Amber and I are BACK this October for a fun new readalong! We're about to start our monthly discussion for our August Adult book (recommended by those 18+), Masters Of Death by Olivie Blake!
As a reminder, from now on, our monthly discussions will be both here on the OwlCrate blog AND on The Nest! Go check out Amber's discussion that will be full of fun extra content!
On each day we'll read a section of Masters Of Death, both on the blog and in The Nest's group, and then discuss in the comments our theories and predictions. This means there will be spoilers for each section! Beware!
Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for chapters ??-31 of Masters Of Death , so make sure you read or are finished this section before continuing.
Apologies, we've established that I'm not a smart man when it comes to roman numerals so we're going to start where we left off and then finish the novel - easy peasy - lessons have been learned.
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Chapter XX:
Fox and Brandt return to the others with the ledger and key. They tell everyone about Tom's great something grandfather, who is also Tom, who played the game as a mortal and oh, that Tom is actually totally cursed.
Then Fox slaps Brandt all over to see what he stole (dessert wine from Bacchus) before they're on their way again.
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As they travel through another one of Brandt's Otherworld doors, Cal asks to see the ledger and Fox says not right now. Mayra, of course, doesn't want Cal to see the ledger as it will have her name on it.
Fox asks Brandt if the tables will look the same and Brandt says he doesn't know, as this is no game, it's a tournament. A once in a lifetime tournament.
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They enter a space that looks much like the Venetian in Vegas and line up to enter. Most of the party aside from Brandt are just observing and then they notice it, cages filled with human forms and Death in an apse, hooded and tied magically to the table.
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Elsewhere in the Not-Venetian, Lainey finds Brandt and asks him why he's brought so many people with him, that it's not part of the deal...(oh noooo).
Chapter XXI:
Vi finds a table that looks like a completely ordinary table until she touches it. When she does, she free falls into a forest and leaps off the edge of a cliff toward water...but is interrupted by Tom who asks to join her.
They jump again but into Tom's reality this time and they're inside the Parker mansion. Tom is whole and freer than Vi has ever remembered. He breaks that vase he wanted to, they dance and jump into Lake Michigan together.
Mayra interrupts them and warns them against playing at the immortal game. She tells Vi about her name being on the ledger. They wonder where Isis is.
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Elsewhere, Isis has found her husband Volos (yes, the demon king guy). She asks him if he's missed her and he mocks her for wanting to save her friends. Finally he walks away.
Chapter XXII:
Fox spots Raphael and Gabriel who beckon him. They tell Fox that he is to play and so is Tom...who will fill in the spot on the ledger of Thomas Edward Parker (fun loophole).
They decide to put Tom in a game against Lainey
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Tom goes to Lainey's table and they play.
Chapter XXIII:
Lainey begins the game by making Tom replay the memory of when they met. He begins to learn that he can choose what to do inside of it and switches things up for Lainey. Lainey tells him that she can't bear for him to lose, but can't allow herself to lose either.
She shifts into Vi and kisses him.
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Fox goes to Death and asks him why everyone's afraid he'll lose. Death replies that he will lose.
Death tells Fox that he must win and that his mortality is what will win it for him. He also tells Fox that Volos killed Tom.
Death warns Fox that he will not like what he sees when he plays the game, but then tells him how to win.
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Mayra and Volos play the game. She tells him he will not ever have her and he scoffs. He shifts into Calix and tells her he'll take her heart.
They shift into memories where Cal and she enjoyed time together but she wards off Volos as much as she can.
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Elsewhere, Death tells Fox how to win. Face your own demons, and you win.
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Lainey and Tom have had a stalemate. He admits that while he may still love her, he'll never choose her and demands to see his death.
Swept into memory he sees Brandt and Volos arguing over the ledger and Brandt concealing a handful of torn pages behind his back.
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As Vi was watching she asks Gabriel who Fox will play next. He replies that Fox will play the water deity and Volos will take the ghosts place...and after, that Fox will face Brandt.
Vi tells them it's a trap for Fox and sprints with Cal following.
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Brandt plays against Persephone who has to lose. They argue back and forth with Persephone asking him why he's playing, why Death has to pay. He tells her to leave it to him.
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Cal is stopped by Volos on the way to get to Fox and tries to convince him over, dangling being with Mayra in front of him. Cal says no, Volos doesn't take that for an answer and Cal falls into darkness.
Chapter XXIV:
Vi interrupts Fox on his way to play and tells him about Brandt's betrayal. He's not surprised and continues on.
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Lainey warns Fox before they play telling him that if she loses, Volos will return her to the sea. Fox notices that's exactly what she wants. They play.
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Five minutes ago Lainey and Tom drew their game witch each winning conditionally. She tells Tom to make his condition that Volos won't take him or Vi and Lainey's was that she should be cursed to remember.
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Lainey drags Fox into her memories of Tom and how Volos and Lainey made an agreement so that she could find love as a human(ish).
The scene shifts and changes to Brandt and Lainey making a deal. She must lose in the game so that Fox can play.
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Vi finds Isis in a golden case and Isis tells her that Volos is her husband. Isis tells Vi that she's the queen of virtue and was enslaved to her husband for a long time. Vi tells her that Fox and Brandt are about to face off in a game, and that it seems he's in league with Volos...but is he, really?
