Masters of Death - masterful writing and delightful characters
“Hello children. It’s time for Death.”
And so opens Masters of Death, one of my favorite novels I’ve read this year. This is the newly revised edition of this novel with additional content including illustrations between parts and stunningly gorgeous illustrated end pages. Masters of Death follows a group of characters, some immortal, and some mortal, as they make their way through the mysterious game that immortals play. There’s only one rule; don’t lose.
We follow Viola, a real estate agent vampire who is trying to sell a house that is haunted by a seemingly pretentious murder victim. With her demon friend Isis, the two seek out Fox D’Mora, a medium who may be able to help. What they don’t know is that Fox is the godson of Death and comes with his own long list of troubles and heartbreak. The group expands, adding an Angel, a Reaper, and a Thief as they set off to free the ghost from his home, play the immortal game, and maybe save the world.
“Living in a city is a study in knocks. But even Fox could not have known how this one would change things.”
Here’s what I loved:
Olivie Blake never fails to make me cry. I thought I was safe with this story as it’s so comedic throughout along with some delicious drama. But then I hit the final third of the book and Blake’s poetic writing, flair for romance, and philosophy on life itself sent me into a puddle of tears on the floor. I’m going to sound as dramatic as Fox here, but the last few chapters of this book are genuinely stained with my tears. In particular, a moment where Fox reflects on life, morality, regrets, and love was so powerfully written I had to re-read it four times until the words coated the entirety of my brain.
The humor and character relationships in this book are absolutely incredible. It reminded me so much of the late great Terry Pratchett with the fast-paced snippy dialogue and banter. Fox and Brandt in particular were always a joy to read. The growth here for all of our characters is immense and it’s incredible to me the amount of detail and realism Blake managed to fit in with just under 400 pages.
The world itself is fascinating here. We have the mortals and the immortals, and of course, Death. While it did take me awhile to truly get a grip on the “games”, the whole thing really captured my imagination. Blake has a phenomenal way of jumping from past to present and scenario to scenario with such speed without leaving you behind. It’s hard to pull this off, but not for Blake who makes it look effortless.
The story reminded me a lot of the poem Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson, allowing us as readers to reflect on death and morality. But in no way was this a depressing read. In fact, it’s really quite hopeful.
“To have lived is, as he tells it, reward enough in itself.”
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake hits shelves TODAY. A massive thank you to Tor for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
