Oh wow this wasn’t what I was expecting and it surprised the heck out of me! I couldn’t stop listening!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: August 8, 2023

4+ stars
I really love Blake's books. There was a lot going on with this one and a lot of characters and I had many days off as I was listening during my summer break (no commuting so it cut up my listening time). I think if it wasn't as broken up I may have enjoyed it more? But I just love the characters with faults, the different way of thinking about things, the new ideas that she comes up.

The narrator was pretty good; not my favorite but not enough to detract from my listening experience. There were one or two female voices that I wasn't a huge fan of but I also realize he had a lot of characters he was trying to make sound very distinct.

Masters of Death was the first book that I have read by Olivie Blake. I was intrigued by the description, and Ms. Blake does not disappoint. She is a very creative and gifted writer. I listened to the audiobook, read by Steve West who gives it a spooky, yet comical edge, and does a wonderful job telling this, rather convoluted story. I had some difficulty with the long, bantering conversations leading into "the game" and found myself wanting them to just get on with it, as it was beginning to remind me of a political debate that was going round and round and getting nowhere, which was probably the author's intention. She may have wanted to present these supernatural beings as ridiculous as their mortal counterparts. All in all, though, I stuck it out to the end, and will have to say that it was a truly remarkable book. I am very interested in reading one of her others. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in immortal beings, or just those looking for something different.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to preview this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the audio ARC!

What a perfect fall read! I am starting to really fall in love with Olivie Blake's writing. The sassy, whimsical, paranormal vibes were seriously unmatched. There is a full cast of fascinating characters, each with their own distinct personalities. There's a ghost, a medium/godson of Death, a vampire, archangels, reapers, demons, etc. You name it, this has it! Not to mention all the romantic ties that form and how wonderfully queer this book is. The plot is complex but simple, all focused on the characters playing this game for immortals. The game is very ambiguous but forces them to face fears, regrets, and deepest desires. I enjoyed the conversations around mortality, pain, and all the feels.

If you need a linear plot and a sole main character, this may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a mystifying, fantastical, immersive, wild ride with a cast of endearing supernatural creatures, you will love this as much as I did! Really fun listen as an audiobook, although I did get confused at times. Upon a reread, I will probably choose the physical format just in case I missed anything!

This book had an interesting premise and I liked the dynamic between all of the characters. I do think that I might have liked this more if I read this with my eyes since there were a lot of characters and the dialogue was a bit confusing at times. I love when different mythical beings get together and have witty/quirky banter. This is my first Olivia Blake novel, and I am not discourage to try another one day.

The narrator executed most of the characters well, but I felt like some of the female characters came off as a bit posh and whiny with the voices the narrator used.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Ok I admit I just couldn’t get into this one at all and ended up not being to finish it.
Wasn’t a fan of the narration and I just couldn’t stay focused in the story.

This has been my favorite Blake book so far. The premise engaged me way more than her previous books, and while there a few moments that I was confused on some of the rules of the worldbuilding, I still enjoyed the overall storyline and characters.

I also highly enjoyed the narration. even though a few of the characters did sound very similar.

What happens when a vampire, a ghost, and a godling walk into an otherworldly casino to play an immortal game against Death? That's not the start of a joke - that's the premise of Masters of Death by Olivie Blake. The cast of characters exist in varying states of mortality, from recently dead (Tom Parker IV the ghost), to undead (Vi the vampire realtor), to the godson of Death who is mortal but seemingly imaging (Fox), to angels, demons, and Death himself. The story is nonlinear and layers are slowly pulled back as the overarching plot is unraveled. Can Death be beaten in a game that only has one rule - don't lose?

I absolutely loved the humor Olivie weaved into these characters while maintaining an ethereal and mysterious vibe in a story full of questionable characters and suspect motives.

Thank you to NG and Macmillan Audio for access to an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Masters of Death is a mastery. Finished this intricately woven story today and wow. I don’t have words for a full review yet because it’s complex and has many moving parts but know it has Blake's superb writing style, elegant prose, banter, and moments that leave you speechless. If you don’t like being confused or trying to piece things together, probably not for you but it is worth it

There is a game the immortals play and it has only one rule… don’t lose.

This book was fantastic. Steve West did a magnificent job with the narration/voice acting. The banter was on point. I loved all the characters.

The Gods are bored and so am I!

This book was not for me. There were glimpses of hope along the way with some interesting personalities and funny banter. But that was all lost in a chaos I could not make sense of. The last 10% had some hope but by that time, I didn’t really appreciate the characters like I should.

The audiobook narrator (Steve West) has an excellent tone and reads at a nice pace, but lacked much difference between characters adding to my confusion.

Maybe I would have connected better in print for this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Olivie Blake.

Was I confused half of the time? Yes!
Did I love every moment of this book? Also yes.

