This book is about vampires, demons and death and lies. I’m becoming a fan of this authors writing, this book was great, really great characters, incredibly deep thought-provoking phrases, great dialogue. For me it’s one of her best books for me, it made me FEEL emotions, laughing, crying.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it was not for me. I didn’t find that the story gripped me and I struggled to get through it.

I found it highly entertaining and enthralling, a well plotted novel. Loved the style of writing, the world building and the well plotted characters.
The storytelling is excellent, brilliant story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Absolutely hooked from the first page ! It's got everything you want in a paranormal fiction including well produced characters , which is something I always look out for in a book ! Perfect book for autumn or all year round !

This book is one that I’m so mad at myself for putting off reading for so long. Olivie Blake is such a wonderful storyteller and this felt like a fairytale to read. The way the plot was weaved together and the characters all came together and in whom I became so invested. It was a joy to read. The dialogue was witty and fresh, and it was funny in all the right places. Like laugh out loud funny. Unexpectedly so. The plot is definitely one to stick with as it isn’t easy to predict but I did not find myself bored in the slightest.

You know when you’re just perfectly satisfied with a story and there’s nothing more to be said? Yeah, that’s exactly what this story did.

This book was kindly received as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Masters of Death" by Olivie Blake is well-written, funny and quite different from anything else I've read. Blake is one of my favourite authors and unsurprisingly, this book is well-written and intricate. However, I must say, it was not what I expected it to be. It's the first Olivie Blake book that I really struggled to finish.

I liked the idea behind it and the story as a concept is promising. However, I found it tricky to connect with this narrative. The balance between humour, seriousness and rude language seems a bit off to me. I found the story going back and forth. Even for Blake, there was a lot of sidetracking. The tone of the book seemed a bit more childish in a sense, definitely less mature than her other books. Many readers seem to enjoy it, but sadly, this was not one for me.

I am excited to see what else Blake comes out with. What I value about this author is that she is not afraid to be different and try new things. Her stories are always a journey!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

This isn’t a long book, I thought it would be a quick read, but unfortunately it took me a long time to complete it because I couldn’t fully get into it. Once again Blake has written mostly grey characters, no character is innocent, most of the characters are not loyal to each other and some have moments of being particularly unlikeable. That said the interactions between the group bouncing off of each other and scheming, the sarcastic digs etc, are fun to read and reminded me at times of Buffy with the vibe.
There’s a lot of variety within the group and I enjoyed the time spent giving each their own story and past that you get to uncover more of as the book and game progresses. You have a vampire who turns into a cat, a ghost, a demon, an Angel, a reaper, archangels and a siren amongst the characters and it definitely keeps things lively! And then there’s Death! Fox, I suppose you could call the protagonist in this ensemble, is Death’s godson and their interactions are some of the most enjoyable and most beautifully written in this book, from fun and churlish to vulnerable and loving as they learn each other and their father/son dynamic that is tender at times.
I wasn’t bothered about the romance I was probably supposed to be bothered about but I did really adore Cal and Mayra (both apart and together) and Vi and Tom and would’ve liked a lot more of both pairings because they did make me smile and were incredibly sweet and well matched. Likewise anytime Gabriel and Raphael were on the page was a treat!

I’ll be honest, I found this book incredibly confusing at times. Ultimately my main issue is how the book is about ‘the game’ but I never understood what the game actually was. I don’t know whether it was deliberately elusive (“the only rule is win”), that I’m thick or that it just wasn’t written clearly enough. But with so much of this book being about this game, I felt left on the outside of these sections of the book, not able to immerse myself in this because I just couldn’t grasp this.

I have found this with a few Olivie Blake books, I really enjoy and respect HOW she writes but I often don’t understand WHAT she is writing. Like the game in this book, i can get enough of an idea to grasp the ‘shape’ of what is happening but not the details within the ‘shape’ to fully see and understand it. It’s beautiful writing however sometimes it feels overwritten - or maybe that’s all on me. I do really respect the writing and that’s why I always find myself reading Blake’s work but like I’ve said, I don’t always feel like I can truly appreciate it to its fullest from the ‘outside’.

My feelings on Masters of Death are mixed but I have to say when it got it right, it was brilliant. Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.25 ⭐️

I really loved the beginning of this book. I was quickly gripped by Blake’s writing style and I really enjoyed the sarcastic tone. However, later it became really tiring. I couldn’t focus on this book at all, I even considered DNFing it around 50%. I like the premise of this book but I’m afraid Olivie Blake’s books just aren’t for me as I had very similar feelings about The Atlas Six as well. I would love to read some short stories of hers as her writing style is lovely, just quite tiring for me in the long run.

Nevertheless, I absolutely loved the beginning and enjoyed the ending too. Just the middle was difficult to soldier through.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

A really interesting book with lots of different kinds of characters and creatures, such as angels, demons, and vampires. This is the perfect read for the Halloween season but can be read at any time of the year. Definitely check this one out if you are into the supernatural because it’s a fantastic read and the author did a great job with it. I loved this book!

eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

DNF at 30%
The intriguing premise was let down by the story jumping from people, timelines and plots, which was quite exhausting to keep up with. As soon as you get settled into this plotline you would be thrown into a completely new place, which made the overall read quite unsettling. I am sad to have to put this one down as the characters and storyline were interesting, but in the end, the execution wasn't for me.

I was completely engrossed in Masters of Death from the very first page. It's a fascinating and entirely unique read. I devoured this book in a matter of days. Written in Blake's exquisite style, it is intelligent, quirky, humorous, and even emotional. The concept of the supernatural amongst the variety of characters, and the wittiness of the prose - Death’s in particular- added to the humour and keeps you locked in pages to page.

I have heard a great deal of positive things about this author and so when provided the opportunity to read this ARC I jumped at it.
Overall I enjoyed the story premise and the characters were engaging. The main character is Fox d'Mora, godson of Death and a medium who is slightly on the dodgy side. Fox is friends with angels, demons and reapers all of whom are players in this tale.
Our secondary character is Viola Marek, a real estate agent who was turned into a flesh eating aswang when on a study field trip. According to Philippine folklore, an aswang is an evil, shapeshifting creature that shares the grotesque characteristics of werewolves, vampires and ghouls. That being said Violet tames her craving for fresh blood and flesh using a blood bank but the urges are still there. A side effect of her change is her ability to see spirits and ghosts, and she currently has a troublesome one haunting a high end property she is trying to sell.
Viola goes to Fox to help her with her ghost problem but ends up with them both ensnared in a universal game in which Death is usually the winner.
Pacing was a little uneven, with some prose that could perhaps have been trimmed, that being said I enjoyed the story - definitely not your usual urban fantasy.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the loan of his ARC, all views are my own.

Great spooky read for this time of the year. Loved the concept of the story and the writing style. This is a great read from this author and I can't wait to read more from her

4⭐ Another unique, wonderful book that will pull you in - Olivie Blake never fails to impress

Thank you to Netgalley & Tor UK for an eArc. Here is my honest and unbiased review.

This was such a quirky, slightly bonkers book that was filled with fun characters, dry humour and a few twists along the way. I was instantly struck by how much this reminded me in style of Terry Pratchett's writing so for any fans of his I would definitely recommend. It took me a little while to get into this, I think because of how unusual the writing style was and because it took me some time to orientate myself in the Masters of Death world, its non-linear story line and the bizarre cast of characters - Vampires, Ghosts, Angels, Demons and a whole other host of paranormal beings- but one I was in that was it, I HAD to keep reading. The storyline was complex and ingenious- it isn't a book you can just 'half-arse' when reading but it is a book that makes you think and if you fully embrace it and all its layers, by the end, you will feel a real sense of satisfaction.

