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

I always have mixed feelings about novellas in a series since I so often don’t see the point of them, perhaps due to my general love of meta in all things.

I find novellas frustrating because they often don’t have anything to add to the series and they’re too short to develop any kind of engaging story in their own right to pull me in. Sometimes they’re an interesting “day in the life” insight into the characters when they’re not facing the epic plot of epicness – which can be interesting character development but even that is of mixed utility, especially if it’s done before.  

Without something to add to the main story – some advanced world building or plot or character development, something that will reflect on the main story I’m usually left feeling like the book was rather pointless, an unnecessary addition clinging to a main plotline at best or a cynical money grab at worst. At the same time, if the entire main meta rests on development revealed in a novella or short story, I find it annoying because such major developments should really be woven into the main plot line, not included in a novella which, I confess, I generally consider an add-on to a series rather than essential reading.

In all, I’m pretty difficult to please when it comes to novellas.

And all that being said, Glitter and Doom was one of those books that got it right.

Of course, part of the reason Glitter and Doom really worked for me was the same reason I found Dance of the Red Death kind of disappointing. The whole series follows Araby around when, frankly, she’s the least interesting and compelling character there is. Quite literally, just about everyone else: April, Elliot, Kent, Will, even Will’s younger siblings, would be more interesting protagonists than Araby. I actually want to praise the quality of these side characters but am stopped by the sheer lack of any compelling qualities in the protagonist herself.

Which is where Glitter and Doom comes in –a book that is about April and Kent and even a little Elliot. We get to see the backstories of Elliot that we missed and that add so much texture to his character. We get to see who Kent was, what motivated him, why he was involved, how he met April and how he actually became one of the team – rather than just a character who was dropped into the plot rather randomly.

But most of all we see April. April the active. April the intelligent. April the cunning. April the courageous. April the most-definitely-should-have-been-the-protagonist.

In terms of story, there isn’t much there. In fact, there isn’t one. It’s completely impossible to read this book if you hadn’t read the first book because this novella is just a behind the scenes look at the plot that has already happened. It doesn’t tell the story, it fills in what was happening “back stage” while we were been dragged around with Araby.

It is also extremely short .

Dance of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #2) by Bethany Griffin

Araby has managed to escape the city with her friends, giving her chance to absorb some terrible truths:

Her father is a murderer, her father created the plagues.

She can barely accept it, even reading his own journal and needs to hear it from his own mouth. Which means returning to the city – to hear from him and to find a cure for April as well, rapidly succumbing to the Weeping Sickness.

And while they’re there it may be their last chance to save the city – a city ravaged by plagues, swamps and the duelling forces of Prospero and Malcontent.

Elliot launches on a really excellent campaign this book. It’s his chance to take back the city and save it from the dual abuses of Malcontent and Prospero – his father and his uncle. He has his army, but will it be enough against Prospero’s and Malcontent’s own forces? Or the city itself? Ravaged by 2 horrendous plagues, the water unsafe to drink, the air unsafe to breathe. Slowly sinking into the swamp, ravaged by divisive factions, falling apart through anger and fear. Services have stopped, getting food into the city is becoming harder and roads are blocked by the piles of bodies.

It’s an epic task he has – but he has a plan, reclaiming a neighbourhood and expanding, creating a safe space, disposing of the bodies. He is the man to save the city and he is perfectly placed to do so.

And he’s not the protagonist.

We’re following Araby. Awwww… do I have to? But but Elliot is the hero!

In the face of these epic happenings Araby is… spending pages on pages worrying if she really loves Elliot. Or wondering if she loves Will after his betrayal – and his continuing activities for that matter. Or she is worried/hurt about her father and the terrible revelations that show that he is far from the hero she suspected. Or she is worried about April or the children or some of her other companions.

And it’s not like any of these issues are wrong. She has been betrayed by Will, her whole relationship with Elliot is a complicated one. And April is her often unappreciated best friend who is now plague ridden – of course she is worried about her and the children in such dangerous places and circumstances. All of her emotions are legitimate. But they’re also repetitive, really really, repetitive and handled at great length. I could, possibly, get past that if we didn’t have Elliot running around actually doing something – and not just doing something, but doing something for the whole city that makes Araby look very… small in comparison.