I love Olivie Blake, her books are just unique! We have a whole slew of paranormal characters in this one, including Death himself. The idea that Death raised a human baby after the death of its parents is quite funny, especially when we discover that Fox ends up getting into all sorts of shenanigans. Death is quite exasperated with Fox and those parts were quite funny especially cause it's obvious Death cares about him. The plot is honestly just fun, in what world would Death get kidnapped haha! Well this one and the fact the rest of the characters have to go through a bunch of trials to try to get things back to normal is just entertaining especially given the love of Fox's life ends up in the middle of it all. I wouldn't class this as a romance but it definitely has a romantic subplot and I'm not mad! I'm very happy I listened to this as an audiobook because the narrator was just excellent and really brought these characters to life.

A big thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

This is a very atmospheric read perfect for fall. I loved how it was a haunted house story without feeling like a haunted house story. However, Blake has a very specific and somewhat purpley prose writing that takes a while to get to the point. It lost me a little on the way to the point. I think this one just dragged and didn't have enough vampires or haunted house for my liking. I do think it was quirky and fun and may appeal to T Kingfisher fans

Interesting set up, great premise, okay execution. Olivie Blake is probably not for me, but I couldn't resist giving this a try. If this sounds interesting to someone, they will probably love it.

"Masters of Death" by Olivie Blake is a supernatural adventure featuring Viola Marek, a vampire struggling to sell a haunted house where a stubborn ghost refuses to move on until his murder is solved. Enter Fox D’Mora, a charismatic medium with dubious credentials but a connection to Death himself. Reluctantly drawn into unraveling the ghost's mystery, Viola and Fox find themselves navigating a quirky team of supernatural allies, including a poltergeist, a demonic trainer, a sharp-tongued angel, and a lovesick reaper. As they delve deeper, they uncover unexpected connections between lost loves and lingering spirits, blending mystery, humor, and the paranormal in a tale that defies expectations.

I normally really love Steve West’s narration, he really does a wonderful job, but this book just didn’t work for me in audio there’s to many character and to much dialog, which wasn’t really working for me, for it to really work with a single narrator for me.

Viola is a realtor trying to sell a house with one problem: it’s haunted by its last owner. Oh, and viola is an aswang. Follow Viola as she works with various other supernatural creatures to solve the mystery of Tom’s (the ghost) death and ends up helping to save the world at the same time. Honestly I loved that Blake brought in such a variety of of creatures into this story, but really brought everything back to love and human connection. When the only rule in a game played by immortals is don’t lose, it really does take a human willing to risk everything to win. And what human would do that without have connections, friends and love? Not only that, but the narrator for this audiobook was incredible. When sometimes the story itself was a little slow, the narration kept me engaged until the plot picked up again.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio!
This is such an anticipated read, and I am so excited it lived up to expectations. Olivie Blake is an absolutely amazing author, and I am so glad that I got to check out her work early. This might be one of my new favorite books by her. The premise of this book was fantastic and the execution was flawless. I could read multiple books in this world!

Where have I been? Under a rock? How is it that I’ve never read anything by this author?

I loved everything about it. I loved the world-building, the characters (who doesn’t like a good gaggle of misfits?), the squirrel-brain pacing, and the impertinent dialogue (oh, the impertinent dialogue!).

My only real criticism was that it could have been an entire series. I would have loved three books in this world, instead of the one crammed to bursting.

Now, if everyone is to be believed – that this book, while good, isn’t Blake’s best – I’m going to have a grand time with her back catalogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this magical ARC.

I think this time, when I say I'm throwing in the towel on Olivia Blake, I have to mean it. I either love her books or I have less than zero clue what is going on. There's no reliability for me and unfortunately this was in the latter camp. Literal definition of all vibes no plot.

I am not typically a fan of audiobooks, as I have a hard time concentrating on what is being said and usually find myself tuning them out. That was not the case here. The narrator is fabulous and really captured the story well. I had the opposite problem I usually have, in that now I couldn't stop listening to this. One of the few audiobooks I would listen to over and over again.

I could not finish listening to this. The narration was so irking to me. The way the narrator voiced the females had me wanting to rip my ears off. I am interested in the story and will try to read a physical copy in the future when I've gotten over this, so I'll give it two stars for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! ♥

Olivie Blake has a beautiful way of writing. Sh manages to bring an eclectic cast of characters into an engaging story.

I loved the prose, but this did drag a little for me. The interactions between the different types of supernatural beings was interesting. This is a thought provoking book that is still fun to read.

I found the audiobook really difficult to follow and kept loosing interest. So maybe just not for me or that time.

Whoever chose this narrator for this audiobook knew what they were doing. They were absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to hear more books from the narrator but as far as the Book for Olivie Blake, she’s a queen and I love anything she makes.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Advance Listener Copy of Masters of Death.

I loved the dramatized adaptation of Atlas Six by Olivie Blake so when I saw this one I requested it immediately. This is a very different book than Atlas Six. My biggest issue with this book is that the plot is moved forward entirely by dialogue by about 20 different characters which would be difficult for a great audiobook narrator. Steve West isn't my favorite narrator but major props to him for doing this one. I did have to abandon the audio version about halfway through as I had no idea which character was talking. I finished reading a physical copy and enjoyed it a little more but it still was not my favorite.

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake was superb! This paranormal was very entertaining because of its supernatural elements and ensemble cast of characters. This is my 3rd book by Blake and she is quickly beoming one of my favorite authors.

Is there anything Steve West can't read or narrate? He's one of my absolute favorite narrators-- there's just such richness and fullness in his voice, and he's able to vary his voice according to the characters. He definitely elevated this book!

Masters of Death is a complex, intricate story, filled with equal parts humor and thought-provoking content, woven together with beautiful writing.

We have vampires, demons, gods, and the embodiment of Death himself. All are walk-off-the-page, fully developed characters.

This is a love story, a life story, an observational study filled with symbolism and subtleties. This is a story requiring a slower pace, time, and attention.

I’d pre-ordered the hardcover (which is beautiful!), and I was also fortunate to receive a free audiobook download from Macmillan Audio. I’d planned to alternate between the two, but I wound up only listening. I absolutely loved the narration! I was fully entranced from start to finish.

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download!*

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- DNF

This is an unfair review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ARC of Olivie Blake’s Masters of Death

This was my first Olivie Blake and I was so excited which is probably why I am so upset. The abundance of characters and overall chaos left me confused. The writing style was a stumbling block, which granted sometimes I can push through but with a convoluted plot… I couldn't push through it. Ultimately it felt overly ambitious and beyond the author's ability. honestly, it felt like bad television writing. I tried coming back after a few weeks (which turned into months ..my bad) hoping it was just a case of the right book wrong time. it was not. it was just the wrong book for me.

I even switched from Audio to physical book trying to make this one work…

Due to the Negativity of this review, I will not be posting to any other platforms.

Thank you again

I fully understand why Masters of Death has mixed reviews. It requires patience and attention and forces the reader to trust the process. The humor, while perfect for me, will not be for everyone. It is snarky and over the top at times. The character-driven story is multi-layered and complex but weighed down by heavy dialogue, too many pages, and far too many characters.

The audio is narrated by the great Steve West, and he does not disappoint here. I am not sure many other narrators could have given distinct voices to each of the sheer number of characters in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.