[Review & Discussion] Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman - Revolutionary France, Elaborate Heists and Vampires
By Sleepy_Ticket
I mostly really liked this book, but I’m kind of stuck on the moral vibe. Eleanor starts out as a maid and gets pulled into the whole “save innocent nobles from France during the Terror” thing with the Scarlet Pimpernel-type crew. I thought for sure the story would flip that sympathy toward the Revolutionaries at some point… and it kind of does, but also it doesn’t? So yeah, the setup is fun and the intrigue is solid, but if you’re looking specifically for a deeper fight over how the French aristocracy vs the Revolution is handled, you’re probably gonna want to dig into the spoiler-y discussion parts, because that’s where my brain got tangled. Eleanor herself was great, though. She feels practical and decent without being a doormat, and her ambitions make sense for where she’s coming from. I also liked that she actually thinks about her own beliefs instead of just going along with whatever the plot wants. Also, vampires: I’m always down for vampires, but I liked how this one made them more “sanguinocrats” (sinister vibes without going full cartoon villain). Eleanor has to adjust her “they’re basically people who drink blood” mindset, which worked for me. One weird thing: there’s a “magic” twist that shows up about halfway through and then just sort of… peters out. It felt like an odd pacing choice, and I didn’t really get why it was included when it didn’t keep mattering the way it should’ve. On the plus side, I ate up the elaborate plans, disguises, and hidden identities. The group dynamic between Eleanor and the League was good too, and the (very subtle) romance hints landed. Writing-wise, I thought it was well done. I listened to the audio (Georgia Maguire) and it was a good listen with no complaints. I also need to say: I haven’t read the original Scarlet Pimpernel, so I can’t compare directly, but I do know the whole “Zorro/Batman-ish” disguised vigilante appeal. The difference here is that the Pimpernel crew helps the nobility more than the general populace, and that’s probably part of why I kept side-eyeing the sympathy the book gives. Spoiler-ish questions I’m still unsure about: - The final conversation with Chauvelin confused me. Eleanor says he’s an informant, he doesn’t deny it, and then later stuff about one of his maids being a spy comes up. But also Eleanor later tells Charles she basically threatened Chauvelin into letting them go. So… which version is the real truth? I couldn’t tell if the “informant” thing was actually true, or if she was just playing both sides and nobody ever fully clarifies. - The ghost/possession angle with Anima: I didn’t hate her, but she felt kind of pointless for a big chunk of the story. She only matters when Eleanor needs a magic escape, then she fades again. The ancient wars between sorcerers and vampires were interesting setup, but it didn’t really connect to the main plot by the end. I’m assuming it’s meant for sequels, but as a standalone arc it felt unfinished or off. And yeah, the class/revolution stuff: Eleanor is pretty openly class-aware and calls out hypocrisy, which I appreciated. But I was irritated that the narration overall still treats the Revolution as bad “in principle,” and that the book’s sympathy mostly lands on the former aristocrats needing protection. The Terror obviously matters, but it felt like the aristocracy/vampires got too easy a moral pass. I don’t even need everyone to be painted as perfect saints, but it just didn’t feel like the class divide and the inequality that caused everything really got challenged in a meaningful way. It ended up feeling a bit too close to that “both sides have interesting points” vibe for me. All that said, it’s still a well-written book and I did enjoy it. I just came away wanting more bite in the conclusions—especially with how it treats its core inspiration. It seems like there are sequels planned, and I’m not sure I’ll jump in immediately, but I’d definitely be curious to see how other readers think future books handle the messier parts (and whether the moral side of things is meant to continue).