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The Red Sacrament
A savage, hypnotic dive into the lives and deaths of a coven of vampires living in 19th Century Paris on the cusp of revolt and revolution, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Laura Purcell and Elizabeth Kostova
Paris, 1869. The Théâtre Saint-Siméon is the place to be, if you can get in. The black slips of paper that guarantee entry are rare and highly desired, and given only to certain persons. The actors on stage are magnetic and ageless, performing only at midnight and never seen during the day…
Arnault and his clan of vampires have survived for as long as they have by observing a rigid set of rules. At night, they perform on stage at the Théâtre Saint-Siméon, picking off just enough people in the audience to survive. But they understand the city, and how to live in it without being noticed.
Their peace is shattered first with a visit from Béatrice, a witch who forms a strange connection to Arnault; then with the arrival of Victor de Rouvray and his sister Françoise, vampires from a very different world. And, as Arnault grows closer and closer to the beautiful, enigmatic Victor, he risks becoming distracted from the constant bickering of his immortal friends, from the daily running of the theatre, and worse, from the premonitions of blood, death and starvation that he receives at night.
For a terrible change is on the horizon, revolt and revolution are brewing in the streets and soon, the city, and Arnault will never be the same again.
Paris, 1869. The Théâtre Saint-Siméon is the place to be, if you can get in. The black slips of paper that guarantee entry are rare and highly desired, and given only to certain persons. The actors on stage are magnetic and ageless, performing only at midnight and never seen during the day…
Arnault and his clan of vampires have survived for as long as they have by observing a rigid set of rules. At night, they perform on stage at the Théâtre Saint-Siméon, picking off just enough people in the audience to survive. But they understand the city, and how to live in it without being noticed.
Their peace is shattered first with a visit from Béatrice, a witch who forms a strange connection to Arnault; then with the arrival of Victor de Rouvray and his sister Françoise, vampires from a very different world. And, as Arnault grows closer and closer to the beautiful, enigmatic Victor, he risks becoming distracted from the constant bickering of his immortal friends, from the daily running of the theatre, and worse, from the premonitions of blood, death and starvation that he receives at night.
For a terrible change is on the horizon, revolt and revolution are brewing in the streets and soon, the city, and Arnault will never be the same again.
511 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2026
About the author
Sara Hinkley
1 book37 followersI'm a costume designer and writer living in Brooklyn, NY. I work primarily in TV & film, with a background in theatre, dance, and opera. I started writing during COVID when the industry shut down, and I'm still at it! :)
The Red Sacrament is my first novel. See my bookshelves 'the-red-sacrament-research' for what i read to write it, and 'the-red-sacrament-inspiration' for some of my favorites that lit a spark, or showed the way.
The Red Sacrament is my first novel. See my bookshelves 'the-red-sacrament-research' for what i read to write it, and 'the-red-sacrament-inspiration' for some of my favorites that lit a spark, or showed the way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
September 6, 2026
There was almost no plot in these 500 pages, but I was still strangely enraptured by the 1870s vampire theater troupe and their everyday lives. It's a slow-moving and meandering story that's walking the line between horror and historical without ever really falling into either of these categories. I ended up liking it, but I think it's easy to be disappointed here as the book almost never provides what is expected. We mostly follow the vampire Arnault, who is the leader of a Parisian vampire theater troupe. They put up exquisite midnight shows every week and not only because they love art and performing, but also because they eat their audience and take all the money from the victims. Arnault is handling business and his vampire family very competently, but one day he is tricked by a witch and starts obsessing over her. At the same time two younger foreign vampires introduce themselves at the theater and their unusual ways slowly interrupt Arnault's ancient vampire lifestyle too. There is no shortage of intriguing plot elements introduced, but no character is ever in a hurry to follow any of them, pushing it all into the background of the story. Instead there are endless theater rehearsals and in between talks of painting and music, hunts through the city or visits to other vampire homes. It's missing the one plot that really pulls the reader in and the characters are not fleshed out enough to take over this task either. Arnault is strangely emotionless, which is fitting for his character but makes him distant nonetheless, and most of the other vampires were unremarkable. The troupe was quite big and I swear that some characters were just added after 300 pages and everyone acted like they've always been there. Only a select few characters were really intriguing and their scenes carried the story for me. I was always looking forward to the next appearance of the witch for instance, because her whole character was so dark and toxic yet purposeful. Somehow I still got attached to Arnault and his surroundings, maybe because it felt like I had spent a lot of time with them, and I was devastated at the end. The vampires hardly keep track of human politics, but when war creeps into Paris they also become affected by the consequences, and everything just goes downhill in the last 100 pages or so. Some scenes were very visceral, but overall my horror itch wasn't really scratched here. People were dying plentily, but often in a fade-to-black manner. Later I realized that some horrors are just not worth mentioning for vampires while others are, and I quite liked that this distinction was included. Together with the lush writing that constantly created a dark and rich atmosphere, I did enjoy my time reading this book. I did have the feeling that I should have had a French dictionary at hand at all times with the amount of words, phrases or whole stanzas that were included here, but I managed reading without one too. It's another reason why I find this book very difficult to recommend though, but I would encourage readers to take a look.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Want to Read
December 14, 2025they could've at least tried to file the serial numbers off. arnault sounds an awful lot like armand 🤔🤔
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
____________
I think people might pick this up for the description and possibly not entirely gel with the actual story inside. This book has my favourite writing style: evocative, atmospheric, and probably considered 'purple' prose, but I loved it and it really made the book for me.
I loved the ensemble in this, the theatre troupe of vampires. Not all of them are fleshed out, but the ones that are feel very real (as real as vampires can be) and their interactions with each other are amazing. Our main guy is great to read from the perspective of, sometimes he comes across so cool and ancient and impressive to the troupe, and then other times he's being the biggest idiot of all time. I really enjoyed his character and how he basically ends up ruining his own (after)life.
Preventing this from getting five stars was a lot of the business with the witch, including the ending. I just didn't care as much as the other more vampire focused parts, and I preferred the story happening in Paris.
PUBLICATION DATE: JULY 07 2026
____________
I think people might pick this up for the description and possibly not entirely gel with the actual story inside. This book has my favourite writing style: evocative, atmospheric, and probably considered 'purple' prose, but I loved it and it really made the book for me.
