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Fallen Gods #1
Fallen Gods
They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.
The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.
He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.
But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.
There's only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.
But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.
The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.
He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.
But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.
There's only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.
But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2025
1856 people are currently reading
44615 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Van Dyken
177 books18.6k followersRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of mafia and contemporary romances.
Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: rachelvandykenauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...
Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: rachelvandykenauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 777 reviews
December 6, 2025
Was this book all over the place? Yes, but was it entertaining asf? Absolutely.
This book is definitely a mixed bag in the best, most chaotic way. I would totally understand why some will enjoy it and why others would not lol but despite its flaws, I couldn’t help but enjoy the ride.
The world/plot:
So freaking unique. This being urban romance was the first tick and then it revolving around Norse mythology?? Ring me innnn.
RVD’s take on it was so addictive. Like Odin being the villain? Thor dead? And SHE is Thor’s sister??? Inject it straight into my veins.
Gods and Giants, academy setting, a pinch of mafia (that’s not romanticised!) and unique powers and lore for days. I inhaled it. I was constantly thinking of this book when I was busy and counting down the minutes until I get back to reading.
The plot twists in the last 15% had me screaming lmao. It was one after the other I was getting whiplash and I loved every second.
The characters:
Rey - adore her. Her inner monologue is so entertaining lmao. I think if we had a little more insight of her background separate from her father that focused a bit more on her powers I would’ve been a lot happier.
Her emotions are all over the place, but honestly? I didn’t care. I had fun with her POV.
Aric - chaotic asf but it makes sense once you understand why. His personality is very cliche but I ate it up idc idccccc.
LOVE his powers. I adoreeee the fact that he has a range of abilities. No shadow wielding here thank god 🙏
The writing:
The inner monologues were solid but it was the dialogues that I was iffy about. It needs a little work to rlly flow properly.
The pacing is rlly fast which helps but also hinders at the same time. I think maybe things happened way too quickly to rlly cement the romance but was the perfect decision for the plot.
Also, disclaimer: if you don’t like seeing modern phrases/slang used in ur fantasy reads then this is nottt the one for u.
Overall, despite its chaos, Fallen Gods was an absolute blast 🙂↕️🙂↕️
This book is definitely a mixed bag in the best, most chaotic way. I would totally understand why some will enjoy it and why others would not lol but despite its flaws, I couldn’t help but enjoy the ride.
The world/plot:
So freaking unique. This being urban romance was the first tick and then it revolving around Norse mythology?? Ring me innnn.
RVD’s take on it was so addictive. Like Odin being the villain? Thor dead? And SHE is Thor’s sister??? Inject it straight into my veins.
Gods and Giants, academy setting, a pinch of mafia (that’s not romanticised!) and unique powers and lore for days. I inhaled it. I was constantly thinking of this book when I was busy and counting down the minutes until I get back to reading.
The plot twists in the last 15% had me screaming lmao. It was one after the other I was getting whiplash and I loved every second.
The characters:
Rey - adore her. Her inner monologue is so entertaining lmao. I think if we had a little more insight of her background separate from her father that focused a bit more on her powers I would’ve been a lot happier.
Her emotions are all over the place, but honestly? I didn’t care. I had fun with her POV.
Aric - chaotic asf but it makes sense once you understand why. His personality is very cliche but I ate it up idc idccccc.
LOVE his powers. I adoreeee the fact that he has a range of abilities. No shadow wielding here thank god 🙏
The writing:
The inner monologues were solid but it was the dialogues that I was iffy about. It needs a little work to rlly flow properly.
The pacing is rlly fast which helps but also hinders at the same time. I think maybe things happened way too quickly to rlly cement the romance but was the perfect decision for the plot.
Also, disclaimer: if you don’t like seeing modern phrases/slang used in ur fantasy reads then this is nottt the one for u.
Overall, despite its chaos, Fallen Gods was an absolute blast 🙂↕️🙂↕️
January 8, 2026
4.5 🌟 rounded up
Urban fantasy + Norse mythology + dark academia + romantasy??? I ATE. THIS. UP.
This was so binge-worthy and action packed! There were so many elements that had me fully obsessed 👏🏼
Rey being Odin’s daughter and Aric being a Frost Giant? Sworn enemies forced into a truce?? Their banter was absolutely chefs kiss. The way they look at each other like they want to fight and take each others clothes off… peak cinema 🔥
.𖥔 ݁ ˖“𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙? 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣?”
And the magic system? I was LIVING. Rune‑based abilities, ice powers, emotional manipulation. So unique and so cool ❄️💙
˗ˋˏ 𝙾𝚍𝚒𝚗, 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛, 𝙻𝚘𝚔𝚒 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 ˎˊ-
I absolutely devoured this and am sat waiting for book 2 ✨👀
📜⚡“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑. 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕. 𝑰𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.”
Urban fantasy + Norse mythology + dark academia + romantasy??? I ATE. THIS. UP.
This was so binge-worthy and action packed! There were so many elements that had me fully obsessed 👏🏼
Rey being Odin’s daughter and Aric being a Frost Giant? Sworn enemies forced into a truce?? Their banter was absolutely chefs kiss. The way they look at each other like they want to fight and take each others clothes off… peak cinema 🔥
.𖥔 ݁ ˖“𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙? 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣?”
And the magic system? I was LIVING. Rune‑based abilities, ice powers, emotional manipulation. So unique and so cool ❄️💙
˗ˋˏ 𝙾𝚍𝚒𝚗, 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛, 𝙻𝚘𝚔𝚒 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 ˎˊ-
I absolutely devoured this and am sat waiting for book 2 ✨👀
📜⚡“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑. 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕. 𝑰𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.”
Want to read
August 26, 2024The premise seems right up my street, but Red Tower books being the publisher kinda puts me off preordering. Fingers crossed that this one is better than the others that have come out recently.
Read
December 3, 2025Let’s see if this book was actually worth the wait…
—
Main character is freshly 18 so not at all in my genre. I spent a lot of the time asking “wtf is happening” and whispering “I don’t understand” every other page. If you don’t know much Norse mythology, this book will greatly confuse you. Seemed like it was going to be more high fantasy, but it ended up coming off as more basic, urban fantasy. Nothing wrong with it. Could be a very easy read for some, or a confusing one for others. At this point, I still don’t have a star rating. I’m trying to digest.
