A good romp through revolutionary France. Maintains the high standard of the series

A great follow up to Scarlet, Elusive continues the story of Eleanor and the Scarlet Pimpernel and the rest of the gang.

We find out more about the fallout of the French Revolution and what happened to some of the aristocracy and vampires that featured previously.

I enjoyed the evolution of the characters and particularly the escape from Mont Saint Michel. I look forward to the third novel and can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

It took me a while to get back into this one as I’d forgotten a lot of the previous book.

Really enjoyable adventure, I look forward to the next one

Genevieve Cogman, a name to remember. Really looking forward to the third in this trilogy, though I suspect I will be sad if there are no more. Ms Cogman has the skill to enable the reader to travel the journey with her. Not to be missed.

"Elusive" is the second installment of Genevieve Cogman’s "Scarlet Revolution" trilogy, loosely inspired by Baroness Orczy's "The Scarlet Pimpernel". In this series, the tumultuous reality of the French Revolution is augmented by the presence of wealthy, aristocratic vampires, who are seen as the new regime's primary adversaries. The series centers on Eleanor, a maid and seamstress who joins forces with a group of English nobles who risk their lives to save French citizens from the guillotine.

"Elusive" is a solid sequel that surpasses its predecessor in certain aspects. With the characters and their goals already established, the reader is quickly immersed in the action, allowing for pure enjoyment of the narrative. One of Cogman's notable strengths is her skillful world-building, a quality exemplified in "Elusive". Though rooted in fantasy, the novel remains meticulously researched and intricately intertwined with the historical backdrop of the French Revolution. The integration of vampires and supernatural elements feels remarkably organic, blurring the lines between fiction and historical truth. It was delightful to return to this richly crafted universe.

The plot of "Elusive" is very compelling, but much like its predecessor, it takes some time for the action to really kick in. It is not a particularly fast-paced book, which may be the biggest drawback for many readers. It is also a factor that keeps me from giving it 5 stars. However, the novel excels in its intricate world-building and depth of political intrigue, which shows the considerable quality of the book. I really enjoyed the League's adventures and how they were woven into the real events of revolutionary history. Also, the character relationships are more solid in this installment, which allowed me to enjoy the interactions between Eleanor and the other members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, who I had confused with each other in the previous book.

Speaking of character development, Eleanor goes through a remarkable growth throughout the book, which I particularly liked. What I found very interesting was her dilemma of belonging. By working for the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, she alienates herself from her fellow commoners, but at the same time, she remains acutely aware of her inferior status among the nobility, perpetuating her feelings of inadequacy.

Overall, "Elusive" proves to be a satisfying book. Personally, I found it even more enjoyable than the first installment. For those who have started this trilogy and are considering whether to continue, I highly recommend it.

📜 Historical fantasy

🇨🇵 Revolutionary France

🩸Vampires

🔎 Spies

📖 Book 2 of The Scarlet Revolution

Vampires, spies, Revolutionary France, and a dash of romance; Genevieve Cogman returns for another historical fantasy romp with The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel in Elusive.

Cogman's light and humorous writing keeps this a fun and light read, even amongst "The Terror" of Revolutionary France.

For me, Eleanor's character growth is the real strength of Elusive. She's become more politically aware, her experiences amongst the revolution leading her to more deeply question the class divides that restrict her own life and opportunities, and the chafing gap it causes between herself and other League members. She's using her own initiative, deciding for herself, and I like her all the more for it! The plot didn't feel quite as tight to me as that of Scarlet, but it was far more satisfying character-wise. Plus, the haphazardness of events seems to just be an intrinsic part of The League's antics.

I enjoyed learning more about Anima and that intriguing side of things. There are definitely more mysteries to unravel!

All in all, it was good to be back amongst The League and their whimsical characters

Love this series. It just gets better.

Firstly, if you haven’t read Scarlet before picking up this offering – then shelve Elusive and track down Scarlet, first. A great deal happens in the first book, which you need to understand to fully appreciate Eleanor and her current state of mind in this slice of the adventure.

At the beginning of the book, Eleanor now finds herself working as a servant in the Blakeney household. Given what transpires in Scarlet, her resemblance to Marie Antoinette is no longer of any use, so while she has been accepted into the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, her role isn’t crucial. It leaves her in an awkward between-stairs situation. She’s still regularly called into meetings and discussions with the Blakeneys and certain aristocratic guests, which means she’s treated with suspicion by the rest of the servants in the house. But it’s painfully clear that none of the other members of the League treat her with quite the same respect as everyone else.

I enjoyed seeing her coping with the increasing sense that she doesn’t really belong anywhere – complicated and enhanced by the voice in her head, I’m not going to say more than that as I don’t want to veer into Spoiler territory. Eleanor soon finds herself back in France on a mission. But as the political situation within France remains chaotic and highly dangerous – Cogman brilliantly encapsulates that by showing how the League’s own plans go horribly awry.

However, once everything goes to Hell in a handcart – that’s when Eleanor comes into her own. Partly due to her own natural adrenaline-fuelled ability to think on her feet – and partly due to the help she gets from said voice in her head. The way the vampires are woven into this historical era on both sides of the Channel is masterly. I’ve read one or three vampire tales in my time, where they are depicted as living openly alongside the rest of us mortals. And this depiction is one of the very best. Cogman’s handling of the historical era is also superb. My one grizzle – the book ends on something of a cliff-hanger so I’m now waiting impatiently for the next one to find out what happens next. The series is very highly recommended for fans of well-written historical fantasy. While I obtained an arc of Elusive from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.

10/10

Der flotte und moderne Schreibstil lässt einen die Bücher von Genevieve Cogman verschlingen.... Die Autorin ist sehr zu empfehlen (auch ihre andere Serie über die unseen library)...

Fun book with the best kind of spunky heroine! An interesting combination of vampires, magic, adventure and 18th century social criticism. Recommend!

At the end of the last book, I’ll admit that I saw this storyline as great fodder for a serial - more Indiana Jones than continuous characters. But Eleanor, who gets a bit too repeatedly introspective, turned out to be a good lead. Her evolution from maid to spy has worked, albeit at times more deus ex machina than actual skill craft. But it works. And not everything is obvious, which keeps the story moving quickly. Honestly though? Charles is an absolute annoyance! His handwringing, misogynistic view of Eleanor just….please, shut up, dude!

So now we’re done with France and it is on to England to fight vampires. Okay, let’s see where we go from here……..

A new take on vampire stories and historical drama! I love Cogman’s blending of history and magic in her storytelling.