Review: Glitter & Doom by Bethany Griffin

Title: Glitter & Doom
Author: Bethany Griffin
Published: 26 March 2013
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: ****

Glitter & Doom ( Masque of the Red Death #1.5) by Bethany Griffin

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A 50-page, digital-only novella set in the world of Bethany Griffin's dark and haunting retelling of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story Masque of the Red Death. When a rich teenage girl who spends her nights in the most desirable club and a smart, young inventor meet, they might have more in common than they know.

April, niece to the dying city's cruel dictator, is Araby Worth's glittery and frivolous best friend. But she's more than she appears. And when she disappeared in Masque of the Red Death, where did she go? This short novella answers that question, taking us deep underneath the crumbling city, where April crosses paths with Kent, the serious young inventor who is key to rebellion. Glitter & Doom is a story of chilling action, of spies, and of surprising love. Can love be anything but doomed is a city that's burning down around its survivors?
A dark, unnerving story about two of the most fascinating characters from Masque of the Red Death.

Review: 

I decided to read Glitter and Doom both as part of the Novella Reading Week being hosted by  Fiktshun & Magical Urban Fantasy Reads   and because being currently sategically placed between Masque of the Red Death, which I read a few weeks ago (see my review here) and Dance of the Red Death, which I am planning to read next week and this novella has been written to be read in between these novels. So the timing was excellent as is the this novella.  

Glitter & Doom is essentially April and Kent's respective stories.  We only see relatively small aspects of these characters in Masque of the Red Death so I really enjoyed getting a better insight into both of these characters and seeing how their stories contributed to the whole that is the Masque of the Red Death Series.

I like that we get to see a whole other side of April in this novella other than the shallow girl that is depicted in the majority of book 1.  This novella starts when April is 11 and Elliott 13 and ends shortly before the end of Masque so we get to see some of the events that have shaped the person that April has become as well as seeing some of the behind the scenes of what was happening in Masque.

We also got to see some more of Kent, a little bit of where he came from and I felt this gave me a better sense of who Kent is and where he fits in this series. 

I think you definitely need to have ahead Masque to be able to truly get everything out of this novella and I think it will make ain't Dance of the Red Death that much better having a read this novella.

I give this novella four stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Title: Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1)
Author: Bethany Griffin
Published: 24 April 2014
Source: Library
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: ****

Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1) by Bethany Griffin

Goodreads | Book Depository

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.

Review: 

Masque of the Red Death was an intriguing novel to read.  Part steampunk, part dystopian, Masque of the Red Death  takes place in a city,  cut off from pretty much anywhere else and with the majority of its population dead or dying of a plague known as the weeping sickness.  Time in a sense has frozen as life has become all about survival with those wealthy enough to afford masks to keep out the sickness either hide away from society or spend their time partying night after night and the poor doing what they can to survive.  The only thing they have in common is  unhappiness and unrest at their lot and this is about to blow up.

Enter Araby, daughter of the scientist that invented the masks and best friend April, the niece of the prince.  She has had losses of her own and no longer cares for her life spending every night partying and taking substances that leave her numb or insensible.  Without meaning to, Araby somehow finds herself in the middle of the unrest and being forced to make a choice between, her family, love and life.

I felt the numbness and apathy of Araby and the beginning of this novel and this was reflected in the way I at first felt about the story.  I didn't seem to think I cared but found myself moving onwards anyhow and somehow without even realising it, became involved in the story following it to the end.  Full of action, and fraught tension and intrigue, Ms Griffin's writing had me feeling almost everything Araby felt and caught up in the action from the palpable fear to the distrust of anyone and everyone, questioning everyone's motives.

I went in to this novel reasonably blind and I think that helped because I had absolutely no idea where the story would take me and could thus enjoy all aspects of the novel rather than waiting impatiently as it got to where I knew it was going to go.

I got a little lost towards the end when a lot of action all happens at once.  I eventually found my way and enjoyed how it finished but this did take away just a little bit from my overall enjoyment.

I am now off to read book 2, Dance of the Red Death. :-)

I give this novel 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx