After reading Scarlet back in March of this year, I knew that I needed more from this trilogy. So I was incredibly excited when I managed to get my sticky little fingers on a copy of this sequel.

In the second book in this series, Eleanor and the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are investigating the disappearance of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, the notorious French statesman and diplomat. But the League soon uncover two vampire parties who are feuding for power, and they learn that Talleyrand's disappearance is a part of a much bigger, and much more dangerous, scheme. One that threatens to throw France into even more bloody chaos.

I absolutely sunk straight into this book, something I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do as I had listened to the first book via audio. But I had no need to worry because the chapters were practically reading themselves! I found myself incredibly invested in how Eleanor's life has progressed from within the first novel. And the theme of well-meaning but oblivious-to-reality noblemen and women continued, which adds a layer of realism to this magical historical vampire novel. Something I think should be noted as an achievement!

The events throughout the book were outlandish, but in a way that matched the pace already set by book one, and they definitely keep your attention! Our heroine does save the day a few times, but she also almost kills everyone just as often, and I enjoy that she's not a magical fix-it-all for this League. And with that ending?! No spoilers, of course, but I am intrigued and so very excited to read the third and final book in this trilogy when it releases!!

We pick back up with Eleanor nearly where we left off, deep in with the League of the Scarlett Pimpernel and the Blakeneys.

Percy is missing in France whilst looking for a diplomat that has gone missing and Eleanor finds herself back there, spying!

I enjoyed this more than the first book, in fact I was totally hooked, full of action and drama!

A few observations from me:

~ Loved all the historical information,
~ I enjoyed how Eleanor is growing,
~ In book 1 I found the Anima part very strange but now it makes so much motlre sense....and I love it!
~ Charles....oh Charles...how he found a 'loophole' I love him! Honestly what happened with love in that day and age was criminal!

Cant wait for book 3! London baby!

A thrilling sequel to Scarlet. The story continues on for the Main character Eleanor, who is now in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Eleanor returns to France on a mission! It's fun and exciting just like the first installment. The story if fast paced and i=enthralling. I want to know more. I did find it got a little predictable towards the end, but then wonder if this was deliberate to set us up for what I hope the be another boom in this series. I love everything Genevieve Cogman has written. The Secret Library series is one of my favorites and can see this one becoming one of mine as well. SO well written and the storylines are impactful and mostly unpredictable, there's always twist to the storyline that keep you guessing. Overall I would recommend this whole series to everyone.

Eleanor is now a fully fledged member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, a secret organisation who rescue vampires and aristocrats from the guillotine. When former French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand goes missing, Eleanor once again volunteers her services to go undercover amongst society's vampires. Across the channel, chaos ensues as everyone and everyone is accused of collaborating with the nobility, or being a vampire sympathiser. The revolution isn't over yet.

Disarray and rebellions don’t suddenly cease after a revolution, and Elusive covers the period after the defeat of Marie Antoinette who, as you might remember, was turned into a vampire. There are rumours the former queen stalks the streets at night. Not everyone in France agrees with the new order, and it turns out vampires are hard to kill. Except for chopping their heads off with Madam Guillotine.

I hesitate to say Elusive was slow to get going, just because I’ve been reading so slowly of late, but it does focus more on Eleanor’s inner thoughts. She’s left in limbo between the aristocratic circles of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and the household staff she now works beside. She’ll never be one of the nobility, yet the other servants know she’s spending more time with their masters than is normal.

My favourite part was her interactions with Anima, the spirit mage who possessed her in the first book. She's desperate for Eleanor to learn what happened to the other mages and to continue her work against the vampires. Anima is frustrated that her host spends most of her time on household duties. Before, it was Eleanor's similarity to Marie Antoinette that was useful, but now it's her ability to blend in with the servants that allows her to get involved with the League's work.

Fans of romance may be disappointed that Eleanor is still keeping Charles at arms length. She is not a woman taken to flights of fancy, and she knows there is no future for them. Charles must marry a lady from a good family, and she is just a maid. So she doesn’t let herself get too involved. Yet, they clearly both care for each other. Kind of makes you want Britain to hurry up and revolt!

I'm intrigued to where the story is going and how much it'll deviate from history. Will Eleanor master the powers Anima awoke in her?

