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The Life of Death
One soul. One pact with the Devil. One chance at love.
Elizabeth Murray has been condemned to burn at the stake. As she awaits her fate, a strange, handsome man visits her cell. He offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality, but what he offers is not a normal life. To survive Elizabeth must become Death itself.
Elizabeth must ease the passing of all those who die, appearing at the point of death and using her compassion to guide them over the threshold. She accepts and, for 500 years, whirls from one death to the next, never stopping to think of the life she never lived. Until one day, everything changes. She – Death – falls in love.
Desperate to escape the terms of her deal, she summons the man who saved her. He agrees to release her on one condition: that she gives him five lives. These five lives she must take herself, each one more difficult and painful than the last.
330 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2019
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April 18, 2019
3.5 stars
When you have only one soul. When all hope is gone. When you are asked to choose, would you make a pact with the devil? What if you wanted love?
In the late 1500's Elizabeth "Lizzy" Murray was sentenced to burn at the stake for being a witch. While she listens to other women being burned, a man visits her in her cell. He has a proposal, her soul in exchange for a painless death and immortality. But immortality comes with a small price - she will be death itself. She will ease the passing of others, to be there in the moments before and after death, to guide their souls with compassion and care. She does this for five hundred years until one day she sees someone. A man she falls in love with. A man she wants to live for. Can she make another deal with the devil? Five lives of his choosing. Five lives for a chance of happiness. Five lives she must take to get her soul back. Will she make this deal? Would you?
The plot is straightforward and simple and yet it is moving as we see Lizzy interact with those at the end of their lives. How she is seen by various individuals as a parent, a lover, a spouse, a child, or a friend. She embodies the person most important to the individual who is dying. This isn't a heaven vs. hell book. This book is about one woman's choice and ultimately how it affects her and the people she encounters. It is also a lesson recalling the adage: Be careful what you wish for. What happens when you make a deal with the devil? Who wins in the end? Does anyone?
Lizzie is an interesting character. She is a victim in the beginning of the book. Falsely accused of being a witch. Tortured and listening to other women die as the townspeople cheer, watching her own Mother be burned at the stake. Knowing what is in store for her, tired, in pain, hopeless and fearful, she is given a choice. She tries to help the people who die, but then she sees a glimmer of hope. She begins to think of what life would be like if she were mortal, if she could love and be loved in return, falling in love with a man, she wants to live the life she was robbed of so long ago.
But what a choice she is given. Will she do as the devil wishes? hmmmm
I found this book to be thought provoking and interesting. Although Lizzy is the main character, the Devil makes his appearances throughout. He is a crafty, debonair, articulate, manicured and handsome fellow. I couldn't help but hear the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil" playing in my head while reading these sections. When he asks her to kill five people in exchange for her soul, things got interesting but also sad. I enjoyed this book and toward the end and had a few things figured out. While I felt sorry for Lizzy a.k.a. little "D" as the devil called her, it had me wondering, about her choice at the end. About putting one's own needs, wants and desires above the lives of others.
It is interesting to note that the Author was diagnosed with Cancer in 2011 and passed away in 2016. She did not live to see this book published but she did write the book after her diagnosis. While reading, I wondered if her diagnosis and her thoughts on her own mortality influenced this book specifically what happens when one dies.
Thank you to Unbound and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
When you have only one soul. When all hope is gone. When you are asked to choose, would you make a pact with the devil? What if you wanted love?
In the late 1500's Elizabeth "Lizzy" Murray was sentenced to burn at the stake for being a witch. While she listens to other women being burned, a man visits her in her cell. He has a proposal, her soul in exchange for a painless death and immortality. But immortality comes with a small price - she will be death itself. She will ease the passing of others, to be there in the moments before and after death, to guide their souls with compassion and care. She does this for five hundred years until one day she sees someone. A man she falls in love with. A man she wants to live for. Can she make another deal with the devil? Five lives of his choosing. Five lives for a chance of happiness. Five lives she must take to get her soul back. Will she make this deal? Would you?
The plot is straightforward and simple and yet it is moving as we see Lizzy interact with those at the end of their lives. How she is seen by various individuals as a parent, a lover, a spouse, a child, or a friend. She embodies the person most important to the individual who is dying. This isn't a heaven vs. hell book. This book is about one woman's choice and ultimately how it affects her and the people she encounters. It is also a lesson recalling the adage: Be careful what you wish for. What happens when you make a deal with the devil? Who wins in the end? Does anyone?
Lizzie is an interesting character. She is a victim in the beginning of the book. Falsely accused of being a witch. Tortured and listening to other women die as the townspeople cheer, watching her own Mother be burned at the stake. Knowing what is in store for her, tired, in pain, hopeless and fearful, she is given a choice. She tries to help the people who die, but then she sees a glimmer of hope. She begins to think of what life would be like if she were mortal, if she could love and be loved in return, falling in love with a man, she wants to live the life she was robbed of so long ago.
But what a choice she is given. Will she do as the devil wishes? hmmmm
I found this book to be thought provoking and interesting. Although Lizzy is the main character, the Devil makes his appearances throughout. He is a crafty, debonair, articulate, manicured and handsome fellow. I couldn't help but hear the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil" playing in my head while reading these sections. When he asks her to kill five people in exchange for her soul, things got interesting but also sad. I enjoyed this book and toward the end and had a few things figured out. While I felt sorry for Lizzy a.k.a. little "D" as the devil called her, it had me wondering, about her choice at the end. About putting one's own needs, wants and desires above the lives of others.
It is interesting to note that the Author was diagnosed with Cancer in 2011 and passed away in 2016. She did not live to see this book published but she did write the book after her diagnosis. While reading, I wondered if her diagnosis and her thoughts on her own mortality influenced this book specifically what happens when one dies.
Thank you to Unbound and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 2, 2020
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Unbound, via Netgalley for an honest review.
“I am the woman you most want to see in those final seconds you live on this earth. I have been wives, daughters, best friends. I have been a beloved nurse, a primary school teacher. Your first love. I am the ultimate mother.
I am Death.”
Death is not the hooded figure you've heard about in stories. Death does not lurk in the shadows with a sadistic twinkle in it's hollow skull, awaiting bloodshed and cruelty. Death does not take a life out of selfishness or evil. Death is a woman, and she only comes when she is called. She comes to those who are reaching their life's end, to be a guide into their afterlife, wherever that may be. And for the last 500 years, Lizzie has been Death. She has been a familiar and loving face to those who are nearing their end, and she takes pride in helping others. But when Lizzie comes across a man named Tom, she is stricken with a love she never thought she'd have. Desperate to end her time as Death and to be able to have a life with Tom, He agrees to release her from her contract on one condition: she must kill five people of His choosing.
“In 1590, I sold my soul to the Devil.”
After being accused of witchcraft, Elizabeth Murray is sentenced to be burnt at the stake. But as she awaits her impending doom in the dungeons, she is visited by Him – the Devil. He comes to her with an offer. He promises her, in exchange for her soul and complete ownership over her, she can “live” as Death. Naturally, she makes the deal. And so, for 500 years, Lizzie lives as Death. Constantly moving around the world, guiding souls across the veil between the living and the dead. She only comes when needed, as a means of comfort to the soul that is dying to ensure they go in peace and happiness. She does not take the lives she guides into Death, she only arrives as a servant in the circle of life.
“Lives are given to me – I never take them. Never.”
This depiction of Death always takes the form of a woman, but her face changes to match the wants of the person dying. Whether someone wants to see their mother, sister, daughter, or aunt, Death becomes them. She is given the memories of the woman she becomes, and speaks with the person as they begin to enter the afterlife. But what is really interesting, is that some people are able to actually see Death for who she is, and keep her at arms length. Of course when this happens, it is utterly depressing to witness because those people go into a totally hysteria and shock as they realize what is happening to them. But Death has a job to do, and she does it well. She is a woman of a billion faces.
“This is no place for a woman, I've heard it said.
I've never seen a place a woman was more needed.”
This is honestly one of the coolest and most unique stories I have ever come across. The outlook on death that this author possessed was truly special. She gave death a gentle and feminine quality that makes you feel comfortable with its presence. It is delicate and sweet, rather than a cold and fearful entity that we all seem to shrink away from. This author gives the reader an intimate introduction to an idea of death that almost brings peace and quiet. It is sensitive, caring, heart-achingly beautiful and truly one of a kind.
It is so seldom that a book can reach into my soul with such ferocity and gentleness.
But this book did that.
It crushed me.
This entire story feels like a poem written just for me. Like the author knew I would need this, and I am confident that I am not the only person who will feel this. The Life of Death is a love song, a sonnet. A message in a bottle that has traveled through storms of anger and eerie calm, only to wash up at the feet of its desired recipient. The writing is so descriptive and perfect. I was lost in this story, feeling waves upon waves of emotions for Lizzie and these fleeting characters.
It's breathtaking.
But as soon as I began to see that this story was one of beauty and acceptance of death, the author drove a knife into my heart and cut the ties on the dam that was holding my tears in. DEVASTATION. Unending, literal, soul-crushing, weep-worthy devastation. And all I can say is, why? WHY?! Why did you fill me up with so much love and assurance, and then just cut me at the knees and leave me in a pool of my own despair?? Couldn't we just let this be a story of happiness and good fortune?
Of course we couldn't, this is the story of Death, after all. And in all reality, this isn't the bright and happy story that I am making it out to be. It is a dark and gritty tale once Lizzie begins killing the people that He decides upon. Because each of these people are innocents. They aren't supposed to die, but they must in order for Lizzie to be released from her contract with the Devil. And the worst part? Lizzie has to use other people to do the killings. So not only is she taking the lives that the Devil tells her to take, but she is also forever altering the lives of those she takes control of to do the deed.
This isn't a fluffy tale.
It's a tale about Death.
But even so, I can't help but hold it close to my heart as a book that I will forever think fondly of. It's just beautiful, in all of its depressing and dark glory. I highly recommend it to any reader that is looking for something truly different from the normal stories currently out there. It will give you a whole new outlook on death, and honestly, its for the best.
“Fade to black.”
“I am the woman you most want to see in those final seconds you live on this earth. I have been wives, daughters, best friends. I have been a beloved nurse, a primary school teacher. Your first love. I am the ultimate mother.
I am Death.”
Death is not the hooded figure you've heard about in stories. Death does not lurk in the shadows with a sadistic twinkle in it's hollow skull, awaiting bloodshed and cruelty. Death does not take a life out of selfishness or evil. Death is a woman, and she only comes when she is called. She comes to those who are reaching their life's end, to be a guide into their afterlife, wherever that may be. And for the last 500 years, Lizzie has been Death. She has been a familiar and loving face to those who are nearing their end, and she takes pride in helping others. But when Lizzie comes across a man named Tom, she is stricken with a love she never thought she'd have. Desperate to end her time as Death and to be able to have a life with Tom, He agrees to release her from her contract on one condition: she must kill five people of His choosing.
“In 1590, I sold my soul to the Devil.”
After being accused of witchcraft, Elizabeth Murray is sentenced to be burnt at the stake. But as she awaits her impending doom in the dungeons, she is visited by Him – the Devil. He comes to her with an offer. He promises her, in exchange for her soul and complete ownership over her, she can “live” as Death. Naturally, she makes the deal. And so, for 500 years, Lizzie lives as Death. Constantly moving around the world, guiding souls across the veil between the living and the dead. She only comes when needed, as a means of comfort to the soul that is dying to ensure they go in peace and happiness. She does not take the lives she guides into Death, she only arrives as a servant in the circle of life.
“Lives are given to me – I never take them. Never.”
This depiction of Death always takes the form of a woman, but her face changes to match the wants of the person dying. Whether someone wants to see their mother, sister, daughter, or aunt, Death becomes them. She is given the memories of the woman she becomes, and speaks with the person as they begin to enter the afterlife. But what is really interesting, is that some people are able to actually see Death for who she is, and keep her at arms length. Of course when this happens, it is utterly depressing to witness because those people go into a totally hysteria and shock as they realize what is happening to them. But Death has a job to do, and she does it well. She is a woman of a billion faces.
“This is no place for a woman, I've heard it said.
I've never seen a place a woman was more needed.”
This is honestly one of the coolest and most unique stories I have ever come across. The outlook on death that this author possessed was truly special. She gave death a gentle and feminine quality that makes you feel comfortable with its presence. It is delicate and sweet, rather than a cold and fearful entity that we all seem to shrink away from. This author gives the reader an intimate introduction to an idea of death that almost brings peace and quiet. It is sensitive, caring, heart-achingly beautiful and truly one of a kind.
It is so seldom that a book can reach into my soul with such ferocity and gentleness.
But this book did that.
It crushed me.
This entire story feels like a poem written just for me. Like the author knew I would need this, and I am confident that I am not the only person who will feel this. The Life of Death is a love song, a sonnet. A message in a bottle that has traveled through storms of anger and eerie calm, only to wash up at the feet of its desired recipient. The writing is so descriptive and perfect. I was lost in this story, feeling waves upon waves of emotions for Lizzie and these fleeting characters.
It's breathtaking.
But as soon as I began to see that this story was one of beauty and acceptance of death, the author drove a knife into my heart and cut the ties on the dam that was holding my tears in. DEVASTATION. Unending, literal, soul-crushing, weep-worthy devastation. And all I can say is, why? WHY?! Why did you fill me up with so much love and assurance, and then just cut me at the knees and leave me in a pool of my own despair?? Couldn't we just let this be a story of happiness and good fortune?
Of course we couldn't, this is the story of Death, after all. And in all reality, this isn't the bright and happy story that I am making it out to be. It is a dark and gritty tale once Lizzie begins killing the people that He decides upon. Because each of these people are innocents. They aren't supposed to die, but they must in order for Lizzie to be released from her contract with the Devil. And the worst part? Lizzie has to use other people to do the killings. So not only is she taking the lives that the Devil tells her to take, but she is also forever altering the lives of those she takes control of to do the deed.
This isn't a fluffy tale.
It's a tale about Death.
But even so, I can't help but hold it close to my heart as a book that I will forever think fondly of. It's just beautiful, in all of its depressing and dark glory. I highly recommend it to any reader that is looking for something truly different from the normal stories currently out there. It will give you a whole new outlook on death, and honestly, its for the best.
“Fade to black.”
May 3, 2019
Every action has a consequence
I found the whole concept of The Life Of Death really unique and interesting. We have the idea of death being portrayed by an ominous dark figure, in this book that preconception is turned on its head.
A thought provoking and heart-breaking story of love and loss, with a unique take on death.
See my full review here - http://darkreads.blog/2019/05/02/blog...
I found the whole concept of The Life Of Death really unique and interesting. We have the idea of death being portrayed by an ominous dark figure, in this book that preconception is turned on its head.
A thought provoking and heart-breaking story of love and loss, with a unique take on death.
See my full review here - http://darkreads.blog/2019/05/02/blog...
May 2, 2019
Many thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to join the blog tour for The Life of Death. I got the email, I read the blurb and I immediately knew I wanted to read this book. Having learned that the book is being published posthumously, I could link the setting, the characters, the emotion and thoughts around death, hope and hopelessness, and the yearning for love and life to reality. Because Lucy wrote something that spoke to my soul…
The main character in this book is Lizzy. The opening scenes take us to 1500s where Lizzy is about to be burned at the stake for being a witch. But then, Devil comes to her in the last few moments and makes her a deal… die on the stake without feeling pain and be reborn as Death. Death, the Devil’s aid to being there for humans in their last moments.
As Lizzy fills her deathly role, not taking lives, but simply being there in those last moments, it is only natural that as a bystander on the other side, she will start to crave what she cannot no longer have. She was, after all, rather young when the deal was struck. So, when she unexpectedly finds herself deeply, obsessively in love, she will find another way, another deal that might give her the chance for a happy life.
The Life of Death will make the reader process the most horrid, sad and heart wrenching moments. Lizzy’s own internal battle to kill without remorse to get what she wants rages against the humanity left in her, even as Death. I truly found this book captivating, in the most bittersweet way. The ‘will she or won’t she’ game in between her selfish motivations and the unwillingness to let go of her selfless self. There are many moments of dying and death, many moments of loved ones being taken from this life too soon or too alone. Moments of grief and the feelings of how unfair it is that another life has been lost. Moments that us, readers, have more than likely had to endure in our lifetimes and as such can bring back painful memories… But…
The raw moments of emotion as life teeters to death have been written with utmost care many times over and I can’t help but think that Lucy Booth tapped into her most innermost thoughts as she battled with a devil of her own. The ending for our main character Lizzy is inevitable and will yet remain a very intriguing mystery to you… Did she strike a deal with the Devil and get away with it? Did she get a second chance at life? Read yourself to find out.
The main character in this book is Lizzy. The opening scenes take us to 1500s where Lizzy is about to be burned at the stake for being a witch. But then, Devil comes to her in the last few moments and makes her a deal… die on the stake without feeling pain and be reborn as Death. Death, the Devil’s aid to being there for humans in their last moments.
As Lizzy fills her deathly role, not taking lives, but simply being there in those last moments, it is only natural that as a bystander on the other side, she will start to crave what she cannot no longer have. She was, after all, rather young when the deal was struck. So, when she unexpectedly finds herself deeply, obsessively in love, she will find another way, another deal that might give her the chance for a happy life.
The Life of Death will make the reader process the most horrid, sad and heart wrenching moments. Lizzy’s own internal battle to kill without remorse to get what she wants rages against the humanity left in her, even as Death. I truly found this book captivating, in the most bittersweet way. The ‘will she or won’t she’ game in between her selfish motivations and the unwillingness to let go of her selfless self. There are many moments of dying and death, many moments of loved ones being taken from this life too soon or too alone. Moments of grief and the feelings of how unfair it is that another life has been lost. Moments that us, readers, have more than likely had to endure in our lifetimes and as such can bring back painful memories… But…
The raw moments of emotion as life teeters to death have been written with utmost care many times over and I can’t help but think that Lucy Booth tapped into her most innermost thoughts as she battled with a devil of her own. The ending for our main character Lizzy is inevitable and will yet remain a very intriguing mystery to you… Did she strike a deal with the Devil and get away with it? Did she get a second chance at life? Read yourself to find out.
May 1, 2019
The Life of Death by Lucy Booth is a fiction novel.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Unbound Books, and of course the author’s family, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Elizabeth Murray was born in 1567. She is only a young woman, but she has been condemned to burn at the stake, along with her mother and aunts. She doesn’t want to die, and there seems to be a way out, for her alone. Apparently, she belongs to the Devil. She is one of his, and her own mother does not deny it. Elizabeth has always been his. If she agrees to his “deal”, and sells him her soul, she will not go to hell, and although she will still burn, she will not feel that pain. Instead she will live for eternity, and will serve the Devil. Her job will be to help the dying to move on from life. She will be their guide. She will be Death.
For over 400 years, Elizabeth Murray became Death. She became whoever a person needed to see in their final hours. She sat with them, cradled their heads, stroked their backs, talked to them, and with compassion, eased them into the black, into death.
Then the unthinkable happened. Elizabeth fell in love, and wanted life again. She wanted her pact with the Devil to end. He agreed…on his terms. No longer was she to bring only comfort. Now Elizabeth would have to take lives…five of his choosing. How far is she willing to go to have a chance for life and love? Can she trust the Devil? If she succeeds, will she be able to live with herself?
My Opinions:
This was a really interesting book. The author took us on a journey of death, from everyone’s perspective. She showed us the dying, and who they would want to see in their final hours, how they reacted to death. How Death reacted to them. The different perspectives were thought provoking.
Lizzy herself was thought provoking. Putting myself in her situation, would I have agreed to the terms initially? Would the thought of immortality been appealing? I know the thought of a painless death would definitely play into my own thoughts….
The book dealt with a troubling subject, with private moments, with sad moments. But somehow, the compassion the protagonist brought to the subject lightened it.
The writing was good, the plot compelling, and although I thought I knew what the twist would be, I was wrong. That’s always a pleasant surprise, even when the twist isn’t.
I wish the author was around to write more…but I hope she was met by someone as compassionate as Lizzy to guide her through.
For a more complete review of this book and others, please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
April 2, 2019
5 lives for 1 life. Liz sold her soul to the devil in 1590 when she was facing burning at the stake for witchcraft. Thing is, she really was the daughter of the devil, but she'd done nothing evil to deserve that title, she'd just dabbled in herbs to help villagers heal from small ailments. When the inquisition comes calling though, the villagers start pointing fingers, because of course they did. And for roughly 400+ years, Liz did her duty by the devil as his harbinger of death, and helped usher souls at their time peacefully in their final moments. He called her his "little D." That's all she had to do, provide solace in the form of whatever woman that departing soul most fondly remembered in their life, she would appear to them as that person. But she longed for a life of her own. In the passing of one of those souls, she sees Tom. And everything changes. She wants life, and love, and to stub her toes, and taste wine, and experience everything that she's been missing. And the devil will happily oblige her, at the cost of 5 lives that she has to actively participate in taking. Such begins her moral conundrum. These 5 lives will have countless ripples outward should she choose to accept his bargain and so begins her journey to try to regain a chance at life. I will say that this was a devastatingly sad, sometimes funny, and heartbreaking story and one that ultimately left me shaking my fist at the author. Now that I know that she was fighting cancer during the writing of this, and that she ultimately lost her fight to it, it makes so much more sense, and made me want to cry at the unfairness of life. I'll just say that this was a wonderful story, that truly does show the craftiness of the devil in her story.
March 31, 2019
This book has been posthumously published, the author having lost her battle with cancer in 2016, diagnosed in 2011. I believe it was her last wish to have the book she wrote during these five years published. But don't let that put you off. It really is a cracking read. Although death is a somewhat strange topic to write about when you are facing it yourself. But I appreciate the irony in that!
So, let's go back several hundred years to when witchcraft was unknown, scary stuff and witches were sought out and burned. Meet Elizabeth, one accused of that crime and facing that sentence. But then, a possible reprieve when the devil visits her and offers her a deal. Immortality in return for becoming Death, the Grim reaper, assisting the passing of those who are on death's door. Faced with the fate she has in store for her, she agrees. Fast forward several years and she's been ticking over in her role quite nicely. Until that fateful day, when the impossible happens, the one thing that could put the kibosh on everything. She falls in love. But that doesn't fit in with who she is now. She has to go cap in hand, back to her boss, back to the Devil, the one who owns her soul and ask for it back. He agrees, he just has conditions. Five of them to be precise, Five people she needs to kill, five souls in return for hers, then she can be free... She then understands what it really means to deal with the Devil.
I blooming loved this book. All the way through we are given examples of people that Lizzie has helped and the ways she helped them pass over. An eclectic mix indeed. We also follow her in the present as she starts to fall in love and how that changes her. And then when we find out what she has to do to gain back her soul, well. Oh my goodness. What a Devilish thing to do. At this point, I thought that I knew where we were going; had it all pretty much mapped out. How I kicked myself as I read on and saw the directions we were actually taking were nothing like what I assumed. More fool me... Clever stuff indeed, very well plotted. And a bit brutal to be honest. But then, we are talking about the Devil after all!
I felt for Lizzie all the way through. How, at the start, she was faced with, well, Hobson's choice pretty much. I enjoyed reading about all the people she helped, even though most of them were a little sad. And then when she had to do what she did, the book really did start to get going and, from that point on, it never really slowed down, racing to its ultimate conclusion with an ending that was perfect for what had gone before.
And then, after I finished, I got a bit sad as I knew that there would be no more books from this author. I hate to say the obvious but, what a talent lost. But then I also thought that it was a wonderful thing that her family had done in achieving her wish for it to be published. Just a shame she didn't see it happen in her own lifetime.
My thanks go to the Publisher for the chance to read this book, And to Lucy's family for making this book happen in the first place.
So, let's go back several hundred years to when witchcraft was unknown, scary stuff and witches were sought out and burned. Meet Elizabeth, one accused of that crime and facing that sentence. But then, a possible reprieve when the devil visits her and offers her a deal. Immortality in return for becoming Death, the Grim reaper, assisting the passing of those who are on death's door. Faced with the fate she has in store for her, she agrees. Fast forward several years and she's been ticking over in her role quite nicely. Until that fateful day, when the impossible happens, the one thing that could put the kibosh on everything. She falls in love. But that doesn't fit in with who she is now. She has to go cap in hand, back to her boss, back to the Devil, the one who owns her soul and ask for it back. He agrees, he just has conditions. Five of them to be precise, Five people she needs to kill, five souls in return for hers, then she can be free... She then understands what it really means to deal with the Devil.
I blooming loved this book. All the way through we are given examples of people that Lizzie has helped and the ways she helped them pass over. An eclectic mix indeed. We also follow her in the present as she starts to fall in love and how that changes her. And then when we find out what she has to do to gain back her soul, well. Oh my goodness. What a Devilish thing to do. At this point, I thought that I knew where we were going; had it all pretty much mapped out. How I kicked myself as I read on and saw the directions we were actually taking were nothing like what I assumed. More fool me... Clever stuff indeed, very well plotted. And a bit brutal to be honest. But then, we are talking about the Devil after all!
I felt for Lizzie all the way through. How, at the start, she was faced with, well, Hobson's choice pretty much. I enjoyed reading about all the people she helped, even though most of them were a little sad. And then when she had to do what she did, the book really did start to get going and, from that point on, it never really slowed down, racing to its ultimate conclusion with an ending that was perfect for what had gone before.
And then, after I finished, I got a bit sad as I knew that there would be no more books from this author. I hate to say the obvious but, what a talent lost. But then I also thought that it was a wonderful thing that her family had done in achieving her wish for it to be published. Just a shame she didn't see it happen in her own lifetime.
My thanks go to the Publisher for the chance to read this book, And to Lucy's family for making this book happen in the first place.
May 6, 2019
Where to start? I finished this last night, but needed to ponder this one overnight, and am still struggling with what to think about this remarkable but disturbing book. While it may be about a young woman who yearns to give up her job as the embodiment of Death because she has fallen in love, this ain’t no paranormal romance novel. It has been published posthumously by the author’s family after she died of cancer in 2016.
1590, Scotland, and 23 year old Lizzy awaits her fate in a prison cell. Her mother has just been burned at the stake for alleged witchcraft and she is next - their crime? Helping heal other villagers illnesses with herbs and poultices and attracting the ire of jealous men. When the devil appears in the guise of a fashionably dressed charmer, He makes her an offer she can’t refuse - give him her soul in exchange for a pain-free passing into immortality to work as Death. After over 400 years of compassionately helping people who are dying, the unthinkable happens - she falls in love with a young widower, Tom, and suddenly craves the life she was denied. Going back to her master, he agrees to another deal - he will restore her to life if she kills five people of his choosing, but a deal with the devil will only ever have one winner.
While the idea of Death as a character is not new, this was a highly original take on it, and we follow Lizzy as she conscientiously performs her duties, transforming into the female most important to the victim to help them pass over into the unknown. This made her willingness to kill innocents because of her inexplicable passion for Tom all the more shocking. She singlemindedly pursues her task, as the targets get more and more unethical, and this made for an increasingly uncomfortable read. The first person present narration added to this, and I found some scenes horrifying. The ending should not have been a surprise - this is the devil after all - but was devastating nonetheless. The devil was a superb creation, I totally saw Mick Jagger every time he appears.
Writing a book about Death while suffering from a terminal illness must surely influence your writing, and this book is a lot darker than the summary and cover imply. Publishing your loved one’s work as a tribute is an amazing way to honour them and it’s tragic that she will never know how it is received. I do recommend it, but with caution as while beautifully written, this is not an easy read. My thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. The Life of Death is available now.
1590, Scotland, and 23 year old Lizzy awaits her fate in a prison cell. Her mother has just been burned at the stake for alleged witchcraft and she is next - their crime? Helping heal other villagers illnesses with herbs and poultices and attracting the ire of jealous men. When the devil appears in the guise of a fashionably dressed charmer, He makes her an offer she can’t refuse - give him her soul in exchange for a pain-free passing into immortality to work as Death. After over 400 years of compassionately helping people who are dying, the unthinkable happens - she falls in love with a young widower, Tom, and suddenly craves the life she was denied. Going back to her master, he agrees to another deal - he will restore her to life if she kills five people of his choosing, but a deal with the devil will only ever have one winner.
While the idea of Death as a character is not new, this was a highly original take on it, and we follow Lizzy as she conscientiously performs her duties, transforming into the female most important to the victim to help them pass over into the unknown. This made her willingness to kill innocents because of her inexplicable passion for Tom all the more shocking. She singlemindedly pursues her task, as the targets get more and more unethical, and this made for an increasingly uncomfortable read. The first person present narration added to this, and I found some scenes horrifying. The ending should not have been a surprise - this is the devil after all - but was devastating nonetheless. The devil was a superb creation, I totally saw Mick Jagger every time he appears.
Writing a book about Death while suffering from a terminal illness must surely influence your writing, and this book is a lot darker than the summary and cover imply. Publishing your loved one’s work as a tribute is an amazing way to honour them and it’s tragic that she will never know how it is received. I do recommend it, but with caution as while beautifully written, this is not an easy read. My thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. The Life of Death is available now.
May 29, 2019
Booth’s posthumous novel The Life of Death is really a treasure to behold. It is poetic in nature and reminds me of one of my favourite books ‘ The Book Thief’.
The story opens up in the 1400’s with a woman accused of being a witch and the pack she makes for eternal life which brings us to the meat of the story. We then follow ‘D’ with her new mission in life or death that she is to help people pass to the next when coming to death. She then falls in love and wants to go back to being mortal but this comes at a price.
The story moves at a very well pace within its philosophical narrative and is told with such emotions that it is hard not to be touched by the story and the exploits of “D” as she tries to accomplish the task at hand. There is some thought provoking passages that makes one think of death differently and have to say that this is a treat and is definitely a recommended read.
Overall, this is a strong book with a strong narrative, and I have been truly touched by the novel. Although the end is probably predictable for a few long-term readers, this does not take over the overall feeling of a great novel. This is strongly recommended and although I want to write more, I really think this is one of those books that needs to be experienced first hand without much in the way of spoilers. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Emotional, touching, thought provoking and sadly the last book from this truly inspirational author that sadly were taking much too soon.
The story opens up in the 1400’s with a woman accused of being a witch and the pack she makes for eternal life which brings us to the meat of the story. We then follow ‘D’ with her new mission in life or death that she is to help people pass to the next when coming to death. She then falls in love and wants to go back to being mortal but this comes at a price.
The story moves at a very well pace within its philosophical narrative and is told with such emotions that it is hard not to be touched by the story and the exploits of “D” as she tries to accomplish the task at hand. There is some thought provoking passages that makes one think of death differently and have to say that this is a treat and is definitely a recommended read.
Overall, this is a strong book with a strong narrative, and I have been truly touched by the novel. Although the end is probably predictable for a few long-term readers, this does not take over the overall feeling of a great novel. This is strongly recommended and although I want to write more, I really think this is one of those books that needs to be experienced first hand without much in the way of spoilers. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Emotional, touching, thought provoking and sadly the last book from this truly inspirational author that sadly were taking much too soon.
April 15, 2019
When Unbound contacted me to ask if I would like a copy of The Life Of Death to read and review, I went away and did a bit of googling to find our more. The premise is fairly simple yet fascinating and I decided to give it a go.
It's the 1500's and Elizabeth is to be burnt at the stake as a witch. Always a very intuitive child with a talent for healing and a close connection to Lucifer himself (if gossip is to be believed). On the day of her impending death, The Devil visits her and gives her a way out. If she sells her soul to him, in return he will grant her eternal life with a purpose. The purpose being she must assist people at the point of their death in crossing over to the other side as painfree and fearless as possible. Each death which comes entrenched in suffering and abject pain directly affects The Devil, draining him of energy.
If He can feed on Elizabeth's soul as nourishment and she can provide a smooth transition to the other side for the dying, she will be granted the gift of eternal life.
Elizabeth takes Him up on the offer. Even knowing she will he owned by Him for eternity.
For the next 400 years Elizabeth is present at every death, taking on the guise of the dying person's most loved woman in their lives. A loving mother, a devoted wife, a beloved Sister or a lifelong friend. Easing their pain and anxieties. One day however, Elizabeth is present at the death of a young woman, her partner Tom, the man she is leaving behind makes an impression on Elizabeth and she feels a deep connection with him and his deep love for his girlfriend and his subsequent grief after her death.
This awakens a desire in Elizabeth to feel love, live a mortal life and experience a deep connection with Tom. Desperate, she visits the Devil to ask him to release her from eternal life. The Devil informs her he will grant her wish, but only if she provides him with 5 lives that she herself must take. The Devil will choose who she is to kill. Elizabeth, although extremely and understandably reticent, takes him up on the offer.
From here we follow her as she carries out her challenge, taking lives, each proving more difficult than the last. But can Elizabeth carry out the task to the Devil's exacting standards? Can she ignore her gut instincts and is love really worth it?
I'll admit that going into this book I was a little trepidatious. I'd read a book by Claire North called The End Of The Day with a similar 'death' theme and I had to DNF it. When I read the first couple of chapters of The Life Of Death I did stop and think 'what on earth am I reading here?'.....I knew I wanted to give it a decent shot, so I powered on.
Man am I glad I did!
