The Absinthe Underground

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets Holly Black in this sapphic friends-to-lovers romantasy.

The Belle Époque city of Severon is a wild dream of a place, full of cafes, cabarets, artists’ studios, and passionate love affairs—all fueled by absinthe, a drink known around town as “the green fairy.” It’s a wonderful place to be young. Especially if you have money and a free spirit.

For poor kids like aspiring artist Sybil and writer Esme, however, freedom isn’t in the budget. Ever since Esme brought runaway Sybil back to the flat she shares with other artists, the girls have been everything to each other—best friends, found family, partners in crime, and secret crushes. Their lives change entirely the night they steal a rare poster and meet Maeve, a beautiful, glamorous girl who seems to be around their age.

Maeve invites Sybil and Esme to The Absinthe Underground, the exclusive club she co-owns. Although Sybil has reservations about Maeve, the girls cannot afford entrance to the club on their own. They seize the chance to mingle among so many other artists and intellectuals, but when someone from Sybil’s past appears, Sybil is forced to reveal she’s not the penniless runaway she’s pretended to be, and Esme’s trust shatters. To win back her friend, Sybil agrees to steal an enchanted object that belongs to the real Green Fairy. When she’s caught, the only way to escape is through the Fae realm itself.