This was one of my favorite fantasy reads this year! The world is unique and the characters are detailed and dimensional.

Though the story follows a true enemies to lovers arc, I wouldn’t classify it as a romance at all. It’s an epic fantasy with action, twists, and a heartbreaking cliffhanger.

There were a lot of typos and errors, so I couldn’t give it five stars. BUT I am beyond excited for the next book!

I requested this one thinking it would be something it wasnt so I'll keep it short and sweet.

First off, the premise is great. I went in thinking it would action from all sides and honestly, the first third from Dianna's POV was mostly great (it dragged a little but what can you do). But then I started getting more from Liam and he was very droll in my opinion. I am all for unlikable characters but there's a line. Make him hideously devious, make him so villainous that you start secretly cheering for him - alas here he was just a meh and these sorts of characters make me want to stop reading.

The romancey bit was relatively well done and paced. I think everyone is a sucker enemies to lovers and this is done in a way that is likely to keep everyone happy. And the ending was done in a way that would hopefully bring people who love these sorts of novels back for more.

Now for the not so great bits. I said earlier that Dianna's POV kind of dragged a little in the first third. That would have been fine for the story building aspect. But then the entire novel started to take forever to get to any sort of point. You probably could have gotten it down to around 550 pages or less if someone had have genuinely critiqued it for pace and content

Also I wonder whether anybody actually edited this. There were typos throughout (expected in an arc) but then these typos were also carried over to the final copy. I am unsure as to whether these issues have since been resolved since release so I can't attest that they are still there 3 months from release.

I also want to point out that this whole thing feels kind of like its fan service to other popular authors within the genre. Yes I understand people write fan fiction. I understand that at the root of it, most characters are similar to other's that have already been written. But this felt like it was bordering on outright plagiarism.

So to recap, I tried, it wasn't for me. But if you can get past some of the glaring issues and are just looking for some relatively OK smut with a very average plotline, this book may be for you

Myth: 4/5

Amber Nicole really nailed the morally grey heroine in this story. Dianna’s motivations were so clear, the just unabashed understanding of what lengths she was willing to go to for her sister. It really made for a delightful counterpoint to the buttoned up (but not really) enforcer of the order of the realms.

The romance was a traditional enemies to lovers, which I really can’t get enough of. I’d say that the ‘to lovers’ part was a little underdeveloped, but this is definitely the first in a series, so it has room to build.

Magic: 4/5

A fantastic world of gods and monsters! The history of the gods and their past wars is a powerful backdrop to the current story. The world was an interesting mix of fantasy world and modern day, sometimes usage of “real” place names within the magical world through me off, but ultimately, the story pacing pulled me along for the ride either way.

Overall: 4/5

Action packed as a chaos agent, with a single minded focus on saving her sister, and a king of the gods, wanting to prevent a war, team up. It was a compelling read, I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend if you are looking for your next enemies-to-lovers, morally grey, fantasy romance fix.

4 stars for the Book of Azrael. If you're looking for an amazing Fantasy book with well fleshed characters, then this book is for you.

This book had me experiencing a range of emotions. I will say that the beginning is very slow. I did put it down a few times to read something else, but I felt like the writing and synopsis had promise, so I wanted to keep going. I am so glad I did! As soon as it picked up, I could not put it down!! There is something for everyone in this book and it is original in its approach and delivery. The main character is a villain but you can't help but love her and want the best for her! The dynamics of the relationships between characters were so authentic. I am impatiently awaiting the next book!

This book had a slow start, and was a bit too long in my opinion, but it ended up being a strong opening to the series. I LOVE the main character. I love that she is the villain, and the author does a great job of getting the reader to root for her anyways. The world is lush and I can’t wait to learn more about it. This DOES end in a major cliffhanger.

4.25!!

I thought the start of this dragged. I didn't like the writing at first but I felt as it went on, it improved. I think it could improve a lot with a strong editor. There was a lot of repeating within the writing that I feel like just didn't need to be said. I did feel the plot to be a tad repetitive as well with the recurring issue of <i> betrayal</i>.

Overall I really liked this book. I look forward to continuing the series. I loved how the female character was the <i>villain</i>. She was dark, brooding, and a gothic babe. I loved her and her personality so much.

This story made me laugh and gasp. I loved the enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine. This book talks a lot about dealing with trauma. I would look into trigger warnings before reading.

I will say, I called that ending. And if you have read <spoiler> [book:The Hunger Games|2767052] </spoiler> series then you too, probably called that grand finale.

Congrats on this debate novel [author:Amber Nicole|22127450]!!!

The only thing that bugged me about this book is that the next one isn’t even showing on goodreads yet. It’s expected and promised and, with a cliffhanger like that, it has to be coming BUT. NOT. FAIR.

How do I wait?

The Book of Azrael was part Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunt , part enemies to lovers romance, part forbidden romance, part monsters, demons and kings, part evil King hell-bent on destroying the world.

Thousands of years ago, Dianna gave up her life to save her sister and, unwittingly committed herself to a new life as a monster only nightmares could imagine.

Now, she must join forces with Liam, known as the World ender and saviour and king to many but, to her only as a mortal enemy. Not only must they put aside their differences to save the world they love and the people in it, they must face the truth of who they are and the similarities, and chemistry, that binds them.

Told in alternating viewpoints between Dianna and Liam, we get to see deeper into the characters minds and hearts - Liam, in particular, is very open about his feelings, which I liked, and Dianna is all snark and self protective barbs- as well as get to know the supporting characters. I would say that the character building was definitely one of the strengths of this book.

It’s a bit of a slow burn BUT the plot unravels well and it gives time for Amber Nicole to build the world among worlds in a way that is believable and engaging.

Now, can I please just have the next book to dive back in? I need more!

“Somewhere amidst her laughter and smiles, I decided I would rip the world apart for her."

Slowburn, enemies to lovers, fantasy, DRAGONS?!!! What more could you ask for? I was sucked in on page one and was unable to escape until the final page. These characters are complex and realistic, and the world-building is absolutely spectacular. Engaging, without being overwhelming, and still making you feel right at home within the pages.

10/10 would HIGHLY recommend.

The Book of Azrael was published in late June 2022. Thank you to Rose and Star Publishing LLC, IBPA, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

First off, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I kept trying to get into this book, but ultimately couldn't. I had to DNF this in the first third (and this is one long book).

This book was very slow-paced, especially in the beginning, and I was having a hard time getting into the lore and the main character (Dianna) confused me. This was disappointing to me as I did find the premise to be interesting and wanted to be drawn into the story more.

I'll also say that the errors, typos, and strange font sizing really threw me off while reading. There would be random paragraphs with a larger font size, and I often noticed a couple words mid-paragraph that were a larger font size than the rest of the paragraph as well. At first I thought maybe this was for emphasis, but I don't think that was the case.

“somewhere amidst her laughter and smiles, I decided I would rip the world apart for her."

WOW WOW WOW. This book has everything you could possibly want from an adult fantasy. It features so many of the most popular tropes such as enemies to lovers, only one bed, slow burn, forced proximity but somehow manages to do them in a way that is unique to read. AND DID I MENTION DRAGONS ???

I recommend this to every single high fantasy fan because it has everything you could truly ask for and its all done in such a well written manner. Tense fight scenes. Well written antagonists that actually serve plot purpose. Accurate portrayal of mental illness. Complex and realistic characters. I genuinely feel like this is fantasy at its peak and I could see this being picked up by a movie studio one day.

The worldbuilding was really interesting to me. It doesn’t miss out any detail and gives you just the right amount of detail that you can get completely engaged but its not overwhelming. Reading this really made me feel like I was transported into their world, it was honestly an amazing experience overall.

This book really made me feel every range of emotion. I laughed. I cried. I screamed. I was shocked. I fell in love with these characters in just 800 odd pages. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes and I will 100% be keeping up with the authors work.

Epic fantasy adventure to the max - fantastic world, suspense, tension, personal battles, redemption, and of course a bit of heat - what a while ride! Highly recommended for fantasy fans - you can't go wrong with this one!

