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Trials of the Gods : who will be found worthy?
Book two in The Fallen Daughter Series
A Woman Cursed
Two Paths Twisted in Fate
Four Deadly Trials
The Trials of the Gods have begun.
Chosen delegates from Mardova have set sail to prove their worth—to win glory, earn honor, and carve their names into legend. But these are no mere tests of strength.
They demand sacrifice—and threaten to unravel their very humanity.
Danger hides in every shadow.
Alliances shift like sand.
And nothing, not even love, is safe.
Torn between the man who’s always stood by her side, and the one who dares her to become something more. Sylvie must confront more than death—she must face the terrifying truth that love, too, may be her undoing.
And the one she chooses won’t just shape her heart’s fate—but the course of her entire future.
What will the trials truly cost?
Who will be deemed worthy?
And when the end comes...
Who will still be standing at her side?
A Woman Cursed
Two Paths Twisted in Fate
Four Deadly Trials
The Trials of the Gods have begun.
Chosen delegates from Mardova have set sail to prove their worth—to win glory, earn honor, and carve their names into legend. But these are no mere tests of strength.
They demand sacrifice—and threaten to unravel their very humanity.
Danger hides in every shadow.
Alliances shift like sand.
And nothing, not even love, is safe.
Torn between the man who’s always stood by her side, and the one who dares her to become something more. Sylvie must confront more than death—she must face the terrifying truth that love, too, may be her undoing.
And the one she chooses won’t just shape her heart’s fate—but the course of her entire future.
What will the trials truly cost?
Who will be deemed worthy?
And when the end comes...
Who will still be standing at her side?
548 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2025
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 8, 2025
“Her heart didn’t race. It opened. Wide. Bear. Blooming at the memory of what it meant to be seen, not despite who she was – but because of it. To be known, soul-deep, and cherish anyway.“
“I’d rather choose Hope even if it destroys me. Because Hope matters. Because I have to believe that someone can see me- all of me – and will stay.“
“Maybe she wasn’t whole yet. Maybe she never would be. But she could feel the shape of something returning. The echo of a girl who wants stared at the stars and asked if she’d ever be enough.“
Layton (Meisl) has no business being this powerful, and yet here we are… book two of the Fallen Daughter series steps onto the battlefield after that phenomenal first installment (Daughter Of The Serpent) and somehow swings harder. I went in nervous a bit, ready to clutch my pearls if the sequel didn’t deliver… and instead I got a THICKER tome, a sharper plot, and a storyline that feels like it was forged in the fires of Yggdrasil itself. 😮💨🤌
The themes… Gods, they cut deep. Once again we’re handed a journey of self-worth, shedding old skins, and the brutal grief of outgrowing people who can’t survive the path you’re destined to walk. The pages are stacked with lines worth underlining until the margins weep, this author knows how to carve truth into fantasy like a rune imbued to sting.
And listen… I am usually the first to hiss at a love triangle, but the way it’s woven here is viciously effective. It’s not drama for drama’s sake—it’s a trial of the heart that mirrors every challenge the Norse gods throw at our girl. Both love interests serve a purpose in her arc, in her growth, in the storm she’s walking into. It’s messy. It’s meaningful. It works. 👏
TOTG brings everything you want from epic fantasy romance: immersive world-building carved from ancient myth, character arcs rising and breaking like battle hymns, betrayals snapping at the marrow, and trials designed by gods who clearly enjoy watching mortals sweat. From the first chapter to the last, you will be bracing, breathless, and begging for whatever comes next.
Now to wait for a book 3 because that cliffy had me scream, screaming out loud: NOOOOOOOOO 😮💨
“I’d rather choose Hope even if it destroys me. Because Hope matters. Because I have to believe that someone can see me- all of me – and will stay.“
“Maybe she wasn’t whole yet. Maybe she never would be. But she could feel the shape of something returning. The echo of a girl who wants stared at the stars and asked if she’d ever be enough.“
Layton (Meisl) has no business being this powerful, and yet here we are… book two of the Fallen Daughter series steps onto the battlefield after that phenomenal first installment (Daughter Of The Serpent) and somehow swings harder. I went in nervous a bit, ready to clutch my pearls if the sequel didn’t deliver… and instead I got a THICKER tome, a sharper plot, and a storyline that feels like it was forged in the fires of Yggdrasil itself. 😮💨🤌
The themes… Gods, they cut deep. Once again we’re handed a journey of self-worth, shedding old skins, and the brutal grief of outgrowing people who can’t survive the path you’re destined to walk. The pages are stacked with lines worth underlining until the margins weep, this author knows how to carve truth into fantasy like a rune imbued to sting.
And listen… I am usually the first to hiss at a love triangle, but the way it’s woven here is viciously effective. It’s not drama for drama’s sake—it’s a trial of the heart that mirrors every challenge the Norse gods throw at our girl. Both love interests serve a purpose in her arc, in her growth, in the storm she’s walking into. It’s messy. It’s meaningful. It works. 👏
TOTG brings everything you want from epic fantasy romance: immersive world-building carved from ancient myth, character arcs rising and breaking like battle hymns, betrayals snapping at the marrow, and trials designed by gods who clearly enjoy watching mortals sweat. From the first chapter to the last, you will be bracing, breathless, and begging for whatever comes next.
Now to wait for a book 3 because that cliffy had me scream, screaming out loud: NOOOOOOOOO 😮💨
January 1, 2026
Trials of the Gods by Rebecca Layton
Given book one focused more heavily on a character driven plot, book two seamlessly merged both action and character growth in such a way it was hard to put this book down!
There’s trials from the outset, intermingled with watching our FMC Sylvie and her confidence slowly shine. She doesn’t waiver. Although bloody, she refuses to let the trials shadow her kind heart and it really endears you to her character. With strong world building, lyrical writing, a villain you’ll despise and a romance that will have you swooning, this was a brilliant second instalment of the Fallen Daughter series!
I will however add that the cliff-hanger ending is major! Book three where are you?!
Some of my fav quotes:
“She knew she was meant to stand in this moment - balanced on the edge of a knife between death and life. Glory and doom.”
“That was his gift.
Not in words. Not in grand gestures. But in his presence. His patience.
In every moment he stood beside her and simply believed.”
"I couldn't walk away from the woman who looked at herself and saw nothing... when I saw everything."
“At last, she understood.
She had never needed them.
The only belief that had ever truly mattered... was her own.”
“She could not bend her integrity any longer.
Could not crawl back into the skin of meek and compliant when every trial had shown her she was something fiercer, brighter, more. Her very blood burned with it, wild as fire, certain as the tide. Never again would she lay her worth at their feet to be trampled. Never again. For she had glimpsed it now—her truth, her power-glimmering, undeniable, rising in her like the dawn that shatters the night.”
Given book one focused more heavily on a character driven plot, book two seamlessly merged both action and character growth in such a way it was hard to put this book down!
There’s trials from the outset, intermingled with watching our FMC Sylvie and her confidence slowly shine. She doesn’t waiver. Although bloody, she refuses to let the trials shadow her kind heart and it really endears you to her character. With strong world building, lyrical writing, a villain you’ll despise and a romance that will have you swooning, this was a brilliant second instalment of the Fallen Daughter series!
I will however add that the cliff-hanger ending is major! Book three where are you?!
Some of my fav quotes:
“She knew she was meant to stand in this moment - balanced on the edge of a knife between death and life. Glory and doom.”
“That was his gift.
Not in words. Not in grand gestures. But in his presence. His patience.
In every moment he stood beside her and simply believed.”
"I couldn't walk away from the woman who looked at herself and saw nothing... when I saw everything."
“At last, she understood.
She had never needed them.
The only belief that had ever truly mattered... was her own.”
“She could not bend her integrity any longer.
Could not crawl back into the skin of meek and compliant when every trial had shown her she was something fiercer, brighter, more. Her very blood burned with it, wild as fire, certain as the tide. Never again would she lay her worth at their feet to be trampled. Never again. For she had glimpsed it now—her truth, her power-glimmering, undeniable, rising in her like the dawn that shatters the night.”
December 16, 2025
Trials of the Gods by Rebecca Layton🔥(spoiler free)
“There is no worse fate than a fate without you.”
One of my most anticipated reads after finishing Daughter of the Serpent earlier this year, and Rebecca did not disappoint!
