The end of the year is just a week away, and we have the perfect book recommendation for our romantasy bookworms. If you haven’t already read Amber V. Nicole’s Gods & Monsters series, first published by Rose & Star Publishing and then by Headline Eternal, run to the closest bookstore or log in to your Amazon, Goodreads, or any other alternative to stock your kindle and add it to your collection.
The true enemies-to-lovers series will be seven books, but we are still only on book three with The Book of Azrael, The Throne of Broken Gods, and The Dawn of the Cursed Queen—plenty of material for countless theories and speculation and not too much to boggle your senses.
For our fan theory-enjoyers, check out our Maasverse theories.
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This dark fantasy romance has it all; a morally gray badass FMC, an I’d-let-the-world-burn type of MMC, and intricate world-building. Liam, or more like Samkiel, has the bad boy appeal that reeks of bad choices, a reckless past, and a tender heart waiting for the one despite it all.
We have compiled a detailed summary and key points of the first book for you, and if by the end you are still not convinced to pick it up, then this author must try to persuade you with yet another post!
Let’s not waste another second and bury our noses in this sizzling slow burn, but be warned, valiant bookworms, there will be spoilers ahead!
Also, a shout-out to Amber V. Nicole for being the sweetest author and reposting all related fanart!
Eons ago, in the Gods, the World Ender destroyed Rashaerim. However, many survived, from celestials and fates to the last and true God King, Samkiel. While Samkiel chose to remain exiled in the remains of Rashaerim, as self-punishment for destroying the planet, many beings were left to roam the remaining realms in search of answers and mischief.
After the fall of Rashaerim, Eoria was crushed by its remains and not long after, a famine took out most of its inhabitants. However, a young girl clinging to her sick sister exchanged her life to ensure her sister’s survival. Kaden, an almighty being of unknown origins, turned Dianna into an Ig’Morruthen—a monster of nightmares—and his eternal servant, in return for saving her sister Gabby by making her immortal.
Kaden’s will is Dianna’s will, and he will not rest until he obtains the book of Azrael, a long-lost celestial artifact from one of Samkiel’s guards rumored to contain the way to kill Samkiel and release all realms that are tied to his life force.
Now in the present, we have Dianna and her fellow Ig’Morruthen, Alistair, interrogating Peter, one of the many celestials they have caught and intercepted over the years. Each Ig’Morruthen has a special skill, and Dianna, using hers, tastes the celestial’s blood and sees Peter’s memories regarding the book, before he is taken over as a puppet by Alistair.
With Dianna’s return from spending time with Gabby as a reward for killing Drake, the Vampire Prince and her only friend, the I’gMorruthens are back on the hunt for the book. They follow the latest lead they have; Peter’s memories. Kaden and his beasts are led to the city of Arariel. There they face Zekiel, a member of The Hand, the few chosen warriors selected by Samkiel to protect the realms, the same faction Azrael used to belong to. Even with all of the Ig’Morruthens, Zekiel barely escapes wounded and in need to warn The Hand of this. However, Dianna is determined to find the book and release herself from Kaden, so she confronts Zekiel. The fight ends with Zekiel sacrificing himself so that Samkiel can be awakened and brought back to the world once again.
Dianna can only witness Zekiel’s demise and hope she has not triggered a cataclysmic event. Kaden, along with Alistair and Tobias, are scared of her, thinking she killed an all mighty member of The Hand, and she keeps the truth to herself. Nevertheless, Zekiel’s light going to the sky is enough to call Liam—Samkiel—back to Silver City and The Hand. Liam is determined to eliminate the threat that took out Zekiel and return to the ruins of Rashaerim. However, his celestials and friends are not ready to let him go just yet. After being in exile for almost a thousand years, they want their leader and friend back.
Vincent, Logan, and Neverra help Liam adjust to life on Onuna and this new reality. Despite their help, Liam can’t help but feel he doesn’t deserve them or to be there well and alive after decimating his own planet. Even his extraordinary powers are malfunctioning due to the lack of sleep and the overwhelming amount of guilt he feels. In a summit to ensure the safety of the World, Liam is faced with Dianna, who has shape-shifted into one of the attendees; World Ender meets Ender of Worlds in an epic showdown. Dianna faces Liam head on, while her evil comrades storm the building.
