This anthology was a fabulously whimsical ride. The very first story, the wish bridge, really got me excited for the rest of the stories to come. While on the surface a story about a mythical guardian of a bridge that appears at every full moon, allowing those who find it to make a wish, it has us wishing the guardian who grants everyone else’s wishes to wish for herself for once!

My favorite story was Sucker for Pain though I liked it mostly just for the story and how invested I was in Nora’s story - not so much that there were any thoughtful takeaways for me.

My least favorite was Monsterlove, mainly because I didn’t even know what was happening the entire time. However, it was beautifully written if the purpose was to confuse the heck out of everyone! And I really felt the emotion of the FMC, for what it’s worth.

In total, I think this was well worth the read, and further exemplifies the wonder that is Olivie Blake!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the eARC of this anthology in exchange for my honest review.

A dark, whimsical and at times poignant set of short stories that captivate the imagination

Disclaimer: I tandem read this novel with a psychical arc from the publisher as well as an audiobook via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

It is very rare that I read a collection of short stories where I liked more of the stories than I didn't like. This is one of those cases. There were only two or three stories that I did not feel any real connection to. The rest, I found absolutely mesmerizing and could not put them down.

I feel like this collection had a wide range of genres and feels associated with the stories. One minute you were reading something whimsical and fairytale-like only to be met with something dark and twisted the next story. I really liked the wide range that was available here. I felt like it really captivated my attention and kept me pushing further along in the book.

I usually straight away from short story collections, but I am really glad that I picked this one up. It was absolutely a lot of fun and I felt like I got a little bit for all sides of me as a reader.

While I appreciate the depth of imagination of dark twists of Blake's short stories in this volume, I found myself getting lost and disinterested through most of these. As always, I am impressed with writers who are able to pack a punch and create such depth in such a short length of pages, but this volume didn't peak my interest enough.

I am new to Blake's works and this might be a stylistic choice. I found the variety of narrations useful in helping me know when a new story began, but I found some of the voices easily grating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook!

Review will be shared to goodreads and Instagram stories and links will be updated here.

I’m relatively new to the short story world, and I’m thrilled that Januaries was one of the first to introduce me to collections like these. While not all of the stories were big wins for me individually, the ones I loved will live rent-free in my head (even the ones I didn’t love have continued to make me think).

If you’ve tried Olivie Blake in the past and didn’t fall under her spell, I highly recommend giving her a second chance with this one. In short story format, her writing shines its brightest.

Writing and Editing – 5
Narration – 5
Personal Bias – 5
Final Score – 5

Thank you to Olivie Blake and @tordotcompub for my gorgeous copy! Also, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audio copy! My opinions are my own.

This book started off really strong with “The Wish Bridge.” I loved this short story so much, and it made me even more excited to continue with the book. However, the other stories just didn’t resonate with me. I kept expecting each one to be as lovely as the first, but it never happened. Some were better than others, but nothing can top “The Wish Bridge.” That’s a story I’ll revisit over and over, for sure. I listened to this on audio, and the narrators were great.

This is the second anthology I’ve read this year, so I’m feeling my short story era! Januaries was a Macmillan Audio pick and it did not disappoint–I absolutely love Olivie Blake!

Short stories are fun because they often pack a punch and are easy to digest. I also appreciate that if there was a story that was not for me, I have something to look forward to after it’s over, which was the case for Monsterlove–definitely an interesting take, but it was not for me.

All of the short stories in this book center around love, magic, and/or betrayal–because sometimes betrayal or love is served with a side of the other! This collection runs the gamut of fairy story to dystopia and odds and ends in between–speculative fiction and Greek mythology included!

One of my favorite stories, The Animation Games, is a tale of love, betrayal, and magic all rolled together. It was at times funny, heartbreaking, and inspirational. It was also incredibly violent, but in a fun way with a good amount of magic and ghosts!

In the end, this book was five stars, and I think there are stories in here for everyone. I love that when I listen to a Blake book I usually get some of my favorite narrators, including Steve West and David Monteith.

Olivie Blake's 𝑱𝑨𝑵𝑼𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺, narrated by a host of fantastic narrators, just recently out on October 15th by @macmillan.audio. Thank you for the access via @netgalley!

I must be either in the mood for short stories, or there are a lot out there right now. Maybe both. Regardless, I am glad to have this collection and spent several days this last week dipping into a story or two. I often listen straight through and wanted to enjoy each story before racing on to the next. I think this is how I will read story collections from now on, as I think it added to my enjoyment of this. I was excited each day to hear what witty or atmospheric or otherworldly story. It was rather hard to limit myself.

I am becoming more familiar with Blake's styles and enjoy her darker humor. The dialog she writes is often laugh out loud funny or deliciously biting. This book contained stories that ran a wide range of magical and mysterious, odd and happily satisfying. The narrators made this so much fun to listen to.