Elusive by Genevieve Cogman continues the story of maid Eleanor and her involvement with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Now working as a maid in the Blakeney household when not accompanying Sir Percy and his friends on missions, Eleanor’s perspective of the world and her place in it has started to change since the events of her first mission to France. She has been back there several times since, and can’t help comparing the ways that the English aristocracy while away their time drinking as people die in France.

It’s not just Eleanor’s world view that has grown; she’s recognising the way that her friends, especially the noblemen, treat her. When they need a woman, especially someone who can pose as a servant, they are happy to have her along on their missions, but when she tries to act on her own she is told it is too dangerous. Those feelings grow even stronger when Sir Percy goes missing in France while on the hunt for the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyran.

For safety, the Chief likes to keep things close to the vest, meaning that if a member of the League is caught, they only so know much. It’s a good tactic until he’s the one that’s missing, leaving the rest of the League struggling to put the pieces together with little intel to go on. Determined to be of use and not made to sit on the sidelines, Eleanor starts to make her own plans alongside those of the League with the help of Anima, the mage spirit inhabiting her body.

But things in France are getting more dangerous, and as Eleanor and the League try to find Sir Percy and their other missing friends, they stumble across more than they bargained for.

After finishing the first book, I had hoped to see more development of Eleanor in this book, and Cogman certainly delivered on that front! I felt that the way her thoughts and awareness changed were very on point with her experiences as well as the period she lived in. It was particularly startling to start the novel with her as a maid, to be honest, rather than living as a peer to the Blakeneys or running a modiste as discussed at the end of the last book. There are also multiple times during Elusive when Cogman steers the point back to Eleanor’s low social status, as Eleanor herself reminds us of the harsh reality of living in Georgian England.

That didn’t get tedious, however, at the start of the book Eleanor’s constant back and forth about whether the nobles considered her part of the team or even cared for her was beginning to wear on me. While a maid might find it difficult to accept, members of the aristocracy could act honourably or accept her as family, the situation Eleanor finds herself in isn’t a normal situation. She has, by this point, been on several missions and in incredible danger alongside these men. The bond between them is beyond social classes.

What it isn’t, is beyond gender, and Cogman does a fine job of showing the disparity between how they treat Eleanor compared to Marguerite. Whether it is Lady Blakeney’s history, experience with age or that she is the Chief’s wife, she is treated with much more respect and while they protect her, they would never dream of telling her she couldn’t go somewhere if she put her mind to it. Unlike Eleanor, who they treat as a little sister rather than one of them.

A lot happens in Elusive, and Cogman has done a wonderful job of spinning a conspiracy. A character who I expected never to see again (and wrote off as a nobody) is suddenly very much in the thick of it, and I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes. There is also a scene between Eleanor and someone else which was my favourite part of the book, and I’m very happy with the way that Cogman chose to handle that character.

I would have liked to have learned a bit more about some things, but I can also see why Cogman chose to only reveal so much in this book. Book three is going to be an absolute cracker, that’s for sure!

Most of the books of the Forbidden Library series are still waiting patiently on the shelves to be read, but when I discovered this series, about the French Revolution, but with vampires, I was sold. I got the first book and finished it far quicker than I had expected and then I patiently waited for the second book to be released. Luckily I discovered that the book was available via Netgalley and I was really happy that Tor granted me a review copy.

Once more this book mixes history, vampires and a touch of magic. I especially love how the author manages to make this book really believable. It's not hard to imagine that the French revolution happened like this. Especially all the politics, the way the people in power manipulate others and all the games that are played, is so well done and makes so much sense. The vampires might be fictional, but how they abuse their vampirism totally isn't.

I also love that the heroine of this story is a maid. She's not noble. She's not rich. She doesn't have power or influence. She just ended up in a strange situation by accident. However, that also gives her a lot of room to learn and grow. I really love how she's starting to understand more and more of the world in this book. She sees how power can be abused and she also starts to see how she can use her own talents to change the world or people's minds.

Since this book is very political and since our heroine is not among the vampires and the rich, there's not much action. There is some danger here and there, but most issues are solved by intelligence and wit. I can imagine that some people might get a little bored while reading, but I personally loved how all those characters, both the "good" and the "bad" guys, are forcing each other to be smarter and to always be on the tips of their toes.

I can't wait for the next book in the series!