This book is like nothing I've ever encountered before. A real head scratcher, one that makes you think 'what if?' I adored the way that we got a back story for each of people passing over, and when I realised that Elizabeth was effectively going to have to kill people, I wrongly assumed they would be easy pickings.......murderers etc people who could be considered to 'deserve it'. However....it's The Devil himself that we are playing with here and of course things would not be as easy as that. I was surprised and relieved that the author didn't take this route. The 'victims' as it were, have various reasons for being chosen but none of them are bad people. I found this utterly fascinating.
The Devil appears sporadically throughout this book but he is a fully rounded character. An impeccably dressed, tall, slim man who is often incongruous with the setting. He can be found lounging on a deckchair on a deserted beach, tucking into an icecream, or having a little trip out to a football match and helping himself to a hot dog. He refers to Elizabeth as 'Little D' the D standing for Death obviously and he has a razor sharp wit and a wicked (of course!) sense of humour.
Elizabeth as the character of death is a genius idea. Kicking against the usual narrative that Death is a dark, looming, hooded male figure, roaming the land with his scythe. To have a female interpretation of Death, and have her easing the passage of the dying instead of being a harbinger of doom was a very unique idea.
There is of course an extra nuance to this story of death, in that the author Lucy Booth sadly passed away in 2016 after battling breast cancer since 2011. She wrote the book during this time and it is to be published posthumously. I had this in the forefront of my mind as I was reading the book. How interesting to choose the subject of death to write about when you are faced with the possibility yourself.
It feels slightly wrong to say I 'enjoyed' this book but I did. It read it within a couple of days and it was one of those books that keeps you up past your bedtime on a school night just because you need to read more!
I would thoroughly recommend that you get your hands on a copy!
It's the 1500's and Elizabeth is to be burnt at the stake as a witch. Always a very intuitive child with a talent for healing and a close connection to Lucifer himself (if gossip is to be believed). On the day of her impending death, The Devil visits her and gives her a way out. If she sells her soul to him, in return he will grant her eternal life with a purpose. The purpose being she must assist people at the point of their death in crossing over to the other side as painfree and fearless as possible. Each death which comes entrenched in suffering and abject pain directly affects The Devil, draining him of energy.
If He can feed on Elizabeth's soul as nourishment and she can provide a smooth transition to the other side for the dying, she will be granted the gift of eternal life.
Elizabeth takes Him up on the offer. Even knowing she will he owned by Him for eternity.
For the next 400 years Elizabeth is present at every death, taking on the guise of the dying person's most loved woman in their lives. A loving mother, a devoted wife, a beloved Sister or a lifelong friend. Easing their pain and anxieties. One day however, Elizabeth is present at the death of a young woman, her partner Tom, the man she is leaving behind makes an impression on Elizabeth and she feels a deep connection with him and his deep love for his girlfriend and his subsequent grief after her death.
This awakens a desire in Elizabeth to feel love, live a mortal life and experience a deep connection with Tom. Desperate, she visits the Devil to ask him to release her from eternal life. The Devil informs her he will grant her wish, but only if she provides him with 5 lives that she herself must take. The Devil will choose who she is to kill. Elizabeth, although extremely and understandably reticent, takes him up on the offer.
From here we follow her as she carries out her challenge, taking lives, each proving more difficult than the last. But can Elizabeth carry out the task to the Devil's exacting standards? Can she ignore her gut instincts and is love really worth it?
I'll admit that going into this book I was a little trepidatious. I'd read a book by Claire North called The End Of The Day with a similar 'death' theme and I had to DNF it. When I read the first couple of chapters of The Life Of Death I did stop and think 'what on earth am I reading here?'.....I knew I wanted to give it a decent shot, so I powered on.
Man am I glad I did!
This book is like nothing I've ever encountered before. A real head scratcher, one that makes you think 'what if?' I adored the way that we got a back story for each of people passing over, and when I realised that Elizabeth was effectively going to have to kill people, I wrongly assumed they would be easy pickings.......murderers etc people who could be considered to 'deserve it'. However....it's The Devil himself that we are playing with here and of course things would not be as easy as that. I was surprised and relieved that the author didn't take this route. The 'victims' as it were, have various reasons for being chosen but none of them are bad people. I found this utterly fascinating.
The Devil appears sporadically throughout this book but he is a fully rounded character. An impeccably dressed, tall, slim man who is often incongruous with the setting. He can be found lounging on a deckchair on a deserted beach, tucking into an icecream, or having a little trip out to a football match and helping himself to a hot dog. He refers to Elizabeth as 'Little D' the D standing for Death obviously and he has a razor sharp wit and a wicked (of course!) sense of humour.
Elizabeth as the character of death is a genius idea. Kicking against the usual narrative that Death is a dark, looming, hooded male figure, roaming the land with his scythe. To have a female interpretation of Death, and have her easing the passage of the dying instead of being a harbinger of doom was a very unique idea.
There is of course an extra nuance to this story of death, in that the author Lucy Booth sadly passed away in 2016 after battling breast cancer since 2011. She wrote the book during this time and it is to be published posthumously. I had this in the forefront of my mind as I was reading the book. How interesting to choose the subject of death to write about when you are faced with the possibility yourself.
It feels slightly wrong to say I 'enjoyed' this book but I did. It read it within a couple of days and it was one of those books that keeps you up past your bedtime on a school night just because you need to read more!
I would thoroughly recommend that you get your hands on a copy!
June 27, 2020
3.5 stars
May 3, 2019
It is awful that Lucy Booth will never see the reaction readers will have to her book, because I am certain there will be plenty of accolades and positive words. It's also a loss for readers that she will never be able to share more of her words and talent with us. Those thoughts, my thoughts, don't come from a place of pity or generosity due to her tragic death either. I can be quite critical at times, but I know a writer and good storyteller when I encounter one, and Lucy Booth was a good one.
The story begins in 1590, when a young girl sells her soul to the devil. Just days before her death at the hands of bloodthirsty witch-finders, the rumours of her close connection to the devil have become her downfall. She makes a pact, a deal to become the door through which every soul must travel after it has ended. At the time it sounds like a great deal, but over time the immortality and emptiness of her existence wears thin. The experiences wear heavily on her body, as freedom and 'life' becomes like a claustrophobic coffin made of glass.
I enjoyed the way death became almost synonymous or interlinked with the thought of the devil. Instead of a heralding angel awaiting some of us with open arms or pointing us in the direction we are deserving of; up to heaven, down to hell or perhaps even somewhere in limbo. We are all awaited by the same entity and pass through the same portal, which in this case is death. Technically that is of course true. Death comes before any alleged judgement or ranking. Even if you aren't religious - death still comes first to us all.
There is also no judgement, regret or fear of retribution, there is only nothing. No imagined scenarios painted and scribed by the hands of men over the many centuries, who speak of winged creatures and omnipotent powers who watch over life and lives.
It's an interesting combination of paranormal urban fantasy, suspense and it's a frank dialogue with the devil and his friend called death. Simultaneously this is a story of embracing the thought of what death is, who death is and where death takes us. It's the acceptance of futility, of the inevitable and about looking death straight in the eye and demanding something more than it offers to you. Then finally acknowledging that even if you dance with devil in the pale moonlight, it won't change the fact he determines what it says on your dance card.
I really enjoyed the read.
*I received a courtesy copy*
The story begins in 1590, when a young girl sells her soul to the devil. Just days before her death at the hands of bloodthirsty witch-finders, the rumours of her close connection to the devil have become her downfall. She makes a pact, a deal to become the door through which every soul must travel after it has ended. At the time it sounds like a great deal, but over time the immortality and emptiness of her existence wears thin. The experiences wear heavily on her body, as freedom and 'life' becomes like a claustrophobic coffin made of glass.
I enjoyed the way death became almost synonymous or interlinked with the thought of the devil. Instead of a heralding angel awaiting some of us with open arms or pointing us in the direction we are deserving of; up to heaven, down to hell or perhaps even somewhere in limbo. We are all awaited by the same entity and pass through the same portal, which in this case is death. Technically that is of course true. Death comes before any alleged judgement or ranking. Even if you aren't religious - death still comes first to us all.
There is also no judgement, regret or fear of retribution, there is only nothing. No imagined scenarios painted and scribed by the hands of men over the many centuries, who speak of winged creatures and omnipotent powers who watch over life and lives.
It's an interesting combination of paranormal urban fantasy, suspense and it's a frank dialogue with the devil and his friend called death. Simultaneously this is a story of embracing the thought of what death is, who death is and where death takes us. It's the acceptance of futility, of the inevitable and about looking death straight in the eye and demanding something more than it offers to you. Then finally acknowledging that even if you dance with devil in the pale moonlight, it won't change the fact he determines what it says on your dance card.
I really enjoyed the read.
*I received a courtesy copy*
November 4, 2019
Elizabeth-Lizzy-Death is caught in a whirlwind of her job of easing the passing of souls when she falls in love. She only has to gain her soul back from the Devil..
Being from the 16th century, Lizzy expresses herself lyrically, and has some outdated notions of propriety and human conduct (stalking is romantic!!) - which is expected. Death is capricious, dramatic, and quite captivating. The plot flows, dealing with some quite uncomfortable themes. Only thing that bothered me was some idiotic, out-of-character behavior, and the abrupt shifts in tone.
Being from the 16th century, Lizzy expresses herself lyrically, and has some outdated notions of propriety and human conduct (stalking is romantic!!) - which is expected. Death is capricious, dramatic, and quite captivating. The plot flows, dealing with some quite uncomfortable themes. Only thing that bothered me was some idiotic, out-of-character behavior, and the abrupt shifts in tone.
April 18, 2019
4.5/5-Lucy Booth dabbled in various occupations-freelance production, blogging, and advertising, just to name a few, until her untimely demise at the age of 37 in 2016. Those who knew her well stated that despite success in her chosen field of studies, she always felt compelled to write a novel. Unfortunately, her only novel. ‘The Life of Death.’
Its 1567 and Scottish beauty Lizzy (or ‘Little D’ as she will later be known) has just been accused of witchcraft. She has two choices: suffer the consequences and burn at the steak or make a pact with the devil for a neglected and immortal life. She chooses the latter and becomes his cypher, or reaper if you will. Hundreds of years pass by and Lizzy is still feels abandoned for relinquishing her soul to the devil; she has never tested her true potential or found true love. She wants out, but there’s a deadly catch...
As I stated before, Booth is no longer present in the world of literature, succumbing to a fearless fight with breast cancer. I often wondered while reading if some of these passages were a reflection of her pain. I’m sure that she would’ve been a marvelous writer, specializing in romance and horror.
‘Deaths surround me, support me, distract me, subsume me. They are now, more so than ever before, a job. A way of life, a daily grind that must be endured.’-LIFE OF DEATH
Special thanks to NetGalley for honest review.
Its 1567 and Scottish beauty Lizzy (or ‘Little D’ as she will later be known) has just been accused of witchcraft. She has two choices: suffer the consequences and burn at the steak or make a pact with the devil for a neglected and immortal life. She chooses the latter and becomes his cypher, or reaper if you will. Hundreds of years pass by and Lizzy is still feels abandoned for relinquishing her soul to the devil; she has never tested her true potential or found true love. She wants out, but there’s a deadly catch...
