Amber Nicole delivers a gripping dark fantasy-romance that blends epic world-building, morally grey characters, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension.
At first I did struggle to engage with the characters especially the FMC as she is so different to the FMC’s you usually see today
I like that most of the characters are morally ambiguous, it makes them more human
For readers just getting into high fantasy it might be a struggle to swallow the world building in this one, though I personally loved it

The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole was a really interesting read. I loved the dark fantasy vibe and the way the world felt so detailed and immersive. The story about Azrael kept me curious the whole time, and the writing did a great job of setting the mood.
The characters, especially the main one, felt real and had some good depth. I also liked how the book touched on themes like redemption and fate without getting too heavy.

There were a few spots where the pace slowed down a bit and some parts were a little predictable, but overall, it didn’t take away from the story too much. If you’re into dark fantasy with cool characters and a solid plot, this one’s definitely worth checking out.

The beginning of this book was a bit of a slog—slow and hard to get into. But I powered through to the halfway mark, and that’s when things finally picked up. It ended up being an okay read overall. Not a new favorite, but I’m glad I stuck it out to see where it went.

This book was PHENOMENAL! The world building was amazing. The world is vast and theres so much to it but without it feeling overwhelming. You get more and more pieces of how the world they live in works and just how big it is over the course of the book. I loved all the different magical creatures and monsters, **Cough Cough** Dianna... Dianna's character is badass! She's a real morally grey character but has serious growth through the book, it was great but let me tell you... boooyyyyy was I waiting for the other shoe to drop!! Knowing Amber V. Nicole has 6-7 books planned for these books I knew it was all too good to be true and that cliffhanger didn't disappoint. The end of the book absolutely wrecked me in the best way possible! I wanted to read the next book but it wasn't out yet at the time. 🤦‍♀️ I am a sucker for a great enemies to lovers, slow-burn, with spice and all I can say is this book delivered on all 3! The MC's love interest was *chef's kiss* 🙌🙌. He had his own damage and mental heath stuff to work on. And the way he cares for Dianna made my heart melt ❤️. With so many twists and turns it def keeps you on your toes. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down!! I read the whole book in one sitting. It has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year. I am excited to see where the story goes since Amber V. Nicole clearly has a big vision for these books!! I was luckily able to snag the Apollycon special edition from someone who was selling theirs but I am so excited that I will be attending Apollycon 2024 and will be able to actually meet Amber V. Nicole 😍 and get the next book "The Throne of Broken Gods" Apollycon edition!!! If you've heard about the book but are hesitant to read it, this is your sign to pick it up today! If this book is on your tbr list, this is your sign to move it to the top of the list and read it now! And if this is your first time hearing of it you absolutely need to run, not walk, to get your copy!

3.5 stars rounded down.

Overall, I liked the story. I just don't think it needed to be 600 pages long. I think I would have liked it even more if some serious pruning was done because I felt like a good chunk of the scenes were filler. I don't want to say that they were a waste of time, but they didn't really contribute anything.

I really liked how well-developed the characters were and how strong their relationships felt. Not a lot of authors can accomplish that, but Nicole did a fantastic job. They felt real, their motives made sense, and by extension so did their actions. There was strong development on the part of our FMC and MMC which is always nice to see.

The world-building could use some work I think. It was a bit confusing if the planet they're on is supposed to be an alternate Earth, or if it's just another planet entirely. It was also hard to feel anything but indifferent about the fate of Samkiel's planet since it also wasn't very well developed.

I'm on the fence about continuing this series. Do you think it's worth it? Let me know!

Thank you NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book pulled me in from the very first page and never let go. The plot had me hooked, and I found myself constantly needing to know what would happen next. The characters are vibrant and unforgettable, each one adding depth to the story in their own way. The title fits the vibe perfectly, and the entire narrative is both captivating and well-paced. Truly a standout read!

i need yall to know that i am obsessed. when i say i devoured this book i am not lying. i fear it has changed the trajectory of my life and i dont know how i will recover.

i sobbed, i laughed, i giggled, and i fell in love with dianna and liam :(

first of all, plot. 10/10 are you joking? super human beings, mythology?, world ender? and a badass female character with a mortal heart. like nothing compares. we follow dianna as she tries to find herself on the right side of a war that has been prophesied to free her kind or end the world. we also follow liam as he deals with isolation and everything that comes after losing his family, his people and his world.

two beings who are forbidden to even be together, liam and dianna are slowburn but so worth it. they find friendship and solace as being some of the loneliest creatures in the world. the mortality of both characters is definitely what draws them together. dianna, who has come back as a monster yet she has a heart of gold. liam, the world ender who simply felt too much grief and has not recovered from all the loss.

