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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.
madeline_'s review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Wow this is not what I wanted out of this book. The premise of drinking something an having a world exposed did not turn out to be at all what I expected. I was hoping for a exposure to a new world plot, that was slow burn. Instead I got a strange steam punk magic system that was half baked. And the plot twists at the end were underwhelming. I was not really sure what the motivations of the characters were at the end and I did not really like most of them. If anyone wants it this book is in the little free library in my neighborhood.
nah_steck's review against another edition
4.0
I was gifted this book for my birthday and didn’t know anything about it. I ended up really enjoying it. It had a lot of good twists
mpr2000's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading crime books, but sometimes a good fantasy book keeps my mind entertained for hours! And I have to say that I would love to see this book as a movie, the perfect sci-fi movie, believe me!
The book is based around the 1920s after the Great War, where Liam Mulcahey discovers that the President of the United States has a secret plan to conquer the world, using as many people as possible. With some friends and enemies this adventure will put everyone in danger if they don’t stop the plan.
I know that this book will have some lovers and detractors, maybe too much fantasy or some “details” that may not convince everyone, but for me it was an amazing read. I loved every page, the story was original and with different characters and surprises that it was impossible to stop reading.
We are living in a pandemic world, where a virus seems to control our lives, it makes the story of the book not so incredible to think that a bacteria can make our brain chemistry create some special abilities for the human kind.
Are you ready to take a drop of “Absynthe”?
The book is based around the 1920s after the Great War, where Liam Mulcahey discovers that the President of the United States has a secret plan to conquer the world, using as many people as possible. With some friends and enemies this adventure will put everyone in danger if they don’t stop the plan.
I know that this book will have some lovers and detractors, maybe too much fantasy or some “details” that may not convince everyone, but for me it was an amazing read. I loved every page, the story was original and with different characters and surprises that it was impossible to stop reading.
We are living in a pandemic world, where a virus seems to control our lives, it makes the story of the book not so incredible to think that a bacteria can make our brain chemistry create some special abilities for the human kind.
Are you ready to take a drop of “Absynthe”?
palmkd's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This Sci-Fi tale takes place in an alternate 1920s Chicago where there's a lot of guns (plus robots and augmented humans) along with the prohibition and big brother. It's a bit alternate history, a bit cyberpunk and a lot thriller. Starting in 1928, the story follows Liam, a former soldier of Irish Decent who is missing some memories after a major world war.
I didn't think I had many expectations for this story, but it turns out I was expecting a 1920s inspired historical fiction SFF tale, but I was not expecting a gun slinging post-war thriller with only a few scenes of the titular beverage. The concept was clever but the execution was not a fit for me. There are some despicable characters, but some good ones too and a lot of mind games. In this case, while I prefer the Head of Zeus/Goldsboro cover I wish I had taken a closer look at the US cover by Daw books as I feel it better represents the story.
Content warnings: violence, death, murder, blood, war, guns, rape, mental illness, suicide
I didn't think I had many expectations for this story, but it turns out I was expecting a 1920s inspired historical fiction SFF tale, but I was not expecting a gun slinging post-war thriller with only a few scenes of the titular beverage. The concept was clever but the execution was not a fit for me. There are some despicable characters, but some good ones too and a lot of mind games. In this case, while I prefer the Head of Zeus/Goldsboro cover I wish I had taken a closer look at the US cover by Daw books as I feel it better represents the story.
Content warnings: violence, death, murder, blood, war, guns, rape, mental illness, suicide
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, War, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, Rape, and Drug use