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!