As I stated before, Booth is no longer present in the world of literature, succumbing to a fearless fight with breast cancer. I often wondered while reading if some of these passages were a reflection of her pain. I’m sure that she would’ve been a marvelous writer, specializing in romance and horror.
‘Deaths surround me, support me, distract me, subsume me. They are now, more so than ever before, a job. A way of life, a daily grind that must be endured.’-LIFE OF DEATH
Special thanks to NetGalley for honest review.
May 2, 2019
Elizabeth Murray is set to die alongside her mother and the others who have been branded witches in the 16th century witchhunts. She is offered a reprieve by a mysterious stranger (the rakishly charming Devil) and the chance to become immortal and help those fated to die cross over peacefully. This she does for 400 years until one day she falls in love with a bereaved mortal. Elizabeth wants to renege on the deal but He says this is only possible if she will kill 5 people of His choosing.
Wow, what a read. I very much doubt that I will read a better book this year. It kept me glued to the pages, racing through to find out what happens. It obviously deals with death and it raises some moral questions as to the main character's actions. Does the end ever justify the means? Should you ever trust the Devil? The only thing I wasn't sold on was the instalove for Tom, but I suppose it had to happen that way for the book. I wasn't aware until I had finished reading it, that the book was published posthumously and that adds a definite poignancy to the tale. It's a dark story at times, but oh so worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Unbound, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Wow, what a read. I very much doubt that I will read a better book this year. It kept me glued to the pages, racing through to find out what happens. It obviously deals with death and it raises some moral questions as to the main character's actions. Does the end ever justify the means? Should you ever trust the Devil? The only thing I wasn't sold on was the instalove for Tom, but I suppose it had to happen that way for the book. I wasn't aware until I had finished reading it, that the book was published posthumously and that adds a definite poignancy to the tale. It's a dark story at times, but oh so worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Unbound, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
March 9, 2022
I came across this book quite by chance, when it was mentioned in a Facebook group. I was intrigued by the idea, downloaded the sample, and couldn't stop reading!
This is beautifully written, with a hauntingly poignant narrative. The main character, Elizabeth Murray, escapes being burnt at the stake when the devil offers her an alternative: become Death. Desperate, she agrees, and for 400 years she goes from person to person, staying with them at their final moment. And then she falls in love.
Elizabeth is a troubled, flawed, intriguing character who you take to your heart, even when she makes some immoral decisions. The story keeps you turning the pages, drawing in to Elizabeth's tormented world of life and death, and the narrative flows beautifully.
Dark, intense, emotional, and simply wonderful, there is an extra poignancy in reading this book, knowing that the author didn't live to see it published. Written when going through her own battle with cancer, it is a truly stunning story. Highly recommend.
This is beautifully written, with a hauntingly poignant narrative. The main character, Elizabeth Murray, escapes being burnt at the stake when the devil offers her an alternative: become Death. Desperate, she agrees, and for 400 years she goes from person to person, staying with them at their final moment. And then she falls in love.
Elizabeth is a troubled, flawed, intriguing character who you take to your heart, even when she makes some immoral decisions. The story keeps you turning the pages, drawing in to Elizabeth's tormented world of life and death, and the narrative flows beautifully.
Dark, intense, emotional, and simply wonderful, there is an extra poignancy in reading this book, knowing that the author didn't live to see it published. Written when going through her own battle with cancer, it is a truly stunning story. Highly recommend.
August 31, 2024
This was a wonderful twist on The Book Thief to my mind. A story from the perspective of Death, but this time, Death wants to live. This was made all the more poignant for me, knowing the author was dying as she wrote it and that all the longing for life on its pages was her own. Absolutely heartbreaking that such a talented author has been stopped so soon. A very affecting book.
March 6, 2020
I really wanted to like this book, in fact, I did stay up way past bedtime to continue reading. However, when it was over, there were things I questioned and I didn't like the ending.
The premise is good: death is a woman who falls in love. But, can you really 'fall in love' in an instant? Love hard enough, passionately enough - unrequited, by the way - to try to get out of your deal with the devil? It's a risk, and one I question whether a person would chance. Wanting to quit her day job, I believe, but instantly falling in love? The story didn't support that.
And then there is the action of the story and, I don't think the repercussions were, well, addressed enough, at any rate. Killing random people and feeling bad about that. Um, I feel like it is not ok to take someone's life, just so that you can have one of your own. I feel like that is "Morality 101."
And, then, yeah, the story ended. I'm not saying that every story always ends happily. But - if you go into this journey alongside the protagonist, you are cheering her on, hoping for her best outcome.
This book just left me bummed and deflated.
The premise is good: death is a woman who falls in love. But, can you really 'fall in love' in an instant? Love hard enough, passionately enough - unrequited, by the way - to try to get out of your deal with the devil? It's a risk, and one I question whether a person would chance. Wanting to quit her day job, I believe, but instantly falling in love? The story didn't support that.
And then there is the action of the story and, I don't think the repercussions were, well, addressed enough, at any rate. Killing random people and feeling bad about that. Um, I feel like it is not ok to take someone's life, just so that you can have one of your own. I feel like that is "Morality 101."
And, then, yeah, the story ended. I'm not saying that every story always ends happily. But - if you go into this journey alongside the protagonist, you are cheering her on, hoping for her best outcome.
This book just left me bummed and deflated.
May 2, 2019
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'For I am there to carry you through those last moments, through the screaming and the seeping, through the fog, and deposit you softly, gently on the other side.'
The story begins in 1590, twenty-three year old Elizabeth “Lizzie” Murphy of Scotland is condemned to burn at the stake for witchcraft. A woman who has ‘a talent for poultice’, along with her sisters, aunts, mothers and women from the village took care of their people, who desperately had need of their cures, nurturing. It wasn’t long before accusations of evil, of witchery was on the tongues of those they helped. Soon, Lizzie strikes a deal with the devil and while burning before the jeers of the people, feels nothing thanks to him. She has, from the moment of her conception been the chosen one, for all Satan wants is for her to usher in the dead for all eternity.
Free of the burning licks from the fires of hate, Lizzie has spent centuries with brief glimpses into others life, taking them over to the other side. Steadfast in her duties as Death, she never falters, nor thinks about that life she traded so long ago too busy tangled up in the last moments of others. This reminded me of a show I loved, Quantum Leap, because she gets inside of people in guiding souls over but once she plays the devil’s game, it is with a far more tragic and at times darker bend. She is a dutiful worker until Tom. Just as the man becomes a widower, Lizzie is reminded of the burning desire for life and an all consuming love. It is time for Death to die, now if she can just outwit the devil, strike a deal with him so she may escape the monotony of taking lives. Then, and only then, will she be able to taste deep love, with Tom.
There isn’t a soul as dark as the beast’s, nor one as skilled at wagers. All she needs to do is take five lives in order to be released. But the catch, of course, is the devil picks who and relishes in the horror of their pain, the sorrow of their final moments. What happens when one of the Satan’s victim is too much bear? Will she change her mind, risk her only chance at love, freedom in the name of fairness? The devil is tricky tricky tricky… Will she allow the sun to set on the innocent for her own selfish desires? Can there ever be a happy ending when the devil is involved? Why is the devil so enamored of Lizzie, what is it about her that captured his attention while she was in her mother’s womb?
This novel raises the ever present question we have when death comes. Why him, why her? Why me? Death feels like a monster, indiscriminately picking us off, and stomping our feet at the inequality of it all releases us from nothing. For death truly is with us, an ever present shadow from the moment we are born. We can’t, not a one of us, escape it- not even by making a pact with the horned one. If you take the time to read About the Author, you discover Lucy Booth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and continued to write, including finishing this very novel. The cancer returned in 2014 and this time Lucy’s battle ended. I hate saying she lost her battle, because she didn’t, we don’t. We live each day and hope to wake up the next, but just like the souls in this novel learn, life isn’t guaranteed. There isn’t a bargain any one of us can make to extend our time.. eventually we come to the end. Age isn’t always factor, sometimes not even the state of our health, and that’s what makes life so precious, that at any moment it can slip through our fingers. So many choices are really just a circle, and you still end up where you started. We do the best with what time we have, and for some it is in mustering the strength to continue on as before and finish a novel.
Out Today!!!! May 2, 2019
Unbound
'For I am there to carry you through those last moments, through the screaming and the seeping, through the fog, and deposit you softly, gently on the other side.'
The story begins in 1590, twenty-three year old Elizabeth “Lizzie” Murphy of Scotland is condemned to burn at the stake for witchcraft. A woman who has ‘a talent for poultice’, along with her sisters, aunts, mothers and women from the village took care of their people, who desperately had need of their cures, nurturing. It wasn’t long before accusations of evil, of witchery was on the tongues of those they helped. Soon, Lizzie strikes a deal with the devil and while burning before the jeers of the people, feels nothing thanks to him. She has, from the moment of her conception been the chosen one, for all Satan wants is for her to usher in the dead for all eternity.
Free of the burning licks from the fires of hate, Lizzie has spent centuries with brief glimpses into others life, taking them over to the other side. Steadfast in her duties as Death, she never falters, nor thinks about that life she traded so long ago too busy tangled up in the last moments of others. This reminded me of a show I loved, Quantum Leap, because she gets inside of people in guiding souls over but once she plays the devil’s game, it is with a far more tragic and at times darker bend. She is a dutiful worker until Tom. Just as the man becomes a widower, Lizzie is reminded of the burning desire for life and an all consuming love. It is time for Death to die, now if she can just outwit the devil, strike a deal with him so she may escape the monotony of taking lives. Then, and only then, will she be able to taste deep love, with Tom.
There isn’t a soul as dark as the beast’s, nor one as skilled at wagers. All she needs to do is take five lives in order to be released. But the catch, of course, is the devil picks who and relishes in the horror of their pain, the sorrow of their final moments. What happens when one of the Satan’s victim is too much bear? Will she change her mind, risk her only chance at love, freedom in the name of fairness? The devil is tricky tricky tricky… Will she allow the sun to set on the innocent for her own selfish desires? Can there ever be a happy ending when the devil is involved? Why is the devil so enamored of Lizzie, what is it about her that captured his attention while she was in her mother’s womb?
This novel raises the ever present question we have when death comes. Why him, why her? Why me? Death feels like a monster, indiscriminately picking us off, and stomping our feet at the inequality of it all releases us from nothing. For death truly is with us, an ever present shadow from the moment we are born. We can’t, not a one of us, escape it- not even by making a pact with the horned one. If you take the time to read About the Author, you discover Lucy Booth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and continued to write, including finishing this very novel. The cancer returned in 2014 and this time Lucy’s battle ended. I hate saying she lost her battle, because she didn’t, we don’t. We live each day and hope to wake up the next, but just like the souls in this novel learn, life isn’t guaranteed. There isn’t a bargain any one of us can make to extend our time.. eventually we come to the end. Age isn’t always factor, sometimes not even the state of our health, and that’s what makes life so precious, that at any moment it can slip through our fingers. So many choices are really just a circle, and you still end up where you started. We do the best with what time we have, and for some it is in mustering the strength to continue on as before and finish a novel.
Out Today!!!! May 2, 2019
Unbound
May 10, 2019
Where to even begin dear reader. My heart is still shattered across the floor and I am struggling to slot the pieces back together. This book has changed me, made me view so many things differently. Life is too short. Far too ridiculously short.
