(This post contains affiliate links marked with * and book widgets. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Full disclaimer on the bottom of the page.) (Also, no AI has been used for any part of this website including the text or images! I do not read nor accept books written, edited or designed including the cover art by AI)
How Are We Doing?
The uncorrected bound proof copy was kindly sent to me by Titan Books.
How are we beautiful people? How are we doing? I hope all of you who are reading this are fine and having an amazing day. If not, as my favourite book tuber @vanishamarie says “that’s fine as well”, and I have to agree. We can’t always have amazing and happy days. The Sun is not always shining and if it does it might overdo it. Dear climate change I’m looking at you.
Rumblings aside, I finished the beast, The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley*. I say beast because it has 501 pages and it was not a quick journey for me, but I enjoyed every single chapter and wrote the most notes ever into my run-down little Rolling Stones themed Clairefontaine notebook. (Horrible for pens and fountain pens but fortunately, I love pencils so that’s what I used for etching my ‘highly sophisticated’ thoughts down.)
Little Background Story
I read Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire* when I was roughly eighteen years old. My best friend lent it to me. I had to read it since she absolutely loved it, she still does love it by the way. I think it influenced her style of prose a lot because she writes beautifully in Hungarian. Anyway, so I got it from her. I sat down and I started to read it and I couldn’t finish it. I especially remember that there was a scene about architecture, no not a scene, like a description about old New Orleans houses (if I’m correct Anne Rice herself had a house like that or multiple), and for pages and pages I had to read about architecture, wood and walls and stairs and pillars and I gave up. I just couldn’t. Plus… plus! I absolutely couldn’t stand Louis. So I DNF-d it. I know. I know. Bad.
Fast forward to today, my 36 years old self would read the living beating, bloody heart out of it. Give me all your details about architecture, history, culture or any niche nerd tsunami of information about your favourite subject. Give it to me all. I’m yours and you are mine, welcome to the Universe of the Neurodivergent.
All of this just to say that I loved and adored all the detail about theatre and plays in The Red Sacrament, and I couldn’t wait for the little verses that were interspersed (in their original language, glory to Sara Hinkley) throughout the novel. I can also understand that some readers might not feel it or being even angry a little bit about it, but when you enjoy it, it elevates the work to be something truly special.
General Info, Tidbits, About the Author and the Novel
Author
The Red Sacrament was written by Sara Hinkley. This is her debut novel, which is absolutely unbelievable. Honestly, when I find an amazing author like her I always think ‘If I could just write half as good as her, I would happily go on a shopping spree to choose my parcel to lie down for the rest of infinity. (Or to be sent to space but we are not ready for that conversation yet.)
Sara Hinkley is a costume designer, she worked in many TV plays like Law and Order or Crashing and she will be working on Apple’s new series The Off Weeks (Apple is doing reallllllly good these past years). She also worked on countless theatre plays like Grease, Peter Pan, Oklahoma ! (did you thought about Euphoria just now? I did.) and Goldilocks. There are much more than what I listed here, it’s worth to jump on her website to have a look.
So as a costume designer she has huge insight into everything that has to do with the world of acting especially, focusing on theatre, plays and opera. This knowledge is embedded into the characters and the world that Sara Hinkley has kindly shared with us.
The Novel
- Pages: 512
- Genre: Horror (to me it felt like a beautiful marriage between gothic historical fiction, horror and psychological thriller)
- Pace: I would say slow to medium pace, it is definitely not dragging or being rushed
- Place and Time/Era: Late 1800s, 1869 to be precise, Paris, France.
- Plot: Mix of character and plot driven narrative, with emphasis on characters
- Tags: Vampires, Theatre, Witchcraft, Folklore, Raw, Beautiful prose, Satiric,
- Publisher: Titan Books (UK) huge shout-out to them for the uncorrected bound proof copy that they have very kindly sent to me. It had in the beginning a full list of all the characters and it was super helpful when I was writing my notes up.
Short Synopsis - No spoilers
The Théâtre Saint-Siméon stands and operates in Paris. It’s 1869 and pieces of black paper, special exclusive tickets are being handed secretly between people. The troupe is getting ready for the main event for the night. Fifteen undead actors are waiting for their turn to put on a spectacle an unforgettable show to the not-knowing audience. Whoever decides to linger, might end up missing more than just a finger.
Arnault, our main companion is not just the director but also the dear papa to the cast members. As one of the oldest vampire, he gave his blood over the years to gather his found family and co-workers (maybe not the best combo), and carry on ‘living’ and guiding them through turbulent times and peaceful years.
One day an unusual guest visits the troupe. Béatrice, the witch who came to say hello without being invited. Arnault is having a little meltdown after the meeting to just stumble upon a brother-sister vampire duo who are coming from a completely different part of the world. We don’t know anything about them, apart from the fact that they have a lot of money and they seem to be very mysterious.
Arnault finds himself encapsulated between his troupe who needs his guiding hand and everlasting presence, Beatrice the wild, fever-like force of nature and the beautiful Victor the brother, who just appeared in his life with his sister, François.
At the same time historically, we are approaching Revolution, War, Hunger and Hopelessness.
Will Arnault be able to navigate through all this?
The Prose and Motifs - Spoilers starts from here
The Prose
The prose is beautiful and well-crafted, it positions you back in time straight away as you read the lines. Sara Hinkley masterfully uses all senses to give a full experience what it is to see, hear, smell and feel to be in Paris in 1869. Then, putting it up a notch with her expressions of what it feels to be a vampire. The almost neurodivergent ultra-heightened sensation of smell was one of the most prominent aspects of the novel that lingered with me, even after I finished reading.
The Red Sacrament actually made me think for the first time, or more to realise why vampires are so being depicted so overly sensual in all the literature that I know. (Especially, Anna Rice.) Because of their super heightened senses. They smell every single thing from the food you ate, to the smell of your clothes to the dirt under your nails. It’s violent and unmissable. Plus, they hear your blood being pumped around your body, which is to them an ice cream commercial. They are being bombarded by all these bodily senses and there is nothing they can do about it as it is not something they can switch off.
The Motifs
Worms and maggots were used as a recurring motif throughout the novel. To me they symbolised not just death and decomposition but impotence and a sort of paralysis, as to being stuck between two fundamental stages of being. Time is also being depicted as a “curl of a worm”, which can be associated with simply life. Let it be Arnault’s vampire life or Béatrice’s human life expectancy.
On time: There are beautiful descriptions about the passage of time through the eyes of a being who has been alive for more than half a millennia. Not knowing anymore if something happened yesterday or twenty years ago because both of these occurrences feel exactly the same to him. At the same time, unable to adjust to the quick rapidness of it. The sounds, the lights, the people as they appear to be louder and brighter, almost giving this projection of a spinning top.
Another recurring image was that even though the vampires are dead, cold, white, marble-like scentless creatures, they are not statues. And I especially loved this, because it is so true. They do feel, what’s more, they feel on a heightened level because their senses are over-tuned. Therefore, they feel hunger, sadness and all the melancholic negative emotions on a spectrum more and deeper than the living. They are very vulnerable in a sense, that they almost panically are afraid of rejection, loneliness, poverty and homelessness. On the other hand, the only time I felt like they were truly alive, was when they were performing. They all met death in all the ways imaginable through their long life, so they are not stranger to its notion and physiognomy. Even like that when Arnault saw what bombs, shells are able to do to a human body he thinks he would be unable to paint that. Ever.
Flower/heart pressed under glass was another motif that jumped out to me. Beauty and torture, confinement and preservation. So many layers to it.
Oh and the teeth. My god. I would put this as a triggering point for readers. I am very bad with any kind of teeth in books or anywhere. I’m just not good with it, so it was painful when I had to read about it, also made it super impactful on me, exactly because of this. The vampire teeth is a main focus point, but in The Red Sacrament it was interesting to see that Arnault human teeth were in the spotlight instead of his vampire canines.
Characters
Arnault and 'Side Characters'
As much as I hate Louis, I think I made up through my love for Arnault. He is the main character but not necessarily the narrator. Most of the time we see through his eyes and we feel and think what he feels and thinks about, but there are many side characters throughout the novel that we get an insight into. All those short chapters, we get to know about an absolutely regular, general human being who has her/his problems in life, people that they know and love and care about. And then, getting killed at the end of that same chapter. Sniffed out like they never existed.
I think it is beautiful that Sara Hinkley incorporated these chapters, because to me what it signals is that the victims are just as important as the main characters here. Maybe I overthink it, but it felt like this to me.
Arnault was an interesting mix of personality traits. He was a gentle leader, a dear papa to his troupe at the same time, easily swayed by other people. Maybe since in his past he was a humble, kind-hearted young man of the church, he was inherently neither aggressive nor overly lustful. Overall, he has a nice personality therefore, he can be easily exploited because of his humbleness. A people pleaser in a way and in our unforgiven, harsh world that is not necessarily the best way to be. Also, he was not complaining at all or if he did, not in an annoying way so that was a huge plus from me.
His love for painting, as this was his profession from a long time ago, was one of the most beautiful and peaceful part of the novel. He knows everything about every painting technique, the colours and the process so much so that he calls his home a place which is permanently ‘up the ladder’. I felt for him any time when he just wanted to run away from everyone and everything and find solitude in painting and creating.
Béatrice and the Girls
My favourite character was Béatrice, hands down. But I loved Berthe and although we never actually met her I was so intrigued by Osanne and Ragonde. I would love to read their story with Léopold. This is the other very exciting aspect of the novel, that it can easily be a one-off, closed story or it can be at least one more book where we get to know about other vampires either in the past, or in the future. Or both.
I think I loved these women not just because personality-wise I could relate to them the most, but because they brought in a very vulnerable but strong side to what it is to be a a grown woman, adult vampire. It is much more emotionally complex and less romantic in Sara Hinkley’s novel than a general reader might would expect, and I appreciated that. Plus they were tough, calm and super cool.
Béatrice and her magic that she brought in to The Red Sacrament was so riveting because she didn’t just introduced witchery and witchcraft into the world of vampires, but she did it in a way that was ancient. That is so much more connected to nature without being obvious; whether this knowledge is being fundamentally right or more on the dark, malicious side. It was raw as raw something can be. I am a great admirer of the depiction of ancient witchcraft in literature, and I mostly think this is thanks to the fact that I read Bernard Cornwell* way too young when I was still in elementary school. And let me tell you when he wrote about witches that was tough to read, that was purely just blood and dirt and sweat & tears so it definitely shaped me as a young reader.
Her way of fighting, meeting Arnault in his dreams and her ability to see the future: hot sea (climate change?), gave another spectrum of colours to the novel. It felt like a completely different world altogether, which I really liked.
One of my favourite parts of the book was when Arnault was trying to conduct his research on witches. He asked for a tons of books on witchcraft and there were some unhinged lore in there. (Dicktree). The communion wafer… girl, I threw it up on my first communion. (I should write about this as a Weekly Flash Writing.) The sarcasm how even Arnault just gave up and realised that whatever these people wrote up ‘as scientific knowledge’ is nothing more than nonsense at best and hogwash at worst, was very satisfying to read.
Also, about characters I have to add, that I’m very bad at keeping track of lot of characters. When I write I barely use more than three or four characters, because it is just so hard to know where they are and what they are doing. Plus making sure that each of my characters are having a fully fleshed or at least dipped-the-toe-in level of personality of their own. Sara Hinkley gave me a guiding post with gently hinting little character traits beside each of her character. So when the next time I saw their name I could remember that ‘oh she is the diva’ or ‘oh he is the flamboyant, or the strong cursing one’. It helped a lot. And the troupe is big so hats off to her.
Reading Experience
I read quite slowly this year and I don’t know if I’m happy about it or not, but a part of me enjoys deep diving and writing more notes on the side rather than just zooming through books. Hence, when I decide to read a heftier novel, like The Red Sacrament I am so happy when I see that the book is structured into short easily readable chapters. So much easier for readers like me. I can just go through a chapter with my trusty pencil underline everything and anything that interests me. Then, when I finish the chapter I can just go back and read it again and write my notes to my heart’s content.
