It is an entretainng book, a good first part. But at the same time I have the feeling that really nothing happend and that is overly long, as quite a few parts weren't necessary at all and really didn't contribute to the story.
I loved the romance part, a nice slow burn, enemies to lovers. And the characters are great and well developed quite easy to connect with them.
Liam despite being a extremely powerful god, suffer with PTSD, depression and panic attacks, and this are not only addressed in passing but is mostly what the book is about for easily the first 65%
I really liked how this is talked about and how slowly he is getting better.
It ends with a great clifhanger that really makes your stomach knot and nausea arise, that makes sure that I will be reading the next book.
I am very interested in how this story continues and uncover the many mysteries but mainly what is really Dianna? Because I am sure she has to be more than we think, but then, why Gabby isn't??
So many questions...

Loved this book. I didn’t feel like it was 800 pages, I read it over a day. Great world building, slightly predictable in places, but overall a great book.
The only real gripe I have is the sex scene, and Liam suddenly going from other-worldy being with a great vocabulary to suddenly be like “oh yeah baby fuck my hand” threw me off. I’m really excited to see what the author does next. I hope they keep us a bit more on our toes.

Plot: 4.75/5🌟
Spice: 2/5🌶️

✔️Enemies to lovers
✔️Slow burn
✔️FMC as a villian
✔️Epic world building
✔️Only one bed
✔️Forced proximity
✔️Forbidden romance
✔️Action sequences that leave you wanting for more
✔️Cliffhanger

Thank you NetGalley for this book. Firstly, I just have to say that this book was amazing, the world building and the plot was so good. I cannot believe that cliffhanger, I had to go back to make sure I didn't miss anything. Amber how can you leave us hanging like that 😭.

Dianna was such a bad ass FMC. I loved the fact that she was the villain at the start of the book, she was so evil at times. It was nice to see she had vulnerabilities, her sister. I adored their relationship, Dianna would do anything and everything for her. Gabby was the best sister, she made Dianna feel human in so many ways, especially when Kaden put her through so much.

I loved Liam's character, it was so sad to see him suffer through his PTSD, it made him almost human. He had some amazing strengths but even Liam had weaknesses too. The flashbacks with Liam and his father were really amazing, it was good to see the Liam before and after. I really enjoyed Dianna and his banter, they were both so head strong and wanted to be the Alpha in a sense. They were so sweet together near the end and I actually wanted more for them.

I cannot believe that ending though, so many things happened at once. The book had me guessing continuously, this plot was not predicted at all. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5, absolutely loved this book, hope the next one is out soon. I may have a book hangover 😭.

4.5 stars

Everyone around my feed was reading this book, so I needed to read it as well. The cover is captivating, and I've always been a fan of fantasy involving immortals, so I hoped this would deliver since everyone was gushing about it.

The Book of Azrael starts right in the middle of action by presenting us the main fmc, Dianna, as she is doing a mission. It was hard to get into the book because we get thrown straight into action, but then the character (we have first person POVs) starts making us acquainted with the setting and the characters she interacts with. We find out she's an immortal creature, and she's part of a powerful coven of people who think they are better than her just because they are male. Dianna is sassy, capable, strong - but she also is stubborn and does a lot of things out of impulse which she later regrets. I liked how she was crafted because she had character, and she had a lot of funny lines which had me loling haha. She is also very caring towards the people she cares about, although she thinks she is a monster.

We have a lot of chapters from Dianna's POV until we are introduced to the main mc, Liam. Liam is an old god, and he is very grumpy as he doesn't want to be bothered by the happenings of the planet. He has to quickly adjust to his new surroundings and at times he was like a fish out of a bowl in a cute way. He was protective and bossy, but also had a good guy aura around him, I don't know. Since this book is an enemies to lovers, you can assume that Liam hates people like Dianna, and the feeling is mutual.

The Book of Azrael is Amber Nichole's debut novel and I must say, it's very good. I was shocked when I learned that it was over 800 pages, even though I'm used to reading books this long. Despite being this huge, it had a smooth pace, and it rarely stalled, which is great. I also believed this to be standalone, so I was surprised a second time (and also happy) that the story continues, considering this ends with a cliffhanger.