The Life Of Death is an unique story that had me intrigued the moment I read the blurb. I was completely engrossed and refused to sleep till I had finished. I was transfixed. I could smell the burning of hair and skin off the page. It pushed my senses out of their comfort zone and plunged me head first into Booth’s dark yet alluring world. Intoxicating.
Her attention to detail is seductive. Such a pleasure to devour. She brings the characters and the very atmosphere alive in your mind. They dance and twirl around carefree on the page entrapping you in this chilling tale.
“His clothes are those of a gentleman: well-cut, rich fabrics, with a long dark cloak wrapped around His thin shoulders to keep the cold and the damp at bay. Even the rats that use that wall as a channel between their nests and the outside world give that incongruous figure a wide berth.”
The loneliness that Elizabeth feels suffocates the reader. She spends hours, days, weeks, the rest of her life whirling from one death to the next. Booth writes with such depth and emotion that you feel for Elizabeth and the life she had been cursed with. One thing I never thought I would imagine was the idea of Death being one of us. Having basic needs, desires and falling in love. Although Elizabeth has taken on the job title of the grim reaper she is still very much human, her emotions betray her. She feels guilt when her hand is forced to kill 5 people to return her soul and to be with her love. For Booth to write Death with human qualities makes it seem less daunting and more comforting. It’s bewitching character development at it’s finest. I applaud Booth for this skill, it’s natural and captivating.
“He has me trapped. And he has no idea. In the mirror we’re entwined, fingers threaded together, eyes locked. And he has no idea.”
I admired how Booth made the act of dying hauntingly charismatic. To be greeted by a loved one in your final hours and then fade to black. It was calming to read and much comfort to envision how we spend our last hours alive.
I was an ugly sobbing mess by the end of this book. Be warned you will need tissues. I won’t give away any spoilers but OUCH my heart was brutally stabbed into a crimson wreck. I found my nails digging into the pages, hanging onto every word. An intense experience that utterly destroyed me. It’s been a while since a book has caused me so much physical pain and I mean this as a positive. For the reader is bearing witness to an artistic penmanship, an honour and respective skill.
I give The Life Of Death By Lucy Booth a Five out of Five paw rating
One of the top reads for me this year, I love this book. A much needed breath of fresh air in storytelling and will be shelved up there among the greats.
Here’s to you Lucy Booth, you were a talented, inspiring, creative writer that the world cruelly took too soon. You will be immortal in your work. Your spirt will be very much alive in the hearts of readers as they indulge in your words. To you dear lady. *raises glass*
The Life Of Death is an unique story that had me intrigued the moment I read the blurb. I was completely engrossed and refused to sleep till I had finished. I was transfixed. I could smell the burning of hair and skin off the page. It pushed my senses out of their comfort zone and plunged me head first into Booth’s dark yet alluring world. Intoxicating.
Her attention to detail is seductive. Such a pleasure to devour. She brings the characters and the very atmosphere alive in your mind. They dance and twirl around carefree on the page entrapping you in this chilling tale.
“His clothes are those of a gentleman: well-cut, rich fabrics, with a long dark cloak wrapped around His thin shoulders to keep the cold and the damp at bay. Even the rats that use that wall as a channel between their nests and the outside world give that incongruous figure a wide berth.”
The loneliness that Elizabeth feels suffocates the reader. She spends hours, days, weeks, the rest of her life whirling from one death to the next. Booth writes with such depth and emotion that you feel for Elizabeth and the life she had been cursed with. One thing I never thought I would imagine was the idea of Death being one of us. Having basic needs, desires and falling in love. Although Elizabeth has taken on the job title of the grim reaper she is still very much human, her emotions betray her. She feels guilt when her hand is forced to kill 5 people to return her soul and to be with her love. For Booth to write Death with human qualities makes it seem less daunting and more comforting. It’s bewitching character development at it’s finest. I applaud Booth for this skill, it’s natural and captivating.
“He has me trapped. And he has no idea. In the mirror we’re entwined, fingers threaded together, eyes locked. And he has no idea.”
I admired how Booth made the act of dying hauntingly charismatic. To be greeted by a loved one in your final hours and then fade to black. It was calming to read and much comfort to envision how we spend our last hours alive.
I was an ugly sobbing mess by the end of this book. Be warned you will need tissues. I won’t give away any spoilers but OUCH my heart was brutally stabbed into a crimson wreck. I found my nails digging into the pages, hanging onto every word. An intense experience that utterly destroyed me. It’s been a while since a book has caused me so much physical pain and I mean this as a positive. For the reader is bearing witness to an artistic penmanship, an honour and respective skill.
I give The Life Of Death By Lucy Booth a Five out of Five paw rating
One of the top reads for me this year, I love this book. A much needed breath of fresh air in storytelling and will be shelved up there among the greats.
Here’s to you Lucy Booth, you were a talented, inspiring, creative writer that the world cruelly took too soon. You will be immortal in your work. Your spirt will be very much alive in the hearts of readers as they indulge in your words. To you dear lady. *raises glass*
April 22, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for a Kindle ARC of
The Life of Death.
It's so hard to find a good scary book that will intrigue me and keep me interested. I don't have to be scared, but I do have to be invested in the story and/or characters.
I'm glad to say that The Life of Death kept me reading and thinking long after I finished the last page.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Lizzy made a deal with the Devil over 400 years ago to spare her life from a horrific death. In return, she is Death, ushering in countless souls to the afterlife.
Not surprisingly, she has grown weary of this life and just as she is in despair that this is all her life will amount to, she falls in love.
His name is Tom and he is a recent widow. As a result, she makes another pact with her master. Five lives in exchange for her mortal one to be returned to her in that she may have a chance with this young man.
The lives are not up for debate, who will die is upon the Devil's discretion and Lizzy must play his game.
But when the time comes for the fourth victim, Lizzy finds herself unable to proceed and the deal falls apart.
Or does it?
When the Devil agrees to give Lizzy a second chance, it will be too late to turn back.
She will soon understand (too late) that you should never make a deal with the Devil because he always wins.
I liked Lizzy as a character though I couldn't understand why she fell for Tom; the insta-love part I wasn't crazy about.
I would have loved it if the author had spent more time developing Tom, showing the readers why Lizzy would be attracted to him and in doing so, I would have felt more invested in Lizzy's desire to be with a man she'd never met and who may not return her affections.
The standout is the Devil; wily, funny, Machiavellian, everything we are told the Devil is.
I was more interested in his and Lizzy's relationship, and would have loved more exposition on how their relationship progresses through the years.
Do they spend time together in the last 400 years? Why is the Devil so invested in Lizzy?
Yes, it's touched upon in the beginning but not fully fleshed out.
Does he makes deals like the one he makes with her with others? Does he keep tabs on her?
The ending is great; exactly what I expected the Devil to do.
In fact, I was waiting for it and the ending didn't disappoint.
The Life of Death was good and I recommend it to anyone looking for something different to read.
It's so hard to find a good scary book that will intrigue me and keep me interested. I don't have to be scared, but I do have to be invested in the story and/or characters.
I'm glad to say that The Life of Death kept me reading and thinking long after I finished the last page.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Lizzy made a deal with the Devil over 400 years ago to spare her life from a horrific death. In return, she is Death, ushering in countless souls to the afterlife.
Not surprisingly, she has grown weary of this life and just as she is in despair that this is all her life will amount to, she falls in love.
His name is Tom and he is a recent widow. As a result, she makes another pact with her master. Five lives in exchange for her mortal one to be returned to her in that she may have a chance with this young man.
The lives are not up for debate, who will die is upon the Devil's discretion and Lizzy must play his game.
But when the time comes for the fourth victim, Lizzy finds herself unable to proceed and the deal falls apart.
Or does it?
When the Devil agrees to give Lizzy a second chance, it will be too late to turn back.
She will soon understand (too late) that you should never make a deal with the Devil because he always wins.
I liked Lizzy as a character though I couldn't understand why she fell for Tom; the insta-love part I wasn't crazy about.
I would have loved it if the author had spent more time developing Tom, showing the readers why Lizzy would be attracted to him and in doing so, I would have felt more invested in Lizzy's desire to be with a man she'd never met and who may not return her affections.
The standout is the Devil; wily, funny, Machiavellian, everything we are told the Devil is.
I was more interested in his and Lizzy's relationship, and would have loved more exposition on how their relationship progresses through the years.
Do they spend time together in the last 400 years? Why is the Devil so invested in Lizzy?
Yes, it's touched upon in the beginning but not fully fleshed out.
Does he makes deals like the one he makes with her with others? Does he keep tabs on her?
The ending is great; exactly what I expected the Devil to do.
In fact, I was waiting for it and the ending didn't disappoint.
The Life of Death was good and I recommend it to anyone looking for something different to read.
May 9, 2019
The Life of Death by Lucy Booth is a hauntingly beautiful novel, made all the more poignant by the knowledge that the author herself was battling cancer at the time she wrote it and was bravely staring her own mortality in the face. A battle she sadly lost as her life was cut tragically short in 2016 at the age of just 37.
The author’s voice comes through loud and clear in this novel and you can sense Lucy’s own inner turmoil as you’re reading, something that turns The Life of Death into a book even more haunting than it otherwise might have been.
The book starts in the late 1500’s when Elizabeth, a 23 year old woman, is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. A strange man comes to her and offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality. But immortality comes at a price. Elizabeth will have to become Death itself, easing the passing of all those who die. She accepts and for many centuries carries out her role without giving the life she never lived a second thought.
Until one day the impossible happens: Elizabeth falls in love. And the only way she can be released from the deal she made is to take five lives by her own hand, each one more difficult and painful than the last.
This book is by no means an easy read. Dealing as it does in death in its many guises makes for a tense and chilling read, some of it uncomfortably so. I’m not sure I could have made some of the choices Elizabeth made, but after more than 400 years in the role of Death, who knows what I would do to try to escape from such a horrifying reality?
The Life of Death is a beautifully written and gripping read, narrated with a haunting intensity that both chills and moves you. Elizabeth jumps from death to death, person to person, allowing us a brief glimpse into each individual life that is about to come to an end. We get to share their most intimate and personal moments, including the most important one of all as they pass from this life into the next.
Beautiful, devastating and at times completely overwhelming, this is a book to be proud of. The fact that such an accomplished work of fiction will be Lucy Booth’s only published novel is heartbreaking. She wrote with such a deep empathy and understanding, I can’t help but think that she put her heart and soul into the writing of this book - and it showed. A hauntingly beautiful book to remember.
The author’s voice comes through loud and clear in this novel and you can sense Lucy’s own inner turmoil as you’re reading, something that turns The Life of Death into a book even more haunting than it otherwise might have been.
The book starts in the late 1500’s when Elizabeth, a 23 year old woman, is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. A strange man comes to her and offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality. But immortality comes at a price. Elizabeth will have to become Death itself, easing the passing of all those who die. She accepts and for many centuries carries out her role without giving the life she never lived a second thought.
Until one day the impossible happens: Elizabeth falls in love. And the only way she can be released from the deal she made is to take five lives by her own hand, each one more difficult and painful than the last.