Vi tells Isis to just make her cage go away. It does. Isis suggests that they go stop her husband.
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Lainey asks Fox what he'll take from her if she wins. He says only information. He does, however, almost ask if Brandt has betrayed him but Lainey says it's better he doesn't know.
Raphael calls the game for Fox, he's won.
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Tom, Isis and Vi go to watch Fox's game with Brandt.
Chapter XXV:
Brandt goes first and suddenly he and Fox are in the pub, just outside Frankfurt that they used to frequent. Fox asks Brandt again, and again why he's playing. For vengeance, for restitution...and it's for Fox.
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Brandt then shows Fox his first game with Death. Brandt once walked into the games room and demanded a single game with Death as a son of Odin. He wins, and asks Death how he can make his goddess grand him immortality, the same as his brothers and sisters. Death grants him and even tells him how he may be granted favor from his goddess, but takes from him his truths.
They're again tossed into memories where Brandt tries to convince Fox that he did what he could. He tells him he loves him and will love him forever. Fox does not listen. He tells Brandt that it's too bad, because he has to beat a god, instead.
Fox is declared the winner.
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Fox looks for Cal after his game and the others tell him that Volos has taken him. He tells them he has a game to end.
Chapter XXVI:
Volos baits Fox but Fox remembers all the advice that he's been given about the game and rather than responding to an unfeeling demon, he speaks to the mortal man inside Volos.
Interlude VII:
1865
It's the end of the war and Tom, a soldier at the time doesn't want to go back to his small life. A friend tells him about a German who can speak to the dead in Chicago, so that's where he goes.
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In Chicago, Tom hears whispers that the man who speaks to Death does so through a ring. He finds Fox half plastered in a pub and takes him home. When he borrows his ring, suddenly he's surrounded by Brandt and Death who are arguing.
Death mentions the immortal game and he tells Tom the rules. Tom is convinced he can win, and Death agrees.
When they tie, and both win, Tom asks for money, fame and success. Death gives it to him with the costs being simply, the same as any mortal would face.
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Chapter XXVII:
Volos screams and Fox taunts the mortal inside him about his pain, and his fear until there is silence and someone says "Fox D'Mora wins".
Interlude VIII:
Volos finds himself incorporeal and he looks around, seeing that he shouldn't be there. He watches Elaine transform back into the sea and then looks to the godling, so hungry and almost takes his body before Isis drags him to the center of the table like an anchor and traps him in gold. While it won't hold him forever, when he gets out, he'll have Isis to contend with.
Chapter XXVIII:
Fox doesn't want to play Death in the final game but Gabriel and Raphael tell him that contractually, he kind of has to.
So they play.
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Tom finds Vi and Vi tells him that maybe he can now move on, after all, it was all just a game.
They go to watch Fox's final match.
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Death sits before Fox in the body Fox has always known him in. Fox asks why this body and Death says simply that it's the one Fox liked best. Of course, as an incorporeal being he could be anything, but he chose this one.
He also tells Fox that he has to win, as Death will lose due to having a regret.
He shows Fox a vision of when he told Brandt to stay away from him, but still that wasn't his regret.
He says that the regret he has is that he underestimated Fox. That when he hurts, Death hurts.
Fox informs him that the feeling he's having is love.
Death says that's effing stupid. (And sometimes I agree).
He asks Death for his friends to heal, if he wins and tells him that he loves Brandt but wants nothing for himself.
Then Death asks Fox if he's ready to win...and tells him he loves him. Fox tells him he loves him too.
Then Raphael declares Fox D'Mora the winner of the Immortal Game.
Chapter XXIX:
Raphael and Gabriel tell Isis to keep Volos in check, but also inform her that they need to take her body. She asks them if she can still visit, which of course she can and they consider also the situation with the Parker mansion. That it belongs to demons and the lawyers probably aren't going to like that.
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Raphael and Gabriel have cleared Cal and Mayra's ledgers and are told they can move on. To where, they're not sure but they hear it's lovely. Cal and Mayra counter offer. They'd like to stay in service to humanity, but with more miracles and the ability to see each other whenever they'd like.
They want 15 miracles a year and to stay in service to the godson of Death. As they love him.
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Raphael and Gabriel also tend to Tom and Vi. They argue back and forth about their ledgers. Vi's isn't good and she doesn't have a lot of options until Tom begs...
And she wakes up mortal in the Parker mansion and so is Tom.
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Raphael and Gabriel face their punishments in front of Lucifer and God. They're both pretty displeased about them being involved in an illegal gambling ring.
And their punishment will be to continue doing their jobs...for all of eternity.
Chapter XXX:
Fox and Brandt are together and each gives up forever for one another and finally, they kiss.
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Raphael and Gabriel turn their attention to Brandt and Fox, and promise them not to be so naughty again...they will try to keep this promise.
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Brandt and Fox go to say goodbye to his goddess and she wishes them a long and wonderful mortal life together.
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What happens next is a word from our sponsor, Death, about Fox and the story...and I think I'll leave that up for you to read yourself.
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Sorry about the roman numeral thing but this was an absolute blast, wasn't it?
Questions:
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Do you think Volos is gone for good? Or will Isis let him out? -
What would you have asked of Death?
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Would you have chosen to go to Paradise, or hang out more with Fox?
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