I received a complimentary audiobook copy of MASTERS OF DEATH by Olivie Blake. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley!

MASTERS OF DEATH follows an eclectic mix of characters. Viola is a vampire and a real estate agent tasked with selling a haunted house. The ghost of the man murdered years ago wants answers to what happened to him and he is stubbornly refusing to leave. Viola enlists the help of Fox. Fox is a fraudulent medium and also the godson of Death. The pair wind up going down a windy road looking for answers.

I had a lot of fun with this book. I can see where this wouldn’t be for everyone as it is quite quirky, but the humor and the entertainment value was there for me. There is a big cast of characters from demons to reapers to angels, each very unique and I had a lot of fun learning about them along the way.

The audiobook for this one was well done. One of my challenges with the THE ATLAS SIX audiobooks from this author is the multiple narrators who required me to adjust my playback speed as I listened. Thankfully with this one, I didn’t find that to be an issue!

I think that if you enjoyed THE ATLAS SIX and are in for a quirky and fun fantasy, this will be a win!

LET ME PREFACE THIS REVIEW BY SAYING THAT I HAVE BEEN AN OLIVIE BLAKE FAN FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS BUT IM SO SORRY THIS AUDIOBOOK WAS TERRIBLE. So this review will be exclusively for the LISTENING COPY and not the book itself. While I have enjoyed many Steve West narrations, I firmly believe he was poorly cast for this role. His fake accents were off, the sex scenes were horrifying, and he alternated between murmuring and outright shouting at me so I couldn't even hear the story behind the narration. DNFing this on audio but I'll pick up the physical copy later and guaranteed I will love it. Would've been a 1☆ if i was reviewing solely on the narration but I love anything Olivie.

Olivie Blake is an author that I can't get enough of. The ideas behind her books are incredible, but I'm not always a fan of the execution. This book was different. It was deep, but fun with characters that are flawed, yet actually likable. Out of all the books of read of hers (including Atlas Six) this was my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC! Masters of Death by Olivie Blake follows, in part, Viola Marek, a real estate agent and vampiric creature. When Viola goes to sell her latest listing, she discovers that it is haunted by the ghost of Tom Parker, who won't leave until he can solve the mystery of how he died. In her quest to rid the home of the spirit, Vi hires Fox D'mora, a medium. However Fox is hiding the truth of his identity, he is actually the mortal godson of Death, and Death it seems, has disappeared. Suddenly Vi and Fox are thrust into a mission to solve the mysteries and join the tournament to master death. As they journey on, they are joined by a wide cast of characters: demigods, gods, demons, angels, and more! The book is full of humor, wit, excitement, and emotion as relationships of all types are explored. Steve West perfectly captures the many characters that make up this story, enriching the wonderfully crafted prose.

This was basically 350 pages of sassy, thoroughly unimpressed not-quite-dead people being unwilling to admit they care for other people while very clearly doing so and it was very entertaining.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

Had I known that this book was styled as a phantom narrator I would have never requested it. The narrators voice is enjoyable to listen to but it was quote monotone and I zoned out multiple times listening. Also, I feel like it just really distances from the story and reads more like a fairytale? Three stars because I have to give this book a rating - but - I didn't make it past chapter 3. However, I think it's due my preferences as a reader and not because of Olivie Blake.

Viola Marek is a real estate agent…and a vampire. While the whole vampire thing is a bit of an inconvenience, her biggest problem right now is that the house she is trying to sell is being haunted. The ghost was murdered and refuses to move on until someone solves his murder. Vi seeks out Fox D’Mora, a fraud of a medium and godson of Death, to help with her ghost problem, but the two get sucked into a quest to save humanity alongside a cast of quirky characters.

Do you have any authors that you’ve never read their work, but you love them anyway? Olivie Blake is that author for me and I am so glad that my untested faith was proven to be justified. Her ability to develop nuanced characters, intricate relationships, and a unique story is truly masterful.

The characters are a mix of mortal and immortal, human and otherwise…and none of them are exactly what you would expect. It’s easy to fall into the stereotypes of supernatural creatures that we have been accustomed to over the years, but Blake turns it on its head with the talk of the individual’s ledger throughout. Each character has their own motivations that inform their decisions throughout and make for fun interactions with other characters.

Since there is quite a cast of characters, it was a little tough at times to keep track of them all, especially as I was listening to the audiobook and didn’t have the visual reinforcement that reading the names would have provided. But learning the relationships between all of the characters made it easier to keep everyone straight and also provided a bit of a deeper understanding of each of the characters as well. It was an unorthodox way to form a found family, but I think it worked out really well and they all played off each other well.

The journey that these characters went on was so much fun to witness! It feels a bit like chaos at times, jumping from different characters and occasionally even timelines, but the non-linear nature of the story actually made it that much more satisfying when it all came together. It is clear that Blake has a mastery of the English language that allows her to tell an ingenious tale full of wit, sarcasm, humor, and finesse.

The audiobook is narrated by Steve West who does a beautiful job of bringing this story to life. He understood the nuance of each of these characters and was able to deliver lines with the perfect voice and tone that made them all feel real. As someone who almost exclusively listens to audiobooks at 2x speed, I was actually pleasantly surprised that I had to take time to adjust to the speed at which West reads as it felt faster than other audiobook narrators which I loved but others may not.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

I really loved this audiobook, it has been awhile since I've listened to one without following along with a physical book, but this one was fantastic! Loved the narrator too!
Olivie Blake has an amazing way of writing books that still manages to blow me away.

This book had a full cast of supernatural 'creatures'. We had a ghost, a vampire, a werewolf, gods, angels, demons, reapers, a demigod, the godson of death, and death himself.
Viola, a vampire, is a realtor trying to sell a house, except there is a ghost who lives there intercepting her plans. The story then goes on to find out how Tom, the ghost, was murdered, and Death is missing, which leads to the cast getting put in a series of trials to restore everything back to normal

I really loved this book as a whole, but Viola has to be my favorite.

3.5 stars on the Audiobook. If you do not like males narrating female characters, this audiobook is not for you!

Loved all the characters and relationships! This book was so much fun. The cast being all different types of immortals was crazy and Olivie brought it together perfectly.

There are multiple stories on everyone and the way it’s all brought together and connected was fantastic! I recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC!

*listened via Audiobook - thank you Olivie Blake!* &
NetGalley* This is one of those books I'm going to think back on for such a long time. I'm a sucker for modern fantasy but this one really takes the cake! I was actually a little nervous going into it because I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it but it's one of my favorites now. I consume up to 90% of my "reading" via audio and tvoicallv I listen to them as fast as I can but I actuall slowed down and let myself really listen and enjoy. The ending tied up everything so satisfyingly it was such a perfect story. It took me until about 40% of the way through to really get into it but once I surpassed that point I couldn't put it down.

Started: 8/28/23
Finished: 8/6/23

Audiobooks aren’t the easiest for me because I struggle focusing on what I’m listening to and not getting distracted. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! If I loved it this much with audio, I can only imagine how much more I’ll love it when I have the physical copy in my hands.

I love the narrator! The way they can change their tone of voice so it fits each of the characters is amazing!

I really like that this book is in 3rd person POV since there are so many characters that we’re introduced to. It made it so much easier to follow along with the story, and not get lost in all the characters.

Death is hilarious! He was my favorite from the beginning because of how funny he was. And he wasn’t even trying! I absolutely love stories that have Death as a character, so this book was perfect for me.

The main characters include a vampire, a ghost, a demon, a reaper, an Angel, a demigod and a mortal. Although we meet a lot of characters, it doesn’t feel overwhelming to me. I like the glimpses we got about each of the characters.
I already know I’ll be buying the physical book forsure.

The ending of the book did not disappoint either. I’m happy with the way it concluded. Death began the story, so it was only fair that he’d finish it too. There were many times throughout the book where I couldn’t help but laugh. This was the first book I’ve read from this author, and I really enjoyed the writing. Definitely recommend this book.

Favorite Quotes:

“Very much to Fox’s taste, which as far as Death could tell began and ended with a pulse.”

“Not torn enough to pull out, one assumes.”

“Relatedly, do mortals still gym, tan, laundry?”

“He says, ‘Eva who?’”

