The Dance of the Red Death - Bethany Griffin

Pages: 327

Publisher: Indigo

Release Date: 4^th April 2013 

Edition: UK paperback, review copy

Other Titles by this Author: The Masque of the Red Death

Everything is in ruins.

Betrayal, death and disease surround Araby Worth.

Her brother is dead. Her best friend could be soon. And the two boys who have stolen her heart have both betrayed her.

She can trust nobody, and as the city crumbles around her, it’s time for Araby to fight back. What she decides to do ma decide the fate of humanity.

The stunning, dramatic conclusion to The Masque of the Red Death.

I unexpectedly fell in love with The Masque of the Red Death last year so it’s ridiculous how long it took me to get around to reading the conclusion!

The Dance of the Red Death picked up mere seconds after the first book ended, with Will’s betrayal of Araby still fresh and burning and them, Kent, April and Elliott having escaped by the skin of their teeth. The tension between Araby and the two boys was delicious all the way through. The mistrust between Elliott and Will and Araby’s confusion over both of them was palpable. I loved seeing her feelings shift and change and generally muddle herself into knots over them!

Underneath the love triangle ran a tension that kept me furiously turning pages. Will Arab find her dad? How will April fare? Will they save the city? From beginning to end, The Dance of the Red Death is full of action and adventure and near death experiences, but the characters weren’t compromised at all. In fact, especially in Araby’s case, it helped show them to their full extent and test them to their limits. It also must it much harder for me to discern who to trust; I love the uncertainty that brings.

Bethany Griffin’s steampunk reimagining of Poe is set in an exquisitely drawn world with an electric love triangle and engaging characters. I’m definitely looking forward to what she writes next.

Thanks to Indigo for providing me with a review copy.

Sophie