Review: The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

I first picked up The Scarlet Pimpernel in March last year and absolutely adored it. It had history, action, romance, terror, mystery and everything else we stubbornly demand from a good book. I immediately vowed to track down the rest of the books and get them read as soon as humanly possibly. Who knew it was a series? I didn't, and apparently there are seventeen - including two prequels and a spin-off biography. For some unknown reason though, the second book isn't in print even though all the others are - it's just some strange little black hole on the list. Regardless, I ran out and bought the third one, this one... and uhh, read it a full year later :) What can I say, my TBR pile ate it.

More adventures amongst the terrors of revolutionary France. No one has uncovered the identity of the famous Scarlet Pimpernel - no one except his wife Marguerite and his arch-enemy, citizen Chauvelin. Sir Percy Blakeney is still at large however, evading capture... 

This has a slightly different format to the original book, which explains the unfulfilling summary. It's a short story collection, not a novel. Normally that's not my kind of thing but the stories contained are written so beautifully that I was more than able to deal with it.

Unlike the first one, this requires a basic understanding of the French Revolution to really 'get' all of the stories. Primarily, a knowledge of the Reign of Terror and the leading figures, like Marat and Robespierre. You don't need to know all the ins and outs - we covered it in A-level five years ago (*cringes*) and I managed fine and dandy. I think having read The Scarlet Pimpernel first might suffice though. It would make sense without that, but it's a lot more fun if you have :)

The stories themselves contain just the same atmosphere as the original. Nearly all are told from the perspective of a potential victim of the guillotine, living in daily fear of the Committee of Public Safety knocking at their door . Their terror and relief are almost tangible - the point when their rescue has been pulled off is always wonderfully described. Their gratitude and awe rolls off them and out of the pages. It's a wonderful feeling.

I think I'd have liked a little more about the man himself though, and his wife. I really liked Marguerite Blakeney in the original, so it's a shame that she had only a passing mention here. Hopefully she'll pop up again in the later books.

A short review, I know, but I struggle to review short story collections. I would recommend reading it, but definitely start with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Oh, incidentally - I can't help but picture Chris Hemsworth as the Pimp himself. Perhaps without the big-ass hammer though.

The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello

I just love on-a-whim book buys from supermarkets. You know what else I love? Greek mythology, historical thrillers, Italian sculptors and alternate realities. In short, I love this book.

Amazon - 'David Franco, a talented young scholar, is introduced to Kathryn Van Owen, a beautiful and wealthy widow with a mysterious past. Van Owen owns a sketch of an amulet; a silver medallion with a carving of the Medusa’s face on one side, and on the other a mirror reputed to confer the power of immortality upon any who look into it on a moonlit night – and she is prepared to pay David a million dollars to find it for her. 

If the rumours of the amulet’s powers are true, David could not only pay off his dying sister’s medical bills – he could offer her a chance of survival. But David will need help if he is to find the clues scattered through art and history to the mirror’s current location. 

And there are others who have heard of the mirror’s powers, and they will stop at nothing to find it…'

I keep posting Amazon summaries when I know they're written by monkeys that have never read the damn thing in their lives. So. The story centres around two men - one is David Franco who wants to save his dying sister using a magical amulet that will grant her eternal life. The other is Benvenuto Cellini - the Italian sculptor with a penchant for the occult from the 1500s. A long time ago, Cellini made this amulet, looked into it (and was therefore immortalised) and then promptly lost it. As you do. The story alternates between these two characters, as Cellini loses the amulet in the past and David attempts to find it in the present.

I particularly liked the way certain historical events (the French Revolution, Nazi Germany...) are rewritten to include Cellini and his girlfriend. The two of them pop up in history every so often, before  they change their names and  identities to reappear near another historical figure.. Cellini was Marie Antoinette's jewelerry adviser, for example. The French Revolutionary scenes are particularly moving as he grows attached to the young Austrian Princess while searching for his lost amulet.

While most books of this ilk include lots of explosions, train-jumping and machine guns while simultaneously jumping to hasty conclusions which are always miraculously right, this book is the exact opposite. There's not really enough action, and that's something I never thought I'd say. Think of the middle section of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where they're not doing much but sat in a tent talking about jewellery. Right, now replace 'tent' with 'library' and you've pretty much got this book!

It's definitely very academic - if you're not willing to give it your full attention, just don't bother. You won't see it through. The changing names of the immortal characters plus the different groups of, uhh... baddies (what? 'baddies' is perfectly acceptable when its 2am and you're tired...), just wooshed right over my head when I tried to read it sleepily in bed. Its also written in a very formal tone and includes a lot of historical and art-y facts. I love that though - coming away entertained and informed.

What really, really amazed me - the story frequently mentions Benvenuto Cellini's autobiography where he talks about creating the amulet during a demon-summoning session in the Colesseum. Vaguely interesting, but its a work of fiction after all. Then out of interest, later I looked up Cellini because I was curious about his sculptures... not only did he actually write an autobiography, he genuinely talks about practising dark magic in the Colesseum! Well, I now have the autobiography of a 16th century sculptor on my wishlist... right next to Bossypants by Tina Fey. Never say I don't have wide-ranging interests.

Last off, this book is brutal. It'd be at least a 15 rated film. But hey, I love me some brutal violence in the name of culture. It did make me raise an eyebrow a few times though, and like to think I'm fairly bookishly shock-proof. A topic for another time: why don't books have age ratings?

'But what David truly remembered, just seconds before the blast nearly thhrew him through the hole, was the severed head Rigaud was cradling beneath his arm. David could have sworn that the mouth was twisted in a silent scream and the steely blue eyes were furious... and alive.'

Thatquote is the result of a wonderful plot twist. I never saw it coming, and even if I had, the general idea of it would still have burned the image on

to my mind. It's worth reading just for that - it has to be one of the best endings I've ever read. I was lying in bed last night thinking about it.

Do read this book. It's very cheap in a number of places, and you'll be hard pressed to find another book that combines this amount of creepiness and intelligence.

Buy me here. Well, not me. I can't be found on Amazon. But the book. Buy that.