How to ruin a good story in hundreds of useless pages.
Amber V. Nicole has a fabulous imagination. In her GODS & MONSTERS series, she gives us a complex world filled with gods, monsters, and myths—something that could have broken the mold. And yes, from the very beginning, we’re told this will be a 7-book series. How is that decided? Oh, just like that. One day, the author declares, “Seven volumes it is!” As if the characters’ lives were designed from day one to be stretched like chewing gum until the inevitable, exhausting finale.
For me, a story has to grow organically—with characters evolving, conflicts complicating, and resolving in their own rhythm. Not be forced into a pre-decided number of volumes that makes the pages drag endlessly.
🌌 The World & Characters: Huge Potential, Pathetic Execution
Dianna, our heroine, sacrifices her mortality for her sister Gabriella and has already lived almost 1,000 years as a slave to protect her. Gabriella, though painted as “sweet and caring,” does nothing but nag Dianna to escape Kaden’s control—the man who keeps her chained. At some point, I wanted to shake her and yell, “Girl, your sister literally gave up her life for you. Maybe stop complaining for five minutes?”
Dianna becomes an Ig’Morruthen, a bloodthirsty monster with feelings and a conscience—of course, because otherwise the book wouldn’t sell. She’s Kaden’s lover, slave, and best assassin. Meanwhile, Liam (a.k.a. Samkiel, “the last god,” “the king of gods,” “world ender”) is built up as the ultimate cosmic stud with limitless powers, but on the page, he’s… nothing. A passive cardboard cutout who keeps being hyped but never does anything of value.
⚔️ Yin & Yang? More Like a Tragic Duo of Boredom
The quest for Azrael’s Book throws Dianna and Liam together in what’s supposed to be an epic clash between light and dark, good and evil. On paper, it sounds brilliant. In reality, it was a rare twist—darkness protecting light—that intrigued me for a moment.
But then the story drowns in failed literary ambition: Dianna starts off hating Liam, then suddenly—without a shred of credibility—decides he deserves a chance and she’s going to “fix” him. The fierce monster dissolves into a soggy piece of bread, bland and shapeless.
🥱 All Bark, No Bite
Liam never delivers on his own hype. Dianna is watered down into a spineless doll. Kaden—the supposed embodiment of ultimate evil—is reduced to a childish boogeyman that pops in occasionally to growl before disappearing back into his cardboard box.
The book is packed with filler—endless pages of internal monologues and emotional rambling that could’ve been condensed into a handful of chapters. I literally threw the book against the wall, took a two-day break, and still don’t understand how anyone thought this story needed seven volumes.
😈 What I liked?
The universe and concept are brilliant and have enormous potential—the side characters are far more interesting and memorable than the leads.
🫠 What I Didn’t Like
Liam: supposedly “the last god, king of gods, world ender,” the ultimate man, yet he’s basically a walking void. All hype, zero delivery.
Dianna: set up as a badass, but ends up a limp ragdoll with no backbone or identity.
Kaden: the big bad evil guy, yet nothing more than a paper-thin boogeyman with no real menace.
And let’s be honest: the book is way too long. Chop off 300 pages of useless padding, and maybe we’d have something solid.
So I’m left with the same bitter question: How on earth do you decide THIS story should last for seven volumes? Honestly, that feels like reader cruelty.
🎯 Whimsical Whispers Verdict
Read it for the worldbuilding and the idea—those are worth it. But do yourself a favor: skip the endless introspection and filler. You won’t miss a thing.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars — for what it could have been, for the gorgeous world, for the dream it offered… even if it never delivered.
💬 Let’s talk feelings, not spoilers!
Did you read it? DNF it? Love it? Hate it? Throw it into the void with a dramatic scream? I wanna know what you felt, not what chapter X was about.
Leave a comment. Let’s start a real book conversation—not just another TikTok trend with “which boy do you want to kiss?”
And if you vibed with the review, share it. Perhaps we can revive genuine reading—the kind that gets you lost inside.
📌 Whimsical Whispers: where reading isn’t romanticized, it’s raw, bold, and unapologetically honest.
