Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Throne of Broken Gods

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Throne of Broken Gods by Amber V. Nicole

21 reviews

bangiebangs's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

- ends in cliffhanger

- spice 4/5 (very good spice!!)

I immediately jumped into this from Book 1, and I was not disappointed. The cliffhanger in Book 1 is less easy to predict than the one here, and I went in already mad about Book 3 not being out because I knew what was coming. Beware this book if you don’t like unfinished series, this will leave you hurting.

Spoiler for cliffhanger

I thought it was pretty obvious that the price for resurrecting Samkiel would be something to do with their finally-admitted love. I’m expecting him to have lost feeling for her maybe in the next one, since she still seems to have feelings for him? Unsure, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m excited to see how that gets resolved, though, since I fully expect everyone to live and love again.

The world-building continues in this book, and at this length it gets pretty detailed. I’d argue it is close to being a bit too much in terms of characters to remember, side stories to follow, who feels or felt what and why. So many gods, so many celestials! Getting more info about Logan and Neverra made sense, but while I really really want Cameron and Xavier to also get a happy ending, I think their unadmitted love doesnt hit enough (yet?) to make the actions towards the end of the book make sense.

In general, this whole “suddenly everyone’s the enemy” reminded me of the Hydra-takes-over storyline in the MCU which also felt like it came out of nowhere...

I did also like the banter a LOT and had some laugh out loud or big grin moments while reading it. It might be one I pick up again, though that also depends on Book 3… no release date yet afaict, so that’s super sad. But I heard that the author got a series deal, so hope springs eternal!

Recommend this book if you like big epic stories (some parts had a whiff of LOTR for me), deliciously spicy spice, lovely banter, hot flirting… and a journey out of depression and grief. It’s such a good book.

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katharina90's review

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Enjoyed the characters and the plot was ok, the book was just way too long and dragged endlessly.

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radiantgeode's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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overflowingshelf's review

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*Note – this review is spoiler free for both The Book of Azrael and The Throne of Broken Gods

CW: Death; grief; murder; confinement; violence; war; blood; fire; torture; injury

“‘This is how the world ends,’ the fate had whispered, and I was going to show them just how right fate was.”

Dianna has entered her villain era, and I am here for it!

The Throne of Broken Gods picks up immediately after The Book of Azrael and takes you for a wild ride. I expected lots of twists, turns, and emotional devastation, and Amber V. Nicole DELIVERED.

This book is a beast (it clocks in at over 700 pages in paperback), but it is well worth it as it’s a beautiful exploration of grief, love, family, and friends. Plus, it delivers a hot romance, unforgettable characters, fun action scenes, and some shocking twists.

“When I burn this world to embers, and you paint me as the villain, remember, I really did try to be good… once.”

Dianna is in her full-blown villain era and has some fun power upgrades to match. She’s out for revenge, out for blood for all those who betrayed her, and you best not stand in her way. As much as I fully loved her embracing her villainess side (and I truly LOVED it), my heart also ached for her. She is hurting so, so, so badly after what happened at the end of The Book of Azrael. All I wanted to do was reach out and hug her. The grief she felt was tangible, and I cried along with her at times. The softer, quieter moments with Dianna and her feelings stood out to me and were some of the most impactful. Dianna’s character arc was genuinely awe-inspiring in this book as we see her go through all the stages of grief. It’s a hard journey to join her on, but I love where she ended up. I truly think Nicole’s exploration of grief through Dianna’s character is fascinating, and one of the things I loved the most about this book

“I never once said that I was good…but sometimes a king has to be a monster.”

Logan is no more as he’s ready to own being Samkiel again, and I think that’s for the better. I feel we see a different Samkiel in this book as he’s really embracing his role as a God, as a leader. And just cause he’s a God doesn’t mean he’s all good. He’ll do anything to bring Dianna back to herself. He’s very much in his “touch her, and you die” era, and he would do anything for her. I liked this Samkiel more, as he had an air of confidence and strength. He’s juggling a lot as he’s cleaning up after Dianna, trying to bring her back to herself and stopping chaos from being unleashed on all the realms. I also truly adored seeing him spend time with the Hand and getting to know them better as a group and individuals.

“Yet he looked at me as if he would rip the world to pieces for me, and I knew I would do so much worse for him.”

We continue the enemies-to-lovers vibes from The Book of Azrael though it is much more layered and complex now. The flirty, snarky banter in the scenes of them fighting each other had me living. But their relationship is so much deeper than that. They have this deep connection – they both can see behind the monster/god to the individual and accept each other for their flaws, fears, hopes, dreams, and all. Their relationship continues to develop slowly over this book, but the payoff is worth it. We get some very rewarding sexy scenes in this, but also so much love. God, the love. Along with the exploration of grief, the exploration of the power of love and all the many forms it can take is another standout from this book.

“Let chaos reign.”

