I listened to the audiobook via NetGalley. Can't wait to read Book 2.

This was unexpected fun read/listen. I love the banter between MMC and FMC. It did take a minute for me to understand the world building. However once I got a good grasp of the world, it was enjoyable.

Slow-burn, enemies to lover. Trials. Twists. Demons. Angels. Humans.

Not everything is as it seems.

#CelestialAcademyEssence #NetGalley #ComeBacktoMeAlways

“Celestial Academy: Essence” written by Olivia Pharos…
I was excited for this read but unfortunately I have very little positive feedback. I ended up DNFing this book at sixty percent, I couldn’t handle the fmc, or her constant swooning over Gaudric. It was annoying and frankly not worth it. I feel the plot would have been great if it was a slow burn instead of her instantly finishing at the thought of him. The read wasn’t even close to worth it.
Still thank you for the e-arc and the examples of what not to do when I work on my books.

Ahhh! Just finished the audiobook. Sooooo good! The slooooooow burn and banter had me hooked the entire time. Cannot wait for the next book to come out in audio but I might have to break my streak and read it on my own.

What can I say? I NEEd to know what’s happening next!

This book had me intrigued from the start and I want to know who White truly is, I am not going to go into too much details since it would spoil the fun, but within the last few chapters we learn a bit more and now I NEED to know all of it!

It felt like a fresh take from the typical academy/school settings for fantasy books.

I am not usually a fan of the demon/angel thing, but I was surprised by this one!

Right off the bat, loved the sassy tone of the FMC. No nonsense attitude. This dystopian style modern story is fast paced and the character interactions are great. I would say that some content is geared more adult that YA (drug use and some nsfw moments as examples). But overall, I enjoyed this. I hope to get a copy of this book and read it.

This was a fast-paced fantasy tale about a world ruled by demons and angels, neither of which are the good guys and prone to stamping humans as their slaves. Wen finds herself shipped off to their version of magic academy under the guidance of a grumpy angel, Godric.

Although this was flagged for explicit content, there was none in this book so it would be OK for teens. The romance is very, very slow burn and mostly consists of knowing looks.

Great audio narration.

This was such an easy read. The banter is good. I’m not really attached to Godric but Lorcan makes up for it. I treat this book as world building even tho there’s not much world building involved. I have so many questions that are not answered! Which makes me want to drop all mh current read and read book two. I’m intrigued with Sarah’s origin and the “void” in Wen. Hopefully, we get answers in book two. So far I’m recommending this series.

This was a delightful listen.

The story and characters took me away from my life and allowed me to detach from reality in the best way.

The humor was great and the main character was stubborn, hard working and likeable. While sometimes frustrating to listen to, she was still a joy.

I was on the hook for every twist and turn.

And the enemies to lovers was developed really well. I hated Godric at first and I was determined to hate him always for how he treated Wen, and then Pharos worked her magic and I came to like him as Wen did.

This story was a delightful start to a whimsical yet modern urban fantasy series with a dystopian-rapture vibe. The main character, Wen, is a sassy delight throughout the plot, and her antics had me laughing out loud numerous times, adding a layer of amusement to the narrative.

There is something genuinely immersive about listening to an audiobook, especially when it's a fantasy. This series's quips, sarcasm, and detailed world-building make it a must-listen, keeping you engrossed in the story. Like a guilty pleasure, I will return to Afterworld and reread this one. I cannot wait to continue with this slow-burn romance series.

Thank you to author Olivia Pharos, the publisher of Seventh Wonder Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ARC and express my opinion.

I read the premise of the book and immediately asked to be an early reviewer. Im so glad I was given the chance to listen to this book. As someone who primarily focuses on fantasy, this one was right up my alley. There are a lot of amazing fantasy books out there, who have similar premises, and at first I thought this would be one of those. However, I am happy to say that the slow burn romance, the kick ass characters and unique plot kept me entertained for hours. I found myself laughing out loud on a couple of times, and now, all I can think about is that ending! I need to know who these characters actually are! Where is the next book?

The fact that I listened to this in one day should be stated, as that is how much this book consumed me. Fabulous first book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers for this audiobook.

