The first book in the historical fantasy Scarlet Revolution series.

58899240

Format: Audio

Length: 10 hours, 20 minutes

Publication year: 2023

Narrated by: Georgia Maguire

Eleanor Dalton is a maid in the service of the vampire Baroness of Basting in England. She and the other servants hear rumours about the French Revolution where the common people have even deposed the French king, Louis XVI. The King has been executed and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, and their children are in prison waiting for trial. Many of the French vampire aristocracy have either been imprisoned or executed, as well. Eleanor and the other servants think that it’s not proper for people to revolt against their rulers. They also know that the Scarlet Pimpernel have aided some nobles in escaping France and the Reign of Terror.

Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife come to visit the Baroness. They admire Eleanor’s skill with fabrics but Eleanor overhears them talking about how she resembles someone important. The Baroness loans Eleanor to the Blakeneys. The Blakeneys want Eleanor to come to France and rescue their friend whom she resembles. Understandably, Eleanor hesitates but agrees because she can’t let a family die if she can help them. So, Sir Percy and the others start to train Eleanor in French, horseback riding, and courtly manners.

Eventually, Eleanor, Sir Percy, and a group of men that belong to the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel travel to France in disguise. Even though she’s the key to the rescue mission, she’s kept in the dark about important matters and condescendingly told to trust the men. She’s frustrated with this but determined to do her part. She also grows close to one of the men but since he’s a lord and she’s a servant, nothing can come out of it.

Scarlet is a reimagining of Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel stories. I’ve read a couple of them but over a decade ago, so I can’t tell how accurate is Cogman’s interpretation. But I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the others.

Eleanor is a servant woman while the other League members are aristocratic men. Even though, or perhaps because, the men must rely on her, they treat her like a child. When she’s separated from them, she must use her wits to survive. Luckily, she’s a smart woman. About halfway through there’s a twist that I really enjoyed.

This is a swashbuckling adventure in a pseudo-historical setting. Still, the class differences between the characters are shown and she thinks about them and sometimes even comments to others. Her training takes quite a few chapters so some people might think the story has a slow start but I rather enjoyed that part, too. However, I was a bit puzzled as to why she was so eager to help the aristocrats.

The vampires are more of a backdrop to the story. In England, they are thought to be like humans except that they need blood. Giving blood to a vampire mistress or master is part of a maid’s service. The French believe that vampires can control people and the English believe that isn’t true. However, all the vampires seem to be aristocrats even though they can’t hold office. There are hints that the vampires do darker things in secrecy.