The Heart of a Soul

The Soul Trials #2

by K. Loral

The trials are far from over. And this one will test more than her soul.

The world shifts beneath her feet, twisting her decisions and pushing her toward a breaking point she can no longer ignore. Lily is still out there, growing weaker, and Mary is terrified she may not reach her in time.

Azel stays at her side, calm and steady, offering the kind of quiet loyalty that keeps her from falling apart. His presence is a shelter she relies on more than she intended, a warmth she reaches for when the weight becomes too heavy to bear.

Valerio is something else entirely. Powerful, dangerous, and impossible to predict, he can take away her pain with a single touch. He sees how close she is to breaking, and he tempts her with a relief she knows she should not want. Following him feels reckless. Turning away feels impossible.

Both men pull her in different directions.
Both test the boundaries of her heart.
One may save her. One may destroy her.
Mary must decide who she can trust before the realm makes that decision for her.

For fans of Nevernight, The Poppy War, and Kingdom of the Wicked.

Tropes and
- Slow-burn loyalty vs. temptation
- Angels, demons, and dangerous devotion
- Dark fantasy with emotional depth
- Morally gray choices
- High stakes and time running out
- A heroine torn between comfort and surrender

This is Book 2 in The Soul Trials, a four-book dark fantasy series.

Genres: Fantasy

497 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2026

About the author

I write The Soul Trials, a dark fantasy series about damnation, survival, and the cost of love. My stories center on fractured identities, morally gray protectors, and the kind of sibling bond that refuses to fade, even after death.

I’m drawn to characters pushed to their limits and the emotional consequences of power, judgment, and obsession. I like my fantasy layered, intense, and a little unforgiving. I’m especially drawn to layered characters and stories that leave a mark long after the final page, and I hope my series will do the same.

You can also find me on Instagram at: K.Loral.Books

Reviews

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠* · Rating 4 out of 5]

book #4 of m(arc)h challenge, where I try to read ALL the arcs I have in the month of March!

I ended up liking this about as much as book #1 - Trials Of The Lost Soul, just for very different reasons. Where the first book was driven by Mary's desperation, this one leans more into the dynamics between Mary, Azel, and Valerio, and that shift really worked for me 🤭🤭🤭

This book had me stressed the entire time 😭 not even in a bad way, just constant tension, and I could not stop reading.

Valerio easily stood out the most. His one-liners, his presence, the way he interacts with Mary 😛😛 he just owns every scene he's in. I'm still completely undecided about who Mary should end up with. I love Azel, but in a very "someone protect him immediately" way, while Valerio is… well. Valerio. sexy demon. atp a three-way relationship might genuinely be the best solution.

── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
received an arc for this!! i loved book one, and i'm really looking forward to Mary being blessed with some happiness for once 😭🙏🏻 i'm being delusional but nothing wrong with hoping, am i right?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the mood of the first book should be determined, the mood of this second book is: melancholy.

The first four trials tested her spirit and resolve. The fifth nearly broke her body and left her one-winged guardian Azel broken and unresponsive. This sixth trial is meant to test her... heart? What was it actually testing other than trying to break her at every turn.

This is where the book lingers, at this 10 year trial, and we experience nearly half of that time, in which we have plague, famine, death, destruction, and challenges to her authority. Mary tries to be a good queen, to take care of her subjects and show she is one of the people. Because at the end of the 10 years she will be judged on how she ruled and the way to pass this trial seems unknown. But she's also incredibly stubborn and refuses to hurt anyone.. Which, I suppose you can say that's part of her heart, but it tends to let bad guys continue to be bad, and hurt others. I feel like a lot of her choices caused more problems than they solved. But then again, in this trial everything was probably going to backfire no matter what she did.

I admit I struggled with the lingering and slower moving plot. This book being almost 500 pages felt too slow at times, but then things happened to gut me and make up for the slow with a different kind of agony.

Then there's our demon Valerio, showing up while Azel is out of commission, and being helpful and supportive. But what are his motives? Does he actually care about her, or does have he have his own agenda. I mean, he's a demon, you can't trust him. And Mary knows not to trust him, and tries to be strong to avoid temptation of giving up.

I wanted more answers and this book just gave a few crumbs. When Azel gets severely injured in the fifth trial and believes he may die, he starts to tell Mary something, that she refuses to hear because she's stubborn and won't accept that he might be gravely injured. When Azel finally awakens, he gives just a bit of an answer, but he "isn't ready" to tell her the whole story. So I guess we as readers have to suffer a lot longer before we find out what actually happened. Le sigh. But we know he is impossibly devoted to her, and punishes himself for something. Thus, lots of yearning and no resolution.

And so we have this soul fighting to save her sister, caught between a fallen angel and a demon, both trying to get her to pick a side.  One full of sorrow and pain, the other deliciously devious. Both with motives not clear to the reader, or to Mary.

So then I leave you with some quotes and you decide which one we will root for in the next book.

"But even if I can't be the comfort you need - even if I can never let myself be that happy... that wanted... don't let it be him. Anyone but him. Don't let him be the one who holds you when you're broken. Don't let him be that spark in your soul." - Azel

"But I will be the curse that rids the world of anyone who hurts you. If the cost of keeping you standing is that you call me a monster, then I wish for nothing more than to be a monster." - Valerio

The ending was a punch very low in the gut and the whirlwind of everything Mary feels is too much. What will she do next? How will Valerio help, or will he ruin her? I hope we don't spend the 3rd book lingering for too long in this trial. Girl, it's time to end these trials and take down the entire system.


Thanks to Lumos Book Tours for a chance to read this book.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love the writing and world-building in this series!

Mary’s journey is really intense as she gets into trial five and six. Her character growth has been beautifully crafted, and the trials are so captivating. Seeing Mary and Azel develop was heartbreaking, and I’m hoping to learn more about their pasts! Valerio is a character I enjoy reading when he shows up, and honestly, between these two main characters, I’m really eager to explore their depth and complexity.

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000000 stars. I can't love this book enough. Or the whole series for that matter.

The Heart of a Soul by K. Loral is a dark fantasy with tropes like good vs bad, after life, fallen angel, angel vs demon, and high stakes trials.

I will be your shadow, your sword, and your wrath. Ten years will pass… and I will be by your side through it all.

I don't even have one favorite quote and if I could, I would quote this entire book.

I love, Love, LOVE Mary as an FMC. She is strong, kind and true to her nature and is not afraid of being consumed by her emotions every once in a while. She isn't perfect and she knows that and she learns from her mistakes all the way. I love her her character's growth throughout the journey and beyond. And Valerio? Don't even get me started. I do love the fact that he is changing a bit as in softening to Mary but isn't getting completely blinded by it. He is still after her soul and is waiting for her to fail. I love it. I love them. I'm here for it. Now, Azel is just so pure and precious and I think I liked him and his character more in this book than the first one. I can't wait to see what happens next!

This is such a well plotted and well executed masterpiece because I could not stop talking about it. And even now, so many days later that I am writing this review, it's like the whole book is taking place in front of me. The worldly descriptions are so vivid but never too much and the pace of the book is fast. It's a total page turner!

Please do yourself a favor and go read this. I cannot recommend this more.

[iknw7books · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, this series is absolutely beautiful, and this second volume took me through so many emotions. I had to scream, cry, and laugh all at once. Everything about it is magical and breathtaking. 💗💗

The author handled this second book perfectly. The entire story is well written, flows naturally, and feels coherent from start to finish. You grow even more attached to the characters, and that connection only gets stronger with each chapter. 👏👏

I’m honestly terrified of the third volume, because I truly believe I might faint from how intense and insane this story is going to be. This is — and I say this very clearly — my favorite series. I am literally obsessed with it, and I cannot wait for book three.🤭🤭

Mary completely outdid herself in this one. She went through so many emotions, and her feelings are incredibly understandable and relatable.
Valerio, as always, is the love of my life — even though the ending made me want to strangle him (haha). Still, I was so happy about the moment the three of them shared.
And finally, Azel… I didn’t really like him at first, but wow — that changed completely.

It’s always a pleasure to recommend this story. I’m so excited for what’s coming next. This book was absolutely insane!!💗

[Gayathri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heart of a Soul is a compelling continuation of Mary's journey as she faces Trials Five and Six while carrying the responsibility of becoming the Queen of Sundra.
What I appreciated most was Mary's character growth. She is no longer simply trying to survive the trials; she is learning what it means to lead, to trust, and to make impossible decisions that affect everyone around her. The emotional depth of her journey makes this installment especially engaging.
The relationships continue to shine. Azel's quiet loyalty, Valerio's mysterious presence, and the arrival of new challenges create a story filled with tension, longing, hope, sacrifice, and heartfelt moments. The introduction of Amaris raises the stakes even further and adds new intrigue to the series.
I also enjoyed learning more about the laws of the trials and the kingdom of Sundra, which added another layer to the fantasy world. The ending sets the stage beautifully for the next installment, leaving me excited to see what comes next for Mary and the characters I've grown attached to.

[Jessica Rutgersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ Review ⭐
(I have been an ARC-reader)
I’ve completely fallen in love with the writing style of this series. The pacing is perfect, and every challenge Mary faces feels both creative and emotionally meaningful.

This book takes you through such a wide range of feelings — sadness, joy, embarrassment, anger — and somehow makes each one hit in the best way. I felt the story in my chest. Mary’s devotion to her sister and the people around her is so genuine; she always tries to do what’s best for everyone, putting her loved ones first even when it costs her.

I also have a theory… Amaris might be the seventh challenge ^^

I can’t recommend this series enough. It’s not too dark, but it has longing, action, imaginative creatures, and wonderfully compelling main characters. It’s everything I want in a fantasy series.

I cant wait for book 3 ^^

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in a dark fantasy series by this author. It has been some time since I read the first book, but I found it wasn't a problem once I started reading. I could connect with the characters, and the author brought them to life in a way that made me want to take in everything.

I connected with Mary, and I felt conflicted about some of the other characters, especially Valerio; there was something about him that made my heart beat faster.

If you haven't read the first book, it's obviously best to do so, or what happens here might not make sense. If you have read the first book though, this is a great continuation. It feels like an epic journey with the characters, and I was craving some dark fantasy, so it was just what I needed.

Thank you to Lumos Book Tours and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Simran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has outdone herself AGAIN! The fact that this is her first book series and that she has written the storyline so perfectly is amazing. I absolutely loved the book, how the story went, and all the small details during the book.

Although I would still like to keep book 1 on top, I loved reading book 2 as well. The FMC (Mary) has been portrayed as a beautifully strong woman who has so much life and emotions in her. While reading, I could feel all those emotions and even felt like crying a few times. I loved those little interactions between her and Valerio; they felt intense and funny at the same time.

If you love a strong FMC with some fantasy twist, please add this book to your TBRs and read it. I promise it will not disappoint.

[Paulina Sjöberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW! If you think the first book is good, you will think the second book is amazing. This is my 6-star read of 2025.

It delves deeper into the characters, giving more space for their personalities to be explored, which is something I was really hoping for after reading book 1. From charming wits to intense dark secrets - the dialogues and growing character bonds are easily my favourite parts of this book.
The trials are equally smart and unpredictable, and somehow, the stakes just keeps getting higher.
The anticipation for book 3 is killing me. From that ending scene, I can't even fathom how all of this will wrap up.