<blockquote><i>”It’s easy to tire of beautiful things. Watch the sun rise from your bed each morning
and it loses its majesty, becomes white noise. Reverence collapses, terror fades. Boredom is woefully accessible. There’s an oppressive sameness to doing things that will never change to living days that are carbon copies of each other. Repetition is the beast of captivity, habit the tyrant of awe.”</i></blockquote>

I’ve been in a major reading slump recently but lckily, I can always count on the works of Olivie Blake to remind me of the joy of reading. Her writing literally scratches my brain in a way no other author can. I will read anything and everything that this author writes.

Januaries is a beautiful anthology of short stories with genres ranging from magical realism to sci-fi to fantasy. Several themes are addressed including mental health, relationships, envy, regret, ambition. Love and heartbreak. The book is weird and wonderful, radiates feminine rage, and I just adored it. The stories were diverse and increasingly complex, I didn’t think a short story collection would be for me but for this Olivie I made an exception and I’m glad I did! It was also a nice one to leave and come back to when I had the time with easily digestible stories and made a nice change to rushing through huge novels.

<blockquote><i>“Because I hardly know what I am without you,” he replied. “If there was ever a time I existed without you, it is long gone now. In a different world, or a different life. As if the universe itself rearranged to fill the gaps, and before you, there was no me at all.”</i></blockquote>

I felt like the stories got increasingly bizarre as they went on but some of my personal favourites were The Wish Bridge, The Animation Games, To Make a Man and A Year in January. But the entire collection is a magical experience and there is something for everyone here. Blake’s writing is gorgeously unique, magical, fun and witty as always and I became instantly invested in each tale. I’d love to spend a day in her brain.

I would recommend if you’re into quirky and surprising stories and characters that stick with you!

<blockquote><i>“I was born with a vastness inside me, and sometimes I feel it will swallow me up”</i></blockquote>

Wow, what a fabulous selection of offerings, like an exquisite box of chocolates. I love Blake’s prose and would have been thrilled to see some of these as full length novels, particularly The Animation Games and Chaos Theory. An excellent collection from an outstanding writer.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

Another superb story from one of my favourite newly discovered authors. You've got to love a story that grabs you on page 1 and doesn't let you go until you finish the last page.

Januaries is an incredible anthology with stunning accompanying artwork.

Olivie Blake is one of the best character writers and I adored the collection. From the absolute joy that is The Wish Kingdom, to the delights of Sucker for Pain and Sensual Tales of Carnal Desires. We traverse across various time periods and differing levels of paranormal in a way that leaves you desperate for more.

I really enjoyed almost all of the stories, but A Year in January was my absolute favourite. The depiction of mental health and chronic illness felt incredibly raw and real in a truly painful way. The explanation of seasons and the variability of illness was so profound. The conversation about love and the love the main characters shared was very special: “”What was this one?” she asked me. “Gentle,””. My favourite quote from this story was this: “Make sure you only let people in who are reverent with it. People who don’t understand magic can be a real drain on available resources, so don’t be irresponsible with your supply.” The need for gentle love and understanding when navigating long term health challenges is so vital. I can see myself returning to this short story regularly.

I can’t wait to explore more from this author and would highly recommend this beautiful collection of short stories.

After reading a couple of the stories I decided that, once and for all, Olivie Blake's writing style just isn't for me. I though a different format might help break up the overly pretentious writing, but instead we get poetry scattered in and on skimming further into the book I found that the writing doesn't really change. I liked the way this was organised though, into differing seasons. But no, not for me.

This was a unique collection of the magical, mysterious and sometimes macabre all characterised by Olivie Blake's intriguingly beautiful style of prose. Stylistically these felt to me very much like reading Grimm's Fairytales, with some endings ambiguous and others chilling except if they were a mixture of fantasy, dystopian, speculative, romance and historical stories. While I enjoyed some more than others and had my favourite stories
(The Animation Games, How to Dispel Friends and Curse People and Chaos Theory with special mentions to To Make a Man and Pre-existing Condition) I didn't think any of the stories were bad and liked the collection as a whole as well as the individual stories. One of my favourite things about Olivie Blake's books is how there are always pieces of beautiful artwork bringing the characters and stories to life and the illustrations in Januaries were some of my favourites! I feel like short story collections don't get enough love and aren't as common or popular as they should be and I really hope that people read Januaries and, like me, feel an urge to read more!

"Januaries" contains a unique combination of short stories and novellas that include elements of fantasy, romance and some magic. OIivie Blake is a storyteller who provides an escape into fairy tale lands, populated with many imaginative angled stories.

The stories that make up this anthology, called "Januaries", show a variety of forms from contemporary retold fairytales to science fiction, and in all of them, love, treachery and the issues of living and dying are at the center. Whether it is a wish giving earth spirit on the verge of depression, a displaced pixie who responded to a Craigslist ad, or a Victorian orphan in an occult-defined relationships, Blake’s skilful narrating was gripping at all times.

The book is a combination of the much loved reprint of some classic stories and brand new tales which means that the book will appeal to lovers of children’s literature as well as to fans of magic realism and fantasy. To the humor of the book also contribute such things as outlandish poetry and even a bunch of real wedding vows.

