A thrilling start to the Afterworld series, blending elements of fantasy, romance, and post-apocalyptic adventure. The story follows Wen, a demon-owned human who finds herself entangled in a dangerous world where Heaven and Hell coexist on Earth. Wen’s life takes a dramatic turn when she is conscripted to the Celestial Academy, a place where angels and demons train.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is a key element, adding tension and depth to Wen’s relationships. However, her character can be a bit too annoying at times, coming off as overly confrontational, especially in her initial interactions with other characters. While this might be intentional to highlight her growth, it’s something that stood out for me.

Regarding the audiobook, I had to adapt to the speed of the narrator at the beginning (it was a bit too fast at the beginning imo). Additionally, the way the narrator portrayed Wen made her even less likable, which affected my overall experience. Regardless, the story was a good one. Because of this, I recommend reading the physical book instead.

Overall, it’s worth the read!

Think Iron Flame in terms of banter and relationship dynamic. In terms of plot and everything else I have nothing to compare it with. It was such a unique experience. The concept of a cold war between Heaven and Hell, children of Archangels and Demons alike coming together to study and enhance their powers it was gripping. Although I must say the whole "lusting" and pining was cringe worthy at best from start to finish. I'm here for the friendship the girls formed and I'm sooo curious to know where the author will take the plot after THAT ending. You bet I'll be reading the next 2 books aswell.

A must read if you enjoy constant banter, love-hate relationships, strong friendship dynamics, a good ol biblical setting with a twist of fantasy, darkness and magic. And of course a good enemies to "you're bearable" trope. Happy reading😉

4.5 rounded up ⭐

Read if you like:
Enemies to lovers
Nephilim, archangels and archdemons
Academy stories
Magic
Sister bond ✨


Ty to NetGalley and publishers for a free Audiocopy! This follows Wen “Gwendolyn”, ,being sentenced to Celestial Academy underneath the control of her angelhole after illegal activities. Wen is a snarky, arrogant, selfless character who would say and do reckless things to save anyone she cares about.

It was laugh out loud funny at times, sit on the edge of your seat gripping, and the English accents with the characters, especially archangels, yessss! I'm here for it. I'm so interested in other Academies too, this world is so rounded and awesome and I haven't even read zodiac academy to be able to compare.

If you're looking for something unique with a great plot and story, this one is for you!

The energy sizzling between Godric and Wen is *chefs kiss*. 🤌🏻 Can't wait to get the second book!

This felt like too many books jumbled into one for me. I didn’t like the FMC nor really the narrator. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was amazing. The storyline was captivating and the characters were gripping. I really enjoyed this and will be going forward and reading more from this author.

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

This was such a good, fun and intense read! It’s like if Hogwarts was a military school for angels and demons. I was unable to put it down. I can’t wait to read the second book!
Thanks NetGalley, and Olivia Pharos for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the audiobook reader and how Wen’s sarcasm really came through. It was hilarious to hear her inner monologue all the time.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley

First, I received an Audiobook ARC from NetGalley!

Wow! I didn’t know what to expect from this audiobook when I started. I found it to be amazing by my standards. It’s a fun take on Angels and Demons. As a student of religion, I appreciate the work that the author did when it comes to who and what the angels are. Keep in mind that it’s fiction so don’t get all picky with details people. Simply enjoy the book for what it is, a very fun ride with a foul mouth FMC.

The narrator did an excellent jobs with all the voice changes. She kept me engaged from start to finish.

Olivia Pharos just filled the romantasy void that the Emperyan Series, Acotar, FBBA, and TOG left, and it was a debut novel, so I see this series and the writing developing and getting better as the books come out. I will most likely be listening to this one again!

I was surprised to see that this was Mrs. Pharos's debut novel! The story was well-developed, and the characters were easy to identify and follow. Additionally, the narrator did a fantastic job!

I will definitely be pre-ordering the subsequent books as they are released.

Thank you to Olivia Pharos via Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos.