The characters were well-written and had depth. Each of them was recognizable with their own power or tell, and this only shows that the author took time into crafting the characters to make them layered. I liked how the connection between Dianna and Liam was also built up gradually, with them slowly realizing that each other were more than what the world deemed them to be, and they didn't have insta-love. I loved their banter and I also loved that both had issues which were very relatable, thank you.

If there is one flaw I found in the whole book and the reason why I gave it 4.5 instead of a full 5, is the flashbacks. They were too long and showed too much, and I wanted to be left wondering. Sometimes they dragged too long, and I felt they were unnecessary. Not every bit of the past of the characters needs to be showed through flashbacks, and I felt they were overused. Other than this, I believe this is a good debut book and I will definitely read the following book because you can't leave me like that!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an e-arc copy of this book.

DNF @ 25%. The world was confusing, the writing juvenile, and the characters non- compelling. It honestly reads like a first draft of fanfiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Author for the opportunity to review this book.
This book was SOOOOO good!!! i have been recommending this books for all my friends!
Dianna is such a badass and will not take any shi*t from ANYONE. Liam is like an adorable puppy but man has got steel strength, the chemistry between these two was so fire!
one of my favorite lines from this book was "You already consumer my every waking thought. Must you consume my dreams as well"
I recommend this 10000% and i will be placing an order when the book is published.
Once again thank you for this opportunity through which i found a new favorite author.

I received an eARC from NetGalley/Publisher for an honest review.

This is a strong debut by the author. I really liked the world building, and the well done mix of high fantasy and urban fantasy. I enjoyed the banter between FMC and MMC. The raw and intense portrayal of PTSD was mind blowing. I loved that we see a male POV and I appreciate that! I liked that we didn't get any info dumps. We just figure out the world as we go.

My only qualm with the book is that characters warm up to each other really quickly given the millennia of hatred that's been going on between the species. A whole lot of tropes were mushed into the book for no reason. I would've appreciated more of the world rather than the whirlwind romance we see. Honestly, their romance just came off as cheesy and unnecessary. I would've preferred them to be in the background.

I'm really excited about how the books will proceed at the same time I don't care for the MCs romance. I really wished we'd see less of that in the future books, although I don't think that's going to be case.

The characters! The plot! The banter! I seriously can’t choose which I love more. The world building is incredible. The conversations between the main characters had me literally laughing out loud. That was an unexpected perk to a book I was already so excited it to read. This is a must read!

I think I just found a new fantasy to add to my favorites list😍 I was hooked from page 1! I thought the relationship between Dianna and Liam was developed so realistically. I was rooting for them from the moment they met. I also loved Dianna and Gabby’s relationship. It reminded me of the relationship I have with my sisters and the lengths I would go to protect them. Logan was great, Drake was great, and as much as I hated Kaden.. he was great! And then that ending! I really hope there’s more books coming because I just don’t believe that that’s how it all ends😭

The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars is because I felt like it was a little drug out. I’m not upset that it’s a thick book. I truly believe it needs to be thick to really develop the different characters and worlds. However, I think there are some parts that we could do without.

Thank you NetGalley!
What to say about this book other than AMAZING! I loved it from the very start. The story is original and very interesting.
The MFC is a badass villan which is trying to keep her sister safe. And to do that, she make an alliance with someone really unexpected. Both of the MC are grey morally characters which is always good, mostly if they are both good-looking god-monster. And the heat is strong in here. I’d say 🌶🌶/5 in a spice level.
This book is a REAL enemy to lovers with a slow burn sooo good that will keep you up til the end of it! Looking forward to book number 2 and see more of the interesting world building.

Promising concept, however, I found the story a bit chaotic and rushed at times. The writing was fine and the story was okay though.
Also I am not sure if this is the final format, but the big spacing does feel unnecessary, on the other hand it is easy to read-quick.

