Scan barcode
dherzey's review against another edition
2.0
Gosh, this was just so, so DISAPPOINTING.
As usual, the plague-ridden world is still compelling but everything else just fell flat and not as complex as the first book.
Araby is a different person here. She's not that girl who watches the world through a window anymore. She's finally learning to be strong and fight. Now, she found another reason to live for: to save her best friend, April, and find the cure. And no, she won't let romance or those two hot boys hinder her. No, no, no. She will do what she has to do to save her friend.
Frankly, I think she's just making an excuse to not feel useless. I mean, for the first few pages, there is nothing but the love triangle, which I remember is something to positively anticipate judging from the first book. But in here, it was just so like the other annoying love triangles out there. Elliot became the possessive love triangle guy and Will was that other guy warning Araby that she should stay away from Elliot. Thankfully, Araby didn't became that girl who's playing ping pong in her head choosing between the two. But she did do things I totally became FRUSTRATED over and just wanted to SMACK her over the head for it.
Okay, it's obvious she still loves Will and I know that she doesn't like the possessive way that Elliot does BUT I can't also accept that she chooses Will and forgive him that easily. And seriously? It is just fucking cruel to lead Elliot like that, making him believe that he has a fucking chance. What the fuck are you thinking Araby? And the poor guy just lost his family and has a father who wanted him dead plus a city to rule. Elliot just seemed like a sad, tortured guy who just needs someone beside him, comforting him, preventing him to be the tyrant all of you are afraid he might be. But.......ugh, you chose a guy that has no complexities or whatever.
Fuck you, Araby. Fuck this book's ending too.
God, I just hate it when my ship didn't float. Just fucking hate it.
Anyway, her goal-oriented plan on saving April seemed forced sometimes and I just don't give a damn about it. I mean, who cares about April? She isn't given much personality in either book to truly make her a beloved character for me. The character's grayness also seemed lost in here and Elliot and Will became this lovesick heroes that I dislike. No more shocking betrayals or intriguing situations that makes the reader confused in a good way, either. Everything just fell flat. Yes, the setting is still described in that dark, gloomy way but it isn't as dismally compelling anymore. Everything just lost its spark. The plot is not that intricate and the writing just became awkward in places. The motives behind the two bad guys are just confusing in a bad way. Malcontent just continue to infect everyone, shove religion down their throat and burn churches. Prince Prospero's motives was a little more obvious but I still don't get why he just handed down the city and didn't kill Elliot before when he got the chance. Sadly, they could actually be great villains if only given more thought and time to develop.
So, of course, there's the masked ball like in the story where it is based upon (btw, I haven't yet read the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, but I will surely get on to it) and it is one of the story's highlights that I actually like. I just hate that the ending left me unsatisfied but it also gave me a sense of hope for their world. But honestly, I felt that this book could have ended much better.
As usual, the plague-ridden world is still compelling but everything else just fell flat and not as complex as the first book.
"I've been looking for oblivion in all the wrong ways."
Araby is a different person here. She's not that girl who watches the world through a window anymore. She's finally learning to be strong and fight. Now, she found another reason to live for: to save her best friend, April, and find the cure. And no, she won't let romance or those two hot boys hinder her. No, no, no. She will do what she has to do to save her friend.
"April is my best friend. My priority is getting her to my father. Not flirting. Or romance. That sort of thing can wait."
Frankly, I think she's just making an excuse to not feel useless. I mean, for the first few pages, there is nothing but the love triangle, which I remember is something to positively anticipate judging from the first book. But in here, it was just so like the other annoying love triangles out there. Elliot became the possessive love triangle guy and Will was that other guy warning Araby that she should stay away from Elliot. Thankfully, Araby didn't became that girl who's playing ping pong in her head choosing between the two. But she did do things I totally became FRUSTRATED over and just wanted to SMACK her over the head for it.
Spoiler
I can't believe she chose Will -- "the guy who is just too boring unless he is taking care of his siblings" guy?! In the book, Araby kisses Elliot quite a few times and Elliot fucking confessed his LOVE for her and he seemed really genuine. I know he is manipulative, unpredictable and cannot be trusted but he fucking saved you over and over again and promises you protection! He said he loves you and you did what? Convince yourself he didn't love you when he just fucking said it on your face! I just felt so cheated because it seemed like Araby can fall in love with him despite everything and she just thinks about Elliot did this and said that all the time. They just click with each other -- different yet both can be ruthless when the time calls for it.Okay, it's obvious she still loves Will and I know that she doesn't like the possessive way that Elliot does BUT I can't also accept that she chooses Will and forgive him that easily. And seriously? It is just fucking cruel to lead Elliot like that, making him believe that he has a fucking chance. What the fuck are you thinking Araby? And the poor guy just lost his family and has a father who wanted him dead plus a city to rule. Elliot just seemed like a sad, tortured guy who just needs someone beside him, comforting him, preventing him to be the tyrant all of you are afraid he might be. But.......ugh, you chose a guy that has no complexities or whatever.
Fuck you, Araby. Fuck this book's ending too.
God, I just hate it when my ship didn't float. Just fucking hate it.
Anyway, her goal-oriented plan on saving April seemed forced sometimes and I just don't give a damn about it. I mean, who cares about April? She isn't given much personality in either book to truly make her a beloved character for me. The character's grayness also seemed lost in here and Elliot and Will became this lovesick heroes that I dislike. No more shocking betrayals or intriguing situations that makes the reader confused in a good way, either. Everything just fell flat. Yes, the setting is still described in that dark, gloomy way but it isn't as dismally compelling anymore. Everything just lost its spark. The plot is not that intricate and the writing just became awkward in places. The motives behind the two bad guys are just confusing in a bad way. Malcontent just continue to infect everyone, shove religion down their throat and burn churches. Prince Prospero's motives was a little more obvious but I still don't get why he just handed down the city and didn't kill Elliot before when he got the chance. Sadly, they could actually be great villains if only given more thought and time to develop.
So, of course, there's the masked ball like in the story where it is based upon (btw, I haven't yet read the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, but I will surely get on to it) and it is one of the story's highlights that I actually like. I just hate that the ending left me unsatisfied
Spoiler
it ended with Araby asking when is Will's birthday and if they can have a party (meh)michalice's review against another edition
5.0
I loved Masque of the Red Death last year, and I have been looking forward to picking up the adventure with Araby, Elliot, Will and April and seeing what happen next with this group of unlikely companions. Dance of the Red Death picks up immediately after Masque left off, so you don't miss out on any crucial information and are able to jump straight into the book.
When I began reading I was initially confused over who Will and Elliot were but a few pages in I had it reaffirmed in my head who had the siblings and who ran the club, and from then on I had no problems trying to figure out who was who. Dance of the Red Death sees this group travel from the city, to the dangerous swamps, and then back into the city in search of Araby's father and a cure for April.
Malcontent is still making his presence known destroying masks and encouraging children to spread the contagion to unsuspecting people. Prospero is again up to no good and Araby, Will, and Elliot don't have an easy journey.
Dance of the Red Death is just as addictive as Masque was, the city is in ruins and we get to see Araby, Will, and Elliot form a tentative allegiance in order to get back the city from Prospero's and Malcontent's grasp, and make it a safer place for all, although Elliot has ulterior motives for his part in this overthrow and Will does all he can to ensure Elliot's fight is not easy or unfair.
Araby has come so far and changed so much, with everything she has gone through it was bound to happen, especially when she hears a few home truths about how the disease began. The constant backwards and forwards between Will and Elliott drove me crazy sometimes. I wanted her to choose Will for all the right reasons, and although he did sell her out in Masque for his siblings, she comes to the realisation she would do the exact same thing to him. Every time she was with Elliott I was telling her to go back to Will, that Elliot was no good for her and that he didn't really want her for himself, and that it felt like he wanted her so Will couldn't have her.
Will and Elliot also grow as characters themselves, although not necessary in a good way. We get to see the real Elliot, the person who he tries to hide from Araby, and parts of him I did not like. He is sneaky and sly and really only looking out for himself. We also get to see why Will sold out on Araby, and how much his family, and Araby, means to him.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dance of the Red Death It was a fantastic conclusion to this duology but what an ending it was. The last few chapters had me on tenterhooks, wondering what would happen and worrying about the characters that were left behind or taken and worrying about what would happen to Araby. Bethany Griffin has taken me on an amazing journey with her words and I did not want this adventure to come to an end.
When I began reading I was initially confused over who Will and Elliot were but a few pages in I had it reaffirmed in my head who had the siblings and who ran the club, and from then on I had no problems trying to figure out who was who. Dance of the Red Death sees this group travel from the city, to the dangerous swamps, and then back into the city in search of Araby's father and a cure for April.
Malcontent is still making his presence known destroying masks and encouraging children to spread the contagion to unsuspecting people. Prospero is again up to no good and Araby, Will, and Elliot don't have an easy journey.
Dance of the Red Death is just as addictive as Masque was, the city is in ruins and we get to see Araby, Will, and Elliot form a tentative allegiance in order to get back the city from Prospero's and Malcontent's grasp, and make it a safer place for all, although Elliot has ulterior motives for his part in this overthrow and Will does all he can to ensure Elliot's fight is not easy or unfair.
Araby has come so far and changed so much, with everything she has gone through it was bound to happen, especially when she hears a few home truths about how the disease began. The constant backwards and forwards between Will and Elliott drove me crazy sometimes. I wanted her to choose Will for all the right reasons, and although he did sell her out in Masque for his siblings, she comes to the realisation she would do the exact same thing to him. Every time she was with Elliott I was telling her to go back to Will, that Elliot was no good for her and that he didn't really want her for himself, and that it felt like he wanted her so Will couldn't have her.
Will and Elliot also grow as characters themselves, although not necessary in a good way. We get to see the real Elliot, the person who he tries to hide from Araby, and parts of him I did not like. He is sneaky and sly and really only looking out for himself. We also get to see why Will sold out on Araby, and how much his family, and Araby, means to him.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dance of the Red Death It was a fantastic conclusion to this duology but what an ending it was. The last few chapters had me on tenterhooks, wondering what would happen and worrying about the characters that were left behind or taken and worrying about what would happen to Araby. Bethany Griffin has taken me on an amazing journey with her words and I did not want this adventure to come to an end.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
3.0
Araby has escaped the city, leaving the Red Death and the chaos behind. Reeling from the betrayal of both Will and her father, she takes refuge in the swamp and in the arms of Elliott. But they can’t rest for long; Araby searches her father’s notebook for clues for a cure, and his innocence. She knows she must return to the city and face Malcontent if she is to have any chance of saving April.
I wish the last 100 pages of The Dance of the Red Death had been expanded upon to be the whole novel. In fact, the title suggests the dance would be the central element. Prospero is determined to hold a great ball in the face of the Red Death; his entertainments cruel and controlling. The scenes at the dance are dark and menacing, will a real threat towards the characters. The chiming of the clock and the masquerade, hark back to the original inspiration that was Poe’s story. Yet, everything seemed to be rushed over, from the starting pages, right through to the startling end. I wanted to love this book but it contained too much and not enough in depth.
There is no chemistry between Araby and Elliott. Every time she turned to him, I felt it was just so the reader would be put out on Will’s behalf. In The Masque of the Red Death, my loyalties swung between her two suitors but this time, I was just annoyed that she was stringing Elliott along and not forgiving Will.
Malcontent’s army, the people in the swamp, Elliott’s band of rebels, Araby’s father, Prospero’s kidnapping antics, the sinister ball and the constant sense of running from one life or death situation to the next, didn’t really leave space for anything to be developed in full. Ultimately, I ended up enjoying the book, mostly for Prospero’s evilness but it could have been so much more.
I wish the last 100 pages of The Dance of the Red Death had been expanded upon to be the whole novel. In fact, the title suggests the dance would be the central element. Prospero is determined to hold a great ball in the face of the Red Death; his entertainments cruel and controlling. The scenes at the dance are dark and menacing, will a real threat towards the characters. The chiming of the clock and the masquerade, hark back to the original inspiration that was Poe’s story. Yet, everything seemed to be rushed over, from the starting pages, right through to the startling end. I wanted to love this book but it contained too much and not enough in depth.
There is no chemistry between Araby and Elliott. Every time she turned to him, I felt it was just so the reader would be put out on Will’s behalf. In The Masque of the Red Death, my loyalties swung between her two suitors but this time, I was just annoyed that she was stringing Elliott along and not forgiving Will.
Malcontent’s army, the people in the swamp, Elliott’s band of rebels, Araby’s father, Prospero’s kidnapping antics, the sinister ball and the constant sense of running from one life or death situation to the next, didn’t really leave space for anything to be developed in full. Ultimately, I ended up enjoying the book, mostly for Prospero’s evilness but it could have been so much more.
jeslyncat's review against another edition
4.0
A fitting sequel to Griffin's other novel, I really enjoyed the continuation of the characters and the world that she and Poe created. The book lost a star for me because I felt the ending was predictable, and lacking something--not sure what. I did truly enjoy that not everyone was happy in the end, but I felt that major plot points went unexplained--and details are Griffin's strongest asset.
mamap's review against another edition
2.0
The second half of the first book. Yes, that's annoying.
