3.5⭐⭐⭐💫
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with both an e-arc and an audio arc!

This book has a magical academy, angels and demons, a post-apocalyptic urban setting, a slow-burn paranormal romance, epic trials, and mysteries that keep you guessing!

I didn't see the Zodiac Academy comparisons until after finishing this book (haven't read that series), though from what I heard I can understand why. There are aspects of a bully romance with how the male lead, Godric, treats the main character, Wen, particularly in the beginning of the book, but that didn't bother me too much. Still, check trigger warnings!

I started this book with the e-arc. At first, the writing and the main character's personality were a bit off-putting. Wen does a lot of rambling in her inner monologue. The snarky attitude, endless questions, and no-filter chattiness in especially serious situations is a bit rough to get through page to page. I knew I would have to read it via audio eventually to be able to get through it.

Luckily, I was able to get access to the audio arc! When I made the switch, things got a lot easier. The narrator is very good, so getting through the excessive monologue was less irritating. While my issues with Wen's personality stayed consistent throughout the book, the story starts to pick up when she finally gets to the academy. From there, I enjoyed it a lot more.

The side characters are probably my favorite part of this book. Lorcan, who I love with all my heart. Jinny, who, even as a demoness, can do no wrong. Jophiel and Azrael, the mysterious, yet powerful archangels. But, of the Unitas girls, I didn't really like any of individually. Rather, I like their group dynamic with all of them together. Just the idea of a group of girls, who don't get along at all, slowly developing some form of a close-knitt friendship is what kept me reading. The endless banter and bickering between them, whether it's as roommates or working together during the trials, is so entertaining to read. I can't wait to see what this group becomes later in the series.

The love interest, Godric, is someone I've come to really love as the story progressed. His possessive tendencies can be a bit unhinged, but I appreciate the level of trust he and Wen are able to reach, especially towards the end. I was surprised to see the author start their romance by focusing more on their training and having them act as a some-what professional pair (with heavy sexual tension between them). Like some books I read, I was expecting to get spicy action all throughout, in addition to the romantic moments. It felt more like a slow burn which is what made me like this book so much more. Seeing their relationship be more drawn out and them have a friendship first felt more natural.

The last thing I wanna mention is the sort of mystery behind Wen's genetic history (Sarah, too). The whole question of "what is she, if not human?". This is the main thing that got me excited for the next book. Usually this gets revealed by the end of book one (and I have two guesses on what she is), but considering that no one, not even the archangels, knows what's going on, I'm interested to see what the rest of the series has in store.

Ok, wow, I just finished listening to the audio book. First off, the narrator that is being used is absolutely perfect for this book. I really enjoyed listening to her and to heat her voices for the characters. The characters are all so different and have so much conflict but also work together in order to complete a challenge and to keep each other alive. I think the group was such a great one. I loved how they evolved in the book. Wen and Gordrick are just so dang good together. I really can not wait to see what happens with them. The slow burn that is only touched on in the last chapter besides for some hot imagining throughout the book was so good. I have to say I really enjoyed the plot and how the world is explained. All I can say is I am looking forward to the next book, and I truly enjoyed listening to this one.

This was everything I was missing from Zodiac Academy. I'm literally obsessed. This is a must read!

The narration was so so so so so so so so amazing! Everyone needs to go listen to it now!

This magic school fantasy with angels and demons was so good I loved the main characters even though one could be an angelhole the main female character is such a badass and this book has the slowest slowburn I have ever read and it only ends with just a kiss. Please read this book it has romance action adventure drama trials and magical powers

This book is a disappointment. It's the cover and plot is a plagiarized version of The Zodiac academy. Author needs to get their own ideas

While I enjoyed the banter between our couple, I didn’t quite enjoy the story as much mainly because the start of Wen’s story was confusing as heck. And the dialogue was too drawn out making this plot slow as molasses.

The found family trope was ok but felt like a bunch of teenagers trying to outdo the other out of pettiness and entitlement.

Godric and his broodiness was the saving point for me. I’m not a huge fan of slow burns IF they’re done well for me, but I felt that each encounter between him and Wen had little chemistry and no spark of excitement. Honestly, if this wasn’t an audiobook (in which I could finish quickly), I probably would have DNF’d.

Thank you @netgalley for an audio arc!

Sorry to say I am apparently an outlier here, but this book just did not work for me. The premise was interesting, but the pace was painfully slow and the title somewhat misleading. The reader is not even introduced to the academy until a full third of the way into the book, and even then, it seemed kind of like an aside. There were too many extraneous details that unfortunately did not add to the world-building or the character development. I did not get a good sense of what the academy looks like or feels like, and I did not have a clear understanding of the motivations of several of the characters. The narrator of the audio version did a decent job, but this one was just too long-winded without any discernable point.

If you like:
* Slow Burn
* Academy Setting
* Angels and Demons
* Morally Grey Characters
* Fun Banter

Then this book is for you. The sassy FMC and broody-powerful MMC along combined with all the tropes we love is the perfect combination to suck the reader in. It is a unique mix of Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Paranormal romance at an Academy. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next installment.

Hilarious! Banter! I loved this book! I cannot believe it doesn't have more reviews. It's been out since 2022- Y'all, it is so good! It is available on KU!!

The FMC, Wen, cracks me up. I am swooning over Godric 😍 and there is a shocking and unexpected love triangle! I feel like the blurb gives too much away, but it has been described as Crescent City meets Zodiac Academy (not as dark). I haven't read Zodiac Academy but it was definitely giving Crave vibes. I can't wait to start the next one! But, alas, I have other things to read first.

I couldn't get in to the audiobooks for ACOTAR, but Amanda does an AMAZING job as Wen! I listened at 1.75 speed from the NetGalley app and it was the perfect speed for me! If you like audiobooks, this is a great one!

Angels and demons
Magical academy
Hate to love
Hidden powers
Forced proximity
Found family

"Do it then, my bane, follow your moronic code, but do one thing for me... Come back to me."

Thanks NetGalley and Olivia for providing me with a copy of this audiobook!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this audiobook

this was my first audiobook in quite a few years and though it was a slow build up i loved the innuendoes and the characters as they came along

the academy when they arrived was where the action took place and where we found our main character all in the same room all 5 of them who didnt really like each other but as it turned out they were destined to be together ....

its a compelling listen to and i did have my laugh out loud moments

cant wait to hear more from this academy

Attention! Calling all Deadpool fans! If you’re looking for a new engaging dystopian fantasy with a great cast of intriguing characters you’ll want to solve mysteries about, and an imaginative storyline with drop dead gorgeous angles and demons coexisting on earth, along with a sloooowww burn that will leave you feening for more, keep on reading!

So why Deadpool? The description of the book and many reviews mention Zodiac Academy, but since I haven’t read that series I can’t agree nor disagree with those statements. However, what I CAN say is that if you are a fan at ALL of our infamous Deadpool, you will absolutely adore this FMC! Wen is sure to keep you entertained with her constant witty remarks and incessant banter that seem to just fall out of her mouth even when her life is in great peril. Maybe ESPECIALLY when her life is in peril, just like our beloved anti-hero.
The book does get a bit heavy on the world building and hierarchy of celestial beings in parts, but Wens comic approach to the explanation of things keeps you engaged through the entire thing.
The story is unique and amusing from beginning to end and leaves you excited and desperate for more!
I was lucky enough to get the complimentary audiobook through @NetGalley, but by the time I finished it I owned the audio, ebook, AND physical form of the book which I plan to reread and annotate in the very near future.

The book is narrated by none other than Amanda Leigh Cobb, who has narrated other well knows titles such as ACOWAR, ACOFAS, The Serpents and the Wings of Night, just to name a few popular ones, and as always, her performance is phenomenal! The different voices and accents she does for each character really helps distinguish between them and brings them all to life.

Over all, a phenomenal book! 4.75 only because it didn’t evoke ALL emotions from the reader. Make me want to throw the book across the room, and shed some tears while making me run for the next book, and you’ll get that fifth ⭐️!!
Either way, hard to believe it’s Olivia Pharos debut novel. 🔥 Can’t wait to start the next book and continue the series!

I DNF’d this book at 66%, I really enjoyed the start of this book, but felt like the middle was too repetitive and dragging too much. I think this book just wasn’t for me.

Listening to this book as an audiobook probably didn’t help as i usually can’t rewind and avoid skipping forward so some of the more confusing scenes (there are a lot of characters to keep track of) would probably have been better to see on paper/kindle. I also didn’t connect to any of the characters, they all Went, Godric, the Unitas, Lorcan, … felt a bit one dimensional

Summary: Orphan. Slave. Drug dealer. In an Afterworld with literal Hell and Heaven, Wen is the lowest, dealing a unique drug everyone would kill for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC, all thoughts are my own.

What a fantastic book! I loved the twists, the references to mythology, and my goodness the romance. I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, academia, and enemies to lovers. I look forward to reading whatever comes next!

Wow, this is the first book that I have read by Olivia Pharos.

This book is an amazing book it sucked me right into the story line. There is lots of twists and turns in the story lines. If you like fourth wing, sarah j maas, or Jennifer l armentrout. Olivia is right up there with them in my opinion. I have not been able to stop finished it in 2 days. Listening to the book all day at work which the book is 14+ hours long so made my days go by so much faster. I will be looking into more of her books.

