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A review by thatgirlwho_reads
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
5.0
Wow I loved this!! This is my first Olivie Blake book I've read and I really had no idea what to expect other than being drawn to the fantastically intriguing premise. It's actually been a while since I've read a short blurb and felt immediately excited. And I'm super happy that I went into it not knowing too much about it.
Blake's writing style is so rich and gorgeous. The dialogue and narrative voice is fast paced, witty and comical. Every character was a fully formed colourful individual, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities. The references to different mythologies was so interesting and I just fell in love with every character. They really came alive through the pages.
The plot was twisty and bendy with big shifts in time, space and character. It's an alternative sort of structure for a novel. I know this won't suit every reader and I'll admit I wasn't sold straight away. I was dizzy by these shifts and anxious by the amount of ambiguity and lack of answers to all the questions I had. I think because of this it took me a while to read. However I really enjoyed the relief and genuine surprise I experienced as the plot unravelled and various threads came together. The overall message was really philosophical and thought-provoking.
I can't comprehend that this was one of Blake's first novels as it feels so self-assured and expertly written. But at the same time I loved how contemporary and young Blake's voice was. I'm a huge fan of fantasy elements tied into our world as we know it and this book did it in such an appealing way. I was reminded of Good Omens and The Good Place at times. I desperately want to see a mini TV series adaption of this as it would be the perfect format for this story and it's cast of truly wonderful characters.
I read the Waterstones exclusive edition and I am in awe with how stunning the endpages are. I would have loved the cover to match this. And I also really enjoyed the artwork throughout the book and how it tied to the story. I'm keen to read Blake's other works as aware that she works with this illustrator on some of her other projects which sound equally impressive.
Blake's writing style is so rich and gorgeous. The dialogue and narrative voice is fast paced, witty and comical. Every character was a fully formed colourful individual, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities. The references to different mythologies was so interesting and I just fell in love with every character. They really came alive through the pages.
The plot was twisty and bendy with big shifts in time, space and character. It's an alternative sort of structure for a novel. I know this won't suit every reader and I'll admit I wasn't sold straight away. I was dizzy by these shifts and anxious by the amount of ambiguity and lack of answers to all the questions I had. I think because of this it took me a while to read. However I really enjoyed the relief and genuine surprise I experienced as the plot unravelled and various threads came together. The overall message was really philosophical and thought-provoking.
I can't comprehend that this was one of Blake's first novels as it feels so self-assured and expertly written. But at the same time I loved how contemporary and young Blake's voice was. I'm a huge fan of fantasy elements tied into our world as we know it and this book did it in such an appealing way. I was reminded of Good Omens and The Good Place at times. I desperately want to see a mini TV series adaption of this as it would be the perfect format for this story and it's cast of truly wonderful characters.
I read the Waterstones exclusive edition and I am in awe with how stunning the endpages are. I would have loved the cover to match this. And I also really enjoyed the artwork throughout the book and how it tied to the story. I'm keen to read Blake's other works as aware that she works with this illustrator on some of her other projects which sound equally impressive.