Excellent story that was executed well via audiobook. As always, I wish there was more than one narrator. I'm not a hater of the FMC doing all the parts but sometimes it takes me out of the story. The end was a bit of an info dump but I was able to grasp most of it. Overall, a most enjoyable read!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Celestial Academy: Essence
Author: Olivia Pharos
Afterworld #1

Okay, this was also another interesting read! Thank you so much Netgalley and IBPA for this ALC! This was a super fun read which would be good for fans of Zodiac Academy. Our FMC is a demon owned, drug dealing human living in the Afterworld. She ends up getting arrested for selling a very high profile drug called “Angelescence”. Her punishment for this, is being carted off to Celestial Academy. Godric is a hot assasin that has been assigned to watch over her. They end up absolutely hating each other, but also being drawn to each other. Unfortunately there are explosive consequences if they end up taking the next step. This book was super fun, my only issues were that I found myself getting a little slumpy at some parts of it. Overall, it did keep me intrigued enough to finish and I would definitely listen to book 2 if they release it on audio! It was refreshing to read a light, spicy, brain candy type fantasy right now.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The world building, wit and banter, and the plot was exceptional! I adored the blend of action and romance (was cheering for more romance the entire time.) I listened to this book and, while I felt like it was on the longer side, believe it was perfect for the story. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Pharos!

Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)

I had high hopes for *Celestial Academy: Essence*, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The story dragged on far too much, with pacing that felt sluggish and moments that seemed unnecessarily prolonged. The "enemies to lovers" dynamic, which I usually love, felt forced and unconvincing. The characters' transition from animosity to affection lacked depth, making their relationship feel more like a plot requirement than a natural progression.

I listened to the audiobook through NetGalley, which required using the NetGalley app. Unfortunately, the app kept crashing, making it difficult to maintain focus and momentum with the story. This technical issue may have contributed to my overall struggle with the book. Ultimately, I decided to DNF at 60%, as it just wasn’t holding my attention. While the world-building had potential, it wasn’t enough to keep me invested.

Quite an easy read to be honest. Really easy to listen to and get immersed into the story. Really enjoyed the plot

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. The concept was good but I found it a tad too American highschool drama-ish. I listened to the audio book and I didn't like the way it was read, it felt too immature for the context of the book. I unfortunately didn't finish this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The charm, wit, saracasm and down to earth writing was amazing. It flowed with ease, I ended up loving almost every character in the book and if you're going to read it I suggest the audiobook as the narrator is amazing. Honestly, it's one of my favourite books. I don't normally read books that aren't LGBTQ+ but I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. I do think there needs to be a trigger warning though because the SA reference at the end threw me a bit.

I loved this book! The FMC was a snarky, selfless powerhouse that instantly drew me in. I love the concept of the post-apocalyptic world filled with angelic and demonic beings. It is not one that I had seen done before. The slow burn of the two main characters was aching wonderful, making me desperate to see how they would come together. And the larger plot line has me diving right into the second one. Well done!

I’m not normally a huge fan of dark academia, but the blurb of this book caught my eye. If you’re looking for a dark and twisty adventure, this would be right up your alley, and the narrator was great!

This book was kind of a dark academia fantasy romance set in a post apocalyptic world where both heaven and hell co-exist on Earth with the rest of humanity who are still left after being caught up in their war and almost entirely eradicated. Now demons and angels have peace accords with each other, while people are left to drag their miserable lives in this cruel dystopian world. The story follows Wen who is enslaved along with her best friend Sarah by a demon and who will do anything to earn enough money to buy their freedom, including working as a drug dealer, selling the drug that only she knows how to make. She then ends up in this Celestial Academy violently brought there by a nephilim Godric to learn her secret and find out how she makes this drug. This academy is violent and cruel to people, and only the strongest will survive.

I requested this book from Netgalley mainly because I was so impressed by this amazing cover and the premise of the book. I thought it would be a great listen…but I actually ended up DNFing it around 40%.