—
Convinced we are NEVER getting this book. I’ve been waiting for nearly 2 years for this shit. In just the last month, the release date has changed 3 different times. From July to August, to now- December 2, 2025???(showing on apple book app and kindle). Like sis, if you don’t know when you’re releasing something, don’t put a damn release date.
—
Main character is freshly 18 so not at all in my genre. I spent a lot of the time asking “wtf is happening” and whispering “I don’t understand” every other page. If you don’t know much Norse mythology, this book will greatly confuse you. Seemed like it was going to be more high fantasy, but it ended up coming off as more basic, urban fantasy. Nothing wrong with it. Could be a very easy read for some, or a confusing one for others. At this point, I still don’t have a star rating. I’m trying to digest.
—
Convinced we are NEVER getting this book. I’ve been waiting for nearly 2 years for this shit. In just the last month, the release date has changed 3 different times. From July to August, to now- December 2, 2025???(showing on apple book app and kindle). Like sis, if you don’t know when you’re releasing something, don’t put a damn release date.
December 8, 2025
Absolutely horrendous.
These Red Tower Books is certainly a hit or miss, when they announced the imprint and started out so strong with Forth Wing, it made me look forward to all their upcoming releases. But some of these books probably should’ve made a couple more rounds on the editing table.
Seeing all the raving reviews, it feels like I read another book than everyone else. And that may be a real possibility, because there seem to be two different blurbs for this book. You can even see them if you switch the editions of the book around. In one of them, we follow Rey as she goes to Endir University, that her ex is also attending. The other blurb says the book follows Liv Olsen, an art curator that goes to Norway to search for her missing brother and live with her new boss. I would’ve preferred the latter one and that was the story I was expecting.
But instead of following a grown-up with a job, we follow an 18-year-old as she goes to school, which made this book have a really juvenile feeling. Expect the part where they stay at campus, everything felt really high school.
The age of the main character was also a problem for me when it came to the backstory. Rey’s ex Aric is also attending this school, they have previously been engaged but says it’s been years. So they dated and got engaged at age 15-16? That doesn’t really give the impression of a serious relationship.
The book stars out at the big culmination, but then makes the time jump to show the events leading up to this. It’s just that the time jump is a week… A week doesn’t really feel like enough time to build the entire plot and developments of the relationships.
The writing is also extremely bad, I’m sorry to say. The sentences are short and choppy, making the book exhausting to read. The dialogue is cringeworthy and solidifies my expression that the characters belong in a YA-novel.
I started skimming somewhere along page 70 and it felt like nothing happened until the very end. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy suffering and looking forward to the book ending. The only reason I didn’t DNF was that I bought a special edition that was expensive and wanted to get my money worth. I didn’t.
These Red Tower Books is certainly a hit or miss, when they announced the imprint and started out so strong with Forth Wing, it made me look forward to all their upcoming releases. But some of these books probably should’ve made a couple more rounds on the editing table.
Seeing all the raving reviews, it feels like I read another book than everyone else. And that may be a real possibility, because there seem to be two different blurbs for this book. You can even see them if you switch the editions of the book around. In one of them, we follow Rey as she goes to Endir University, that her ex is also attending. The other blurb says the book follows Liv Olsen, an art curator that goes to Norway to search for her missing brother and live with her new boss. I would’ve preferred the latter one and that was the story I was expecting.
But instead of following a grown-up with a job, we follow an 18-year-old as she goes to school, which made this book have a really juvenile feeling. Expect the part where they stay at campus, everything felt really high school.
The age of the main character was also a problem for me when it came to the backstory. Rey’s ex Aric is also attending this school, they have previously been engaged but says it’s been years. So they dated and got engaged at age 15-16? That doesn’t really give the impression of a serious relationship.
The book stars out at the big culmination, but then makes the time jump to show the events leading up to this. It’s just that the time jump is a week… A week doesn’t really feel like enough time to build the entire plot and developments of the relationships.
The writing is also extremely bad, I’m sorry to say. The sentences are short and choppy, making the book exhausting to read. The dialogue is cringeworthy and solidifies my expression that the characters belong in a YA-novel.
I started skimming somewhere along page 70 and it felt like nothing happened until the very end. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy suffering and looking forward to the book ending. The only reason I didn’t DNF was that I bought a special edition that was expensive and wanted to get my money worth. I didn’t.
November 5, 2025
In a world where Norse myths walk among mortals, the daughter of Odin is forced to attend Endir University in order to wake a sleeping Giant (the enemy in the war between gods and giants) and find Thor’s hammer in one week, otherwise her cruel mobster father will kill her step-mother, regardless that she’s his wife.
This is a turn-your-brain-off, cheesy, modern urban romantasy. Expect modern slang, a very American college experience, and an enemies-to-lovers plot line that balances insta-lust.
Rey is headstrong, stubborn, and caring. Aric is the same, but also frosty. This had great banter, but honestly? I was more interested in Aric’s brother.
This is a dual perspective, both in first person. This can make it frustrating when you, as a reader, are screaming the obvious and the characters seem oblivious despite the blaring signs. However, it makes you want to speed through the book to discover the climax and fallout.
Despite both characters supposedly being incredibly smart and manipulative, I guessed the reveals within the first half whilst they were left scrambling. I must point out that I have read many Norse-inspired books at this point and can see the signs.
This was easily bingeable and hit all the boxes for modern urban fantasy with tension and on-your-toes banter. It is an especially unique one that combines Norse mythology.
I think this will appeal to fans of City of Gods and Monsters.
Arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
This is a turn-your-brain-off, cheesy, modern urban romantasy. Expect modern slang, a very American college experience, and an enemies-to-lovers plot line that balances insta-lust.
Rey is headstrong, stubborn, and caring. Aric is the same, but also frosty. This had great banter, but honestly? I was more interested in Aric’s brother.
This is a dual perspective, both in first person. This can make it frustrating when you, as a reader, are screaming the obvious and the characters seem oblivious despite the blaring signs. However, it makes you want to speed through the book to discover the climax and fallout.
Despite both characters supposedly being incredibly smart and manipulative, I guessed the reveals within the first half whilst they were left scrambling. I must point out that I have read many Norse-inspired books at this point and can see the signs.
This was easily bingeable and hit all the boxes for modern urban fantasy with tension and on-your-toes banter. It is an especially unique one that combines Norse mythology.
I think this will appeal to fans of City of Gods and Monsters.
Arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
February 2, 2026
Abandonado en la página 191🖤
Me da mucha pena, normalmente me esfuerzo en acabar los libros aunque no me estén convenciendo, pero este año me he propuesto no leer por obligación pasada la página 150 del libro porque no tengo tanto tiempo y quiero disfrutar de mi rato de lectura diario.
No me siento bien diciendo que ha sido un mal libro, simplemente siento que iba con las expectativas altas y no ha cumplido ni la mitad. No me he enterado de muchas cosas, el rollo nórdico con dioses es un tema que siempre me llama mucho la atención pero aquí meh no sé. Creo que lo que ha hecho que no me guste esq la historia transcurra en una semana solamente, eso hace que me parezca super lento el paso de los acontecimientos, pero al mismo tiempo rápida la historia de amor, porque avanza en cuestión de horas.
Está bien escrito, y me gusta que esté a dos voces. Simplemente no me ha enganchado y no me ha convencido, pero creo que es algo muy personal 🖤
GOODREADS no me deja poner un libro como abandonado y darle una estrella sin haberlo acabado no me parece justo, asiq voy a dejar esto aquí y lo borraré en unos días de la app para que no salga en mi lista de leídos y no darle nota injustamente🫂
Me da mucha pena, normalmente me esfuerzo en acabar los libros aunque no me estén convenciendo, pero este año me he propuesto no leer por obligación pasada la página 150 del libro porque no tengo tanto tiempo y quiero disfrutar de mi rato de lectura diario.
No me siento bien diciendo que ha sido un mal libro, simplemente siento que iba con las expectativas altas y no ha cumplido ni la mitad. No me he enterado de muchas cosas, el rollo nórdico con dioses es un tema que siempre me llama mucho la atención pero aquí meh no sé. Creo que lo que ha hecho que no me guste esq la historia transcurra en una semana solamente, eso hace que me parezca super lento el paso de los acontecimientos, pero al mismo tiempo rápida la historia de amor, porque avanza en cuestión de horas.
Está bien escrito, y me gusta que esté a dos voces. Simplemente no me ha enganchado y no me ha convencido, pero creo que es algo muy personal 🖤
GOODREADS no me deja poner un libro como abandonado y darle una estrella sin haberlo acabado no me parece justo, asiq voy a dejar esto aquí y lo borraré en unos días de la app para que no salga en mi lista de leídos y no darle nota injustamente🫂
November 13, 2025
OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK!!! It’s gonna be in my top 5 of the year, and I’ve read over 200 this year! Like… the chokehold this had me in was unparalleled I mean it. It was so action-packed, so swoon-worthy, and Rachel is BRILLIANT for flipping everything we know about Norse lore on its head! I am telling you, this is gonna go down as one of my all-time favs. I knew that when I was only halfway through. I LOVED IT. Every single minute of it. The epic world building, the action, the romance… all the secrets & revelations had me gasping out loud. You NEED to read this book as soon as it releases! Pre-order it. I guarantee you won’t wanna put it down!
🗡️ Norse retelling
🗡️ TRUE enemies to lovers
🗡️ Gods & Frost Giants
🗡️ university setting
🗡️ forced proximity
🗡️ slow burn
🗡️ he’d burn the world down for her & she for him
🗡️ touch her & die
🗡️ secrets on secrets on secrets
🗡️ alllll the angst
🗡️ multiple POV
5⭐️♾️
🗡️ Norse retelling
🗡️ TRUE enemies to lovers
🗡️ Gods & Frost Giants
🗡️ university setting
🗡️ forced proximity
🗡️ slow burn
🗡️ he’d burn the world down for her & she for him
🗡️ touch her & die
🗡️ secrets on secrets on secrets
🗡️ alllll the angst
🗡️ multiple POV
5⭐️♾️
January 17, 2026
"Maybe we’re all just monsters pretending to be heroes... Maybe the real heroes are the monsters. One thing I do know is that we write our own history. Don’t ever let something that feels predetermined make you veer from what you think your path should be.”
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This had so much potential
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Heard this was messy and addictive
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This had so much potential
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Heard this was messy and addictive
January 26, 2026
I was going to give this a 3 star rating, but the ending surprised me a bit. It was mostly a cookie cutter enemies to lovers, college, overbearing parents type of novel. Albeit with a little twist.The end of the book did surprise me with one character, however his brother was guessed early on by me. I do not know if there is a second book planned, but this is setup easily for a sequel.
December 8, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I would call this a pretty easy read. It's not a book with intense world, character or relationship building, but it kept me entertained and turning the page, nonetheless.
Rey finds herself forced into Endir University by her mafia style father, Odin. Her purpose? To get close to the heir of Odins greatest enemy, Aric, and use him to recover Thor's lost hammer. The catch? They were briefly engaged a couple of years prior and they can't stand each other.
This is a creative spin on Norse mythology mixed with an academia setting. The relationship between Aric and Rey progresses pretty quickly due to an unknown draw to each other that they dont try to fight for very long. There are a lot of side characters and some interesting plot twists that do keep the story interesting and moving along. I did find myself rooting for Rey and Aric and hoping things worked out for them, but didnt have the emotional investment in their relationship thaf I would if it had been a slower build and they had worked for it.
Some of the plot twists I was able to figure out from the clues in the book, but there were also I couple that I didnt see coming. I will *probably* read the next book, but it won't be something that I am going to be salivating for or in a rush to read when its released.
I would call this a pretty easy read. It's not a book with intense world, character or relationship building, but it kept me entertained and turning the page, nonetheless.
Rey finds herself forced into Endir University by her mafia style father, Odin. Her purpose? To get close to the heir of Odins greatest enemy, Aric, and use him to recover Thor's lost hammer. The catch? They were briefly engaged a couple of years prior and they can't stand each other.
This is a creative spin on Norse mythology mixed with an academia setting. The relationship between Aric and Rey progresses pretty quickly due to an unknown draw to each other that they dont try to fight for very long. There are a lot of side characters and some interesting plot twists that do keep the story interesting and moving along. I did find myself rooting for Rey and Aric and hoping things worked out for them, but didnt have the emotional investment in their relationship thaf I would if it had been a slower build and they had worked for it.
Some of the plot twists I was able to figure out from the clues in the book, but there were also I couple that I didnt see coming. I will *probably* read the next book, but it won't be something that I am going to be salivating for or in a rush to read when its released.
December 30, 2025
This missed the mark by an entire football field :(
I am IN LOVE with the cover and had super high hopes but unfortunately it was just a bunch of weak Norse mythology mixed with mafia/academia and SO MUCH angst that didn't work or make sense... was not for me.