I thought the narrator did a fantastic job. At times, it made me feel uneasy, but I think that was the point.

Unfortunately, I have decided not to finish this title. I want to make sure that it's clear that this has nothing to do with the authors writing or the narrator. I found it incredibly challenging to follow the story line. I have noticed that Olivie's writing and stories are often incredibly complex and I continued to become lost. I experienced the exact same thing with The Atlas Six which I am currently reading in physical form and loving it. I am finding it easier to see the progression of the story when I can see the breaks and change in tonality. I plan to read Masters of Death rather than listen to the audio and will review it through that medium so as to not skew the authors rating. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to listen.

Narrated by Steve West, this story whisked me away into a realm teeming with vampires, ghosts, and the mystique of mortality. As a realtor grappling with her vampiric nature and a haunted property, Viola Marek's predicament takes a twist when she partners with the charismatic yet dubious medium, Fox D'Mora. The non-traditional storytelling elegantly entwines characters' lives, although it occasionally complicates the plot. Amid this complexity, West's audiobook narration truly shines, enhancing the experience. Blake's vivid character development, sharp dialogue, and the book's innovative essence make it a captivating choice for those seeking an unconventional infusion of paranormal fantasy and romance brought to life through the auditory magic of Steve West's narration.

I have enjoyed every book that I've read by Olivie Blake, so I was incredibly excited to read Masters of Death. Immediately, I was intrigued by the story and the cast of characters. I was also thrilled that Steve West was narrating, as I normally love his narration. After getting into the story, however, I had to admit to myself that I was not happy with the narration of this book. There were just things about it that didn't work for me here. His American accent was so bad that it completely pulled me out of the story, and there were just so many characters that it really could've benefited by multiple narrators. There were sections where there was so much fast-paced back and forth by so many characters that I found myself lost and scrambling to figure out who was talking. Then there were times (especially with the American accent) when I felt like he was shouting at me. Overall, I feel like this was a miss for me, and I wish I had just read it as I'm worried that it tainted my opinion of the book.

There were moments when listening to this that I was enjoying it so much. I love a witty/bantery cast of misfit characters. And Olivie Blake does such a great job with fun dialog and creating a *mood*. However, about half way through I did find myself getting a little tired of all the back-and-forth dialog and was ready for things to progress a little quicker. Again, I don't know if I should blame the audiobook or not, but I would definitely say this was my least favorite OB book to date. I just found myself almost exhausted and bored at the same time. The ending did wrap up enjoyably, though a little predictably, and in the end I am glad I read it. I always love when an author is able to write in multiple different genres, and I can't wait to read whatever Blake writes next!

Masters of Death was such a good book! I loved it so much. The audiobook was done really nicely. I stay engaged while reading and would highly recommend the book and the audiobook!

I felt Blake's "Atlas" series was written for Netflix, and when someone writes for another medium, it feels strange. This feels like a novel, the prose is poetic and sprawling, I'm a fan of this version of Blake's writing.

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I have said it for years - Olivie Blake is a QUEEN. Masters of Death is the perfect read that showcases all of her talents. There is top tier banter, rich descriptions that leave you feeling like YOU are looking DIRECTLY AT the intoxicating Gilded Age shade of emerald green walls, and characters that have you hooked from their first lines. Every read of Olivie's is completely different and unique - you never know what she is going to come up with next!

Masters of Death follows Viola - real estate agent and vampire - and Fox - con artist/medium and godson of Death - as they attempt to solve a murder. Filled with haunted houses, sassy immortals, and an Alcoholic Anonymous style group for the undead, this read will leave you laughing and begging for more. If you love Olivie's other works, you will be thrilled to read this new addition to her backlog. If you haven't read an Olivie book yet, this is the perfect read to start with - and right in time for spooky season!

Read this book if you like:
- snarky characters
- multi-plot reads
- hilarious one liners
- character driven story
- "mostly" undead creatures

Masters of Death was released August 8th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan/Tor for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

2.5 stars rounded up

This is a hard review, I absolutely loved the first third of the book. I loved all the characters and hearing about how they lived in the real world. I loved the sarcasm and the wit.

Unfortunately for me, the book became confusing and much less interesting with the introduction of ‘the game’ and all of the other characters involved. They talked on and on about the game without describing it, I found it hard to keep interest in it.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator. I thought he did a great job with all of the different accents and it was definitely a fun listen. I think it might have been easier to read the actual book, maybe that would have made the mess of characters/dialogue easier to follow.

Not the book for me, but if you’re in to character driven books this would be a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. It has a little bit of everything! It has intrigue, love, paranormal aspects and mystery. I loved the characters so much. I also cannot fail to mention how wonderful the writing and story crafting is! Overall this made for a fun read and I will totally be reading more from this author.