I feel like the last person on earth to pick up an Olivie Blake book but here we are! I can say I understand the hype but I don’t think this was the best of Blake’s books for me to start with.

One for My Enemy is a Romeo and Juliet retelling about two families of witches who are rivals. The families deal in various criminal activities. While the matriarch of the Antonovas, Baba Yaga and the patriarch of the Fedorovs, Koschei started this rivalry years ago, their children are finding that this rivalry may be costing their families more than what it’s worth. One for My Enemy is filled with family drama, violence, and revenge but also romance and deep familial ties.

There are a lot of characters and while it is easy to distinguish them by their roles in the family, I did not think they were all that complex beyond that. I found most of the storyline melodramatic. There are twists and turns for sure, but most of them seemed smarter than they actually were. The story is full of magic but nothing is really explained. Most of the characters are witches and they can just do whatever….because they have magic...I guess?

It took me a while to read this. It was by no means bad, but I definitely didn’t love it. I am still interested in reading more from this author as I see why she is so beloved.

If you like deeply romantic, drama filled, magical stories this just might be the book for you!

This is my favorite Olivie Blake by far. It is a well-done "fairy tale" retelling that possesses both an old-world and new-world feel. The characters were great, as was the world-building. This had the feel of one of my favorite Naomi Novik stories, so I really enjoyed it.

Finally, an Olivie Blake novel that I didn't DNF! I really loved this one and I'm so glad it worked for me. This story is a Romeo and Juliet retelling except with magic and a lot more death/murder. It follows the basic story of Romeo and Juliet; two rival families who have children in love with each other and death ensues. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and there were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I wish this was a series because I would definitely read more from these characters.

I wanted to like this book so much, but I couldn't find the strength to finish. The story sounds so intriguing but every time I picked it up and started reading, I just couldn't get into it. I had to skim through all of the middle brother's sections because he was boring and dull. I did however, enjoy the relationship between Sasha and Lev. Their Romeo and Juliet trope didn't feel played out and that was refreshing.

I've heard good things about this book, so maybe it's just not for me. Circulation reports seem to show that it's still a fairly popular title, so people are reading it. I would say if you are wanting to read it, go ahead and do it.

This story was a little bland and the world building was lacking. I think because of that, the actual plot came off as confusing until about halfway through. I think the characters being morally grey was interesting but I don’t really think their motivations were super clear. I did like the book and I am a fan of Olivie, but I think this one has a really peculiar vibe that I just wasn’t really into overall.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

This was my first ever of Blake's work, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm a sucker for Romeo and Juliet retellings, and I loved the magic system in this!

This was an amazing fresh take on the Romeo and Juliet “trope”, enhanced by Olivie’s signature writing style which stands out for its sharp wit, eloquent prose, and ability to seamlessly interweave elements of fantasy and reality, drawing readers into the rich tapestries of her imaginative worlds. She skillfully blends genres and twists tropes to create narratives that are both refreshing and resonant, filled with characters that are remarkably complex and relatable.

This started off so strongly - anything featuring Baba Yaga mythos appeals to me- by about 100, 150 pages it started to loose its appeal for me.
There was a lot happening, and yet it managed to be repetitive and dull.

I know she's got her followers, but I think Blake is not the author for me.

One for the Enemy is the fourth book I have read by Olivie Blake. After being highly disappointed with The Atlas Six, I continue to give her books the benefit of the doubt because her books are always rated so high. However this was another disappointment for me. To the right audience, I think this would be a great book.

Blake has a knack for thinking up unique storylines and characters. Definitely different than the style I usually go for but thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read.

A bit of Romeo & Juliet, a little Eastern European folklore, and a dose of New York City... and, yeah, it's by Olivie Blake. If you like her thing, you'll love this. If you don't, it probably won't convert you. That said, it's a faster and more immediately rewarding entry point than the Atlas books, so perhaps it could!

An atmospheric and witchy retelling of Romeo & Juliet in a richly evoked New York. Much more concerned with vibes than plot.

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Manhattan with two rival witch families as they fight to maintain control of their criminal activities.

I had a bit of a hard time with this one - it was so good and I absolutely loved it, but I couldn't finish it. It was almost too heavy for me. And that's not even the right phrasing I am looking for, but it's as close to it as I can get. I would be reading for awhile and look at the page count and it would be nowhere near how many pages I thought I have read; but so much stuff happened within those pages.

This is a book I'm still going to be recommending to people because I know a few who will absolutely devour it! It's still an amazing book and maybe one day (when I don't have 1,000+ things) I will come back to this and finish the story.

This is such an absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking book. Olivie Blake never disappoints. Her prose and characterization come together in ways that showcase her talent. Thank God her earlier self-published work is starting to be picked up.

The vibes and execution of this story were both spectacular! It had deliciously complex interpersonal relationships with an interesting structure that added to the experience, and had all of the gothic elements that I was looking forward to. I really enjoyed the parallels and contrasts with Sasha and Lev and Marya and Dimitri, and thought that the ending was so satisfying for all the characters involved. I would’ve wanted a bit more written about the rest of the Antonova sisters and am still really curious to know more about Bryn, but my only criticisms are wanting more of this world. I really loved reading this story!

Olivie Blake's writing is so captivating! She really is able to draw the reader in from the very first moment, and keep us hooked until the end.

The setting was incredible - modern era witches in new york, i felt like I was a part of it. The characters were so strong and individual, felt like they were made of flesh! Blake's pen is truly a talent. I loved this one.

I went into this book having read the Atlas books and so I was expecting this to be similar - minimal plot, maximal vibes. I love vibes! Vibes are great! There were no vibes here, which is wild because this is a Romeo & Juliet retelling with Baba Yaga.

The characters were deeply boring, the magic system was poorly constructed, and the story lacks the emotional resonance of the source material.

I apologize for the length of time it took to read this, but when I finally got to it--ugh, what a slog.

Questionable worldbuilding and convoluted plot. The characters for the most part are all unlikeable, save for (very) few of the side characters. The book leads you to think Sasha and Lev are the Romeo and Juliet of the book, but then the focus turns to Lev’s oldest brother, Dimitri (Dima), and Sasha’s oldest sister, Marya (Masha), the youngest pair of lovers falling by the wayside.

Roman is a dangerous but whiny brat whose actions are unforgivable, yet somehow everyone lets him live. The fae lawyer’s annoying and yet everyone keeps making deals with him, despite knowing how tricky the fae are.

This is the second Romeo & Juliet-inspired book that sucked me in with an intriguing premise and then just couldn’t stick the landing (See Chloe Gong’s “These Violent Delights”).

I’m going to DNF this one for now. It’s not catching my attention but hoping to get back to it later