There are so many aspects of this novel, themes and subjects that I could go into. Like the fact that Sara Hinkley’s vampires absolutely disgusted by food, but they find dawn and sunshine beautiful but inaccessible. How even though they are supposed to live a secret life, a part of society clearly knows what they are, and what is their main source of food. Which brings us to one of my favourite part: Béatrice constantly holding him accountable for the lives he is taking just to satiate his hunger.
The social commentaries about Paris, the harshness of trying to live while there is hunger and poverty. Or that even though everyone dies not every death is the same. Some people get tossed to the ditch without anyone to care about their passing and some people’s death brings law and newspapers and the attention of the whole city.
Or how Arnault’s vampire father, Léopold has started to suffer from a form of ‘vampire dementia’ or just regular dementia even though he is immortal. How even though vampires were always portrayed as something inherently close to the devil, neither Arnault nor Léopold has anything to do with that from their point of view. What’s more Léopold constantly mentions to Arnault to listen to God and his teachings. I’ve found this refreshing and also again, just make so much sense if i were to imagine vampires exist.
There is also the mystery and thriller aspect of the plot, which had me guessing all along and even though at some point, roughly at half way, I had a feeling who is the culprit I was not expecting to end it the way it did.
All Is To Say...
The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley hopped on to my top 10 favourite books of the year, without a doubt. It was not just the plot or the prose or the characters that made it such a positive reading experience, but the sheer amount of details that I could write about in my notes. Mind you, I’m not the biggest note or marginalia taker and even like that I couldn’t stop myself from writing out quotes, thinking about motives, history and opera. I’m pretty sure I would’ve been so much more confused if I don’t document my thoughts and the main plot. That’s a me thing though.
I have to agree with the folks at titanbooks, if you love Anne Rice’s work you will appreciate Sara Hinkley’s novel too. This being said, I also think that she is already has her own aura and her own world to share with us, so I’m all here for it. I have a few authors that are auto-read for me. Like A.K. Blakemore*, Nell Stevens*, Yiyun Li* and Bora Chung* just to mention a few. Sara Hinkley is there with them, in a happy group in my head hyping me up to read more books.
Perfect novel for Summerween or Anydayween because you can read horror and gothic historical fiction any day of the year. I know. A shocker.
I’m so happy that this novel found me.
Sometimes I wonder if it still worth it to write long book reviews, when the algorithm and just our way of life in general is fanning us towards the short and quick content. But I have to say that it is worth every pound that I put into my website, because I can read books and get to know amazing authors that otherwise probably would’ve never came my way. Sara Hinkley and the Red Sacrament is one of these special books.
What's next:
A review about The Book of Damascus* edited by Zaher Omareen. Kindly sent by Comma Press.
A short but hard read. It helped me to see Damascus through the lens of the people who live and lived there.
After this, I’m taking a break from harder books for a while. Event Horizon* and The Book of Damascus were just read too close to each other and I need something lighter.
I am also putting new lists up to my virtual bookshop, could be interesting for someone who are looking for new books or just for general recommendations.
And I have a lot of ideas about what to write for the upcoming weeks, months even. Keep your eyes peeled for the main page, as the current reads are always changing, and I always have some cool info there.
I have also made a little Throne Wishlist as an alternative way of supporting this website. Any gifted book will be reviewed and will have a shout out, unless the person who gifts it choose to be anonymous.
ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN
If you like my work please consider supporting my page by buying me a cup of coffee or buying a book through my affiliate links. I also have a bookshop.org UK where you can find even more books I recommend. It would mean a tremendous lot because this way I can make sure that I can keep my website safe, up and running. I am posting new reviews every weekend. Alternatively, if you wish to gift a book rather than any of the above, check out my Throne Wishlist, where I collect all the books that I would love to read.
For more pictures follow me on insta @nolitethoughts and for emerging thoughts follow me on threads For collabs and future reviews just fill out a contact form, which can be found here.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org* I will earn a commission if you click through the affiliate links or book widgets posted on this website and make a purchase. At no extra cost to you. The prices may differ depending on the area where you purchase.
This being said most of the books I post you can find also at your local bookstore or at your library, I just like to give a convenient option as well for anyone who decides to support my work.
Discover more from NOLITETHOUGHTS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.