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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
This is a really good book! It’s definitely dark fantasy romance book, but consider it an intro to smut. No real smutty scenes until closer to the end of the book
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I need to give this book credit for the beginning alone, which captivated me with the character of Dianna—the badass woman who sacrificed her humanity in every way that mattered to her in order to save her sister’s life. Through her POV we see all the ways she has lost that humanity: not only in her physical attributes and appetite as an Ig’Morruthen, but also in what Kaden, her blood-sworn master and “creator,” has forced her to do since saving her and her sister centuries ago. Killing for him, acting as his “agent,” carrying out his will. Throughout her POV at the start of this tale, we see her torn apart by the obedience she owes to Kaden warring against the remnants of her humanity and her relationship with her sister. All wonderful and compelling.
Unfortunately, the book goes from what looked like a solid 5-star read to jumping off a vertical cliff at around the 60% mark. The main protagonist betrays her own first-person POV—betrays the reader. It made me, as the reader, no longer trust her perspective or even care about the storyline. I began skimming, because not only did I lose trust in the POV, but the entire plot devolved into a series of ridiculous side quests. SPOILER ALERT: We go from a god not believing a certain book exists (the entire novel is centered on searching for this book, which we’re led to think might not exist), to just two chapters later—he finds it. That god. The one who didn’t believe it existed. He finds it. After a slew of meaningless side quests, somewhat about the book but also not really, it suddenly just appears. I cannot express how jarring and pointless this felt from 60% onward. And honestly? With a book this long? Hard no. Absolutely not. My life and time are worth more. A damned shame, because the potential was epic.
I truly lost it at the end, during what was supposed to be a heart-wrenching, passionate exchange of vulnerability—but it used phrasing like: “I was angry and pissed and sad at him.” I’m sorry, but my GCSE teacher wouldn’t have passed my writing with that kind of phrasing. Yet okay, fine, let’s call the scene what it was meant to be: emotional and heart-wrenching. But then it ends with this:
“A small snort escaped him as he nodded, and tears spilled down his cheeks. ‘Same.’”
Same. Yes, you read that right. Same. I was already dumbfounded, but that completely lost me.
What’s most infuriating of all is that this author can write! The first 50+% of the book was amazing—5-star quality. I was invested. That’s why, when it nosedived off a cliff, I thought: “No, you know what? I’ve invested this much time and enjoyed it, I’ll keep going.” The problem is, this is a long book. And with the final 40–50% only getting worse in terms of editing, writing quality, and plot? All it did was leave me massively infuriated.
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars.
I truly lost it at the end, during what was supposed to be a heart-wrenching, passionate exchange of vulnerability—but it used phrasing like: “I was angry and pissed and sad at him.” I’m sorry, but my GCSE teacher wouldn’t have passed my writing with that kind of phrasing. Yet okay, fine, let’s call the scene what it was meant to be: emotional and heart-wrenching. But then it ends with this:
“A small snort escaped him as he nodded, and tears spilled down his cheeks. ‘Same.’”
Same. Yes, you read that right. Same. I was already dumbfounded, but that completely lost me.
What’s most infuriating of all is that this author can write! The first 50+% of the book was amazing—5-star quality. I was invested. That’s why, when it nosedived off a cliff, I thought: “No, you know what? I’ve invested this much time and enjoyed it, I’ll keep going.” The problem is, this is a long book. And with the final 40–50% only getting worse in terms of editing, writing quality, and plot? All it did was leave me massively infuriated.
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars.
dark
emotional
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
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
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
The Book of Azrael was such an intense and addictive read.
I absolutely loved Dianna. She is fiesty, fierce and loves with such force that she completely leapt off the page. Liam was just as compelling. We all love a tortured soul and he carried his trauma in a way that made him layered and endlessly fascinating. Their dynamic was everything. The banter, the grudging trust, and those subtle shifts that turned enemies into lovers felt so natural and satisfying to watch unfold.
The pacing worked really well overall. There were a couple of slower moments that dragged a little but for the most part the story kept me hooked with its mix of action, emotion and sharp dialogue. The world building felt expansive and dark, filled with gods, monsters and power struggles, which added weight and urgency to the romance and gave the characters’ choices real consequence.
It would have been 5⭐️, if not for the spicy scenes. For me the language Liam used in those moments did not feel authentic to his character, especially when his old fashioned speech was such a defining trait throughout the rest of the book. It pulled me out of the story slightly.
That said, this was still a fantastic start to the series. The morally grey characters, the enemies to lovers slow burn, and the emotional heart of the book made it a story I am really glad I read. I will definitely continue the series.
I absolutely loved Dianna. She is fiesty, fierce and loves with such force that she completely leapt off the page. Liam was just as compelling. We all love a tortured soul and he carried his trauma in a way that made him layered and endlessly fascinating. Their dynamic was everything. The banter, the grudging trust, and those subtle shifts that turned enemies into lovers felt so natural and satisfying to watch unfold.
The pacing worked really well overall. There were a couple of slower moments that dragged a little but for the most part the story kept me hooked with its mix of action, emotion and sharp dialogue. The world building felt expansive and dark, filled with gods, monsters and power struggles, which added weight and urgency to the romance and gave the characters’ choices real consequence.
It would have been 5⭐️, if not for the spicy scenes. For me the language Liam used in those moments did not feel authentic to his character, especially when his old fashioned speech was such a defining trait throughout the rest of the book. It pulled me out of the story slightly.
That said, this was still a fantastic start to the series. The morally grey characters, the enemies to lovers slow burn, and the emotional heart of the book made it a story I am really glad I read. I will definitely continue the series.
dark
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes