The Book of Azrael (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]

Gods & Monsters [Dramatized Adaptation] #1, Part 1

by Amber V. Nicole, Marissa Clay (Narrator), Gabriel Michael (Narrator)

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.

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Romantasy, Magic, Enemies To Lovers, Urban Fantasy, Witches

Audiobook

Published August 15, 2025

About the author

Amber V Nicole is a dark fantasy writer with a touch of horror added into the mix. When she is not writing new and fantastic ways to devastate her readers she is probably playing video games or obsessing over anime. Amber loves morally gray characters with their flaws and all and is always dreaming of far off places with dragons, magic, and swords. She loves a good villain and plans to tell many stories showcasing them in the spotlight.
You can find Amber active the most on her Instagram.

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

graphic audio never fails me! now i need to wait for part 2 to release 🥲

——

graphic audio can do no wrong 🙂‍↕️ very excited to listen to part one of a highly anticipated read!

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not entirely sure I was quite prepared for this story. And that’s not a positive or negative, I was just surprised by its explosive intensity. Book of Azrael strikes out with blood, pain, and conflict from the very start.

Dianna is a vampiric shape shifter who has traded eternal servitude to Kaden, her creator, for her sister’s life. Kaden has Dianna searching for a book that will open the realms, creating chaos and giving him more power. Her search leads her into conflict with another ancient race, and ultimately brings Samkiel the World Ender out of his centuries long hideout.

At first I struggled with Dianna’s value of her sister’s life over countless others. But I guess it’s hypocritical to think that familial love isn’t as sacred as romantic love, and no one bats an eyelash if worlds burn when lovers are torn apart.

And I suppose that’s what I took away from this story in the end. Finding the people that bring you love and peace and protecting them at all costs.

Dianna: morally gray, fiery, will fight to beyond death for those she loves. Samkiel: protective, intensely traumatized, filled with enough self loathing and guilt to warrant a centuries worth of therapy. You’d think with all of their problems and the fact that their natures make them “enemies” they’d be a terrible fit. But sometimes that’s what makes the best love stories. The kind that’s tragic, overwhelming, and happens against all odds.

I can see why this series is so well loved. It lacks the subtlety that sometimes I prefer in writing, but is a powerful story all the same.

The audio: I haven’t listened to a lot of Graphic Audio books, but I feel like this is the perfect type of fantasy for it. Epic, bloody, violent. I think I enjoyed the book more this way than if I had read it. There are a few weird sound effects, but overall worth it. If you’ve listened to Direbound or the GA version of Fourth Wing you’ll recognize Gabriel Michael as Samkiel.

4 ⭐️’s

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Starting another buddy read with my mom. Hopefully we both like it 😱🤭

[M.L. Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, well, well...

I can see the hype and I CANNOT WAIT ... so I'll be reading now xD

[Madyfay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love that Samkiel has the same voice actor as Xaden Riorson. Dianna is perfection she’s still in my top 3 of FMC’s I’m so happy to relive this series with graphic audio I’m not prepared for the heartbreak in the next part but I am ready to listen to Dianna and Samkiel fall in love 😍🥲

[Maria InkSorceress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was amazing. I’ve read this book 3 times previously and this was like getting that first read feeling again 🫶

[Bethany Ergican · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 63%. Not bad, but not for me.

[⋆˚ Belinda ˚⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing Ovation for This Adaptation!

Amber V. Nicole’s The Book of Azrael (Dramatized Adaptation) is fan-flipping-tastic. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The immersive production made me feel like I was watching a blockbuster unfold in my mind—I even found myself taking longer drives after work just to stay in this world a little longer!

The full cast brought every character to life with incredible chemistry and contrast, and the sound design added a cinematic layer that made the story pop!. The FMC and MMC were perfectly balanced, and the supporting cast exceeded expectations.

This adaptation doesn’t just retell the story—it transforms it, it brings it to life, turns black and white into colour! I can’t wait to dive into Part Two!

