The Book of Azrael: Characters, spice, tropes, review & quotes
If you’ve been hunting for your next dark urban romantasy obsession, look no further than The Book of Azrael. Between the characters, the slow burn enemies to lovers spice, the tropes and the quotes that will make you giggle, blush and belly laugh, this book had me hooked.
Amber V. Nicole is 100% on my list of new to me favourite authors of 2025, alongside Scarlett St. Clair and L.J. Andrews.
In this The Book of Azrael book review and guide, I’ve documented the spice levels, where to find the spicy chapters, the tropes, a rundown of the characters, plus my review and my favourite quotes.
So welcome to your new favourite romantasy obsession. Seriously I love this series more than other popular romantasy books…You know the ones.... So don’t walk, run because I almost guarantee you’re going to fall in love with Dianna and Samkiel EVEN MORE. I said what I said.
Happy reading friends!
The Book of Azrael 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.
Get The Book of Azrael here.
The Book of Azrael characters.
The Book of Azrael is told in first-person point of view from both FMC, Dianna Martinez, as well as Liam…otherwise known as Samkiel.
Main characters.
Art shared by author, Amber V. Nicole @amber.v.nicole & artist @viimorte via Instagram.
The main characters in The Book of Azrael are Dianna and Liam, who was also known as Samkiel in a previous life.
Dianna Martinez.
Art shared by author, Amber V. Nicole @amber.v.nicole & created by artist @palinlineart via Instagram.
Dianna Martinez is a fire-wielding, shadowy, all-powerful FMC and Ig’Morruthen who can transform into a terrifying, massive beast with flames and sharp scales. She used to be mortal but made a bargain with another powerful dude, Kaden, to save her sister Gabby, in exchange for her servitude.
Liam/Samkiel.
Art shared by author, Amber V. Nicole @amber.v.nicole & created by artist @art.bymikki via Instagram.
In the old world his name was Samkiel, but he’s shed that name and now goes by Liam, in the new world. He can’t seem to shake his reputation as World Ender though.
Other characters.
Gods.
Unir (Samkiel’s father)
Zekiel
Cameron
Imogen
Vincent
Nismera
Logan
Neverra
Kryella
Cameron
Xavier
Azrael
The four kings of Yejedin (mentioned).
Haldnunen
Ittshare
Gewyrnon
Aphaeleon
All other supporting characters.
Gabby Martinez (Dianna’s sister)
Drake Vanderkai (Prince of Night)
Ethan Vanderkai (Vampire king)
Camilla
Kaden
Tobias
Alistair
Santiago (Leader of the Habrick coven)
Sasha (banshee)
Peter
Henry
Elijah
Reissa
Coretta
Ava
Geraldo
Yzotl
Roccurrem
Rick
Kash (Leader of the shades)
Caleb (Werewolf)
Nim
Sophie
Mentioned characters (off-page).
Victoria
Xeohr (God)
Athos (goddess)
Dhihsin
Pharthar
Review: The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole.
View my review and follow me on GoodReads here.
Spice level: 🌶 🌶
2/5, mild to medium open door spice with a couple of sexy dreams.
I didn’t expect this sassy, blood-drenched epic romantasy to whip out and perfectly execute one of my favourite SFF tropes/microtropes: the alien (or god in this case) observing what fragile, emotional, irrational, bizarre beings humans are, but that’s one of the main reasons why I fell in love with the Book of Azrael, amongst others, of course.
The other reasons are:
1. Dianna, my misunderstood fiery, shadowy baddie bestie who can rip memories from blood, shape shift into any being she wants, summon flame, who calls out privilege and skewers the patriarchy. And yet, she’s shackled by an abusive tyrant (Kaden) who keeps her controlled through the one thing she loves most, her sister.
2. Liam/Samkiel, our clinical, all-powerful traumatised god/“alien” with celestial baggage who isn’t quite sure about how to curse, how to love, the sanctity of pinkie promises ("does this require another pinkie?") or why people sit around pools when the ocean is mere feet away.
3. The banter and the one liners. I highlighted so many things. Amber V. Nicole's sense of humour is very much aligned with mine and things I find hilarious.
