An honest to god enemies to lovers that's hard to put down. While I enjoyed the book as a whole, I felt like it ran a bit long and could use some additional editing. Solid fantasy romance.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free via Netgalley, and I am reviewing this voluntarily.

Honestly I have a love-hate relationship with this book for a number of reasons. I feel this book could have been a lot shorter--some passages could have been cut. Some didn't make sense. Like, you could prob cut 50 pages and still have a full story. I also know this is an ARC copy so it's not the finalized, edited version, but there are a lot of sentences that need revised again, and spelling errors did slip past the editor. I'm normally not nitpicky about that sort of thing, but it was glaring and I had to say something.
This isn't to say the book is bad--its not--it does have potential. But this book really fell flat for me. I know a 3 star seems like an average review but I'm frustrated.
The storytelling is great, and I love the whole ig'morruthen thing, it's unique. I did like Dianna and Gabby, their relationship is similar to my own with my sister. Liam/Samkiel wasn't that interesting imo, and fell short. I do like the world building in this book as well. The cover is pretty too.
The spice was mid. Could have been hotter
Maybe as the series goes on it'll get more interesting. Someone on TikTok was raving about it and it was an auto-approval, so I'd nothing else I got a free book out of It, even though I got frustrated with it.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I am fairly new to the fantasy genre, it was one of only a handful of books I have read that had vampires in it so I was hesitant because I thought it would require a deeper knowledge base. I am so glad I took the plunge and read it because I was so hooked! I read it walking from my office to different offices as I had to go to meetings or get things done kind of hooked. As I was reading, I was given enough information but not overloaded with it so I could follow along with the story and characters. It is a book newbies like myself and long time fantasy fans can enjoy. There were a few twists that I did not see coming which made me go "WTF" and keep reading late into the morning. (FYI, my boss asked a couple of times why I looked so tired so I just blamed you Ms. Amber Nicole!)


*****Minor Spoiler*****

I really appreciated that there was a significant amount of time between the enemies met to the time their relationship changed. It was not a week or a few days, it was a few months where a lot happened and they had to endure things together and work together. They actually had the time and ability to change their minds in a more realistic way. For those of us who love "enemies to lovers" trope but hate when it seems to happen overnight this makes the story that much more enjoyable.

I had heard about it from BookTok and wanted to give it a try, but I put it on my list of books to check out rather than just pick it up because I was nervous about investing almost 800 pages to a book that was the first in the series for a first time author. I was on Netgalley to review a different book and saw this so I requested it and was thrilled when I got approved. I figured that if I didn't like it I would not waste time.....now.....well I just ordered the hardback copy and am hunting on Facebook trying to find a way to get an autographed copy.

Read this book!!!

Speechless... that is what I am after reading this book.

This book was probably one of the best high fantasy books I have ever read in a while. WOW. Was the book long? yes, but I was entertained throughout the whole thing. This book had me on my toes the entire time and when I thought I knew what was happening, it took a different turn. Amber Nicole really keeps you on your toes and throws curve balls during every part of this book.

Dianna and Liam (Samkiel) are the main characters of this book. Both of them are super strong-headed main characters. I loved their chemistry throughout the book and enjoyed how they are kind of there for each other when no one else is there. The trauma in this book is so well written that you feel exactly what the characters are feeling. You feel their agony, frustration, and loneliness throughout the whole book. Each obstacle they face you understand the action they take and why.

I tried to read this book as slowly as I could so that I could savor it because I knew that I would not like the fact that I would have to wait for the next book to be out. Please make it come out soon!

If you like high-action, hater-lovers, high fantasy, and a book that will throw curveballs at you, please read this book. It's a long one, but I promise you won't be upset.

Thank you Netgalley, Amber Nicole, and Rose and Star Publishing LLC for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this High fantasy romance novel. I enjoyed the dynamic of the sisters relationship and wanted to see a little bit more of it. The writing was excellent. I finished it and bought a copy immediately after so I could reread it. I want to see what I missed the first time. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall rating 3.5 stars.
There was such potential for this book but unfortunately in the end it missed the mark by what a slog of a read this over 800 page book was.
The premise of this book was very captivating with gods, otherworlders, world enders, ancient beings etc. With a slow burn enemy to lovers trope, forced proximity and forbidden romance. Theres an epic fantasy plot with high stakes and all combined would have made this book amazing...unfortunately the writing just lacked. It was slow, the story felt so "fluffed up" for no reason. The sections i did enjoy, I enjoyed immensely but those only lasted a few pages before another load of pages of nothing much. The start was slow, it only really picked up for me at 15% when Liam finally turned up. I understand that Gabriella was very important to Dianne from the beginning but that was reiterated again and again in the multiple chapters of them just chatting and doing everyday life but didnt add to the intial impression at all.
Despite the pacing issuing, the world building of the ancient world was very intriguing, and I did really like Liam as a character. Dianne was only okay at the beginning but grew on me more as she came out of her facade near the 30-40% mark. That ending does redeem itself a bit and made me super intrigued as to what will happen next... I just hope the next book isnt as long.
If this book was about half the length it would have been near perfect....at over 800 pages it was bit too much of a slog.
Thank you Netgalley and Rose and Star Publishing for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review.

I picked up this book not knowing what to expect and ended up loving it! Couple of things that stand out:

Worldbuilding: The world we're thrown into is different than what you would expect. It's like if magical realms/magical beings had mafias.

Both MCs aren't out to be heroes, they are thrust into a situation where they have to decide which side to take, which made the characters complex and flawed (and realistic). I also enjoyed the females MC's "I guess I'll help you" attitude.

The relationship between the MCs is great and I laughed out loud a couple of times at their banter.

Highly recommend!

The prose was poor and the characters hard to sympathize with. I found myself unable to finish the book; it was hard to get myself to turn to the next page.

I am honestly still reading this and have been on and off reading it for 4 months. I’m determined to finish because this book has come with such high praise. But I am 40% into the book and I still do not feel hooked on the plot or characters. It’s definitely and interesting setting - but it just hasn’t been doing it for me.

I’ll continue to trudge through - because I have high hopes - but with my ARC copy expiring soon, I need to review!

This is a masterpiece. The descriptions were so good they were to the point and didn't bore the reader. The worldbuilding was super interesting, rich without any info dumps.
Badass characters! They are always a treat and this book had them written so well. The author made me fall in love with Dianna, her personality, her actions, everything. Hot headed, impulsive characters are my weak spot and the book hit that!
The book was filled with great tropes, all executed to perfection. The way this book handled different sexualities without it seeming forced made me very happy, safe to say the author has full points on the representation front.
I noticed a few spelling and grammatical errors, but it was overshadowed by the overall greatness of the book.
It's exciting, full of action, and had me on the edge of my seat.

First of all I absolutely interest with the description. It is unique premise and different than well established NA PnR. Sadly I had hard times to get through the writing style.
I stumbled alot in early chapters with all names, places, abilities and background. I wished for proper explanation about this promising world building and lores blended smoothly into the story.
I like enemies turn lover trope and both main characters not disappoint me. Their growing interactions is natural and pleasing to follow. The banter also fun with chemistry readers can felt and trust. Promising story to become new PNR favourite

Thank you Netgalley and Rose and Star Publishing for let me read this copy. I am grateful but my thoughts are my own. The Book of Azrael published at 26 June 2022

First, I'd just like to say how refreshing it was to see an FMC that was over a thousand years old when, in fantasy, we so often see an MMC that's lived practically forever and a female love interest who's *much* younger.

I really loved the dual POV, the high stakes, and the amount of lore and otherworld creatures there is to explore. Liam's backstory was compelling and the pace at which it was revealed felt natural, but I hope we get more from Dianna in the sequel - at times, the driving force behind her actions felt a bit one-note. The world-building did trip me up some in the beginning, but I enjoyed it once I was more familiar with everything. That ending though - wow. I'll be looking forward to reading the next one.

I really liked the description of this book and was very excited to read it initially. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had a hard time getting through the writing style which felt as though it could have gone through a few more rounds of editing. I do think that the premise was a good one, though.

Copied from goodreads
"Thank you to netgalley for this arc!
I requested this book from netgalley because I saw other people had liked it and I am so glad I did. This book is absolutely incredible and is definitely one of my favorite new releases so far for this year. If you like NA fantasy that isn't heavy world-building and has a lot of romance in it, this is a book you have to pick up! I generally don't like to compare books but if you love other popular fantasy books like ACOTAR, TOG, CC, or FBAA this book needs to be on your radar.

Fantasy can be hit or miss with me sometimes because I get tired of the conflict from the first book being dragged out over multiple books. While this one ends on a cliffhanger, the original issue gets resolved by the end which causes another issue to arise (which makes me beyond excited for book 2). This is so refreshing and I love the unknown conflict that book 2 will bring. This book also has incredible pacing, not once did I get bored or want to stop reading. Not only does this book accomplish world building, the original conflict gets resolved, but we also get a medium/slow burn romance that is absolute perfection. The banter between them had me actually laughing because they have so much chemistry together. I also love the respect Dianna and Liam have for each other and they help each other through the struggles that the other has to face. Another aspect I absolutely loved is the blended aspects of regular fantasy and urban fantasy. You know what makes this book even better? They have adult meaningful conversations throughout it. Which is something that a lot of NA, romance heavy, fantasy books lack. It just adds that much more depth to their relationship.

I truly can't recommend this book enough and I don't know how I am going to wait for the second one to come out, especially with that cliff hanger. Small finger promise me you will go read this book (also so you can understand this reference)."

Okay...
I'm sorry to say this is a DNF for me.
I wanted so badly to love this book, everything about it pointed to it turning into a new favorite but the execution just didn't work for me.

So much of this book was unnecessary and I feel bad saying this... but i think it should have been edited better.

