Reviews with content warning for Blood - Masters of Death

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

19 reviews

gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think I liked the concept of this book more than its execution. The characters were fun, unique, but I feel like they all feel a little bit flat compared to others of Blake’s stories. The philosophical conversations on mortality versus immortality felt like it could have benefited more from a cast that was less juvenile.

I think since this technically is an earlier work that got republished, it definitely could have gotten some more editing to have the story and the dialogue mesh a bit better. I found the plot confusing to follow until about halfway thru - while the characters made it fun enough to stick with it, I feel like it could be a no go for some folks.

What I did like was the imagination and prose regarding the afterlife, the realms of gods and demons, and how the author paints a picture of how dull a life of immortality might be.

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robyn_fenix's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I think you are either going to love this book or hate it. If it's not clear by my rating, I loved it. I love a book that deals with the mortifying ordeal of being known and the pain and value of loving and being loved. It reminded me a lot of Erin Morgenstern's "The Starless Sea" in that we've got immortals playing games mortals can barely comprehend with some very poetic language. I loved the cast of characters, I love the multitude of plots that interweave together, and I just loved the subtle humor throughout it.

Also, regarding those confused at the big game they play, it's not that complicated.

The goal of the game is to get your opponent to buckle under the weight of their regrets without letting them do the same to you, which is why everyone keeps saying it's a game for cheats and liars. You can pull a draw by either revealing both of each other's weaknesses but not bending, or you can both just sort of be so good at lying that no one can gain access. It's why Fox is able to win, because he can see that the actions of his past, even things he knows were wrong or that could have gone differently, are part of him and he doesn't fundamentally wallow in the regret.

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e_riahh's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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vanesst's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A fantastically-written book that explores mortality, loyalty, family, and love through a complex but ingenious story - I love it when all the clues come together and you finally understand the whole plotline! I loved all the different characters and the relationships between them, both romantic and platonic. And I loved the fact that Death itself is personified into a deeply flawed and highly relatable character. The book does have a pretty slow start as all the characters get introduced, but the ending is more than worth the wait.

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