Already well established in the fantasy world, Bradley P. Beaulieu – writing here as Brendan P. Bellecourt – turns his attention to science fiction with Abysnthe, a wonderfully imaginative novel which blends art deco stylings with retrofuturistic technology and mind bending illusions. Liam Mulcahey remembers little of his time in the Great War, his memories fractured due to a head wound sustained during the fighting, and now years later he works as a mechanic for the wealthy family of his closest friend. When he joins Morgan and his socialite friends at a Chicago speakeasy he meets the beguiling, mysterious Grace, and partakes of the hallucination-inducing spirit absynthe. The visions Liam sees under the liquor’s influence leave him unsettled, but it soon becomes clear that they were much more than simple flights of fancy, as he finds himself caught up in secrets and conspiracies even as his jumbled memories begin to come clear.
This version of 1920s Chicago makes for a fascinating setting, an apparent utopia of technological progression and post-war peace with alternative but believable geopolitics underpinning the narrative. Without giving too much away, imagine if the Great War had concluded in America rather than Europe, with the US facing off against combined European and Canadian forces, both sides employing mechanically-empowered troops (mechanika) during the war and now, years later, maintaining an uneasy peace. That’s the backdrop to a story built around a far-reaching (but worryingly believable – despite the SF stylings) conspiracy that’s hidden just beneath the surface, much like Liam’s memories, all tied up with his role in the war and the medicinal marvel that made him such a good soldier, and such a threat now to his old commanding officer – the man who is now President of the USA. The action all takes place in and around Chicago, but even as the stakes become higher for Liam and his friends, they gradually grow to encompass the global stage.
There’s a faintly Matrix-like feel to the early part of the narrative, as Liam’s eyes are opened – by the absynthe he imbibes, rather than a red pill – to some uncomfortable truths about the world he lives in. After some revelation-heavy early moments the pace picks up as he begins to unlock his memories and unravel the mysteries of his past, helped by the mysterious mentor figure of Grace. The Matrix influences continue with an underground resistance fighting back against the overwhelming power of those determined to retain control, a desperate rescue mission, and a few key characters with the ability to bend reality to their will, but they don’t dominate or take away from the book’s own unique identity. As Liam lives through flashbacks to his time in the war and gradually pieces together the truth of his past, the fascinating details of this world come to the fore, both in terms of the setting and the (super cool, but also cleverly thought-out) powers of illusion and telepathy that Liam learns to tap into, and which are crucial to the mystery at the centre of the plot.
While there are plenty of gripping action scenes full of brutal mechanika and reality-twisting illusions, this isn’t really an action-thriller. It’s more thoughtful than that, the pace and excitement of the plot nicely balancing an engaging exploration of characters dealing with physical and psychological trauma. Liam is a remarkably caring, empathetic character and really provides both the moral and emotional heart of the story, while the slow reveal of his memories means that the reader comes to terms with who he is and what’s really happening even as he does the same. This is a book that’s all about illusion and things not being quite what they seem, and the slow reveal works perfectly here – some of the bare bones are reasonably clear early on, but it’s deeply satisfying trying to work out the details along the way. With a brilliant sense of time and place, great characters and some very cool speculative concepts, this blend of alternate history and high-concept science fiction really makes for a powerful, thought-provoking novel.
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Brendan P. Bellecourt for sending me an advance copy of Absynthe in exchange for my honest review.
Absynthe is published by Head of Zeus in the UK on the 7th December 2021. Check out the links below if you’d like to order a copy* of Absynthe!
*If you buy anything using one of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.
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