I loved the ensemble in this, the theatre troupe of vampires. Not all of them are fleshed out, but the ones that are feel very real (as real as vampires can be) and their interactions with each other are amazing. Our main guy is great to read from the perspective of, sometimes he comes across so cool and ancient and impressive to the troupe, and then other times he's being the biggest idiot of all time. I really enjoyed his character and how he basically ends up ruining his own (after)life.
Preventing this from getting five stars was a lot of the business with the witch, including the ending. I just didn't care as much as the other more vampire focused parts, and I preferred the story happening in Paris.
PUBLICATION DATE: JULY 07 2026
2026-releases-tbr
July 19, 2026I have no ideological problems with people ripping off Anne Rice. #directaction
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Two people cannot write the same book. We talk a lot about tropes on this website, but tropes are meaningless for real analysis, because no two authors are going to write the same idea the same way, even if one is substantially in conversation with the other. Sara Hinkley could not have written Interview with the Vampire; Anne Rice could not have written The Red Sacrament. Rice's book is not about Marxism or political upheaval; Hinkley's book is not about the loss of a child. What Hinkley has done with the skeleton of Rice's first novel is wholly original, fully confident, and an astounding display of skill from a debut author. It is, simply put, not fanfiction, because fanfiction is an attempt to reheat an original work; fanfiction can be excellently written, but from a mechanical standpoint it just isn't meant to establish anything foundationally new, and relies on the framework of the original to function. None of the enjoyment I found in The Red Sacrament relied on prior understanding of Interview with the Vampire, and I know this because I don't… really like that book.
Don't get me wrong. It's a great novel, an important work, but it's just not for me. I can acknowledge that John Everett Millais is a talented and important painter, even though I don't really dig any of his paintings, because the Pre-Raphaelites just aren't painterly enough with their brushstrokes to get my engine going. Ultimately, a lot of what excites us about art is in the little details like that, the brushstroke, the grammar, the tense, the lighting. To say Sacrament is identical to Interview is like saying milk snakes are the same as corn snakes; you could confuse the two, if you only have very incomplete, surface-level knowledge of either. And Interview with the Vampire just doesn't have the little fine details that grab me, despite the fact that in theory it should.
The Red Sacrament is, if anything, the inverse of that: even though I don't usually gravitate toward what Sacrament is concerned with (vampires, this period of French history, the theatre) or made up of (lush descriptions of opulent dress, present-tense prose), I loved this book and found every chapter of it thrilling. This largely thanks to Hinkley's clear ear for prose: I never felt like her present-tense writing was too sparse or awkward, and her poetic descriptions never got in the way of clarity. I always knew what was going on, and was entertained by the way she told me. She also has a fantastic sense of pacing. Even though this novel creeps along rather slowly (the plot has barely started by the 100 page mark), I was so entertained by her sentences, her characterization, her deft hand for metaphor and analysis that I didn't mind, and honestly barely noticed until I wrote down my page count for my tracker. If you go back through my reviews, you'll notice the #1 thing I complain about is pacing. The fact that Hinkley, a debut author, has managed to capture something so many more experienced authors struggle with has made me a fan forever. She can take as long as she needs to perfect her next novel, but when it's out, I'm snatching it hot off the press so fast I might burn my fingers.
Hinkley has done something really dynamic here, using a small part of Rice's novel as a scaffold to make a story entirely different and entirely her own. This is a story with capital-B Big themes, but subtle enough about it to treat the reader like an adult-- we can figure it out as we go along, it's never didactic or scolding. It wants to talk about sexual assault, about theatre, about unbalanced dynamics of power, about industrialism, about immortality and the nature of metaphor, about history and empire. It does all these things, and with an incredible level of respect for the reader. This book is lush and open, yet it's got secrets hidden for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper. It's got everything I want when I opine for the crossroads of literary heft and genre fiction. You don't want to miss this.
If you like Interview with the Vampire, check this book out, but not because it's similar. No, read this novel because, like Interview with the Vampire, it's a good book. It's a really good book. We're going to be talking about it for years and years, and you will want to be part of that conversation.
(Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy in return for a fair review.)
Don't get me wrong. It's a great novel, an important work, but it's just not for me. I can acknowledge that John Everett Millais is a talented and important painter, even though I don't really dig any of his paintings, because the Pre-Raphaelites just aren't painterly enough with their brushstrokes to get my engine going. Ultimately, a lot of what excites us about art is in the little details like that, the brushstroke, the grammar, the tense, the lighting. To say Sacrament is identical to Interview is like saying milk snakes are the same as corn snakes; you could confuse the two, if you only have very incomplete, surface-level knowledge of either. And Interview with the Vampire just doesn't have the little fine details that grab me, despite the fact that in theory it should.
The Red Sacrament is, if anything, the inverse of that: even though I don't usually gravitate toward what Sacrament is concerned with (vampires, this period of French history, the theatre) or made up of (lush descriptions of opulent dress, present-tense prose), I loved this book and found every chapter of it thrilling. This largely thanks to Hinkley's clear ear for prose: I never felt like her present-tense writing was too sparse or awkward, and her poetic descriptions never got in the way of clarity. I always knew what was going on, and was entertained by the way she told me. She also has a fantastic sense of pacing. Even though this novel creeps along rather slowly (the plot has barely started by the 100 page mark), I was so entertained by her sentences, her characterization, her deft hand for metaphor and analysis that I didn't mind, and honestly barely noticed until I wrote down my page count for my tracker. If you go back through my reviews, you'll notice the #1 thing I complain about is pacing. The fact that Hinkley, a debut author, has managed to capture something so many more experienced authors struggle with has made me a fan forever. She can take as long as she needs to perfect her next novel, but when it's out, I'm snatching it hot off the press so fast I might burn my fingers.
Hinkley has done something really dynamic here, using a small part of Rice's novel as a scaffold to make a story entirely different and entirely her own. This is a story with capital-B Big themes, but subtle enough about it to treat the reader like an adult-- we can figure it out as we go along, it's never didactic or scolding. It wants to talk about sexual assault, about theatre, about unbalanced dynamics of power, about industrialism, about immortality and the nature of metaphor, about history and empire. It does all these things, and with an incredible level of respect for the reader. This book is lush and open, yet it's got secrets hidden for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper. It's got everything I want when I opine for the crossroads of literary heft and genre fiction. You don't want to miss this.
If you like Interview with the Vampire, check this book out, but not because it's similar. No, read this novel because, like Interview with the Vampire, it's a good book. It's a really good book. We're going to be talking about it for years and years, and you will want to be part of that conversation.
(Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy in return for a fair review.)
March 27, 2026
✨✨✨1800s Paris, theater, and vampires!!! 🧛 ✨✨✨
I went into The Red Sacrament pretty blind to be honest. I saw 1800s Paris, theater, and vampires and that was a wrap. I’m in! 🤓📖
After finishing this book, I looked into it a little and it appears that this book was inspired by Interview with the Vampire. Or maybe the tv show? I haven’t seen the show yet, but I can definitely see some Interview with the Vampire inspiration here.
I am an huge vampire fan and really love the vibe of The Red Sacrament! I thought the theater aspects were so cool!! I wish I had connected a little bit more to the characters. Also, some of the book felt a little too bulky, slow, long, and dragging for my taste. The writing was definitely very descriptive. Overall I absolutely enjoyed this one. It was very atmospheric and lush which I loved that!!🧛
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released July 7, 2026 .
I went into The Red Sacrament pretty blind to be honest. I saw 1800s Paris, theater, and vampires and that was a wrap. I’m in! 🤓📖
After finishing this book, I looked into it a little and it appears that this book was inspired by Interview with the Vampire. Or maybe the tv show? I haven’t seen the show yet, but I can definitely see some Interview with the Vampire inspiration here.
I am an huge vampire fan and really love the vibe of The Red Sacrament! I thought the theater aspects were so cool!! I wish I had connected a little bit more to the characters. Also, some of the book felt a little too bulky, slow, long, and dragging for my taste. The writing was definitely very descriptive. Overall I absolutely enjoyed this one. It was very atmospheric and lush which I loved that!!🧛
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released July 7, 2026 .
Want to Read
July 7, 2026Absolutely fascinated that this is so blatantly plagiarised Armand but sure I'll read it
Read
July 19, 2026RTC
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.
July 20, 2026
Review originally on JamReads
The Red Sacrament is a standalone dark fantasy novel written by Sara Hinckley, published by Titan Books. A literary Gothic proposal that blends together historical fantasy, a vampire saga, and elements of horror to create something special, a story that takes its time to be developed but which totally immerses the reader into its world and atmosphere, putting out a memorable novel enveloped by a purple prose that suits it so well.
Paris, 1869. Arnault and his clan of vampires have survived for a long time while following a strict set of rules: perform at the Théâtre Saint-Siméon, just picking enough people from the audience to survive. Not being noticed assures their survival. However, their peace is shattered after the visit of Béatrice, a witch who establishes a strange connection with Arnault; and the posterior arrival of Victor and his sister Françoise, vampires from a different world. As Arnault grows closer to Victor, he risks becoming distracted from their immortal friends, the own theatre, and the omens that he's receiving at night. A time of change is on the horizon, revolt and revolution are brewing on the streets, and Arnault won't end unscarred.
Hinckley is not afraid to take a sweet time setting up the stage, introducing us to a deliciously multilayered cast of characters that will be the bone which will articulate an ambitious story that manages to keep the historical fantasy vibes at all times, being impeccable in how themes are presented, especially regarding industrialism, Marxism, and even the own perspective of immortality. In many senses, what we have is a story that examines from many lenses the dynamics and unbalance of power in different contexts, from the own troupe/coven, to the bigger picture that is reflected in society.
It is also worth mentioning Hinckley's prose: it is purple, description rich, but it manages to capture so well the setting and the atmosphere, creating vivid images of the scenarios and the own costumes, immersing the reader as a privileged spectator of the play. The metaphors are so natural to the text, adding to the richness it already had.
The pacing was in a great spot for me, even if it might be slow at the start, but trust me when I say that the length of this book was totally justified.
The Red Sacrament is a superb debut, a really ambitious vampire novel that you will love if you are into excellently crafted prose that perfectly suits and conveys the essence of the novel and stories that are just an excuse to examine complicated themes. A novel that puts Sara Hinckley on my auto-buy list!
The Red Sacrament is a standalone dark fantasy novel written by Sara Hinckley, published by Titan Books. A literary Gothic proposal that blends together historical fantasy, a vampire saga, and elements of horror to create something special, a story that takes its time to be developed but which totally immerses the reader into its world and atmosphere, putting out a memorable novel enveloped by a purple prose that suits it so well.
Paris, 1869. Arnault and his clan of vampires have survived for a long time while following a strict set of rules: perform at the Théâtre Saint-Siméon, just picking enough people from the audience to survive. Not being noticed assures their survival. However, their peace is shattered after the visit of Béatrice, a witch who establishes a strange connection with Arnault; and the posterior arrival of Victor and his sister Françoise, vampires from a different world. As Arnault grows closer to Victor, he risks becoming distracted from their immortal friends, the own theatre, and the omens that he's receiving at night. A time of change is on the horizon, revolt and revolution are brewing on the streets, and Arnault won't end unscarred.
Hinckley is not afraid to take a sweet time setting up the stage, introducing us to a deliciously multilayered cast of characters that will be the bone which will articulate an ambitious story that manages to keep the historical fantasy vibes at all times, being impeccable in how themes are presented, especially regarding industrialism, Marxism, and even the own perspective of immortality. In many senses, what we have is a story that examines from many lenses the dynamics and unbalance of power in different contexts, from the own troupe/coven, to the bigger picture that is reflected in society.
It is also worth mentioning Hinckley's prose: it is purple, description rich, but it manages to capture so well the setting and the atmosphere, creating vivid images of the scenarios and the own costumes, immersing the reader as a privileged spectator of the play. The metaphors are so natural to the text, adding to the richness it already had.
The pacing was in a great spot for me, even if it might be slow at the start, but trust me when I say that the length of this book was totally justified.
The Red Sacrament is a superb debut, a really ambitious vampire novel that you will love if you are into excellently crafted prose that perfectly suits and conveys the essence of the novel and stories that are just an excuse to examine complicated themes. A novel that puts Sara Hinckley on my auto-buy list!
June 28, 2026
2.5 Stars ✨
Honestly, this was a little hard to rate. I didn't hate it nor did I think it was bad. I just found the problems I had with it outweighed what I enjoyed about it.
The writing was very beautiful and lush. I think Sarah Hinkley is a strong writer, but I don't think she's a strong storyteller. The writing started to feel more like the author was trying to flex their writing skills rather than tell a coherent and cohesive story.