This book is by no means an easy read. Dealing as it does in death in its many guises makes for a tense and chilling read, some of it uncomfortably so. I’m not sure I could have made some of the choices Elizabeth made, but after more than 400 years in the role of Death, who knows what I would do to try to escape from such a horrifying reality?
The Life of Death is a beautifully written and gripping read, narrated with a haunting intensity that both chills and moves you. Elizabeth jumps from death to death, person to person, allowing us a brief glimpse into each individual life that is about to come to an end. We get to share their most intimate and personal moments, including the most important one of all as they pass from this life into the next.
Beautiful, devastating and at times completely overwhelming, this is a book to be proud of. The fact that such an accomplished work of fiction will be Lucy Booth’s only published novel is heartbreaking. She wrote with such a deep empathy and understanding, I can’t help but think that she put her heart and soul into the writing of this book - and it showed. A hauntingly beautiful book to remember.
July 1, 2019
I mainly read and review fantasy but every now again a book drops into my inbox and I’m intrigued enough to give it a go. The Life of Death was one such book and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
The Story
We meet Lizzy in the 1500’s, accused of witch craft and awaiting her sentence. To be burnt at the stake. She sells her soul to the devil in order to die painlessly and in doing so becomes Death. She gets pulled from one death to the next appearing as the woman the dying person most wishes to see. She ushers the souls onto what is next.
400 years later and she wants her soul back, Lizzy has fallen in love. The lack of true interaction has become tiresome. The devil won’t give it back easily though. He needs Lizzy, they are linked. In order to earn her soul back she has to actively take 5 souls. How far is she willing to go to earn her soul and end the constant pull of death?
The Writing
I was instantly captured by the writing style of this novel. From the very first page I knew I was going to love it. The words flow in such a way as to draw you along with them. There is a rhythm and a pattern to the writing. Each death that Lizzy attends comes with a back story, a snap shot into that person’s life. I loved these insights. Every chapter that deals directly with a death ends with the same words, which adds to the overall atmosphere that Lucy has so masterfully created.
Some of this book is a little difficult to read depending on personal experiences. Lizzy attends all deaths, from peaceful ends where the person is ready, to car accidents where they fight for life. Every single one is handled with such sensitivity and there are no overly graphic details.
Final Thoughts
For a book that deals predominately with death you would expect this to maybe be a depressing read. However, I found it almost uplifting. The premise that there is someone there at the end to usher us on is a comforting one. It’s all the more poignant when you realise that Lucy wrote this book while battling cancer. A battle she sadly lost in 2016.
This is a beautifully crafted, thought provoking novel. I cannot express just how much I loved reading it. It is a book I will revisit time and time again. I would go as far as to say it is one of the best books I have ever read.
The Story
We meet Lizzy in the 1500’s, accused of witch craft and awaiting her sentence. To be burnt at the stake. She sells her soul to the devil in order to die painlessly and in doing so becomes Death. She gets pulled from one death to the next appearing as the woman the dying person most wishes to see. She ushers the souls onto what is next.
400 years later and she wants her soul back, Lizzy has fallen in love. The lack of true interaction has become tiresome. The devil won’t give it back easily though. He needs Lizzy, they are linked. In order to earn her soul back she has to actively take 5 souls. How far is she willing to go to earn her soul and end the constant pull of death?
The Writing
I was instantly captured by the writing style of this novel. From the very first page I knew I was going to love it. The words flow in such a way as to draw you along with them. There is a rhythm and a pattern to the writing. Each death that Lizzy attends comes with a back story, a snap shot into that person’s life. I loved these insights. Every chapter that deals directly with a death ends with the same words, which adds to the overall atmosphere that Lucy has so masterfully created.
Some of this book is a little difficult to read depending on personal experiences. Lizzy attends all deaths, from peaceful ends where the person is ready, to car accidents where they fight for life. Every single one is handled with such sensitivity and there are no overly graphic details.
Final Thoughts
For a book that deals predominately with death you would expect this to maybe be a depressing read. However, I found it almost uplifting. The premise that there is someone there at the end to usher us on is a comforting one. It’s all the more poignant when you realise that Lucy wrote this book while battling cancer. A battle she sadly lost in 2016.
This is a beautifully crafted, thought provoking novel. I cannot express just how much I loved reading it. It is a book I will revisit time and time again. I would go as far as to say it is one of the best books I have ever read.
April 21, 2022
First of all I have to tell you that Lucy Booth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, when she was just thirty-two years old. She wrote this novel during the subsequent five year battle, so her understanding of her own impending death; it's form, its meaning, its ultimate finality, has perhaps lent her insight beyond the norm. It was published posthumously, and is a beautiful and moving love story like no other.
Over four hundred years ago Elizabeth Murray is rotting in a stinking cell in Tranent close to Edinburgh. Accused of witchcraft, she hangs from chains, her head encased inside the biting pain of a witches bridle. Covered in her own filth, she cannot sleep, and dare not move. She is barely a woman and yet tomorrow will be burned at the stake, like her mother, her aunts, her sisters. But she isn’t alone. The Devil has been her constant companion; a charming and beautiful man offering Lizzie eternal life in exchange for her soul. All he wants is for Lizzie to become Death, a role she will be free to make her own.
No scythe toting Grim Reaper, Lizzie visits each of the dying as the person they most want to be with in their final moments. She comforts and she soothes. She takes away their pain, and gently fades each one to black. Countless souls eased in their passing, until she visits Kate. Cystic Fibrosis has cut Kate’s life very short and, although he always knew it would be this way, her husband, Tom, is distraught and vulnerable. Lizzie spends time watching over Tom and they share an endearing and ethereal connection. Ultimately she falls in love with him, and quickly realises that she wants her soul back. Death wants to live, to love and grow old and die like any normal human.
So Lizzie seeks the Devil out, and asks to be released from their contract. The Devil agrees. But naturally there are conditions, and this is the story of Lizzie’s battle with not only the Devil, but also with her conscience, as she undertakes to meet the Devil’s challenges and free herself from the burden of a life as Death.
This is a clever and really quite an amazing take on the old question about exchanging your soul for an eternal life. Despite everything that Lucy Booth was going through as she wrote this story, she has left the world a thought provoking and exceptional read. Singular, empathic and highly enjoyable.
Over four hundred years ago Elizabeth Murray is rotting in a stinking cell in Tranent close to Edinburgh. Accused of witchcraft, she hangs from chains, her head encased inside the biting pain of a witches bridle. Covered in her own filth, she cannot sleep, and dare not move. She is barely a woman and yet tomorrow will be burned at the stake, like her mother, her aunts, her sisters. But she isn’t alone. The Devil has been her constant companion; a charming and beautiful man offering Lizzie eternal life in exchange for her soul. All he wants is for Lizzie to become Death, a role she will be free to make her own.
No scythe toting Grim Reaper, Lizzie visits each of the dying as the person they most want to be with in their final moments. She comforts and she soothes. She takes away their pain, and gently fades each one to black. Countless souls eased in their passing, until she visits Kate. Cystic Fibrosis has cut Kate’s life very short and, although he always knew it would be this way, her husband, Tom, is distraught and vulnerable. Lizzie spends time watching over Tom and they share an endearing and ethereal connection. Ultimately she falls in love with him, and quickly realises that she wants her soul back. Death wants to live, to love and grow old and die like any normal human.
So Lizzie seeks the Devil out, and asks to be released from their contract. The Devil agrees. But naturally there are conditions, and this is the story of Lizzie’s battle with not only the Devil, but also with her conscience, as she undertakes to meet the Devil’s challenges and free herself from the burden of a life as Death.
This is a clever and really quite an amazing take on the old question about exchanging your soul for an eternal life. Despite everything that Lucy Booth was going through as she wrote this story, she has left the world a thought provoking and exceptional read. Singular, empathic and highly enjoyable.
April 27, 2020
Daringly original, The Life Of Death by Lucy Booth casts the bad guy as the protagonist. Everything on paper would suggest Death isn't at all likable. Her story not worth following. However, Booth writes her with rapt attention to minute details. Such is the true nature of Death revealed, allowing us to see the meticulous care with which she has executed her job, ushering departing souls warmly and safely into the black.
Even more, it does not take long for the story to unleash the plot when Death falls in love. Exploring the capability that the protagonist can and does have armloads and armloads of affection and emotions further the reader's investment. As Death looks upon the infinity of her immortality, the idea no longer satiates her. She requests the attention of Him, the Devil, and in so doing, is thrust into a wicked game.
For centuries past, she has done nothing but usher departing souls from the mortal coil, their demise already upon them. Now, under the cunning hand of the Devil, she must become the agent of their deaths. Five humans, all of the Devil's choice, and she can win her soul back from him and claim the life that was taken from her prematurely.
Even as the story divulges each departure instigated at Death's hand, the loving care of honoring the life of the victim glows. Things progress from relatively mild to downright horrific. There are times when the otherwise poetic writing becomes tedious, and the pace of reading turns a tad slow. These moments are few but hinder the otherwise lyrical path this novel traverses.
The Life Of Death is a startling story, breathtakingly written. It is a chilling love story that embraces a frightening subject. Death becomes approachable; it becomes beautiful.
Perhaps the saddest part of this story is that the author, Lucy Booth, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. She passed away in 2016, with the wish for this novel to be published posthumously. Every word confronts the impending timeline Lucy was facing. It appears she met it with grace, and dared to imagine an afterlife without pain, filled with beauty and life.
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Unbound, via Netgalley for an honest review.
Even more, it does not take long for the story to unleash the plot when Death falls in love. Exploring the capability that the protagonist can and does have armloads and armloads of affection and emotions further the reader's investment. As Death looks upon the infinity of her immortality, the idea no longer satiates her. She requests the attention of Him, the Devil, and in so doing, is thrust into a wicked game.
For centuries past, she has done nothing but usher departing souls from the mortal coil, their demise already upon them. Now, under the cunning hand of the Devil, she must become the agent of their deaths. Five humans, all of the Devil's choice, and she can win her soul back from him and claim the life that was taken from her prematurely.
Even as the story divulges each departure instigated at Death's hand, the loving care of honoring the life of the victim glows. Things progress from relatively mild to downright horrific. There are times when the otherwise poetic writing becomes tedious, and the pace of reading turns a tad slow. These moments are few but hinder the otherwise lyrical path this novel traverses.
The Life Of Death is a startling story, breathtakingly written. It is a chilling love story that embraces a frightening subject. Death becomes approachable; it becomes beautiful.
Perhaps the saddest part of this story is that the author, Lucy Booth, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. She passed away in 2016, with the wish for this novel to be published posthumously. Every word confronts the impending timeline Lucy was facing. It appears she met it with grace, and dared to imagine an afterlife without pain, filled with beauty and life.
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Unbound, via Netgalley for an honest review.
May 2, 2019
There are some stories that you pick up and expect something from them, with a thriller you expect there to be twists and turns to shock and stun, with comedy you expect to laugh your way through it, with fantasy you expect out of the ordinary. When starting this, I really didn’t know what to expect. The premise sounded a bit different, and held the promise of something surprising.
I wasn’t disappointed.
We join our MC in the times of witchcraft and witch trials, where anyone who tried to help others could be accused of magic and devil worship, and in this case that is precisely what happens, thus begins our story. She becomes the devils helper, ushering souls to the underworld, but after hundreds of years decides she wants life.
