I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did and I have to say I’m pleasently surprised by this story.Considering this is the authors first book, I think she did a really good job with the worldbuilding, it has its flaws (that I’ll mention later), but you can tell that Amber tried really hard to set the scene and gave a lot of details about the world.
I found the plot very original and interesting, while also being somewhat familiar. I like that the supernatural beings coexist amongst mortals and actually make use of human tecnhology to aid them. I find that this story is a mix of modern and old, the supernatural beings are ancient and theirs surroundings are those we are accostumed to in these types of books, but they are also evolved and use things like cellphones (which I surprisingly didn’t mind and found really cool).
There are two POV’s which I love, we get to know what’s going on throught both MC eyes, I was able to understand their feelings and motivations better and I really appreciate that.

I loved the fantasy aspect of the book and I thought that the fight scenes were really good.

I really like the characters, they are complex and multi-layered, it’s not your average extremaly good or extremely evil characters. I found the character development, in terms of personality, very good throughout the book. Not only are the MC’s really likeable, the side characters also surprised me and had a purpose in the story.

Our female MC, Dianna, is a very strong, fierce girl, capable of terrible things to ensure the protection of the one she loves most, her sister. She was turned into a terrible beast, but her mortal heart remains, preventing her from becoming a true monster. As the story progresses, we see she is more that just a villain, she can do good things and really just wants someone to love and care about her.

Samkiel (Liam) is a savior for some and a destroyer for others. He is a King to his people, but pain and grief made him walk away from his responsabilities and hide from the world. He’s known as the World Ender and many fear him, for he’s the most powerfull (we’ll see about that). I love the way his character was built, he’s the light to Dianna’s darkness, but that doesn’t mean he’s pure goodness, for he has also done terrible things.

I really liked watching their relationship grow, they’re very respectful of each other.

With all this being said, there are some things that just didn’t work for me. First of all, this book needs a lot of editing, I’ve encountered many grammar and spelling mistakes (and english is not my first language) and there’s a lot of filler information that only drags the story and adds nothing to it. I found some things to be very repetitive (like having the same thing being told in the different POV’s) and other things seemed rushed for me - for example, Dianna and Liam are enemys, and although their relationsphip was a slow burn, they became comfortable around each other too quickly. There are a lot of characters in this book, lots of names being thrown around with very little explanation as to who they actually are. I also don’t like that some of them have such common names, it made me cringe a little bit.

In the beggining of the book, it feels like we’re thrown in the middle of the story and have no idea what’s going on, it’s very confusing. Later in the book, some things are explained in more detail, but it still wasn’t enough. I would love if there was a better explanation of the world they’re in, I’m not sure I completely understand the different realms that exist or even what plannet they live in.
I feel like the author tried really hard to set up the world building and the characters in the beggining, so that later on everything starts making sense and we know what is happening (which i highly appreciate), but I still found myself having a hard time understanding everyones motivations and connecting with the caracters.

There are also some inconsistensis that had me confused:

-The blooddreams: sometimes Dianna is seeing the memory, other times she is “inside” the person’s head and living the memory. I just don't understand how they work;

-Dianna says she hates her kind and they’re monsters, but then gets very defensive of them and is hurt to know how many have been killed by Liam and his people. This is somewhat ironic seeing as she has killed so many of Liam’s kind;

-Liam is the World Ender, feared by everyone, the most powerful being. But, at the end of the book, suddenly he’s not strong enough to fight "the bad guys" and ensure the safety of the world.

Despite its flaws, I strongly believe that this has so much potential, and could turn out to be a really great series. I give it 4 stars because it kept me hooked since the beggining and I found the story and characters very intriguing. I was not expecting the ending and I look forward to reading the next book, that I hope will be able to answer the questions this one has left.

The characters are phenomenal. I absolutely adore Dianna and Samkiel, aka Liam. But what took me by surprise is how attached I've become to the secondary characters, i.e., Gabby, Logan, Neverra, and Drake. And Kaden is such an amazing villain! I can't wait to learn more about him.
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The world-building and story are so unique! I genuinely haven't read anything like this before. And the best part is that there are no info dumps! ⁠ 👏
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And the story kept me on my toes the entire time! So many plot twists I did not see coming! And that cliffhanger... I sobbed. You've been warned.

However, there are some typos and errors throughout the story. Hopefully, this won't be an issue in the next book.