And the language used in this makes no sense based on the world building ... i didn't expect the dialogue to be as modern as it was ... using them just made me too aware that i was reading and stopped me from actually being able to take it seriously. (I would like to point out again that i didn't read this completely so i don't know if it improves as the book goes on.)

The romance part works though,the parts that i read with the MCs ...i actually liked their dynamic.
The FMC is well written too.(as far as i read.)

But i just couldn't get over the writing...

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this!!!!!

This was intense from start to finish!
It took me a little while to settle into the world/s that our characters inhabit, but the sheer amount of PLOT more than makes up for that.
Dual POVs with one of the best female MCs I’ve read recently - she’s powerful, aggressive and complex. This is peak enemies-to-lovers with an expansive world history and an epic scope.
This is urban dark fantasy and doesn’t pull any punches - can’t wait for book two!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book, along with the world itself. By the second chapter, I was already hooked. The slow burn and enemies to lovers in this book is so well done. The world building was accomplished in a way that doesn't leave you muddled and confused. It was exactly what was needed!

The main character was so refreshing and different from the recent books I've read. She can handle herself and has really done some dark things, all while at war with what she thinks is right. I absolutely loved that there were such dark and greedy characters throughout the book. I can not wait to read the next book, especially after the ending of this one.

The only con is how long some of the chapters were. I usually struggle to stay focused when a book has longer chapters. Although after pushing through, this book was really worth it.

I highly recommend giving this book a try, as it was such a different story from the usual.

Not usually a fantasy reader, but this book caught my eye and interest. I immediately felt comradery and connected to the main character, Dianna. Dianna was turned into what she is now by the powerful Kaden who she is forced to work for now. Kaden has control over her since Dianna's full capabilities are yet to be realized.

Dianna is forced into one of Kaden's missions where she ends up meeting Liam who is has been in hiding since his realm was destroyed. Liam and Dianna try to kill each other before realizing they must work together to save the world itself.

Loved the enemies to lovers trope, but wish there was a bit more spice. I absolutely loved powerful heroine Dianna. Highly recommend if you're looking for an epic story.

“The world doesn’t need more of them. It needs more of you.”

Amber Nicole asked me what my perfect book would have, what would it be, how would the story unfold. Then she wrote The Book of Azrael. Well, this never happened, of course, but it totally could have because she did write my perfect book. I almost feel v!olated as if she ripped open my heart & mind and took what she needed for this book.

Can you imagine reading a book and thinking “I hope this happens,” “I hope she does that,” “I hope he says it” and it does, she does, he says it. All the things you keep wishing for and dreaming of… and all wrapped in this amazing fast paced plot.

A quest to keep war at bay. A quest to keep the world safe. A story of Gods & Monsters. Of old ways that were as wrong and they were d€adly. Two (im)mortal enemies who see themselves joining forces to stop her former master. Two unlikely allies that crossed paths when a simple action changed her course. One decision that made sure nothing would ever be as it was.

This is how the world ends.

The Book of Azrael is perfect for those who, like me, love:

🖤enemies to lovers
🖤slow burn
🖤forbidden love
🖤one bed
🖤she smiled, he forgot how to breathe
🖤morally gray MC
🖤touch her and you d!e

Adult. Yes! You need this. 5 (million) stars ⭐️

Enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, witty banter, dual POV, chef's kiss world building and a morally grey badass female main character.... need I say more?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

A thousand years prior, Dianna gave up her freedom and her life as a mortal to serve a monster named Kaden in order to save her dying sister's life. She does everything he asks her to turning herself into a monster in her eyes. He wants to open the Realms and let the beasts of the Otherworld out to rule the world, but he needs to find the Book of Azrael to do so.

Enter Liam, The World Ender. The King of the Realms, and the saviour of the people. After the God's War had destroyed his realm, he had retreated into his own purgatory to punish himself for what he viewed were his failings. Now with Kaden searching to open the Realms and putting his people in danger, this threat on those he sees as family has escalated enough to bring him back to a realm he never planned to return to, to team up with someone long seen as an enemy to save the world and protect the realms.

Review:

This fantasy novel had everything I wanted and more. As a major fan of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, this book hit the spot for me. It was very slow burn; and I don't typically like slow burn, but the tension and banter had me hooked. I couldn't stop reading, but at the same time didn't want it to end. As a debut fantasy novel, Amber Nicole did a phenomenal job.

At the moment I'm a sucker for the whole Gods vs. Monsters storyline. The idea that two people from very different backgrounds, and thousands of years as honest to god full fledged enemies that hated each other vehemently could work together for the greater good always warms my heartstrings. And who doesn't love a badass female main character, especially one that starts almost as a villain but ends with a redemption arc.

The twists and turns and betrayal throughout this book had me enthralled. I honestly didn't have the slightest clue what was going to happen next. The ending still has me in a chokehold, and I can't wait to read the next book.

Fans of Throne of Glass, Flesh & Fire, The Dark Elements, and Crescent City should check this series out ASAP.

Thank you NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.