#ofme (ov)

[olivieblake]

Hi Olivie! Here is part 3 (and the last part for now) of the praise I’ve meant to give you throughout the year. If you can believe me please know I did have every intention of making this short but…

Spoilers for One for My Enemy included.

BESTIE DID YOU PUT SOME OF BABA YAGA’S INTOXICANTS IN THIS??? BECAUSE WOW WAS IT ADDICTING. Of course I HAVE to bring up MashaDima because damn the angst they had was INCREDIBLE. Now I am a lover of angst (one of my favorite things ever I deliberately find angsty fics and books to read because I love pain), and this one definitely gave me what I wanted. There were times I actually had to stop reading for the night because I physically could not move on from it. Here is the part that like really made me have to take a pause for a night LOL I texted all my friends these quotes and I said “how do I recover” and I never did so enjoy what sparked a breakdown:

“Don't make this about technicalities. We knew a long time ago we couldn't be together, Dima, we knew twelve years ago we didn't stand a chance. We chose our sides, and now-“ “No. You chose your side," Dimitri reminded her, stroking her hair as her eyes fluttered open, meeting his. "You chose. You didn't let me choose, did you?" She blinked. "What?" "You married Stas." His voice was gravely pained. "You shut me out. You gave your life to someone else." "Because I know, above everything, you are your father's son," she began, but Dimitri cut her off. "No. No, Masha, I am my own man." He stroked a line down the back of her neck, loosely cupping his hand around it. "Why didn't you let me choose you?" he asked hoarsely. "I would have gone to you, Masha, if you'd asked. You would've only had to ask, and I would have chosen you over everything."

"I love you," Dimitri reminded her, and reached up, touching her cheek as she stared at him; willing him, impossibly, to stop talking, or even less likely, compelling herself to go. "I will always love you, I will love you until the day I die-and if you're the one to kill me, then by all means, you should know without a trace of doubt you will not have turned me away. I will have spent the final beat of my heart loving you, just as I always have. Only you, Masha," he said, and she bent in anguish, resting her forehead against the still-sluggish motion of his chest. "Only you, forever, I promise."

They are plenty more quotes that had me like that, this book was a gold mine for quotes that will live with me forever. Like the quote how his love made it so she could never be weak and how her love made it so nothing will ever stop him (who gave you the right to wreck me with these please). I loved how you kept bringing up the sun, the moon, and the stars for them too. It got me all emotional every time. And their end had me full blown tearing up which never happens to me. I was so emotional (even though I was pretty sure their ending would be tragic it still broke me) but I’m also so happy they are getting their forever in the afterlife 😭. They will continue to cause me emotional distress forever as they now live rent free in my head so thank you bestie. Masha is also my girl, I’m not the eldest sibling (although I do only have one sibling and she has disabilities so I’ve been the older sister in a lot of ways), but I related to her a lot and I just love her so much, definitely one of my favorite characters that I’ve read of yours.

Moving on from MashaDima to other things I loved:

Of course, SashaLev. Their text messages had me laughing so much (like the serum for blushing that was $74.99) but also just in general. I loved their little reverse grumpy sunshine dynamic, as a grumpy gal myself I always love that dynamic. I’m very happy they got to write their long story together 🥺. I also loved all the sibling dynamics especially with the Antonova sisters, they felt so real. I definitely know I have had a red sweater incident with my own sister 😂. Loved the bridge too and all his sarcasm. The last thing I want to talk about is the quotes that dealt with grief and struggle/growth.

“You are not incomplete because a piece of your heart is gone. You are you, an entire whole, all on your own. If you have loved and been loved, then you are richer for it; you don’t become a smaller version of yourself simply because what you once had is gone.” and “Strength comes from struggle. Each time we bid farewell to a piece of ourselves we become different than we were. But each time we rise again in the morning it’s a victory. Keep your memories. Keep your emotions, Keep your pain. Use them. Happiness, contentment, they are dull but persuvies lures. A rosy disposition only means you miss what's lurking in the trees.”

The one about loss really stuck with me especially because as I’ve said before I lost one of my favorite people, my grandma, this year and some days that can still be really hard even though it’s been since February. I had the privilege of having her as my grandma and to be loved and to love her and I will always have those memories and be richer for it. So thank you for that. The second one sticks with me because of how true it is. It reminds me in part of coming out of depression and the struggles with that but also just in general too. Each day we can each battle different struggles but every day we wake up and fight again. I just love those two quotes so much and they have been sticking with me ever since I read them, so I just wanted you to know they mean something to someone.

I absolutely loved this story and I can’t wait for its release with new stuff (and more angst 👀 as you said on twitter). It actually comes out right before my birthday so I will be treating myself to all the editions for it.

Unrelated by I also saw your last newsletter and a line about a “The artist doing the end pages is still confidential but hooooooooly shit, you’re about to get your minds blown, especially if you love a morally grey angel and her golden retriever of a reaper.” had me SCREAMING. MayraCal are my beloveds I’m obsessed with them you don’t understand, it felt like a dream seeing that tease lol I’m so exicted!!!

I apologize that it’s taken so long to do all of these once again (and for my inability to keep anything short) but love you hope is all is well, have fun on tour!!! Will be back to send more praise after finishing more of your work.

-Amanda ❤️

I’m sad to hear about the loss of your grandma, but glad I could be there for you, however distantly. I spent a good amount of time working on the style aspects of OFME for its rerelease in april and I think there are more lines in it that feel… well, extremely OFME, haha. I always say that what some people want from atlas is actually more applicable in OFME, which is more of a romance and leans heavier on angst as opposed to irony. I do like to think there’s something extra propulsive about it compared to my other works, so thank you for the suggestion I’ve laced it with drugs. a very high compliment

and by now you guys know that @polartss is doing the MOD end pages—WOWWWOWOWOWOW are you going to die when you see them

[iyadiad]

All Might or Present Mic

HGNH BTOH PLEASE STOP MAKING ME CHOOSE BETWEEN THE L OV ES OFM Y LIFE

[olivieblake]

hi olivie!!!! i want to start off by saying how much i love your work. i started reading your stuff on ao3 before i realized you have published books—it changed my life. i have every book of yours except the independently published versions of ’masters of death’, ‘one of my enemy’, and ’alone with you in the ether.’ i read them as ebooks first and was wondering if you would ever consider selling these versions again? im SO excited to buy the hardcover ones and SO proud of you that they got picked up!!! i hope this question isn’t annoying and i’m so sorry if it is. i just adore your story telling capability and your work so much. i hope you’re doing amazing!!!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

ahhh thank you so much for your excitement! unfortunately the way this works with my indie books becoming traditionally published is that I no longer own the right to produce or distribute them—contractually, tor owns them, so they are now the only people with the right to sell them. as someone very astutely put it, the self-pub editions can't come to the phone cause they're dead, they will never be reproduced, and because they were printed on demand (meaning they were only printed when you or a retailer ordered them) I don't have any extras. thank you very much for asking, and I'm very excited about the new editions from tor. they're in their glorious tor afterlife now!!

[olivieblake]

congratulations on all the books!!!!!! so so pleased for you 🎉🎉🎆 💛 (and massively excited to read everything ofc <33)

oh thank you so much!! I am very excited, largely for the new books because I love shiny new things BUT also in general. and there's a possibility we might get additional new things in the old books??? so basically HUZZAH, so glad you're excited!