'Elusive' by Genevieve Cogman.

Revolutionary France is full of blood and bite . . .
1793. Eleanor, once a lowly English maid, is now a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel: renowned for their daring deeds, and for rescuing aristocrats and vampires from the guillotine. When the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand goes missing, Eleanor and the League leap into action. But they uncover two vampire factions feuding for control over humanity’s fate. Talleyrand’s disappearance is part of a larger, more dangerous scheme – one that threatens to throw France into bloody chaos . . .
As the mutiny continues, a once-dead queen stalks the streets of Paris and the Scarlet Pimpernel is nowhere to be found. Eleanor must take control of her own fate. If she doesn’t, she may find herself the victim of the very people she came to save.

I'm a big fan of this authors work. I love the Invisible Library series and I love Scarlett (the previous book to this).
I had big expectations for this book and I wasn't disappointed. Eleanor is a fantastic character and I love the relationship with her and Amina. I can't wait for the next book to see how Eleanors character develops with the certain revelations from this book.
I love the Rococo period and this book just oozes with that style...plus vampires.
If anyone is a fan of history fiction with a supernatural twist then give this series a go.
Thankyou to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read this in return for an honest review.

Although the first book in this trilogy ended with a load of action, this sequel starts slow and doesn't really pick up again until quite a way into the story. That said, it's still an interesting book that pulled me in - a good mix of history and vampires. I'll be picking up the finale!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, and Sexual harassment

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for a free e-ARC in return for an honest review!

Slow to start with, doesn't help that there's very little in terms of re-capping the previous book, it just goes straight into the deep end! It took me a while to really remember all the different details from the book before and all that work was on me which was a first in a sequel - normally there's too much recapping in sequels!

I think it was pretty solid, even if it maybe suffered from middle-book syndrome a teeny bit. It's got a lot of lore, a lot of waiting and it's mainly just 1 event that's stretched across like 80% of the book and another event that takes up most of the rest - which honestly I wish had more page-time since it was pretty interesting! There is though a surprising amount of character development though, Eleanor has been taught well and has a very sharp mind which comes through quite well here.

It is good, I did quite like this once I got into it. Just certainly do read this one quickly after reading the first one (either a re-read or a first read) to help get you started easier!

This is book two of the Scarlet Revolution trilogy, and the fun continues apace.
Marie Antoinette has been sent to the Guillotine, and Eleanor, who resembled her so closely, is safely back in England, and working for Sir Percy Blakeney, and his many league members.
The English Government has welcomed many French Noble families into the country and offered them a safe haven, but now the fear is that spies have infiltrated organisations and are planning counter conspiracies.
A new industry has grown up in England, providing blood for the many vampires now residing in England. An Alien bill has been passed to expel foreigners who are a threat to home security. There is also a conspiracy in France, guilty vampires have avoided arrest and execution. I idly wondered how vampires went to the guillotine in daylight, did they not turn to dust, then realised what a weird thought that was!!
There is a great secret to be found in London, it is hidden deep and has been there since the days of Boadicea, it might provide a way of redressing the balance between humans and the vampiric race.
We are now more familiar with the characters, and they are gradually changing, becoming more mature and independent of action. This time , Sir Percy is away for most of this book, and Eleanor surprises herself and many others with her growing mage power. She can create light that burns vampires, she can use this positivity for good.
Another exciting tale that is mad, bonkers, but so readable and immensely enjoyable. I honestly can’t Wait for part three, it’s going to be an absolute riot. A deserved five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Pan MacMillan, for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Elusive picks up from where Scarlet left off with Eleanor now being a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. In this book, Eleanor must head back to France in order to find out what happened to French diplomat, Talleyrand after he goes missing.

I enjoyed Elusive. It is very much in the same vein as Scarlet and has all the hallmarks of what I like in a Genevieve Cogman book. I think Eleanor is a great protagonist in the series. She’s smart and resourceful and has a lucky habit of getting herself out of sticky situations where she is vastly outmatched. This is in part due to Anima, the spirit living inside her and I do enjoy their interactions. The only thing I wanted more out of the characters was to find out more about Anima. I find the whole concept fascinating and I would love to get the full story. Maybe in the next book.

Elusive very much has the same tone of the book from which it was inspired. I love The Scarlet Pimpernel, it’s a fun adventure novel and Elusive honours it with its fast-paced story which doesn’t really stop from beginning to end. It packs a lot into less than 400 pages. I love Cogman’s storytelling and the inclusion of the vampires and mages really makes things more interesting. I’m not always a fan of vampire stories but this is definitely one of the better ones. I am endlessly amused by historical people from French history being vampires.

I had a great time with Elusive. It’s better than the first book and feels a lot more confident. Scarlet was good for setting up the world and the characters but Elusive really furthers the plot and ends on a cliff hanger just to make me excited to read the next book.

Elusive was, for me, a book of two halves. The story starts in London with Eleanor still working with the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel before the Pimpernell himself goes missing while investigating the missing Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, a French statesman and diplomat. The League find themselves travelling back to France to find their leader and derail a plot that could jeopardise France as they know it.

The first half of the book, based in England, took quite a while for me to get into, I’ll confess it took me a little while to remember who everyone was and what happened in Scarlet, which is totally on me and not a fault of the book. That said, I think this story really comes into it’s stride when it returns to Paris and the plot and the ‘Prince of Paris’ becomes a little clearer – Eleanor also has a greater role in the League in the second half so it’s just a lot more enjoyable as you follow her.
Cogman really does do a great job of integrating well researched French history with fantasy. A minor criticism I had of Scarlet was that for a book about vampires, they weren’t particularly menacing. Maybe that isn’t even a bad thing, there were villains indeed in Scarlet, and certainly some bad vampires, but they weren’t the only monster – and that is of course true for a story where the mob mentality of human beings is also involved. That said, in Elusive you feel the vampires start to fight back, there is a real menacing air to them, a party scene comes to mind where Eleanor and others are there to be fed off of, and you can feel the power that they possess when not outnumbered by a mob.
Eleanor really is a fantastic character, she feels a little out of place at the start of the story, a little on the outside, but as the scheming progresses, she creates her own place within the group and finds not just her voice but her power. Eleanor’s interactions with Anima are particularly enjoyable, Anima is fascinating and you learn much more about her here, with revelations that make for an interesting third instalment! Eleanor is a well developed and likeable character that you experience grow and develop across the pages.

This series has wonderful world building, where vampires and mages walk through French history, social revolution and politics, action, surprises and a little love, and an array of characters you can’t help but route for as they scheme and plot and try to survive. If you struggle to get into the story, persevere and it’ll be worth it.

Another solid effort by an author who always hits the mark, thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review

An absolutely wonderful second book in this trilogy, I loved the development of the themes, the magic, vampires, the scarlet pimpernel, the French Revolution, all of it! The writing felt more mature in this one, and I highly recommend it.

I love how Eleanor has developed her political and social awareness throughout this book as she’s spent more time with the other characters, I will say it starts slightly slower than the last book, and I think I would have liked maybe a touch more humour and feel pretty ambivelant towards the love interest. But all this was put aside once the action started to get going and I thoroughly enjoyed all that went on.

Overall this was a wonderfully fun book to read and I am eagerly anticipating the conclusion!

ELUSIVE returns to a French Revolution with vampires.

There is a different plot to thwart this time, more of a mystery to solve as the chief is off doing something, leaving the others in the lurch. It gave Eleanor a bigger role in the planning and also let old characters come back as antagonists and potential allies all muddled in the big scheme (and its new players).

Eleanor's frustration in this book at being treated differently because she's a woman, because she's not a noble was a really interesting part. Many books focus on the nobles but this series is centred around a maid who is dragged into this group's plans, shows she's as good as the rest of them, and then is continually told to stay back and let others do the work. She even starts to wonder if it's true.

I liked this difference, the way it gave a lens onto the aristocracy. Some might be trying to do the right thing, believing in all their honour, but their inherent privilege leaves massive blind spots. It's a nice way to explore some of the nuances of the revolution, the horror but also what led to it, while not having that be the focus (vampires and escapes are!)

There is one more book to come, which sees the crew focus on England and the plots they've found reaching back home...

Thank you to PanMacmillian and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for this honest review!

This book was a satisfying continuation of book 1 - developing characters, theme, and conflict really well. It felt a lot more mature than book 1 since now the stage is set, and we can get into the nitty gritty of the conflict.