“I hope she gives you a bad yelp review”

“You can never truly know a culture until you’ve been bitten by one of its myths.”

“If heaven means casting your gaze aside then I don’t want it.”

“Capitalism, the worst of all mortal inventions.”

“Immortality is empty without you.”

Masters of Death is a delight from its large cast of well-formed characters to the cheeky humor. I had never read any of Olivie Blake's work before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from it, but I was so enthralled. I definitely got through it quicker than I normally read things! I absolutely consumed this in its new audiobook format, read by the talented Steve West, who does a great job at differentiating each of the different characters.

Olivie Blake really does have a gift for crafting both unique characters and unique worlds. (I would give my life for Callax and Marya.)

Steve West can narrate me to sleep nightly and I’d be one happy gal. My favorite audiobook narrator by far! He does a fantastic job changing the inflection of his voice to distinguish between different characters and makes the plot easy to follow along with (something I occasionally struggle with, depending on the narrator or structure of the book).

Masters of Death was a fun read and had the lyrical writing I expect from Blake. She takes a heavy topic and sprinkles it with humor to make the macabre actually pretty delightful. I loved this motley crew of characters and had no idea where the book was going for awhile. The concept was entirely unique. I do wish there was slightly more exposition since this was 98% dialogue but at least the dialogue was entertaining. Overall a solid fantasy with magical realism and urban fantasy blending with some flashbacks.

📖🎧: Masters of Death by: Olivie Blake | 📅Pub Day: Tuesday August 8, 2023

I would first like to said that this audiobook was one of the most/the most fun I’ve had listening to a book this year! Steve West the narrator did an amazing job giving “body” and tone to the characters in the book and it almost felt like I was watching a movie or tv show . I would 10/10 listen to another audiobook just for him!

The vibes that this book gives is Lemony Snicket à la Series of Unfortunate Events, if he wrote a hilariously snarky yet sinister Casper:The Friendly Ghost book! (And that’s all I’ll say)

Words I would use to describe this book/audiobook:
✨Darkly Hilarious
✨Deliciously Snarky
✨Real fleshed-out characters (flaws and all)
✨SASSY, SASSY, SASSY (a personal fav)
✨Death, Vampires, Ghosts, Demons, Poltergeists (OH MY😂🖤)

The only negative I can even fathom, is the audiobook is slightly longer than most books I listen to at 15hrs and some change (though i was able to listen to it comfortably at 2.5x speed) BUT it was the greatest ride for me full of fun and many chuckles! That being said seasoned fantasy/speculative fiction readers may even think that is short comparatively!

This may be my first Olivie Blake book, but definitely not my last!!!


4.75⭐️

Special thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an ALC copy of this book for my honest review!!

I like it. It's honestly a bit confusing to me plot wise. This however being my first Olive Blake book that makes sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

Final Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

After finishing this book, I am left with one word: fascinating. Although I am not a stranger to Olivie Blake's beautiful prose and complex, captivating worlds, she continues to keep me guessing in all her novels. Masters of Death follows a motley crew of deities ranging from demons, angels, ghosts, reapers, vampires, werewolves, sirens, demigods, and, most notably, the charismatic godson of Death himself. The story kicks off with a vampire turned relator named Vi who is trying to sell a house that is unfortunately haunted by an insufferable spirit. From here she hires Fox, aforementioned godson of Death and shameless fraud, to try to help. From there, they are swept up in this world where the stakes are impossibly high as various characters foolishly play an immortal’s game in an attempt to win their greatest desires.

Told in meandering prose, flashing between the past and present, this story felt like walking in a dreamscape. I truly had no idea what twists were coming up and enjoyed not being able to guess the ending. Although I normally prefer a more linear style of storytelling, Olivie Blake still managed to keep me engaged and thirsting for more.

All that being said, I don't think this book will appeal to everyone. It's dreamy and hard to grasp at points, which can lead to confusion and possibly frustration as not all questions are answered readily. The game component itself is particularly confusing and, having finished the book, I still could not explain to you how someone wins or loses it. However, if you trust the process and if you love annoyingly endearing characters who yearn to find love and their place in the world, I'm sure you'll grow to love this story. Even better if you like more open ended stories where the end goals are not entirely clear.

