I must say, Olivie Blake's MASTERS OF DEATH was quite an enjoyable read. I found the author's playful tone to be a refreshing touch that didn't take away from the overall elegance of the writing and the well-crafted characters. What impressed me the most, however, was Blake's ability to address serious topics such as mortality and pain in a way that kept me thoroughly engrossed in each character's unique story. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking read.

There is one thing that I can confidently say about this book - WOW!
I loved everything about it. The characters, the intricate plotting, and the denouement were all exquisitely done.
What may have even topped this book past the 5 star mark is the narration. Steve West was perfectly cast as the narrator for this book and he just sold it and I bought it all.
I have nothing negative to say about this book. It took me a while to finish it since I was listening to it in small segments, but all throughout, I have been telling anyone that would listen that they need to read this book. Now that I have finished it, my position is firmly solidified. This book needs to be read and deserves lots of praise.
Thank you you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio-arc of this books. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced audiobook copy! The narrator for Masters of Death was fantastic. I was blown away by his ability to swap between all the different characters' voices! Bravo! As for the story itself, if you've enjoyed Olivie's other books, you'll no doubt enjoy this one too. And if you've never read one before, this is a fantastic introduction to her signature style. Like Blake's other books, Masters of Death has a real focus on characters and the nuances of their relationships with one another. There's a lot to keep track of in the narrative, with flips between past and present and several points of view, so pay attention! There's a great dose of humor and snark, but also a heartwarming undercurrent about what makes life worth living. Highly recommend!

Olivie Blake has done it again! While I wasn’t a fan of the narrator?voice, the book itself was great!!

Loved the premise of this book, and the beginning of this book had me hooked right away! Death is probably my favorite character, with all of his sass. However, I couldn’t give this audiobook 5 stars because it was really complex to follow. This book jumps around a lot and sometimes it was hard to know whose POV we were in or what location we were in. However, I would highly recommend this book as a physical read!

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!