Overall, The Book of Azrael is a fantastic, captivating story! I can't believe it's a debut novel! This is the best fantasy book I've read this year. And depending on how the series goes, it may top ACOTAR for me... Like Rhys and Feyre, who? Nah, Liam and Dianna!!

Such an amazing book! Fast paced, tons of action! Loved the 2 povs! I seriously cannot wait for the next book! Great fantasy book without the boring world building!

Thank you Net Galley for the e-arc.

I can tell that a lot of work went into this but this book just was not for me. The writing style didn’t click and it seemed like there was a lot of back and forth between a formal and casual writing style. I would have loved to see the characters more fleshed out as I didn’t really understand their motivations. It’s a unique story idea and maybe I need to give it a go another time.

I honestly didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. The characters were phenomenal and the two main characters were so fleshed out and developed and I loved seeing their character development and their changes over the course of the book. I also really like the romance and how it could be categorized as a slow-burn. Overall I really enjoyed it and I can't wait for the sequel.

Firstly thank you to Amber Nicole & @netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-Advanced Reader Copy ❤️

This book follows Dianna, who gave up her life many years ago in order to save her dying sister. She never anticipated such a monster would answer her plea. Now she is at the mercy of Kaden ... where she is tasked to secure an ancient relic from thr very creature

She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creature that hunted her...A King thought long dead and long forgotten.
In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.
Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.

This was a powerful fantasy read with some fab twists & turns which leave you reeling. I really enjoyed Liam's character & the concept of the book!

I did have some qualms:
1️⃣ Dianna kinda annoyed me as I felt she needed more depth.
2️⃣ Diana & Liam's relationship dynamic seemed a bit too fast paced to me.

Rating ~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 5/5

💭 Overall if you enjoy fantasy I'd recommend giving this a go!

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**

The Book of Azrael is the first book in the Gods and Monsters series which follows Dianna, a woman who gave her mortal life to save her sister, and Liam, king of the gods and more commonly known as the World Ender. The two must work together to face a common threat to their world and all that they love.

I wasn’t sure if this book was for me at first, but I’m so glad I read through to the end! It’s not my typical fantasy that I pick up, but I’m willing to stray a bit from my normal to read the rest of this series once it’s released.

I felt like I was always kept on my toes while reading this. I really got drawn in and invested in the characters and the plot. The amount of planning that must’ve gone into this book shows! There were lots of little details and foreshadowing that got weaved in that really paid off in the end.

I really loved the characters as well. Dianna and Liam are both great main characters and I love that we got to see both of their POVs. I think that added a lot to the story by allowing us to learn more about their backstories. I absolutely adored the side characters too. They didn’t feel flat and they helped to complement the main characters.

My only critique is that there were some grammar and spelling issues that did rip me out of the narrative a bit and some scenes were told or recapped in both POVs which became slightly repetitive.

Besides that, an amazing book and I’d definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a chance if you love high fantasy and enemies to lovers!

2.5/5
The book of Azrael is an enemies to lovers romance following Dianna an igmoruthen (not exactly sure what that is but “villain”) and Liam (king of the worlds/ God) who have to work together to find the book Azrael and save the world.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I liked the idea of this book but it was way too long and really needed editing. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect and the main characters relationship and acceptance of each other’s flaws. The plot was interesting at times but then would just drag. There were so many typos and grammatical errors that it took me out of the story quite often. Overall I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I think it could be great with some editing and a bit more world building.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I wasn’t sure if The Book of Azrael and I were going to gel.

But then I gave it a few days and picked it back up and I was like “look, it’s my fault. You did nothing wrong.”

Because I genuinely really enjoyed this book. It felt both familiar and new at the same time. Which, I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s a feeling I could use more of in 2022 and beyond.

5 STARS!!!!
Before you read the review I would just like to state, I ended up staying up all night long just to finish this book (I swear that is no exaggeration). And for the record, I’ve NEVER done that before. I couldn’t stand to wait until the next day to find out what happened next.

wow wow wow!! This book was just wow! It had all the tropes I could’ve asked for, and so much more. We follow Dianna, a blood thirsty creature who gave up her life to save her sister. And Samkiel (aka Liam) who’s the son of a god and is bestowed with the nickname worldender, you’ll have to read to find out why. When they strike a deal to work together in order to ensure Dianna’s sister, Gabby is safe, they find out more about each other and the secrets each of them keeps. Their mission: find the book of Azrael before someone else finds it and uses it to destroy all of humanity.

This book was coming in at such a disadvantage with two of the best rom coms I have read back to back just before it. And DAMN DID IT DELIVERE!! I absolutely loved it. From the sass, tension, grumpy and repressed, trope after trope done in THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!!
I am at a loss for words.
The world is amazing, the characters feel real and you understand everyone's intentions and motivations.
Main characters have a chemistry many wish they had in the books we read and booooooyyyy that chemistry is EVERYTHING!
The friendships and relationships are just as complex as in real life just as the struggles that the characters go trough are.
I will now go sit in my room and cry because that ending I didn't see coming and well I need some comfort epic music that this book evoked for me.

ALLLLLL of the stars in alllll of the worlds.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

A desperate sister once made a deal to save the one she loves most, and that leaves her with a new life as a monster that is feared by anyone around her. She remains indebted to the one whom she bargained with and she is forced to do his every command, especially dangerous ones that consist of stealing an ancient relic. A hidden God who abandoned his title and his duty years ago has been the slayer of monsters for many years and has never felt differently towards this task, until now. When God and Monster have to force themselves to work together in order to find the relic to restore balance, worlds collide and they both have to support each other and protect the fate of the world as they both know it.

I personally loved this book. It's been an extremely long time since I've read such phenomenal world-building that leaves me captivated from beginning to end. At some points, the fantastical development appeared confusing, but the plot seemed extremely well-thought-out and that propelled the story elements even further forward. The characters and their morally-challenged values were developed at an adequate pace, and their pasts tied in wonderfully with the aspects of fantasy that were included. Not only was the romance done well, but it was also done at a slower pace, which I genuinely believe makes a fantasy even better, and it really paid off in the end because this book has actually become one of my favorite fantasy books that I've ever read and I can't wait for more to be released.

Overall, this book sets the premise for a series that has the potential to become a major bestseller in the fantasy genre, and I am extremely eager to continue reading, after that beautifully written cliffhanger. I hope many people get to read and appreciate this novel and I am so grateful to Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to read such a great novel.

OMG Pick up this book IMMEDIATELY!!

If you love a complex and interesting world, dual POV, and romance GAHH It was amazing!

I cannot form articulated sentences at the moment because I honestly was blown away by this book. I was very skeptical going in because I was worried that I would end up DNF'ing this book but it grabbed a hold of me and it did not let go.

The MC's are very likeable and good with each other but also the supporting characters were quite enjoyable also.

I am so so glad I stumbled upon this book.

Really liked this book. Writing was good, story was good, characters were good. This book gave me strong Immortals After Dark Kresley Cole vibes. If those books are your jam, I think you'll love this one. I really love the dichotomy of the MC's light and dark. One of "evil", one of "purity/good" but you will wonder if those things are true by the end of the book. I felt this book really shows that we are not who we were born as or the things we did wrong in the past but how we change from then on. The choices me make are what make us ultimately. The only critique I have is how powerful the author portrayed the mains in the beginning, wanes as the book continues. Not badly but I thought it strange that nearly indestructible Immortals whom were almost untouchable were all of sudden struggling, with no real explanation.

I really love the fast-pacing, constant troubles coming to them, and the tension between these two vulnerable characters. Plot twist upon plot twist, how can I not like it? I had a great time reading this book.

The characters are greatly written, including the villains. I enjoyed the roller-coaster rides of Liam and Dianna trying to work together but failed miserably 😂 and yet, they are more like each other than they thought. The side characters are also entertaining and hilarious, and the villains makes me so furious! Can't wait to see more om the sequel.

The world-building was a bit confusing at first, but as the story goes along the pages it became more understandable. It was unique, mortals (humans) live alongside with the myths like gods and goddesses, the monsters and stuff, and the humans are aware of it! It was interesting and never made me boring cause it has no info-dump.

And the cliffhanger? I didnt realized I was at the end and screamed when I turned to the next page and saw the acknowledgement 😭 bruh the author is not kidding with this book!!

I’m in desperate need of book 2. I’ll not know peace until I read it. That was, without exaggeration, one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. Do you know how fantasy books can be complicated and hard to follow because of the big new words? Well, this book, even with the new terminology, was still easy! I loved that it was in first POV.

This book was one of my top 2022 releases and it did not disappoint!! Amber didn’t come to play! She knew what the readers wanted and just gave it all to us. What a woman.