The story line for this book has drama, adventure, love, hate and learning to work together when you hate each other for the better of the outcome for all involved! Can't wait for the next installment.

This book was super confusing. I genuinely had to rewind the audiobook more times than I can count. I wanted to like it and want to continue on the journey but it was all over the place.

The romance was concerning. He wasn’t like the best guy. He definitely didn’t have her best interest at heart until maybe the end but then we ended with more questions than answers.

The friendships were rough. I couldn’t tell why everyone hated her. Just because she was “different”

I didn’t hate this book but it could have been half as long as it was. 14 hours is generally way to long to keep your audience attention especially when you have like 10 plus characters to keep track of. I will be trying the second book but will probably get the ebook to see if I can catch up on what I actually read.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this book

I recieved an ARC copy of the audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think the author expected the readers to all have previous knowledge of the Archangels, fallen angels, and demons, so it was difficult for me to keep track of who was who. Why are Azazel and Azriel both characters in this book? Do you have any idea how confusing it was for me listening to the audiobook?

The main character was funny with her severe lack of self-preservation. I didn't see the ending plot twist coming, but maybe if I was more familiar with the symbology and mythology of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam I might have guessed it long before the end.

If the ebook or physical books have a glossary or appendix explaining about the various archangels, then I guess it's just a draw back for the audiobook (although publishers now are aware of this and have started to include such things as a download able pdf on their website). If that's the case once the audiobook has been released, then please ignore my rant.

Honestly, the only characters I was interested in were the arch demon in the main character's Unitas and Lorcan. Everyone else seemed so flat. I kept going solely to see what happened with those two. They're the reason for the 3.75 out of 5 star rating. Otherwise, it'd probably be a 1/5.

A little bit of a slow start, but once it picked up it was great. The FMC reminds me of Bryce from Crescent City. I listened to the audiobook ARC for and I LOVED the performance. It’s teenage angsty and sassy in a good way. No spice, but the best banter. It has elements from a lot of different epic fantasy books all compounded into one and I really enjoyed it and the writing style was stream of consciousness that is my favorite to read. The characters were all well developed and the plot twists were great. Can’t wait to read the next one!

When I started reading this book I did not expect it to be so good. I finished reading this in two days.
I absolutely love it. It is fast paced, it has enemies to lovers trope and amazing mystery element to it.
I loved Wen, I loved Godric too. I loved the Unitas.
An amazing Fantasy series after a very long time.
The whole series is also available on kindle unlimited which is fantastic as the second book in the series, here I come.

I love this slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantacy! It's a must read for fans of Rebecca Yarros or SJM. Our plucky(and impulsively snarky) heroine Wen is trying to survive post-apocalyptic earth with her BFF Sarah. She finds herself in trouble with the angels and conscripted into the Celestial Academy and has to do whatever it takes to survive. I was pulled in from the start and managed to finish this 15 hour long audio book in only 3 days!! The narrator was engaging and the story moved quickly. I laughed out loud several times and never knew what was going to happen next. The ending has me chomping at the bit for the next book!

As much as I loved the plot, I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because there were parts that drew me out of the main story line, particularly the constant lusty thoughts reminiscent of a hormonal teenager from both adult MCs that did nothing to further the plot or deepen their relationship.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Amazing. Not even battling a horde of monstrosities, a black hole, and a void slowed down your avalanche of questions."


Celestial Academy: Essence is the first book within the Afterworld series. In this, you will meet Wen, Sarah, and Godric. Wen is a drug dealing demon owned human. She wasn't always on this path, but what can you do when you are four years old. After a deal went sideways, she ends up going to the Celestial Academy. Which, I'm sure is just going to be a piece of cake for her, right?

Wrong. She has all kinds of trust issues and will probably butt heads with mostly everyone there. She's all kinds of stubborn and won't take anyone's shit. So, I'll admit it was very interesting when she runs into Sarah and sort of builds a friendship with her. Sarah is also a demon owned human and is sentenced right along with Wen. They are definitely opposites, but I really enjoyed their friendship and growth throughout the book.

Then there's Godric. My god, I loved him and honestly after how this book ended, I'm not sure what to think. He's an angel and definitely goes by the name Angelhole. Or maybe he just tolerates that nickname? The way he banters with Wen is just amazing. I also liked the slow buildup of their romance. Even though I felt like I was dying at time because of how slow it was going.

In the end, I really liked the audiobook of this. It was easy to listen to and just work on... well, work. I'll have to see if I can get the next book as an audiobook.