Tour Review & Giveaway: Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Hey guys! I'm so stoked to be the release day stop on the Dance of the Red Death blog tour today!! Since the moment I finished Masque of the Red Death, I’ve been craving the sequel. When I got the news that I was chosen to be on the tour and would get to read it in advance, I did an embarrassing happy dance around the room. I loved the writing and atmosphere of the first book so much (read about it here) and the ending was cruel! My expectations for the sequel were high, especially considering that it would conclude the series, and I’m happy to say that they were met, though not entirely in the way I had expected, which is a good thing in my book!

You can read my review below, but first a little more info about the book and the author. Also, if you live in the US or Canada, don't miss the giveaway at the bottom!

Relase date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow books
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Goodreads description:
Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.

In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.

Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.

With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.

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ABOUT BETHANY
Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher who prides herself on attracting creative misfits to elective classes like Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, and Speculative Literature. She is the author of Handcuffs & MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (April 2012). She lives with her family in Kentucky.

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REVIEW
Dance of the Red Death picks up right where Masque left off and is every bit as cruel and unflinching about the world it portrays as the first novel, all the while keeping alive that sliver of hope us readers barely dare to hold on to out of fear that it might be crushed. Because I’ve read roughly a hundred books since finishing Masque, it took me a moment to find my way into the world and the exact place in the story again, but once I got my head around it I was once more fully engulfed and invested. If it’s been a while since you finished the first book, you might want to skim over the last couple chapters again if you don’t want to flounder around in the beginning.

I can’t say too much about the plot since it’s easy to spoil important points, but Dance begins with Araby’s group of sort-of-allies recovering out in the swamp outside the city and trying to fix up their airship while arguing about what to do next. Elliott wants to attack Prospero’s castle and return to the city a victorious hero, but Araby doesn’t believe that to be possible and thinks they should return right away. One reason for that is that April’s infection is getting worse, and Araby hopes that if they manage to find her father, he could have a cure.

Araby has come a long way from the detached, oblivion-seeking girl she was at the beginning! Despite still being injured, she shows a spine of steel and is willing to face danger aware of the possible consequences. She wants to find and confront her father, and if possible find a way to atone for what he did. She wants to stop both plagues and put an end to Prospero’s reign. And, of course, she also has to figure out her complicated tangle of feelings towards Elliott and Will.

If you’ve read my review of the first book, you know how I feel about the guys. Will may have betrayed Araby, but his reasons explain his behavior. I’d take him over calculating, possessive Elliott any day. So when Will seemed to be losing ground in the beginning, I admit I was worried and I hurt for him. Bethany Griffin has a great way of construing circumstances that foster mistrust and made me fear that I wanted so badly for the situation to be a certain way that I was ignoring the obvious. That’s one of the things I love so much about this series – you can never be too sure where you stand. Every word has weight, every piece of dialogue, every glance even, has a hidden meaning. So does every kiss, and there’s plenty of those ;)

Araby’s feelings for Elliott and Will are complex but she now knows better than to trust either one. What I loved about her arc was also her will to accomplish something on her own, without having to rely on either of the guys. She doesn’t have to love or choose either simply because they want her. I didn’t necessarily always agree with her actions and choices, but I understood why she made them. This love triangle, if it really is one, works for me because it’s layered and because all characters are really intriguing and the dynamics and shifts of power and influence between them fascinating! It’s never easy to say who’s in charge, who’s lying, who’s playing and manipulating whom.
However, not only the core-trio of Araby, Will, and Elliott is evolving, also April shows traits I would not have expected in her, and we learn more about Prospero, Malcontent, and Araby’s parents. There are also a few minor characters I found very interesting.

The pacing, as in the first book, is a slow, gradual build-up and I admit I was not quite sure where things were headed in the beginning. Thinking about it though, that makes sense considering the setting, the plague, the uncertainty, the chaos. Will Prospero seize power? Will Malcontent? Can Elliott succeed in dethroning his uncle, and if so, will that really make things any better? Will the only winner be the Red Death, in the end? Bethany Griffin sets up all the dominos in quiet deliberation, building up tension… then she lets them fall, and the plot unravels in twists and turns I never saw coming! As the end drew near, I was torn between craving to read fast to see what was happening and wanting to read slowly and savor the gorgeous prose and lush description.

I love how E.A. Poe’s work is woven into the story this time. I feel that it’s much closer to his short story than the first book. There, it’s mostly the general mood and the idea of wearing masks, of a plague raging outside while the wealthy and beautiful feast in a seemingly closed-off, sheltered space. In Dance, a lot more elements are picked up on and built into the tale with a twist. I can’t reveal more because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but let’s just say you will get more of the last few chapter’s if you’ve read Poe’s Masque of the Red Death.