im so intrigued to continue the series especially after that cliffhanger. also gabbys words, they hurt:

It was pretty good! The book delivers an engaging mix of mythology, high stakes, and reluctant alliances. Dianna's past deal with a monstrous entity adds depth to her character, while Liam’s struggle between duty and isolation makes for a compelling arc. The world-building is rich, with a sense of ancient history woven into the narrative. The tension between old enemies forced to work together keeps things interesting, and the action and intrigue make for a fast-paced read. If you enjoy epic fantasy with gods, forgotten kings, and high-stakes adventure, this one’s worth checking out!

i really wanted to like this book, but ended up DNFing it at 40%. Nothing yet everything happened at the same time. I read a lot, and a lot was happening, but it felt like nothing, and was written so i couldnt follow along. A lot of terms were thrown around in the beginning, without any real description. I wanted to love it. I just didn't. The plot could be really good, if given more descriptions and time. Even though the book felt really long already. Felt like the plot didn't truly begin until 30%.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC!

This book is very long, sadly. It only got a little bit more interesting about 30% of the way in.

The characters just don't seem very well rounded to me. There's not a whole lot of character building that happens. I do understand that this is an enemies to lovers kind of book. I think the main female MC was kind of going in the same loop. Like her sister, how she wants to be loved, and how she loves her powers.

Now, the lore of it. Absolutely fantastic. I had to reread a couple pages to fully understand that how lore. But I enjoyed reading it. It gave these characters some place to go and some kind of system to believe in.

Overall, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and lore, but I kind of thought the main MC was annoying.

this book consumed me totally ! i knew the moment i read it that it would be huge !! it’s everything i love in a fantasy book. The character are so unique and i adored them to the point i became attached to them.
The book is a fantastic story that captivated me and i can’t wait to read the next books coming up !

thank you for providing me with this ARC !

Unfortunately this book's description gave no indication that I should expect an urban fantasy, which is a genre I generally avoid. This novel has been super successful and popular with those readers, but I am not one of them. The prose in this novel was an immediate turn off for me. The very casual, modern, and honestly somewhat immature narration is not something I like, and I didn't know enough about this book ahead of reading it in order to expect that. Ultimately, I couldn't get past it, and couldn't complete this book. The constant overuses of certain phrases "sharp and deadly" "cold and deadly" over and over, in addition to the repetitive sentence structure and just unpolished feeling style, were not things I can personally get past in order to enjoy a book. I believe this is probably a very fun story, but if you're someone who values decent prose, and want your reading experience to feel like a book and not the stream of consciousness of a pithy teenager who is actually a centuries old grown woman... don't pick this up.

Dnf'd

The writing style was absolutely not for me. The little bit of the world we got though was fascinating and I'm sure this book will find it's audience.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. The author did a great job building the world, but I just wasn’t able to connect with the characters in a meaningful way. To be fair, I’m pretty picky when it comes to urban fantasy.

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book!

The plot of “The Book of Azrael” was a confusing mess that failed to engage me. The premise revolved around the mysterious Book of Azrael, but instead of a gripping storyline, I was bombarded with irrelevant banter, poorly executed jokes, and an overwhelming number of flashbacks.


The first half of the book could easily have been condensed, as it was filled with unnecessary filler material, including a tedious sleepover saga and redundant information about Dianna’s relationship with her sister, Gabby.

Despite the potential for an intriguing plot involving lore, betrayals, and a journey full of fantastic creatures, the story was bogged down by repetitive and irrelevant details that made it difficult to stay interested.

The writing style was one of the biggest disappointments in this book. The dialogue felt robotic and awkward, with poorly placed contractions and stilted conversations that made the characters come across as illiterate. The narration was overly verbose, with constant repetition of information and unnecessary details that added nothing to the story. The world-building was clumsily handled, often feeling like an info dump rather than a natural unfolding of the setting.

Additionally, the editing was subpar, with numerous misspellings and repeated paragraphs that disrupted the flow of the narrative. The writing failed to impress, and the overall quality of the prose was lacking.


The themes in “The Book of Azrael” were overshadowed by the poorly executed plot and writing. There were attempts to explore themes of power, immortality, and the consequences of one’s actions, but these were undermined by the inconsistent character development and repetitive storytelling.

Dianna’s inner conflict regarding her relationship with Kaden had the potential to delve into themes of coercion and power dynamics, but it was overdone and lacked the subtlety needed to make it impactful. The theme of betrayal was also present but became predictable and repetitive, losing its emotional weight as the story progressed.

As a fantasy novel, “The Book of Azrael” struggled to fit comfortably within the genre. While it had elements of urban fantasy, with its mix of modern and fantastical elements, the execution left much to be desired.