In short, 'Januaries' is a captivating work that tackles old concepts in an inventive manner and takes the readers deep into different never-seen-before worlds. This is an enchanting book that every person who loves fairy stories and uncanny adventures and relaxing yet engrossing pieces should read.

A great mix of short stories. Some of these had me crying, some had me laughing and others had confused which is exactly what I have come to love and expect from Olivie Blake.

A beautiful collection of stories about love, magic and betrayal from one of my favourite authors. Escape the mundane of morality with these magical ruminations on life, death, love and revenge that outlasts both. This collection featured versions of modified fairy tales, contemporary heists and absurdist poetry. There was something for everyone with this anthology and I have to say that I had a really fun time meeting a banished fairy, a victorian orphan and a multiverse assassin.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 (𝐓𝐨𝐫) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 & 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞

Blake has done it again, made me fly through a book because I did not want to put it down at all. I love short stories and these were all written so well and made me feel every emotion possible. I adored it so much.

I loved almost all of these stories, Olivie is so special and she managed to create amazing stories that felt like books with just a few pages. The Animation Games was a favorite in between all of them, and it was fantastic to see how her writing fits all other genres that are not fantasy or romance.

Thank you so much netgalley for providing me the arc of this book, I feel honoured being able to read this beautiful book. I would highly recommend the book, it is so beautifully written. Olivie Blake never fails to engage me and capture my heart

This was my first Olivie Blake book, and it did not disappoint. I was very excited to read it, because I have heard great things about the author before.

This book is a collection of short stories, some of them I loved even more than the others. The first story was my favourite, it grew to my heart dearly, and I even cried. The others were also very interesting and emotional, some of them I wish would have became a whole book because I feel like I just need to know more about the characters and about their lives.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone, who is looking for some emotional and heart wrenching stories and if you don't feel like you want to read a whole book or get too attached, but want to read something here and there. A story a day can make your life beter.

I enjoyed this, I thought this was a great collection of short stories. I loved how varied they were and how Blake took on many different types of genres and storytelling techniques. In particular I enjoyed the stories that took inspiration from Greek mythology. I loved how Blake adapted the myths!

I think this collection really showed the strengths of Blake as a writer, and I feel like she really got to flex all her different skills and interests.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

"It's easy to tire of beautiful things. Watch the sun rise from your bed each morning and it loses its majesty , becomes white noise. Reverence collapses, terror fades. Boredom is woefully accessible. There's an oppressive sameness to doing things that will never change, to living days that are carbon copies of each other. Repetition is the beast of captivity, habit the tyrant of awe."

What a delectable collection of stories! Olivie Blake's newest shows just how versatile an author she is. Blake draws on a wide range of not only genres but also themes, moods, and writing styles. We have fairytales for adults, two insanely creative takes on Greek mythology (never thought I'd enjoy Greek myths again but these were really something), weird sci-fi, poetry and so much more. There's something that will resonate with every reader. Some stories will fill you with delight, other with melancholy. Most will leave you wondering, 'wtf did I just read?!'. My favorites were The Wish Bridge, To Make a Man, Chaos Theory, and A Year in January! There are more than a few that I'd love to read as full length novels. The thing that unites these stories is OB's exquisite prose. Overall, I really enjoyed this short story collection and I'm glad the hits outnumbered the misses!

I am never sure how I feel about this author's work, sometimes I really enjoy it and sometimes I'm not so sure, so I thought a collection of short stories would be ideal to see where maybe some ideas come from or even just how she tells a short story, and sometimes I am impressed and sometimes I'm left bewildered.

There is no denying this author can write. From the first story, these stories awake on the page and really pull you in that make you feel like you are part of the story - even in the stories from this author I've not enjoyed, I've been drawn in by her characters and how she writes, and this collection is no different. The romance that ensues in The Wish Branch is just so perfectly written and opens this book with so much promise.

Where this author works is where she can push the boundaries and really test herself with emotion and expression. I think that is highlighted in other works she's written but here in this collection it shines. Monsterlove in particular are perfect examples of stunning writing and gorgeous characterisation that sticks with you.

A great collection full of the things Olivie Blake does so well in her novels, I actually prefer her here, particularly in the journal entry style stories beginning with The Audit and I would legit read whole novel in verse if they are anything like How To Dispel Friends And Curse People, cos that was cute as heck - that's the cosy romance I'm looking for here.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for honest review).

A collection of short stories by Olivie Blake.

Some stories were extraordinary, others were very abstract. Some I enjoyed, others were a bit too out there.

An outstanding collection of stories that are lyrical, beautiful and rich with emotions, as expected with Olivie’s work. Utterly captivating!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As with a lot of anthologies, this book had some stories I really enjoyed that could have been their own novels, and others not so much. Blake's writing style was present throughout and she definitely nailed the themes of love, passion, betrayal, and magic.

Some personal favourites were The Wish Bridge, Sucker for Pain, The Animation Games, How to Dispel Friends and Curse People, and Chaos Theory.

I'm not sure I would re-read the entire book, but I would definitely go back to the ones I enjoyed most.

I did not know it was a collection of short stories before I requested it. As with most collections, it's not you - it's me. I can't get invested in them and find I struggle to care. It was fine. Just not my thing.