Absynthe by Brendan P Bellecourt

I would like to thank Head of Zeus for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Head of Zeus

Published – Out now

Price – £18.99 hardback £5.79 Kindle eBook

Some it kills. Others it transforms. See beyond the illusion. 

The Great War has been over for years, and a brave new world forged. Technology has delivered the future promised at the turn of the century: automata provide, monorail trains flash between mega-cities, medicine is nothing short of magical.

Liam grew up poor, but now working for one of the richest families in Chicago, he reaps the benefits of his friendship with the family's son and heir. That's why he's at Club Artemis. It's a palace of art-deco delights and debauchery, filled to bursting with the rich and beautiful – and tonight they're all drinking one thing. Absynthe. The green liquor rumoured to cause hallucinations, madness, even death.

While the gilded youth sip the viridescent liquid, their brave new world is crumbling beneath its perfect surface. Their absynthe is no mere folly. Some it kills, others it transforms. But in Liam something different has taken place. A veil has lifted and he can see the world without its illusion – and it isn't the perfect world the government want the people to believe.

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. So many many exposition scenes later do not help the story flow. 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.