Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

Liz

Oct 4

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D'Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn't entirely without his uses—seeing as he's actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn't nearly as distinct as they thought.

CW: Murder, death, abandonment

Rating

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Review

It's the second book I've read from this author, and like the first one, I'm not convinced by it, but something makes me want to finish it even if I don't like it. However, I was surprised by the ending and found it very entertaining.

At the start, I was so happy to have a witty tone, and even if I struggled a little with the story, this tone helped me to go through some of the parts. However, as you read this book, this tone disappears to return a little toward the end. The writing wasn't my favourite. It felt like the author wanted to tell the story in a way that felt too much, which made it a little fake. Sometimes, I was so lost that I needed to read a sentence multiple times to understand what I was reading.

The writing felt heavy, which isn't my favourite thing when it comes to stories. The book felt sometimes rewritten too many times to create an atmosphere that isn't necessary. The consequence is that I needed to read I don't know how many times some sentences just to understand them. It even felt fake at some point. Also, you often think that the author wanted to create suspense, so she starts an explanation but leaves out the vital part. It was too visible for me, and I was fed up with it. Also, the interludes were a little helpful in understanding the past of Fox D'Mora, but I found that they broke the flow of the story a little. It's more a me thing as I don't particularly like it in any book.

Plot-wise, I'm still waiting for it. In fact, I still don't know where the author wanted me to go. While reading it, I asked myself when I would have a hint of what was happening. I know it's a character-driven book, but I didn't really like them as they come simultaneously, and I didn't see any real difference between them, so the plot was a little more important for me. It would have helped me to distinguish the character or at least better understand who is who.

Do I care about the romance? Nope! I found that element was not necessary at all. I don't understand why there is a need to create a romance in every story. I also don't know why, but I feel that Fox is the only main character, and Vi is just a secondary one. One last thing: in my edition, there are some drawings, and I don't see the point of them.

I understand what she wanted to do: a book with interwoven, complex characters with purposes bigger than them, even if they don't see that. Sometimes, you feel it, but sadly, most of the time, I didn't. I will surely forget this book right after reading it.