4. Representation: this is what I want in romantasy, effort, not tokenism. Amber Nicole writes main characters and cast with diverse skin tones in a queernormative world just so beautifully. It feels intentional and refreshing in a romantasy landscape that can skew very same-same.
5. The dynamic: TRUE vitriolic enemies to start with, where she pretty much attempts to kill him, to cautious truce, to precious delicate friends, then… oh, you know where it goes.
If this book has been languishing on your TBR, then you should change that. Amber Nicole is going in my favourite new-to-me authors for 2025 (alongside Scarlett St. Clair, L.J. Andrews and Kalie Cassidy), because I just adore how she interrogates why being human is both absurd and sacred, all while setting your heart on fire.
View my review and follow me on GoodReads here. I chat about books a lot.
The Book of Azrael quotes.
Here are my favourite The Book of Azrael quotes that made me blush, kick my feet and belly laugh.
Samkiel quotes:
“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.”
“She was my enemy, yet my enemy was the only one who seemed to understand me and the demons I fought.”
“You do not get on my nerves all the time. Sometimes you are mildly amusing.”
“Does this require another pinkie?”
“You already consume my every waking thought. Must you consume my dreams as well?”
“During large engagements, all goddesses and celestials wore similar garments on my world. Some flowed well past their feet, others barely touched the ground, but they all shimmered and shined like starlight upon the darkened sky. They were truly beautiful… and so are you. You are a queen and should be draped in the finest fabrics, not the cheap faux material he chose.”
“That’s eight ways now, because when we leave here, I’m going to fuck the word friend out of your vocabulary.”
Dianna quotes:
“We were destined to fight until the sky bled and worlds shook. But when he touched me, cradled my face as if I was the most fragile, beautiful being in the world, I melted.”
“That was a hundred dollar jacket, you asshole!” she spat, unconcerned with the missing limb.
“We were destined to fight until the sky bled and worlds shook. But when he touched me, cradled my face as if I was the most fragile, beautiful being in the world, I melted.”
“Excuse me? I am not bedding anyone, you ancient jerk.”
The Book of Azrael FAQs.
SPOILER ALERT:
⚠️ Some answers may spoil The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution. ⚠️
Here are the answers to all your common FAQs.
Is The Book of Azrael part of a series?
Yes, The Book of Azrael is book one in the Gods and Monsters series by Amber V. Nicole..
What are the content and trigger warnings?
Fantasy violence
War
Confinement
Classism
Death
Suicidal thoughts
Suicide (mentioned/off-page)
Genocide
Gore
Emotional and physical abuse
Sexually explicit scenes
Death of a loved one
Grief
PTSD
Eating disorder
Depression
Slut shaming
War
Torture
Death of parent
Sexual content
Cannibalism
Misogyny
Fire/Fire injury
Kidnapping
What is the age rating for The Book of Azrael?
The Book of Azrael is classified as adult, so ages 18+, due to adult themes and sexual content. Please also see the trigger and content warnings listed above.
Is there spice in The Book of Azrael?
Yes there are a couple of spicy scenes in The Book of Azrael… but it’s a slow burn to get there!
Spice level: 🌶🌶
2/5, mild to medium open door spice with a couple of sexy dreams.
What are the spicy chapters?
🧖♀️ = Steamy enough so that you may need to open the windows, but nothing too explicit.
🌶 = Spicy and open door.
You get the drift. Here’s your The Book of Azrael spicy chapters map and chilli rating.
Chapter 23: 🧖♀️ (dream)
Chapter 41: 🌶
Chapter 42: 🌶🌶
What are the tropes in The Book of Azrael?
The tropes and microtropes in The Book of Azrael are:
Slow burn romance
Villain x hero forbidden romance
Forced proximity
Grumpy vs sassy sunshine-adjacent (but not quite sunshine)
Mortal enemies to friends to lovers
Feminine rage
Touch her/him and die
Lightning daddy
Shadow mommy
Cinnamon roll MMC
Morally grey characters
Mental health rep
Gods, vampires, witches and more
Hurt/comfort
Only one bed
Cliffhanger
Enjoyed reading The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole? You may also enjoy reading:
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
The Serpent & the Wings of Night | Six Scorched Roses | The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King | The Songbird & the Heart of Stone | Slaying the Vampire Conqueror | The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk
A Fate Inked in Blood | A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen
