Publication: April 28th 2015 by Scholastic Press
Source: Library Book
Goodreads Summary: History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?
Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.
As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.
Goodreads Summary
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book but it's definitely not made for the casual reader. I do agree with the majority opinion in that this book probably would've been better if it hadn't been so incredibly long, but I wouldn't call it boring like most reviewers. It's just extremely detailed with very little jumping from scene to scene. Instead, Cameron has practically written every single minute from the characters' day to day lives, including writing from multiple characters' point of views of the same events. It's just heavy, detailed reading.
I think the entire concept of the book is very, very interesting and something quite realistic and even probable. The entire dystopian world is based off of the "Before" (*us*) civilization being too dependent on technology and then dying in mass, "the Great Death," when technology was lost. As a result of this, Sophia Bellamy, the main character, lives in a world where technology is forbidden and they instead are subjected to a life similar to the Dark Ages. I definitely agree with Cameron's idea and think that we are too dependent on technology. Whether that would actually lead to people dying in mass, I'm not so sure, but I think her concept is interesting. It's not explained in the book, but in the Author's Note, Cameron explains that Sophia's world is also a result of the Earth's magnetic poles shifting and exposing entire sections of people to radiation and that greatly contributing to "the Great Death" mentioned in her book.
I enjoyed the characters in general but they weren't very unique. I think Sophia is a bit too generic. She's the typical espionage-like female character who is reckless and stubborn yet clever. Tom, Sophia's brother, was sweet and a very likable character for me. LeBlanc, the main antagonist, really put me in the mind of Inspector Javert from Les Mis, except much more disturbing. His whole thing with Fate and worshipping "the Goddess" was very strange and uncomfortable but I'm sure Cameron meant for it to be that way. As for Rene, I enjoyed him again, but didn't think he was anything special and definitely not a new literary crush for me. The way that he's described, I kept picturing the Beast from Beauty & the Beast (in human form). I did really enjoy Rene's family and their interactions with each other, especially when they're all at the engagement party together. They were definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. I think all of Rene's uncles were very well-written and developed well within their small roles in the story. They all had different abilities that worked together and the way they play off of each other and relate to each other was really realistic and enjoyable for me to read. And the idea of a family-run "business" was great for me.
The main issue I had with this was how neatly everything was wrapped up in the end. There was just too much perfect ending for me and too many coincidences. Firstly, it was a bit irritating near the ending when the point of view quickly jumps from character to character, yet each character is thinking the same thing at the same time using the same phrases. It made for smooth transitions I suppose but cheapened the characters' distinguishing personalities. Next, the characters all came to convenient endings that made everything work out perfectly to an ideal ending. And lastly, and probably the one that bothers me the most, Rene's mother and Sophia's backstory was just ridiculously convenient and unrealistic. I think I might have overlooked the previous faults if it weren't for this one. It's just plain cheesy.
Also, what even was with the satellite thing? The entire story there are lights falling through the sky and Sophia is wondering if it's pieces of the Before Time falling from the sky like when the Great Death happened and our satellites literally fell out of orbit. And then she encounters one that says NASA on it. And then the end. It's not developed, there's just this random occurrence laced throughout the story that never actually has a point. I just don't understand why the satellites were included in the story.
Also, I read in the Author's Note that this book is partly inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel and I'm definitely intrigued enough from this book to want to read it now. I enjoyed the Red Rook parts of the book and the entire concept of the Red Rook and considering that those are inspired from the Scarlet Pimpernel, I definitely want to see what inspired them and am suspecting that I will really enjoy it.
Likes: Realistic dystopian idea. Rene's family. The Red Rook idea and how people supported the Red Rook with feathers, etc.
Dislikes: Heavy reading. Cheesy/convenient ending. Satellites why??
Overall:
Recommend? Only if you can handle heavy, detailed reading. Not for most people I think.
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