World Ender meets Ender of Worlds…
The Plot, Characters and Story Progression
The first 100 pages of The Book of Azrael had me questioning my trust in BookTok. The writing is very dull and uninspired, I almost got the sense that the author didn’t want to include it but perhaps it was encouraged by the editor? It felt just lumped there last minute and added no real purpose or depth to the story that continues on from that point. Once you’ve surpassed the 100 page mark things get interesting. The plot really begins to unfurl in a way that grips you with every page turn.
I LOVED Dianna, she is so perfectly imperfect and she ownes it. Her relationship with Gabby is so heartwarming to read and I could relate really strongly to her feeling trapped in Kadan’s grasp.
Samkiel is just stunning to read as well, I don’t usually relate to male characters or feel any affinity towards them but our main male character in this book is so beautifully complex its hard not to love him. The juxtaposition between how people view him in the book and how he feels is so well written. You get a crystal clear sense of the inner conflict he’s having with his responsibilities and how he cares but also just wanting to lock himself away and hide from them at the same time.
The story and how it progresses is utterly delicious keeps you readily on the edge of your seat and on the tip of your toes at all times.
The ending absolutely broke me into a million pieces and I still haven’t recovered. You’ve been warned.
World Building, Atmosphere and Setting
The world building in The book of Azrael is what sold it for me.
The way this world had me never wanting to leave is unreal. I could picture every scene so vividly in my mind and it felt impossible at times to put it down and tear my mind from the pages. It feels urban enough that you could almost believe it to be real with a huge helping of urban magic to release your mind from reality in the way you need it to.
The Verdict
Whilst it was a rocky start and I genuinely thought I was going to hate The Book of Azrael, I’m so glad I persevered with it. I can’t rate it five stars for that reason but for everything else it’s a solid 4.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