It was the cover that got me, then the blurb sucked me in. Deaths daughter? Angel agents? Vamps, witches, were-queens, demons, a Hellhound-Doodle and other wordly bureaucracy?

Plus Death is sexy as heck!

There was no way I was going to say no to reading this! but I still had no idea what to expect.

It was a super easy read, fun & funny, with some nice touches of real people (not just human) connection.
I thoroughly loved the story, but I did find the pace a bit odd, not bad, just odd.

And I was left needing MORE, including more information about certain family members.... IYKYK

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

This book was slow to start but once it got going it was a phenomenal thrill seeking ride. I enjoyed the characterization, the plot the development but the slow and character heavy beginning nearly put me off reading further. A book needs to grab you in the beginning or it becomes a dnf. Thankfully on this occasion I didn't give up I ended up really enjoying the book.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Welcome October!
Is it time for you to get a little weird and freaky in your book choices in anticipation of Halloween? If so, "Always Carry Your Scythe" could provide a light, funny, and not so scary starting point.

Have you ever wondered what the wild child of say...DEATH... and oh, maybe...another well known immortal being might be like?? No? Well, too bad!
"Always Carry Your Scythe" is author Pip Paisley's (PIP PAISLEY!! Is that a perfect name or what?!) answer to that very question.

Meet Trixie D'Vita, a fiercely independent twenty-something gal who just wants to live a *good life* in a strangely blended human and supernatural being kind of world! Mix in some very human and some very unhuman high-jinxs, and you may be ready to follow Miss Trixie on any and all crazy adventures. (Think storylines that might play well on the iconic TV shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Supernatural," or the newer "Lucifer.)
This is not by any stretch of the imagination a serious read, but it will entertain you for a few hours of light, escapist reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this campy, funny, supernatural romp of a book!

DNF at page 20. This is a pulpy supernatural book that will be a fun read, but it really isn't for me. The casual introduction of supernatural elements and the description of flakey Death aka Mum was strong, but I found the exposition too heavy handed for an initial chapter and would have liked more room for the characters to breathe before the info dump. There's a lot crammed in here, characters and concepts and background, that has real potential, but it needs spacing and pacing to realise this properly. There's definitely an audience for this book but unfortunately it's not me.

*Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

A great premise with so-so execution. I loved the beginning, but the book got bogged down in a lengthy hero's journey that would be more fun as a TV show than a book. The characters were great, and I suspect a sequel that didn't have to do so much set-up would have a more robust plotline. Bonus points for the Hellhound-doodle puppy, though, that was adorable. I wish he'd popped up sooner!

3.75 ⭐️

This was super read-able! The beginning was so entrancing and had such great vibes and I was so ready to become one with this world. But unfortunately during the middle it became kind of lack luster and not exactly what I had been anticipating. The ending was really cute. But I would totally read from this author again.

What a fun read. Trixie is a harried waitress who is loyal and loving, and also happens to be Death's daughter. When her best friend goes on a game show, gambling her soul, Trixie goes through hell to help her friend.
Fast paced and witty, the story is light and warm hearted. I was literally smiling almost the whole time I was reading. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I love when I run across a book that makes me smile and this book did exactly that. When I saw the title of this book, I didn't even feel the need to read the summary because I knew it would be what I was looking for in an easy summer read.

Trixie is the estranged daughter of Death, with a capital D. However, Trixie does not want to follow in her mom's reaping footsteps and forges her own path in her Aunt Harry's bar as a waitress while she tries to figure it out. However, things take a turn for the worse when the Angel Investigation Bureau show up looking for a way to contact Death and Trixie won't give them any details.

Things snowball and soon Trixie finds herself running a demon warrior ninja gauntlet in hell to try and save someone she loves. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster at times but it's fun, witty, whimsical, and sassy. These characters are fierce in the best of ways and I hope Pip Paisley explores more story options with these characters. I can certainly see where a lot of fun and ridiculous adventures could be had with a hellhound labradoodle.

DNF at 30%.

The concept was fun and the bones of a good story were there, which was what made me pick it up in the first place. However, the pacing was off for me, I found it difficult to connect with the characters, and didn't connect enough either with the characters or with an intriguing plot line to keep going.

The bones were good, and the ideas were creative, so it may work much better for others, but it didn't work for me.

Wonderful cover, hilarious inside! Proper review coming your way on Queen’s Book Asylum and Goodreads soon. :)

This book got me out of a reading slump. It was quick, funny, and well written. I loved the campy aspect, the ridiculousness of it really added to the story instead of taking away

This novella is not just funny and clever but inclusive in the lgbtqi+ realm but also theologically inclusive. It is unique, modern and a quick fun read. Trixie, Death's daughter, grows as a character and her relatability is a welcome mat inviting you to keep reading. I loved this little book and now need about 15 more stories about this world and Trixie.