I just dont think this was for me :/

The beginning of this book was a tad bit slow, but once you get to about 20% of the book, the book really takes you on a wild amazing ride. I sincerely loved this book and rated it 4.5 stars. This is an amazing debut novel and was so gripping, I wish the date for the sequel was already released. This book literally made me blush, cry, scream, and laugh. The book follows Dianna, who made a deal with Kaden (the big bad of the book) to save her sister's life 1,000 years ago. While on a mission for Kaden, she meets Liam a God who Kaden is seeking to destroy. Once Dianna and Liam meet, things sure do get interesting. My only complaints for this book are the slow pacing in the very beginning and the world-building is a little messy. There is just a lot going on with the world-building where there are a lot of creatures that are remnants of Gods that we only see through flashbacks very briefly. This world that we are in is also very similar to Earth where they have phones, TV, cars, etc, which made me confused for a second. Regardless enough world-building is done to understand the main conflict and make it a very interesting fantasy book. The spice in this book is top tier and I just love the connection between Dianna and Liam. There are so so many tropes in this book including 1-bed trope, who hurt you, jealousy trope, grumpy x grumpy, forced proximity, and enemies to friends to lovers. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Rose and Star publishing for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thankyou to Rose and Star publishing for the Arc!

Every trope in this book is my favourite
- Enemies to lovers
- a little grumpy x sunshine
- Morally grey characters
- Forbidden love
- Slow burn
- One bed
And our all time favourite "Who did this to you"
All jam-packed into this fun, fast paced Fantasy book.

Dianna was unapologetically herself and I loved it, she's a badass
Her and Liam's banter is brilliant, I couldn't stop laughing at some points!
There's a little bit of info dumping but once your past that it's perfect
I can't wait for book two after the cliffhanger!

[Thanks to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!]
I almost DNF this, but I don’t have it in me to DNF an ARC. The 5 stars reviews must be either from people who know the author or people who didn’t even read the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, the plot and the way this book is sold is amazing, but that’s as far as it goes. The book itself was painfully slow and had way too much filler. Most of the scenes were unnecessary to the point where I skipped a whole chapter to see if I got lost and I absolutely didn’t. You can’t sell a book under the “enemies older than time” and “villain’s pov” tags when your one dimensional main character is actually a hero who has killed in the past to protect her sister, or when the love interest is as bland as a 14-year-old with Daddy Issues who just falls for her in a few pages (and viceversa).
I just feel like it really needs a team of editors to take out half of the book and polish the rest of it to maybe turn it into a good book.

Like I said, it was a good idea, but it was all so poorly executed and I will definitely not be reading the rest of the series.

4 stars

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden love
-Morally grey FMC
- Abit of grumpy/sunshine vibes
- Fast paced
- Fantasy but not too heavy

I enjoyed the concept of the book! It was face paced and wasn't too fantasy driven. Which is enjoyed for the first book, but I'm expecting (or hoping) to see more in the second book. There is alot we still need to understand and I can't wait for everything to unravel.
I LOVED Dianna. She is an unapologetic badass and I was so shocked when we uncovered her true identity - it definitely adds to the forbidden love aspect of things.
Liam is perfect. He is a hero is all essence who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders (quite literally). The banter between him and Dianna was perfect. His POV was so cute - him finding difficulty understanding his feelings towards Dianna and the way he describes it is utter perfection.

The book wasn't spicy (just alittle here and there), but I think the build up to their romance was great and I'm hoping to see more development in the future books.

I don't know how to digest the ending of the book, it doesn't end of a cliffhanger per say but it definitely leaves you heart broken and wanting to know what happens in the second book. There is prophecy towards the end and we saw just the tip of it happening. The lead up to the ending was so fucking sad.

All in all, I can't wait for the second book - I really want to know what will happen between Dianna and Liam.

The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole is a very well written and gripping book. I was hooked from the start and I especially liked that it was dual perspective

4.5⭐️ rounded up for a delicious gods & monsters fantasy romance!

Big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest & unbiased review.

