The Absinthe Underground

Seventeen-year-old Sybil Clarion makes a living stealing highly collectable artistic posters used for advertising around the Belle Époque–inspired city of Severon, where she lives with her roommate and best friend Esme Rimbaud. When she swipes an ad for the popular cabaret, Absinthe Underground, the establishment’s owner, elegant and charismatic Maeve, offers Sybil and Esme a lucrative job. All they have to do is use the magical key that Sybil inherited from her late Fae mother to sneak into the Fae realm, infiltrate Fae Queen Mab’s palace, and steal the crown jewels. In return, Maeve will set them up financially, allowing them to pursue Esme’s Plan for a Good Life, which involves living together in a small seaside cottage overrun by cats. The heist proves much more complicated than expected, however, especially when Sybil’s long-lost brother Lucien gets involved. In this haunting tale, set in the world of Vermilion Emporium, Pacton weaves a romantic and thrilling story of ambition, magic, and peril. Sybil and Esme’s chemistry is palpable, and Pacton’s lush portrayal of Severon as a city filled with art and beauty reminiscent of fin de siècle Paris adds additional layers of enchantment and appeal to the setting. Protagonists read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kate Testerman, KT Literary. (Feb.)