This book did feel a little long at times – there were a lot of flashbacks and a lot of points of view that I’m not sure were all necessary – but I honestly didn’t mind in the end as I was so engrossed in the story, in the drama. Boy, does this book go there in terms of the plot! I was a big old jumble of nerves and so stressed the whole last quarter of the book. I was literally gasping out loud and having to put the book down at times to process EVERYTHING that was HAPPENING. And oh my god, that ending! While I correctly predicted some plot points, others completed shook me to my core. I still am in shock thinking about some of them! I don’t know which character I hate more after everything. I cannot wait to see where Nicole takes this story and these characters in the last book as THAT ENDING.

“Remember that I love you.”

If you want to be emotionally devastated, this series is perfect for you. And I mean that in the best way possible. I cried, I laughed, I gasped, I loved – I felt it all while reading. If you love dark romance or are in your romantasy era, you will eat these stories up! You do have to read this series in order, so now is the perfect time to start, as The Book of Azrael and The Throne of Broken Gods are on KU.

I am now anxiously awaiting an update on book 3 and look forward to all the heartache and pain that Amber V. Nicole will bring us with that book!

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stephaniemcuervo's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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shannjae's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow!
Yous need to read this because holy me, oh, my!

I don’t even know where to start except I LOVED IT!
I couldn’t put it down and when I had to, it consumed my thoughts. There is nothing predictable about this book / series. It’s outstanding and truly creative. I love the mythology aspects, the worlds that have been created and the beautiful multiple POVs that give us extra depth into each character even Kaden!

The angst and heartbreak in this book is soul shattering, which leaves you begging for more!

“You led me out of my darkness, Dianna. Now let me lead you, or I can follow you into the dark, but there is no me without you. Not anymore. Do you understand?”
^^^
This line is pure perfection!
Amber has an impeccable talent of being able to write and portray that earth shattering, complex feelings of each character. She has written about complex situations such as grief in a tasteful way that delves into your heart and soul which leaves you feeling like it was you who lost a family member.

Don’t even get be started on that last 30% because them twist and turns in the story! Wow chefs kiss! I already need the third book. I knew after reading The Book of Azrael that this was going to be a brilliant series but boom two has surpassed all my expectations.

The depth of characters, world building, shocking twists and developments. It all incredible.
I think I may have a new rival for favourite author! 🖤

P.S. This series has been a slow burn where he falls first and the wait has been killing me but boy was it worth it 🌶️. It was spicy, hot and beautifully written.

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bellebookcorner's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“You let me out of the darkness. Now let me lead you, or I can follow you into the dark, but there is no me without you. Not anymore.”

Read this adult urban fantasy romance if you love:
• Enemies-to-Lovers
• Found Family
• Betrayals & Revenge
• Morally Grey Characters
• Fated Mates
• Epic world building

I really love the 1st book so that’s why I have a high expectation for book 2. Fortunately, this sequel does not disappoint and exceed my expectation!

The Throne of Broken Gods continues right after the ending of the first book. Dianna unleash her rage and she painted the world in red.
The story is action-packed with epic battles and amazing power display that’ll leave you in awe. Dianna makes me feel scared when she’s on a rampage but her power is AWESOME!

The world building is expanding and the story is told in multiple POVs that let you see through different perspective from various characters, like the villain, the main characters and side characters.

This book focuses more on how Dianna deals with her grief in different stages throughout the story. There’s a lot of major character growth with Dianna, it’s an emotional journey where we can see her at her lowest and how she’s trying to get back up again. So much pain and anger, I got teared up here and there while reading this.

Then there’s Samkiel, he’s definitely an angel or a saint for how he supports Dianna through all of it. I fell for Samkiel's character even more in here. He’s very caring and loyal but can turn into a dangerous ruthless God when someone threaten his loved ones.

I love the found family trope in this book, how Dianna gain a new family with Samkiel’s family – The Hand. They welcome her and accepted her as a part of their own even after everything she’s done in the first half part of the book.

The last few chapters are filled with twists upon twists, some are predictable but there are some unexpected ones. It ended with a cliff-hanger, not a huge one but enough to make me feel I wish I have book 3 to continue…

Overall, this is a well written sequel that is worth the wait. It’s heart-breaking yet heart-warming at the same time. The author portrayed the FMC’s emotions perfectly – the grief, the anger, the pain and the love.

I highly recommended this series and I’m REALLY looking forward to read book 3 cause I need to know what happens next!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Grief, violence, death and sexual content

I received a review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

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condls27's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed the overall story but this book was a bit of a mess.

To start, it could’ve been 300 pages shorter. There was so much filler that was equal parts too detailed but also gave us nothing (why were there so many damn council meetings when they literally did nothing?!). I also felt like the found family trope was really forced. I get why it was needed it but it would’ve been more believable had those foundations been established with Diana in the first book.

