Scarlet

One of the books I was most excited for this year is Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman. It’s the first in her Scarlet Revolution trilogy, a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. This novel has 1790s France (vive la révolution!), secret missions, vampires, and adventure—perfect if you want a fast-paced historical fantasy to sink your teeth into.

Review

Scarlet is the first in a new trilogy, a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, set during the French Revolution but updated to include vampires. Prior to reading this, I was not familiar with The Scarlet Pimpernel. However, I did review its Wikipedia page to understand the gist of the story and who the characters are. Even with my limited knowledge, I thoroughly enjoyed Scarlet (though some references to the original story may have gone over my head).

The book starts off in England in 1793. Eleanor Dalton is a maid at the estate of a wealthy vampire. But unbeknownst to her, Eleanor bears a striking resemblance to someone quite famous in France: the queen herself, Marie Antoinette. And when the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel and his League find out about Eleanor, they intend to have her join their forces for a special mission to rescue Marie Antoinette and her children before her beheading. All Eleanor has to do is impersonate the queen.

Early on, I enjoyed the lessons Eleanor had to undertake to be able to convince anyone she’s the queen of France. She may be way in over her head, but she has pluck and grit enough to make this work. Then she and a few members of the League go to France to enact their rescue mission, and things go in some surprising directions. Through it all, I loved seeing how Eleanor navigated unexpected circumstances and relationships with friends and foes alike.

A major theme in Scarlet is, of course, the politics of Revolution-era France. Were the elite and monarchy as bad as the working class people claimed? Was revolution justified… especially the aspects of violence and death? Were the (fictional!) Scarlet Pimpernel and his League doing the right thing in rescuing wealthy French people from certain death? Here, it’s not just a matter of class and power; vampires are thrown into the mix, making for some interesting analogies. Over the course of this mission, Eleanor must decide what she actually believes and determine what actions are right.

In addition to the action-packed mission, politics, and fantastical elements of vampires, Scarlet also hints at a potential romance between Eleanor and one among the League. As a hopeless romantic, I’m eager to see if that relationship will develop in the next two books of the series.

Final Thoughts

Scarlet is a smart, fast-paced, and engrossing novel. If you’re interested in the French Revolution, vampires, and unlikely heroes rising to the task, this is a great historical fantasy to dive into. This is the first in Genevieve Cogman’s Scarlet Revolution series, and I can hardly wait to continue it. The next book, Elusive, is due out in the UK in spring 2024; hopefully a US release date will follow soon after.

Get the Book

You can buy Scarlet here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
Series	Scarlet Revolution (#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Fantasy; Historical Fiction
Setting	France; England
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Paperback
Original Publication Date	May 9, 2023
Publisher	Ace

Official Summary

Revolution is a bloodthirsty business . . . especially when vampires are involved.

It is 1793 and the French Revolution is in full swing. Vampires—usually rich and aristocratic—have slaked the guillotine’s thirst in large numbers. The mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, a disguised British noble, and his League are heroically rescuing dozens of aristocrats from execution, both human and vampire. And soon they will have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor Dalton.

Eleanor is working as a housemaid on the estate of a vampire Baroness. Her highest aspiration is to one day become a modiste. But when the Baroness hosts a mysterious noble and his wife, they tell Eleanor she is the spitting image of a French aristocrat, and they convince her to journey to France to aid them in a daring scheme. Soon, Eleanor finds herself in Paris, swept up in magic and intrigue—and chaos—beyond her wildest dreams. 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 a wildly engaging new series from Genevieve Cogman, which reinvents the beloved tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel.