Celestial Academy by Olivia Pharos is an absolutely captivating story of courage and resilience.

Wen, the main character, is one of a kind. She’s brave in the face of danger, loyal to her friends, and determined to prove herself. The way she stands tall against angels and demons alike made me root for her at every turn. The slow-burning romance between her and Godric, aka Angelhole, is passionate and intense. It’s a beautiful balance of tenderness and ferocity.

The world-building in this book is exceptional. Olivia Pharos does a wonderful job of creating an immersive and detailed world.

The premise of this novel is unique. As Wen navigates the school and discovers secrets, she must battle inner turmoil and external forces. The book's second half was especially thrilling, with suspense-filled twists and mysterious reveals.

I loved how this novel blended fantasy and science fiction elements for a truly one-of-a-kind story. There are still so many questions left unanswered, which kept me hooked, and I'm already looking forward to the rest of the series.

Celestial Academy: Essence is a promising debut that has all the makings of an epic paranormal romance series. And it delivers in the last half. I have a feeling the next book in the series will be even better. I will definitely be continuing.

This book sounds promising and I have hope it will be a book I enjoy reading.
However, the execution is lacking and it's not what I exactly hope for at the start.

What makes this book doesn't work out for me is the writing style, some parts are too descriptive which makes me skim a lot of times just to get the plot to progress. It does a lot of telling instead of showing.
The slow pacing and long chapters also make this book feel longer than it should. It causes me to lose interest in the plot easily.

The world building concept is actually fascinating but the info dumping causes me to struggle to understand it as the plot goes deeper.
I actually like the sarcastic FMC of the story but after a while I grow bored with the FMC's monologue especially when she talks about her love interest, Godric.

The last few chapters with the trial is the only part where I found it's not confusing and I could follow the plot easily.

This book really has a lot of potential to be a good one, the plot idea and world building is great but still needs a lot more development and editing.
Moreover, it would have been better if it had multiple POV instead of single POV to give insight to other characters other than the FMC.

If you like slow burn romance, sassy FMC, paranormal creatures, post-apocalyptic, descriptive narrative and detailed information then you can certainly give this one a try, this one might work out for you.

I received this advanced review copy through Netgalley and I’m leaving this honest review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher.

This book was a slow burn and maybe could have done with a little more editing. For me it was a little choppy in places. Having said that once it got going it was just an OK story. If you like Sarah J Mass then I think this will be a great read for you. Thank you #netgalley and publishers for my eArch.

Celestial Academy: Essence is the first book in the Afterworld series, a romance supernatural series by author Olivia Pharos.

Perfect for fans of Zodiac Academy and Crescent City by Sarah J Maas.

• Slow burn romance
• Enemies to lovers
• Epic fantasy world
• Angels and demons
• Plenty of angst and sexual tension

You will love this post-apocalyptic slow burn fantasy romance set at the magical and dangerous celestial academy. The book is told from the POV of Wen, a demon-owned human who has a bit of an attitude and a real problem. Conscripted to celestial academy and placed under the care of Godric (Godawful), Wen must survive while uncovering the truth about who and what she is.

Firstly, this is a long book, I’ve seen other reviews judge the length but for me I found it was all needed and it didn’t drag at all. The world building and complex characters backstories were 100% needed and what made this book really great. I loved the concept of heaven and hell on earth and angels, demons and other supernaturals felt exciting and fresh.

I was really surprised to find this was the authors debut novel. It was exceptionally well written and completely engaging. I felt myself getting hooked very early into the story. The plot was well paced, and the first book didn’t just feel like a introduction or set up book, the storyline was interesting and the characters interesting and unique. The ending leaves enough questions that you really really want to read book two.
The romance is slow burn but not so much that it drags out. Personally, I’m not a fan of insta-love, and I liked that their relationship had depth and growth. I am looking forward to seeing how this develops in the next books. The romance in this one is PG with no steamy scenes at all. Normally this would put me off, but the sexual tension and angst was off the charts and making us wait for more doesn’t put me off at all.
I am really looking forward to reading book 2 and hope it won’t be too far away.

4 stars for story alone because Jesus Christ did this needed an edit like nothing I’ve ever read before. There is also a shit ton and I mean nothing but info dumping and inner monologue, to the point of distraction. The inner monologue and info dumps really did need an major edit. I ended up skimming through a lot of it and it took forever to get through. I normally really like info dumps and inner monologue but this was was beyond that. HOWEVER all that being said you sort of get used to it about halfway through. I still skimmed through a lot, but it wasn’t as tedious.

I don’t for one second believe this person who left school at 13 has the large word vocabulary she has. There’s no way, she doesn’t even read for fun. They watch tv at a neighbors house in the little spare time they do have. Again, this could have all been taken care of in an edit.

Now for all the things I did like. I really enjoy the FMC and her mouthy/quippy responses to everything. She’s funny and doesn’t know when to stop, but not in an annoying way. I hate comparing books to other books but I will say this is in a similar vein as Zodiac Academy in the sense of a paranormal school but that’s where the similarities sort of end. I obviously loved the enemies to lovers bit. For the most part it was a fun read and I liked the story..

I really enjoyed Olivia Pharos' debut book! It has lovely world building and intricate law, which was definitely interesting. It has a little bit of a slow start but picks up the pace and suddenly you're very invested in Wen's story. Her interactions with Godric were very fun to read, and their enemies-to-lovers storyline was excellently done - with all of the tension you could expect. And the epilogue was amazing - I love reading a chapter or two from the other character's perspective just to really round out the story.

Thank you so much to Olivia Pharos and Seventh Wonder Press for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

3.5 Rounded up to 4

This book is fantastic! I had to finish it in two days. I was kept on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and the answers for all of Wen's questions! I really enjoyed learning about the world Olivia created and I hope we learn more about it in the next books.

Some of my highlights:

"You won’t. If things go wrong, you’ll worse than die. You will remain where you are and be lost. You will be lost to me. And I will go insane for real, knowing I can’t reach you Forever."

"But do one thing for me. What? Come back to me. Before his words sink in, he fades."

“A soulmate.”

Now, why the 3.5 stars? Well, I loved Wen's personality and her inner dialogs. However, at times they felt like too much information at once. We don't see some of the events, only her recollections as inner monologue, and I wish this was not the way it was done. Her interactions if Godric was sooo good, but we don't get much of that for about 40% of the book, so the romance takes the backseat. It also takes away from her relationship with her friends. I hope to get a bit less inner monologue in the next books.

Book 1 leaves us with lots of questions (not in an unsatisfying way), and I am hoping to see how the characters develop as the mysteries are uncovered.

Anyways, this book was such a surprise! The plot was so unique, and the universe?! .....I mean Angles, Vampires, Demons, far!! It does not get better than that. I can't wait for book 2 and really hope to see more books on the other academies in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for my honest review!

I will admit that the beginning of this book was quite slow for me. I was not a fan of the first chapter at all, but the story got better as the chapters continued. The main dystopian and celestial plot line and loyalty of Wen to Sarah kept me reading. I believe the only thing this title needed is more romance. While there were romantic elements to the plot line, I believe it could have been spiced up a notch. Overall, it was a great debut by Pharos and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I was so pleasantly surprised with this debut book! I absolutely loved the world building and th author manages to keep the reader's attention beautifully - one always has to keep reading when the chapters end. I will for sure be anxiously waiting for the second book of this!

I admit, getting into the book was a bit slow but holy crumbs it was worth it. Pharos' world building is absolutely fantastic, especially with the lore and small nitty gritty details. I love Wen, and how determined she is to protect Sarah.

Wow just wow. I don't think I have read anything by this author before but I'm hooked. I need more of this book I couldn't put it down at all I was drawn to it by the blurb but man I sincerely couldn't put it down. 5 star book highly recommend it already told a few people that they need this book. might reread it next year

“There is one certainty, White. That you were made to torment me.”

Despite the slow start, I found myself quickly invested in Wen’s survival (yes - she spends most of this book just trying to survive all of the horrible situations life puts her in). She’s smart, witty, endlessly curious, selfless, and incredibly loyal. You might not associate those characteristics to a drug dealer, but here we are. 🤷‍♀️

Unsurprisingly, when Godric (also known as Godawful and Angelhole, courtesy of Wen) enters the scene, I became a lot more interested. 👀 Much to my dismay, he’s strictly Wen’s mentor with a firm no-touching rule. 🙄 The rule doesn’t alleviate the sexual tension though, so joke’s on him.

Even though this is set in a supernatural academy, the story did not feel like a repeat of Zodiac Academy. Very interesting premise, and I’m excited to see where the storyline goes!

Also as a bonus, the Epilogue is from Godric’s POV, and it’s everything you’ll want and more 😍

Spice: 🌶️ (of 5)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Celestial Academy is a mix of Fantasy, Supernatural, and Dystopian elements. I was very intrigued by the premise, as I haven't read too many supernatural things to date.