As with most short stories, there were some I adored and other that didn't quite meet that standard, but still enjoyable.

Not my favorite Olivie Blake book but I still enjoyed none of the less. My favorite part was how the stories were somewhat connected to each other rather than be stand alone. Maybe it will get better with each reread.

This is stunning. Perfect for anyone who loved 'Masters of Death' or 'Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart.' This is a compilation of dark and whimsical stories that will have you hanging onto every word. This is the best of Olivie Blake's writing.

I was able to read Januaries as an audio ARC and it's just immaculately done. Every single narrator on this project delivers perfectly in bringing these complex character to life. I could not more highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this collection. Some of the stories were entertaining or thought-provoking. Enjoyable and recommended if you're a huge fan of her work.

Januaries, by Olivie Blake, is a rollercoaster ride of emotion, existential crisis, and contemplation. The promise of love, magic, and betrayal delivers in satisfying measures. Blake does what she does best here with beautiful character studies, and the short story format works wonders with her writing, forcing her to cut bloated internal monologues that weigh down some of her novels. Though I was reading the audiobook, I sent for a physical copy after reading through the first section of this, titled "Spring." Here are my personal ranking for the stories:

1. The Wishing Bridge (Spring)
2. To Make a Man (Summer)
3. Sucker for Pain (Spring)
4. Chaos Theory (Winter)
5. Fates and Consequences (Autumn)
6. How to Dispel Friends and Curse People (Autumn)
7. The Animation Games (Summer)
9. Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures (Winter)
10. A Year in January (Winter)
11. Sous Vide (Autumn)
12. The Audit (Spring)
13. Preexisting Condition (Summer)
14. The House (Summer)
15. Monster Love (Autumn)

My favorites wove in elements of mythology, imagined and historical. Blake's storytelling is clever, and at times this falls flat, trying for too clever as in "The House" and "Monster Love." I found the audiobook narrator of "Monster Love" especially unpleasant to listen to as their is varied volumes and tones despite being all the same character. It had too much, as the story did. I'm not sure this is necessarily fair for the narrator, but I chose to read my physical copy instead of listen to her narration of the next story she did, which had a similar quality.

The audiobook cast is the same as the Atlas Six series, and Steve West is my absolute favorite of the group though I didn't feel as engaged by his stories in this collection. The best stories narratively were "The Wishing Bridge," "Preexisting Condition," "How to Dispel Friends and Curse People," and "Sucker for Pain."

I loved this collection overall. It was very creative, clever, and most of all fun. I enjoyed the diversity of storytelling in structure, content, and style that somehow still remained uniquely Olivie Blake

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

1. The Wish Bridge: The perfect type of story for a short story collecrion. 4/5

2. The Audit: Seemed kind of pointless. 2/5

3. Sucker for Pain: I would like to see this as a full-length novel. 5/5

4. The Animation Games: The world felt poorly developed, and I don't find toxic relationships to be endearing. 1.5/5

5. The House: just a weird preachy paragraph about marriage?? 1/5

6. To Make a Man: interesting take on Cassandra... however I didn't really like how the time-line jumped back and forth. That always makes things confusing. 4/5

7. Pre-existing Condition: meh. 3/5

8. Monster Love: huh???? Confusing, rambling and non-sensical. The narrator also got a little to excited and screechy for my taste. But good for her for committing to the bit. 1/5

9. How to Dispel Friends and Curse People: Letters from an Aspiring Poet to the Village Witch: Cute. 3/5

10. Fates and Consequences: Blake should really write a Greek retelling. 4/5

11. Sous Vide: meh. 3/5

12. Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures: I remember nothing. 2/5

13. Chaos Theory: Or the Free Agent's Guide to Transitive Thermodynamics: Took awhile to get to the point... interesting idea though. 3.5/5

14. A Year in January: what was the point? 1/5

This was a collection of witty, funny, intriguing and paranormal stories. I found myself wanting the whole book to be about a certain few of them and others I just skipped over.

I don’t think I’d buy this for myself, but if you love short stories with a paranormal/folk flair then this is perfect for you. Each story is about 2-3 chapters long and the writing is beautiful and immersive. It felt like a nice break for me when I typically just read fantasy series

Typically, in a short story collection, I find that some stories resonate more than others, with a few standouts and some that don’t quite connect with me. However, that wasn’t the case with this collection: all the stories were of varying degrees of excellence! The author’s versatility is remarkable: some stories are fairy tale/folklore-esque, while others are supernatural, creepy, humorous, mythological, or speculative. Each piece features a vivid writing style that perfectly captures the mood and tone of its unique world. Every story is creatively crafted, with believable settings and engaging characters and storylines. Love is a common theme throughout, and the author strikes a perfect balance, avoiding anything overly sentimental or gratuitous.