Wen is our star in this, she's a demon owned girl in an post-apocalyptic world. Demons and angels kind of run the show now. Indentured with her best friend Sarah, she is stuck stealing angel-essence and creating a drug for demons. Stay with me...
She lands herself in trouble for selling this stuff and is shipped off to the Celestial Academy as a punishment of sorts. Her mentors are two arch-angels and she has a smidge of a love/hate with Godrick, who straps an invisible leash around her neck, tosses her around when sick of her lip and toys with her emotions...so obviously she swoons for him.

We meet other "cadets" or "trainees" and they are a fun diverse group with lots of sass.

The storyline centers around the trials Wen will endure to get through the academy and we have some mystery, like IS Wen human? Why can she do the things she does?

My only complaint is this thing is long, and often got confusing. I sometimes had to rewind and try to keep track of what happened to whom.
I think if read in book form I would follow it better.

It ends with a cliffhanger and I get the feeling it will be just the beginning of some cool world building.

Celestial Academy: Essence
A book for Adults who love YA books, but wish they were......more adultish. Wen, the relentlessly sassy and stubborn FMC, is introduced to us as a human in the demon run territory of a post-apocalyptic world. The force opposing the demons on earth is none other than heaven above's angels. While the writing style could benefit from subtlety and nuance, I don't mind suspending logical thinking for the sake of enjoyment. Wen's quick wit and issues with authority, while quality in most scenes, was so pervasive that even in the deepest, darkest moments of the plot she couldn't stop herself from yapping. Wen would benefit from some sense of self preservation. Her redeeming qualities are her steadfast loyalty and tendency toward sporadic NSFW daydreams, Key characters include the sweet Sarah and brooding Godric. As someone who has not yet read Crescent City or Zodiac Academy, I could recognize similarities in plot and worlds, but my enjoyment was unaffected. Excellent narration by Amanda Leigh Cobb. I was left with more questions than answers at the end, but that is not a complaint! Cliff hangers welcome.

I absolutely loved listening to this audible. There was a great mix of friendship, romance, resilience, and growth. The slow burn started to pick up after 15% of the book and you could feel the tension brown Wen and Godric and I am here for it. You learn about the supportive characters and have they big roles in this book, which I loved. I cannot wait for the second book in this series.

Thanks #netgalley, the publisher, and Olivia for the audible arc of this amazing debut novel.

Very interesting concept for the book and I was really looking forward to the book. I felt like there could have been more world building and less redundant internal dialogue. There were some parts that made the MC annoying. I did like the ending and cliff hangers but the story like it drug on in some places with the redundant dialogue.

Thank you to Olivia Pharos and NetGalley for an eArc of the audiobook of Celestial Academy: Essence!

With comparisons to books like Crescent City and Fourth Wing, this book had some HUGE shoes to fill for me. While it wasn't necessarily on their level, I found myself sucked into the Celestial Academy world and by the end of the book I was left wanting more.

Reading the first book in a fantasy series is always tough because AT LEAST the first third of this book is world building. As a reader, I very much dislike the awkward stage of only semi-understanding what is going on so I always struggle with book 1 of a series. Once we got to the actual Celestial Academy portion of the book and the antics happening at school, my interest finally peaked. Here I understood the comparisons to Fourth Wing and definitely got attached to the characters.

My favorite part of the book was definitely the bickering back and fourth between Wen and all of the angels & demons. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments and honestly I wished Wen would flirt more with some of the male side characters just to piss of Godric.

The last third of the book was super heavy with actions. Some events were a bit too drawn out and I would find myself thinking "Ok... enough explanation...let's get this over with and continue with the story." Again - some of this was essential to building the world of Celestial Academy, but other parts felt overdone.

The banter and supernatural elements will bring me back for book 2, though! I'm ready to see what Celestial Academy: Null has in store for Wen, Godric, and crew.

This read was 3.5/5 stars rounded up for me.

Let me start by saying the narrator of this audiobook was fantastic. Her pacing, cadence, and inflection were great. I would totally listen to another book narrated by her! That said, the actual content of the book was problematic.