Firstly thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. Now I've had time to process that ending (and an enormous feeling of betrayal) I think I can write a review.
I had a really good time with this one. I went in only seeing a few positive reviews on Booktok and it lived up to it.
I know a lot of people want to live in a post trope review world, but I'm not one of them.
My personal favorite tropes in Book of Azrael:
-true enemies to lovers
-touch them and I'll kill you
-grumpy/sunshine (if by grumpy you mean traumatized)
-one bed
-hurt/comfort

Where the world building and history felt a little clunky, the pacing in this book was my idea of perfect.
Not too rushed, not agonizingly slow. Time for us to get to know the characters and for them to get to know each other (you can probably guess I'm not a fan of insta-friends/love/allies).
I grew more and more invested in the main characters (dare I say possibly to the point of new comfort characters). Diana, Liam, and Drake in particular <3
Very excited (nervous) for the next book.
The sooner the better Amber. Please and thank you.

I am lost for words!

The world building is on point, MC’s swoon worths, I immediately fell in love with Liam.

I’m living for the slow burn….all my favourite tropes wrapped up in one of my favourite oils of the year!

Although i don't think this book would be good as a teacher, on a personal level I thought the storyline/ plot character development was great! loved the slow-burn romance with little plot twists along the way! I do think however that the text needs a fair bit of editing as i struggled to follow some parts as there seemed to be missing words or repeated phrases. Occasionally i would find myself going back a page to re-read to figure out what was happening. Was a great book though - really loved it and can't wait for the next one!

This book was LONG. I liked it, but it was way too long. It should of been max 400 pages. The beginning of the book was slow but the rest of the plot was fast paced and well thought out. I loved the characters too. Dianna was such a boss. I'm excited to buy myself a copy of this and to get the next one soon!

As the second in command to the powerful Kaden, Dianna Martinez is only looking to do one thing, protect her younger sister, Gabby, instead. Especially after giving Gabby her mortal life in exchange for forever serving under Kaden. Now, Dianna is left wondering whether she should escape from the hold Kaden has on her and run away to a far distant land where no one would find Dianna and Gabby. But, that is until Kaden wants something extremely valuable, and Dianna is now forced to be in the middle of two power hungry men, Kaden, and new introduced Liam, originally Samkiel, a millennium old God who has now come back.

I gave The Book of Azrael five stars, really enjoying the way Amber Nicole writes the tension between Liam and Dianna. It is so subtle yet in your face when you least expect it, including a romantic relationship. The more I pushed through this book, I really began to see these characters for the in depth portrayal that is done really well in this book. I like that The Book of Azrael was filled with irritation yet of aww as well an extra balance all the powers and the magic of the world. I think that this concept was well executed and fit well in this book.

I think the one part I enjoyed was the chemistry between Liam and Dianna. They were pure enemies from the start, Liam and his people would kill Dianna and her ancestors, yet when they came together, they unknowingly fit together. I think the one thing I enjoyed was the discovery of their love for each other. The build up of their relationship was slow but worth it because we were able to experience all the emotions that they felt for each other throughout the book; anger, love, lust, sadness, and also understanding. Liam and Dianna were unknowingly perfect for each other and it made me enjoy their relationship more.

I had such a fun time reading this and the one thing I must say is that the ending made me realize that we don’t have a release date for book 2, or any information for book 2. But, I’m extremely excited to dive into the world again whenever book 2 comes out.

Thank you again to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t so long. The story was really great but I think could have been completed in 2 350-page books or something along those lines.

The plot was fast-paced and amazing. the enemies-to-lovers trope was played just right. I loved badass Dianna's character. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. Cant wait for the next one!

Fantasy romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers, and forbidden love?

In this story we follow Dianna who long ago gave up her life to save to her dying sister. She sold her soul to Kaden, a monster who doesn’t care about the damage he causes to the world or others around him. Kaden sends Dianna on a quest to obtain an ancient relic which causes the return of a long forgotten king. Now natural enemies must put aside their differences to save not only their world but all other realms in between.

The pacing in the first third of the book is a bit slow but it definitely picks up! I really enjoyed the morally grey cast of characters and the cliff hanger without a doubt has me hooked for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5