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.

Celestial Academy is a gripping blend of dark fantasy and forbidden romance that kept me on the edge of my seat! Wen's journey from an orphaned drug dealer in a brutal Afterworld to a reluctant student at Celestial Academy is both harrowing and exhilarating. Pharos masterfully crafts a world where demons and nephilim collide, filled with intense emotions and high-stakes drama.

The chemistry between Wen and Godric is palpable, driving the enemies-to-lovers dynamic that fans of Crescent City and Zodiac Academy will adore. As their fiery relationship unfolds against a backdrop of impending doom, the story expertly balances thrilling action and deep character development.

With a captivating premise, rich world-building, and a compelling cast, this book is a must-read for anyone craving an epic fantasy filled with suspense and passion. I can’t wait to dive into the next installment!

I really enjoyed this! It was like Fallen/Twilight/Mortal Instruments/Zodiac Academy. I really enjoyed the story and narration and absolutely loved all the characters. I'm so glad there is more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is fun and the narrator did a great job in bringing this story to life. I have been enjoying romance in academic setting.

I don't know what I want to rate this book, it is between and 4 and a 4.5 for me. I enjoyed the heck out of it, it was funny, there was danger, and the FMC was strong, vulnerable, sassy, and awkward. The dialogue was on point, it was easy to follow because the writing seemed like it was written just thought on a page instead of overthinking and making things "more" just for the sparkle. I like that type of writing, it seems like you get a story that flows better and it just feels different. I don't know the author's process of course these are just the feelings I had when reading/listening. Yes, the audio version was amazing, the narrator did a beautiful job. This story is being compared to the Zodiac Academy...I still haven't read that one. I need to add it to my never-ending TBR, also Cresent City...which I haven't read, and Mortal Instruments. I have read that one at least the first 4. This is an adult "dark" academia book. I don't really feel there is much academia in this but it is set in a school. The vast majority is Wen coming into herself. Learning about her roommates, becoming stronger, and daydreaming about her hot Angel Mentor Godric. Who Wen Loves to hate. There is so much witty banter it is easy to feel like you are a part of the group. Though there is implied future romance, this one is more about lusting and daydreaming and there isn't romance involved. I can not wait to read the next one of this series, and if it is as entertaining it may shoot up to one of my recent favs.

Enemies to lovers
Supernatural post apocalyptic
Angels & Demons
Training / School setting
Lots of banter & wit
Strong female character
Look up triggers

3.5 stars
I am so glad this book got an audiobook. I keep seeing this book / a friend recommended this book to me. Overall I liked the story as a whole but found it was slow in places and too fast in others. Wish we could see more of the training and the romance. The beginning was fun but after that a year went by and didn't feel like I learned anything new about the characters or see how the romance developed over that time. It felt kinda like insta love or maybe just lust vs romance. I think maybe having his pov in places would have helped since I don't understand why he did the things he did. That might be the point is to not understand but I really wish we saw more so I could get on board with everything. I will still get to the other books in the series eventually.

This book was SO fun! I liked the main characters thought process and the way that she sees the world. The banter was amazing, I love a good tumultuous and verbal enemy relationship. The world building was great, I could totally picture the state of the world and then the layout of the place they travel to. The magic system was unique and not crazy. There were some goo twists throughout and I look forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of Olivia Pharos debut novel. If you loved Zodiac Academy this book might be right up your alley.

There is good world building and character development, I just wish were a little more deep or kept you invested more. Godric was the best part of the book. I wish that Wen’s could have been emotionally deeper, rather than so snarky all the time.

I think this book is worth picking up to see if it’s for you.