Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1)

Original Review: literarychaos.com

As an avid lover of the Edgar Allen Poe's work, I was a little leery about reading this book. I was almost afraid to read it out of fear I would hate it, but in the end, my curiosity won out and I bit the bullet, and I must say I am so glad that I did. It was a very entertaining read.

I found the world to be the most intriguing part of this book. It had an interesting mix of futuristic, dystopian, and historical elements which gave it a steampunk feel that I rather enjoyed. I particularly enjoyed the historical elements because it helped tie into Poe's original story. The author also did a good job of world-building; not too much not too little. And it seems that what wasn't answered in this book is going to be answered in the next one. One aspect of the book that I really liked was how well the author touched on the disparity in the treatment of the rich and the poor. The author was not afraid to show the harsh lives of the poor and did not sugar coat their maltreatment.

While, not a negative to the book, I do wish that the author would have gone into a little more depth about the masks. I really would like to understand more about the mechanics of the masks, not just how they look and that their function is to keep them from getting the weeping sickness.

The thing I loved most about this book was the love interests, yes it had a love triangle and I actually liked it. I normally hate love triangles, as I find them overdone and cheesy, however, this book is a circumstance of a love triangle being done right. Both of the love interests were likable but not perfect and it wasn't obvious as to who she is going to choose, and it was not the forefront of the book but was more of a subplot.

I do feel that it's important to caution some readers about themes within the novel. There is quite a bit of recreational drug use as well as themes of abuse, torture, general violence, and neglect. I personally do not mind these themes as they fit well into the story and give the story more depth, however, these themes may make the novel unsuitable for some readers.

I think that overall if you as a reader understand that there are graphic themes throughout the novel and are okay with that then this would be a great read for you. It has so much going for it, romance, betrayal, danger, and it a duology so there is little commitment involved which

Edgar Allan Poe’s story, the Masque of the Red Death, is one of my favorite short stories. Even though some of his work fell a little flat for me(The Tell-Tale heart, mainly), most of his work is perfectly creepy, and The Masque of the Red Death is one of the creepiest and the one that’s stayed in my memory ever since I had to read it for school in the tenth grade. That being said, I had a high expectation for this book based on Poe’s story, and it did not disappoint.

The devastated world in this book is absolutely stunning, in the saddest way. It lingered on every page and in every word. When I was reading this book, I became completely sucked into the dark world with porcelain masks, a plague, steam engine carriages, and a city almost in ruins. I really cannot gush enough about the world-building, because it is definitely the star of this book. Characters? Who needs them when you have a setting like this! Plus, the characters are actually fairly interesting as well. It took me a while to relate to Araby, but her character growth and development is extremely evident throughout the book. She’s not the most likable character in the beginning, but while there’s tons of intrigue and plot in this book, Araby’s character arc is well done, if sometimes overshadowed by the world and plot that surrounds it.

Every character in this book fascinated me. They were all complex, three-dimensional characters who had flaws and made mistakes as well as triumphs. I was continually interested in characters like Will, who at times is the ultimate nice big brother taking care of his siblings, but who also seems resigned at times, and also Araby’s best friend, who is much more than just another sidekick.

The plot in this book is thick, and I never knew what was going to happen. I knew that wherever Prince Prospero was involved bad things would happen, and that was about the only thing I could predict from page to page. Every character had secrets and strong motivations to propel the plot further, and I almost never tired of it. I say “almost” because there was a bit in the middle of the book where I began to tire of the story a bit, but it picked back up rather quickly. This is also the only bit of the story where I was genuinely frustrated with Elliott, so I was quite glad when I kept reading and in the next twenty or thirty pages I went back to actually appreciating all the characters again.

I can’t say this book is just as haunting as Poe’s original tale(It is Edgar Allan Poe, after all), but it certainly comes close enough to satisfy. Suddenly, the world in which the Red Death exist is real and fleshed out, and contains characters I care about. A read I highly recommend.

Final Impression: A solid telling of The Masque of the Red Death that entrances with the world alone, with interesting characters being a delightful plus. A story I highly recommend. 4/5 stars.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin is a little hard to put into words. It's a dark and intense book with contagions and Victorian times and slightly steampunkish and gothic themes. Basically - Masque of the Red Death isn't a book that's usually something I'm into. So if you're kind of like me and not really into that stuff - you should read Masque of the Red Death anyway.

I'm sure you just did a double-take. I KNOW. I did too. Because guys, Masque of the Red Death was so captivating and almost impossible to put down. I mean, it took me like 50 pages or so to really get into it, but once I was there, I was all there.

Because there are SO MANY SECRETS and twists that are just dropped left and right in Masque of the Red Death, and I didn't in a million years expect them. All those new twists that kept getting dropped made me go WHAT and sucked me further into the story.

I loved the character in Masque of the Red Death, too. I loved Araby and I freaking loved Will (no matter what anyone says), and even April. My thoughts are mixed on Elliot, but we'll see in the next book. Which needs to get in my hands, ASAP, by the way. I'm very curious to see where everyone's allegiances lie in regards to the love triangle. Let me know!

And the writing was STUNNING. Bethany Griffin put together these simple sentences but managed to make them very descriptive and telling, and I just loved it.

Even if the dark, Gothicy, steampunkish, plaguey, rebellion thing doesn't really do it for you, definitely give Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin a shot. You'll throw your usual books out the window for this one, I promise.

Bethany Griffin's Masque of the Red Death is based on Poe's story of the same name. Having not read that, I cannot speak to the quality of this novel as a retelling. What I can assert with confidence is the awesomeness of this book as its own entity. The story contained inside this book perfectly matches the mood of creepiness and beauty set by the cover.

A horrible plague swept humanity, killing indiscriminately. There still isn't any cure, although the wealthy, at least, have found a way to protect themselves. Araby's father, a noted scientist, invented the mask which can filter the air and keep out the infection. Now those with money enough to purchase them can live with less fear of the disease.

Araby is one of the lucky ones, and she hates it. Her family has money and she is pretty well protected from the plague. None of this means anything to her without her brother, though, who died from the disease because she got the first mask instead of him. Filled with guilt and loneliness, Araby has made a vow never to do anything that her brother Finn didn't get to do.

Grief-stricken Araby suffers from intense depression, so deep that she nearly committed suicide. Her savior, April, gives her reason to keep going: escapism. With April, she gains access to the most exclusive club, The Debauchery Club. Within its walls, she can procure drugs or alcohol, forget about life for a while. Plus, she can eye the cute guy who works at the door. These opening chapters do lag a bit, suffering from a poor little rich girl vibe, but the story picks up when April's brother appears on the scene.

Like so many books these days, Masque of the Red Death does have a love triangle. Unlike most books, I have absolutely no idea which guy will win fair Araby's heart. In fact, I'm not even certain which guy I ship her with. Both have their moments and their drawbacks. Will seems almost too perfect, beautiful and kind; in a world such as this, I doubt someone could truly stay so pure, and so I imagine there must be some dark secrets there. Elliott, April's brother, definitely has issues, having had some serious family problems. Still, there's something so desperate about how much he clearly needs Araby that holds an appeal. Basically, I am torn, and I will remain undecided until the next book.

While the romance aspect does make up an important part of the plot, the world building definitely takes the lead. In this plague-ridden city, three different groups battle for supremacy. Prince Prospero has control at the moment, reigning from his castle, keeping his power through fear and withholding of resources. Two different groups aim to overthrow him, including the creepy as hell Reverend Malcontent. Add to this a totally new disease and it's possible no one will survive this future.

Masque of the Red Death is gorgeously written and atmospheric. The internet informs me that I have to wait until April 2013 for the next installment. This does not please me.

I was worried there for a moment. I thought that this wonderful book was stand alone. Fortunately that is not the case! It ended with such a great cliff hanger and so many questions left unanswered and problems left unsolved I would have certainly hated it if it were indeed a standalone. As I said, fortunately it isn't.

Essentially this book would have easily been five stars if not for one fairly important aspect. The plot. I don't mind a slow moving, atmospheric book, in fact I love it. However, I found the plot somewhat confusing early in the book (this might have been because Araby, our protagonists, was kept in the dark for much of the story) and strangely paced. It felt as if it was moving along nicely, then suddenly stopped for a time and then jumpstarted and plowed through the climax in barely fifty pages. Strange pacing, but overall, not too detracting.

The romance renewed my faith in love triangles. At least a little. [SPOILER] I really really really really really hope she ends up with Elliot, it seems like that will be the case in the end, if it happens I will love this romance more than I can describe!!![SPOILER] Both guys are incredible, but I definitely favor one. And it appears that the author does not favor one, at least not as far as the story is concerned. For once I am left uncertain about who the more likely candidate it. Which thrills me to no end, at the beginning of the story it seemed obvious who she would end up with, but by the end...I really hope the author does not take the obvious route.

As usual, I love the atmosphere of the book more than anything. It was compelling and shiver-inducing. A cruel, post-apocalyptic world that is terrifying. Death is mundane and trust and hope nearly obsolete. However, even in this world there is the tiny sliver of light that makes the story compelling and real. I believe this light is found in Elise and Henry. They are adorable and bright children that I just love to pieces.

There were a number of other aspects of the story I loved. Araby was a perfect narrator, and the first person style worked perfectly. I loved her relationships with her parents, April, and our two romantic interests (Elliot and Will) and how they progressed and how she grew. Prince Prospero and Reverend Malcontent were creepily awesome villains. The Debauchery Club fascinating as was world building with the porcelain masks and plague. Plus it is a brilliant reimagining of the Poe story which was fabulous! Overall the book was everything I could want, yet I still felt something was slightly off. I don't know what kept me from loving it as much as I want to, but there is something. I think it might be the cover, surprisingly. Regardless, I should love the book and I do to an extent and can't wait to read the sequel (because there is one!!!)!

Soundtrack: Science and Religion by Hans Zimmer (Angels and Demons Soundtrack)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZMEAfczOi4