I loved The Wish Bridge 5*, enjoyed Fates and Consequences 4*, Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasure 4* and Chaos Theory 4*. If you are looking for a quick read, without tying yourself to a full book, this is ideal.

I usually don't read short story collections, but I thought that it would be nice to make an exception for Olivie Blake since I already read a few of her books and I'm quite familiar with her by now. I really like the author's writing style, which I find charming and easy to follow which is also the case when it comes to Januaries. The collection is split in four parts according to the seasons - we start with Spring, continue with Summer and Autumn and finish with Winter. Some stories are very short, barely a few pages, but some are more intricate and include more development. The topics are also quite different, although all of them contain some kind of fantasy elements and a lot of them explore some kind of relationship - romantic, familial, friendship or relationship with your own self. I have to say, that I wasn't able to connect to all of them and only some made me reflect more than the others. I'd say that my favorites were The Wishing Bridge (very interesting concept and so fun), The Audit (reminded me of Black Mirror although not as dark), Sucker for Pain (quite dark, but delicious), The Animation Games (totally bonkers when you think about it, but very enjoyable), Fates and Consequences (made me think quite a bit about predetermined behavior), Sous Vide (I liked the connection between meals and the memories), Chaos Theory (interesting take on the multiverse and critique on the concept of the corporate ladder). Honestly, other stories were quite good as well, but the ones I mentioned will probably stay with me for longer, unfortunately others didn't take that effect on me. Overall, this is a great collection of stories, although I hoped that they will be more interconnected, but I don't see that as an issue at all, I still very much enjoyed reading all of them.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

I do love an Olivie Blake short story collection and in Januaries, we saw some older stories and some new ones. There was some I loved - Chaos Theory 💞 and The Animation Games and then some I skipped entirely after reading a few pages - Monsterlove and How To Dispel Friends and Curse People (really not my vibe). So it was a real mixed bag but overall I enjoyed the majority of these stories.

I had really high hopes for this and I adored the first story however the rest did not grasp me a fraction as much and I dnf at 65% which is frustrating. The first story was perfectly written and I found it whimsical but not the others and really had to push to get as far through as I did.

Other people may like this but this was not for me

I enjoyed this, overall some stories were really good, others were a little confusing or maybe just over my head! But I do enjoy Blake's writing

From time to time I really enjoy reading short stories, so I was more than excited when Netgalley and Pan Macmillan offered me an arc!

I always struggle with rating anthologies because, of course, I like some stories more than others.
Blake‘s book is divided into four parts (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) and I liked the stories in Autumn the most.
Overall my favorite stories are:
Sucker for Pain (Witches and Vampires)
The Animation Games (mutual murder as a love language)
Fates and Consequences (Hades, Persephone & Guy)
Sous Vide (Cooking for Demons)

An additional shout out to the artist who created the stunning pictures at the beginning of each part!
I gave the book 3,75 stars because I enjoyed most stories, but I feel like Blake‘s often difficult, unlikable or morally grey characters speak more to me when they have more time to shine as in her other books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection! While some stories captivated me completely and others left me less enthused, the overall experience was highly satisfying. The collection showcases the author's remarkable imagination, presenting a diverse array of narratives that range from reimagined classic fairy tales and exciting contemporary heists to multiverse adventures and profound explorations of human nature. The author's spellbinding, evocative, and lyrical prose is a delight to encounter once again. Additionally, I remain impressed by her skill in blending various genres and themes, resulting in a truly fantastic compilation.

This might shock some people but this was my first Olivie Blake. I know her work is very popular but I haven’t read any of her previous work so far and down the line, I think it was actually the best introduction there is! I’m actually glad that I discovered her this way. Januaries is a collection of new and iconic short stories and novellas from the bestselling author.

I loved the beginning of this anthology. The whole Spring part was amazing and every stories in it spoke to me. While I liked the second part as well (Summer) I sadly didn’t vibe with the third one (Autumn) which is a bummer since it’s my favorite season but luckily, the last (Winter) was the perfect way to end this journey. Blake’s writing is really good and immersive which is why I’m looking forward to pick up Masters of Death as well as One For My Enemy (I only heard great things about those). I actually started Masters of Death last year but didn’t read much because I wasn’t in the right mood (totally my fault, it had nothing to do with the book itself, you know how it is for mood readers!) but it sounds right up my alley.

Each tale takes you where you don’t expect them to and end with the perfect conclusion. My favorites are the later :
- The Audit (I think this one will stick with me a while, loved the concept and morals!)
- The Wish Bridge (Lila and Nile are the cutest)
- Sucker for Pain (You go Nora, get what you want from life - or the living that is)
- The Animation Games (That one was wild, what a plot!)
- Fates and consequences (Who doesn’t love stories in the underworld!)
- Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures (Damn that castle).

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-arc!

Thank you NetGalley and PanMacmillian for providing me with the opportunity to review Januaries by Olivie Blake.

I must say, I think this may be my favourite Olivie Blake's book or rather a collection of tales, each quite unique not only in form (e.g., short story, poem, journal entry) but also feelings they evoke. Some of them were more accessible than others - I'm talking here about easier writing/diction - and some were more "flowery", written in a "typical" Olivie Blake fashion. I genuinely enjoyed both but I'm glad it was a mix. Generally speaking, each tale had an amazing build up to a rewarding conclusion and some sort of life lesson regarding relationships (mind you this is a HUGE generalisation of Januaries as it also includes stories, for example, of pathetic men, life after death, longing and the idea of multiverse) everything sprinkled with bits and pieces of magic. For me, the main realisation was that pain and love exist on the same fabric and those feelings are just two sides of the same coin. What I also liked is that Blake included an insight into the thoughts of a person with mood disorder and although I can't relate to it, I'm happy I have a deeper understanding of it.

My favourite tales are:
- To make a man
- Monsterlove
- Fates and consequences (this one was super funny as well!!)
- Sous Vide
- Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures
- A year in January

When I first read one of Olivie Blake’s short stories in the ‘In These Hallowed Halls’ anthology, I hoped that she would publish a whole collection of original short stories. So, I was beyond excited when I learned that ‘Januaries’ was coming out!
I think that Blake’s lyrical writing style and unconventional narrative structures are perfect for the short story medium. Not only can she quickly draw the reader in with her words, but she can also create a shocking and surprising story in a few pages.
Her focus on the strange and supernatural, the absurd and ordinary, and the frightening and fascinating was wonderful. I particularly enjoyed her stories about unconventional love (which occasionally involves hauntings and some murder).
Whether you love Olivie Blake’s other books or you want to read some of her work but don’t want to commit to a whole book, I don’t think this collection will disappoint. And as a bonus you can enjoy the stunning artwork included at the start of each new season (my favourite was Spring but they’re all mesmerising).

So I was so excited about trying a new Olivie Blake book that wasn’t set in the atlas world . Because I really didn’t like it at all.

This book was boring, the writing didn’t grasp me in anyway. The characters weren’t original., the story’s felt forced but also went from one tangent to another.



Maybe I just don’t like this Authors writing.

The only story I thought I liked until it went a bit schew wiff was Nora and Edmunds story , fun almost gatsby ish . Loved the tone then bam not a good shift too much too busy needs edited.

Sorry 😔

"Januaries" is a collection of short stories written by Olivie Blake.

I loved this collection so much! Some titles won me over, others left me lukewarm, and others still didn't convince me, but overall I was very pleased! The collection expresses the author's great imagination, alternating between modified classic fairy tales, thrilling contemporary heists, multiverse adventures, a careful and intense analysis of what it means to be human, and much more. I love the author's spellbinding, evocative, and lyrical writing, and I am very happy to have found it again between the pages! Also, I continue to be amazed by her ability to skillfully mix different genres and themes, creating fantastic results!

My favorite stories were:
- The Wish Bridge
- The House
- Fates and Consequences
- A Year in January

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.