To Kill A Goddess

Fates So Fatal #1

by Rachel Tork

Pureborn gods and goddesses cannot truly die.

Soren Cavell was taken from her home kingdom of Mise as a child and forced into servitude in the palace of the king responsible for the murders of her family and the war against her people. As one of the Princess of Aren's handmaidens, she is bound to serve, so when the princess requests Soren travel with her to the Choosing Ceremony, she cannot deny her. But when a rare moon-white dragon picks Soren, the tide of the war changes as power begins to shift.
Even as Soren falls into her new place amongst Aren's army ranks, strange dreams that have haunted her since childhood grow all the more vivid and disturbing. And when she meets her trainer, Vane Evva, she cannot help but connect the dreams to him.
The past leaves deep wounds. The question is, just how fatal?

The war-torn world of dragonriders in Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing meets the timeless, star crossed romance of When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker in this high fantasy world where echoes of the past and present collide and love paramounts all.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dragons, Fantasy Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Rachel Tork is the author of fantasy romance and contemporary romance books, including the Evening Star Saga. She adores rainy days, Reylo, and early mornings snuggled on her couch.

She writes quick-paced fantasy with snarky, yet flawed, characters, as well as deeply emotional romance that proves love really can conquer all.

You can follow Rachel on Instagram and TikTok at @racheltorkauthor

Reviews

[Sophy Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 3/5

To Kill a Goddess has a compelling plot and an engaging FMC who I connected with right away. I really enjoyed the premise, and I appreciated that it’s a standalone with everything wrapped up by the end.
However, the pacing felt very rushed. While the story had great potential, I wanted more time with the characters and more depth to their development — things moved so quickly that moments that could have been impactful didn’t fully land for me. I also struggled to picture the world at times, as the setting wasn’t described in enough detail to bring it to life.
Overall, this is a good novella with an interesting concept. I think this story would have been even stronger as a duet or slightly longer novel — I’d happily have read more

Thank you to the Rachel Tork,Alaza press publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[apolimia · Rating 2 out of 5]

empezó genial y poco a poco fue siento extremadamente predecible sin profundidad alguna, una lastima porque la premisa es genial

[meg *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

i'll admit, i love anything to do with dragons and gods/godesses. and honestly, this was good.

i felt like it could have been longer, to add more into the world-building and to also explain more where some parts lacked (certain plot pieces). some of the info dump it did that, felt very rushed or felt like it was skirted around. i did love it was a standalone and tied everything together tho!

[Adiba (semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not mind blowing either and writing was lwk v tacky at so many points too.
Also it might be a me problem or maybe she forgot to mention but I literally thought that Thessa and Heles are couple 😭😭 and I was mostly done w the books when I got know that they're siblings but then for some reason i thought that Heles is a male dragon (because he's the dragon of MML and the I already knew that the dragon of fml - Thessa - is female 😭 + the name Heles is giving masculine vibe😭) but then i realised on maybe last chapter or epilogue (i don't rmbr when) that Heles is a female dragon too 😭😭😭😭 i feel so dumb 😭😭😭 anw they're my powerful kweens 😋

[ChipmunksandDandelion (Cinnamon&Pine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the premise, but it felt rushed and obvious in parts. Would have wished for more room for reflection and emotional development.
The dragons were great of course!

[ℛℰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️

“You are my salvation, Sora. You were then, and you are now”

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

💕 reincarnation
⚔️ gods & goddesses
💕 forbidden romance
⚔️ trainer x trainee
💕 dragons

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

One of my favorite tropes is reincarnation ; I love the angst and yearning of it especially when the MMC is the one who remembers everything . Unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me . Like on paper I should have loved it or even I liked it a little bit more !!!! but I just wanted this book to end so I could read something else ( I haven’t been fortunate with my latest reads so I guess I’m more cranky than usual). I didn’t connect with any of the characters nor the relationships. Again maybe if I wasn’t already mad because my latest reads weren’t good I think maybe I would have enjoyed it a little bit more idk 🤷‍♀️

[jjulia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️ Bueeeeeeno, un poco sin más, para ser sincera. Todo pasa demasiado rápido, el mundo no está muy bien construido, hay plotholes y es muchas veces predecible. Peeeeero es un romantasy de dragones y dioses, o sea que disfrutar, lo que disfrutado.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for providing me with this arc!!