I think one of the reasons why I didn't enjoy this book was the narrator. I am not saying it was bad, but I somehow couldn't focus on her words at all and had to constantly wind back to relisten, which wasn't fun at all.

The other reason might be the FMC. She was supposed to be this sassy, strong-willed girl who experienced a lot of trauma in her life. Yet, somehow, I found her sense of humor and her “witty” comments flat and immature for her age. She frustrated me so much that I constantly found myself rolling my eyes and wishing to dnf it, which at some point I did. MMC was a dominant, possessive, and very mean angel who honestly treated her really badly. And the way she still kept simping after him all over the place threw me off so much. It had no logic, no sense in all of that. Also, her obsession over her friend is another topic entirely. Like, girl, just get the grip and let her do what she wants!

Other than that, the world building was great, and the plot itself was really promising and had a lot of potential, but without solid characters, it just doesn’t justify it. At least, not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Pharos for the opportunity to review Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos. While this book aimed to hit the urban fantasy sweet spot, it unfortunately leans too heavily into the tried-and-true tropes we’ve all seen before. The protagonist is a familiar “sarcastic tough girl” archetype who meets her enigmatic match in a brooding Archangel, and their chemistry builds in predictable ways. His stoic, smoldering looks and strict training regimen for her feel familiar, with her internal thoughts over-focused on his dark appeal—yet without a fresh twist that would have elevated the narrative.

Though the setting offered glimmers of creativity, it wasn’t enough to buoy a storyline that often felt stale. The plot followed the all-too-familiar pattern of discovering hidden powers and a “special destiny,” but without the innovative spin or depth that could have made it memorable.

The audiobook narration had its moments, with some accents and character voices adding life, but the choice to portray yelling as an odd, restrained whisper detracted from the energy. The main character’s internal monologue leaned too heavily on snark, quickly veering into repetitive territory that, instead of building her personality, felt overdone.

For readers who enjoy urban fantasy with familiar rhythms, Celestial Academy: Essence may still offer an entertaining escape, but those looking for something fresh might find it lacking.

This was ...something

Angels, Essence, a Boarding School, weird Sexual Tension.

This definitely was not my kind of book and to be honest I already forgot most of it again.
The Voices were nice though

The narration was fabulous!

The book was what I expected to feel about ZA. I’m not a huge ZA fan at all. But this delivered. We have our slow burn romance and lots of great plot with mystery and excitement!

I recommend this to anyone who likes academic paranormal vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley, IBPA, and Olivia Pharos for the audio ARC of Celestial Academy: Essence.

I'm afraid I DNF'd this book at 21%. The plaintive, childish tone of the narrator, combined with the pointless, rambling, emptiness of the content of the story just drove me mad. I tried to stick it out, but couldn't.

This was not for me. I found the audio narration style along with the dialogue style did not create an immersive experience.

Book Review: Celestial Academy: Essence

Rating: 2.75⭐️

This book had some fun moments, but ultimately didn’t quite deliver for me. I may still check out the second installment to see if it finds its stride.

What I Enjoyed:
❤️ Epic worldbuilding
❤️ Pop culture references
❤️ Fun side characters (Hello, Lorcan and Jinny!)
❤️ Sexual tension and banter between the MCs (the thirst, the THIRST!)
❤️ Great voice acting

What Missed the Mark:
❌ “Useless pet friend or younger sibling” trope
❌ One-dimensional MCs (a bratty FMC and a mean MMC)
❌ Too many internal monologues and ramblings
❌ Inconsistent pacing

Celestial Academy: Essence felt like an uphill battle. The story was bogged down by unnecessary wordiness and repetitive inner thoughts that slowed the plot until around 60%. Wen, the main character, often felt irritating with her constant questions and inner musings, and her relationship with her best friend, Sarah, leaned toward an unhealthy co-dependency.

The last 20% did redeem itself a bit, with the pace finally picking up, and I enjoyed characters like Jinny, Lorcan, and Godric—characters I’d love to see more of in the next book.

