this was such an enjoyable read! it was fast-paced, the world building was amazing and the characters were so complex. i couldn’t put this down. also, i didn’t see that ending coming and i can not wait for the next book!

I was really excited to get my hands on The Book of Azrael after a favorite book-stagramer of mine raved on and on about this book! This book was fantastic with rich world-building and chemistry between the main characters and I cannot believe this Amber Nicole's debut book!

The slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance was so well done and I loved how powerful both Dianna and Liam are. I am so invested in their story and can't wait to get my hands on book 2 after that cliffhanger ending! Thank you NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes world-building can be a bit much for me, I get lost and confused about the rules/laws of a universe but this story did it quite well. Diana was incredible. Fierce, strong, and terrifying. I loved the bond between Gabriella and Diana, there's just something so wholesome and pure between the sisters amidst chaos and terror.
I love a goof enemies-to-lovers trope, and moreover, I absolutely love the "enemies to reluctantly working together to lover" trope!!!!!!! seeing two people start off venomous, slowly building reluctant rapport, to trusting each other with their lives. Nothing like forced proximity and having to rely on someone who isn't quite as bad as you thought.
I loved that Liam was so heartbreakingly human in his struggles with his past. It made him incredibly likable and made you connect with him in such a powerful way.

The ending was insane (cliffhanger) and I cannot wait for the next book!!

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Whoa there. Oh my god. That cliff hanger. My heart. My anger right now. Oh my god.

This book had a slow build for me, I struggled at first to get used to the world, powers, and Magic system but once it all clicked together I was sold. The characters and emotions are so raw. Don’t even get me started on the banter, that is top tier and glorious and I need *more*.

I adore Dianna and her spirit and resilience for her family. Her strength is amazing and we all love a badass woman who can take down the most powerful of foes.

Liams character development is astonishing. Being able to see him grow and soften is incredible and his wit and humor with his come backs is hilarious.

The slow burn is incredibly slow burn but oh so worth it. The mouth on Liam is just pure sin and I need lots more of that please.

I am dying for book 2, I need answers.

Thank you Amber Nicole, Rose & Star Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read this book.

First off how is this Amber's first book? If this is the start I cannot wait to see what she brings next, I love her story telling and how she brings the scenes to life.

Starting off with violence is always an excellent start, right from the off we saw how powerful Dianna was, she was no damsel in distress she was a warrior, a fighter and absolutely ruthless.

I adored Dianna and Gabriella's relationship, they were perfect sisters who just loved each other and wanted to protect each other, they reminded me of the Winchester brothers from Supernatural in a way, Dianna wanting to protect her younger sister and Gabrielle not needing her hand holding always and just wanting her sister to know she loved her.
Remember, I love you.

Liam and Dianna's relationship is the actual definition of enemies to lovers, they have been literal mortal enemies for eons and yet they fall into situation where they not only have to work together but they have to trust each other. They spend so much time in denial about how they felt, barely accepting that they were friends and once they'd finally been honest they were both the true embodiment of touch them and you die.

I loved finding out about Liam's past, how he became the god he is, a real representation of PTSD and trauma which isn't always seen in fantasy books but it's so well written it does pull at the heartstrings.

There's so many twists and turns, it really fits in with the usual fantasy vibe of Kingdoms and alliances and how you can trust absolutely nobody even if they've been your friend for tears, trust nobody.

But it was not this world.
No, it was mine.
It was Dianna

Ahhh! That ending, holy smokes I was NOT expecting that!! I need the next book now, like right now I need to know how horrendously Dianna hurts Kaden for everything he has done, I want to know what's next for Dianna and Liam, will she blame him? Will they remain as allies or will she go rouge? Is there some miracle that maybe what's happened can be undone? So many questions I need answers!

I enjoyed this story! The premise was interesting and twists kept me turning pages. The fact that this book is chunky is a bonus, though it did take a while to get into the story, once there it held my attention..
The issue was that my attention was constantly being ripped away from the story by the changing font sizes in the ebook and the issues with editing.

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯.
Dianna gave up herself to save her sister and is now a dangerous weapon who does not hesitate to use her powers even if they are used for wrong deeds. She meets Samkiel (Liam), a king who has isolated himself because of his past actions and their consequences. Being mortal enemies, they must now fight side-by-side to save the world...

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁.
An incredible debut book by Amber Nicole🤩. It follows both the protagonists as their stories entwine in dual POVs which connected the story in a totally graceful way.

