I want to like Olivie Blake's books, but I just don't (it's definitely an "it's me, not you" situation). Blake's writing is lyrical and definitely fits within the world of playwrights. There are pretty moving quotes that move the reader to a swooning motion; however, I didn't feel connected to this book beyond, "ooo, pretty writing."

Blake sets the stage, so to speak, with two families of witches that are vying for wealth and dominion in the backdrop of NY. They obtain and sell creatures and magical drugs, and fight blood with blood (they clearly haven't heard of the concept that an "eye for an eye makes the world blind"). Amidst all of this fighting is the fight for and loss of love - the typical star-crossed lovers.

The first issue I had with this book is a personal preference and one I should have done more research on - I rarely like Romeo and Juliet retellings. Although I feel that Blake's story does deviate from a strict retelling, I couldn't get behind the characters. Imagine this: a tale as old as time with two warring families (all kind of unlikeable and very much morally gre), multiple plays for power, and The Bridge, who just happens to be THE central part of the story since he has dealings with Every. Single. Character. Ever. I also didn't really like the concept of having Romeo and Juliet times two - literally two sets of star-crossed lovers, what are the odds? I was more invested in the description of past loves than the current story, which made this book not my cup of tea.

The main issue I had with the audiobook in particular was the narrator. I think this book, with as many characters as it tried to support, could have benefitted from a male narrator AND a female narrator for more diversity in voices. Most of the characters were made to sound breathy, sick, or trying too hard to be sultry, and it distracted me from Blake's prose.

I know a lot of readers love the niche that Blake inhabits - this was just my experience trying to force my way through this book.

I do sincerely appreciate Olivie Blake, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and provide my honest feedback.

I really enjoyed the warring families approach, in modern day NYC. I loved the narrator who made the story come alive.

I actually enjoyed the story. What I didn’t enjoy is the format. It’s a play. That’s fine, I wasn’t prepared for that going in, but that’s my fault - I’m sure it’s widely known I just can’t say I looked.

The play format on audio really took away from the magic of the story. Hearing “act x scene x” was very distracting and I found myself losing the magic of the previous moment, only to gain it back just in time to lose it again. I can usually block out chapters, but the act and scene was too much for me to block out I guess.

While the narrator was great, due to what I’ve said above, I wouldn’t recommend the audio. I’d get a different format. I think that would be a better way to enjoy this story. It is quite good, and I recommend the story but maybe not on audio.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I feel that the more I let the story sit and marinate with me and revisit it time and time again I can see the potential of this story slow burning into a 5-star.

As a huge fan of Olivie Blake's Alone with You in the Ether, which was my favorite 2022 release I read last year, I felt very safe in the masterfully adept creative mind and hands for this venture into her newest Tor Books/Macmillan Audio release, One For My Enemy. A couple of my close trusted friends had dug into the story before I had the chance to, and were all raving. So as deflated as I was attempting to temper my expectations going into this read, reminding myself this is a genre shift from literary fiction to magical fantasy drama, it was hard not to allow some moderate-to-high excitement for an incoming masterpiece to creep in and Ms. Olivie Blake took that excitement and said here's an all you can eat feast of serotonin.

In One For My Enemy, we meet Baba Yaga and the Antonova sisters and Koschei the Deathless and the Fedorov brothers; two NYC witch dynasties who have been at war for over 12 years. Each family not only struggles for power against each other, but also within themselves. When a brother and a sister from each respective empire are drawn together by fate, a series of destructive events start to devolve in their wake, carrying each family and its members to the brink of implosion.

I loved how unexpected the story felt even knowing going in that One For My Enemy is a Romeo and Juliet interpolation interwoven with Baba Yaga lore. There was so much drama going on that was all so juicy and chaotic it felt like a feature length witchy Succession in the best way. The twists and turns felt surprising and shocking. Multiple moments stole my breath and had my jaw hanging open on the floor. (Multiple annotations of mine are just "!!! the DRAMA"). You fall in love with more characters and relationships than you can even anticipate. Even the modernization of the text having a screenplay feel updated from Shakespeare's dramaturgy was such a slam dunk for me and had me in awe of Blake's technical prowess and skill. (I would absolutely love to see this story adapted to screen, preferably in a miniseries but honestly in any form). I have read other reviews critiquing the pacing, but I found the pacing to be well balanced and restrained, which is needed to manage the many storylines, characters, and complex relationships that are being juggled at once. I felt the format further enhanced the ability of the reader to track each through-line and not get lost while navigating their way through the various stories until they finally converge.

