masters of death: fanservice to the gothic religious girls
- paigenherbooks
- Oct 6, 2024
- 4 min read
5/5
Imagine a novel that has intrigue, mystery, paranormal creatures and characters, the personification of Heaven and Hell, a queer love story and a hard hitting theme, oh an it’s narrated by Death? It would have to be an amazing, beautiful, 10/10, no notes novel – and it was. Masters of Death was everything I could have wanted and more. An instant favorite and the perfect gothic fall read.
Synopsis: Masters of Death by Olivie Blake is a paranormal fantasy novel about vampires, ghosts, and death. The story follows Viola Marek, a struggling real estate agent and vampire, who hires a medium to help her sell a haunted house. The medium, Fox D'Mora, is the godson of Death and becomes involved in a quest with Viola that neither of them expected.
The concept of this book may seem like “too much”, as if the author has bitten off more than she could possibly chew. I mean the Archangels are in h ere, Norse gods, Death themselves, vampires, ghosts, a murder mystery and a game that all the immortals play. This whirlwind of plot, character arcs, and snappy amazing dialogue combines itself to create a novel that is engaging, funny, hard hitting, and honestly one of the most unique stories I have ever read.
The author takes everything that a gothic fan girl like myself could want and creates a story that explores some of life’s greatest themes. What is immortality if it is not spent with the one’s you love the most? What is the price of immortality, can you truly enjoy existence if there is no end? These questions have been keeping me up at night but int he most wonderful way. One of my personal motto’s or mantra’s is “life is beautiful and I have time”. Sometimes life feels dreadful and that time is running out of the hour glass, the sand choking me as it tells me I’ll never accomplish anything. Novels like these, that show these characters with “everything” and how they choose to live their lives, the sacrifices they decided to make, the lessons they learn, it all comes back to reinstate that all good things must come to an end, and if they don’t are they even worth having.
Is it better to feel nothing at all or feel it all? Is life the true game of immortality, one that we will continue when we die, or is this it. Our one chance to experience it all, in it’s great and terrible wonder. Masters of Death begs these questions to the readers, enveloping them into Death’s arms as they tell the story that will educate, fear, but also revive people. Granted, I’m aware that this is fiction, but the way in which Blake constructs this story truly felt mystical and magical, as if the lessons learned by the characters were things I too need to learn or hear.
A book made for me.
The plot itself was equally as rich - at no point did I have any idea where this novel was going in the best way. It kept me on the edge of my seat, craning over trying to read as fast as possible as I needed to know what was going to happen next. What beloved character was going to do what, what reveal would take me wholly by surprise. The build up and the pay off were so sweet and rich and full of flavor. Not once did I feel bored or confused (in a way that was un-immersive). This novel does all the things that a great novel should do, so, so well.
The core concept of the novel was incredibly unique as well. This cast of characters of all different mythologies and walks of life coming together to form this interwoven existence was maddening and beautiful. The gambling game that the immortals play, the sacrifices one must make, the Rumpelstiltskin of it all was glorious. I have truly never read a book like Masters of Death and I am so beyond thankful I have finally read her. The plots along with the strong concept, combined with each character being fleshed out so well created a reading experience that felt almost heavenly. I genuinely cared about everything happening, no turning the page and groaning because of the POV we were in or wanting to skim parts as I was bored. Each word had me hung and hungry for more. Each page deliciously delved into the story more and more until the big end, which I’ll admit made me cry.
The religious themes within the story were also beautifully unique and thought provoking. As someone who is religious this novel gave me great pause in a few sections. Granted, I don’t think Blake is a theologian and I am unsure of their own relationship to institutionalized religion, but the personification and humanizing of Heaven, Hell, and all those in-between was oddly comforting. The concept of a ledger that could be worked, the aspect that maybe God isn’t as black and white as some convey Them to be, and the fact of the matter that we are all people with choices and chances for eternity was beautiful. The ideology that even after death, help can be granted to those who need it or ask for it, that maybe when we die there’s a chance to continue living, in some respects. Beautifully thought about, beautifully executed, and simply beautiful to read.
Masters of Death is one of those novels you read and immediately want to start over again, wishing you could read it for the first time all over. A novel that inspires you and comforts you all the while providing aggressively amazing entertainment. This is my first Olivie Blake novel, though I can assure you, it will NOT be my last.
“There is a game that the immortal play.
It is played around tables that open at dusk, and close at dawn.
The stakes are impossibly high, and yet laughably low.
There is only one secret: The more you have to lose, the harder it is to win.
There is only one rule: Don't lose.”
xoxo,
paige
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