‘I can’t believe that Death has been reduced to a weakling, checking every few minutes whether an ungrateful human has been in touch. I can’t wait to go back to being everyone’s worst nightmare; how unappreciative I was. Sure, there was the inelegant black cloak and the OTT scythe, but I would take those any day over people discovering that Death has an anxious lurch of her stomach every time her phone beeps.’
Death needs a break. She’s been doing the thankless job of shepherding all of Earth’s creatures off this mortal coil for millennia but the old routine is growing stale. So she comes to Earth in the body of a human woman named Delara to work a regular human job and get to know her subjects a little better. Oh, and to get some rest from being the most feared entity of all.
But it turns out, she’s not the only powerful being walking the Earth—and the others certainly aren’t there to take a break. No, they’re looking to create chaos, and Death’s absence is their chance. So when three humans die under mysterious circumstances—on dates that weren’t Planned—that raises Delara’s suspicions.
She enlists the help of a human parasitologist named Marco and, with an occasional assist from her sister Life, they set out to investigate why these people died before their planned time, and who is behind the murders. What they uncover goes deeper than they ever could have imagined and requires Delara to do things Death was never created to do.
This book was not what I was expecting; usually, when anthropomorphic gods and entities are involved on Earth, things get truly Biblical, fast. And while things definitely go in that direction, Delara’s path is much more grounded in her sense of humanity. Her burgeoning relationship with Marco is beautiful and shows how multi-faceted Death is beyond her job. Her love for her sister Life and all of her creations is also lovely to witness and may well surprise you in its quirkiness.
‘I wonder what would happen if I ever went on strike. I’ve never contemplated that before, bet I could do with better working conditions. Work-Death balance? Zero. Support? Zero. Appreciation from the humans? Minus eight billion.’
That’s not to say you ever forget you’re dealing with ethereal beings but the humans they use as their bodies or aides add a rather comical twist, thanks to their physical limitations, so they must figure out ways to adapt without their powers (or sometimes, with). You’ll find yourself giggling despite the world-ending stakes as the writing walks the line between emotionally charged and devilishly clever. And the inciting incident of the Unplanned deaths turns this into a murder-mystery romp through existence, with the list of potential suspects growing longer and more powerful.
The way Death and Other Occupational Hazards tears down all the pre-conceived stereotypes you might hold about Biblical beings and rebuilds them in a somewhat satirical way is hilarious; even without being told who they are, you’ll instantly recognize them from the fun the narrative has at their expense. It’s all at once whimsical and snarky but never truly offensive (although if you’re not into entertaining and probably slightly blasphemous takes on God and his creations, this might not be for you).
Death and Other Occupational Hazards has an acerbic yet utterly charming voice that you can’t help but fall for. You’ll be entertained the whole way through as this offbeat take on Death gives way to refreshingly deep themes of sisterhood, love, and the beauty that can be found in every walk of life.