The narration by Ferdelle Capistrano was absolutely perfect. I really loved the vocal performance as a whole and felt the emotions infused into each of the various characters felt authentic and true. I found myself multiple times laughing out loud or moved to tears.

"You are you, an entire whole, all on your own, If you have loved and been loved, then you are richer for it; you don't simply become a smaller version of yourself simply because what you once had is gone."

Most recommend for people who love: Romeo and Juliet, Baba Yaga anything, <i>Succession, Practical Magic (1998), The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Warm Bodies (2013), Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006), A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, <i>Veronica Mars, the Grishaverse, Anastasia/Romanov lore, ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas and Pretty Little Liars the series (both in terms of the sheer amounts of intense happenings, dramas, and relationships chaotically interweaving with each other), The Kiss Curse by Rachel Hawkins, Vox Lux (2018), The VVitch (2016), and Olivie Blake's other works.

Definitely I book I recommend is great to read during any season of the year, but buddy reading this book with a group of friends in October would be next level FUN. Book clubs across the nation should start planning this now and pair it with a screening of The VVitch (2015) -- if you've read the book and seen the film you know why.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Books for a review copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review, to Olivie Blake for their art, and to Ferdelle Capistrano for bringing that art to life with their own art.

One for My Enemy is the story of Romeo and Juliet, but make them rival witch families in modern-day New York City and add in Russian inspiration.

This novel has Olivie Blake’s classic strong character building, but I just wasn’t that invested in the story itself. I think the concept was cool, and the way she inverts the original Romeo and Juliet story was fun to see, but I just kept getting lost in the vast cast of characters and all the Russian naming.

Even though this is Blake’s weakest novel I’ve read by her so far, I would still recommend it to fans of Romeo and Juliet retellings. The audio narrator was great and I would recommend the audiobook to those interested in reading this story.

Oh, what a tangled web she weaves. I never thought I would so love a story of doomed romances, shady dealings and re-dealings, family love, loyalty, and dysfunction. Here I stand, a fan.

What keeps pulling me back to Blake's stories is her unwavering willingness to make villains of both the good and the not-so-good. Evil is never clear cut with her characters and I love that, because everyone person has a certain level of complexity with a capacity for being evil. Everyone gets a chance to choose for themselves, most times in a roundabout way and when they embrace it, it is great to see on the page.

With witches, fae, shadow creatures, and the living dead, One For My Enemy was quite enjoyable. From the very first unrequited love to the two that follow in the next generation, I was invested in this story of two families using their unique talents to build empires and garner power, to the deals made and unmade to undercut each other, to the banter and the constant plotting.

There isn't much world-building here as it is set in a fairly modern New York and I didn't mind in the least as it was the characters and their interactions that I was most interested in and that hooked me into the story.

And what intentions there were. All the plans that are dismantled and remade, the truths and lies that motivate, the loss and grief that begins to forge changes in all, but at the root of it, it was the loyalty to family and the greatest hurt that comes when one is betrayed by family, that remains with me.

I made it 72% of the way through this audiobook, and I am giving up - both on this book and this author.

1 star for the book, and a second for the narration.

When I saw another (audio)book by Olivie Blake, I jumped at the chance to review it. I really enjoyed Atlas Six, after all. To be fair, it is not terribly written. And that audiobook narrator is great. This is probably why I made it as far as I did (and I REALLY did give it my best effort).

Three major problems with this (audio)book led me to throw my hands in the air in exasperation at 72% through, and decide that I just didn't care what happened to these characters. First, had the synopsis clearly stated that it is a re-write of Romeo and Juliet (my most disliked Shakespeare), I would never have picked it up. Not stating this in the synopsis - when it so clearly IS a re-write - is pretty misleading.

Second, all of the characters are almost thoroughly hate-able. I had this problem with Atlas Paradox as well (thus just giving up on this author completely). I really don't care if any of them live or die, and that is HUGE for me to say about any storybook characters. All I need is one character that I can empathize with for me to deeply want to know their fate, regardless of all other flaws that the book carries. But Olivie Blake writes characters so utterly hate-able that it isn't worth my time to find out what happens in the end.

Third - I don't know what the author's heritage is, and I'm not sure if she carries any Slavic ancestry - but I find it incredibly problematic that she would publish a book where the characters choose to appropriate such historical, revered Slavic beings as Baba Yaga and her like, just after the 1 year anniversary of Russia's appalling invasion and attempted mass genocide of Ukrainian people. Doing a mash-up of Romeo and Juliet to the theme of historic Slavic tales while a cruel dictator does his best to wipe and entire sovereign nation off the map?! Barf. The only way that I will retract this third, very disturbing, problem from my list is if the author is Ukrainian herself (I am doubting it from her photo).

Gratitude to the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a temporary copy of this audiobook, in exchange for my (very) honest opinion. I truly hope that Macmillan Audion doesn't blacklist me for pretty much hating this one.

Really enjoyed the narrator! I enjoyed ONE FOR MY ENEMY - the rivalry between the two witch families felt very Shakespeare-esque. The plot twists and unexpected turns were interesting, and I loved the setting of “magical Manhattan.”

I DNF’d this book about 40% of the way in. I wanted to like it so badly, but it was so boring. There was almost no plot driving the story, and the two love stories were just weird. This one was just not for me.

a heart-wrenching, captivating story about power, loyalty, family ties, and sacrifice. it's an epic love story and a tragedy all in one. complete with olivie blake's trademark stunning prose, this grabbed my attention immediately and i didn't want to put it down. the twists and turns are unpredictable and the depth of character makes you wonder who to root for. if you read this with your ears, the narrator (ferdelle capistrano) gives a great performance!

ps: if you like succession (the tv show) and stories with magic, try this one out❣️

*thank you macmillan audio for the AlC & tor books for the gifted finished copy!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this ARC. Olivie Blake has a close place in my heart and it has been wonderful to watch her thrive as she has made the transition from a self published author to traditional publishing.

This story is what you get if you mix Practical Magic with Romeo and Juliet. From the beginning of the story I expected Lev and Sasha to be our main focus but loved that we stemmed in so many relationships, and the exploration of Marya and Dima's relationship had me clinging on so heavily to all of the characters instead of just one. I'll say it loudly for the people in the back--I need more of the twins and less of Roma. The Drama between Staz and Dima and Masha had me tense throughout it all wondering when it would come to a head, and it did in glorious fashion.

I do think at times it was drawn out a bit too much. I thought the story was almost at its end only to find myself only at about the 58% threshold. I think I would have loved reading it but I am thankful I listened to the audiobook. The narrator preformed beautifully and has made me want to seek her out in other works.

This story has made me excited to finally dive into the rest of Olivie's back catalogue and I cannot wait to see where she goes with her new books.

I really wanted to enjoy this one. Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite stories, so to see someone put this twist on it? I was thrilled! The pacing of this one is slow and yet not? If that makes sense a bit anticlimactic if I really wanted to narrow it down. There were definitely moments where major things happened and it ended up so lost in everything and the writing that I hardly realized. The writing however is beautiful just hard for this book.

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did :/ I really liked the Romeo and Juliet inspiration blended with witchcraft and drama - I just wanted more drama haha. It was a good plot overall - not too boring where I found myself snoozing off or getting distracted. The characters were well rounded but could have done with a little more depth.

This was such an interesting book. Two families intertwined through love and hate, each battling to be the best of the witches. Their families have been at war with each other for the last 15ish years and when one family finds the other family has been buying their product and selling it for a higher profit they take it as an insult. One family strikes at the other, and the other responds in kind....or responds with a statement. This is part family rivlary, part mystery, part romance of at least 4 characters. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and give it 4 out of 5 stars. I did think the book went a little longer than it needed to and felt it could have ended sooner, but otherwise this was really great.

So happy I got the chance to listen to this one - I loved the Atlas Six and Blake's prose is just as good in this book if not better! This is a loose Romeo and Juliet retelling but actually, Masha and Dima were everything!? and the story was a better version of R&J if you ask me. Absolutely loved the inclusion of the Russian/Slavic folktales and of course, all the witches! I did find this story a bit drawn out and felt like we lost some steam along the way with the Sasha and Lev story line but ultimately still a fun read. The narrators were engaging and did a great job!