Liam is not to be trifled with; his power is immense and despite Dianna’s prowess and powers, in the end she is captured by The Hand. Held in a magic sealed cell, Dianna is put through hell, but she does not admit to anything—not until Liam reveals they know of her sister. Dianna has to think of her choices. She has been hurt and kept on a tight leash by Kaden for years; a man she thought loved her until he started taking other lovers in front of her.
In a desperate effort, Dianna escapes, kills Alistair and saves a wounded Logan to prove her loyalty. She reveals all she knows about Kaden and his search for the Book of Azrael, requesting Liam’s help and protection for her and her sister. The Hand and Liam are doubtful such an artifact even exists considering they saw Azrael’s demise, but they are not willing to risk letting it fall into Kaden’s hands, hence a fragile alliance between Dianna and Liam is born; protection for Gabby while he and Dianna look for the book.
Gabby is placed in a safe house along with Neverra and Logan to ensure her safety and Dianna’s peace of mind. Then Dianna and Liam depart for their search. As Kaden’s favorite, capturing Dianna and taking her back to him, proves too tempting for some. All the attempts on Dianna, though, fail with Liam by her side. In one of their last-minute escapes, Liam not only saves Diana but also feeds her his blood, triggering her special ability and plaguing her with every one of his memories—from painful to downright sinful.
As they spend more time together, Liam and Dianna grow closer, and they become friends. Liam protects her and guides her, while Dianna helps him deal with his nightmares and need for companionship. The balance is precarious, but somehow they make it work. After hitting a blank, Dianna takes them to the wilderness where the Vanderkai’s secret mansion lies, revealing that Drake faked his death. Seeing their friendly and loving relationship, Samkiel realizes he might be harboring more than friendly feelings for Dianna. Similarly, when Drake questions Dianna about her feelings for Liam, she finds herself unable to separate love from friendship.
The Vanderkais lecture Liam about not tricking Dianna into thinking he will be there for her when she falls. Liam is left in tumult, and Dianna thinks his avoidance means he has no feelings for her. She channels all her rage into training with Drake, but it soon becomes apparent Liam’s intervention is needed; he trained himself and The Hand to be lethal warriors, he can turn Dianna into a weapon, too.
With Liam’s attention and training, Dianna flourishes, and when an auction for the Book of Azrael is announced, Liam and Dianna are ready to attend and end the witch-hunt. But this won’t be easy! The auction is in El Donuma, the territory of one of Dianna’s old special friends, Camilla.
To invade Camilla’s territory, Dianna uses her shape-shifting powers to accompany Liam. Camilla shows Liam the location of the book and more in a kiss—a kiss that will set Dianna off, but one Liam absolutely needs. Soon it is apparent it is a trap, the building is breached by Kaden's awful creations; the Irvikuva, the failed Ig’Morruthens, and Santiago, the King of the witches. Dianna and Liam attempt to flee, but they are caught in a vicious battle with the Irvikuva—one they barely escape alive.
Liam leads them far away, and they find sanctuary in a kind family’s home that Dianna compels to let them stay. Counting their losses and taking some time to heal, they both realize they were really close to losing one another. This leads them to finally admitting their feelings and being intimate with each other, but not all the way. After a blissful day, they go to a large temple in Ecleon on the Nochari continent, in hopes of finding the book.
Ava, Azrael’s daughter, and a guardian celestial are there to guide them, and together they dive into the catacombs under the temple to find the book. After hours of wandering, they find the sealed tomb of Azrael’s wife; a tomb only Liam’s true power can open. Once the tomb is open, Liam and Dianna think this is finally over, but Ava and Geraldo, her guardian, were nothing more than Tobias’ puppets.
In a fight to the death, Dianna will do everything so that Liam can escape with the book. But in the split second it takes him to decide, Dianna is viciously attacked, and he uses all his might to bring her back to life, leaving Tobias free to escape with the book.
To seek more information, Liam, Dianna, and Logan sneak into the Council of Hadramiel, where we meet a few more trusted celestials. There, Liam and Dianna meet the Fate Roccurem who tells Liam the world will soon end.
“One carved from darkness, one carved of light. The world will shudder.”
Dianna, fiercely loyal, swears to protect Liam and stay by his side forever. However, Liam is very shaken from the fate’s prophecy. The last shocking plot twists come when Liam and Dianna are alerted that Neverra and Gabby have been taken. In a burning rage, Dianna storms Kaden’s island, but it is completely abandoned. Liam tries to keep her calm and takes her back to Silver City. A TV broadcast will be the cherry on top of their horrifying adventure.