Purple prose is fine to a point, but when the plot get's confusing and lost because overly descriptive and flowery language is used it's a problem. I honestly can't tell you what the story / plot was because I became so confused. It was just a bit of a bloated mess.
Unfortunately, I can't even speak on the characters and their strengths. They all felt very flat to me, and again, I think it was because of the writing.
It felt very more little snapshots into these characters lives rather than anything else, but unfortunately that made it rather a boring story. And for the length of this book, a lot of that should have been cut. We don't need 500 pages / 18 hours for the same thing over and over and over.
It's also very clear this was heavily inspired Interview with the Vampire, so if you enjoyed that and more of a slow meandering story, you might like this.
AUDIO: the production was great as was the sound quality. I think the only issue I found was that, while the narrator was great, they didn't fit the story to me.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media & netgalley for the audio arc.
Honestly, this was a little hard to rate. I didn't hate it nor did I think it was bad. I just found the problems I had with it outweighed what I enjoyed about it.
The writing was very beautiful and lush. I think Sarah Hinkley is a strong writer, but I don't think she's a strong storyteller. The writing started to feel more like the author was trying to flex their writing skills rather than tell a coherent and cohesive story.
Purple prose is fine to a point, but when the plot get's confusing and lost because overly descriptive and flowery language is used it's a problem. I honestly can't tell you what the story / plot was because I became so confused. It was just a bit of a bloated mess.
Unfortunately, I can't even speak on the characters and their strengths. They all felt very flat to me, and again, I think it was because of the writing.
It felt very more little snapshots into these characters lives rather than anything else, but unfortunately that made it rather a boring story. And for the length of this book, a lot of that should have been cut. We don't need 500 pages / 18 hours for the same thing over and over and over.
It's also very clear this was heavily inspired Interview with the Vampire, so if you enjoyed that and more of a slow meandering story, you might like this.
AUDIO: the production was great as was the sound quality. I think the only issue I found was that, while the narrator was great, they didn't fit the story to me.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media & netgalley for the audio arc.
July 15, 2026
NEVER TRUST A WHITE DOMINICAN!!
July 23, 2026
favorite vampire novel of all time, not competitive. possibly... favorite vampire story of all time in any medium? only competitive because the pilot of the IWTV show does, after all, exist?
like water in a desert, frankly. gorgeous, vivid, grounded (physically and sensorily, historically, morally, psychospiritually). the temptation is to gush about the book as a response to Rice, and what a response to Rice—no less loving or respectful of her but healing many, many of the wounds I personally get from the places where our priorities diverge, and in particular Rice's treatment of beauty and of wealth. there should be admiration for glamour in vampire novels, an acceptance of their seductive power, a respect for the aesthetic as a higher good (Dorian Gray as proto-vampire novel? To think about later.) BUT the temptation for the vampire novelist is endless to make the adoration of aesthetic a reductive goal—see my thoughts on Dowry of Blood, which was the logical endpoint of an aesthete not being able to distinguish vanity (fun) from shallowness (not).
with vampire novels that really make you think about the genre, one sort of has to circle back to the thought: poor Polidori. we've never really gotten away from him, have we? always looking at Ruthven through the eyes of someone who wants to fuck him, wants to be him, but most of all wants what he has—not the reputation, the money, the class, the title—always seeing the world through Ruthven's eyes, too; and, bless him, but the world seen through an aristocrat's eyes is by necessity an unbearably shallow one. even as badly as Byron did struggle to make it deeper, for a social parasite like an aristocrat, fellow human beings can't quite get away from the status of cattle. a perspective anyone with any root to their mind at all can't help but despise, a perspective anyone who's ever had to live in this world can't help but envy. the vampire genre has never found a point of satisfaction between these.
hugely political book. thoughtfully political, with depth of thought. immensely angry (mostly above-text, rather than in-text, which I think is a perfect choice), and immensely full of love for the world.
what took my breath away were the entr'actes—maybe the most Hilary Mantel moments of a very, very worthy-of-being-a-child-of-Mantel book—this is what I'm talking about when I say the book heals my Rice wounds; there is simply no one in this book's world, not even the most briefly seen victim, who is an NPC, which ought to be the case for all books (if the worldbuilding is built at all!) but often isn't for reasons that are, again, about the aristocratic origins of it all...
BUT! I don't want to focus overmuch on this as a response to Rice because it is, at the end of the day, its own book, and its people are its own people, and if anyone had pitched me "Slings and Arrows with vampires" at any point over the last 15 years of my life I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven—let alone Slings and Arrows with vampires AND revolution. I will never, ever look at a department store the same way after reading the department store scene; it's such a deft sequence, the specter of slavery that's been hovering over this emerging into clarity and then immediately turning to the gleaming, endless abundance and wealth, the theater of empire as much as any Byzantine throne
it's amazing that books can still be good. specifically, good at the things that are my least favorite contemporary problems—again, so specific, materialist, tangible rather than vague and world-renders-when-you-get-close; so well-read and so well-educated; confident in itself and its voice. I dearly wish everyone would read. really, really, really good use of a witch
like water in a desert, frankly. gorgeous, vivid, grounded (physically and sensorily, historically, morally, psychospiritually). the temptation is to gush about the book as a response to Rice, and what a response to Rice—no less loving or respectful of her but healing many, many of the wounds I personally get from the places where our priorities diverge, and in particular Rice's treatment of beauty and of wealth. there should be admiration for glamour in vampire novels, an acceptance of their seductive power, a respect for the aesthetic as a higher good (Dorian Gray as proto-vampire novel? To think about later.) BUT the temptation for the vampire novelist is endless to make the adoration of aesthetic a reductive goal—see my thoughts on Dowry of Blood, which was the logical endpoint of an aesthete not being able to distinguish vanity (fun) from shallowness (not).
with vampire novels that really make you think about the genre, one sort of has to circle back to the thought: poor Polidori. we've never really gotten away from him, have we? always looking at Ruthven through the eyes of someone who wants to fuck him, wants to be him, but most of all wants what he has—not the reputation, the money, the class, the title—always seeing the world through Ruthven's eyes, too; and, bless him, but the world seen through an aristocrat's eyes is by necessity an unbearably shallow one. even as badly as Byron did struggle to make it deeper, for a social parasite like an aristocrat, fellow human beings can't quite get away from the status of cattle. a perspective anyone with any root to their mind at all can't help but despise, a perspective anyone who's ever had to live in this world can't help but envy. the vampire genre has never found a point of satisfaction between these.
hugely political book. thoughtfully political, with depth of thought. immensely angry (mostly above-text, rather than in-text, which I think is a perfect choice), and immensely full of love for the world.
what took my breath away were the entr'actes—maybe the most Hilary Mantel moments of a very, very worthy-of-being-a-child-of-Mantel book—this is what I'm talking about when I say the book heals my Rice wounds; there is simply no one in this book's world, not even the most briefly seen victim, who is an NPC, which ought to be the case for all books (if the worldbuilding is built at all!) but often isn't for reasons that are, again, about the aristocratic origins of it all...