"You are my salvation, Sora. You were then, and you are now."

THIS. BOOK.

To Kill a Goddess is about a girl, Soren, who was taken from her home and kingdom as a child after her family was murdered and forced to serve a king from the kingdom that is at war with Soren’s kingdom. She accompanies her princess to her dragon choosing ceremony and ends up being picked one of the strongest dragons. She has strange dreams of a goddess and Demi-god from the past that have her haunted her throughout her childhood, but once she starts connecting those dreams to her present, what will she discover? If you’re a fan of dragons and star-crossed romance, you’ll love this book.

Honestly, I went into this book almost completely blind, and let me tell you. I lost all track of time while reading this. I could not stop, I could not put it down, I binged it.

To Kill a Goddess is so so so good. It’s a rare occurrence for me to be hooked enough to be able to read an ebook so quickly (I’m a big physical book girl) but this was just impossible to set down. Now I absolutely need to read other books from the author.

The tension, the yearning. Aghhhhhh!

I definitely cried in the last chapter. But the epilogue made up for it ugh 🥹.

It did have open spice, which I would rate a 2 out of 5 🌶️

"Sometimes, I wish to see your soul again, and sometimes- I wonder if this is what I deserve. But you know me; I've always been selfish when it comes to you."

[bayly jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

YES I DECIDED TO READ THIS OFF OF ONE TIKTOK THAT I SAW!! SUE ME!! I WILL NEVER LEARN.

this was marketed as fourth wing inspired, and I almost felt like it was TOO close to fourth wing, with the added components of greek gods and goddesses. i felt like the writing and the story was very rushed. they met and literally like two days later, she was in love with him and “something began to shift between them.” YOU HAD TWO CONVERSATIONS AND THEY WERE BOTH WHEN YOU WERE WORKING OUT. i understand that techincally her soul was remembering him in their past life but it wasn’t making sense.

there wasn’t enough to hook my interest the entire time through, i was skimming to get to the end so I could start another book. the climatic battle with kronos felt anticlimatic because they died + were reborn anyways????

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

The fact that this took “several years” to write and is still so poorly written is tragic.

The author tried WAY too hard to make the dialogue in this book sound upper class. She used words she doesn’t understand, over punctuated the shit out of the storyline and waffles throughout the whole thing. Reading this was a torture.

I’ll never read another one of her books.

[Minke Postma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy fantasy storyline

[Nicole Kellam · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked this, I recommend When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

[Sara . ݁₊ ⊹.˖ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting to like this a lot and, though it was good, it also felt a bit flat. The story was fast-paced, there was always something happening which kept you wanting to continue.

Soren, the fmc, was taken and forced to serve the princess of a rival kingdom, but the story goes far beyond that. There were dragons, gods, magic and, of course, the soul mates trope we all love. I really liked the way the dragons were introduced and how they were part of the story, not just something metioned once. Also, loved how the fmc became more confident about who she was and what she was capable of. The relationship between the Soren and Vane was really good, with enough tension and yearning to make you want to read more.

Nevertheless, the world-building was lacking some development. There were times where we were thrown into a scene or where we jumped a bit too fast between settings. The story could have used more pages to explain how everything was unfolding, it just felt rushed and that it lacked some background. Also, there were many scenes which felt too convinient and a little predictable. The idea and the writing were good but, for me, the story needed more development.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Tork and Azala Press for providing me with this arc!

[Rachel Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars on my end. I wish the book would’ve been longer so the plot wouldn’t have felt rushed. Despite that, it was still a good read and got me out of my slump.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of this book was compelling and interesting, but it lacked depth. I stand by the belief that this book should have been a trilogy or duet at least, as the storyline needed more definition and time to progress. It felt like the story was put on 3x speed. Regardless of this criticism, it was an enjoyable read and the fantasy world created was fascinating, even though we did not see much of it.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 6 star read. The world building was so beautifully done in this book, I’m obsessed

[Laureninpink · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[vannah ୨୧]

i hate dnfing books but im sorry i just couldn't get into it.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

It’s unfortunately obvious that the author cannot support the vision she has.
The writing doesn’t hold up, neither do the characters or their dialogue. Reveals and twists are badly executed. There is no tension.
The timeline doesn’t make much sense for what is happening and due to it, nothing feels real and the stakes appear nonexistent.
It’s almost laughable that everything that is revealed to the FMC, she just .. sort of takes. Everything she does and learns, she just goes with. There is barely any time wasted to question or comprehend anything, to come to terms with what she did or the people around her did or unveiled.