Now, let's get into it:

A trope round-up, for funsies:
🦇 enemies-to-lovers
🦇 one bed
🦇 magical war
🦇 "who did this to you?"
🦇 forbidden romance: species natural enemies
🦇 slow burn
🦇 unworthy of love/forgiveness
🦇 nightmares
🦇 gods & monsters

And now, for the good stuff:

Once upon a time, Dianna was a mortal in Eoria, who lived with her sister and parents. However, a collision of worlds and plague simultaneously decimated the long-lost civilization, and Dianna was left only with her sister, Gabby, who was dying. In a desperate attempt to save her, Dianna pled to save her, and Kaden listened - in exchange for saving Gabby's life, the two would no longer be mortal and Dianna would serve at his side. Fast forward to present, Dianna is Kaden's glorified plaything and is being dragged along on the search for an old relic - the Book of Azrael.

Dianna ends up getting captured by Liam - god of the Etherworld and Netherworld, son of Unir, the World Ender. Not eager to return to Kaden and with the blood deal guarantee of her sister's well being, Dianna teams up with Liam to find the Book before Kaden. As natural enemies, Liam (god) and Dianna (monster) struggle to find common footing. However, as they begin on their journey, lines are blurred and new feelings take root. It becomes clear that the devastation they all feared from Kaden and the Book may be overshadowed by the devastation they will cause each other.

"Ah, yes, but a monster is still a monster, no matter how pretty it is."

Y'all, let me just say, at the beginning of this I was straight up confusion about who and what the hell was going on.


HOWEVER... As I got past the info dumping, I was in👏🏼ves👏🏼ted👏🏼.

The side characters? Amazing. The character growth? Fantastic.

I absolutely adored the banter between Dianna and Liam. At several points, I was literally LOLing.

"You are absolutely tormenting. You realize that, correct?"

Not me, like this, watching this unfold:


At some point in their travels, Dianna and Liam call a truce, and she helps him talk through a lot of his pent-up anxieties and concerns. Dianna tells him that she's always afraid, yet accepting, that Kaden will find her and take her back, as hostage.

"I will not let him have you." Jaw, meet floor.


No spoilers, but I can say with certainty that the ending was 🔥. Prepare yourselves for a tormenting cliffhanger!

Thank you Amber Nicole and Rose&Star publishing for this NetGally arc!

This book was such a wild and wonderful adventure! Diana is my kind of heroine - fire, rage, and so much heart! And that slow burn ooooh ✨🥰✨I saw it coming and I enjoyed how they got there. Liam was such a golden retriever/grumpy bear 🥺

Looking forward to the next book!

First off thank you to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing, LLC, for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review

Dianna is a creature of legends. Hundreds of years ago she traded her life for her sister's and now works for the King of the Monsters, Kaden. When Kaden becomes obsessed with finding the Book of Azrael, Dianna is sent into the lair of the Gods, her ancient enemies, to retrieve it.

Samkiel is the King of the Gods, having made an ultimate sacrifice hundreds of years ago, he has been living in solitude. When one of his elite warriors, The Hand, is killed Samkiel must return to secure the world once again from the threat of the monsters.

I so wanted to like this book. The plot is interesting , the characters are interesting , but it just all felt so incredibly unedited and unreviewed.
Some examples from my read (no spoilers):

78% - “I had not left the Ovlivian blade in the ground…” - Oblivion? Once again. Did anyone proofread this at all?"
37.0% “You know I’ve always wondered if the celestials convoys were nicer than the public ones used in the cities” I said as a popped another small piece of chocolate in one of the lounge chairs (did she put the chocolate in the chair?)
…one paragraph later
“You know I’ve always wondered if the celestials convoys were nicer than the public ones used in the cities.” I said as I popped another small…”"
24.0% “I listened to him repeat the same questions repeatedly”"
18.0% "“Wisps of curls that stuck out of the bottom stuck out of the bottom”
17.0% -“My fingers across the clothes Logan had given me.” - This was the full sentence. What did your fingers do across the clothes
8.0% "“I’d opted for a short, soft green dress. My short, soft green dress had a halter top…”

This isn't even all of them, just all the ones I took the time to input into Goodreads.
I really think that if the author can hire a good editor this book it would be an amazing high fantasy story, but as it is now, I just can't recommend this to anyone. Hopefully the author/publisher has updated the manuscript from the e-arc prior to publishing cause I would love to see this story reach it's full potential.