This book is absolute chaos but in a really good way. This quirky cast of characters are a chatty bunch and are frequently interrupting each other which makes for a very jumpy narrative but one that Olivie Blake pulls off with flair. There’s lots of humorous asides, witty back and forth and all the energy you’d expect from a big group of people. It was magnificent. I enjoyed the different dynamics between different characters and even more so when they all converged. I can honestly say I still have absolutely no idea how the game is played (iykyk) and so I was thoroughly confused but that barely detracted from the book as I was still completely absorbed in the complexities of the relationships and of the narrative style, all of it incredibly unique and so full of life. This is my first Olivie Blake book but it won’t be my last!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I really enjoyed this. Olivie Blake is an absolute wonder with words and it's always fun to go along for the ride. This broke my heart, fixed it, and enthralled me the entire time. I will always read whatever she puts out!

"It was all going very poorly, and very madly, and very promisingly indeed."

This is one of those books that the more I read, the more I warmed up to it. I really struggled to get into it. The premise is wonderful, but as ever I really had to wrestle with Blake's writing style. I don't always get along with her self-conscious pretension, and I often find that the humour misses the mark for me.

That being said, despite the slow start, I did find myself enjoying it more and more. By the end I was absolutely tearing through it, and excited to find out what happened next, and at no point did I feel let down or disappointed with the actuality of it.

I would say that often the characters feel too modern, and a lot of the colloquialisms felt odd and off putting coming from characters who are supposed to be (if not immortal) a few hundred years old. Though Fox himself was masterfully created, and once I had seen enough of him, it became easier and easier to distinguish his different faces, all of which came together to make him feel achingly human by the end of it.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so far loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have believable voices. One of the key elements of this book is world-building, the author has created an intricate and detailed world, complete with its own histories, cultures, and languages.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Quirky, different and delightful ! This might start out as a story about Vi an estate agent and Vampire seeking help from a Medium who happens to be Deaths godson but quickly turns into a wonderful, heart warming tale with an ensemble cast that's truly diverse and has a twist in the tale. A story of love both lost and found and I am so glad I read it and recommend to anyone seeking a different take on what life and death can really mean.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I think I could be biased but I have loved all of Olivia Blake’s books and masters of death was no exception! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t have enough good things to day about this book- it’s hilarious, charming and oozes charisma. The characters are so likeable and fleshed out, with personalities that are scarily human (despite barely any of them being so!) This book is perfect for people who loved Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, as it brings together a rag-tag bunch of the coolest characters to embark on a trip across the universe where they will challenge Death at a game of his own making.

Masters of Death is a beautifully written book about friendship and the power of love- platonic and romantic alike. Olivie Blake shows us how much fun you can have with the good, the bad and (my favourite) the morally grey, with her incredibly witty writing style propelling her into being one of my few auto-buy authors.

3.5 stars. This was unlike any book I’d ever read, the writing was beautiful and it was an easy read, some parts dragged a little but all in all, I enjoyed this book. I definitely want to read more by Olivie Blake!

Masters of Death is if Sally Rooney characters were fantasy creatures on a quest to save Death by participating in an immortal game.

Olivie Blake has created a group of fun, loving, complex characters - capturing their strengths, flaws, loves and losses. This is a character driven story set in a modern world where paranormal beings exist. As the story unfolds, we explore, through the relationships of the characters, what it is to truly live and love. Along with the non-linear timeline, the absurd mix of characters and the lyrical writing style, this was a delightfully entertaining read. I only wished that the tournament was better fleshed out as the pinnacle of the story felt a little short-lived.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

“This book is about an estate agent. Only she’s a vampire, the house on sale is haunted,
and its ghost was murdered.”

This was my first Olivie Blake book and it did not disappoint, her writing is poetical and complex mixed with sarcasm and humour that flows so well.

This is a book about morality, vampires, ghosts and death itself. The characters were complex and made you feel deeply for them as if you knew them, they were witty , cared deeply for one another but were unwilling to say so. I felt ever emotion reading this book, it takes you on an exquisite journey that you will not want to end.

This was a very wholesome feeling read. Not what I was expecting (I started reading then forgot the blurb and what it was supposed to be about) but it was an interesting concept.
It follows the story of the godson of death and his journey to finding friendships and love and battling it out for mastery of death against an immortal who would cause the world harm etc.
The characters were enjoyable and I thought that the relationships that they had with each other and how they developed along the way was well thought out and written.

Did I mention that I automatically adore everything written by Olivie Blake?

Masters of Death is one of those stories that can't be followed without any effort - it's an intentional venture as we are dealing here with characters from outside the human spectrum, specifically with immortals addicted to gambling (and no, it's not a matter of the reader's emotional maturity).

Masters of Death tells the story of a real estate agent - Vi Marek - who desperately tries to sell a house that is haunted by a ghost. Unfortunately, mentioned ghost has no memory of how he died, which prevents him from going FURTHER (in fact, he's basically unable to leave his house). This pushes Vi (did I mention that she's a vampire?) into contacting the Chicago’s famous medium who, in fact cannot speak with the dead, but is the godson of Death itself.