2.5 rounding up to 3 stars.
I am IN LOVE with the cover and had super high hopes but unfortunately it was just a bunch of weak Norse mythology mixed with mafia/academia and SO MUCH angst that didn't work or make sense... was not for me.
2.5 rounding up to 3 stars.
November 23, 2025
Reading a book about a girl trying to find Thors hammer was not on my 2025 bingo card but I am not mad about it. I was so intrigued by this story once I started reading! The chapters were nicely paced and I enjoyed my read throughout the whole book. Multiple POV, can’t go wrong there. Definitely recommend the read for lovers of fantasy!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
January 11, 2026
Fallen Gods by Rachel Van Dyken
Fallen Gods book 1
Narrated by Alexander Cendese and Taylor Meskimen
I thought these two did a great job with this story and the characters! I enjoyed their voices overall and the voices they used for the characters. They brought them to life and gave them all the emotions! Audio note: My brain needs faster speeds for audio and this narration/recording sounded great at higher speeds.
Urban fantasy
Dual POV, dark academia, modern times/slang/references, Norse mythology, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, Gods and giants, hidden identity, awakening powers, power struggle, reveals and betrayal, banter, sort of insta-lust but also they knew each other prior
Rey has been sent by her father to a school run by their enemies with clear instructions. She is to find the hammer, Mjolnir, which belonged to her brother. And if she fails there will be consequences for those she loves. She has a history with Aric, the heir of her enemy, and she must win him back over if she is is going to get anywhere with her goal. But soon she is finding herself torn by what is has been ordered to do and where her heart is leading.
This book was a fun read! Is it going to be a favorite this year? No, but it was a good time with an interesting premise and world. This is not a magical college, but the main characters have powers. The premise that most of the gods are scattered and "asleep" in mortal bodies is fun. Rey is the daughter of Odin, but he is definitely not a good guy and I feel for the life that she has led due to that. But I enjoyed her and Aric becoming reluctant allies and then more. I'm interested to see where the series goes next book!
Fallen Gods book 1
Narrated by Alexander Cendese and Taylor Meskimen
I thought these two did a great job with this story and the characters! I enjoyed their voices overall and the voices they used for the characters. They brought them to life and gave them all the emotions! Audio note: My brain needs faster speeds for audio and this narration/recording sounded great at higher speeds.
Urban fantasy
Dual POV, dark academia, modern times/slang/references, Norse mythology, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, Gods and giants, hidden identity, awakening powers, power struggle, reveals and betrayal, banter, sort of insta-lust but also they knew each other prior
Rey has been sent by her father to a school run by their enemies with clear instructions. She is to find the hammer, Mjolnir, which belonged to her brother. And if she fails there will be consequences for those she loves. She has a history with Aric, the heir of her enemy, and she must win him back over if she is is going to get anywhere with her goal. But soon she is finding herself torn by what is has been ordered to do and where her heart is leading.
This book was a fun read! Is it going to be a favorite this year? No, but it was a good time with an interesting premise and world. This is not a magical college, but the main characters have powers. The premise that most of the gods are scattered and "asleep" in mortal bodies is fun. Rey is the daughter of Odin, but he is definitely not a good guy and I feel for the life that she has led due to that. But I enjoyed her and Aric becoming reluctant allies and then more. I'm interested to see where the series goes next book!
October 25, 2025
I had two days in a row off from work and I devoured this book. I could not put it down. I have read one other RVD book and that was back in 2017 so I was pleasantly surprised when this ARC showed up with her name on it since I think of her as contemporary romance. I don't know much about Norse mythology and I still enjoyed the book so do not get scared off by that part of it. So Rey is the daughter of Odin, but since the war, most of the gods and giants do not remember that they are gods or giants. Thor's hammer is the key to waking everyone back up into who they really are. Rey is off to college and Odin needs her to buddy up with his nemesis' son, Aric. Obviously they hate each other because their families do, but they both need to get close to each other as well under their fathers' orders. And, of course, they start falling for each other. They soon realize though that they need to work together in spite of their families. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the banter. Just as I was feeling like, okay, we need to find out some things, we found out some things so I felt the pacing was good. This is book one and I need book two right away. The chapters are short so I just kept reading and reading.
-"The right book can consume you. Make you forget to eat, to sleep. Make you ache for just one more page even when you know you shouldn't. It can be temptation itself."
-"If the monster knows it's a monster, then it's capable of being something else, don't you think?"
-"Courage, Rey, isn't always winning the fight. Sometimes it's staying out of the fight altogether."
-"The right book can consume you. Make you forget to eat, to sleep. Make you ache for just one more page even when you know you shouldn't. It can be temptation itself."
-"If the monster knows it's a monster, then it's capable of being something else, don't you think?"
-"Courage, Rey, isn't always winning the fight. Sometimes it's staying out of the fight altogether."
December 24, 2025
I did the audiobook and I think it could have been a five star if I had eyeball read it?? Didn’t love the narrators because I think they made the characters sound more immature but I loved the plot overall! Did the audiobook in about a day!
January 20, 2026
Escribir un libro basado en una mitología particular siempre es un tema peliagudo, porque puedes enfrentarte a los fanáticos de esa cultura e inevitablemente salir perdiendo, lo cual siento que ha sido uno de los motivos por los que esta obra me ha disgustado tanto.
La obra está inspirada en la mitología nórdica, la autora aclama tener raíces de esta cultura gracias a su abuelo, quien le contaba muchas historias cuando era niña, las cuáles ella disfrutaba bastante porque la conectaban con su herencia, y eso se puede sentir en muchos aspectos de la novela, es cierto. Por ejemplo, se deja de lado el concepto erróneo del señor bonachón, que lo sabe todo y es súper amable, porque la mitología nórdica, de hecho, nos ha enseñado que no se podía considerar en absoluto un dios benevolente. Era sabio, pero en aras de obtener esa sabiduría, no tenía reparos a la hora de mentir y traicionar.
Aquí, claramente se toma esta característica y es llevada al extremo, pero ese hecho no se siente fuera de lugar, por el pequeño trasfondo que tenemos de fondo: Odín ha puesto a dioses y gigantes a dormir para parar con el ragnarok, mismo que estaba sucediendo fuera de sus términos, solo para volver a iniciarlo una vez tenga las piezas correctas en su lugar, sin importar a quién se lleve por el camino. No sé ustedes, para mí suena muy Odín.
Exagerar las características no está mal, tampoco sería la primera obra que lo hace y tiene éxito, solo tengamos en cuenta los tropecientos libros que Rick Riordan tiene escritos sobre mitología griega, egipcia y, sí, también mitología nórdica. Aunque son libros con bastante humor en el fondo, no dejan de ser entretenidos para aquellos a los que les gusta el tema, porque no cambia por completo la percepción de los dioses. Solo toma sus aspectos y los lleva más allá. Riordan no convierte a Hades en el dios de las flores, sigue siendo el dios del Inframundo, quizás un poquitín demasiado emo, pero se siente como lo que es.
¿Y a dónde voy con todo esto? A que Rachel Van Dyken decidió que además de utilizar la mitología nórdica como inspiración, iba a utilizar a Marvel. Yo no sé cómo explicarles qué cara puse cuando Rey, nuestra protagonista, que en esta historia es hija de Odín, habla de su hermana, Hela. Hermana. Yo me pregunto por qué, de repente, sintió la necesidad de olvidarse que Hela es hija de Loki a pesar de que hasta el momento había intentado construir una historia fiel a la mitología. Si es porque en un libro futuro va a querer emparejar a Loki con un faninsert mío, entonces lo acepto. Bromita.
Algunos me verán como una exagerada gracias a mi reacción. Pero, para mí, esto hace mucho ruido. Es como si la autora, a pesar de todo, intentara utilizar el rasgo mitológico como una simple estética. Como Loki es, según muchas mujeres, y yo me incluyo, una de las representaciones masculinas más fuertes dentro de la ficción, al menos en lo que al universo Marvel se refiere, parecería que la idea de este cambio es mantenerlo disponible para una futura aparición. ¿Loki con hijos? ¡Cómo se les ocurre! Si entre descubrir que Odín no es su verdadero padre y que Hulk casi lo aplasta, no ha tenido tiempo para chicas.
El problema no se queda en esa construcción frankensteiniana del mundo, aunque me hubiera gustado, oigan, porque hace años que dejé de leer libros que de antemano sabía que me iban a disgustar, por si alguno me sigue desde entonces.
Esta historia sufre de un síndrome terrible de "libro de romantasy", como me ha dado por catalogarlo hoy que recién he terminado de leer "How to Write Romantasy", de Jenna Moreci, que es la tendencia a que tu libro se desarrolle sobre la tensión sexual entre tus protagonistas, en lugar de hacerlo con un núcleo solido que hable el mundo, los sistemas de magia, tus personajes en su totalidad y, lo más importante, la intención de la historia.
Porque, de nuevo, parece ser que la meta narrativa es únicamente que los personajes principales se líen.
Van Dyken nos ofrece dos puntos de vista, el de Rey y el de Aric, que son bastante similares en tono y monólogo interno, cosa que no paran de hacer con frases rimbombantes, repitiendo hasta el cansancio que se odian, que son peligrosos, pero que son tan guapos y ojalá pudieran escapar a una montaña alejada donde nadie los conociera y pudieran amarse. Excepto que la familia del otro es tan mala, que no pueden hacer eso.
En su calidad de hija (rehén) de Odín, Rey debe ir a la universidad Endir, conseguir la forma de despertar a Aric, que es un gigante dormido, para que él le indique dónde está el martillo de Thor, objeto necesario para la conquista de Odín sobre sus enemigos. Y para esta hazaña en particular tiene una semana, aunque, como les dije, ella y el interés amoroso en cuestión son enemigos acérrimos y no hay forma de que se gane la confianza del chico en tan poco tiempo. Qué bueno que en el fondo se aman, porque si no...
Lo curioso de esta tarea es que, a pesar de que es el mismo Odín quien le encarga la tarea de acercarse a Aric y despertarlo para cumplir con el cometido, Rey todavía tiene cierto temor de que alguien pueda decirle a su padre que se pasea por el campus con el chico, porque como es un mafioso tiene bastantes informantes. Más gracioso aún que Odín le mande un par de mensajes del tipo "me contaron que te estás divirtiendo mucho, eh", porque no sé cómo esperaban que lo despertara sin acercarse al chico.
Agreguemos otra risa al asunto: Aric, como una de las partes que odia, pero que no está obligada por ninguna misión ambigua a acercarse a su enemiga, diciéndole a Rey el día de llegada que por favor lo deje solo y nunca en su vida se acerque a él, solo para tomar la iniciativa de irse a sentar con ella a la hora de la comida, porque supongo que le va la versión romantasy de "mantén a tus amigos cerca, y a tus enemigos más cerca", la cual incluye muchos cambios de actitud, pero cero construcción del porqué del cambio. A menos que la justificación pueda hacerse en que ambos son los más guapos del mundo que construye la autora y, por esos obvios motivos, se atraen como polilla a la luz. Cualquier cosa para que la interacción entre los dos pueda ocurrir, porque tenemos páginas contadas, oye.
No es que Reeve, hermano de Aric, futuro cuñado de Rey, mejore mucho las cosas. Es el primero en decirle que se mantenga alejada porque Aric ya ha sufrido demasiado en la vida, pero dos doritos después los envía a los dos juntitos a una prueba de valor, que consiste en pasear juntitos en medio de la noche. Lo positivo, es que tiene valor mitológico. Lo negativo, es que esa misma mañana había decidido que solitos no se podían quedar.
En defensa de Reeve, es el único personaje que me gustó. No solo porque sí que suena de forma genuina como un adolescente millonario que solo piensa en divertirse, sino porque sus conversaciones jocosas, sí que calzaban, sintiéndose naturales, muy diferente a las de los otros personajes. Sacaba el lado ingenioso no solo de Aric, sino también el de Rey, y ustedes no saben lo agradecida que estaba en esos momentos.
Porque la historia peca mucho de melancolía exagerada, monólogos cargados de pesimismo extremo, personajes convencidos de que viven sus tragedias griegas (o nórdicas), mientras el ritmo de la historia no acompaña esa intensidad emocional, haciendo que se sintieran muy vacíos. Reeve romp��a con esos trenes de pensamiento y aportaba ligereza, porque no había nada más desesperante que la prota en modo emo, solo para irse de fiesta el segundo siguiente. Si le daba por monologar, de repente, seguía emo. Pero está muy difícil creérselo si está jugando en lugar de acostada en su cama mirando el infinito, o qué sé yo, completando su misión, que define su futuro y el de todos. Ehen't.