A fast-paced story of love and hurt, betrayal and revenge, power and war in the world of Gods and Monsters. I rarely skipped any part, even the beautifully written descriptions of different places in this unique world were superb👏🏼

The plot was very engaging and kept me hooked on the story of Dianna and Liam...the emotional and profound relationship development between the MCs was just🤌🏼. I have never seen such mature protagonists and even more mature relationship development...they have my heart💓 Their profound conversations to understand each other gave a whole lot of depth to their relationship, which was remarkably written.

"𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙄 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧."

Plus, the representation of trauma and grief, and their healing journey were wonderful. Liam's past traumas were beautifully handled and carried forward in such an incredible manner that I have never read before. We could feel his hurt and pain and empathize with him as he struggles to heal his traumas. It was so refreshing to read such a well-written journey of the MCs.

And oh! the action was outstanding and super exciting...such badass protagonists!🥲

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
I. Love. The. MCs. So. Much. Just. 🤌🏼🤌🏼💕. They were broken to the core yet were super strong, and both equally BADASS...

Dianna is a smart and sassy, fierce and strong female MC who is also a VILLIAN, the most feared creature and a dangerous weapon. But she is not all lost, a little humanity is there inside her because of her sister, Gaby, for whom Dianna lives. Her character grows immensely as she breaks her restraints and focuses on herself as she tries to save the world👏🏼

Liam, on the other hand, is a broken god struggling with his past and the nightmares of his actions. He was so damaged and hid until the bells of war starts ringing around him. And then, the powerful and brave Liam stood strong to save his people and the world. We get to see his beautiful healing journey and the coconut🥥 character (hard on the outside, sweet on the inside). Oh, did I mention, he is hot as hell🔥

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆.
Please...I'm telling you there's no other couple as mature as these two🥺

Being mortal enemies-to-lovers, the romance was a slow-burn and do I love it? I do!! The profound relationship development between these two was totally worth reading. This is the first time I have come across such a rational, deep and sincere connection between the protagonist in a book, and I love it. Their conversations were worth reading!

Moreover, it is a forbidden-love-trope which made things more exciting and the smut🥵, not much but so worth it. I love how there's no damsel in distress or the man has to put more effort into the relationship. It was an equal effort...they both stood strong for each other, be it emotionally or physically... just😘🤌🏼

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Overall, it is enchanting fantasy fiction with incredible world-building with gods, angels and demons, vampires and witches, and every supernatural creature there is. With extraordinary relationship developments, and exciting actions and fights, this was a journey of grief and loss, betrayal and power. Filled with many twists and turns, this book gives us a mind-blowing cliffhanger😩🤯 and I can't wait to read the next book in the series...

Thanks to Amber Nicole, Rose and Star Publishing, LLC. for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: PTSD, Grief, Death, Violence, War, Blood, Trauma, Kidnapping, Manipulation.

This was a great fantasy that just punched me out of the rom com genre I’ve been sticking to lately. It was action packed, suspenseful, and unique!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC of this book.

This book was a really good and solid debut. It lived up to my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I fell in love with Dianna and Liam, their relationship and their banter which was extremely funny. Plot and world building were really great. The only disadvantage is the way this novel was written, the writing style really didn't live up to my expectations and i thought it would be much better. Nevertheless, I definitely will recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you so much to netgalley, Amber Nicole, and Rose and Star publishing for an eCopy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little difficult to get into and I really struggled through the first half. This book is really great with world building but it is a complex world. I really liked the second half of the book. I definitely will be giving the sequel a try when it comes out.

For fans of: morally gray main characters, urban fantasy, epic world building, and enemies to lovers (so, like, everyone?)

The world building was solid, especially that of Liam’s home world. With the different home planets of the MCs, plus the addition of other realms, the setting is imaginative and vast. I appreciated that Dianna was morally gray, sure, but also an absolute badass in her own right. None of that delicate flower, “chosen one” trope so common with romantasy MCs right now. There is an enemies-to-lovers theme, but lots of steamy scenes there are not. Letting you know now in case that’s what you’re after here lol. If what you’re after, however, is a really well done transition from enemies to lovers, with a lot of witty/sarcastic banter, this should be right up your alley.

While I overall enjoyed this read and will be looking for the sequel, I do think it could have benefitted from tighter editing. The storyline dragged a lot in some places to the point where I forgot what it was Liam and Dianna were supposed to be doing in whatever new locale they were in. The backstory of the Gods War and the destruction of Liam’s home planet is revealed in pieces throughout the book, but I’m still pretty murky on details and the impact those two events had on Dianna’s home world and the sealing of the realms. Not sure if this was intentional (maybe the full story will be revealed in the next book), but it did make for a confusing backstory that I was constantly trying to understand.

