This was a DNF for me. I found it difficult to get into and never felt particularly invested and ended up giving up at around the 20% mark. But I think it was more an issue of not being in the right mood for it at the time rather than anything to do with the quality of the book. I'll probably give it another chance sometime.

A unique book that features the female lead character as the villain and the male lead character as the hero. I liked how the Nobel was set up and the plot that blew me away. The storylines were well-balanced and I can’t wait to read the next book.

This was a long but good read. The fmc is the morally grey character and the mmc is the 'hero'. It was a nice dynamic to see. The mythical/magical world was layered together and sometimes we got answers and sometimes we just got more questions. Death happens a lot which I think helped progress parts of the story, especially having a villainous main character. The ending was definitely a powerful choice and will definitely cause drama in the next book.

I enjoyed this read but unfortunately it didn’t land quite where I thought it would. I couldn’t really connect to the characters and the worldbuilding felt a little confusing and then just info-dumpy. Definitely a fun read but not one of my favourites

I love a FMC as the villain. SO GOOD. I also love that the MMC is the grump even though he's not the villain. Really great dynamic between the two of them and the cliffhanger is so goooddd. I need the second book asap!

This book quite literally had me at the edge of my seat. I read it in the span of one day. I’m new to dark romances and I felt like this book really sucked me in from the beginning.

"The Book of Azrael" is a captivating fantasy novel that whisks readers away into a world of magic, intrigue, and adventure. From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the vividly created realms and complex characters that populate this fantastical tale.

The world-building in this book is truly exceptional, with a variety of landscapes and settings brought to life with great attention to detail. The author's descriptive prose transports readers into this immersive world, allowing you to feel the chill of ancient forests and experience the hustle and bustle of bustling cities. The depth and creativity put into crafting this unique universe are impressive.

I'd heard great things about The Book of Azrael, so I was looking forward to reading it. However, the quality of the writing didn't hold up and the story failed to grip me after reading nearly 20% of this long tome. Unfortunately, I decided not to finish it.

An enemies-to-lovers book where the author flips the script with the female lead character. Rather than a main character who is the hero, the MC is the villain instead. This turns the typical story path on its head. With other tropes such as: forced proximity, and a slow burn romance, the book explores the tropes most sought after.

The plot is reveled as the story continues, though is occasionally overshadowed by filler scenes. Yet the cliffhanger still demands a sequel to quench the craziness of the ending.

However, the critique of this book lies in the editing. The wording and grammar were sometimes too distracting from the plot and characters. This book, despite the tropes, was not for me; a writer's style is a huge component to a book, and it deeply effected the experience while reading.

“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.”

Read this now. The TENSION. The BETRAYAL. The ENDING. This book had me gripped from the get go and I cannot wait to see where it goes. I have a feeling it’ll only get better from here. The world building is fantastic. The characters had me invested and kicking my feet in the air like a school girl. This is everything I want in my fantasy/romance novels. This book was an emotional roller coaster but it totally paid off.

I ended up DNFing this book. It just was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, perhaps more than I was expecting too! I thought both the hero and the heroine had compelling arcs of their own, each dealing with very different life experiences. I enjoyed the heroine's story with regards to her and her sister's childhood, and how she essentially built her life around protecting her sister, even at the expense of her own morality. As for the hero, I thought his backstory of destruction and chaos, and the burdens of power under which he has always operated, was compelling and interesting. They each balanced one another well, and I was impressed by how well they complemented each other as the story progressed. Neither lost their unique motivations or was over-shadowed by the other. I'm definitely intrigued to see where the story goes next!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I had seen this on Kindle Unlimited and remembered that even though it's been out for ages, I had a review copy and decided that it was finally time to get to this massive book.

I've been in a fantasy romance mood recently, so I went into this with pretty high expectations. And in spite of everything, I will say that this started off strong. But as I kept reading, I just found myself enjoying it less and less and wishing I would come to the end of this monstrosity. It honestly did feel A LOT longer than it needed to be, and every single one of Liam's chapters just made the book drag on that much more. I think the pacing problems and the glaring lack of editing made this one much tougher to get through than it needed to be.

I am the first to say that I love morally grey characters. I adore reading from the perspective of a villain. Their "no fucks given" kind of attitude is one thing that can usually immediately draw me in and keep my attention. However, Dianna is not it. She is just someone who made wrong choices and wants to BE good. She isn't evil for the sake of it or just bad because she's predetermined that's what her path is going to be. Both characters feel super flat and lack personality. I didn't believe in the relationship and felt no connection or chemistry at all. It was almost like the author was just TELLING me how things were and I was supposed to believe it, but I was never shown WHY.

Something that typically doesn't usually land well for me personally in my books is humor, and this was no exception. It was honestly BAD. It made characters that were supposed to be adults seem childish. Even the way that they talk and act doesn't line up with their given ages.

If you're interested in this book, I would say give it a shot since it does seem to have many positive reviews, but I can't understand why. If you do pick it up, I hope you enjoy it more than I did!

I cannot express how much I adored this book! It was everything I hoped for and more!

The beginning of the book starts rather slow so you get to explore the world this story is set in. The world-building is quite complex but the author did an excellent job at explaining it all.

Once both main characters are introduced, the story picks up. The plot is interesting and very unique. Many twists and turns keep you on your toes the entire time!

The banter between the main characters was amazing. Dianne, morally grey and snarky, versus Liam, broody and protective. While they start of as true enemies, the chemistry between them is incredible! Both their characters develop throughout the story and I really enjoyed seeing them grow towards eachother.

And that ending... Totally blew my mind! I can't wait to dive into the next book!

I ended up DNFing this book. The writing style was just not for me. I think I got to 15% before I called it quits. Writing wasn’t for me, the plot wasn’t for me, just overall not for me.

First thing's first, it's important to tell potential readers that this book ends on a painful cliffhanger! Readers, beware!
Dianna sacrificed herself thousands of years ago to save her sister, and now is forced to do the bidding of a dark monster. Dianna is, by all standards, the villain of her own story, and I find her morally grey attitude and complicated past truly enthralling.

Dianna's relationship with her sister is central to the plot of The Book of Azrael, and we can see our villainous main character humanised by the love she has for her sister. Another relationship that forms is with Liam, who was also known as Samkiel, or The World Ender. Dianna and Liam are mortal enemies, and flat-out attempt to murder each other at points within the novel, but they are both complex characters whose relationship slowly develops. It's great to see the flirting and fighting - sometimes at the same time - and I'm keen to see how this relationship develops in the second book.

Yes, The Book of Azrael is around 500 pages, but once you're sucked into the characters and their relationships, you don't notice that it's a bit of a chunky book. Whilst the world-building is a little clunky in places, the pacing is brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Bring on Book 2!!

unfortunately the world building was messy and incoherent. The main character was not relatable or likable to me. The plot wasn't enthralling enough for me to ever feel hooked into the story.

A captivating clash of wills and hearts when Monster meets World Ender.

"I didn’t feel like a monster with him, and I realized I never had."

I devoured this book, with a female lead who is no angel, but whose darkest deeds are committed in the name of protecting the one person she calls family. Taken prisoner by those who see her as irredeemable, Dianna fights to keep her sister safe and risks her heart with the one being who could end her existence...

I loved the depth of these characters, and the slow build between them.

Beware heartbreak.

I tried a few times over the past year but the book is double the size it needs to be, the world building is poor, the characterisation is bad (why does the centuries old female protagonist act like an annoying teenagers?) and the author has a habit of telling rather than showing. Despite all this the concept is strangely compelling (not sure why the plot was not ground breaking in anyway) which is why it is on pause rather than DNF. I'm a sucker for an epic fantasy romance and I've been starved for a good one. This has potential but it's not there yet.

You know what this book reminded me of? The song, "Secrets" by One Republic. Like the lyrics of the song just capture the sense of this book.
The book of Azrael weaves together magic, destiny and the unbreakable bond between two worlds! The characters were intricately developed and so many secrets unfold leading to so many twists and turns in the story that will have your mind transfixed outside of reality.