I knew I was in trouble when there was a glossary of terms several pages long. This had such great potential but it had WAY too much stuff going on. I started confused and was confused for all that I read. It just got more convoluted the more I read. The narrator was great and did a great job with all the different characters. I did like the FMC, she had an interesting disposition and was pretty scrappy. I just can't finish this one and would not recommend.

Audiobook Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ✨ SJM & Zodiac Academy had a baby! sound good? This is the one for you..

Firstly, thank you NetGalley & Olivia for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook! To sum up this book it's a Dark Academia, Enemies to Lovers fantasy that you have to have read at least once.

As a dedicated romantasy reader, I stumbled across "Celestial Academy: Essence" and was instantly captivated. This book is an absolute gem that deserves more recognition within the romance fantasy community! From the very first page, I was hooked by the compelling storyline, intricate world-building, and the promise of a grand adventure.

The plot is wonderfully crafted, a weaving of rich magic, mystery, and suspense. With that wonderful VERY slowwww burn romance between the FMC/MMC! Olivia you had me hanging on every word..

The MMC is absolutely perfect.. in my opinion ;). What every woman would envision as a swoon worthy, drop dead gorgeous man that's grumpy and unpredictable. Carved by the gods! The tension between these two is tangible and I loved how the supporting characters emphasized and made this relationship even more compelling!

As the first book in the series, it sets the stage perfectly, hinting at deeper secrets and laying down LOTS of Easter eggs that promise to pay off in future installments. The sense of mystery keeps you engaged, always eager to uncover the next piece of the puzzle..

One of the standout features of CA: Essence, is its formidable female main character. She’s not just strong and determined but also delightfully sassy and full of plenty of attitude. It’s refreshing to see a heroine who is allowed to be unapologetically fierce and angry, breaking the mold of more traditionally demure protagonists. Her complex personality adds depth to the narrative and makes her journey all the more engaging.

The additional characters in this book I really loved! The fact you got a background story to each of them, their past was never a mystery to you! With lots of detail, you couldn't complain at how much Olivia worked on her first debut.

Overall, CA: Essence, is a thrilling start to what promises to be an outstanding series. I’m excited to see where the story goes and how Olivia plans to continue to develop the characters and the world they inhabit. If you're looking for a romance fantasy novel with a dynamic heroine and a plot full of twists and turns, this book is definitely worth a read. I can't wait for the next installment!!

Good gracious where do I even start? How about THIS BOOK IS PERFECT?! 😫😫 the narrator did a perfect job of capturing Wen’s sass! This book had me hooked within the first ten seconds, I swear. Some things I think you all would absolutely love about this book too: slow burn (but not like annoyingly slow!), morally grey characters (which are the freaking best!), powerLESS to powerFUL (cause we love a good plot twist!!), banter and great friendships, angels, demons, the SASS! There’s soo much about this book that I absolutely adored and I finished the entire audiobook embarrassingly fast. I had never even heard of this book, I know it hasn’t been out TOO long but it is INSANELY slept on! So. Freaking. Good!!
I took a chance on this one truthfully not knowing what to expect and I’m so glad I did because it’s amazing. Reading this is the perfect “reading slump” breaker too. Because it is dang near impossible to put down once you start. 100000% going to order the physical copy to add to my shelf. I loved it that much.
If anyone is reading this and is unsure, let me beg of you: PLEASE go read this. I can nearly guarantee you will love it. I promise.
Amazing amazing amazing amazing.

The premise of this book was immediately intriguing to me. The world that Pharos begins to build in this premier is gritty and steeped in familiar lore and previously unthought-of details.

The main character, Wen, came across as a stereotypical "strong, independent woman" at first, with her sarcasm and disregard for danger. However, as I learned more about her and her struggles and insecurities, she definitely grew on me.

My biggest complaint is only that I liked this book so much and now I have to add the rest of the series to my "Want to Read" list!

An exciting magic school style fantasy. Great for fans of Fourth Wing and The Hunger Games. With a strong female character at the head of a wide ensemble. Wen has the ability to harness Angelessence and sells it as a potent drug. When a drug deal goes wrong she finds herself brought before archangels and sentenced to attend Celestial Academy while her captor becomes her tutor. Wen has to navigate the pressures of school while finding answers to all the questions about her rare power.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the audiobook!