I'll start this right away, as I do with all my Olivie Blake reviews - I ADORE her writing style so much, it just tickles that little part in my brain that LOVES WORDS just right and for that I will happily read everything and anything she writes.

Do I understand everything I read? Oh absolutely not. Actually, with most Blake books (read: ALL of them) I find myself pretty confused for a solid 75% of the journey, but honestly, I just have such a good time along the way (minus the scratching myself on the head being like what. is. happening??)

Masters of Death follows a whole cast of characters, from the godson of death, a vampire real estate agent, a very annoyed ghost, to a guardian angel who are all brought together through shared links to each other...and that's all I will say about that. The writing style, as mentioned, is beautiful and complex, the dialogue is hilarious (and EXTENSIVE) - my only main gripe is, honestly, the plot itself as it just kind of meanders along and I just wanted it go somewhere - anywhere? Just BE something more than it was.

All this considered, a solid 3.5 overall and one I would happily recommend to others!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!


***also BONUS point for how well done the audiobook is, the narrator is superb***

Absolutely incredible! Olivie Blake never disappoints. I love stories which feature Death as a character so I was very excited for this one. I loved it from beginning to end. All the characters were interesting and a pleasure to read about.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Blake's story concepts are always interesting but there's something about the way she writes character that just leaves me cold. All her characters seem to lack a depth that prevents me from properly connecting with them. The narrative pulls you through the story but they just seem to lack an emotional heart. Maybe I just need to stop reading her novels!

I was completely captivated by this. It was incredible, with some spectacular pieces of writing. I fully believe that this is Olive Blakes best work yet. The characters where so well developed, and came across as very interesting. I did initially feel confused at the large amount of them within the book, but I felt that the author did a very good job of distinguishing between these. The plot was gripping, and very well structured. Such a good book.

I…. don’t quite know how I feel about this? When I look at the amazing reviews of this book, I feel like I’m missing something because I kind of just feel indifferent? I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it - it just wasn’t quite for me. Olivie Blake’s writing is, as always, beautiful, but I just felt baffled a lot of the time. So much of the dialogue and even inner dialogue was written in a way that didn’t really make sense to me, so I felt like a lot of the time I was reading and just going along with what was happening rather than properly understanding it. I couldn’t wrap my head around all of the characters, the side characters in particular where figments of existence such as Time, or fictional characters such as Count Dracula, were popping up, and I was beyond confused for most of the book. Especially when the “game” came into the plot - at that point I had given up understanding, it all just felt so chaotic. I didn’t understand how anybody won a game, how the games were played - I needed a good old-fashioned explanation and you just don’t get given that at all.

I did like the main characters - Viola and Fox in particular, were very interesting and I loved the bond between Fox and Death, I would have really enjoyed seeing more of that compared to Death being off-page for much of the book. I also really liked the mystery surrounding Tom Parker IV, I was very invested in finding out how he died and unravelling the curse on his family.

So this was a bit of a miss for me, but clearly not for other people, so maybe it’s just a me thing! Either way I will of course be reading whatever comes next from Olivie Blake!

I've said it previously, and I'll say it again: there is something so incredibly captivating with Olivie Blake's prose. Masters of Death is a book that is hard to put down, and a book that is hard to stop thinking about hours after finishing it. The first line of the first chapter was “Hello children. It’s time for death.” I mean, come on. If that isn't a brilliant opening, I don't know what is.

Masters of Death follows Viola, a vampire and a struggling real estate agent. If she wasn't already struggling, the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house was murdered and in order to move on, it needs to solve its murder.

Masters of Death had a gorgeous concept and a lively cast of characters including a cranky ghost, a well-meaning vampire, a pair of annoying angels, a sly demigod and the godson of Death. While the characters are all supernatural and for the most part immortal, the book is really about humanity. They re all longing for feeling and human connection and the sensitivity of time.

There is just something very interesting regarding discussions of morality within Masters of Death. The discussions around pain and how it ends up that it's life that allows us to feel anything at all was something that I really enjoyed reading about. Every theme explored was done so brilliantly, in beautifully constructed moments and captivating conversations.

I also really loved the inclusion of illustrations. Little Chmura has such a stunning art style that it's always a joy to come across a page with her illustrations.

There is just something about supernatural and immortal creatures being thrown into the modern day world that I enjoy a lot. Masters of Death is a masterclass in showing, not telling, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

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.