I absolutely love Olivie Blakes ensemble casts in her books and this was probably my favourite part about this book. It keeps you on your toes seeing a world from so many different POVs.

There isn't much world building in this which I do enjoy from time to time. I felt this made it quite an easy read for the most part.

The narrative is definitely what drives this book and those last 100 or so pages really had me hooked to find out all the secrets and what was really going on.

I went in to this one with high expectations but unfortunately I thought this was a bit underwhelming. I felt like it was all over the place and I struggled to get in to the storyline

Unfortunately this title just wasn't for me. I just couldn't get in to it. This is no reflection on the author or writing style, it just wasn't the story for me.

The premise sounds absolutely up my street but the writing style, pacing and execution was just impossible for me to read.

This is my 3rd attempt at reading one of her books under the pen name (YA romance ones were really quite fun) and I think it is going to be my last as they just don't draw me in in any way.

I adored this book! I fell in love with Fox, viola and the whole ensemble! The story line keeps you engaged and was not predictable!

I love and adore all of Olivie Blake’s writing! Every book I read it just gets better! I am always captivated by her writing,

What honestly happened in this book? Because for me there was a lot of talking, and nothing actually happened. Even this mysterious game ended up being just a lot of talking and honestly no excitement whatsoever.

I did like the fantastical element of this book and how the author played with different creatures in the human world from various forms of vampires, demons, werewolves and sirens. Plus a few ghosts - as well as angels and reapers.

However, I honestly think this was the only part I liked. I found the plot extremely boring and considering nothing happened for so long, the plot felt a bit convoluted with the different relationships and timelines weaving in and out. Fox and Brandt were the main relationship focus in the book but I still feel like readers weren’t given enough substance to make us actually root for this relationship. I liked Mayra and Cal much better, and did feel some of the yearning between then and the twist of fate that meant they couldn’t be together. Tom and Vi again something we were just told rather than made to really believe.

The writing in this was also so verbose at times, especially at the start, I genuinely found it hard to get through at points. I like descriptive writing but this one was just way too much for me.

I also didn’t like Death as a narrator - here’s the thing, the best Death narrator of all time is The Book Thief so if you can’t top that, don’t do it.

I liked The Atlas Six so it was unfortunate this one didn’t work out for me.

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake is a highly engaging urban fantasy that blends humor, supernatural elements, and profound themes. The story centers around Viola Marek, a vampire real estate agent trying to sell a haunted house, and Fox D’Mora, the godson of Death, who is roped into helping her.

Blake’s writing is both introspective and clever, presenting the narrative in an unconventional yet captivating manner. The plot intertwines the mundane aspects of life with fantastical elements, creating a unique and immersive reading experience. The book is filled with witty dialogue, complex characters, and a storyline that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end.

The themes of love, life, and mortality are explored deeply, making the story not just entertaining but also thought-provoking. The combination of supernatural creatures with everyday struggles adds depth to the characters, making their journeys relatable and emotionally resonant.

Overall, Masters of Death is a delightful read that stands out for its originality and emotional depth. Fans of Blake’s previous works will find this book equally compelling, and it is a must-read for those who enjoy a mix of fantasy and philosophical musings.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I had no expectations going into it but I was a bit unsure if the premise was going to work for me, it did!

With Death as the narrator I enjoyed the sarcasm/sardonicism that runs throughout, he was humorous and rye, as was the main character, Fox. The great character development didn't stop there, the whole cast was one of the strongest points of the book, they were all unique, interesting and diverse.

At the centre of the plot is a love story (or three), whilst I really liked it, I think it resulted in the other main storyline, the game for Death, being a bit unclear. It drifted at points for me.

All in all, as a character driven rom com it was really cute and an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend!

I found the pacing to be very slow. The first 30% sets up the characters and the plot doesn't even kick off yet which is strange for a smaller book. I did really like the vampire and following her perspectives, but the others I didn't quite gel with.

I’ve found Olivie Blake books are either hit or miss for me and this book took quite a while to get into for me and was a bit of a slow burner for me.

Bizarre and borderline nonsensical, but very fun and I did read it all. Would recommend to existing fans and anyone who has baffling taste (complimentary)

Masters of Death was a good book, but in the end I found it quite forgettable. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough of what I liked about it, though I was quite impressed with Olivia Blake’s writing. This was my first foray into her work, and I’m intrigued as to what I’ll make of her others.

I really loved Death’s narration and wish we’d got more of that — his sarcastic thoughts and observations made me laugh, not to mention his copious amounts of swearing. Fox was also a character I liked, though some of his choices were questionable and I often didn’t agree with what he was doing. Still, I suppose being Death’s godson will do that to you!

There were so many characters and creatures in this book that sometimes I had to track back and make sure I had everyone correct in my head. At times it felt too convoluted and messy, though I did enjoy the idea of the game that was being played. I may come back to Masters of Death one day and see how I feel about it a second time — it has elements of everything I love, so maybe it was a case of wrong book wrong time!

There is only one word to describe this novel - perfection.
Everything in this book is so well composed. Plot, who wouldn't like to be a godson of Death and play a very dangerous game, characters from - angels to demons, vampire and ghost, reapers.
Plus what a hilarious story that is, dialogue that really makes you smile and laugh, irony and sarcasm, something that you don't see so often in the book, all so well balanced.
It's definitely must read.

Viola Marek, a vampire and struggling real estate agent, has been battling for months to sell the house of a revered, and widely renowned millionaire family. Haunted by a ghost of the last remaining descendant, who was brutally murdered within the confines of said home, Viola is desperate to help Thomas uncover the mystery of his murder, encourage him to pass on, and hopefully prevent him from using his ghostly tricks to scare off any further potential buyers. Viola is a remarkable character, she's strong, hard-headed and straightforward, part of group of like-minded creatures such as werewolves, sirens and demons, who are all trying to ingratiate themselves into society, and let go of their murderous ways. Sassy, with impeccable banter, especially with Thomas, their banter was THRILLING to watch, they bounced off each other in such hilarious ways, as two perpetually stubborn people, but it was highly entertaining.

Thomas the fourth, has no idea how he came to be murdered, and in his own house no less, but after several failed attempts to communicate with others, he finds himself isolated and confused, that is... until he insults Viola upon their first meeting, adamant that she's unable to hear him. Thomas comes from a long line of wealthy, successful, and arrogant males, so it's no surprise that he's one stubborn and deliciously cocky young man, who pays very little attention to the world around him. Determined to prevent Viola from selling his house, using every trick in his arsenal to scare any buyers away, not only to save his house, but to prevent him from losing the only person he can finally communicate with, and who can help him solve the mystery of his death, to save him from this perpetual loneliness and bitterness that plagues him.

When Viola comes across Fox D'Mora, a self-proclaimed medium, who's actually a fraudster with one refreshing trick up his sleeve, Viola enlists his help in solving Thomas's murder. Fox is a charming, suave, and manipulative young man, who's also the god-son of Death (who himself is insanely funny and had me cackling out loud, I lived for Death's interactions). He's wily, cunning, and knows how to draw people in, using his magnetic charm and endearing his clients to him. However, when he summons his god father to solve this new mystery, he doesn't appear, and a long chain of very bad and sinister plots begin to unravel as a result.

Fox must now team up with a vampire, a sassy ghost who he can't see, a love-struck, loyal, patient and timid reaper, a head-strong, bad-ass, angel, a demon personal trainer who thrives off of chaos and pain, and his thief of an ex-boyfriend who betrayed him, and broke his heart. Together they must work together to save his god-father from the demon king's clutches, by using his wits, and cunning to win the immortal game.

The interactions felt so smooth and realistic, all the characters have their flaws, and are so uniquely, complexly, human, which massively juxtaposes the fact that most of them are actual immortal creatures, but are just as petty as children. It was an absolute breath of fresh air to follow them on their journeys. The side characters, were so thought and fleshed out, they were just so sassy and witty, and added such a wonderful array of perspectives to the story. The world is also thoroughly immersive, and so real and gritty, but in the best way, with some insane plot twists woven throughout, that is sure to keep you on your toes. It feels like if Neil Gaiman, and Derek Landy had a baby, gorgeous storytelling with relatable and hilarious narration and quirky yet unforgettable characters.

'Masters of Death' is a complexly crafted, character driven story that is full of delightfully humour and enchantingly endearing, yet flawed characters. This was such a joy to read, with some refreshing twists on mythological and fantastical creatures, and side-splitting dark humour. I just couldn't get enough of this story, you could never quite be sure where the plot was heading next, but it was so deliciously delightful and entrancing. Olivie Blake is a masterful and impeccable storyteller, and I can't wait to dive deeper into her stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which reminded me, in a way, of Terry Pratchett. In that, I loved the character of Death.

The concept is interesting and original - Death has a godson, Fox, who, whilst mortal, has lived for a couple of hundred years. Fox has a guardian angel,, has a reaper for a friend, and becomes entangled with a demon, ghost and vampire.

There is humour, tension, romance (well, almost) and mystery. The characters, not all of whom are likeable, are well dimensioned - they are flawed personalities, who let emotions get in the way, which most of us can relate to.

This was such an entertaining book, that I felt it came to an end too soon.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I absolutely adore Olivie Blake and love all her books. This one did not disappoint! I could not put it down and binged it over a couple of days! Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Pretentious is the first word that springs to mind every time I reluctantly picked this book up after the awful, stutteringly slow start where we info-dumped all our characters and their backstories on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

My reluctance was completely justified by the book's reluctance to get to the fucking point. Ever. Characters waffle relentlessly, refusing to make a lick of sense or reveal real actual plot details during the endless tirades of meaningless chitter-chatter that just goes around and around in circles. I kept waiting for them to explain what the game was or why a ledger detailing past games would be important, and I am still waiting after finishing the book.

Most of the characters are borderline hyperactive in their attempts to prove that they are the most vague and philosophical person in the room by saying the most words in any order we deem necessary. They were all the same character, with different names, all smug and self-satisfied and awful people.

Any time it looks like we might finally possibly go somewhere in the plot that isn't just standing around in a room talking, we instead decide to introduce some new douchebag creature and deep dive into their extensive history with their own life story/tragedy and their connections to everyone else in the room. Dire. This put me in my first reading slump of the year.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a bit of pretentiousness and purple prose in a book, but when the author's dedication to proving just how much cleverer they are than the reader impacts the readability of the book then you've absolutely fucked it.

The language used was off-puttingly verbose, also. Most of the times when I pressed my Kindle to define the word used, the word's positioning makes it superfluous anyway - "a small paper cup patterned bucolically with sheep". Why even add bucolically? By being patterned with sheep, we already know this. Also we used bucolic/bucolically TWICE in the book, which sort of suggests we just learned it in our "learn a new word a day" calendar and are very proud of ourselves.

This was good. I’m not a fan of the Atlas Six series but every other book Olivie Blake writes I thoroughly enjoy

I started to read this with high hopes but found quite early on that this book was not for me.

I enjoyed the concept of the book and do have plans to reread this book.

Olivie Blake is a incredible author IMO, but I just couldn't gel with this one, sadly. I got bored half way through and just gave up.