The inclusion of various creatures and a complex pantheon of gods had the potential to create a rich and immersive world, but the inconsistent world-building and lack of coherence made it difficult to fully engage with the fantasy aspects.


The novel’s length and meandering plot detracted from its ability to deliver a compelling fantasy experience.

Overall, “The Book of Azrael” was a significant disappointment. Despite some potential in the characters and the premise, the execution fell flat in almost every aspect. The poorly developed characters, convoluted plot, awkward writing style, and lack of coherent themes made it a frustrating read.

The book’s excessive length and repetitive storytelling only added to the dissatisfaction. While there were a few redeeming moments, particularly in Liam’s character, they were not enough to salvage the overall experience. I would rate this book 1.5 out of 5 stars, as it failed to deliver on its promises and left me feeling more frustrated than entertained.

Oh my God, I can't believe I didn't update this review here, I'm sorry!! The Book of Azrael was in my top 10 reads in 2023 and became one of my all time favorite series.😭🩸✨️🥰⚔️ I want to re-read it for eternity. I want hardcovers, special editions, NYT besteller title, TV show, everything. It's the series I always recommend to my friends on bookstagram or real life. And somehow it gets better and more badass with each book???

Diana is so scary and fierce and kickass and all around amazing character - I missed having a morally grey villainious heroine for a change. 🥰 These two literally have the power to end the world (together and separately) and watching them kick ass, grow, go from enemy to friend to lover to "I'll destroy the world for you" is just...sublime.

Samkiel is badass and the alpha male to rule all alpha males, even with his cinammon roll tendencies lol. Scary in his own way, with all his otherworldly god aura, he also has a softer side that balances out Dianna's all sharp edges. He has his own demons and nightmares to battle, but they made such a good team! The battle of wills, banter, chemistry and spice were just something else.
The action and adventure never stopped with these two and bad guys and betrayals were aplenty. I don't know how they (or myself!) will recover after the brutal ending, but I foresee a lot of fire and distruction and I. cannot. wait!

The cliffy at the end pretty much ruined a part of my soul and I don't know how Amber will be able to fix it in the next book.

Thank you for the review copy and the privilege to read this early. It makes me happy to see it in stores and bookshelves all around the world now. 🫶

Did not finish the book at 31% - I could not get into this and it’s taking too long for me to read during my slump!

4.5 stars

oh my this book turned out to be SO GOOD and dianna and samkiel are just so ugh frustrating and so good and cute but so powerful too damn
at first im going to be honest, i wasn't really feeling the book, it was a whole new world and a lot of information about it that my tired ass wasn't really loving it but i was intrigued i was kinda hooked to get to know more and i started to really like dianna and definitely liam so i knew i was going to like it but sooo happy i ended up loving them and loving these world and the book so much
dianna is so strong and so caring at the same time and i just wish she could see herself the way her sister and liam do like she truly deserves nothing but happiness and the whole world tho the world doesn't really deserve her i just ugh my heart can't take it but the way liam and her connected? the way she helped him and they went from enemies literally enemies to friends to lovers was just so beautiful their journey and battles and growth was so good i was just loving every single second of it!! liam samksiel wtv i love that man, he ended up showing his true colours and deep down he is just a man who lost everything but at the same time still has people who care and love him and he also cares deeply and loves deeply the way he was just softer than dianna was so fun and fresh really love him and finally he met his true match in dianna sooo im not gonna lie im so scared for the second book, the way this one ended oh my it's going to be evrn wilder than the first one and im so so scared, it's going to be a big challenge to their connection obviously and the second one is so big damn but yeah the ending?? why? why do this to me and dianna? my poor heart can't take it I cried and i knew something awful was going to happen but that? like that? ugh just evil tho i really want to continue on this world and dianna and samskiel i need a minute tho overall i loved it and it was intriguing and challenging and action packed and sometimes hot and i was giggling and kicking my feet in the air also heartbreaking and beautiful so much emotions in this big book that i thought i was only going to like it but no i really loved it and i want more just so scared anksjs

Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dnf at 40%

I was initially drawn to The Book of Azrael because of its intriguing premise and promise of a dark and immersive world. Unfortunately, I found the story to be a bit too slow-paced for my tastes. The plot felt tedious and I found it difficult to interact with the characters. While I usually enjoy atmospheric reading, the narrative lacked the drive to keep me on edge and I lost interest as the story progressed. I believe this book has potential for readers who prefer a more thoughtful world-building and complex plot, and though I personally do love thoughtful world building, the writing style just wasn't it for me. But this book is amazing for readers who enjoy enemies to lovers, one bed trope, forced proximity and badass FMC!