and fascinating, though I was a bit disappointed in the scale. Bradley P. Beaulieu (here, writing under the pseudonym Brendan P. Bellecourt) usually does an excellent job with his world-building, but in this I felt that the worries of the Great War weren’t ever fully realized. It’s mentioned that the infrastructure and economy were hit hard by the War, but this is never really conveyed. As a mechanic to one of the wealthiest families in the country, Liam is privy to little enough of how the lower-class lives. I feel like more background, more on the ground, and a better overarching plot would’ve helped.
While the plot itself isn’t bad at first, I felt that it really starts to fray when the illusions came to dominate the story. It does add a wrinkle to the otherwise dime-a-dozen tale of a little rebellion out to take down the big, bad government—I felt that it all was a bit too confusing and a bit too drab when everything came together. The ending itself was interesting, though by that time I was hoping for it to pass, as I’d given up on anything truly exciting happening.
Now the characters, the atmosphere, and the setting is where the meat and potatoes of the story is (i.e. my favorite bits) (okay, mostly just the potatoes). Alastair the mechanica, Morgan the scion, Grace the heiress, Bailey and Clay the sidekicks, and Liam the lead were all excellent characters—not to mention Liam’s lovely nan—though I was especially taken with the first three we’re introduced to, in Alastair, Morgan and Liam. I would’ve read about their adventures published in a weekly, newsprint or radio serial and lapped it up.
In fact, while I had reservations about the plot, I would read any handful of stories set in this world. The Great War, mechanica, Tesla/steampunk-esque stuff has always fascinated me. Something like Wolfenstein or Absynthe, if only well, um… better? Love that. Or I feel like I would. But as ever my unrealistic expectations see the downfall of another decent read. And yet… everything that I’ve seen or read about this one says that it really is a decent read. And it is. It’s not bad, by any stretch. A little too confusing, a little too illusion-dependent, with a little too much going on for its small size. But at the heart of Absynthe lies a good story and a great cast and an excellent world. Just not all these things came together well.
kariniwonderland's review
4.0
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.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
lauradameron's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The first chapter of this fully sold me, then unfortunately the rest of the book couldn’t live up to it. The premise was solid and intriguing, Bioshock meets art deco and robots! But then the plot that followed was very cliche and derivative of many other plots. These twists have been done before, only better. Wasn’t invested in any characters really either.
jordannedunn's review
4.0
Of all the books I read in August, this was my favourite. It meshed together so many things I enjoy and find fascinating - a Brave New World-esque dystopian world, the dark, but beautiful glamour of Art Deco and the 1920s and earth-bound science fiction steeped in human flaws. I enjoyed the style of writing, and the steady drip, drip of information that kept me guessing and wondering all the way through. I can 100% see why this was a Goldsboro GSFF pick and I'm so glad I finally got round to picking it up myself (- thanks in part to it's snazzy sprayed edges might I add, as they were what made my husband select it for me from my pile of unread books.)
The vibes in this book are so all encompassing I actually made a Spotify playlist inspired by it, of which I am very proud.
The vibes in this book are so all encompassing I actually made a Spotify playlist inspired by it, of which I am very proud.
glimnore's review against another edition
3.0
A strong start. An interesting premise. And a unique take on an otherwise undiscovered gem of a genre, Absynthe pays strong homages to it's obvious inspirations (Bioshock, Dishonored, etc) and ironically not as much to other applicable contemporaries (Ala The Great Gatsby), even though it cites so on the back cover.
The pacing is solid. The characters are somewhat interesting. Our MC felt rather perfect, to the point that he was a hair shy of being 'The Chosen One'. All of this combined with a rushed and somewhat weak ending made me decide that this book is rather alright, but not anything special. It was a fun ride that tried to be philosophical.
The pacing is solid. The characters are somewhat interesting. Our MC felt rather perfect, to the point that he was a hair shy of being 'The Chosen One'. All of this combined with a rushed and somewhat weak ending made me decide that this book is rather alright, but not anything special. It was a fun ride that tried to be philosophical.