An extremely picky note, because I <3 grammar: there were some issues with mixing of tenses in the same paragraph, and the inconsistent use of contractions versus non contractions drove me bonkers. If you’re not a crazy AP English person, this probably won’t bother you. Please feel free to disregard.

In total, a very solid debut novel, with a cliffhanger that ensures I’ll be looking for the second book ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC!

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! the fact that this is the debut novel by the author is unreal. First off I LOVE a grumpy, BA female main character. Secondly, the male character? HELLO NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND.

This story gripped me from the beginning and I could not put it down until I had finished. The plot is fast moving, but also slow in a helpful way that allows you to not feel overwhelmed by the world building or reveals. The characters go from enemies to lovers to romance in a perfect pace. Their chemistry was 5/5.

The cliffhanger still haunts me days later and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book!

I really enjoyed this! I thought that the characters were really well done, there is a lot of depth and backstory and character building that I really enjoyed. It made the story feel really complex, and very emotionally relevant. I also thought that the supporting characters were pretty well done, but not on the same level as the main characters. The plot was also really smoothly paced, which I thought was amazing. It never felt like it was dragging and it never felt like we were getting too much information all at once. It was a really smooth read, which was super super nice. I also thought that the romance present was done well, the transition from enemies to lovers can sometimes feel super weird and abrupt and I never felt that while reading this. It's just a really solid fantasy romance, and I look forward to more by this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book!

This book. Wow. What can I say?
It's been a while since I read such a strong fantasy debut and I was blown away.
Dianna and Liam were everything; their chemistry, banter, their entire dynamic. The plot was everything. The characters, the world-building, I truly enjoyed reading the whole book.
The only thing I would have to say is the book needed a little editing and the writing style did take me a while to get used to.
But other than that, solid book! I will definitely be reading book 2!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
uhhhhhh. okay first things first, the beginning was really slow in my opinion and took a little bit to get into. however, it did pick up as the book progressed. ALSO, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW HE SAYS “MY DIANNA” AND SHE SAYS “MY LIAM”?!?!? they were made for each other, no one can change me mind. ANYWAY THE ENDING?!?? HOW CAN YOU END THE BOOK LIKE THAT AMBER NICOLE?!?!

I want to first thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy of this book. This seemed like my style of book I enjoy reading, the cover was eye catching and the description made me want to read this.
I read an e-book version, so I apologize that I don't have physical page numbers to correspond my thoughts with, just % of the book complete.
I wanted to DNF this book at 10% in. I was so confused about what was going on. It felt like I was reading book 2 of a series. Because of other books I DNF'ed too quickly, I kept on reading but the confusion never changed. This seems to be a new writing style authors are using to try to weave in the world building, trying to capture those "oh" or "ah ha" moments. If you like that style of writing or want to read a jigsaw puzzle, you probably would like this book. This was just not for me.
The enemies to lovers vibe was so strong during the book. There was no surprise since this is written from different character view points. The only question was when was it going to happen and how spicy is it going to get. It did not get very spicy and the two (?) scenes doesn't happen until 78ish% through the book.
Cliff hangers. Since this is part of a series, one would expect the epic cliff hanger of "omg I can't wait until book 2!" Well, that fell short for me as well.
Overall, I need world building to happen. I don't want to be handfed bits and pieces of what happened in the past and the characters backstories. Tell me what happened. Make me invested in these characters. This book had so much potential and just fell so short.

The characters were fantastic. I'm even intrigued with the side characters that we rarely saw. Dianna is so flawed. I see other reviews say she isn't a true villain, but she is. She is a villain to the celestials. Yes, she did those things for one person. Her reasoning for doing the things she did wasn't her own idea, but to those people she did. I love that she is irrational and impulsive. These flaws make her relatable. The only issue I found with her is that she seems too immature for having lived several centuries. I chalk it up to her being really sheltered.
Liam is tortured and it was great to see his story slowly unravel. The instant love did not fit after everything they have done to each others home/family. I was waiting for there to be some sort of reason that drew them together. Maybe we will get it in the next book?
The world building was unique. I think some other readers didn't quite get the different realms/worlds etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it though. The plot was well planned.
This book left me eager to read the next one. Why isn't it five stars? The actual writing isn't outstanding and the poor editing sometimes made me struggle with comprehension. I understand it isn't the final copy, but even so I was surprised it was sent in anywhere with some of the really poor mistakes.
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy or fantasy but do not mind some errors. I can't wait for the next one!

Do you like complex fantasy with a dash of romance?
What about a skill-fully-done Enemies-to-Lovers arc?
Morally grey/badass main female character?
Broody alpha male with a tragic back story?

Well, then this is your book.

The Book of Azrael takes us into a complex realm where there is a web of politics to untangle and eons of history to navigate. Amber Nicole does a great job of slowly easing us into this world by taking us back through the history via dreams and visions. The pacing of this novel was perfection. It wasn't too much info dump at the beginning and there was a steady stream of tension and conflict to keep you interested throughout the book.

Dianna (our FMC) is a refreshing morally grey villain as our main character and Nicole gives us a beautiful character development throughout this 800+ page installment. Dianna and Liam (our MMC) loathe each other at the beginning, and for good reason. Their banter is volatile but also hilarious. It also doesn't hurt that they have soo much chemistry. This book addresses mental health and how to cope with trauma and we get to see Dianna and Liam work through their own issues together.

The reason why this book gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the dialogue. I understand that she wanted Liam's jargon to sound antiquated (to show how out 0f touch with reality he really is), but his speech often didn't line up with the narration of his chapters in this same way. There would suddenly be modern words or vernacular thrown into his dialogue which threw me off. I think his isolation could've been better illustrated in his confusion over modern culture rather than focusing so much on his speech pattern.

I am silently cursing myself for starting this book and knowing that the rest of the series isn't published yet. Why do I always leave myself dangling off these cliff-hangers? You would think I know better at this point of my reading career.

*I received an advanced readers copy from Rose and Star Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Honestly, it was hard for me to get into the first part of the book. Very interesting world building though. Not sure how I feel about some of the characters.

*Thank you so much to netgalley, Amber Nicole, and Rose and Star publishing for an eCopy in exchange for an honest review*

-"Trading one powerful man for another isn't a way out."

If you're looking for an intellectual fantasy with reams of flowery prose and a specific message this is not the book for you. If however, you're looking for an addictive fantasy book with actual enemies to lovers and every single of of my favourite tropes, get this book now.

TROPE LIST:
✷ enemies to lovers
✷ only one bed
✷ 'where is my x'
✷ lovers to enemies
✷ Villain MC
✷forced proximity

I went into this expect absolutely nothing but it's blown my mind. You need to know I knew absolutely nothing about this book before reading so I was completely new to the world, which could have been confusing at first but after a chapter I was deeply invested.

-A thousand years ago, a girl made a deal with the devil to save her sister but at a steep price. Now, endebted to a monster and slowly, but not so slowly, becoming one herself Dianna remains his faithful servant.
Sent on a mission to find a world ending artifact she quickly becomes wrapped up with even more deadly players in a game which will prove deadly- but to who?

In the old world, a young man ascended the throne. Havoc reigned as the bloodthirsty king made rash and reckless devions, driving his loyal subjects to betrayal and his world to ruins. After the war he locked himself away, too ashamed to deal with his own actions.

But a new threat is stirring, and her name is Dianna.


I wish the ending hadn't ended on a cliffhanger because I am DYING to read the next book and I've got absolutely no idea how I'm going to wait for book 2.
This was 800 pages and let me tell you, I read it in under. 24. Hours. How? I couldn't tell you 🤷

another thing- the world. It was kind of like our world and a magical realm smooshed together with witches and werewolves and vampires and demons thrown in. I.E., my kind of book. Think house of earth and blood kind of thing.

Obviously, it wasn't a perfect book. Yeah sure the formatting was a bit strange but that's probably just my phone.
There's not really anything to complain about and I love that.

Our MC Dianna was morally grey in the best sense at the start, but watching her grow morals was a tad disappointing... But the ending smashed all of them up 😏
She was everything I want in a character, kind of sassy, takes absolutely no shit from anyone and is fiercely loyal. Also she's bi. The LGBTQ rep in the book of Azrael was super casual which I loved- from what I could tell both of the MCs were bi and (without spoilers) Dianna's ex girlfriend played a vengeful role.

I'm in love with basically every character.


And if all of this hadn't already sold you, the romance was *impeccable* and THERE'S A MAP. I love maps. Especially in fantasy books, they make me really happy for some reason.

- "But you? I'm going to take my time with you. I'm going to hurt you in ways you can't imagine and laugh as the silver dies in your eyes."

Ladies and gentlemen, non-binary folk, I present to you, Dianna.

In summary, this was a really fun book to read and I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of fantasy, villains and slow burn.