Masters of Death: A Novel

If you're looking for witty banter, quick remarks, characters with a lot of attitude, and many many secrets this is the book for you. It's a complex book and not a quick easy read but that's what I love so much about it. If you enjoy books like the "Starless Sea" that leave you questioning everything and leaving you in the dark for most of the book this one is right up your alley. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Honestly, I finished this one a while ago but have been on the fence about how I really feel about it. On the one hand, the premise is great and it has wonderful characters; however, it’s also a bit of a jumbled mess as far as writing style goes- I believe this was purposeful as it did add a little something. I like my stories to be more tidy, to have an even flow going from one part of the story to another… this isn’t that. This is drama and chaos and side stories that get tied up together toward the end when it seems like someone tapped the author and was like “wrap this up already, we wanna publish”. The part where we catch up with each of the characters seemed rushed considering the amount of time we took on everything else. It’s dialogue is often overdramatic (made even more fun with the help of the wonderful narrator that definitely understood the vibe here). That said, each side story was one I would have wanted to read as a full novel, each character was one I genuinely wanted to know. I was riveted by the going-ons with this group. Seriously, if we made little novellas about these characters, I would read them all.   The cast of characters was unique and charming. What does a ghost, a demigod, a reaper, a sharlatan that can see Death, a demon and an unwilling vampire have in common? They all got roped into this. It’s fun and sassy with fabulous, often thought provoking lines… but it’s also sometimes exhausting. I saw one review that talked about how this wasn’t meant for people that wanted a plot laid out on a silver platter on page one. Lord, isn’t that the truth. The first third of the book you are enjoying the ride, but don’t really know where the car is headed… you’re just happy to be going. Or that was my experience.  The chaos got to be a lot sometimes, but I loved it anyway. I enjoyed the ride, even if I still feel like the ending was rushed and maybe a tiny bit of a let down considering the amount of work we took to get here. The writing style is not one I would normally choose for myself as I can often get lost in the subplots and find the experience exhausting, but it was so good!   Then there’s Blake’s portrayal of Death as a long suffering “papa”. I love when Death gets a bit of a makeover. You see them portrayed in a different light (my favorite is still “Suzy” from Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore. I think about this book a lot, actually). The whole scenario was just charming.  This is a fun read, but it is no way a fast or smooth one. There are twists and turns, much like a written roller coaster… but if you stick with it, it’s worth it. For me this was a four star book.⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 4 out of 5. As far as adult content goes…. well, this one has a bunch of foul mothed reprobates so obviously there is going to be a ton of language. There’s some violence and sexual content as well- not too very explicit, but something to think about. I would say it’s geared toward a mature audience but could actually be labeled as New Adult without it being entirely incorrect.

3🌟I’m going to start off with the bad and I have this book 3 stars because half of the book was just a mess. I felt like a lot of the sentence structure did not work well together and it did not flow very well at all. I really struggled to make it through this book. It really almost feels like two separate books from the way the beginning was wrote and the end.What made me love this books is the ending!The ending tied together really well and left us with no cliffhangers. The ending flowed well. I really loved the game that the immortals played and I think it was very interesting. Would I read the second book if there is one yes. I just hope the beginning is way better.Would I recommend the first book. If you like immortals and gods and games sure. Definitely a book that’s down your alley but if not I might pick a different read!

“Hello children. It’s time for death.”5 Brilliant Stars!I've said it before, but I'll say it again. There is something about Olivie Blake's prose that is so incredibly captivating and alluring that it demands attention. Her words live in my mind long after I finish one of her books and I find that I can't stop thinking about them. She's brilliant.In Masters of Death we follow 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, he needs to solve his murder.We have a lively bunch of characters that are a hysterical motley crew if you will - including a cranky ghost, a well-meaning vampire, a pair of annoying angels, a sly demigod and the godson of Death. Death with a capital D. 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 wish to feel something much, much larger than I am, the girl’s heart replies. I wish to stand on the edge of ruination and defeat, to leap into a chasm full of danger. I wish to feel my blood turn cold with fear and my cheeks burn bright with shame; I wish to feel joy that fills my lungs, and sadness that swells within me like a current. I wish to feel so much and so deeply that it washes over me in waves. I wish to drag myself towards something; I wish to lose pieces of myself along the way. I wish for hunger that drives me, for passion that fulfills me, for sensations of taking and having and losing and wanting, and I wish for all of it to come with a price, and a steep one—and then I wish for the courage to pay. Isn’t it all good because it’s something? she asks. Isn’t it all bad because beneath it—any of it, her wish sighs—I may collapse? Mayra”“But two centuries of anger had not served him nearly as well as one day of honesty.”“To love, to forgive, to lose, to live - it was always a choice, and thus, the fact that he was a mortal was finally one worth celebrating. Because it would end! Maybe that was the entire secret, and therefore the whole thing was actually astonishingly simple. That over and over, he was presented with the same impossible decision - live and suffer, love and grieve - but still, every time, with all his being, his answer was and would always be yes. It would be difficult and painful, and however it ended, it would end - but still, he could choose it. To live, to love; it was always a choice, and inherently a brave one, to face down certain doo, with open arms.”“Things are so much sweeter when they have an ending; things are so much more painful when they can be ripped away.”There is just something about supernatural and immortal creatures being thrown into the modern day world that, when done masterfully -I enjoy a lot. Masters of Death is a masterclass in showing, not telling, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.✦•······················•✦•······················•✦✦•······················•✦•······················•✦✦•······················•✦•······················•✦Olivie Blake has so easily become one of my favorite authors- LOVE THIS.RTC - After work. 💗

Did I go into this book thinking it would be lighthearted and fun and easy peasy lemon squeezy? Yes. Was it fun and lighthearted? At times. Was it stressful as hell? Yeah. Yeah it really was. But was it funny and witty and charming and amazing at the same time? 100% Olivie Blake does not miss, and this is yet another example of her brilliant storytelling. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Absolutely loved all the creatures and characters in this novel. Beautifully written and such a fun read! I even shed a few tears but will deny it lol 5 star read

Estava louca por esse livro, ele é ainda mais bonito pessoalmente. Apenas comprem!

Llego en perfecto estado

Für meine Enkelin ,die Leseratte ,sie sagt es ist super

The book is awesome, and the endpapers illustrations are stunning. It's an amazing product, so it's an easy 5 stars from me.The ONE thing I dare to criticize is Amazon's delivery: the book was delivered in overall good shape, but the book angles and some small sections of the paper book jacket were slightly ripped and damaged; I spent nearly 29 euros for this book, and I'd love to receive it in pristine conditions.