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A review by justgeekingby
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
I’ve had Genevieve Cogman on my TBR for years and haven’t been able to get my hands on a copy of her The Invisible Library series. So when an opportunity to read her new book came along, a The Scarlet Pimpernel retelling with vampires, I couldn’t say no!
Scarlet is the type of book that was either going to be amazing or fail miserably, and thankfully it’s as brilliant as it sounds. It follows the story of Eleanor, a young servant in a vampire’s household. One day she’s given the opportunity to serve drinks to her mistress’ guests. It should be just another day in the life of a maid, but what Eleanor doesn’t know is that her life is about to change forever. The guests are in fact Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife Lady Marguerite Blakeney, and they need Eleanor to help them save vampires in facing the guillotine in France.
Whisked away to the Blakeney’s estate, Eleanor finds herself in a very different world to the one she’s known before. She learns new skills, and is treated like an equal rather than a servant. All she has to do is help the Blakeney’s and their friends with a mission to France, a mission only she can help with because she looks like a noble woman they want to save. Once they’re sure of Eleanor’s commitment to their cause they reveal to her that it isn’t a noble woman that she resembles, it’s the Queen of France – the infamous Marie Antoinette. Despite the danger Eleanor’s resolve doesn’t waver; it’s not just the Queen that’s at risk, it’s her two children. If Eleanor can help save lives then she’s going to do everything she can to help.
In Scarlet Cogman showcases her skills as an established writer by deftly combining the supernatural with historical events, while being sensitive to the unrest that fuelled The French Revolution. As Eleanor learns all about what is happening in France, first from her tutor Charles and later first hand in Paris so do we. Cogman does well to avoid information dumping, weaving the information into interesting scenes that show character growth. I learned far more about The French Revolution reading this book than I ever did whilst reading a history book, and with the wide variety of characters it was an unbiased view. Normally The Scarlet Pimpernel is very biased towards nobility but with a former maid as the main character we’re offered a much-needed fresh perspective.
Fast-paced with adventure at every turn, Scarlet is an enjoyable read with charming characters. Despite the pace of the book Eleanor’s journey from a simple maid to a spy did not feel unrealistic, and she grew well into her new position by the end of the book. I absolutely loved Lady Blakeney and hope we see more of her in the next one.
I’m not quite sure why this wasn’t a five-star read for me. When rating a book I question how the book made me feel in comparison to other books I’ve rated five stars, and there was just something missing with Scarlet that didn’t quite compare. I think it might just be that this was book one and while it was great to witness Eleanor’s growth we’re left at the end of the book on the precipice of what could be. I’m interested in seeing what happens next now that Eleanor is in a very different position than what she was at the start of the book. That isn’t a complaint about Scarlet, or Cogman’s writing; we needed to see Eleanor’s journey, we needed to be there with her on it and the next book is going to be all the better for it. The scene is set for book two, and I can’t wait to see what’s install for Eleanor and her friends next!
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Content warnings:
Spoiler
This book contains scenes of violence, public executions, death, blood-letting, forced servitude, and attempted kidnapping. There is a scene where a female character is chased through a house as a male vampire hunts her. There are ongoing themes of misogyny, classism, and prejudice throughout the book.I’ve had Genevieve Cogman on my TBR for years and haven’t been able to get my hands on a copy of her The Invisible Library series. So when an opportunity to read her new book came along, a The Scarlet Pimpernel retelling with vampires, I couldn’t say no!
Scarlet is the type of book that was either going to be amazing or fail miserably, and thankfully it’s as brilliant as it sounds. It follows the story of Eleanor, a young servant in a vampire’s household. One day she’s given the opportunity to serve drinks to her mistress’ guests. It should be just another day in the life of a maid, but what Eleanor doesn’t know is that her life is about to change forever. The guests are in fact Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife Lady Marguerite Blakeney, and they need Eleanor to help them save vampires in facing the guillotine in France.
Whisked away to the Blakeney’s estate, Eleanor finds herself in a very different world to the one she’s known before. She learns new skills, and is treated like an equal rather than a servant. All she has to do is help the Blakeney’s and their friends with a mission to France, a mission only she can help with because she looks like a noble woman they want to save. Once they’re sure of Eleanor’s commitment to their cause they reveal to her that it isn’t a noble woman that she resembles, it’s the Queen of France – the infamous Marie Antoinette. Despite the danger Eleanor’s resolve doesn’t waver; it’s not just the Queen that’s at risk, it’s her two children. If Eleanor can help save lives then she’s going to do everything she can to help.
In Scarlet Cogman showcases her skills as an established writer by deftly combining the supernatural with historical events, while being sensitive to the unrest that fuelled The French Revolution. As Eleanor learns all about what is happening in France, first from her tutor Charles and later first hand in Paris so do we. Cogman does well to avoid information dumping, weaving the information into interesting scenes that show character growth. I learned far more about The French Revolution reading this book than I ever did whilst reading a history book, and with the wide variety of characters it was an unbiased view. Normally The Scarlet Pimpernel is very biased towards nobility but with a former maid as the main character we’re offered a much-needed fresh perspective.
Fast-paced with adventure at every turn, Scarlet is an enjoyable read with charming characters. Despite the pace of the book Eleanor’s journey from a simple maid to a spy did not feel unrealistic, and she grew well into her new position by the end of the book. I absolutely loved Lady Blakeney and hope we see more of her in the next one.
I’m not quite sure why this wasn’t a five-star read for me. When rating a book I question how the book made me feel in comparison to other books I’ve rated five stars, and there was just something missing with Scarlet that didn’t quite compare. I think it might just be that this was book one and while it was great to witness Eleanor’s growth we’re left at the end of the book on the precipice of what could be. I’m interested in seeing what happens next now that Eleanor is in a very different position than what she was at the start of the book. That isn’t a complaint about Scarlet, or Cogman’s writing; we needed to see Eleanor’s journey, we needed to be there with her on it and the next book is going to be all the better for it. The scene is set for book two, and I can’t wait to see what’s install for Eleanor and her friends next!