Sin dar detalle alguno sobre lo que sucede al final de la historia, me gustaría aportar que, para ser una historia que se desarrolla sobre el argumento de una guerra entre los dioses y los gigantes, añadiendo en varias ocasiones que los protagonistas son muy peligrosos por provenir de estas familias enfrentadas y, además, pertenecientes al mundo de la mafia, deja bastante que desear en el terreno de la acción.
Una vez más se premia la relación física de ambos personajes, sobre cualquier otro desarrollo posible, lo que lleva a que los momentos de tensión no románticos no tengan un gran peso en pantalla y se solucionen en un par de párrafos, a pesar de la gravedad de los diferentes asuntos, llegando algunas veces a sentirse como si la autora no quisiera tocar aspectos psicológicos de los personajes, lo que puede ser comprensible si no quería meterse en temas delicados, pero el problema es que desde que decidió introducir estos elementos, ya había asumido la responsabilidad de tratarlos con seriedad, cosa que no hace al trivializar los sentimientos y las consecuencias de las acciones y revelaciones que algunos de sus personajes atraviesan.
En conclusión, en Fallen Gods Van Dyken construye un mundo que aparenta ser complejo, pero que en realidad funciona como un collage de elementos dispersos, logrando que el mundo y sus personajes sean demasiado frágiles y poco memorables.
Lo que en teoría podría haber sido una historia épica sobre las consecuencias de una guerra ancestral, cómo esta repercute en los supervivientes, y cómo la tensión jamás desaparece, termina siendo otro romantasy típico, donde el enemies to lovers falla épicamente en la parte de hacerlos enemies y destaca con panfletos la parte de los lovers, no como una relación sentimental, sino física.
----
INMEDIATO POST LECTURA:
Estoy siendo tan amable colocándole estas dos estrellas. Y solo son porque me encantó la dinámica graciosa de Reeve en la mayor parte de la historia.
Pero este es de ese tipo de libros que recomiendo cuando "piensas que das asco escribiendo", porque, amiga, amigo, cualquier cosa que hagas, con seguridad, será mejor que esto, lo que sea que hayan querido hacer aquí.
Me quejo un poquito así, pero ya traeré mi opinión completita (capaz mientras la hago me dé tanto coraje que acabe bajándolo a una estrella, así que puede disfrutar de las dos mientras tanto)
La obra está inspirada en la mitología nórdica, la autora aclama tener raíces de esta cultura gracias a su abuelo, quien le contaba muchas historias cuando era niña, las cuáles ella disfrutaba bastante porque la conectaban con su herencia, y eso se puede sentir en muchos aspectos de la novela, es cierto. Por ejemplo, se deja de lado el concepto erróneo del señor bonachón, que lo sabe todo y es súper amable, porque la mitología nórdica, de hecho, nos ha enseñado que no se podía considerar en absoluto un dios benevolente. Era sabio, pero en aras de obtener esa sabiduría, no tenía reparos a la hora de mentir y traicionar.
Aquí, claramente se toma esta característica y es llevada al extremo, pero ese hecho no se siente fuera de lugar, por el pequeño trasfondo que tenemos de fondo: Odín ha puesto a dioses y gigantes a dormir para parar con el ragnarok, mismo que estaba sucediendo fuera de sus términos, solo para volver a iniciarlo una vez tenga las piezas correctas en su lugar, sin importar a quién se lleve por el camino. No sé ustedes, para mí suena muy Odín.
Exagerar las características no está mal, tampoco sería la primera obra que lo hace y tiene éxito, solo tengamos en cuenta los tropecientos libros que Rick Riordan tiene escritos sobre mitología griega, egipcia y, sí, también mitología nórdica. Aunque son libros con bastante humor en el fondo, no dejan de ser entretenidos para aquellos a los que les gusta el tema, porque no cambia por completo la percepción de los dioses. Solo toma sus aspectos y los lleva más allá. Riordan no convierte a Hades en el dios de las flores, sigue siendo el dios del Inframundo, quizás un poquitín demasiado emo, pero se siente como lo que es.
¿Y a dónde voy con todo esto? A que Rachel Van Dyken decidió que además de utilizar la mitología nórdica como inspiración, iba a utilizar a Marvel. Yo no sé cómo explicarles qué cara puse cuando Rey, nuestra protagonista, que en esta historia es hija de Odín, habla de su hermana, Hela. Hermana. Yo me pregunto por qué, de repente, sintió la necesidad de olvidarse que Hela es hija de Loki a pesar de que hasta el momento había intentado construir una historia fiel a la mitología. Si es porque en un libro futuro va a querer emparejar a Loki con un faninsert mío, entonces lo acepto. Bromita.
Algunos me verán como una exagerada gracias a mi reacción. Pero, para mí, esto hace mucho ruido. Es como si la autora, a pesar de todo, intentara utilizar el rasgo mitológico como una simple estética. Como Loki es, según muchas mujeres, y yo me incluyo, una de las representaciones masculinas más fuertes dentro de la ficción, al menos en lo que al universo Marvel se refiere, parecería que la idea de este cambio es mantenerlo disponible para una futura aparición. ¿Loki con hijos? ¡Cómo se les ocurre! Si entre descubrir que Odín no es su verdadero padre y que Hulk casi lo aplasta, no ha tenido tiempo para chicas.
El problema no se queda en esa construcción frankensteiniana del mundo, aunque me hubiera gustado, oigan, porque hace años que dejé de leer libros que de antemano sabía que me iban a disgustar, por si alguno me sigue desde entonces.
Esta historia sufre de un síndrome terrible de "libro de romantasy", como me ha dado por catalogarlo hoy que recién he terminado de leer "How to Write Romantasy", de Jenna Moreci, que es la tendencia a que tu libro se desarrolle sobre la tensión sexual entre tus protagonistas, en lugar de hacerlo con un núcleo solido que hable el mundo, los sistemas de magia, tus personajes en su totalidad y, lo más importante, la intención de la historia.
Porque, de nuevo, parece ser que la meta narrativa es únicamente que los personajes principales se líen.
Van Dyken nos ofrece dos puntos de vista, el de Rey y el de Aric, que son bastante similares en tono y monólogo interno, cosa que no paran de hacer con frases rimbombantes, repitiendo hasta el cansancio que se odian, que son peligrosos, pero que son tan guapos y ojalá pudieran escapar a una montaña alejada donde nadie los conociera y pudieran amarse. Excepto que la familia del otro es tan mala, que no pueden hacer eso.
