Scarlet, by Genevieve Cogman - Jasmin, Shannon & Joe
Macmillan were feeling particularly generous one day a few months ago, because they posted us not just one, but three copies of Genevieve’s new historical fantasy novel, Scarlet! Naturally, all of them were snapped up before we could blink, and here we are, days away from publication day with ample reviews on the book. Joe, Shannon, and Jasmin have a lot to say about this thrilling new book, so let’s take a look at their thoughts…
Joe describes Scarlet as an imaginative, thrilling retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel with the addition of everyone's favourite blood-sucking undead creatures, vampires for good measure. Shannon built on this: “I found the idea of incorporating the French Revolution with Vampires a little strange but ultimately, I was intrigued. Upon reading this novel, I was happy to see that the story lived up to the intrigue.”
Jasmin perfectly summarises the plot as following Eleanor, a servant to an English Vampire, who has the resemblance of Marie Antoinette - recently imprisoned, widowed, and ripped from her children in the heat of the French Revolution. Eleanor is taken in by the mysterious League of the Scarlet Pimpernal, whose main aim is to rescue and protect the aristocracy being imprisoned in France. With kidnappings, attacks, and a mysterious ghost that finds themselves stuck with Eleanor, we delve into the myriad of politics in France at the time, and how the revolution could affect the changes to English law.
While Jasmin describes Scarlet as an easy read which hooked her from the beginning, Shannon disagrees: “I found it hard to get into initially. The writing style was hard to grasp, being vastly different to the novels I am used to reading. Though I really enjoyed the descriptive nature of the writing, which made for an immersive read, capturing me as a reader.” Joe is an avid fantasy reader, however, and found that Cogman finds an enjoyable pace of writing. “It provides enough detail to immerse you in the alternate history without detracting from the story's momentum and beats; never providing the protagonists too much respite from the threats - both supernatural and human - that they face.”
Everyone is in agreement by the end of the book, though… “As the story moves on and we make our way to the penultimate chapters, the pace and plot really pick up and made this book one that was difficult to put down,” says Shannon.
What of the story world and the possibility of further books in the series, though? Jasmin says that by looking at the delicacy of how both the aristocracy and the poor in France were treated during the Revolution, it is unclear whether the disregarded Royal Family or the current Committee of the People are the ones to blame, which leaves room for further exploration in the next two books of the trilogy.
Joe is hoping for a little more detail in the next books though! “Arguably, more could have been explored in the themes of class conflict and prejudice that come with the setting (both are briefly touched on without much depth), though this would run a risk of disrupting the pacing of the book. I'll certainly be looking forward to where Cogman takes this setting next if she chooses to continue this series.”
Looks like we’re three for three, and everyone eagerly awaits the sequel! Shannon says she looks forward to seeing where the story goes next, since the ending alluded to another book.
Overall, it seems we have a strong piece of historical fantasy here, which according to Jasmin, would be perfect for readers who love Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or The Guilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. Fantastic!
