Jennie's Reads

“A monster is still a monster, no matter what pretty shell it wears.”

⭐️ 5
🌶 3
💋 Enemies-to-lovers
💋 Morally Grey FMC
💋 God/Hero MMC
💋 Forced Proximity
💋 One (twin) bed
💋 Forbidden Love

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Dianna? Badass. Liam? *chefs kiss* Together? Un-freakin-stoppable.

Blurb/Synopsis

World Ender meets Ender of Worlds…

A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.

A King thought long dead and long forgotten.

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 savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. 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 eons ago.

Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.

What I Enjoyed

A Morally Grey Female Main Character: Oooomph, Dianna, Dianna, DIANNA. What a strong, powerful, messed up, and messy character she is. If we could describe her as a messed up hot mess- that would be the most eloquent way to describe her, I think. I love it though. She’s not one for *doing whats best*, she’s selfish, she’s determined, she’s destructive, and she KNOWS it. What a breath of fresh air.

A Broody God: Samkiel/Liam’s character arc is wonderful. He goes from lacking everything and all things, devoid of emotion to someone who *feels* again. He knows he is all powerful, he knows he is a god. To have lived as long as he has, to have felt the death and destruction and not have gone totally insane… Amber V. Nicole paints gods in a more human light by putting them through these trials and tribulations. These warring feelings and even absence of feeling. It made me love Liam more.

The SLOW Burn: Because… damn if we don’t like our selves a slow burn. The magnetism is palpable, and you feel it. You know it. YOU ROOT FOR IT. Though sometimes, you were like, “but… really tho?” It’s needed & it’s necessary.

Liam & Dianna = each other’s Salvation & Ruin: This one speaks for itself. The fact that Liam and Dianna are both each other’s salvation and ruin all at the same time. It may be a trope that’s consistent, the touch her and ☠️, who hurt you feels — but we’re a sucker for it anyway.

The magic system and world building: I loved Nicole’s world building. The multi-layered elements of the overlapping worlds and universes, of outer worldly creatures and more. I’m a huge fan of the idea of a god of death — love me a Hades feel. Love that all the characters aren’t the purest and almighty; but rather complex and detailed.

What I Didn’t Like

Trauma Undertones: I’m going to be honest, more like my own trauma’s undertones. And I’m going to preface this with, it’s not really all that triggering, it’s almost hella empowering. Hearing how Kaden kept Dianna under lock n’ key, giving her *just enough* to keep her wanting more, and striving for more. Not believing she was worth more because of who and what she is. It’s her background though, and I get it — so to see her rise up from the ashes, it’s hella empowering. But tread with caution if this type of thing is a trigger.

Dianna’s Insistence on Keeping Gabby Safe: I love seeing siblings and family going to bat for each other and literally dying for one another, but Dianna’s insistence on Gabby’s safety at whatever cost it is to her life and her livelihood? It was borderline over bearing.

Notable Quotes

“I was Kaden’s weapon. I was powerful. They knew it, and I knew it. I was a blade made of fire and flesh.“

“Better to die by what you think is right than to live under a lie.”

“Do you really want to risk more lives for someone that means absolutely nothing to you?” “She is innocent. Therefore, she means everything.”

“For the second time, he smiled. It was just a brief flash of his stupid perfect teeth, but it undid me. It was the simplest thing, and I hated it. He smiled, and gravity shifted, pulling me toward him as if he were my anchor.”

“The small cars are violent, and they let small children drive. Do they not care for the small ones? It’s ridiculous. Mortal lifetimes are fleeting, yet they build contraptions that could end them in moments.”

“The way she looked at me, the way she spoke—it was as if her fate were already sealed. She was certain he would take her. “I will not let him have you.”

“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.“

“He plucked a gorgeous yellow lily, slowly twirling it by the stem. I stared at him, transfixed by the sight of the powerful World Ender holding such a small and fragile bloom… Liam had given me a flower. A simple fucking flower, and my world tilted. It was the first time any man had given me flowers.”

“Don’t you know? Love is the purest form of destruction there is.”

“With the right person, a kiss was so much more than a kiss. It was pure, unfiltered ecstasy.”

Theme Song

Over All Thoughts

Book of Azarael is a fantastic tale of adventure, morally grey kills, redemption, love and sacrifice. It is an amazing first book that lays the foundation for the next books to come. Dianna is a true favorite female main character — I was getting tired of the ones who are on a purity thing, seeing that they were doing it for the good of all things. Dianna sheds light into the selfishness of characters, but one that holds true to their values. Liam has an amazing “coming back to himself” arc, and I am 100% here for it. Mostly because of his POV and how he sees things slowly come back “to life”. The story and plot lines itself with Kaden, the Hand, Ig’Morruthens and more. Honestly, I had 200+ highlights. I LOVED this book!

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