Picture this...Its 1899 in New York City, and a young woman lies dead, her body drained of its blood AND she has two puncture wounds on her neck. There is a new book that was just released, its called Dracula. Surely the murderer couldnt be a vampire..could he? Opium and Absinthe follows Tillie Pembroke on her quest to solve her sisters murder and it is one HELL of a quest. Tillie plays amuteur slueth with the help of a newsie named Ian. Not only is she pushing towards justice for her sister she...

Vampires aren't the only monsters!How good and thoughtful he is; the world seems full of good men—even if there are monsters in it. —Mina HarkerA couple of weeks ago Amazon had this book in their first looks section and I was drawn right away to the cover and title! In the blurb it mentioned vampire murders and if you follow my reviews you know I'm a vampire junkie! I was pleasantly surprised with how well written this book was,it had mystery and suspense and a cast of unusual characters that br...

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book despite not being a huge fan of the gothic genre in general. Usually gothic novels are very stiff in my opinion, and are somewhat challenging to read. Opium and Absinthe however was very fast-paced, enjoyable, and kept me turning pages until the end.Although I enjoyed it, I feel it may not be for everyone. The murder-mystery aspect of it wasn’t the biggest draw, as I had figured out the “why” and was very close on the “who” at about 60% in. I don’t think...

"Her grandmother sighed. 'You'll learn how to survive this, Mathilda. No woman lives a life unscathed. It's what makes us strong. We are broken and mended, remade every time. We must, or it destroys us.'" (pg.30).When her sister is found murdered, Tillie must find the strength to overcome her addictions and find who is responsible for her sister's death.Opium and Absinthe is a slow burn mystery, but I never found it to be dull. The traditions and superstitions of the Victorian era bring this nov...

There was an untold story that had to be found and wrested from the shut lips of New York City itself. these are the songs I listened to while reading Opium and Absinthe!◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨I kinda really wish time travel existed so I could traipse around New York's Gilded Age with Tillie as my guide.Opium and Absinthe is SO evocative. It only takes a few paragraphs of Lydia Kang's lush prose (and spot-on diction; anachronisms, whomst?) before you find yourself

"Nobody will laugh long who deals much with opium: its pleasures even are of a grave and solemn complexion." (Thomas De Quinsey)Lydia Kang takes us deep into the fringes of the Gilded Age in New York City in 1899. She's going to see to it that we feel the prick of the needle and the warmth of the Absinthe as it goes down so easily. We'll sit with a woozy head alongside our heroine boggled as to why our eyes have glazed over.Tillie Pembroke has suffered a great loss. Her twenty-one year old siste...

Finished reading: July 3rd 2020 "A vampire was shackled, it seemed, to the lusts and needs of his body. Tillie, too, felt her world as a closed casket, always around her, always constricting her." *** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***(view spoiler)[I admit that it was cover love at first sight when I saw Opium And Absinthe, but I was completely sold as soon as I read the blurb. I've enjoye

As much as I wanted to like this book, it was just not for me. The story rambled and there were occurrences where it just really stretched one's ability to believe to the ultimate. I do like a good vampire story, but unfortunately, this was just not a very good one. Although, that cover is just stunning, too bad what was contained inside it just missed the mark.So sad to say, no recommendation for this one.Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this story.

•I’ve received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review•Opium and absinthe is a really well written book. The idea behind it is fascinating for sure and unique.The writing style is smooth and keeps you hooked, I’ve finished it all in one afternoon because I could not wait to know everything.Although I guessed the reason behind the murders, the person who did them was unexpected; so that’s a bonus.The only negative thing is that the beginning was a little slow.3.4 stars

DNF - 20% plus adventitious skimming. I will never be in the mood to read about a wide-eyed ingenue making shitty decisions, regardless of the cool setting (Fin de Siecle England) or beautiful cover (Art Nouveau style opium poppies). My skimming revealed that I guessed wrong about the murderer, but not about the shitty decisions, and (view spoiler)[if there was ever a time in which I was okay with a character lying about being vaccinated and then contracting a terribly contagious disease and pot...

Oh, my, what an unusual book. Set in gothic Victorian times in New York City 1899, it focuses on eighteen-year-old Tillie Pembroke whose older sister Lucy has been killed, drained of blood, and left with two puncture wounds on her neck. Tillie immediately is sure her sister has been murdered by a vampire and sets out to prove it. Before her sister’s death she is injured in a riding accident and is given laudanum and opium for the pain. This was common for the times for wealthy women to receive d...

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang is a gothic mystery novel that involves a young protagonist trying to solve her elder sister's murder mystery, while trying to make a name of her own in the world where her family wants her to get married and settle like other 'ladies' of their stature.The central theme of the book includes the newly released Bram Stoker's Dracula, since the story is set in the same year. The modus operandi of the murders appears to be a lot like the fictional dracula, and the pr...

"Even if she be not harmed, her heart may fail her in so much and so many horrors; and here after she may suffer-both in waking, from her nerves, and in sleep, from her dreams."-Van Helsing"It was a strange thing to be awake within a nightmare".Tillie Pembroke had an inquisitive mind asking endless questions, although, in the New York of 1899, eighteen year old Tillie was being evaluated by the yardstick of "marital and societal utility". Lucy, her older sister "...would buffer Tillie from their...