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A review by eswinbanks
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
4.0
When you play the immortal game there is only one rule: don’t lose.
Masters of Death is a brilliantly bizarre and cryptic caper that had me spellbound. It begins as a simple story of a haunted mansion and an estate agent who hires a medium to get rid of the ghost, and then morphs into an epic quest to save humanity from a demon king.
The book features an array of mythical creatures including vampires, ghosts, demons, reapers, angels, gods, and demigods, as well as some mortals for good measure. The characters are richly drawn, sassy, witty, and compelling. They had depth and felt real despite the fact that most of them were not human. I had a particular soft spot for Viola and loved her banter with Tom. And while the archangels Gabriel and Raphael only made a relatively brief appearance in the story, they were hilarious and stole every scene. I’d have loved more of them and would definitely buy a book with them at the centre (hint, hint). Another aspect I really enjoyed was the narration from Death that opens the book. It gave things a sinister, forbidding vibe that captured my imagination and I would have liked to have seen more of this, too.
Darkly funny, offbeat, moving, and addictive, Masters of Death is an entertaining and ambitious fantasy from a true storyteller.
Masters of Death is a brilliantly bizarre and cryptic caper that had me spellbound. It begins as a simple story of a haunted mansion and an estate agent who hires a medium to get rid of the ghost, and then morphs into an epic quest to save humanity from a demon king.
The book features an array of mythical creatures including vampires, ghosts, demons, reapers, angels, gods, and demigods, as well as some mortals for good measure. The characters are richly drawn, sassy, witty, and compelling. They had depth and felt real despite the fact that most of them were not human. I had a particular soft spot for Viola and loved her banter with Tom. And while the archangels Gabriel and Raphael only made a relatively brief appearance in the story, they were hilarious and stole every scene. I’d have loved more of them and would definitely buy a book with them at the centre (hint, hint). Another aspect I really enjoyed was the narration from Death that opens the book. It gave things a sinister, forbidding vibe that captured my imagination and I would have liked to have seen more of this, too.
Darkly funny, offbeat, moving, and addictive, Masters of Death is an entertaining and ambitious fantasy from a true storyteller.