The audiobook of Celestial Academy: Essence brings this supernatural fantasy to life with vivid narration, capturing the magic, tension, and intrigue of a young girl discovering her celestial powers at a mysterious academy. The narrator’s dynamic performance makes the action-packed scenes even more engaging, while adding depth to the main character’s journey.

Perfect for fans of magical academies, character-driven fantasy, and stories with a blend of romance and adventure will love this audiobook. Ideal for those who enjoyed Vampire Academy or Shadowhunters.

Fast paced Fantasy with all the smut and drama. It took a few chapters for me to get hang of the style. We were thrust in to the world with very little background on any of the characters which made figuring out the world dynamic a little challenging. This book gives a lot of the same vibes I got from Crescent City. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to this title! I will probably pick up the next book in the series because I was always entertained even if the style wasn’t as easy to understand at first.

*Celestial Academy: Essence* by Olivia Pharos is an exciting start to the *Afterworld* series, blending celestial mythology with the supernatural academy vibe. The heroine's journey, marked by her unique powers and internal growth, is engaging, and the mix of romance, action, and mystery keeps things moving. Pharos creates an immersive world, though some parts could have used more depth. Despite a few rushed moments, it’s a fun, fast-paced read that fans of paranormal romance and academic settings will enjoy.

***Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for gifting me an eARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75⭐ rounded up to 4. My expectations are usually pretty low for “Listen Now” titles, but this one was actually fun, despite some flaws. I’ll probably read or listen to the second one and see how things go.

❤️ Epic worldbuilding
❤️ Pop culture references
❤️ Fun side characters (Hello Lorcan and Jinny!)
❤️ Sexual tension and banter between the MCs (the thirst, the THIRST!)
❤️ Top-tier voice acting
❌ The “useless pet friend or younger sibling” trope
❌ One-dimensional MCs (bratty FMC and mean MMC)
❌ Too many internal monologues / ramblings
❌ Inconsistent pace

Trigger warnings: violence and death, blood and gore, bullying, kidnapping and confinement, drug use and abuse, poverty and hunger, physical and emotional abuse, grief, injury and injury detail, classism and forced indoctrination.

Plot:
When a drug deal goes wrong, Demon-Owned human Wen is arrested and forcedly conscripted into the Celestial Academy (a boot camp for Celestials and other creatures with angelic powers), along with her best friend Sarah. But since Wen has a mysterious ability to capture Angel Essence, she is assigned Heaven’s most ruthless soldier and assassin as a mentor. Meanwhile, a new war and another Apocalypse are brewing…

There’s a lot of tropes, plotlines, and twists we’ve seen and seen before (forced proximity, touch her and die, deadly trials, reluctant allies, mysterious superpowers, one-of-a-kind FMC, hate to lust, etc.), but it was still a fun book to listen to, and I’m curious about what comes next. However, the pace could have been reworked, because it went something like: strong start > nothing much happening > everything happening at once.

Characters:
The two MCs left me pretty indifferent. At first, I found Wen’s sassy and snarky remarks funny, but at some point it got dull and she just seemed too immature and bratty. Godric, on the other hand, was a real angelhole. A superbeing that takes pleasure in torturing a woman doesn’t get my vote, regardless of how hot he is. BUT, there are side characters that make it up for the MCs. Godric’s BFF Lorcan was awesome, and I almost wished he was the LI (he reminded me of Lucien in the Feyre-Tamlin-Lucien trio in ACOTAR). Demoness troublemaker Jinny was also awesome. Sarah, the useless-pet best friend, annoyed me to no end, but I feel like her character has tremendous potential, so… we’ll see?

Writing:
The writing didn’t strike me as being good or bad, but I do think more thorough editing could have helped the pacing. Also, perhaps “too much banter” is a thing. Toning down Wen’s sass would have made some dialogues and plot twists more believable.

Audiobook:
The voice narrator was a blast. Amanda Leigh Cobb’s delivery was sharp and nuanced, keeping me interested even through the slower parts.