The audiobook itself was particularly well done and Tom West's narration was vibrant and gave real life to our main characters. I do suggest reading a physical copy along with the audiobook if you are able due to the often unclear storyline. The audiobook would give little to no indication when it was changing between the past and the present, which at times made it confusing to know what was happening and when.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in this world. Although not my favorite Olivie Blake book, her writing is nearly unmatched and I cannot wait to consume anything else she writes.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for an Advanced Listeners Copy.

Rating: 3.25 stars

The best way to experience Olivie Blake’s books is on audio, and that is a hill I am willing to die on.

Filled with witty vampires, ghosts, the supernatural and real estate agents, Masters of Death follows multiple characters in their pursuit of the truth. Viola Marek, a vampire and real estate agent, finds herself in a sticky situation when the dead owner of the house she’s trying to sell won’t leave until he finds out how he died. On the other hand, Fox is the godson of Death and a Medium (or so he says) who is also looking for a couple of answers.

I always enjoy Blake’s cinematic writing style; the audio narration brings out each character’s distinct personality. But, as much as I love Olivie Blake and her books, I had a very middling experience with this one. Blake has a very atmospheric style of writing that is usually slower-paced as you follow along with each character's journey. And while I’m no stranger to a slow-paced book, I wasn’t invested in the journey and found myself underwhelmed with the end. I hoped it would pack a bigger punch to feel like the 15-hour audiobook was memorable.


That being said, I recommend this one to readers who enjoyed ‘One for My Enemy’ and ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.’

I was excited for this book but the narration was hard to follow . Will try to read it again because I did like the book overall .

Thank you for the audiobook!

I have to start by saying after listening to Masters of Death I would listen to anything Steve West narrates, and I will be seeking out more of his audiobooks. There are a lot of characters in this story, each vastly unique, and Steve was able to capture the essence of each beautifully. I was drawn into the story and extremely entertained, which was in large part due to the fantastic narration.

While I was entertained to the point of laughing out loud on many occasions, I am still torn about my feelings on the story. I loved the characters (Death, Death's godson, a vampire / cat shifter, a poltergeist, a few demons, some angels.... a hot demi-god who gives out adorable nicknames.), but I wish they had more screentime. I honestly felt like each individual grouping of characters could have had their own book, which left me feeling a big unsatisfied as I loved them so much.

The story isn't exactly linear, which was fine with me, but at times it felt chaotic and confusing. This could be because I was listening to the story instead of reading a physical copy, but I felt some scenes dragged on while some went by too fast and others changed location almost mid-sentence. The pacing and story line jumping caused a bit of disorientation for me.

HOWEVER, I love Fox. I love reflecting on love, loss, death and friendship. That the potential end is worth the fight. I love Olivie Blake's writing style. Her prose is witty and so intelligent. I love sassy characters and hilarious banter.

I enjoyed myself, and I'm so thankful for the audiobook arc! A fun, intelligent read.

#MastersOfDeath:

Thank you @macmillan @tor for my gifted copies.

Me: “IDK what journey you’re taking me on but let’s go!” (Does a Wizard of Oz skip)
Olivie Blake: “Watch this”

This book was something y’all. I really didn’t know where we were gonna go or how, but I just went with it. Every character sucked me in and I would follow them to the depths of the Earth just to say hey. Thankfully, Olivie Blake made it a wonderful journey and I’m so pleased by all the characters in Masters of Death.

I don’t know why, but the characters all reminded me of Monty Python (which is a huge compliment) They were witty and sharp, but all had this great depth. At first, I thought it was almost an anthology of different people, different chapters, then I realized it’s just a big journey with lots of fun side characters to help along the way.

I truly believe the only way to read Masters of Death is through audio. Steve West is king, and he hits each mark effortlessly. You don’t have to convince me twice if he’s reading, I’m listening. The wit was delivered with perfection.

I’m not done talking about this treat of an audiobook, I could gush all day. I own several of Olivie Blake’s books on audio, but this is actually my first listen. It was absolute perfection. Releasing 8/8, I’m so thrilled to have listened to this beautiful story.