Solid start with lots of potential..
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2024
It was a bit of a bumpy ride to start. You are never fully sure what is going on or who the good guys are. I have as many questions as Wen. But it is a solid start with lots of potential. Great cast of characters, Interdimensional world building. Super high stakes.

Definitely held my interest can't wait for book 2.

I had no clue how much I’d love this book going into it, granted I never do, but I usually have a good feeling. However, I’ve learned it’s the books I put off reading for a bit that usually are the best, the ones I love the most, and the ones that have me hooked so quickly. That was this one for me, I’m shocked how easily I started to love this story. Unlike most fantasies I’ve read, this one is more modern set in a future world, seemingly not so far into the future based on the language used as well. I loved the mix of the current world and the fantasy world connected, it works so well in this story, in a way, I rarely see.

I’m not sure how old Wen is, I think 18-22, but man she reminds me of a young college girl in so many ways. Her thoughts are so messy, horny (you go girl), and just all out fun that it’s one of the main reasons I loved this book. Her relationship with Godric is the other reason this story stands out while using such familiar tropes. They have amazing banter, a treat hatred for each other, and adding in Godric’s best friend, I was hooked from the first kidnapping!

I cannot wait to continue this series! I’m literally counting down the days until the next book is out!

I consumed this book like it was my last meal in the Afterworld! This world has just become my new obsession! The comparables to Zodiac Academy, Mortal Instruments, and Sarah J Maas books pulled me in, but Pharos' mastery in story telling is what had me hooked from the first chapter. It was all I hoped for and more! So PLEASE, do me a favor and read this book! I was lucky enough to be selected as an ARC reader, and when I say I RAN to buy the physical copy not even a quarter of the way through... I mean I tripped over my own figurative feet to get my hands on a physical copy and support this amazing debut author!

All of the characters are well thought out, each with their own unique personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Wen is a cockroach in the best way. She survives everything that's thrown at her, middle fingers up, then asks for more. Godawful is the perfect brooding, morally charcoal, steampot that we've all been asking for. And when I say slow burn? I mean SIMMERING, with all the ingredients to make your mouth water in anticipation.

The plot was smart and action driven. I had a million questions that had me furiously flipping the page for more. The world building was flawlessly seamed into the story in ways that felt natural and not info dumpy. I love Pharos' Prose. It was beautiful and her similes and metaphors were top notch! Like seriously, I've never heard the majority of the descriptions she used but they painted the picture of her world in the same way an artis

There were a few grammatical errors that were missed in editing as well as a few sentences that were hard to follow, but that's to be expected with a debut author. The story was good enough for those not to affect my review negatively.

I am honestly mad that I read this book, because now it's going to be all I think about until the next one comes out. I was so immersed in this world, almost immediately, that I found myself stretching out the last chapters because I didn't want to say goodbye. This was everything I wanted Zodiac Academy to be and I truly think it has the potential be even bigger (Even though I love ZA). I look forward to following Pharos' journey as an author and will definitely be devouring anything she puts out in the future.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the privilege of reading this book!

This book has a good storyline and good bones, but man, there was a lot of unnecessary words. There were a few times where I’d start skimming because I can’t handle excessive inner monologues and this one could be edited down a lot and be a great read. Hopefully the next book gets better!

Great book! Already ordered the next one!! The tension and slow build is amazing! Some concepts aren't flushed out and are left vague and confusing but overall well written with good character development! Love the humor!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 3.5
This was a good read. It reminded me of Zodiac Academy and The Mortal Instruments! There is a lot of world building in the beginning. It’s an intriguing mix of dystopian and urban fantasy. The concept of the apocalyptic world being run by angels and demons is well done. Wen, the FMC, is so sassy and snarky. I also love the MMC. The slow burn trope is everything.
Some of the writing also reminded me of Crescent City. The author gives a lot of detail and information though, which sometimes overwhelmed me. But most of the time added to the story!
Thank you NetGalley!

While this is not usually my go to trope, I enjoyed it. The FMC was slightly annoying and redundant, and I can see why people could DNF this just based on that alone. I look forward to the 2nd book and high hopes that it will be more engaging to me.

I enjoy this book, it was a fun read. Gave me Zodiac Academy, I am excited to see where this series goes.

I absolutely loved this book and the way this world was presented. Wen worded things, especially about humanity, in a way that all of us can relate. Cannot wait for Null!

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook copy!

This story wasn't for me. I like the overall concept, the storyline was there. It was just a bit drawn out. I ended up skimming a good bit.

I didn’t care for the FMC. Her snark was amusing at first but it became a little bit of a shtick that lost its appeal after a while.

I did like the MMC. I found him intriguing and I wish we could have seen his POV throughout.

Overall, I think the writing style wasn't for me, but the general idea was good.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I have to say, I had really high hopes for this one. I’d seen people talking about it online and thought this is going to be great! I felt disappointed. Firstly, I dislike Wen. I think her banter is annoying and frankly she acts so childish it’s hard to picture her as an adult. Comebacks are only cute so many times and then it just becomes annoying. The constant questioning everything got old too.

I also felt as though this story could have gone in a million other directions. An angel/demon book is so fascinating, but I feel like it didn’t meet that mark.

Godric was too vague about literally everything and it wasn’t a “mysterious” vague just a plain old “i don’t want to tell you” vague. It made his character uninteresting.

Finally, I felt like there was no resolution to anything & it felt like I dove into this world and got nothing out of it. I know it’s a series but some questions should have been met.

ALSO, her friends are about to die but she’s going to spend time mind-talking with Godric? come on

This was pretty good! I enjoyed all the drama and the plot was solid. I can’t wait for the next one!

This was really bad…
It looks like it didnt go thru any editing process, I realize that as an arc it might be an unfinished copy but it is miss in SEVERAL editing rounds.

As far as characters go, the sister of the main protagonist just serves as way for her not to be killed by her demon roomate who by soñé chance is super friends with her, just an example of how nothing about character motivations makes any sense.

I dont know I really disliked this one, won’t be reading the second one

Format: E-Book
Rating: 4 Stars
Spice: 1

This book has everything. It gives Zodiac Academy feel without the need for 9 books and 500 pages. The story follows Wen, a demon-owned human slave looking to find her and her best friend Sarah's way out of slavery. Through some dark transgressions, she finds herself in front fo Godric and Archangel's son, who are looking to punish her. For her punishment, she is sent to the celestial academy to grow and become apart of their world. But, Wen and the academy are not what they seem.

I thought this book was great. I thought the story was well developed with enough world-building to kick it off. We met some main characters, some new players, and a sneak peek at where the series will go. I thought Wen was a great FMC with a whole lot of attitude and bite to back it up. She is fierce to love and loves fearlessly. I really enjoyed the academy and watching her come to her true self without worrying what some many people think of her.

This book was one that without the romance (helloooooo slow-burn) would stand on its own without it. My only compliant is the super casual language sometimes. I know it was chosen on purpose for Wen, but the name-calling and such did get a little old at times.

Overall, great book, and happy to have had a chance to read it!!!

I loved this book. I think the world building and the character development were great. It was a fun read and I couldn't put it down. Balancing all of the world building and characters can be hard but I think Pharos did it really well and I can't wait to read more

The omparison of this book to Hogwarts and Zodiac Academy really caught my interest. It's definitely a slow burn, but I love a slow burn enemies-to-lovers so i really enjoyed this book! I found some of the writing hard to follow at first, the slang names for the different types of angels etc, but once I got into it,I couldn't put it down! Looking forward to reading the next book

I started Celestial Academy because it promised to merge elements and magic from Crescent City, The Mortal Instruments, and Zodiac Academy.

As a HUGE fan of ZA, I couldn’t miss the chance to read it.

But let me tell you, Celestial Academy is something different. So far, the only thing in common was the incredibly creative complexity of the world-building and the fact it is set at this Academy.

Oh, and Wen slightly reminds me of Tory, but I'll tell you about that later.

Other than that, I found it quite different from ZA. Which is not a bad thing, in my opinion.

The love interest is slowly developed, giving space to the intricate magical elements and mythology.

We know there are vampires and other creatures, but we never see them in this book. The main focus remains angels, archangels, demons and archdemons (and all that is in between these two factions).

I want to take a moment and applaud the author's mythology, which merge biblical and fantasy elements to completely original features, resulting in great action and supernatural powers that will awe you!

Let’s talk about the main characters: Wen and Godric.

Wen is a human with a special skill: she can collect one of the rarest substances, which she sells in clandestine transactions to buy herself and her friends' freedom..

Wen is stubborn, grumpy, and constantly inclined to conflict. She never stops asking questions to literally anyone, and she has a great spirit of initiative, as she was taught she had only herself to rely on. She is a survivor and will always be one.

We see her go from zero to heavenly high levels in this book, as she has the best mentor: Godric.

Godric is something... unearthly. We never see his full potential, but his aura is enough to make Wen’s arms and legs tremble in intimidation (and something else, hehe).

There is one thing we know for sure: Wen is the greatest, most complicated pain in the arse he has had in years. Maybe centuries.

But every great hate-to-love story needs a considerable deal of hatred to fuel the love interest.

The first book feels like an introduction to the world and the characters, but it leaves us with more unanswered questions than Wen has ever encountered.

Characters like Sarah, Jinny, Aela, and Cara gain a lot of importance in the end. And we still have to see if Godric’s interesting younger brother has some sort of role in the next book.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this read. I would have loved more dialogues among the characters, but the amazing action and complex developments were so epic that I couldn’t stop reading. Above all, the final part.

If you love paranormal urban/mythological fantasy with epic characters and a slow burn enemies-to-lovers story, this book is for you!

Received a copy of Celestial Academy: Essence through NetGalley.

Definitely stayed up far too late in my rush to devour this book as quickly as possible. Wen and Godawful are such compelling characters and the lore surrounding their world so intricate that I am ravenous for book 2!

4/5⭐️

A brand-new urban fantasy obsession for me!

I was hooked right from chapter one. The plot, the world-building, the characters and the progression; everything was top-notch. There's a Training Academy, there's mystery, there's adventure, there's slow burn romance, enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity. Basically, everything I look for in a fantasy.
The whole set-up of angels and demons were very well done, characters were interesting, especially Wen. She's brave, outspoken and a survivor. Personally, I enjoyed her inner monologues and banter with Godric.

The twists kept the book interesting and the pace, going. I have a few theories about some characters and hope that my predictions turn out to be accurate in the next installment of the series, which I am super excited to pick up soon.
Overall, a must read!

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this series - we have a enemies to sort of lovers, forced proximity and plenty of shenanigans to keep us entertained

We meet Wen when she’s struggling to survive - turning to criminal enterprises to try and save her best friend. She is (ofcourse) caught and sentenced to an academy where she learns more than just how to fight but who she and her friends are.

You have the usual academy tropes but all with some very cool post apocalyptic magic in play. I enjoyed the story and totally didn’t see the twist coming