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The Book of Azrael

The Book of Azrael

Book 1 of the Gods & Monsters Series
FantasyParanormal
Pages
487
Published
2022
Language
English

Synopsis

A thousand years ago, in the deserts of Eoria, Dianna Martinez traded her life to save her dying sister. What answered her was Kaden — and the bargain left her an Ig'Morruthen, a shapeshifting monster bound to his service for as long as he wants her. What he wants now is the Book of Azrael, an ancient relic rumoured to hold the one thing capable of killing a god. It is guarded by an army, and that army answers to the oldest monster of them all.

In the old world he was Samkiel: son of Unir, King of Rashearim, the World Ender who broke his own realm to end the Gods War. In the new one he is only Liam, hidden for centuries on the wreckage of that homeworld, refusing the crown and the people who once needed him. An attack on the few he still loves drags him back to Onuna, and into the path of an enemy he believed imprisoned eons ago.

To keep every realm from following Rashearim into ruin, two of the oldest enemies alive have to learn to stand each other first. Book one of the Gods & Monsters series.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkTenseEmotionalRomanticSpicyAdventurous
Enemies to LoversSlow BurnSacrificeSecret IdentityQuestMorally GreyVillain ProtagonistFound FamilyBetrayal

Genres

Fantasy Paranormal Romantasy Vampire Dark Fantasy Romance Paranormal Romance Dark Romance Epic Fantasy High Fantasy

About the author

A
Amber V. Nicole

Amber V. Nicole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of dark fantasy with a touch of horror, best known for the viral Gods & Monsters series (The Book of Azrael and its sequels). When she isn't writing new and fantastic ways to devastate her readers, she's probably playing video games or obsessing over anime. She loves morally gray characters, flaws and all, and is always dreaming of far-off places with dragons, magic, and swords — with a particular fondness for a good villain. S...

Characters

SamkielProtagonist

Son of Unir and King of Rashearim, called the World Ender for the war that destroyed his own realm. He has spent centuries in hiding under the name Liam, refusing the crown he abandoned.

Dianna MartinezProtagonist

A thousand years ago she traded her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. The bargain left her an Ig'Morruthen — a shapeshifting monster — bound to Kaden's service.

Kaden (Gods & Monsters)Antagonist

The being that answered Dianna's plea a thousand years ago. He made her what she is, holds her to her bargain, and wants the Book of Azrael for himself.

TobiasAntagonist

Kaden's right hand, who can raise and command the dead.

GabbySupporting

Dianna's sister — the one person she gave everything to save, made immortal as part of the bargain that damned her.

All characters in The Book of Azrael

Frequently asked questions

  • Is The Book of Azrael spicy, and what should readers be warned about?

    Yes — it is an adult romantasy, not a young-adult fantasy. The publisher's own content warnings for the book list sexually explicit scenes, fantasy violence, gore, emotional and physical abuse, death of a loved one, grief, PTSD, eating disorder, depression and slut shaming. The central romance is a slow burn, so the explicit material arrives well into the book.

  • What order do the Gods & Monsters books go in?

    The Book of Azrael is book one. It is followed by The Throne of Broken Gods, The Dawn of the Cursed Queen and The Wrath of the Fallen. Kensington, which reissued the series in 2025, lists Gods & Monsters as planned for five books.

  • Are Samkiel and Liam the same character?

    Yes. Samkiel is his name in the old world, where he was the son of Unir and King of Rashearim, called the World Ender. After the Gods War destroyed his homeworld he withdrew from public life and has lived under the name Liam ever since. The book's own description introduces him both ways.

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