Eleanor returns to France on another mission for the league. But this time Anima is lurking in the background and the machinations of the vampires are a lot more relevant. The best parts of book 1 were further developed. We explore Eleanor's place in society and how this impacts her relationship with the league a lot more, really digging into her insecurities but also her unique internal conflict. She is no longer *just* a maid and has a greater awareness of the world around her. She displayed real agency that was a far cry from the obedient maid she was raised to be. Her understanding of politics and social revolution has also made her question the behaviours bred into her. The routine act of providing blood to vampires no longer seems quite as docile with Anima whispering in the background.

The fun adventure vibes were still there but better fleshed out with the politics and social commentary. The maturation in themes makes sense with the French revolution in the background. Eleanor's exposure to the principles of revolution and dramatic societal change leads to believable character growth. She was always a sympathetic character. But now, finally, she feels like a real player in the story.

I've knocked off a star as although events are developing in an interesting way, the ending was predictable. Book 1 set the scene and book 2 developed Eleanor. It still feels like not a lot has actually happened. Also, our dear Pimpernickel, the magnetic personality at the centre of events, still feels like a caricature. I'm waiting for him, and the story at large, to surprise me.

I have received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I did not expect Scarlet to get a sequel. I felt the ending did have potential for one but I couldn’t think of what else could be done with it. Set in England sometime after the events of the first book we get to experience life alongside Eleanor as she sees how people live post-vampire [wanna buy some blood?] and how she develops as a member of the League. Particularly with all the voices in her head.

The sense of danger returns as the adventure continues however, we see a lot of characters in action and get the feel of a series coming on. To avoid spoilers I would say this was a very satisfying return to the series and this time I’d very much expect a sequel.

A brilliant follow up to Scarlet. We return to the adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, set in an alternate world where vampires live amongst the nobility. It was refreshing to see this world from Eleanor's viewpoint, a maid servant in the household of Sir Percy Blakeney, and secret member of the League, and her slow disenchantment with her status in society. The adventure itself was alot of fun in the spirit of Sir Percy although I think it would have always been better with more of him in it! Some great twists and turns and I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you Tor, Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the arc of Elusive by Genevieve Colman in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Elusive follows on very soon after the events of Scarlet, the first book in the series and continues to be told from the perspective of Eleanor, housemaid to Sir Percy Blakeney, who also just happens to be the Scarlet Pimpernel. Eleanor is of course now a fully fledged member of his league of secret agents who continue to do their bit amidst the French Revolution, and unknowingly to her confederates, Eleanor is now semi- possessed by the spirit of an ancient mage - Anima, who aided her with magic at the end of Scarlet.

The second book focuses on Eleanor, who has most definitely changed and continues to develop, mature and expand her political and societal awareness, and of course knowledge and experience after all she has been through already. Alongside this, Eleanor is once again plunged into a world of plots, politics and power, as the unknown and mysterious Prince of Paris emerges and the adventures recommence.

Book two does initially start with a slower more reflective pace but, this soon ratchets up amidst prison breaks, vampire parties and heinous plots. And then there is the mystery of Eleanor’s ancient mage, Amina and of course the magic she introduces Eleanor to. I’m sorry, I’d love to talk you more but, spoilers…you’ll just have to pick the series up, and yes you need to read Scarlet first!

All in all Elusive is a well paced and plotted second book that builds upon the foundations of Scarlet. If you love historical set fantasy, the French Revolution and vampires, you’ll live Elusive!

An excellent continuation in the Scarlet Revolution trilogy as Eleanor’s assistance and ingenuity is once again required in the service of The Scarlet Pimpernel. In true Cogman-style, Elusive is jam-packed with action, plotting, escapades, vampires, magic and secret side-plots and all with a strong female lead. It also comes with a very handy cast list.
I cannot wait for the final part.

I didn't like the second book in the Scarlet Revolution series. The book suffers from Middle Book Syndrome, in my opinion. The plot dragged on because it was too much about Eleanor being in her own head and asking the same questions over and over. The second half of the novel picks up the pace a bit, but by that point I was tired of reading "What would Sir Percy do?" or "If only Sir Percy was here," as well as reading about Eleanor getting into trouble just to prove her point.

I hope the final novel in the trilogy shows us a strong Eleanor who knows who she is and what she is worth and who doesn't need to prove herself over and over.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3