The harshness of a world destroyed by a plague is valid, but I don't know that we need to wallow. Still, deciding to be strong and face reality instead of escaping into oblivion is valid.
The harshness of a world destroyed by a plague is valid, but I don't know that we need to wallow. Still, deciding to be strong and face reality instead of escaping into oblivion is valid.
postitsandpens's review against another edition
3.0
I would be curious to see if the first book in this series stands up to its initial five star rating, but I'm not curious enough to actually reread it. I had forgotten a lot of the details from book one, which I do think influenced my reading of this one, as I didn't find myself terribly connected to any of the characters. The gothic feeling of the book was first rate, although perhaps reading about a plague that was sweeping the city was a bit too close to home considering everything that's gone on in the world the past year and a half, and while I enjoyed the story and adventure, I didn't like certain aspects at all. Regardless, I'm happy to cross another series off my to-read list, and to purge another book from my overflowing collection.
Spoiler
I will say that at least Araby ended up with the better guy, LOL. So that's one point in its favor.rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
3.0
This was an adventure. Everyone was always running somewhere, but unfortunately, they went back and forth a lot. It kind of got old fast. How many times can they escape in one book? Overall, it fell kind of flat for me. I don't think I'm a Steampunk person. It was well done, I just wasn't thrilled, unfortunately. The girls didn't seem to do much or show a ton of attitude in the first book, but it was better in this book. Araby got to do some important stuff, but it seemed at a majority of the time she was wondering what to do and thinking that her best option was just staying put. Also, if there's going to be a third book, I don't know how interesting it will be. It seems like all of the action happened already and all that will be left is the aftermath and clean up.
golden_lily's review against another edition
2.0
Update 7/25/13
Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews
This entire review contains spoilers not only for Dance of the Red Death, but book one as well.
What the hell happened to this series?
Masque of the Red Death was a really fun, atmospheric affair dealing with teen grief, suicide, drug use, and sex in a world inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story by the same name. It supposes what life would be like outside of abbey with disease striking down the poor, as well as the feeling of unrest that would come with having a ruler who hides in his home while the people suffer. It ends with all the major characters on a balloon, floating towards Prince Prospero’s palace and their predestined party, ready to confront him for what he’s put the city through.
So why it takes them 80% of the second novel to reach the eponymous ball is beyond me.
Dance takes place immediately following Masque and instead of flying straight to the palace, our heroes instead spend 270 pages wallowing in their love triangle. People who read the first book may recall Will BETRAYED Araby at the end of book one, which would seemingly eliminate him from competition, but no. We are not that lucky. Instead, the characters wander through all of the sets from the first book, despite having two homicidal maniacs after them, while Araby bemoans having to choose.
There are so many plot holes, rushed developments, characters appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as easily. Frankly, it’s badly written. Examples:
”The Hunter” is released into the swamp because Thom feels bad for the prisoner. Elliott is furious. This isn’t mentioned again until they’re back in the same house in the swamp and he magically reappears at the same time as the heroes. Thom ALSO hasn’t been mentioned in about as many pages. They exist solely for these two scenes.
Mina, another character they find in the swamp, has NO development, yet they let her join the band and follow them around for the rest of the book. They find her. 100 pages later she leads them to an orphanage. The end.
Araby is told her father is dead. She pays a man on the street a diamond for his glasses as proof. He’s not dead. There’s no explanation as to how the man got the false information or the glasses. Elliot gives her the diamond back in the next scene with no explanation as to how he got it. Prospero uses the glasses as part of his ball. No explanation for that either.
Araby figures out that the water pump is in the swamp. She risks her life to give this information to Will and free him so he can activate it. She forgets to tell him where she hid the keys to make it run.
The maids and the jailer who agree to help her free Will are killed and displayed at the ball. Will still escapes. No explanation as to how.
She tells Will she’s also freeing him so he can take April, who is dying from the virus, to her father, the murderous Reverend Malcontent, because he has a cure. April dies offscreen while this conversation happens.
Prospero commissions a giant, mysterious clock just so he can die at the foot of it. While this harkens back to the original story, it doesn’t fit in this one. Several other references to the original are shoehorned in.
Especially in a fantasy novel, suspension of disbelief is important. I could move past one or two unexplained coincidences, but the fact that Prospero seems to be several steps ahead of the heroes, including planting one of his seven items for Araby ON Elliott, and knows things that no one but Elliott does, seems to indicate he’s either a genius and mastermind, in which case he should put up way more of a fight at the end, or much more likely, Elliott is on his side.
Which takes us to the end. Will and Thom risk life and limb to make sure Elliott holds elections once everything is done. They set Araby up as a hero who helps the common people, who rescues orphans and brings clean water to a city under plague, while Elliott is a power-mad dictator like Prospero. Elliott runs unopposed.
When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. The fact that the world is suddenly sunshine and children’s laughter doesn’t jive with the gradual change to villain they’ve set up for Elliott. Either the book is so badly written that the author accidentally, to use a wrestling term, turned a love interest heel, or the main character installed another dictator on the throne and is more concerned with throwing birthday parties than worrying about her mistakes. Either way, what a horrible ending to this duology.
7/23/13: Well that was an almost unprecedented disappointment. Review to come.
Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews
This entire review contains spoilers not only for Dance of the Red Death, but book one as well.
What the hell happened to this series?
Masque of the Red Death was a really fun, atmospheric affair dealing with teen grief, suicide, drug use, and sex in a world inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story by the same name. It supposes what life would be like outside of abbey with disease striking down the poor, as well as the feeling of unrest that would come with having a ruler who hides in his home while the people suffer. It ends with all the major characters on a balloon, floating towards Prince Prospero’s palace and their predestined party, ready to confront him for what he’s put the city through.
So why it takes them 80% of the second novel to reach the eponymous ball is beyond me.
Dance takes place immediately following Masque and instead of flying straight to the palace, our heroes instead spend 270 pages wallowing in their love triangle. People who read the first book may recall Will BETRAYED Araby at the end of book one, which would seemingly eliminate him from competition, but no. We are not that lucky. Instead, the characters wander through all of the sets from the first book, despite having two homicidal maniacs after them, while Araby bemoans having to choose.
There are so many plot holes, rushed developments, characters appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as easily. Frankly, it’s badly written. Examples:
”The Hunter” is released into the swamp because Thom feels bad for the prisoner. Elliott is furious. This isn’t mentioned again until they’re back in the same house in the swamp and he magically reappears at the same time as the heroes. Thom ALSO hasn’t been mentioned in about as many pages. They exist solely for these two scenes.
Mina, another character they find in the swamp, has NO development, yet they let her join the band and follow them around for the rest of the book. They find her. 100 pages later she leads them to an orphanage. The end.
Araby is told her father is dead. She pays a man on the street a diamond for his glasses as proof. He’s not dead. There’s no explanation as to how the man got the false information or the glasses. Elliot gives her the diamond back in the next scene with no explanation as to how he got it. Prospero uses the glasses as part of his ball. No explanation for that either.
Araby figures out that the water pump is in the swamp. She risks her life to give this information to Will and free him so he can activate it. She forgets to tell him where she hid the keys to make it run.
The maids and the jailer who agree to help her free Will are killed and displayed at the ball. Will still escapes. No explanation as to how.
She tells Will she’s also freeing him so he can take April, who is dying from the virus, to her father, the murderous Reverend Malcontent, because he has a cure. April dies offscreen while this conversation happens.
Prospero commissions a giant, mysterious clock just so he can die at the foot of it. While this harkens back to the original story, it doesn’t fit in this one. Several other references to the original are shoehorned in.
Especially in a fantasy novel, suspension of disbelief is important. I could move past one or two unexplained coincidences, but the fact that Prospero seems to be several steps ahead of the heroes, including planting one of his seven items for Araby ON Elliott, and knows things that no one but Elliott does, seems to indicate he’s either a genius and mastermind, in which case he should put up way more of a fight at the end, or much more likely, Elliott is on his side.
Which takes us to the end. Will and Thom risk life and limb to make sure Elliott holds elections once everything is done. They set Araby up as a hero who helps the common people, who rescues orphans and brings clean water to a city under plague, while Elliott is a power-mad dictator like Prospero. Elliott runs unopposed.
When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. The fact that the world is suddenly sunshine and children’s laughter doesn’t jive with the gradual change to villain they’ve set up for Elliott. Either the book is so badly written that the author accidentally, to use a wrestling term, turned a love interest heel, or the main character installed another dictator on the throne and is more concerned with throwing birthday parties than worrying about her mistakes. Either way, what a horrible ending to this duology.
7/23/13: Well that was an almost unprecedented disappointment. Review to come.