As the book self proclaims : 'This book is about an estate agent. Only she's a vampire, the house on sale is haunted,and its ghost was murdered.' but it's also about so much more than that. It's about Love, Friendship, Found Family, Life and Death, Truth and Lies.

Masters of Death is an interesting, intricate novel that I absolutely loved!!! It took me a little while to get into it but from the start I absolutely loved the characters, humour and writing style. This was my first Olivie Blake and I know it definitely wont be my last!!! I really loved this book after the first few chapters and would read 50 more books about these characters who I love so much !!

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and Olivie Blake for allowing me to have an arc copy of Masters of Death to review. The first thing to understand about Olivie Blake's books, you need to give them your undivided attention, she writes very complex stories with a million plot details and multiple characters each of which unravels her masterpieces layer by layer. It takes time for her writing style to bring everything together and you might spend 75% of the book bamboozled, until the moment she blows your frail little mind. This is the only reason this book isn’t 5 stars for me, because at times my head ached from reading this amazing book.

Masters of the Death is a delicious paranormal/ urban fantasy adventure full of clever banter, a colourful band of characters, and the book vibes of Terry Pratchett. The broadness of the character cast of mythical creatures is unreal. You’ve got everything tucked in these pages with a plot wrapped around exploring themes of death, temptation, trust, and our brief mortal time on earth. The cherry on top is a heart-wrenching beautiful romance subplot that tears you part in how divinely put together the love story is interwoven into the book.

The host of crazy, colourful characters in this story is a rainbow array of dazzling sweeties and candies. I felt like the kid at the candy store window with wide eyes not sure where to look first as the characters are so well-written, dynamic, and individualistic with their story hooks and sidebars, very flawed and the character development is off the charts! I didn’t know who to love most as so many of these characters drew me to them. Each is so individually crafted that you can distinguish them instantly amongst the host of characters in the book (there is high character traffic in this book a rival to Game of Thrones!).

The humour deployed in this book is an art form of comedy. Some of the lines between Vi and Fox had me cracking up so hard, I couldn’t breathe with tears rolling down my cheeks. Not a pretty visual but their wisecracks at each other are so off-kilter that you can’t help but burst out laughing. On the writing though, it is stunning with some of the most poignant lines I’ve read this year that make you catch your breath

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS

This is Olivie’s wittiest book yet for sure. I love how she always has this underlying themes of death/knowledge/power/obsession but manages to do something different with it each time. Especially in this one how she brings in so many different myths and incorporates them effortlessly together. Goddesses with magic apples and vampires drinking juice boxes and death and immortals and demons and ghosts (& so much more).

Brandt is my baby I will protect him at all costs <3333

I also thought this was rounded up so well at the end

Truly fantastic, fully recommend
4.5⭐️

Sorry but it was a dnf for me I just couldn't get into it even though I love the author and the description was real good. Btw this is to technical support can you please make sure the formatting is good and there are no missing letters? It makes reading really hard.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

Olivie Blake creates some of the best writing I have ever had the privilege of reading. Every word, sentence and paragraph seems perfectly chosen and adds layers and depth to the plot and characters. The characters themselves were fun, and had unique personalities but were still complex and flawed (which made me love them even more). The relationships built had depth and I loved all the interactions between the characters.

I also loved the supernatural element and the idea of the game. It was mysterious and intriguing, but a little confusing and I didn’t fully understand what was happening. However, this could easily be because I’m not clever enough to understand the genius that Olivie Blake and also as I think the game itself is meant to remain as this mysterious, exclusive event that not even those who play it fully understand.

Overall, I had such a good time reading this. It made me laugh but also tugged on my heart and reminded me how much I love Olivie Blake as an author.

I’m so late to the Olivie Blake party but I’m still so glad this was my first read of hers.

The way her mind works to create such an intriguing story is astounding!
Also Death as a sarcastic, swearing and cynical character who’s so done with his godson’s shenanigans was a vibe.

The last half had me gripped and I was emotional at the end.

The lovely illustrations as well just gave it that extra boost.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.
5/5 ⭐️