Here’s what to expect:
- enemies to lovers
- A powerful morally grey female MC
- Troubled, "strong alpha" male MC who is deep down a Simp and a cinnamon role
- Incredible world building.
- Slow burnnn baby slow burn
- Flawless pacing

All the characters are so well written. It was interesting to learn about how different creatures survive and how they communicate with each other. The hate, the love, making deals, all of it. I absolutely adored Dianna and Liam. Dianna is a very powerful woman who would do anything for her sister. Their sisterly bond was so beautiful and pure. She is brave, sassy, and fierce. I don’t know where to start with Liam, because what a MAN! strong, extremely sexy , companionate, and sweet. Both characters are a force to be reckoned with. Their chemistry was off the charts! It got me squealing and giggling.

The story kept me on my toes the whole time. Amber asked herself "how many plot twists?" and she also replied to herself, "yes". The Book of Azrael is a sensational , captivating debut novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks netgalley + Rose and Star Publishing, LLC!

what do we want? more 500 year old women in fantasy!

I didn't know what to expect going into this bc let's be real, you don't have to twist my arm to read anything that has even an inkling of enemies to lovers. But the way this book left me hanging, i'm going to be thinking about it for toooo long.

When the gods ended their monster war, they landed on a mortal planet and learned to coexist with humans to create a futuristic world of magic and tech where we meet all the key players, sassy mc, softy sister, and demons looking for a way to rule the world while an assortment of god hotties try to save it, classic.

You really get everything, monsters, gods, humans, vampires, and CELL PHONES-- Diana is the broody, morally grey, immortal MC who's never felt love and Liam is a sad, lost, muscly world ending god looking for a reason to live. And if that isn't enough, they are forced to work together... and eat cotton candy once (it was cute I swear).

I genuinely can't wait for this to release, I'm going to force all of you to read it so we can squeal about the accidental leg brushes while also complaining about how little they use teleportation!!!

I do wish they would have done one more read through to catch the typos-- there were times where the writing was a bit repetitive, but once you push past that you'll get lost in the blooddreams too.

5/5, would end a world for the next book

This one just wasn’t for me. I did find the intricate world building really interesting, but I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of a story with no context or history. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and I found the dialogue a little awkward at times. I really wanted to push on, but I found myself not wanting to pick it back up at all. I just might not be the right reader for this one.


Thank you to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for sharing this advanced digital reader’s copy with me in exchange for an honest review!

This is a unique fantasy/romance perfect for New Adult Fantasy/Romance readers - especially fans of ACOTAR or From Blood and Ash.

Dianna was made into the creature she is thousands of years ago by Kaden, forced to do his bidding/be his weapon ever since in order to protect her sister. When she meets Liam (also know as Samkiel) the King of Gods who was thought to be dead, she realizes he may be the ticket to her sisters freedom and her way out of Kaden's grasps.

This book is incredibly addictive to read, I had trouble putting it down (and died the next day at work after accidentally staying up till 3am). I really enjoyed the plot and found it different from other popular fantasy/romance books while still capturing the essence of what makes them popular.

The book refers to Dianna and Liam as enemies which to me implied the novel could be a enemies to lovers, but its definitely more of a grumpy/sunshine slow-burn trope and its wonderful.

The book has really unique world building, but unfortunately a lot of it is info dumped on you at the beginning which makes the start of the book slow and slightly confusing to get through. I'm still not 100% sure I understand all of the world building / political dynamics but after the first 15% of the book you can semi push it to the back of your brain. The world seems like an interesting combination of the typical fantasy world but combined with modern things like cellphones, tv and cars. It's nice that they can just call each other for help or text to check in on each other to be honest.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review which is slightly a bummer because I'll have to wait even longer for the next book considering this book hasn't even been released yet!

Summary - Dianna gave up her life to save her dying sister. Now she's been reborn with dangerous powers and is the right hand to the king of monsters.
Samkiel,, the World Ender, locked himself away after the God's War until old threats resurface.
Dianna and Samkiel are enemies in every way but realize they must team up to save the world and defeat Kaden, the king of monsters.

Review- I could not put this book down! The storyline was amazing. The character development was amazing. The cliff hanger was perfect. This was the most unique fantasy series I've read this year. And I can't wait for the next book.
Go ahead and add this to your TBR NOW!

Spice - 🌶
Tropes - Enemies to lovers, one bed trope