TESSA TALKS BOOKS

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman is a suspense-filled historical fantasy that picks up (I think) where the original The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy leaves off, plus gives the story a paranormal twist. Vampires live in this twisted world and live happily among humans; as a matter of fact, they are fully integrated into society.  

My Reading Experience:

I just loved so many things about this story. I’m almost at a loss as to where to begin. There is so much to unpack.

First, the plot versus the true history of the Revolution is done extraordinarily well. Cogman takes an honest and thoughtful look at the Revolution and its benefits and fallacies. I appreciated that the main character, Eleanor, questioned ideas as she was introduced to them and how that led to a thoroughly thought-out historical plot.

There’s magic in this story which was very unexpected and very mysterious. I’m completely intrigued by this aspect of the book’s world and hope it is explored in other books. A mage is introduced briefly, and she can perform some nature-based magic. I do love a magical system in a fantasy!

The vampires in this world hold to the tradition of needing human blood. Still, everything else about them is very different than in other vampire stories. They have fully integrated into a world of humans living side-by-side in companionability. To get the human blood that they need, servants of the vampire are required to allow a bloodletting of sorts in the kitchen into a cup once a day. It’s very surgical and causes no risk to the human. And mostly vampires live their lives as close to their human counterparts as possible. There are also some cruel vampires, which is part of the later suspense and thrills.

Characters:

Eleanor has been a servant in the household of the Baroness of Basing, a vampire, since she was very young. Unbeknownst to her, she resembles Marie Antoinette- The Queen of France, who was, at that time, awaiting trial. When the Baroness sends her to the home of Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite, she starts out on an adventure

that turns her from a quiet subservient girl to a strong independent woman who is ready, willing, and able to take on the injustices of the world. I loved watching her grow and develop as the story went on. It was not always an easy growth, but that made the character more authentic and lovable.

Narration & Pacing:

The narration is done in the 3rd person, focusing closely on Eleanor (Nellie), giving it a slightly more personal style while still allowing the reader to understand more of what is going on than Nellie did at any point in time.

Initially, the pacing was slow, while the world-building was particularly strong. Still, it picked up as the suspense grew with Nellie’s dangerous mission, which grew more hazardous as things started to go wrong. I much enjoyed the faster pace.

World-Building / Setting:

The setting is mostly Paris, France, during the French Revolution. But in this world, vampires and humans live among each other without malice and fear. The world-building is phenomenal. It immediately pulls you into the story and immerses you in a time long gone. The descriptions hit all the senses, allowing me to be transported back in time and imagine that world with vampires and even some magic.

Read if you like:

• Historical fantasy
• Suspense filled stories
• Vampires!

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