If you thought that you had mommy issues, you have nothing on Trixie D'Vita. Trixie's mom is a “ a red-headed, black-corseted, stiletto-wearing force of nature," who loves a good party and never fails to miss one. She loves her work and as such, she about as absent as an absentee mother can be. But when you're Death and your job is reaping souls, something's gotta give, and motherhood is it. So why have agents of the Angel Investigative Bureau shown up at Quandors, the bar where Trixie works, to ask about her mom? It appears that Death may be mixed up in a skewed after life reality game show that preys on newly departed souls and diverts them from their post-life destiny. When confronted Death denies any involvement with the game show but she isn't quite being honest. It isn't until Trixie's best friend Zuzi ends up on the show and Trixie is determine d to suffer the fates of hell that Death gets involved. What follows is a heartwarming and comedic tale of self-discovery, familial relationships, and just you do with a miniature scythe.

Always Carry your Scythe is the best mixture of fairy tales, folklore, religion, comedy, and mother-daughter dysfunction that you'll find this year.

This was such a fun, light, and quick read. All the supernatural beings were so cute and I got serious True Blood meets Soul Eater vibes from this book. I loved this take on Death as a character. The representation in this book is next level! The absolute level of LGBTQIA+ rep in this novel made me feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy inside. And it wasn’t done in a way that would overly draw attention to the characters like “hey I’m an author including these groups praise me!” the rep is natural and it was one of my favorite things about this story.

This novel could benefit from an editor looking over it, nothing to where it made things unreadable for me but it’s just one of those things that could make it so much better and really enhance it.

I wish we could’ve gotten more from this. It was a short and easy read but I’m selfish and wish that it could’ve been just a little bit longer even though everything was wrapped up nicely for the most part.

Can’t forget the Hellhound-doodle that we get introduced to later on.

4.5★s
Always Carry Your Scythe is the first novel by British author, Pip Paisley. While her mother carries a scythe and is known to all as Death, Trixie d’Vita has been, since the age of seven, in the care of her Aunt Harry and his husband, Dave. For years she has been rejecting overtures from her mother to follow in her footsteps and take up her scythe. Trixie is quite happy waitressing at Harry’s Chanters Pub, Quandars, watching the antics of the witches, demons, zombies, vampires, were-people, gorgons, dryads, dragon-herders, golems, imps, and humans who gather there.

One night, two agents from the Angel Investigative Bureau turn up at the pub wanting Trixie to help them locate her mother. There’s some suspicion that Death is involved in a soul reaping scam associated with the multiverse-popular TV game show, To The Wheel run by the King of Hell. When Trixie catches up with her mother, Death sidesteps her questions and gives her a gift for her twenty-second birthday: a mini-scythe hanging off a keyring. She makes Trixie promise to always carry it.

And then Zuzi, the bartender at Quandars and Trixie’s best friend, is fatally mugged and Trixie suddenly finds herself getting very involved with that game show. It’s the only way she will be able to save her friend’s soul. Somehow or other, AIB Agent-in-Training, Maybell Mayhew joins her as they leap into the Hell Vortex. A number of Hellscape Challenges follow, all of which Trixie needs to win, with a large audience cheering her every fail, if she is to search Hell for her friend.

But when Death gets wind of where her daughter is, she of course sweeps in with her minions, Gary the gargoyle and Blu the pixie in her wake…

Before Trixie and Zuzi see each other again, there’s a long ladder, a pack of Hellhounds, the King of Hell’s palace, and a visit from the Higher Authority. Paisley’s depiction of Hell and Hell’s Officiant and the tangle of red tape and paperwork involved in getting in, or out, will resonate with some as a Hell they daily face. A very entertaining debut!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and the author.

A fun story with a spunky main character, I enjoyed embarking on this adventure through the unique world crafted by Pip Paisley. Humorous and exciting, this was a tale full of unique characters. I think I didn't really resonate with the main character that much, but I think that was just because I am less drawn to more fiery figures as a personal preference.

My son read this book and gave the following feed back: Well written and funny, making it entertaining to read. Interesting premise with good execution. Also the hellhound labradoodle was awesome, put him in the next book if you make a sequel.

This was a fun read. I liked the main character's growth. It had mild humor in it, but nothing that made me laugh out loud. No romance. All in all, it was a good book.
I did get it as an ARC from Netgalley, but I had bought it from Amazon already. All opinions are my own.

I liked the idea, but might have expected something more Pratchett-esque or like Christopher Moore's Grim Reaper series. I might have a broken funny bone, I didn't find the book humorous at all; it was categorised as Humour. Also, there was no depth, be it character depth and/or worldbuilding.

Should this turn into a series I'd pick up the next book, just to see where the story goes and whether the humour improves.

Feel like I wasn't the correct audience for this -- I'm not very into YA/NA.

I found the characters as likeable as they could be; Pip was fun, this was lighthearted, and I'd definitely recommend it as a palette cleanser.