En su calidad de hija (rehén) de Odín, Rey debe ir a la universidad Endir, conseguir la forma de despertar a Aric, que es un gigante dormido, para que él le indique dónde está el martillo de Thor, objeto necesario para la conquista de Odín sobre sus enemigos. Y para esta hazaña en particular tiene una semana, aunque, como les dije, ella y el interés amoroso en cuestión son enemigos acérrimos y no hay forma de que se gane la confianza del chico en tan poco tiempo. Qué bueno que en el fondo se aman, porque si no...
Lo curioso de esta tarea es que, a pesar de que es el mismo Odín quien le encarga la tarea de acercarse a Aric y despertarlo para cumplir con el cometido, Rey todavía tiene cierto temor de que alguien pueda decirle a su padre que se pasea por el campus con el chico, porque como es un mafioso tiene bastantes informantes. Más gracioso aún que Odín le mande un par de mensajes del tipo "me contaron que te estás divirtiendo mucho, eh", porque no sé cómo esperaban que lo despertara sin acercarse al chico.
Agreguemos otra risa al asunto: Aric, como una de las partes que odia, pero que no está obligada por ninguna misión ambigua a acercarse a su enemiga, diciéndole a Rey el día de llegada que por favor lo deje solo y nunca en su vida se acerque a él, solo para tomar la iniciativa de irse a sentar con ella a la hora de la comida, porque supongo que le va la versión romantasy de "mantén a tus amigos cerca, y a tus enemigos más cerca", la cual incluye muchos cambios de actitud, pero cero construcción del porqué del cambio. A menos que la justificación pueda hacerse en que ambos son los más guapos del mundo que construye la autora y, por esos obvios motivos, se atraen como polilla a la luz. Cualquier cosa para que la interacción entre los dos pueda ocurrir, porque tenemos páginas contadas, oye.
No es que Reeve, hermano de Aric, futuro cuñado de Rey, mejore mucho las cosas. Es el primero en decirle que se mantenga alejada porque Aric ya ha sufrido demasiado en la vida, pero dos doritos después los envía a los dos juntitos a una prueba de valor, que consiste en pasear juntitos en medio de la noche. Lo positivo, es que tiene valor mitológico. Lo negativo, es que esa misma mañana había decidido que solitos no se podían quedar.
En defensa de Reeve, es el único personaje que me gustó. No solo porque sí que suena de forma genuina como un adolescente millonario que solo piensa en divertirse, sino porque sus conversaciones jocosas, sí que calzaban, sintiéndose naturales, muy diferente a las de los otros personajes. Sacaba el lado ingenioso no solo de Aric, sino también el de Rey, y ustedes no saben lo agradecida que estaba en esos momentos.
Porque la historia peca mucho de melancolía exagerada, monólogos cargados de pesimismo extremo, personajes convencidos de que viven sus tragedias griegas (o nórdicas), mientras el ritmo de la historia no acompaña esa intensidad emocional, haciendo que se sintieran muy vacíos. Reeve romp��a con esos trenes de pensamiento y aportaba ligereza, porque no había nada más desesperante que la prota en modo emo, solo para irse de fiesta el segundo siguiente. Si le daba por monologar, de repente, seguía emo. Pero está muy difícil creérselo si está jugando en lugar de acostada en su cama mirando el infinito, o qué sé yo, completando su misión, que define su futuro y el de todos. Ehen't.
Sin dar detalle alguno sobre lo que sucede al final de la historia, me gustaría aportar que, para ser una historia que se desarrolla sobre el argumento de una guerra entre los dioses y los gigantes, añadiendo en varias ocasiones que los protagonistas son muy peligrosos por provenir de estas familias enfrentadas y, además, pertenecientes al mundo de la mafia, deja bastante que desear en el terreno de la acción.
Una vez más se premia la relación física de ambos personajes, sobre cualquier otro desarrollo posible, lo que lleva a que los momentos de tensión no románticos no tengan un gran peso en pantalla y se solucionen en un par de párrafos, a pesar de la gravedad de los diferentes asuntos, llegando algunas veces a sentirse como si la autora no quisiera tocar aspectos psicológicos de los personajes, lo que puede ser comprensible si no quería meterse en temas delicados, pero el problema es que desde que decidió introducir estos elementos, ya había asumido la responsabilidad de tratarlos con seriedad, cosa que no hace al trivializar los sentimientos y las consecuencias de las acciones y revelaciones que algunos de sus personajes atraviesan.
En conclusión, en Fallen Gods Van Dyken construye un mundo que aparenta ser complejo, pero que en realidad funciona como un collage de elementos dispersos, logrando que el mundo y sus personajes sean demasiado frágiles y poco memorables.
Lo que en teoría podría haber sido una historia épica sobre las consecuencias de una guerra ancestral, cómo esta repercute en los supervivientes, y cómo la tensión jamás desaparece, termina siendo otro romantasy típico, donde el enemies to lovers falla épicamente en la parte de hacerlos enemies y destaca con panfletos la parte de los lovers, no como una relación sentimental, sino física.
----
INMEDIATO POST LECTURA:
Estoy siendo tan amable colocándole estas dos estrellas. Y solo son porque me encantó la dinámica graciosa de Reeve en la mayor parte de la historia.
Pero este es de ese tipo de libros que recomiendo cuando "piensas que das asco escribiendo", porque, amiga, amigo, cualquier cosa que hagas, con seguridad, será mejor que esto, lo que sea que hayan querido hacer aquí.
Me quejo un poquito así, pero ya traeré mi opinión completita (capaz mientras la hago me dé tanto coraje que acabe bajándolo a una estrella, así que puede disfrutar de las dos mientras tanto)
December 13, 2025
wow! I love a retelling. this was an excellent Norse mythology retelling. I cant wait to see what's going to happen in book 2!
December 19, 2025
I have a lot to say…
1. This book references TikTok.
2.The magic system and world was so badly explained.
3. The Norse mythology aspect was so promising even tho I don’t know much about it but I just felt so lost. I was expecting to have a little bit of it explained in this book to at least give me some background knowledge but guess not.
4. Why is this book set in the US when it’s about Norse mythology? (I’m usually a hater for any fantasy book set in the real world but this one was bad especially with the references)
5. The characters felt bland.
Also why is this lowkey a mafia romance? That felt so random.
1. This book references TikTok.
2.The magic system and world was so badly explained.