She wants to love, to experience all the things that life has to offer, a fresh start at being a regular person, a chance to live in a world free from the condemnation she previously experienced. Making a deal with the devil, she is tasked to take five lives, not just usher them, but to do the reaping.
And there follows a story that is subtly different, beautifully written to keep you enthralled and curious as to what will happen, eager to see what this tale has in store for us.
The book is wonderfully done, full of such a mixture of emotions that the story feels very real indeed. For somebody who holds no personal belief as to life after death, but has always been intrigued, walking away from a book about that very subject and suddenly wondering about it all? That’s no small accomplishment.
The story isn’t flowery and soft, it is a rollercoaster of emotional with enough realism and believable scenario that you may find yourself double checking you read a book, rather than took a walk in their world.
If you enjoy stories that are a bit different, based on old considerations of life and death but with a gorgeously unique twist, then you need to pick this up. But be warned, it may surprise you with the range of emotions that will pull you out of sleep wanting to read just one more chapter....
I wasn’t disappointed.
We join our MC in the times of witchcraft and witch trials, where anyone who tried to help others could be accused of magic and devil worship, and in this case that is precisely what happens, thus begins our story. She becomes the devils helper, ushering souls to the underworld, but after hundreds of years decides she wants life.
She wants to love, to experience all the things that life has to offer, a fresh start at being a regular person, a chance to live in a world free from the condemnation she previously experienced. Making a deal with the devil, she is tasked to take five lives, not just usher them, but to do the reaping.
And there follows a story that is subtly different, beautifully written to keep you enthralled and curious as to what will happen, eager to see what this tale has in store for us.
The book is wonderfully done, full of such a mixture of emotions that the story feels very real indeed. For somebody who holds no personal belief as to life after death, but has always been intrigued, walking away from a book about that very subject and suddenly wondering about it all? That’s no small accomplishment.
The story isn’t flowery and soft, it is a rollercoaster of emotional with enough realism and believable scenario that you may find yourself double checking you read a book, rather than took a walk in their world.
If you enjoy stories that are a bit different, based on old considerations of life and death but with a gorgeously unique twist, then you need to pick this up. But be warned, it may surprise you with the range of emotions that will pull you out of sleep wanting to read just one more chapter....
May 2, 2019
I received a copy from Netgalley to review. Here is the blurb
"One soul. One pact with the Devil. One chance at love. Elizabeth Murray has been condemned to burn at the stake. As she awaits her fate, a strange, handsome man visits her cell. He offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality, but what he offers is not a normal life. To survive Elizabeth must become Death itself. Elizabeth must ease the passing of all those who die, appearing at the point of death and using her compassion to guide them over the threshold. She accepts and, for 500 years, whirls from one death to the next, never stopping to think of the life she never lived. Until one day, everything changes. She – Death – falls in love. Desperate to escape the terms of her deal, she summons the man who saved her. He agrees to release her on one condition: that she gives him five lives. These five lives she must take herself, each one more difficult and painful than the last."
I really loved the idea of this book and was not disappointed. The idea of death being a female character who is there to comfort you and guide you on to the next life was such a fascinating concept as opposed to our traditional idea of the "grim reaper". It wasn't exactly as I was expecting which was a book with a supernatural / horror theme. It was more an observation on humanity and relationships. The torment of watching Lizzie wanting her freedom and wresting with the cost of having to take five lives was fascinating. A great read!
It wasn't until I got to the end of the book and began to read the About the Author section to look at her background and what other books she had written that I discovered that the author had sadly died of cancer and had written the book following her diagnosis. So sad.
"One soul. One pact with the Devil. One chance at love. Elizabeth Murray has been condemned to burn at the stake. As she awaits her fate, a strange, handsome man visits her cell. He offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality, but what he offers is not a normal life. To survive Elizabeth must become Death itself. Elizabeth must ease the passing of all those who die, appearing at the point of death and using her compassion to guide them over the threshold. She accepts and, for 500 years, whirls from one death to the next, never stopping to think of the life she never lived. Until one day, everything changes. She – Death – falls in love. Desperate to escape the terms of her deal, she summons the man who saved her. He agrees to release her on one condition: that she gives him five lives. These five lives she must take herself, each one more difficult and painful than the last."
I really loved the idea of this book and was not disappointed. The idea of death being a female character who is there to comfort you and guide you on to the next life was such a fascinating concept as opposed to our traditional idea of the "grim reaper". It wasn't exactly as I was expecting which was a book with a supernatural / horror theme. It was more an observation on humanity and relationships. The torment of watching Lizzie wanting her freedom and wresting with the cost of having to take five lives was fascinating. A great read!
It wasn't until I got to the end of the book and began to read the About the Author section to look at her background and what other books she had written that I discovered that the author had sadly died of cancer and had written the book following her diagnosis. So sad.
June 13, 2019
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley. All opinions are mine.
I saw the ending to this one coming, but it didn't make it suck any less. (I mean the ending, not the book itself. It was rather good).
Our main character, Lizzie, trades her soul to the Devil to keep from dying when she is burned at the stake for a witch. In exchange for his help, she works with Him to ease peoples' transitions into death. To do this, she essentially turns into the person they love most, and comforts them until they cross over. The problem is that Lizzie falls in love and wants to return to Earth to be with him. In order to do this she makes a deal with the Devil.
Of course, being the Devil, there's a twist to his game. I won't go into any more detail than that because it would ruin the book, but it made me mad. I knew it was going to happen that way, but I didn't like it. I was also icked out by the kidnapping/near murder of a child. I have been listening to way too many true crime podcasts lately, and it bothered me a lot. I almost didn't finish the book because I just couldn't handle that. I understand why it was written, because each of the deaths that Lizzie has to accomplish get harder and more thought provoking than the last, but it was tough.
While reading this I was reminded a bit of my English classes in college when we were reading literature from the first half of American history. Between the imagery of the Devil, and Death, along with the whole "be careful what you wish for" lesson that the book gives, it had a ton of old school English vibes, which I actually enjoyed.
All in all this was a quick read that made me think about things I might not necessarily have wanted to. It begs the question, how far would you go to get what you wanted?
I saw the ending to this one coming, but it didn't make it suck any less. (I mean the ending, not the book itself. It was rather good).
Our main character, Lizzie, trades her soul to the Devil to keep from dying when she is burned at the stake for a witch. In exchange for his help, she works with Him to ease peoples' transitions into death. To do this, she essentially turns into the person they love most, and comforts them until they cross over. The problem is that Lizzie falls in love and wants to return to Earth to be with him. In order to do this she makes a deal with the Devil.
Of course, being the Devil, there's a twist to his game. I won't go into any more detail than that because it would ruin the book, but it made me mad. I knew it was going to happen that way, but I didn't like it. I was also icked out by the kidnapping/near murder of a child. I have been listening to way too many true crime podcasts lately, and it bothered me a lot. I almost didn't finish the book because I just couldn't handle that. I understand why it was written, because each of the deaths that Lizzie has to accomplish get harder and more thought provoking than the last, but it was tough.
While reading this I was reminded a bit of my English classes in college when we were reading literature from the first half of American history. Between the imagery of the Devil, and Death, along with the whole "be careful what you wish for" lesson that the book gives, it had a ton of old school English vibes, which I actually enjoyed.
All in all this was a quick read that made me think about things I might not necessarily have wanted to. It begs the question, how far would you go to get what you wanted?
April 14, 2019
*Spoilers*
This book was an interesting read. This was a different spin on death and the devil. The protagonist was born 400 years ago and was burned at the stake. She makes a deal with the Devil in order to avoid a painful end at the stake to become Death. Fast forward 400 years later and she’s tired of being Death, and wants a life with a man named Tom (she took his wife’s life as Death). She goes to the Devil and asks to be human again, and he makes a deal that if she kills five people then she can be human again.
This is where the book became less interesting to me and kind of tedious. We meet each person that “Little D” has been sent to kill. There is a little guilt for the first three individuals. The fourth one she was unable to go through with. The last one death is a doozy where she ends up killing multiple people. I found this to be pretty predictable. I had figured out the ending about 1/2 way through the novel, and I really didn’t like the central figure of this story. It’s terrible that she put her own selfish wants above the lives of others. It’s pretty ridiculous to think that the Devil is going to keep his word and let you live your life without repercussions. This was an interesting story, but I felt like the story needed more work.
I was sorry to read about the authors passing, because I would have liked to read more from her in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book was an interesting read. This was a different spin on death and the devil. The protagonist was born 400 years ago and was burned at the stake. She makes a deal with the Devil in order to avoid a painful end at the stake to become Death. Fast forward 400 years later and she’s tired of being Death, and wants a life with a man named Tom (she took his wife’s life as Death). She goes to the Devil and asks to be human again, and he makes a deal that if she kills five people then she can be human again.
This is where the book became less interesting to me and kind of tedious. We meet each person that “Little D” has been sent to kill. There is a little guilt for the first three individuals. The fourth one she was unable to go through with. The last one death is a doozy where she ends up killing multiple people. I found this to be pretty predictable. I had figured out the ending about 1/2 way through the novel, and I really didn’t like the central figure of this story. It’s terrible that she put her own selfish wants above the lives of others. It’s pretty ridiculous to think that the Devil is going to keep his word and let you live your life without repercussions. This was an interesting story, but I felt like the story needed more work.
I was sorry to read about the authors passing, because I would have liked to read more from her in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
The Life of Death is a dark, gothic tale of love, longing and the suffering in death. It's a frank and disturbing story about one young woman's decent into a life that is plagued with demons and darkness. This is made even more poignant when you know that the author wrote this story while undergoing treatment for terminal cancer. It's hard to put this real life perspective out of your mind as you read, as you are very aware that real life impacted upon what we see on the page. And what we see is a story of beauty, intelligence and honesty. It is like no other book I have read.
Lizzie is only 24 when she makes a pact with the Devil. He will have her soul but she will live as Death. From this stems a story of Lizzie's inner turmoil to live an immortal life while carrying out the work of Death, as she falls in love. Lizzie does another pact wIth the Devil, five souls for her own soul and a chance to live a normal life. The result is a dazzling dark portrayal of survival, of that need to belong and of loving.
Sometimes brutal and graphic, the narrative flows beautifully and kept me hooked from beginning to end. It's incredibly poignant, the fact that this young woman, as Death, wants to live again, but the odds are against her in her quest for survival.
The Life of Death is an absorbing, emotional and thought provoking read. It does make you question, what it truly means to live and be alive. The story of Lizzie Murray will stay with me for a very long time.
Lizzie is only 24 when she makes a pact with the Devil. He will have her soul but she will live as Death. From this stems a story of Lizzie's inner turmoil to live an immortal life while carrying out the work of Death, as she falls in love. Lizzie does another pact wIth the Devil, five souls for her own soul and a chance to live a normal life. The result is a dazzling dark portrayal of survival, of that need to belong and of loving.
Sometimes brutal and graphic, the narrative flows beautifully and kept me hooked from beginning to end. It's incredibly poignant, the fact that this young woman, as Death, wants to live again, but the odds are against her in her quest for survival.
The Life of Death is an absorbing, emotional and thought provoking read. It does make you question, what it truly means to live and be alive. The story of Lizzie Murray will stay with me for a very long time.
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