BUT! I don't want to focus overmuch on this as a response to Rice because it is, at the end of the day, its own book, and its people are its own people, and if anyone had pitched me "Slings and Arrows with vampires" at any point over the last 15 years of my life I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven—let alone Slings and Arrows with vampires AND revolution. I will never, ever look at a department store the same way after reading the department store scene; it's such a deft sequence, the specter of slavery that's been hovering over this emerging into clarity and then immediately turning to the gleaming, endless abundance and wealth, the theater of empire as much as any Byzantine throne
it's amazing that books can still be good. specifically, good at the things that are my least favorite contemporary problems—again, so specific, materialist, tangible rather than vague and world-renders-when-you-get-close; so well-read and so well-educated; confident in itself and its voice. I dearly wish everyone would read. really, really, really good use of a witch
June 30, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
In the heart of 1869 Paris, a hidden theater opens its doors only at midnight. Behind the curtain is a coven of vampires who have survived for centuries by following one simple rule: never draw attention to themselves. But when new arrivals disrupt the delicate balance they've built, old loyalties are tested, dangerous desires emerge, and the future of their world begins to unravel.
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The premise immediately caught my attention, but it was the writing that completely pulled me in. It was rich, atmospheric, and absolutely beautiful. Every page felt like I was stepping into another time, and I found myself slowing down just to soak it all in.
The characters were another highlight for me. They didn't just exist on the page, they felt alive. Each one had their own personality, motivations, and complicated relationships that made me genuinely invested in what would happen next. I especially enjoyed watching the dynamics shift as new characters entered the story and everything became more unpredictable.
This isn't a fast paced vampire horror novel, and I think that's exactly why it worked so well. It takes its time building the atmosphere, developing the characters, and immersing you in this haunting version of nineteenth century Paris. If you're looking for action on every page, this may not be the book for you. But if you enjoy gothic horror with gorgeous writing and unforgettable characters, it's absolutely worth the journey.
**Would I recommend it?**
Yes! If you love gothic horror, historical settings, beautifully written prose, character driven stories, and vampires with depth, I definitely recommend adding this one to your reading list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
In the heart of 1869 Paris, a hidden theater opens its doors only at midnight. Behind the curtain is a coven of vampires who have survived for centuries by following one simple rule: never draw attention to themselves. But when new arrivals disrupt the delicate balance they've built, old loyalties are tested, dangerous desires emerge, and the future of their world begins to unravel.
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The premise immediately caught my attention, but it was the writing that completely pulled me in. It was rich, atmospheric, and absolutely beautiful. Every page felt like I was stepping into another time, and I found myself slowing down just to soak it all in.
The characters were another highlight for me. They didn't just exist on the page, they felt alive. Each one had their own personality, motivations, and complicated relationships that made me genuinely invested in what would happen next. I especially enjoyed watching the dynamics shift as new characters entered the story and everything became more unpredictable.
This isn't a fast paced vampire horror novel, and I think that's exactly why it worked so well. It takes its time building the atmosphere, developing the characters, and immersing you in this haunting version of nineteenth century Paris. If you're looking for action on every page, this may not be the book for you. But if you enjoy gothic horror with gorgeous writing and unforgettable characters, it's absolutely worth the journey.
**Would I recommend it?**
Yes! If you love gothic horror, historical settings, beautifully written prose, character driven stories, and vampires with depth, I definitely recommend adding this one to your reading list.
July 14, 2026
A beautifully written and atmospheric historical vampire epic.
Like most of the more literary and Gothic vampire novels, this is a lengthy one, but well worth it for the immersion and sense of place made possible by all the text the novel allocates to establishing atmosphere and setting.
The story itself is a good one, part Horror, part Gothic vampire saga, and part Historical Fantasy. The decision to set this in mid-late 19th century Paris was an excellent choice, and the author really does justice to the location, culture, and history. The 1871 Siege of Paris is particularly well-used here.
My lone gripe with this (and unfortunately it’s a significant one) is that I really do not like books that repeatedly fixate on an intersection of sex and violence, especially when it’s romanticized. It’s an all too common issue in vampire novels, with way too many authors taking lore like the intoxicating effects of a vampire bite or the concept of a familiar or thrall and taking it too far for shock value and to titillate.
On a related note, I don’t agree with the many reviewers who see this as a ripoff of Anne Rice (they only seem notably similar if you don’t read many vampire novels), though I agree that the author didn’t do herself any favors in this regard by naming the protagonist Arnault.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Like most of the more literary and Gothic vampire novels, this is a lengthy one, but well worth it for the immersion and sense of place made possible by all the text the novel allocates to establishing atmosphere and setting.
The story itself is a good one, part Horror, part Gothic vampire saga, and part Historical Fantasy. The decision to set this in mid-late 19th century Paris was an excellent choice, and the author really does justice to the location, culture, and history. The 1871 Siege of Paris is particularly well-used here.
My lone gripe with this (and unfortunately it’s a significant one) is that I really do not like books that repeatedly fixate on an intersection of sex and violence, especially when it’s romanticized. It’s an all too common issue in vampire novels, with way too many authors taking lore like the intoxicating effects of a vampire bite or the concept of a familiar or thrall and taking it too far for shock value and to titillate.
On a related note, I don’t agree with the many reviewers who see this as a ripoff of Anne Rice (they only seem notably similar if you don’t read many vampire novels), though I agree that the author didn’t do herself any favors in this regard by naming the protagonist Arnault.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 3, 2026
In 1869 Paris, a vampire clan preforms at a theater, feeding on their audience, until a witch and two vampires disrupt their way of life.
An interesting concept on vampiric life & how to sustain. I always enjoy listening to narrators who can prefor. Accents. The old Paris accents were spot on & added that atmospheric feel to the story. This audio 100% feels like a historical fiction but with a dark Gothic twist which I loved.
An interesting concept on vampiric life & how to sustain. I always enjoy listening to narrators who can prefor. Accents. The old Paris accents were spot on & added that atmospheric feel to the story. This audio 100% feels like a historical fiction but with a dark Gothic twist which I loved.
August 11, 2026
Savage and beautifully atmospheric.
August 2, 2026
i had high expectations for this book, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to them. i found it quite boring, and the lengthy descriptions often made me lose track of what was happening. as a result, the plot felt confusing and difficult to follow. i really wanted to enjoy it, but it just failed to keep me engaged.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I DNF'ed this about 50% of the way through.
Let's get the obvious out of the way, yes, this book is very blatantly inspired by Interview With The Vampire. I don't really mind that and I think the general premise of the book is great. In fact, I really enjoyed the first 1/3rd of The Red Sacrament. It serves as a pretty compelling look into this vampire theater troupe's daily unlife. Plus, Béatrice and Victor's introductions added some turmoil to the troupe's life and - more importantly - Arnault's life that promised some interesting storylines.
After that first 1/3rd however, the book really started to drag for me and I found myself only picking it up when I was forcing myself to do so in hopes something exciting would happen in the following pages. As someone who's not really a big theater kid, the endless descriptions of specific French plays, the individual roles, the set dressing, the production, rehearsals, etc. just ended up feeling like bloat getting in the way of more compelling character and story. Everyone in the troupe outside of Arnault feels, somewhat ironically, like set dressing in his life. They're there, give some texture and context, and maybe offer a tiny bit of spectacle every now and then, but I never really felt that they were interesting as people. I expected Béatrice to have a more forward role in the story, but she was very much WAY in the background in the portion that I read, which was a let down. The book ended up feeling more like a slice-of-life, which just isn't really what I'm looking for. I will say, I did enjoy Arnault and Victor's relationship and interactions. The prose is also quite beautiful.
If you're down with just peering into these vampires' messy lives and you're a big theater-head, this book will probably be fantastic for you. If you're looking for a gripping plot and something a bit more fast paced, this probably won't do it for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
Let's get the obvious out of the way, yes, this book is very blatantly inspired by Interview With The Vampire. I don't really mind that and I think the general premise of the book is great. In fact, I really enjoyed the first 1/3rd of The Red Sacrament. It serves as a pretty compelling look into this vampire theater troupe's daily unlife. Plus, Béatrice and Victor's introductions added some turmoil to the troupe's life and - more importantly - Arnault's life that promised some interesting storylines.
After that first 1/3rd however, the book really started to drag for me and I found myself only picking it up when I was forcing myself to do so in hopes something exciting would happen in the following pages. As someone who's not really a big theater kid, the endless descriptions of specific French plays, the individual roles, the set dressing, the production, rehearsals, etc. just ended up feeling like bloat getting in the way of more compelling character and story. Everyone in the troupe outside of Arnault feels, somewhat ironically, like set dressing in his life. They're there, give some texture and context, and maybe offer a tiny bit of spectacle every now and then, but I never really felt that they were interesting as people. I expected Béatrice to have a more forward role in the story, but she was very much WAY in the background in the portion that I read, which was a let down. The book ended up feeling more like a slice-of-life, which just isn't really what I'm looking for. I will say, I did enjoy Arnault and Victor's relationship and interactions. The prose is also quite beautiful.
If you're down with just peering into these vampires' messy lives and you're a big theater-head, this book will probably be fantastic for you. If you're looking for a gripping plot and something a bit more fast paced, this probably won't do it for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
August 1, 2026
This book will not be everyone’s cup of tea but it was mine. The writing is very flowery, full of imagery and metaphors. At times I had to go back and reread to figure out what the author was actually talking about.
The characters are interesting and the twists at the end had me glued to the page.
The characters are interesting and the twists at the end had me glued to the page.
August 20, 2026
Finally an answer to the most important question: are vampires the bourgeoise?
June 22, 2026
“She glances at this mirror, in mild curiosity. "You are long-lived, your kind?"
"Yes," he says, showing her to a chair.
"And yours?" "No. A moment ago I was pulled from the womb. In another moment I will be in the ground." A little smile lifts the corner of her mouth. "When you think of me next, even the worms who chewed through my flesh will be dead."”
The Red Sacrament is, without a doubt, one of the most well-written books I have had the pleasure of reading in my thirty-nine years of life, & I am simply not capable of producing a review that will do it justice.
Whilst the novel might seem at first like a fairly traditional take on the vampire myth, there are subtle distinctions marking Hinkley's creations. These vampires are at once behemoths—"the most fearsome thing in any given place"—& impotent creatures: they are confined to the darkness, their dirt-filled coffins hidden belowground, but whilst their bodies are not subject to the ravages of time, their minds are. What others may see as a curse, they see as a Sacrament, but it is one without consummation. They are more than men, but they are also less.
The pacing of the story is slow, but this enables you to properly savour Hinkley's decadent prose. Every line is brimming with meaning, the lifeless juxtaposed with the grotesquely visceral, or mundane experiences given a sense of holy ritual. A combination of language—Latin, Italian, French—as well as adding to the otherworldliness of the prose, serves to show the the age of the characters, their myriad histories, & the complexity of the setting: 19th century Paris gloriously rendered.
A fascinating, heartwrenching story that, despite the fact I’ve only just finished, I can’t wait to read again.
The Red Sacrament is out July 7th. Thank you so much to Sara Hinkley, Titan Books, & NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
"Yes," he says, showing her to a chair.
"And yours?" "No. A moment ago I was pulled from the womb. In another moment I will be in the ground." A little smile lifts the corner of her mouth. "When you think of me next, even the worms who chewed through my flesh will be dead."”
The Red Sacrament is, without a doubt, one of the most well-written books I have had the pleasure of reading in my thirty-nine years of life, & I am simply not capable of producing a review that will do it justice.
Whilst the novel might seem at first like a fairly traditional take on the vampire myth, there are subtle distinctions marking Hinkley's creations. These vampires are at once behemoths—"the most fearsome thing in any given place"—& impotent creatures: they are confined to the darkness, their dirt-filled coffins hidden belowground, but whilst their bodies are not subject to the ravages of time, their minds are. What others may see as a curse, they see as a Sacrament, but it is one without consummation. They are more than men, but they are also less.
The pacing of the story is slow, but this enables you to properly savour Hinkley's decadent prose. Every line is brimming with meaning, the lifeless juxtaposed with the grotesquely visceral, or mundane experiences given a sense of holy ritual. A combination of language—Latin, Italian, French—as well as adding to the otherworldliness of the prose, serves to show the the age of the characters, their myriad histories, & the complexity of the setting: 19th century Paris gloriously rendered.
A fascinating, heartwrenching story that, despite the fact I’ve only just finished, I can’t wait to read again.
The Red Sacrament is out July 7th. Thank you so much to Sara Hinkley, Titan Books, & NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2026
I really wanted to love this. I mostly listen to audio books now (and most of the time while cleaning or driving) because most of my reading time is spent on editing and press subs, and I had to go back so many times in this book because I would find my mind completely wandering.
Did Not Finish
July 13, 2026DNF @ 20%, I just.... don't care.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist
Three Words That Describe This Book: theatrical, confessional tone, lush
Interview with the Vampire fans rejoice. This is the book you have been longing for.
This is a debut set in Paris beginning in 1869. It is all narrated by Arnault, the leader of a clan of vampires who also run the most exclusive theater in Paris. You cannot buy a ticket. You must be given a black invite. All the performers are vampires. The "action" surrounds putting not he shows, how the vampires feed themselves, and the incursion by other vampires and a witch.
That is all I will give about the plot because you don't read this for the plot. You are reading it for the theatrical nature-- of the storytelling and the putting on plays. The plot is a slow burn, but the details of the setting and the characters and their interactions/relationships is why you read. It is everything about the plot you should know.
This story is atmospheric, detailed, and sensual. It reads like a play as well, brought to the reader in 5 Acts with some "inter-act" breaks which work very well. This is all the drama you would expect from a HUGE 5 Act opera.
Paris at a time where wealth is being accumulated and with it, power, the beginning of major industrialization which will change the city and its workers, it is all here. You can feel the tension, the huge change that is about to come for everyone, not just the vampires. And it seeps through the story.
Arnault carries the story. It is third person omniscient through him and the reader is invested. He is clearly going through it in this book and we are with him. But again, slow burn. I think saying it is for Interview with the Vampire fans makes that clear, but don't come to this book for fast paced, vampire action. The right readers will LOVE this book. I could see a BookTok thing happening here. We will see.
Obviously for fans of Interview with the Vampire by Rice but also the slow burn, lush details of time and place with a confessional tone is similar to The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
Also I thought of the faster paced but lush and theatrical Below the Grand Hotel by Cat Scully. This one also has to to with excess, power, and unaging, nonhuman performers.
Three Words That Describe This Book: theatrical, confessional tone, lush
Interview with the Vampire fans rejoice. This is the book you have been longing for.
This is a debut set in Paris beginning in 1869. It is all narrated by Arnault, the leader of a clan of vampires who also run the most exclusive theater in Paris. You cannot buy a ticket. You must be given a black invite. All the performers are vampires. The "action" surrounds putting not he shows, how the vampires feed themselves, and the incursion by other vampires and a witch.
That is all I will give about the plot because you don't read this for the plot. You are reading it for the theatrical nature-- of the storytelling and the putting on plays. The plot is a slow burn, but the details of the setting and the characters and their interactions/relationships is why you read. It is everything about the plot you should know.
This story is atmospheric, detailed, and sensual. It reads like a play as well, brought to the reader in 5 Acts with some "inter-act" breaks which work very well. This is all the drama you would expect from a HUGE 5 Act opera.
Paris at a time where wealth is being accumulated and with it, power, the beginning of major industrialization which will change the city and its workers, it is all here. You can feel the tension, the huge change that is about to come for everyone, not just the vampires. And it seeps through the story.
Arnault carries the story. It is third person omniscient through him and the reader is invested. He is clearly going through it in this book and we are with him. But again, slow burn. I think saying it is for Interview with the Vampire fans makes that clear, but don't come to this book for fast paced, vampire action. The right readers will LOVE this book. I could see a BookTok thing happening here. We will see.
Obviously for fans of Interview with the Vampire by Rice but also the slow burn, lush details of time and place with a confessional tone is similar to The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
Also I thought of the faster paced but lush and theatrical Below the Grand Hotel by Cat Scully. This one also has to to with excess, power, and unaging, nonhuman performers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5 stars
A slow-burn novel focusing on a troupe of vampires in Paris in 1870 as they conduct operas for the general public. When a new vampire duo arrives in the city, their fragile ecosystem is turned upside down.
This was a good read! It was very slow and more introspective than I expected, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. The writing was beautiful and florid and the characters were interesting. I loved learning about the lore of vampirism and Arnault's 500 year-old life and how the world has changed through his many centuries. The slow-burn ultimately pays off with a heart-wrenching ending that I loved.
Definitely recommend for fans of Interview with a Vampire and old French Operas (I'm sure there's someone out there that is super excited for those lol)
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an ARC! Releases 7th of July, 2026!
A slow-burn novel focusing on a troupe of vampires in Paris in 1870 as they conduct operas for the general public. When a new vampire duo arrives in the city, their fragile ecosystem is turned upside down.
This was a good read! It was very slow and more introspective than I expected, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. The writing was beautiful and florid and the characters were interesting. I loved learning about the lore of vampirism and Arnault's 500 year-old life and how the world has changed through his many centuries. The slow-burn ultimately pays off with a heart-wrenching ending that I loved.
Definitely recommend for fans of Interview with a Vampire and old French Operas (I'm sure there's someone out there that is super excited for those lol)
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an ARC! Releases 7th of July, 2026!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I read and fell in love with “Interview with the Vampire” as a precocious teen. This feels like a fanfic of that classic, and it was a letdown for me. I wanted something fresh with its own vision and direction, which isn’t what I got in “The Red Sacrament“.
The prose is atmospheric and at times beautiful, but comes across as extremely heavy-handed. The setting of the story (a Paris theater) is a lush backdrop for a book with vampires, and I enjoyed the plays they put on and the descriptions of the characters and visuals for them. On the flip side, the actual characters in the book are at times less substantial than those they act out on the stage.
In general I found the storyline itself not to be that enthralling, and I desperately wanted to skim pages. I think the author is wanting the tome (yes, it’s unnecessarily long) to be a modern historical epic, and overall the story is fairly cohesive, but I was just supremely bored.
I read and fell in love with “Interview with the Vampire” as a precocious teen. This feels like a fanfic of that classic, and it was a letdown for me. I wanted something fresh with its own vision and direction, which isn’t what I got in “The Red Sacrament“.
The prose is atmospheric and at times beautiful, but comes across as extremely heavy-handed. The setting of the story (a Paris theater) is a lush backdrop for a book with vampires, and I enjoyed the plays they put on and the descriptions of the characters and visuals for them. On the flip side, the actual characters in the book are at times less substantial than those they act out on the stage.
In general I found the storyline itself not to be that enthralling, and I desperately wanted to skim pages. I think the author is wanting the tome (yes, it’s unnecessarily long) to be a modern historical epic, and overall the story is fairly cohesive, but I was just supremely bored.
August 21, 2026
What an almighty waste of time. I was sympathetic to a novel clearly inspired by Anne Rice, and the obvious criticism and comparisons it would get for doing so. However, I can absolutely understand why it received so much negative discussion. This is a novel sold as a Theatre de Vampires, and sure, the first 200 pages is that. It's also the most boring, slog of theatrical rehearsals, watching Arnault doodle, and reading the French lyrics to operas. Was I meant to google translate all that I didnt understand? Would that have enriched this? The ensemble of other vampires was the most interesting part here, although there were only two or three vampires I could actively name and describe their personality. I'm also not even sure if the representation of women in this was just lazy or actively a bit problematic? It was as if the heard of the mother/maid/virgin/crone theory, and thought "right, that will do." Leopold was a great character, an obvious metaphor for dementia, and it was such a shame he wasn't used to the extent he could have been. I still don't really understand the plot with Francoise and Victor, even less understand with Beatrice. Why? Because the writing is so overly flowery and purple, that even simple sentences and scenes become and act of mental gymnastics. I am an avid reader, I read a lot and I love me some elevated prose, but honestly, what the hell was all of that? What an almighty waste of time. The biggest disapointment of all was that the book actually got interesting during the seige, and googling the history behind was so much more interesting than the entirety of this book. It's sold as a vampires/communism novel, and you need a magnifying glass to see any kind of astute commentary. I'm sorry to be so negative, but honestly........ if you're thinking of reading this because you like vampires, you like Anne Rice, you like discussions of politics and society, like theatre, or want a fun and interesting love triangle? Don't waste your time. None of it is done well. Hey ho. We live and we learn.
July 9, 2026
This book excels in beautiful prose and in the setting. It's a very atmospheric read, a French Gothic around the time of France's war with Prussia. There are rich scenes in a theatre, with song and dancing and acting. It's full of beautiful and disturbing descriptions that ground you in the time and place.
If you're looking for a book with this kind of dark prose, you'll likely enjoy this!
Where the book falls short is in the story. There isn't really a plot arc. There are things that happen, but it's not a traditional cause and event leading to a single climax. I could describe for you things that happen, but if you asked me what this is about, I'd struggle to explain the narrative. There are some interesting character relationships, but this isn't a book with a traditional happy ending, and the arc of the relationships doesn't feel satisfying.
I wouldn't say this is a series of vignettes, but nor would I say it's a traditional story arc. I struggled to connect with the characters and feel engaged with the story. I just tried to enjoy the well-written descriptions.
If you're looking for a book with this kind of dark prose, you'll likely enjoy this!
Where the book falls short is in the story. There isn't really a plot arc. There are things that happen, but it's not a traditional cause and event leading to a single climax. I could describe for you things that happen, but if you asked me what this is about, I'd struggle to explain the narrative. There are some interesting character relationships, but this isn't a book with a traditional happy ending, and the arc of the relationships doesn't feel satisfying.
I wouldn't say this is a series of vignettes, but nor would I say it's a traditional story arc. I struggled to connect with the characters and feel engaged with the story. I just tried to enjoy the well-written descriptions.
Currently Reading
August 15, 2026Parallel to the bleeding heart liberal, I think there now exists in enough numbers in the anglo world something called the bleeding heart communist. Where the liberal is attuned to immense, individual, personal suffering, as commonly found in dissident lit for example, the communist finds her heart rending especially in response to depictions of institutional failure and collapse. It doesn't necessarily have to do with political commitments so much as finding left melancholy emotionally compelling: either one slips into variants of Ostalgie with the ease of putting on a well-worn hair shirt, or one doesn't.
For instance, after finishing the free goodreads linked preview of The Red Sacrement, I read up to this section of a Bomb Magazine interview with the author and started tearing up:
I immediately thought of Lenin dancing in the snow because the Bolshevik government had outlasted the Paris Commune. There are people in this world who, upon learning about Norm Finkelstein not being able to get out of bed for two weeks after the Gang of Four had been arrested, did not go Geez what a weirdo, but That coulda been me. I am of course the latter.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this book.
For instance, after finishing the free goodreads linked preview of The Red Sacrement, I read up to this section of a Bomb Magazine interview with the author and started tearing up:
NA: France goes to war with Prussia midway through the novel, and then people are starving. Paris is under siege, and it’s a horrible winter. And then the war ends, the rich return, and plus ça change. These are the conditions for the Paris Commune.
SH: Working people, especially working women of the city, began to make demands about their lives and their work: self-government, expropriation of hoarded wealth, education for women and for children. They rose up against the state—and what we learn from the repression of the Commune and the semaine sanglante is that the state will strike back with extraordinary savagery. We’re encouraged to think of the nineteenth century as a stately or chivalric time, but the French state took brutal measures to not only end the uprising but to punish its architects, and participants, and anybody who happened to get in the way or look like an agitator. Working-class women in particular were subjected to extreme violence. I knew this would be the climax, this violence and convulsion as the site of the birth of the modern. This is an era that an ancient relic like Arnault really struggles to understand, or withstand, or even participate in. The medieval eye can’t come to grips with massacre by machine gun.
I immediately thought of Lenin dancing in the snow because the Bolshevik government had outlasted the Paris Commune. There are people in this world who, upon learning about Norm Finkelstein not being able to get out of bed for two weeks after the Gang of Four had been arrested, did not go Geez what a weirdo, but That coulda been me. I am of course the latter.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this book.
August 11, 2026
Anything I want to say will be a huge spoiler so I will just say that I loved this so much. Beautiful gorgeous writing, unbelievable characterization and ambiance. I wish it was twice as long so I wouldn't have to leave Paris so soon.
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