Celestial Academy: Essence is an absolute masterpiece! Olivia Pharos has woven a spellbinding tapestry of dark fantasy and fiesty romance. The world-building is breathtaking, drawing readers into a realm of angels, demons, and forbidden magic. The characters are complex and captivating, with Wen's journey from enslaved to extraordinary being a heart-pounding rollercoaster which kept me on the edge of my seat for the majority of this story. The slow-burn tension between her and Godric is pure agony and ecstasy.

After listening to the audio book on NetGalley, I'm running to get my hands on the second book Celestial Academy: Null. The immersive experience of listening to the audiobook transported me directly into the world of Celestial Academy, making it even harder to put down. The narrator's performance brought the characters to life in a way that reading the book alone couldn't have matched. Their voice perfectly captured the emotions of the story.

This book is a must-read for fans of fantasy, romance, and unforgettable storytelling! Prepare to be captivated by a dystopian world filled with thrilling tension, compelling characters, and heartwarming friendships.

3.5 STARS. An interesting romantasy that will appeal to fans of Sarah J Maas or Zodiac Academy. It did feel like this has been over done and it was in need of a bit more editing but overall a good start to a new series.

Celestial Academy: Essence follows Wen as she is forced to attend a magical school full of angels and demons. I really enjoyed the main characters and the majority of the secondary characters! I always love a magical school setting, but I wanted slightly more. This book definitely reminds me of Zodiac Academy with different types of magic and without the hardcore bullying. I will be continuing the series and hope to see more world-building and character development.

I received an ALC from Olivia Pharos | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one just didn't work for me. It started out and I was like oh, it's got angels I see we are going towards a dark Crescent City. But, like Crescent City, I found this one too busy. I was forcing myself to read at every turn and I really wanted to like it, it just didn't hit home.

This was a really good read and listen. I loved the audiobook reader and how they kept my attention throughout the entire story. It was easy for me to follow along and keep an idea of where the story was without losing any of the essence or feeling like I missed important information. As for the story itself: I loved the mystique of not knowing how things were going to work out between the main characters and how the academy itself would work. I look forward to reading and/or listening to more of this series in the future!

This book is for all the fans of Rebecca Yarros, Cassandra Clare, Sarah J Maas, and Ali Hazelwood's bride. Such a fun book to fall and get lost in. I cannot wait to read book 2 and see what comes from the last chapter. Way to leave me at the edge of my seat.

A snarky protagonist, an all powerful mentor, and a best friend worth saving. Some fun side characters as well within an academic trials atmosphere.

At times Wen, the female main character, was overly snarky. The story line kept moving but this was a definite slow burn on the romance side.

Overall it was an enjoyable book to listen to. The voices were distinguishable and seemed fitting for each character.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!) and all opinions are my own.

This was an addicting book. Gwen has the ability to collect angel essences and the arch angels do now know how she is able to do this. She is put though so many test to figure out how she can do such a thing. Godric is in charge of her and to keep her safe. Him hating her and Gewn hating him. Through all the training they start to form a bond. A bond that wants to keep her safe no matter what even if it forfeits his own being. In her last trial she finds out she is Samuel's sole mate and she hates this and is scared. But when she is out she has no memory of what happened. But Godric seems to know something and I cannot wait for book 2 to come out and find out.

Celestial
This book had some potential, but to compare it to Zodiac Academy or Crescent City (how it was advertised to me) is like saying Skipper is the next Barbie. The FMC had way too many internal monologues and did not understand the art of sarcasm. She just came off as bratty and unlikeable. I can normally mentally bypass the logistics of the mythical-human millennial age gap but in this case it felt gross and implausible.
The narrator is decent for the most part, with the glaring exceptions of some mispronunciations and that the FMC has a Valley Girl accent straight from the intro to Baby Got Back. (OMG Becky!) With the aforementioned languishing diatribes, it was brutal to be subjected to so much angst. In all likelihood I would have rated this higher if I had consumed the material in a different format, but even that couldn't have made it measure up to its forbears.

This book drops you right in the action, it wasn't my favourite but I am intrigued to read the next book in the series.