Published
Read Time
9 min read
Age & reading levelAges 17+ · Adult
Reader ratingreader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
4.4
· 54,301 Amazon ratingsShare This Review
Our review
The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole Review: A Slow-Burn Epic Romantasy That Delivers
The Book of Azrael is the first novel in Amber V. Nicole's Gods and Monsters series, following Dianna — a villainous shapeshifter who bargained away her humanity a thousand years ago to save her sister — and Samkiel, the World Ender and God King who has hidden from his crown since a devastating Gods War. It earns attention for its high-stakes enemies-to-lovers premise and its viral BookTok momentum, which has propelled it to international readership ahead of its Kensington trade edition.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Romantasy readers who want their central love story embedded in genuine epic fantasy stakes — multiple realms, centuries of mythology, and a morally complex shapeshifter heroine — and who are happy to commit to a long, slow-burn series with an active BookTok community behind it.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you love enemies-to-lovers tension stretched across a sprawling, mythology-rich world and have the patience to invest in deep character histories before the romance pays off.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer tightly plotted, fast-paced romances with minimal world-building overhead, or find 600-plus pages of slow-burn build more frustrating than satisfying.
What readers & critics say
Reader reviewers retrieved from book blogs are broadly enthusiastic: Imaginariumbooks.co.uk calls it an easy, compulsive read driven by a good story and morally grey characters, while Overflowingshelf.com praises the seamless weaving of action, world-building, and romance, noting the pacing felt perfect despite the book's considerable length.
Sources: Imaginariumbooks.co.uk, Overflowingshelf.com, Bookish-Delights.com, ReadingTrolls Reviews4.4from 54,301 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Buy on AmazonIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Actually Is
- The Book's Origins and Reach
- What the Series Does Well — Per Its Champions
- The Shape of Its Limitations
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Dual-perspective enemies-to-lovers structure anchored by a morally complex shapeshifter heroine (Dianna) and a tormented God King (Samkiel) with centuries of backstory
- Praised by major romance authors — including Brynne Weaver and Raven Kennedy — for vivid world-building and emotionally resonant character work
- A slow-burn romance that builds steadily across a high-stakes, multi-realm fantasy backdrop
- First entry in an ongoing series, offering readers an expansive world to inhabit across multiple volumes
- Viral BookTok success that built an international readership organically before traditional publishing distribution
What Doesn't
- At 600-plus pages with a complex multi-realm mythology, the book demands significant patience and investment from new readers
- The slow-burn pacing, while a deliberate strength for its core audience, may frustrate readers seeking a quicker romantic payoff
The romantasy genre has a devoted readership hungry for bold world-building and morally complex leads — and The Book of Azrael stakes its claim on exactly that territory.
What the Book Actually Is
At its core, The Book of Azrael is an epic fantasy romance built around two figures who occupy opposite ends of a cosmic power structure. Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria a thousand years ago, calling out for help to save her dying sister — and a monster worse than any nightmare answered. That bargain bound her to Kaden, whose will she has served ever since, including a mission to recover an ancient celestial relic: the Book of Azrael, rumored to hold the secret to killing Samkiel and unraveling every realm tied to his life force. Samkiel himself — known in the new world simply as Liam — is the World Ender: a myth to his enemies and a king to his followers, who withdrew from his crown after the Gods War and has been hiding ever since. When those he loves come under attack, he is pulled back into the very realm he most wanted to avoid, and directly into Dianna's path. The novel is structured as a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story, with the series' title — Gods and Monsters — announcing its central tension from the outset.
The Book's Origins and Reach
The Book of Azrael has an notable publishing history. The series was first published through Rose & Star Publishing and later picked up by Headline Eternal before the Kensington edition entered the picture. Its ascent was driven primarily by BookTok, where it became a viral phenomenon and built an internationally devoted readership before traditional publishing took notice — a trajectory that places it firmly in the company of other reader-discovery breakout titles. Penguin Random House positions it as a read for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jasmine Mas, Penn Cole, and Kerri Maniscalco, situating it squarely within the current wave of steamy, mythology-inflected romantasy. That the series has grown to span multiple volumes is a testament to the staying power of that initial word-of-mouth surge.
What the Series Does Well — Per Its Champions
Praise for the Gods and Monsters series from fellow authors has been substantive. Brynne Weaver, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Butcher & Blackbird, states that Nicole "doesn't just write about magic, she creates it," singling out her world-building, vivid characterization, and her exploration of "love and hate, oppression and resilience, fear and bravery" as exceptional. Raven Kennedy, internationally bestselling author of The Plated Prisoner series, describes the book as "a wicked ride from beginning to heart shattering end," noting its fast-paced action, in-depth world, and a romance that "goes from simmer to boil." Hannah Nicole Maehrer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, highlights Dianna specifically — a "morally corrupt heroine who you can't help but root for" — and points to the banter between Dianna and Samkiel as a particular strength. Taken together, this endorsement reflects a genuine consensus around the book's character work and pacing.
The Shape of Its Limitations
With over 600 pages of high-stakes world-building, multiple realms, a millennium of backstory, and a large cast of supernatural figures, The Book of Azrael is a considerable undertaking. Readers who prefer tightly contained stories or who find slow-burn romantic pacing frustrating may find the build demanding — the enemies-to-lovers tension is designed to stretch across significant narrative real estate before paying off. The scope of the mythology — gods, monsters, celestial relics, inter-realm politics, and the fallout of the Gods War — means that entry into this world requires patience and investment. Readers who come for the romance alone, without appetite for the epic fantasy scaffolding, may find the balance leans heavier on world-building than they expected.
Who This Book Is For
The Book of Azrael is designed for readers who want their romantasy to carry genuine emotional and worldly stakes — not a light fling with a fantasy backdrop, but a full-scale epic in which the central relationship is intertwined with the fate of multiple realms. Dianna's arc, from a monster bound by a centuries-old deal to something more complex, and Samkiel's return from self-imposed exile, are built to reward readers who invest deeply in character history and transformation. For those already at home in the romantasy space — particularly readers who have worked through comparably large series by the authors named above — this is a natural next title. Its BookTok origins mean it also arrives with a ready-made community of readers eager to discuss every twist, which adds a social dimension to the reading experience that its scope actively supports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Book of Azrael worth reading?
LuvemBooks finds it a strong entry in the romantasy genre for the right reader. It delivers bold world-building, morally complex leads, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance with genuine emotional and worldly stakes — but it rewards patience and deep investment rather than offering a quick, light read.
Who is this book for?
The review identifies it as ideal for readers who want their romantasy to carry real epic fantasy weight, not just a fantasy backdrop for romance. Readers already familiar with comparably large series by authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jasmine Mas, Penn Cole, or Kerri Maniscalco are described as a natural audience.
What is the central premise of this book?
The story centers on Dianna, who a thousand years ago made a desperate bargain to save her dying sister in the deserts of Eoria, binding herself to a figure named Kaden. Her mission to recover an ancient celestial relic — the Book of Azrael — puts her on a collision course with Samkiel, known as the World Ender, who has been hiding from his former life since the Gods War.
What kind of romance structure does the book use?
The Book of Azrael is built around a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic, with the tension designed to stretch across significant narrative real estate before paying off. The series title, Gods and Monsters, signals this central conflict from the outset, and the romance is described as going from simmer to boil over the course of the story.
What are the main themes in this book?
The review highlights themes of love and hate, oppression and resilience, and fear and bravery as central to the book, drawing on praise from author Brynne Weaver. The story also engages with ideas of sacrifice, transformation, and the consequences of ancient bargains across a mythology spanning gods, monsters, and inter-realm politics.
How is the world-building in this book?
The review describes the world-building as ambitious and expansive, encompassing multiple realms, a millennium of backstory, celestial relics, and the fallout of the Gods War. Author Brynne Weaver is quoted as saying Nicole does not just write about magic but creates it, singling out the world-building as exceptional.
How does the pacing hold up across 600-plus pages?
The review acknowledges that with over 600 pages of high-stakes content, the book is a considerable undertaking. Raven Kennedy describes it as a fast-paced ride, but LuvemBooks notes that readers who prefer tightly contained stories or find slow-burn pacing frustrating may find the build demanding.
What are the limitations or caveats of this book?
The review is candid that the book's scope — gods, monsters, celestial relics, inter-realm politics, and a large cast — requires patience and investment from the reader. Readers who come primarily for the romance and have little appetite for epic fantasy scaffolding may find the balance leans heavier on world-building than they expected.
How is Dianna portrayed as a character?
Dianna is described in the review as a morally corrupt heroine who readers cannot help but root for, a characterization highlighted by author Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Her arc — from a monster bound by a centuries-old deal to something more complex — is identified as one of the book's key rewards for deeply invested readers.
Who is Samkiel and what is his role in the story?
Samkiel, known in the new world simply as Liam, is called the World Ender — a myth to his enemies and a king to his followers. He withdrew from his crown after the Gods War and has been in hiding, but is pulled back into the fray when those he loves come under attack, placing him directly in Dianna's path.
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 17+
Reading level
Adult
3 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
steamy/explicit sexual content
dark violence and battle sequences
morally gray and coercive power dynamics
Best for: Adults / mature 17+ — steamy romantasy content with explicit sexual scenes and graphic violence across a dark fantasy setting
Skip if you want a fast-paced romance with minimal epic fantasy world-building and mythology.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
crewfiction.com
- 2
booksarethenewblackblog.wordpress.com
- 3
penguinrandomhouse.com
- Further reading
- 4
- 5
- 6
bookish-delights.com
- 7
overflowingshelf.com
- 8
- 9
barnesandnoble.com
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