About the Book

Revolution’s a bloodthirsty business . . . Scarlet is a thrilling reinvention of the tale of The Scarlet Pimpernel with the addition of magic and even more mayhem.

Revolutionary France is no place to be, especially for aristocrat vampires facing the guillotine. But the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are determined to rescue them. And they have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor, a lowly maid from an English estate with a striking resemblance to French royalty.

For Eleanor, the League and their legendary deeds are little more than rumour – until she’s drawn into their most dangerous plot yet. The mission? Travel to France in disguise, impersonate Queen Marie Antoinette and rescue the royal family. If they succeed, it’ll be the heist of the century.

But there’s more to fear than ardent Revolutionaries. For Eleanor stumbles across a centuries-old war between vampires and their fiercest enemy. And they’re out for blood . . .

Scarlet is the first book in the Scarlet Revolution trilogy, set during the turbulent French Revolution, and featuring all of Genevieve Cogman’s trademark wit and fast-paced plotting. It’s perfect for fans of The Invisible Library series, Kim Newman and Gail Carriger.

(From https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/genevieve-cogman/scarlet/9781529083729)

About the Author

Genevieve Cogman started on Tolkien and Sherlock Holmes at an early age, and has never looked back. But on a perhaps more prosaic note, she has an MSc in Statistics with Medical Applications and has wielded this in an assortment of jobs: clinical coder, data analyst and classifications specialist. Although The Invisible Library is her debut novel, she has also previously worked as a freelance roleplaying game writer. She is also the author of The Masked City and The Burning Page, both in The Invisible Library series. Genevieve Cogman’s hobbies include patchwork, beading, knitting and gaming, and she lives in the north of England.

(From https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/genevieve-cogman/6979)

What I Thought

I’m sure I’ve seen a Scarlet Pimpernel film at some point but can’t really remember much about the plot so I did go in to this book with a pretty open mind having been hard sold by the addition of vampires. I am now affectionately thinking of this as The Marie Antoinette Switch meets Interview with a Vampire meets Six of Crows.

In essence this first book of the trilogy is a heist story where a lowly English maid gets dragged into a plot to save Marie and her children from the revolutionaries.

Eleanor as a character is immediately relatable and despite the uncertainty we may feel as the reader in knowing whose side we are meant to be on we definitely know that we want to see Eleanor safely through this.

The English Aristocrats in the League are a mix of foppish personalities and a rag tag bunch but there are a number of points that as the reader we are left questioning if what they are doing is truly right. But equally the revolutionaries are chopping people’s heads off left right and centre. Including those of vampires.

Eleanor has been living in the home of an English Vampire and her view of what vampires are has been understandably swayed by her own experience. But are they as honourable as Lady Sophie has seemed to be. Her journey into France has her questioning everything she has ever known.

Vampires are just an accepted part of this world which otherwise reflects what things were like at the time of Revolutionary France so I was a bit surprised by the addition of some extra supernatural magic which definitely plays a part in this book but will definitely have more prominence as the story develops across the trilogy.

I do think lots of seeds have been sewn in this book that means the role of Vampires and 🤐 will take centre stage as we enter book two. I’m intrigued about how the League will fit into this wider world view and excited to see more badass women spies.

Thanks to Black Crow PR and the publisher TOR UK for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own. Check out the rest of the tour stops to see other people’s views.