3. The Norse mythology aspect was so promising even tho I don’t know much about it but I just felt so lost. I was expecting to have a little bit of it explained in this book to at least give me some background knowledge but guess not.
4. Why is this book set in the US when it’s about Norse mythology? (I’m usually a hater for any fantasy book set in the real world but this one was bad especially with the references)
5. The characters felt bland.
Also why is this lowkey a mafia romance? That felt so random.
December 1, 2025
Thanks to Red Tower Books for the gifted copy!
Did I just binge a 528 page book in 2 days? I did. FALLEN GODS is the fun romantasy I needed to read, full of snarky characters, Norse mythology, and banter & romantic tension. You can tell Rachel Van Dyken is a romance author because Rey and Aric's interactions were just EVERYTHING and I was rooting for them as a team and hoping everything would work out in their favor.
I highlighted a ton of quotes - there's some super solid wisdom in there, some witty one-liners, and some great romance. I am left with questions at the end of this book because I didn't expect some of the twists, and I'm really excited for some of those to be answered and for expanded worldbuilding in book two! I'll absolutely be continuing the series.
Did I just binge a 528 page book in 2 days? I did. FALLEN GODS is the fun romantasy I needed to read, full of snarky characters, Norse mythology, and banter & romantic tension. You can tell Rachel Van Dyken is a romance author because Rey and Aric's interactions were just EVERYTHING and I was rooting for them as a team and hoping everything would work out in their favor.
I highlighted a ton of quotes - there's some super solid wisdom in there, some witty one-liners, and some great romance. I am left with questions at the end of this book because I didn't expect some of the twists, and I'm really excited for some of those to be answered and for expanded worldbuilding in book two! I'll absolutely be continuing the series.
Want to read
July 28, 2024I'll watch this because the mystery of her brother's disappearance and the norse gods intrigue me, BUT - having to live together with your horrible boss has to be one of the worst tropes in romance for anyone who has ever worked a job >:c
December 30, 2025
oh red tower. how you make fools of us all with your insanely beautiful books and your absolutely unbearable words
Want to read
October 26, 2025
AFTER 84 YEARS OF WAITING, I WAS ABLE TO SNAG AN ARC!!!!
Thanks Entangled for doing me a solid!
January 5, 2026
This was…fine. I enjoyed the Norse mythology elements and thought the action-packed ending was easily the strongest part of the book, but overall it wasn’t a fantasy romance I see myself rereading or thinking about much after finishing. The plot was interesting, with gods not dead but sleeping in mortal bodies, and a FMC raised as her father’s weapon and sent to Endir University to steal Mjolnir or risk everyone she loves paying the price. There was a lot happening at times and the cheesy banter and humor didn’t quite work for me. I’m also not a fan of modern, current day elements mixed into fantasy. I was entertained by the lore, but I wouldn’t say I was fully emotionally invested in this story.
January 10, 2026
2.5 may be 2.75 stars UMMMMMMM......that was......something....first I want to say no where in the description was it stated that this was modern day. Even the cover and the inside page art. Second I can't believe the release date of this was pushed back so much (by like a year and half)....cause WTF!?!?! I'm sorry but this felt like a young YA not a New Adult/Adult Fantasy. This was written like a 12 year old just down loaded WATTPAD and decided to write a Marvel Thor Fanfic. The setting made this very juvenile and kind of confusing. The relationship between the two main characters felt forced and unbelievable. I'm not quite sure if I will read the next one.
January 19, 2026
dnf. i think this is ai.
December 31, 2025
It's giving Marvel fanfiction.
December 12, 2025
This book is a totally bingeable romantasy ride (and yes, I did binge it in 24hrs) where Norse myth crashes into modern college chaos and honestly I was here for the whole beautiful mess 😅 It’s not deep, it’s not broody, it’s not trying to reinvent fantasy… it’s just fun. Think American campus life, modern slang, enemies-to-lovers with insta-lust and that “turn your brain off and enjoy the vibes” energy ✨
Aric and Rey’s connection? Fast. Sure there’s some history there butL it was mythic magnetism with zero resistance fast. Did I want a slower burn? Yesss. Did I still cheer for them anyway? Also yes 🔥 The plot zigzags all over the place. Sometimes predictable, sometimes “oh dang, didn’t see that coming”. But always entertaining. The side characters and twists keep things moving, even if the world-building and emotional depth stay on the lighter end.
The real star here is the Norse mythology woven into a modern setting ✨It gives the whole book this magical-realism shimmer that made my myth-loving heart very happy ❤️
Is it chaotic? Absolutely. Is it fun as hell? Also absolutely.
Will I read the next one? Probably… just not camping outside the bookstore for it 😆👍.
If you love mythology, messy magic, and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, this one hits the spot.
Thank you so much to @RachelVanDyken @entangled and @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review! And for also letting me take part in your readalong!
Aric and Rey’s connection? Fast. Sure there’s some history there butL it was mythic magnetism with zero resistance fast. Did I want a slower burn? Yesss. Did I still cheer for them anyway? Also yes 🔥 The plot zigzags all over the place. Sometimes predictable, sometimes “oh dang, didn’t see that coming”. But always entertaining. The side characters and twists keep things moving, even if the world-building and emotional depth stay on the lighter end.
The real star here is the Norse mythology woven into a modern setting ✨It gives the whole book this magical-realism shimmer that made my myth-loving heart very happy ❤️
Is it chaotic? Absolutely. Is it fun as hell? Also absolutely.
Will I read the next one? Probably… just not camping outside the bookstore for it 😆👍.
If you love mythology, messy magic, and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, this one hits the spot.
Thank you so much to @RachelVanDyken @entangled and @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review! And for also letting me take part in your readalong!
January 18, 2026
This is a different take on Norse mythology. What if Odin was the villain and Thor was dead? What if most of the Gods and Frost Giants had forgotten who they are? That intrigued me. Rey is Odin’s daughter and is forced to go to a college run by the Frost Giants. Aric is the heir to the Frost Giants and her former would be arranged fiancé. Before he rejected her. Rey’s job is to awake Aric’s memories so she can return Mjölnir to her father for his evil purposes. She is given a week to complete her task or Odin will kill the two people she cares about. Don’t read this expecting an academy type book. This is more enemies to lovers/ Romeo and Juliet with Gods. This was good, but not great for me. The characters development fell a little flat for me and there were some things that were never fully explained. I’m undecided of if I will continue the series.
December 12, 2025
holy SHITTTT that was so good. incredible I’m in love with this book. I need more Norse mythology book right now
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