The beginning of the story starts off strong with introducing a 20 something year old Wen who is human, and the state of her life as she is indentured (owned) to/by a Demon. After making the discovery that she can create what no other being can, she is captured by none other than Tall, Dark, and Brooding. It is pretty clear from the beginning that they are insta horny for each other, masked behind a veil of contemptuousness and cringy dialouge. I don't mind that so much considering there is no 'spice' at all in this book which was quite refreshing for this genre. I much prefer a slow burn. Or I guess in this case an inferno of lust that just hasn't quite combusted yet.

Besides the romance aspect, I found the actual plot and world to be intriguing. I would have loved to see more world building, but this is the first book so I'm sure it will be expanded in further books. But we had enough of an understanding that I was not confused while reading. There are many unknowns in the book, but not to the point I didn't understand other things that were going on. I commend the author in that regard.

We are introduced to a whole host of characters and they all seem to be diverse and unique in their own ways. I don't care for Sarah, or how everyone loves her when she doesn't seem to have much of a personality. However that's just my personal opinion.

But if there is one major issue I have with this book, it is Wen's constant inner dialogue of NOTHING. BUT. QUESTIONS. I have come to absolutely abhor this writing style. The only reason I didn't dnf was because all the other factors made up for it. But you have a decent book, that in my opinion could have been a GREAT book with a little bit of tweaking to the writing style. Showing and not telling go a looooong way in my book. So that is my one big gripe.

All that being said, I was never bored while reading, the author was able to hold my attention and interest all the way to the end. And had me leaving wanting more, might I add. It is not a masterpiece by any means, but it was fun and what more could you ask of a book!

If you enjoy a sassy, back-talking human dealing with demons, supernatural beings, archangel-spawn 0beings then you will love this main character. In this novel, she is caught up in some supernatural activities that lead to her being "mentored" by a very hot archangel-spawn being who lets her smart-ass remarks roll off his back. Of course, there is a major mystery as to why the supernatural beings are so interested in the heroine. And yes, heroine, she proves to be! I loved the world and found the story engaging. Yes, there is some lustful talk but nothing too erotic for the teen crowd. I received a copy from NetGalley in return for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was so good. I was hooked from the beginning, and I was so impressed with the world building and characters. Wen and Godric were so much fun to read about, their enemies-to-lovers story line was fantastic. The Afterwold, a world with Heaven and Hell on Earth, was such an interesting concept to read about. And the natural progression of Wen's character development was at the most perfect pace.

I loved everything about the book, it was addicting. The description says for fans of Crescent City and Zodiac Academy but if I am to make a very personal opinion, then I'd say Celestial Academy surpasses both in terms of plot, characters and world-building. I cannot wait for the next book!

if you like Zodiac Academy, this book is for you. The tension, the enemies to lovers, it is all just so good. Wren is a strong-willed, badass and she is determined to stay that way. I am highly looking forward to the next one in the series and cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Oh my god. I have no words. I loved everything about this book. This had everything I want in a fantasy romance novel. I could not put this down. The world building, the characters, THE TENSION, the plot, all top tier. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series and will likely be thinking about this book for at least the next three days.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

3.75 Stars rounded to 4 Stars

Celestial Academy : Essence is a fast paced dystopian fantasy. Full of Angels and Demons. The main arc character is Wen who is Demon Owned since she was a child but caught by the angels for a crime of creating Angelessence which is a drug. Wen ends up being sent to Celestial Academy.
Wen is funny, witty and takes no one’s shit.
I found her to be hilarious especially with all her nicknames she threw out there.
It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story but after a while I was hooked.
I enjoyed a lot of the characters in the book and felt that they were well developed.
I enjoyed the plot and found I couldn’t put the book down in anticipation of what was to come.
I did enjoy the world building but felt it got a little heavy in detail at some points and not enough in other.
The writing style was a little different but after a while I found it just flowed.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out what happens after that ending!!

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for me honest review.

I think this book would definitely appeal to readers of the Zodiac Academy or From Blood and Ash. I thought the world-building was interesting, featuring angels and demons without relying too heavily on religious theology. There are moments when I thought there were inconsistencies in the world-building, but those usually got addressed later in the story. The romantic subplot may be hit or miss from some readers, because it is an enemies-to-lovers or bully romance. There is also a strong "Chosen One" plotline, but the heroine is definitely resistant and wishes she wasn't special. I will probably read the sequel.