The romance … should have been good. Because in theory, it’s solid. Again, the execution was what ruined it. Everything also escalated too soon too fast.

The writing and story were juvenile, pivoting away from what once had been a promising plot and (more or less) solid beginning. But the further the story progressed, the worse every aspect of it became.

[Noelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

I saw teasers for this book on Instagram and was very excited to read it but I am left dissatisfied after finishing.

The plot felt underdeveloped, with several spelling and grammatical errors, and an ending that made me go “huh.” (in a bad way)

Somehow Soren figured out how to save them both but we didn’t even get to see that until she explained it to Cion in the epilogue? And then they get reincarnated and reunite but all we get of that is a couple sentences, also explained to Cion in the epilogue. We put so much time into seeing these characters suffer to get their happy ending and they get it off page???? NOT a fan.

It felt like the author just didn’t put effort into writing a fleshed out story and just wanted to quick finish it and be done. I am extremely disappointed because it had such a good premise! I think we could have gotten a more complete and fleshed out story if it had been a duology.

If you want to read a book with a similar premise and incredible story telling, read When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker

[Jehree · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was okay

It started off great but then the pacing went crazy and the story changed a lot. I wanted a story about a girl that trains and slowly comes into herself but instead I got *boom* she’s a completely different person (kind of) and is now in a relationship. I think that transition could’ve been done smoother and not feel like the snap of a finger. I just didn’t really like what the story became and even the ending scenes felt so rushed which is ironic because I was also hoping it would hurry up and end

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leuk boek, maar het verhaal ging soms iets te snel voor mij. Ik miste beetje world-building en personages beter leren kennen waardoor ik minder connectie voelde.
Wel een leuke standalone die vlot leest.

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be good … but it was so confusing??? It should’ve been at least a duology. Plot felt super rushed and there wasn’t enough world building

[Shayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for providing me with this arc!!

To Kill a Goddess is a fast paced romantasy with dragons and wyvers, battling kingdoms, training for war, court politics and cruel gods. It reminded me of Heavenly Bodies, so if you liked that I would recommend this book.
I liked the word, it wasn't too complicated and easy to follow. The more I saw, it become even more interesting.
Soren our FMC was a bit too smart and a bit dumb at the same time, which is usually my pet peeve in romantasy books. She also got very powerful in a very short time (she had 2 weeks to become ready to fight in a battle), which usually annoys me, but in this story it actually made sense that she was learning quickly. I also didn't really understand her decisions sometimes. She was either a lil too eager about being a traitor at times or I just didn't really understand who she was loyal to sometimes.
Vane the MMC was also a very typical archetype of a romantasy love interest, I neither loved or hated him
I wish we got to see more of the side characters, but they were absent from a lot of the book. Th e middle part only really focused on Soren and Vane, I would have liked to see what Cion and the others did in this time.
I probably enjoyed the first half of the book more because of its setting, but the action picked up during the second half. The ending felt rushed, I didn't like that the part of the final fight was partly off page.
I think for a stand alone fantasy it was good and I'm happy the author didn't dragged it out, when it didn't need it

[Noor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thankfully, this is a standalone because I wanted this book to end so I could read something else.

Book #6 of my “Scroll Timeout Series” was a BookTok recommendation that curiosity convinced me to pick up.

The premise had so much potential. Dragons, magic, and a husband who has waited 100 years for her? And with a dedication “for readers who prefer their romance served with a side of tragedy (and dragons),” on the first page, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, it was a romance with a side of fantasy and the whole book felt like it was playing at 3x speed. Character development, worldbuilding, and the aftermath of major events were rushed through, plotlines started were started and dropped, forgotten and abandoned. There was so much potential for YEARNING, longing and emotional payoff, especially with a husband who waited a century, but the yearning was mid. The fantasy was also mid, the whole world building and dragon/magic system could’ve been way more detailed.

The writing/editing didn’t help. The word “observant” appeared so often that it could be turned into a drinking game. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing it.

