Masters of Death: A Novel

Looking to read about a vampire’s quest to sell a haunted house that leads to an unraveling of secrets about the afterlife in an immortal game? Welcome to Masters of Death.

Olivie Blake’s Masters of Death is a paranormal fantasy that explores human mortality through the lens of the paranormal. The book’s cast is packed with a vampire, a murdered ghost, angels, demons, a heartbroken medium, reapers and even Death himself.

Viola Marek struggles to balance her life as a vampire while attempting to sell a haunted house. As the house poltergeist declines to move on until his murder is solved, Viola contacts a “medium” by the name of Fox D’Mora. With the help of Fox, who just so happens to be the godson of Death, Viola follows the unexpected twists and turns in an attempt to banish the ghost from the mansion once and for all. Viola and Fox discover their missions might not be as different as they initially thought.

The story’s characters are eccentric with interesting storylines that progress throughout. While most characters are not-quite-dead, readers still see moments of their previous humanity shine through. What stood out most was the sassy personality expressed on each page. It was almost painful to watch the characters pretend not to care while they so obviously did.

Progression of the plot keeps readers on their toes as we read surprising revelations. The plot is non-linear, so readers need to pay close attention as the tale unravels. Readers question the reliability of narrators as they decipher the truth from lies. The story also urges readers to think and question interpersonal connection.

Ultimately, emotional connection is what truly drives this story forward, with a diverse and inclusive array of love stories to follow, readers root for a happily ever after, regardless of how chaotic each individual relationship is. Blake shows that love is not linear, and everybody’s definition of love or path toward it is different.

The prose-like writing style is what makes this story so beautiful and well executed. This book has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year.