Januaries by Olivie Blake ✨ A Mixed Bag of Magical Short Stories

Januaries by Olivie Blake is a collection of short stories and novellas, offering readers a variety of magical and fantastical premises, from fairy tales reimagined to contemporary absurdist poetry. Known for her bestselling works, Blake uses this collection to explore themes of life, death, love, and revenge. However, the quality of the stories varies, leaving readers with a somewhat uneven reading experience.

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Januaries is a collection of new and iconic short stories and novellas from New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, the tutelary spirit to a magical bridge rapidly approaches burnout. Meanwhile, congress enacts a complex auditing system designed to un-waste your youth, a banished fairy answers a Craigslist ad, a Victorian orphan gains literacy for her occult situationship, and a multiverse assassin contemplates the one who got away. Escape the slow trudge of mortality with these magical ruminations on life, death, and the love (or revenge) that outlasts both, featuring modified fairytales, contemporary heists, absurdist poetry, and at least one set of actual wedding vows.

One of the standout characters for me was the protagonist from The Audit, who undergoes a surreal experience when her life is audited and she gets a huge sum of money. Her realisation that has to live up to this, created a relatable narrative as she grows throughout the stpry. However, not all characters in Januaries stood out in the same way, with some blending into the background of less memorable narratives.

The collection contains a wide array of short stories, each with its own unique premise. While there were some gems – The Wish Bridge and The Audit being particularly engaging – other stories fell flat and lacked the same level of intrigue. The earlier stories captured my attention, but as I moved through the collection, some of the later tales became harder to follow or less engaging. Stories featuring betrayal and darker themes, like the couple who repeatedly kill each other, echoed familiar tones from Blake’s other works.

Blake’s experimentation with different writing formats within the short story genre was interesting to observe, though it wasn’t always successful. While some stories thrived in this format, others felt disjointed or overly ambitious. The writing, at times, felt like it was stretching to find its footing, making certain stories more challenging to connect with.

Each story carries its own theme, ranging from the absurdity of modern life, as in The Audit, to magical realism and vengeance in fairy tale-style settings. However, there wasn’t a clear overarching theme uniting the entire collection. Magic and romance are present throughout, but the lack of thematic consistency left me feeling disconnected from the work as a whole.

While the collection fits within the realms of fantasy and magical realism, it also flirts with absurdism and romance. Some stories are firmly planted in these genres, while others seem to drift outside them in an attempt to tackle more abstract ideas. This makes it hard to classify the collection as a cohesive whole.

Positives of Januaries

• Engaging and unique stories such as The Audit and The Wish Bridge.
• Blake’s willingness to experiment with different storytelling formats.
• Some character-driven narratives that explore intriguing personal journeys.

Negatives of Januaries

• Uneven quality between stories, with some feeling underdeveloped or unengaging.
• Lack of a unifying theme across the collection.
• Certain stories feel repetitive or reminiscent of Blake’s previous works.
• Some stories drag and lack the same impact as earlier ones.

While Januaries offers glimpses of Olivie Blake’s creative potential, the collection as a whole is uneven. The early stories and certain standout narratives showcase her talent for weaving magical and surreal elements into everyday life, but the latter half of the collection feels less compelling. For die-hard fans of Blake, this might be an intriguing read, but for others, the inconsistency in story quality may not justify the journey. Ultimately, it’s a collection that had potential but didn’t quite live up to expectations.

I received Januaries by Olivie Blake from the publisher. This is an unbiased and honest review

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