The spicy scenes felt awkwardly thrown in for the sake of reaching the “romantasy” genre target rather than naturally woven into the story and it gave me the ick instead of being romantic.

Overall, this wasn’t a terrible book, there were some good yearning moments and interesting fantasy moments, but it never delivered on the emotional depth its premise promised. I finished it, but mostly because Mama didn’t raise a DNF-er.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

Soren was taken as a child from her home when a neighboring kingdom invades, killing her family and kidnapping her to serve as a slave in the enemy palace. She becomes attendant to the princess, and when they travel to a dragon-choosing ceremony, Soren is unexpectedly chosen by a rare moon-white dragon. This binds her to become a dragon rider and fight on behalf of the very king who destroyed her people. As she trains and grows stronger under the guidance of the mysterious warrior Vane, Soren’s memories and sense of identity begin to unravel.

This is a standalone romantasy featuring gods and goddesses, warring kingdoms, and both dragons and wyverns. The story has potential, especially in the glimpses of mythology and history woven throughout. However, due to the shorter length, the worldbuilding and lore feel underdeveloped, and the pacing felt rushed throughout, particularly when it comes to emotional and character-driven moments.

Overall, this is a quick and predictable romantasy that leans into familiar tropes such as the chosen one, ancient deities, dragons, and warring kingdoms. Readers looking for a fast, fantasy romance may enjoy it, but those wanting deeper worldbuilding or more layered development may find themselves wanting more.

Thank you to Azala Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Ceacea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Azala Press, and Rachel Tork for the eARC.

Genre: Romantacy
⭐️ 4/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 4/10
Cliffhanger: N/A
Noteworthy: Standalone book. Publication date 11/11/2025.

This novella length standalone stands tall for it's small size. Rachel Tork packs a lot of story into less than 250 pages. The world spans two kingdoms and a godly realm and includes political intrigue, war and battle scenes, and complex familial relationships. The heart of the story shows us that true love will tie souls, span lifetimes and endure nearly insurmountable obstacles. The romance here is immaculate! The climax feels daunting making for a highly stressful ending.

As with all shorter stories, it feels like we could use more time with the characters to allow a bit more depth especially with side characters. But the shorter time frame does not prevent you from growing attached to the two mains and rooting for them.

If you want a quick romantacy read that will suck you right in and make you reluctant to put it down until you finish, add this to your TBR!

[Brielle Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fear was enough to keep you chained”

To Kill a Goddess is a great stand alone romantasy book with a little mystery, a lot of fractured memory, a controlling god, and some very loyal dragons. I went into this totally blind and really enjoyed it. It’s well written and honestly very timely.

“I always knew you were dangerous.” Why…because of what I can do or the system I challenge by simply holding any power?”

Tork writes in her acknowledgments that “their systems are more fragile than they will ever admit” and “that’s why they are so afraid of us, of any resistance.” She states that our voices hold power, and throughout this book it was really lovely to see the main character, Soren, get her voice back and reclaim her power. The romance was also well done and I appreciated the complicated ways the female friendships were portrayed. Even though this book is under 250 pages, Tork really understood the assignment.

4 stars ✨

Thank you NetGalley and Azalea press for providing this arc. To Kill a Goddess comes out November 11, 2025.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have Dragon Riders and a Shadow Mommy. But first, I love the whole concept of having memories of the past life. And Soren, while being a handmaiden, has some dreams of a goddess and other things she sees pretty clearly. Then she meets Vane in the present, who happens to be her trainer, and they have a connection.

I liked the action, conflict, and battles. The dragon riding is new to me, as I don’t typically read a lot of dragon riding stories. To K¡ll A Goddess is a very slow burn, focusing on building tension between the two characters and on world-building and their shared connection.

The ending and epilogue wrapped up quite nicely overall, making it an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Azala Press and Author Rachel Tork for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Yasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally ate this up. I actually liked the pacing of this book and loved that it got straight to the point. Sora and Vane falling back in love omg that killed me and the pain he felt ughhh. To see her grow and remember her memories was so satisfying and sad when she realised who she was and who vane was to her. I loved the dragons bond with them and communicating with eachother. The epilogue was so sweet LIKE A LITTLE MINI THEM WITH POWER and Cion bringing their wedding bands back LOVE LOVE


This quote killed me
“I love that you made a mess all over our wedding band”