Highly recommended for fans of epic romantasy, with busy lives, long commutes, and/or anyone who loves a full-cast audio experience.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this version.

[isabellerosereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not an audiobook girlie at all but I consumed this in under 48 hours (this was about 10 hours long). Samkiel and Dianna are everything to me and more (i forgot how dislikeable he is at first with our true enemies to lovers LMAO) and this graphic audiobook just heightened the story in incredible ways for me.

Brb binging the rest of this reread but i definitely will get part 2 to relive it in november!

[Helmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh lord I just love this book

[Joy Fucella · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like I was thrown into season 3 for a show I’d never seen for the first half but it got better

[Kalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibes are strong. Audio is 🔥

[Helene Lygre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am usually a very big fan of graphic audio but the fake laughing and the eating/drinking noises(slurping and moaning) every 3 seconds killed it for me😅 I did like the story tho, so for the first time I switched to regular audio and I am very much enjoying that. The rest is probably great so I won’t give it a one or two star, but I couldn’t get past all the yucky noises so the story and acting kind of disappeared in my ears

[RebeccaReadsTooMuch 💁‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for part 1 of the dramatized adaptation. This full cast production was really well done - I love how it feels like I’m watching a movie. Sometimes when side effects are added to audiobooks they sound out of place or take me out of the story, but in these editions they fit in flawlessly since they are pretty much nonstop and there is background music too.

The high stakes action and intensity of this book lends so well to this format, and there are also sweet soft moments with twinkling background music that reminded me of Cinderella with her birds in a field 😆 cheesy, but they brought me joy every time 🥰

I haven’t read The Book of Azrael in any other format yet to be able to comment on how different the experience is. Graphic Audio is so much fun, and I’ve loved every one I’ve listened to, but I’m realizing now that I prefer to read the unabridged book first. That said, if you’d like to just dive in with this, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Thank you to RB Media for the gifted copy!

[Julia Noack · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, no words.

Ten minutes later..

5 stars and I struggle for words. This book has everything. Amazing world building, banter, chemistry, enemies to friends to lovers, gods and monsters, badass characters, betrayal, AND A CLIFFHANGER ENDING???

[Vanyda Norvang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a fantasy that has caught my attention this year. Ending with a cliffhanger too! This was such a. Good book. Can’t wait until the next one!

[Ali (Taylor’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado incluso más que la primera vez que lo leí! Pedazo libros 😭
Samkiel y Dianna 🤝 mi amor eterno 🫂💖

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Ok I’m glad I ultimately decided to wait for the Graphic Audiobook to finish this book. I originally started the paperback version years ago but only got a few chapters in before stopping. It wasn’t that I was hating it, I was just not feeling it at the moment and thought I’d pick it up later. I never did.

This Graphic Audio reminded me a lot of the Ilona Andrews Graphic Audios that I’ve been listening to recently to reminisce over my love of early 2000s urban fantasy romances. Story wise, this seemed to borrow elements from their work as well as had strong Crescent City vibes by Sarah J Maas. Overall, I enjoyed the story and am excited for part 2!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible audiobook!

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, not great. The fmc is somewhat unlikable and is definitely the villain. I’m prepared for this story to get a lot better in the second half as I like where it was going by the end of the first probably 3.75/5

[Blair Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book/series I have wanted to start for a while and when I had the opportunity to listen to the graphic audio I jumped on the chance. I have never listen to one before but have always wanted to so why not go into a series for the first time and experience it in a way that is new to me. First I am hooked to this story. It is not really 100% expected but totally underrtand the hype and its well deserved. I need to continue immediately becuase I need to know what happens in the rest of this book. Luckily for me I can continue the graphic audio because the second part is already out.
Now the graphic audio. What made me not listen to one until now? I wasn’t sure if I was going to like all the background noise. Sometimes I am not a fan of it all. And I am not going to lie sometime in the beginning I still wasn’t a fan but it grew on me and by half way through I grew to like it and was hooked. I loved the narrators and I loved the differences when they were full volume and when they sounded like they were further away or on the phone and the different varieties of sounds. I would 100% listen to it again and will be listening to the second part to finish this first book this way!
I can now understand the hype behind graphic audio and their productions are just flawless!
Thank you to RBmedia and Graphic Audio for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Andrea Griggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Amber V. Nicole and RBmedia for allowing me the chance to fully immerse myself in my favorite series! This is my first graphic audio and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to listen to a regular audio again. The cast of narrators did such a fantastic job I truly thought I was watching a movie.

Dianna is by far my ultimate favorite FMC of all time! Dianna the Bloodthirsty Queen is one of the last Ig’Morruthens to live but is under thumb Of another. With everything she has lived through in her very long lifetime she still has fight within her to stand up for herself and her sister. Her love for her sister makes me wish I had a sister! She has a sharp tongue that is hilarious to most but will get her in trouble with the wrong person. Such has Liam/Samkiel.

Samkiel who now goes by Liam is the World Ender and does not care for Dianna’s secrets and sharp tongue. After some torture…they finally come to a truce to work together. While it is a truce to keep her sister safe she and Samkiel find a common ground of being able to lean on each other.

I will absolutely be continuing to listen to part 2! This graphic audio has truly changed the way I plan on reading going forward. I am so glad I was able to immerse myself into this magical world.

[Núria Azanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

5⭐️ la dramatización, con mi amado Gabriel como protagonista masculino, y 4⭐️ el libro en si.Diana vendió su alma siglos atrás a un ser diabólico para salvar a su hermana y que pudiera tener una larga y normal vida. Pero Diana se convierte en un ser inmortal, una bestia de leyenda, y el arma favorita de Caden, su creador. El cual va enbusca de un libro, para abrir los portales a otros mundos sellados hace tanto tiempo.Esta búsqueda hará que un dios largo tiempo recluido en las ruinas de su mundo, vaya al mundo de Diana a ver que está sucediendo, y por supuesto sus caminos se cruzarán. Enemigos jurados desde hace eones, las circunstancias harán que tengan que trabajar juntos.Me fascina que la chica sea la villana, siempre voy a leer libros así. Me ha costado un poco entrar pero una vez dentro no he podido parar.Sigo review en la parte 2 del libro ;)

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d after only listening for maybe an hour and a half. The VA’s were fine but the writing in this book is so bad. The dialogue was so shallow and immature. I didn’t even listen far enough to get into any spice or meet the MMC because I genuinely didnt like this writing… style?

It takes a lot for me to DNF a book whether it’s physical, audio, whatever. I usually just move forward regardless but I can’t with this one!

[Jaclyn B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one so much. The performances were so well done, and I loved getting to hear Gabriel Michael as a narrator instead of just a main character.

As for the book.l, I am definitely hooked at this halfway point! When the second part of the graphic audio comes out, I’ll be listening, but until then I’ll be needing to read the rest of this asap!

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this one, probably bc I jumped right into the graphic audio - it makes for a great audio experience, but they cut out parts to create it and that made for a confusing introduction to the world. That combined with a non-linear narrative, and I was a bit lost for a while.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok this was slow to get into for me but I'm actually so intrigued now. Lots of world building but in a unique way.

I love how Liam is clueless about language and stuff 😂 adds a fun level to his character

[Bicycledayreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread/ ALC of the dramatised adaption, and have I mentioned how much I LOVE dramatised adaptions.

This hit right, the VAs really nailed Diana’s big menace personality, and Liam/samkiels brooding hater energy 💅

TY netgalley for the alc

[Lindsey Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Graphic Audiobooks. But the story (so far) isn’t great. There is no real world building. You’re just thrown into a modern city with monsters? and gods. Going to listen to part 2 and hope it gets better.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far so good.

[Mariah Greeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best one I heard.