Olivie Blake, being her genius self, writes about the mechanics of the afterlife, the relationship of heaven and hell (if those even exist) and how boring the "life" of immortals can be. Apart from that, she uses wit wrapped in her immaculate writing style (with a pinch of signature sadness) to hold a grip on her readers’ attention, as it is rather difficult put this book down.
Masters of Death focuses on events rather than solely on the characters themselves or their development. Additionally, Blake doesn't run the action in chronological order what only makes the process of joining the dots so much more satisfying.

I will just add that this is a love story and it's really beautiful (and funny). I can't wait for the reprint with the new cover (August 2023)!

Rating: 5.00

Olivie Blake is a true Master of Words.

I think, no, I know people will love this revised version of Masters of Death. Having read both of her Atlas books, I think this one is a personal fave. It's quirky and queer, hilarious but also surprisingly romantic. I didn't expect to get emotional come the end of the book, but I did.

The characters are what make this book stand out for me. They're all just a bit odd and otherworldly, a tad different and a little lost. They find themselves in a unique situation that pits them against their inner demons in a fickle game played by immortals.

The interactions and the dialogue are some of the best I've read. It's funny and sad and tense and a little sarcastic (okay, maybe a lot sarcastic if we're referring to Fox alone), and I really love how these characters seemingly jump off the page. They just feel that bit more real than some other characters I've read previous.

And the story itself! The premise is so fun: a vampire real estate agent has a ghost problem so they go to the godson of Death for help. What could go wrong?

A lot apparently. (This was a hell of a story but you won't get no spoilers from me!)

The writing is always good, the characters are always fun, the chapters are a little too long for my liking but because of the first two points, I don't mind. If you're not a fan of long chapters, I'll let you know now that this book does have them. Take a break if you need to, I did. This story is worth it.

If I'm comparing to what I've read so far this year, then Masters of Death has been my favourite. It's unlike anything I've read before and I genuinely can't wait to buy my physical copy come August and reread it!

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for approving and sending me this wonderful ARC!

First of all thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan/Tor for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by Olivie Blake (though the first was under the name Alexene Farol Follmuth) and I loved this as much ad I lived that.

My favourite thing about this book is the inclusion of a character who is half-Filipino, which I believe is also the case with Blake, and is a trait I also share. I have not often felt represented in media, but Blake has done so twice now.

In terms of the paranormal, the inclusion of filipino folklore in regards to aswangs was also a touch I appreciated, would love to see this more in other books. Not just for filipino folklore, but for other more niche creatures too.

The story initially started off slow, but the development of the characters (of which there are many) was very well done and made me like them and root for them so much more. The characters are diverse and the relationship development was really well done.

I would recommend this book and will aim to get around to reading the other books by Blake on my TBR very soon.

I was so intrigued by the synopsis of this book but I just couldn’t get into it at all and finally gave up about 60% of the way through (I actually can’t remember the last time I didn’t finish a book).

There is so much repetition in the writing that I just couldn’t read the words “the game” one more time.

Would love to have had some more character development.

However, I can see a lot of people really like this book so it’s definitely personal preference!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance reader copy.

I enjoy the way Blake rights and how each of the stories I’ve read feels like the author and perspectives are different.

This book was very fun and had a nice sprinkle of myth interspersed within the story.
There are a few main characters and they’re all weird and some immortal other mortal; but they all still cling to mortality and what comes with it - feelings.

Overall a fun book and am happy I was able to read it.

"Hello, children. It's time for Death."

Olivie Blake is quickly becoming one of my all time favourite authors. The way she writes is just beautiful and this book is no exception. Yes, at times it's a little confusing, but it's 100% worth it.

A very entertaining story full of supernatural spookiness, loveable characters, plot twists and tonnes of sass. I absolutely loved this book🖤  I recommend this to anyone and everyone!

Thank you @netgalley & Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! I've already pre-ordered a physical copy!

Actual Rating: 4.5

This was such a fun read, it was witty and entertaining. It was such a unique blend of paranormal romance and comedy from beginning to end.

There is no question as to whether the characters are diverse, a whole bunch of ghosts, demigods, vampires, angels, reapers and literal Death? You can't get more diverse than that. Each character lights their own flame and keeps it going for the whole book.

Masters of Death was so worth my attention. After reading Olivie Blake's One for my Enemy and The Atlas Paradox this year, even this felt like a breath of fresh air. I found myself laughing out loud, and pining alongside the characters. You want an unconventional romance full of the supernatural? Look no further. Masters of Death is definitely the book that you're looking for.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, and more importantly, Olivie Blake for letting me read this absolute joy of a book.

Masters of Death was one of my favourite books of 2021 and upon reflection and reread, it has become one of favourite books of all time. I was overjoyed when I was given the chance to read an advanced copy of the rerelease and reading it again just felt like coming home. I absolutely adore Blake’s writing style and how every single one of her books are wholly unique. They are refreshing and unpredictable and simply genius and I got through this reread so quickly because of how enjoyable the whole story is.

It’s a story about vampires and demons and angels and ghosts and children of all sorts of gods and weird immortal games and history and love and loss and the meaning of mortality and immortality and the craving for power with such a stunning prose, unexpected twists and characters you can’t help but LOVE.