Kaden, along with Tobias, the last remaining King of Yejedin, reveal everything about the Gods’ War and the creatures that roam the realms to the public. The camera shows all the faces Dianna had thought were her friends, including Drake, by Kaden’s side. The book will end with Kaden murdering Gabby on live television for Dianna to see. Her screams echo in all the realms, leaving Liam and The Hand numb and us in ruins after this huge cliffhanger.
If you think this book is good, wait until you read the second book, where Dianna’s retribution and Samkiel’s fight for her and the realms will leave you with a book hangover.
Aside from the incredible character development and the awesome, and deeply human, main characters the author has created—which will be examined thoroughly in a future post—it’s worth looking more closely at some of the themes the Gods and Monsters series explores.
As all fans of the trope know, enemies are bound to face haunting betrayals along with unwavering loyalty. Just like in the Gods’ War where Samkiel and his father Unir were betrayed by other Gods, Dianna is heavily betrayed by those she has fought for. Both Samkiel and Dianna are paragons of loyalty, but they all seem to face betrayal, ultimately forcing them to test their loyalty to each other.
And suffice it to say that even the most loyal of comrades can be turned traitors for the right price. Curious? Just read the next book and prepare to be mind-blown.
In case you’re into betrayal, and dangerously hot Fates, then you must check out our post on Once Upon a Broken Heart Characters, and meet the Prince of Hearts asap!
Smakiel’s nightmares and his self-exile all stems from his deep need to be forgiven for destroying Rashaerim. His fight alongside and for Dianna will be part of his journey to redemption and self-forgiveness. Respectively, Dianna pledged herself to a life of servitude, but constantly feels guilty for forcing such a life on her sister—although Gabby is not only free to explore, but also love and live, something foreign to Dianna. Gabby’s death will send Dianna in a spiral, and thus her quest to redemption and forgiveness begins.
Love between celestials and Gods is celebrated, but between the King of Gods and an Ig’Morruthen is unheard of. This forbidden love will bloom and rise to the point of testing Samkiel’s and Dianna’s sanity, and will only escalate in the next books. As fate would have it, though, both Samkiel and Dianna see love as a complication, a vulnerable side that puts a target on the other person’s back. But fate will not be denied, and these two shall be drawn to each other like moths drawn to a flame.
Are you a fan of a slow burn, and forbidden romance? Then you must check out Powerless Summary if you have not yet been introduced to Lauren Robert’s romantasy.
Samkiel blames the power that allowed him to carve his legendary blade “Oblivion” which he used to destroy Rashaerim in his rage and sorrow. Therefore, his power is a constant source of anxiety and loss. Similarly, Dianna has not accepted her true Ig’Morruthen form nor the powers it gives her. This power is what cost her her freedom, and most importantly, Gabby.
Dianna constantly chooses to sacrifice herself so that the people around her can live. First for Gabby and then for Samkiel, she does not hesitate to put her life on the line, since she has not yet found a reason to live. Samuel’s inability to sacrifice himself because keeping the realms locked is tethered to his life is extremely traumatic for him. Everyone around him is free to sacrifice themselves on the altar of his survival, while he is forced to live on.
As you can see, dear bookworms, this fantasy book is not children’s play. It is raw, complex, intriguing and strangely not talked enough on BookTok.
We hope this honest review and synopsis has convinced you to add The Book of Azrael to your TBR. This story will only get better and better, and Amber V. Nicole’s writing does not disappoint. An epic tale of good and evil, a love-against-all-odds and a dual POV to leave nothing to chance is perfect for audiobook lovers and will make you long to reread it as soon as you are done—we plead guilty!
Make sure you check out our list of the top romantasy books, and add anything you have missed to your TBR.
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Yes, the Book of Azrael does have a couple of vividly descriptive scenes between Dianna and Liam. However, as the series progresses, there are more and more spicy scenes sprinkled throughout.
Yes, the Book of Azrael does contain LGBTQ love. The author has done an excellent job at portraying most of the characters as bisexual or even pansexual, highlighting Samkiel’s sexual trysts with all kinds of beings. On the other hand, Dianna was in a relationship with Camilla. In the next books, we also have the chance to explore the complicated relationship of Cameron and Xavier.
Azrael is a celestial and part of The Hand, Samkiel’s trusted group of elite celestials. He was an expert creator of many weapons and other artifacts, and was allowed to leave Rashaerim before the fall. However, it seems that he does not manage to escape alive, but his wife and daughter did, and hence the Book of Azrael survived.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