As you can tell, Dance of the Red Death was fantastic to me. I loved the character and power dynamics, but above all the writing. Bethany Griffin knows how to craft an emotional punch into the simplest of sentences. She can make my heart clench with a single, well-placed cruel word. Much of the power of her language and of the emotions in the novel come from what is not said, what is implied between the lines or in gestures. I really like the way the story turned out, but I also feel bittersweet about the ending. I’m not ready to say goodbye, and at the same time, it’s a good place to leave things to the reader’s imagination. Regardless, I know that Araby, Will, Elliott, and April will haunt my mind for a long time to come, and I look forward to re-reading their adventures!


GIVEAWAY
- US / Canada only!
- Grand Prize- Poe Nail Decals, Masque of The Red Death inspired bracelet, Hardcover of Masque of the Red Death, bracelet, and a bookmark!
- 3 Hardcover of Masque of the Red Death, bracelet, and a bookmark!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Have you guys read Masque of the Red Death? Are you excited about the sequel? What do you think of my review, or the general idea of the series? I'd love to hear from you! Also, check out the rest of the tour below - there are some great interviews and guest posts!

6/3/2013     Fiktshun     Guest Post

6/4/2013     Two Chicks on Books     Guest Post

6/5/2013     Katie's Book Blog     Interview

6/6/2013     The Starry-Eyed Revue     Guest Post

6/7/2013     Burning Impossibly Bright     Character Interview

6/10/2013     Coffee, Books and Me     Guest Post

6/11/2013     Shelfspace Needed     Review

6/12/2013     Shortie Says     Character Interview

6/13/2013     Lust For Stories     Review

6/14/2013     The Bookish Brunette     Review

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors and Books I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the lovely people at The Broke and The Bookish. Every week, all the bloggers participating post their Top Ten list of a certain topic.

This week's topic is: Top ten authors and books I'm thankful for.

I'm not American so I don't do Thanksgiving, but seeing all those posts on twitter and around the blogosphere always gets me in a pensive mood, too, and makes me remember what and who I'm grateful to have in my life. So I'll give this list a try... as always, no particular order.
Sorry for the lack of pictures but there would be so many and the formatting always drives me nuts if I want them to look nice in the text.

1. Stephen King - On Writing
   I love this book and I've read it several times. Most of what I know about writing and how I approach it I've learned from here. It's written in a way that even my 17-year-old self could understand.
2. Ralf Isau - Der Kreis der Dämmerung (Circle of the Dawn)
   This is an epic saga in 4 volumes, spanning the entire 20th century. I've read all the books at least twice. They've made me laugh and cry and feel pretty much any emotion known to man. Reading makes me remember what's important. And I just love David Camden as a character.
3. J.R.R. Tokien - The Lord of the Rings
   Probably no explanation needed for this one... I first red it 10 years ago and have been meaning to re-read it... for the 5th time. It was part of my introduction to fantasy books.
4. Wolfgang & Heike Hohlbein
   I'm grateful for pretty much any book they've co-written between 1982 and 2004. I don't really know their more recent work. Some of my favorites are Der Greif, Dreizehn, Krieg der Engel, and Spiegelzeit. Those were the reads of my early to mid teens and fueled my imagination. I got another 2 or so from the school library every week (yes they wrote tons of books).
5. Kate Griffin - A Madness of Angels
   One of the best Urban Fantasy books I've ever read. Her writing blows my mind every time! It makes me see the city through fresh eyes again, and it makes me believe that maybe magic is still possible even these days.
6. Holly Black
   Anything she's written is amazing. She comes up with such great ways to express things, and her writing is very courageous and touches on topics that I think many authors shy away from or skirt around.
7. Poppy Z. Brite - Lost Souls
   For putting the bite back into vampires. Well, for me at least since I read it about 18 years after it was published. Great writing, though sometimes on the vey gory side.
8. Stephen King - Dark Tower series
   Roland Deschain and his ka-tet. Their journey will be with me until the day I breathe my last.
9. Edgar Allan Poe
   I love his poems and short stories. He's hard to grasp but he was a big influence on me, especially his way of approaching short story writing in one of his essays.
10. Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray
    I have no way to express my feels. I really love and admire this man. I even visited his grave in Paris, and I'm grateful I got there before they put this weird glass wall around it. One of my most treasured memories.
11. John Keats, Stephen Crane, John Donne, William Carlos Williams, Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, John Milton, William Blake...
    I'm sure I forgot some. A very cut-back list of some of my favorite poets.

I realized that I put a big (too much?) focus on modern authors and forgot about all the Classics I read for university, many of which have left a big impression on me. That's part of the reason for number 11. Also, poems are very underrated. More people should read and discuss them.

Review: Enshadowed, by Kelly Creagh

Release date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Format: Hardcover, 429 pages

Description from the dust jacket:

Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dreamworld – a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by nightmares of Varen’s creation, is the only one who can save him.

Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning hours of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the “Poe Toaster” will make his annual homage at the legendary poet’s grave.

Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds. But great dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen’s affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent.

Could Isobel’s greatest love also be her greatest adversary?

The following review is based on a copy I purchased myself.

Do not read if you haven't read Nevermore and don't want to be spoiled!!!

Review (no spoilers):

I have waited for this book for more than a year, with big expectations and not a little fear for what the novel would hold in store for Isobel and Varen – I was not disappointed on any of those accounts. Trying to review Enshadowed is difficult for me because there is just no way I can do this book justice. Anything I say will be bland compared to the experience of reading it. It made me laugh, it surprised me, it scared me, intrigued me, and it left me in pieces – as it well should.

The ending of Nevermore left Isobel in the real world while Varen was a captive in the dreamworld he helped create. Enshadowed picks up a few weeks later. Isobel has still not found a way to reach Varen but is trying to convince her parents to take her to Baltimore for a ‘university trip’ so that she can then sneak off and intercept Reynolds, aka the Poe Toaster, at Poe’s grave and make him take her to Varen. Meanwhile, she is under a lot of strain because the police, her teacher Mr Swanson, and basically the entire student body think that she has at least an idea about where Varen went. Isobel feels terrible for leaving him behind, even though she was tricked by Reynolds into doing it, and she is hell-bent of finding him and bringing him back no matter what.

However, there are signs of Varen reaching out to her in her dreams and Isobel is finding it harder and harder to distinguish between waking and sleeping, between what is real and what should not be real. Pinfeathers, one of the Nocs created by Varen, is haunting her both in he dreams and in the real world. I never thought I’d say this but I grew to love Pinfeathers. In Nevermore, he plain scared me (though during the re-read I learned to appreciate his sense of humor) but the Pinfeathers in Enshadowed is changed, and Isobel can no longer be sure about who is friend and who is foe. The connection between Pinfeathers and Varen is one I found very fascinating, as are the parallels between Varen and Poe and their relations to the dreamworld and to the veiled female figure who lured them there and whom I cannot really talk about without spoilers.

Isobel is a very strong heroine, refusing to give up even as everyone around her, in the know or not, tells her to turn her back on Varen and get on with her life, lies to her, or otherwise tries to hinder her. Comparing her to the spoilt cheerleader she was at the beginning of Nevermore, she has undergone incredible growth! And she does not wallow in self-pity, even though she has reason enough to do it.

Also the minor characters gain a lot more depth in the sequel: Isobel’s family plays an important role, we get to know Gwen better and there is also some light shed on Varen’s parents and his past in general. I’m still not sure I have figured out how it’s all connected but I have theories ;) Kelly Creagh definitely keeps the reader guessing, and I loved that!

Of course what I loved most of all was the wonderful, rich and lyrical prose. Not once does Creagh resort to a clichéd description; instead, she comes up with wonderful new similes and metaphors that fit her story perfectly. She creates moods and scenes that will pull the reader right into the story, at her mercy to be awed or terrified. Poe’s writing is a phantom haunting the story, woven through it in an unobtrusive yet recognizable way to those who know his stories and poetry. And it’s not just random phrases, quotes or allusions – it’s the deeper themes, the places, the names… I could write an essay just on intertextuality in this series.

All in all, this is a wonderfully crafted, dark read full of mystery and its very own brand of magic, both in the story and in the words Creagh uses to tell it. It will make you laugh and cry and shake your fist at the injustice of the world, and like the notes of a certain lullaby, it will haunt your mind for a long time to come.

I could rhapsodize on forevermore but this is a novel you just have to read for yourself to feel its full effect. I can’t wait for the conclusion of this trilogy!

P.S.: And yet I feel I should ramble on because this is too short to possibly do the story justice… maybe I’ll edit it at a later point. My brain is still too bedazzled but I had to get this on the page while still ‘under the influence’, so to speak.

Have you read Enshadowed? What were your thoughts? Predictions? Fears? Favorite bits? Let me know in the comments :)

Review: Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Release date: April 24th, 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: Hardcover, 319 pages

Goodreads description:
Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club--in the depths of her own despair--Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for--no matter what it costs her.


For this one I have to go back to my old review format because I have a lot to say about it, even though I find it difficult to really structure my thougths.
This review is based on a copy I bought myself.

Review (no spoilers):

Set in a city plagued by disease against the backdrop of a Victorianesque society both destroyed and saved by science, Masque of the Red Death explores the deeds humans are capable of in the midst of despair. The story unfolds at a measured pace in what I can only call gorgeous, atmospheric prose and follows the journey of Araby as she struggles to find something worth living and fighting for in a place where everyone has a secret agenda and she herself is a valuable pawn.

Araby is not your typical heroine. She is privileged because her father is the scientist who invented the masks that allow those who have enough money to buy them to walk around outside without catching the incurable disease that poisons the very air. However, she is also weighed down by guilt, seeking oblivion in drugs and alcohol at the Debauchery club with her friend April. Araby has been very lonely and self-destructive since her twin brother, Finn, died of the plague and her parents show little interest in her.

Blaming herself for Finn’s death, she has taken a vow not to let herself experience anything that he won’t get around to – no kissing, no sex, no other outstanding experiences. She is just drifting by – apart from the short moment upon entering the club, when she is tested for infection by Will, the dark, tattooed and mysterious club employee. Will is off limits – not just because of Araby’s vow, but because he is poor and lives in the Lower City.

I empathized with Araby and enjoyed watching her grow and become a stronger, better person, and I simply adored Will. He cares about her and risks his own life more than once to help her without asking for anything in return. Through him, Araby is ripped from her lethargy as she tries to aid him and his siblings in return. For the city is close to an upheaval against the reign of Prince Prospero, who keeps a tight leash on the mask production and distribution while the streets are literally lined with corpses. Going out after dark without an escort of armed guardians is unthinkable as the poor’s’ discontent reaches new heights.

Enter Elliot, April’s brother. He shows some kind of interest in Araby, yet determining whether he truly likes her or simply needs her for his own plans because of her position as the scientist’s daughter is unclear. I never really took to him, to be honest, nor did I trust him. But when April disappears and Elliott asks Araby for help in retrieving her, how can she refuse? How much is she willing to sacrifice for the good of the city or the lives of her remaining family? When a new plague, the Red Death, starts to spread through the city streets, mayhem and chaos ensue…

The pace of the novel might be slow for some readers, but I enjoyed the build-up. I could easily get lost in the lush prose and the realistic and sometimes gruesome descriptions of a world where death is ubiquitous and hope nearly extinct. The world-building was excellent and Bethany Griffin lets her readers piece together many things on their own – I liked the mystery in that, and there were twists I never would have seen coming. I was also a sucker for the bittersweet mixture of budding romance, betrayal, and guilt. This is a dark read, but one that will stay on your mind for a long time!

Spoilery personal thoughts:

I was very impressed by the world-building, as I have already said. Just imagine growing up in a world where no one wants to go outside! Imagine being a kid but never going to the park, never playing ball with your friends because any small accident could crack your mask and damn you – if you are lucky enough to have parents who can afford a mask for you. Without one, kids cannot even enter school or otherwise be around people for fear of infection. Infected people can be killed on sight, and the corpse collectors are always busy. Not wearing a mask is unthinkable for Araby and other rich people. Many of them never leave their apartments and have lower-class servants run all their errands. I would go crazy if I had to hole up inside like this, without ever even being able to air the rooms! How do you live when death and disease are ever-present?

Another thing I adored was that even in the midst of all this death, there were glimpses of hope – people still read poetry and stories, there are even some who still go to the university to hold unofficial courses. There is something alike to street art. There are people who do selfless things. The ambivalence of science was also something I enjoyed. And the changes in fashion and behavior brought on by the disease! The dress code became way more revealing – it is important to show that your legs are free of blisters or other signs of the illness. Long skirts are suspicious. Women gained the permission to enter the clubs where the wealthy try to forget about the terrible situation for a few hours every night. Though I must admit that I would have liked to see more of what goes on at the Debauchery club… the story tends to black out after Araby drugs herself and set back in when she regains consciousness. Apart from that, the threatening atmosphere in some parts of the club was very well rendered!

I could go on forever about Will, and how I like him so much better than Elliott despite what he did near the end. Elliott is very messed up, but that’s no excuse for how badly he treats Araby and pushes her into doing things for him that are dangerous to her and her father while keeping most of the important information from her. I could ramble on forever about this, about Prospero, I could go into how Masque picks up on elements of Poe’s story, but I’ve been rambling on for too long already. Let’s just leave it at the fact that I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the sequel! Oh, and the cover is simply perfect and suits the novel well.

I’m sure I missed many aspects of the story I enjoyed or wanted to touch on, but I’m trying (and apparently failing) to make my reviews less lengthy. If you’ve read the book and remember something that struck you but that I didn’t bring up, feel free to comment and initiate a discussion! What are you people’s thoughts on the book? Did you enjoy it? Was there something that annoyed you? Do you prefer Will or Elliott? Tell me in the comments :)