There were also a lot of inconsistencies. Samkiel doesn’t know what a date is or most mortal slang for that matter but knows to call Diana “baby” when they’re boinking? He’s either an out of touch god or he’s assimilated- pick one. And the names were too much. Liam-Samkiel-Sami and then all of Diana’s names felt so clunky. The whole Liam thing never made sense in the first book anyways but it felt so weird to just completely abandon in this one.

The foreshadowing was less of a shadow and more of a shouting plot twists directly in our faces. How does a thousand year old celestial completely disregard a very foreboding message from a fate? He flat out told them “yer fucked” and they just acted like they were so stumped by the fate and his tricky riddles?!

I’ll probably continue with the series but I hope it gets an editor because I cannot slog through 800+ pages of filler again 🙏🏻

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darknesslighttt's review

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adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-paced

5.0

🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: enemies to lovers, revenge, fated mates, fantasy, forbidden, forced proximity, cinnamon roll hero

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: blood, death, violence, grief, death of a loved one

Keep in mind that this book is second book in the Gods & Monster series, and may contain spoilers from the first book.

I will start by saying that although the world is in chaos, at least Dianna and Samkiel are together, but I will not specify when they are.

After the end of the first book, I suspected that this book would be a roller-coaster of emotions, but what I didn't know was that Amber would keep us breathless until almost halfway through the book. Nothing can stop Dianna from killing those who took part or knew about Kaden's plan to kill Gabby. I loved seeing a revengeful Dianna, but I saw her in such a heart-breaking way. The chapters from her perspective are full of pain, suffering, grief & guilt. She closed herself in, and nothing could touch her until all those who had a part in her sister's death were annihilated.

I think this is the first character I see going fully villainous, until the moment she realizes that she has no other way to escape, than to return to Samkiel. As for her feelings for him, they were very well closed in the depths of her. She avoided him, insulted him and yet after everything that happened, a part of her still wants to save him.

Samkiel is crazy about Dianna. All his thoughts and actions are around her. He goes through all of Dianna's fights and insults while flirting with her. He fights and makes sacrifices just to save Dianna and lead her to the path of healing. Honestly, I don't really think I breathed when I was reading the chapters from his perspective. Only how much weight is gathered on his shoulders with the care of his friends, of Dianna who is always in danger of being taken by Kaden, and of everyone in realm made my heart break a little. We also see another part of him. We see how he stands by his friends and understands them, but also how he struggles emotionally.

The relationship between Dianna and Samkiel is raw and messy, and although things keep coming up to keep them apart, they become closer and closer. And finally we see the spice that Amber promised us. I'm really glad she didn't rush them, because they needed to heal before moving on to the next step.

I loved the new characters and that we could finally see them from their perspective. Each of them took a piece of my heart, except for Vincent of course - I couldn't stand him from the very beginning-. I became very attached to them and I hope that Amber will keep them alive.

I will not go into details about the last chapters, all I want to say is that they are a roller-coaster of emotions, which makes your heart beat and keeps you in suspense.

Ahh, and let's not forget the plot twists. I really did not expect something like that. Not only did they take me by surprise, but they also left me socked.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, although it's probably a long time until we see it.

Thank you Amber Nicole and Star Publishing for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

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samantha_ellen's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hi… I am a broken woman 😭

What a roller coaster! That ending!!! Wtf!!!

I really liked book one ~ BUT BOOK 2 ❤️‍🔥

I felt like the authors writing really went up a notch. The characters jumped off the page & I could really see their different personalities. New povs were introduced & I absolutely loved getting to know them all, the found family in this book was perfection 🙌🏽

But the real star of the story is how the FMC (a villain) is portrayed. The reason she becomes a villain is explored, her morality, her grief, her anger (feminine rage YES PLEASE) her love.

It’s so so well done.

Dianna is honestly one of the most bad ass FMC I’ve ever read.

Now to say ’m obsessed with the mmc would be an understatement!

He is the biggest cinnamon roll for the FMC, fighting to help her every step of the way even when she pushes him away - & literally tries to kill him… He never gives up on her.

The authors characterisation of a grumpy god, who would do anything for her, lightening at his finger tips, polite to everyone while also being extremely strong with the worlds on his shoulders…. & then a dirty mouth in the bedroom 🫠

I honestly have no words for this man.

HE IS ELITE

You really had to work for their relationship in this, THEY WENT THROUGH IT!

There was so much pain but OMG was it worth it!!

The world building expanded & the plot really opened up as well. Huge plot twists & reveals along with absolutely HEART WRENCHING scenes.

While I was reading I often felt like I was watching a tv show. The action was so well plotted. The emotions of the characters jumped off the page & the dialogue was perfection.

If you are someone who loved Buffy, the vampire diaries or the originals (especially the villains / morally grey characters & strong, smart arse fmcs) then this is a series for you.

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