The audiobook's diverse cast of narrators was also fantastic, and all seamlessly transported me into each setting. This was my first reading experience with this author, and I’m definitely eager to read more of her work!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Januaries is such an interesting combination of short stories from Olivie Blake. Yes, they do all elements of love, magic, or betrayal, but also touch on mental health and people who are going through struggles in life. The variety of stories shows the range of Olivie's writing. Some of my favorites included The Animation Games, Fates and Consequences, Chaos Theory (specific shout out to the cat 🙌🏼), and A Year in January.

I read enjoyed the audio of this book. There were two narrators who swapped between stories and even a cameo from Olivie herself. I could speed it up without having issues understanding, which is essential.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book for an honest review.

Narrators chef kiss, wow awesome selection and great job by them. And the stories so damn good. They are unique and different . Each has a totally different style and feeling. Enjoyed immensely. The book as a whole is really good, the stories by themselves, some are great , some are meh. Did like a lot 3 of them and most are extremely entertaining. Would totally recommend. The audio is great, I think the narrators did a phenomenal job. Really love it

As a collection of short stories, there will always be those that stand out and you love, and others that you don't quite connect with. Each of these stories definitely ring true to Olivie Blake's writing. However, each story is unique, be it new or a retelling.

Januaries is a great compilation that showcases Olivie Blake's range and ability to write. It's as if you took all her published work, added some things yet unread, blended it together, and this was the result. One story is a beautiful and straight forward love story mixed with fantasy and wonder, and the next will be about some quasi Black Mirror tale that your life has a monetary value. Some of these tales will have you questioning the lives we are living and the human experience. Others will just have you down right questioning "What did I just read?"

The ability to listen to the ALC was an amazing experience. It had a full cast of diverse narrators who read with great skill. "Monsterlove" was truly a wonderful performance and deserves an award on to itself. Some stories (which I had to go back and find the names of each one) that I enjoyed: The Wish Bridge, The Audit, The Animation Games, A Year in January, Sous Vide, and Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasure. You could say, well that's almost the entire book. Sure... But hey, I enjoy Blake's writings.

I would recommend Januaries: Stories of Love, Magic & Betrayal to those who already love Olivie Blake's work, and even to those who have yet to read anything else by her. 4.5 stars rounded to 5

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and author for the opportunity in an exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting on social medias.

Januaries is a collection of short stories and novellas. I really enjoyed a few, like The Wishing Bridge and The Audit. I do wish many of these were longer and developed a bit more, but I loved the writing style overall. I listened to the audio and the cast of narrators was absolutely phenomenal.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Review: I absolutely loved this. Loved it. The only reason that this lost 1/4 of a star for me is that I feel like some of these short stories could have been such fascinating full books. I would've eaten them up. Some of my favorites were The House (which obviously could not be a full story, but I loved it and it is probably one of the most uplifting, exciting ways I've heard marriage described) and Monster Love might be one of the most no bullshit honest descriptions of motherhood that I have ever heard. As I was listening to it, I was genuinely wondering how Olivie got into my brain. One of the stories that I would still beg Olivie to write as a full length novel would be Chaos Theory - I loved it. LOVED it. I thought it was really inventive and I just wanted to spend so much more time in the story. Do yourself a favor and pick this up ASAP.

Synopsis: 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.

Januaries:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2024 and @torbooks for my gifted copies!⁣
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The easiest way to describe Januaries by Olivie Blake as a whole is magical and whimsy. ⁣
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My favorites:⁣
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The Wish Bridge:⁣
What a freaking way to start a short story collection. This was absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching. This made me swoon like OUABH. Truly whimsical for me. ⁣
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Sucker For Pain:⁣
Very Interview with a Vampire. I’ll never skip a vampire or witch story. Not sorry. Loved this one and the finality. ⁣
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How to Dispel Friends and Curse People:⁣
I loved this one so much. Give me all the grumpy/sunshine basically in magical form. Persistent and silly, absolutely adorable. ⁣
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Fates And Consequences: ⁣
I could not stop cackling. Very Masters of Death coded. We get Hades and Persephone, so I was so excited for their little cameo. ⁣
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Sous Vide:⁣
This had me cackling. It was so snippy and I cannot stop giggling. Some gems: “(Her libertine youth, her manic freedom, the restless intellect that had driven her to art and poetry, which was now driving her to poverty and madness, just as it had done to all the artists and poets before.” “So, what do you do with the hungry? Ignore them, if you’re the government.” Audio was perfect and these landed SO WELL. ⁣
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The audio is phenomenal. Full cast and some major big names. They all delivered so well.⁣
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Januaries was such a good read, I can’t recommend it enough! Happy pub day!⁣
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QOTD: What are you reading today?