The Book of Azrael

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and emotional abuse.

Fantasy novels frequently explore the nature of good and evil, as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and A Game of Thrones, and The Book of Azrael is no exception. In The Book of Azrael, however, the lines between light and dark blur as characters grapple with their inner demons and external threats. Nicole draws on the conventional dichotomy of heroes versus villains but also challenges it as she explores the internal battles of the protagonists and antagonists, reflecting the complexity of morality amid battles over power, love, and survival.

Once a mortal woman but now a monster with immense destructive power, Dianna embodies this struggle. While she carries out Kaden’s murderous orders to protect her sister, Gabby, she wrestles with her identity and actions, and her internal conflict illustrates the blurred line between good and evil. Dianna’s capacity for love, humor, and sacrifice suggests that she is more than a weapon for Kaden to wield, and her journey to reclaim her autonomy and forge her own path challenges whether evil deeds committed under duress are truly evil.