Content warnings: Death, suicide, grief, murder, drugs, emotional abuse, sexual content, trafficking, sexual harassment.

A huge thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.

This was an incredible ride! Set in modern New York, this book combines witches, politics, and rival families in a way that hooked me from the start. The atmospheric writing, inspired by Koschei and Marya, and the clever Romeo & Juliet retelling added even more intrigue. The multi-perspective narrative kept me on my toes, eagerly anticipating when characters would catch up to what I already knew. The character development, especially Masha's journey of self-discovery and Sasha's struggles with love and loss, was incredible. The romance was poetic and heart-wrenching, and the last fifty pages had me glued to my seat. Although there were some slow-pacing moments, the intricate plots and diverse characters made it an exhilarating read. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano, whose performance truly brings the story to life.

Thanks to NetGalley & TorDotCom / Macmillan Audio for gifting me an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I must say...I was genuinely surprised on how much I enjoyed this. It is very much a new adult contemporary fantasy twist to Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet with betrayals, forbidden romance, and death. Olivie Blake did a good job in writing the rivalry between the two families and romance between their heirs. In a way, there were two sets of "Romeo & Juliet" equivalents. Although, I didn't like the second set as much. I didn't believe their initial attraction even though they grew on me as I continued to read. I think Blake had one of the rivaling families have so many kids so that Blake could conveniently explain away a very crucial moment in the book. It seemed like a convenience since it involved most of those kids and we, the reader, would hardly see or hear from them again. Nonetheless, the audiobook production was very well done. Ferdelle Capistrano did a great job balancing all of the voices and bringing life to these characters. I think reading Olivie Blake's books are best read via audio for me. I didn't enjoy The Atlas Six, so it was nice to see some improvement here.

Content warnings: death, suicide, grief, murder, drug use, emotional abuse, sexual content (minor), sexual harassment (minor), drug trafficking (minor)

Rating: 3.5 stars!

I was genuinely surprised by this title. At the beginning it seemed pretty bold for someone to take on a Romeo & Juliet retelling in the time of Chloe Gong's immense success with "These Violent Delights" and "Our Violent Ends" then figuring out that the two families are the Antonova's and the Fedorov's, another use of Russian families like Gong's duology? It was a bit on the nose. Then first chapter was (and still is in my opinion) too similar to Gong's follow up series "Foul Lady Fortune." I was eventually able to sink in to Olivie Blake's world and storytelling but this was a huge hurdle to get through for me as a reader. The other issue I had is that Blake gives us zero explanation of her magic system and I was left both confused and wanting. We essentially deal with necromancy in One for My Enemy and it is just brushed aside as common practice....was no one surprised that people kept coming back??

Overall I enjoyed the story line, and this felt infinitely more approachable than The Atlas Six. The plot took several surprising turns yet it was all tied neatly with a bow at the end - almost too quickly...I had a good time reading this title but it wasn't something I wanted to rush back to in any way. If you struggled with the Atlas Six or even if you loved it I think many will be happy with this new book from Olivie Blake. Personally I am waiting to see what she does next and if we can get something as wholly original as the Atlas Six.

Olivie Blake's One for My Enemy is a fun, engaging urban fantasy. In the same way that The Atlas Six developed a wide cast of characters, all complex and compelling, One for My Enemy tells the story of two warring magical crime syndicate families in NYC. A delightful mix of magic and politics, One for My Enemy is perfect for fans of modern fantasy.

Olivie Blake has won me over again!

One for my enemy is a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in modern-day Manhattan where we follow two rival witch families fighting for control over their criminal empires.

This is definitely a romance centric fantasy book, and as someone who usually avoids those I was a little nervous getting into this one, but I found myself genuinely caring about the characters and the relationships.

In the Atlas Six & (especially) the Atlas Paradox, I found much of Blake's writing to be unnecessarily detailed and confusing. One for my Enemy didn't seem to have that same issue. I think that because this book is pretty romance centric, it doesn't have as much world building, and the characters backstories are included pretty naturally into the story. Because there's not as much world building, this would be a great book for someone who wants to get into the fantasy genre.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story that helped break up some of the heavier sci-fi and fantasy books I usually read.