Name: Masters of Death
ISBN: 9781977042613

Olivie Blake

This book is about a real estate agent--only the real estate agent is a vampire, and the house she has to sell is haunted, and the ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and he has no idea how he died. This book is also about a medium, and though this particular medium is definitely a shameless fraud, he isn't entirely without his uses--seeing as he's actually the godson of Death.When Viola Marek seeks out Fox D'Mora to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn't nearly as distinct as they thought.

Masters of Death

Katie Bell

I may be celestial now, but once I was only a woman, and a hard one at that. I did not know love during my lifetime. The only thing I ever truly knew was how to sense a storm, and perhaps how to protect others from it, but never how not to be destroyed by it.

‘I do sometimes experience a headache sensation,’ Volos agreed. ‘Do you suppose that's the guilt?’

‘No,’ Isis said, shaking her head. “Probably dehydration. Guilt is more intestinal, or so I’m led to believe.’

‘I didn't think I was doing such a terrible thing,’ he said slowly, almost childishly. ’I thought I was protecting you.’

’You were,’ Fox permitted. ‘In a sense. But you also caused me the most terrible pain of my lifetime.’

Brittany

In unison like a slithering ouroboros, darkness consuming light the two figures laughed. 

“Everything's a game if you play it right," the second figure said. 

“But strictly speaking, this is no longer a game," said the first figure. "Now it's a war. 

"Perhaps he will. Perhaps Ill even tell you. Or perhaps you'll never know. All equal possibilities, I think. Do you ever think about the world that way? In the many slivered pieces of what could be? Astronomically unending possibilites, but with infnitesimally small likelihoods of each—“

“You’ll have all the pleasure you want," he tells her, "but you will care so deeply that it ails you, and you will suffer the pain of your wrongs like knives.”

She laughs like the rush of the sea, and smiles like the crescent of a wave.

“At least I will suffer for something" she replies. 

Too many characters, that not only were unnecessary for the plot but the author didn't know how to write them so you end up with a whole lot of dialogues that are just... Messy. All the characters talked and acted the same. Plus there were some "mystical parts" that were poorly explained and you could tell not even the author knew how it worked.

LIMEKI 

Too many characters, that not only were unnecessary for the plot but the author didn't know how to write them so you end up with a whole lot of dialogues that are just... Messy. All the characters talked and acted the same. Plus there were some "mystical parts" that were poorly explained and you could tell not even the author knew how it worked.

I don't know it feels amateurish.

it’s really hard to summarize what made this enjoyable. It was unique, clever, whimsical, emotional, and funny. The cast of characters was entertaining, and I eventually grew to understand each of them and their motivations. However, what made this less than a 5 star read is how confused I was for half of the book. The sheer amount of characters itself if dizzying, but just how the story is told and unfolds doesn’t make sense for a good portion of the book. If you can push through the first half, you’ll be rewarded in the second half, I promise. I know that sounds like a crazy ask but it’s intentionally like that. This was my first Olivie Blake book, and I must say, I’m impressed.

Nik ✨

fiona

2.5 

i found that the only things that i liked about the book was the vibes as well as Brandt and Fox. And i liked them so much that they were all the stars I gave to this one baha

what i didn’t like was :
1. the deep, pretentious dialogue made each of the like 15 characters sound exactly the same. some characters i understand sounding pretentious but why all of them?? i could barely tell them apart which made reading difficult.

2. not a lot happened. sorry, i’m more of an action than dialogue girlie.

3. there was barely any setting. like yes i know it was a lot of concepts rather than physical things happening but i imagined half the book in just a black box because i had no clue what was actually happening / where shit was going down.

4. what was the point of making all these characters some specific immortal creature if they never used their powers for anything too important / fought w their powers / had an affect on the plot with their power specifically? like you could replace them with all just being “immortal undead” type of creatures and it would have the same effect on the story

Charlie Winchester 

Believable dialogue and a story that keeps you engaged from the beginning. One of the best books I’ve read this year.