The Book of Azrael by Amber V Nicole

Gods & Monsters Series

Book Published: 2022 | Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

I don’t dip into fantasy as much these days – something I’m trying to change – but I can always appreciate a good world and a good story. I mentioned in my May Round Up that my friend told me to read The Book of Azrael and report back (as my friends often do), I thought, “Why the hell not?” Fast forward: I’m now three books deep into an apparent eight-book series… each one averaging 600 pages. Blood of Jesus. I didn’t choose this ride, it chose me. I know this book has come up a lot on BookTok as well, so I thought, why not give it a review!

The Premise 

A thousand years ago, Dianna made a dangerous deal with a being far worse than the devil to save her sister. Now she is tied to a monster and forced to do his bidding.

In the old world, his name was Samkiel. In the new world, it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a saviour and King to those loyal to him. Locked away for a millennium, he has been isolated from the fallout of his actions. Now, an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned aeons ago.

The Book of Azrael follows enemies older than time who must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.

What Worked for Me 

Worldbuilding

The lore in this series is dense. I think my favourite part is how unlike anything else it feels. Amber V. Nicole blends elements from ancient myths and timeless creatures — vampires, gods, sirens — and somehow creates a world that feels completely new. You know the worldbuilding is deep when even the creature names are stumping you. It’s familiar, yet entirely original.

Romance Tropes

I loved the enemies-to-lovers dynamic in The Book of Azrael because this one actually felt real. It commits to the trope in a way most romance novels are too scared to do. Usually, “enemies” just means two people who annoy each other a bit, maybe some work rivalry or they got off on the wrong foot. But in this story? Dianna and Samkiel are truly, fundamentally opposed. Dianna’s very existence makes her Samkiel’s mortal enemy; she’s part of the force that destroyed his world. This isn’t a light vendetta. These two would have killed each other under normal circumstances.

Therefore, this makes their lovers’ journey feel earned and not rushed. Even the attraction itself builds – we know they consider each other attractive in the purely visual sense, but none of that I wanna jump his bones but I hate him nonsense. We go from sworn enemies to reluctant tolerance, to something resembling friendship. We don’t fully reach “lovers” in this book, which honestly makes the progression even more satisfying. There are no cliché moments that force them together; their bond grows slowly and naturally.

This book beautifully lays the groundwork for the deeper themes of grief and pain explored in book 2 and onwards. 

“I didn’t remember how long we talked, but somewhere amidst her laughter and smiles, I decided I would rip the world apart for her.”

Amber V. Nicole, The Book of Azrael

Book 2 – The Throne of Broken Gods

The Throne of Broken Gods is my favourite book in the series so far. I finished it in a day — and considering it’s nearly 800 pages, that says a lot about how much it sucked me in. This is where the real heart of the story lies, and where the dark fantasy elements truly begin to shine. There’s so much pain, death, and destruction — but also rebirth, recovery, rediscovery, and the quiet beauty of healing. It’s all so well-crafted and emotionally layered.

I expected there to be more to Dianna and Samkiel’s connection — it’s fantasy, after all, and mates are usually in the mix — but wow, I loved the way it actually unfolded.

What Hasn’t Worked

Worldbuilding (lol)

As much as I love this world, there’s a lot to keep track of. The writing is beautiful, but the book can feel overly complicated at times. Even though some elements are familiar, gods, vampires, and different realms, everything is reimagined in a way that makes it feel completely new. Between the cities, worlds, realms, and the sheer number of characters, it can be difficult to follow, and sometimes feels unnecessarily complex. That said, I understand that crafting such an intricate, diverse world requires that level of detail — it just takes time to fully sink in. And honestly, since I’m not super well-versed in high fantasy, that might’ve made it a bit tougher for me, too.

Book 3 – The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

I’m halfway through Book 3, and I won’t lie, the story is starting to drag a bit. There are so many additional POVs and new plot threads, and a part of me just wants to say, can we just get on with it? There are quite a few filler chapters and new characters who are clearly meant to be important, but I’m not fully convinced, and honestly, I just don’t care about some of them enough yet.

That said, I’m still committed, mostly because the “good guys” are currently getting their asses whooped, and I need to know how this all plays out. Since this is supposed to be an eight-book series, I’m not sure if it’ll continue following the same main storyline or if, like ACOTAR, it’ll shift focus to other characters down the line. In my head, I’m thinking, there’s no way this exact arc can stretch for five more books… right? We’ll see.

Final Vibe 

I think if you’re a fan of a good fantasy with romantic elements you will enjoy this book and it will intrigue you and suck you in enough to commit to the full series.
All the immortal angst and slow-burn passion you need wrapped in good old prophecy, The Book of Azrael delivers blood, betrayal, and beauty in equal measure.

Book 3 is currently dragging them down; we’ll see how I feel when I finish it.

I am loving my romantasy exploration and will report back on how that whole genre is going in my Genre of the Month post, which comes next!

In the meantime, thanks for joining me as always! See you next week!