I had the pleasure of being a Beta reader for this book and so I had read a fair chunk already, however, Rebecca had written some more chapters since that time and oh my gosh are they amazing! So much action and heartbreak all compiled together, I can’t take it, and yet, I love it!
This book has such beautiful imagery and language used to portray the fierce trials our protagonist Sylvie must endure, as well as the personal hardships she is drowning under. This world plays out so beautifully, and all the characters are so well formed. There are two in particular that had my blood boiling, and that’s always a good sign of a well written book for me. Love is easier to evoke in fictional characters than hatred in my personal opinion. On that note however, without spoiling anything, the passion Rebecca invokes between a certain two characters is absolutely astounding. I’ve not rooted for a couple in a while now!
I’m so thrilled to have been a part of this journey with not only Sylvie, but Rebecca too. Book One was so beautifully crafted, and this was an incredible follow up. I’m so proud of how far Rebecca has come, and I have such high hopes for this series and her writing career. Thank you again my friend.
“There is no worse fate than a fate without you.”
One of my most anticipated reads after finishing Daughter of the Serpent earlier this year, and Rebecca did not disappoint!
I had the pleasure of being a Beta reader for this book and so I had read a fair chunk already, however, Rebecca had written some more chapters since that time and oh my gosh are they amazing! So much action and heartbreak all compiled together, I can’t take it, and yet, I love it!
This book has such beautiful imagery and language used to portray the fierce trials our protagonist Sylvie must endure, as well as the personal hardships she is drowning under. This world plays out so beautifully, and all the characters are so well formed. There are two in particular that had my blood boiling, and that’s always a good sign of a well written book for me. Love is easier to evoke in fictional characters than hatred in my personal opinion. On that note however, without spoiling anything, the passion Rebecca invokes between a certain two characters is absolutely astounding. I’ve not rooted for a couple in a while now!
I’m so thrilled to have been a part of this journey with not only Sylvie, but Rebecca too. Book One was so beautifully crafted, and this was an incredible follow up. I’m so proud of how far Rebecca has come, and I have such high hopes for this series and her writing career. Thank you again my friend.
December 6, 2025
Sylvie has always queSylvie has always questioned her worthiness, and is well on her way to proving it, if she can survive the trials ahead of her.
Book two in The Fallen Daughter series eloquently explores themes of love, loss, betrayal, and unconventional friendship; and puts it all to the test. Sylvie and her companions embark on a journey to the Island of the Gods, to prove once and for all that they are worthy to wear the title of Drengr.
However, is that what Sylvie really wants? Or does she just want to finally loved and accepted, despite be touched?
Rebecca's writing weaves complexity into all of her characters and it is a pleasure to read how multi-layered they are. There are no real cookie cutter characters, as some will have you so frustrated you'll want to throw the book. However, that tension and frustration fuels so many action during the trials. The end may steal your breath away, as it leaves you wondering so many things. Will friendships withstand the trials? Will love survive the trial? One can only hope.........
Book two in The Fallen Daughter series eloquently explores themes of love, loss, betrayal, and unconventional friendship; and puts it all to the test. Sylvie and her companions embark on a journey to the Island of the Gods, to prove once and for all that they are worthy to wear the title of Drengr.
However, is that what Sylvie really wants? Or does she just want to finally loved and accepted, despite be touched?
Rebecca's writing weaves complexity into all of her characters and it is a pleasure to read how multi-layered they are. There are no real cookie cutter characters, as some will have you so frustrated you'll want to throw the book. However, that tension and frustration fuels so many action during the trials. The end may steal your breath away, as it leaves you wondering so many things. Will friendships withstand the trials? Will love survive the trial? One can only hope.........
January 6, 2026
I absolutely loved this book! Book 2 of this series had everything that I love in a book; tension, action, love, passion, friendship, heartbreak. Like "Daughter of the Serpent", "Trials of the Gods" is so beautifully written. Rebecca the author builds this world that you feel part of. Her dialogue is so wonderfully written, and the action makes you feel like you are right there watching. I found myself hanging on to so many sentences long after I had read them. At times I was holding my breath, on the edge of what was to come.
Sylvie is one of my favorite fantasy characters. As I read this book, I felt closer to Sylvie. Cheering for her. Worrying for her. Heart breaking for her. I cannot wait for the next book in the series! If you want a book that can transport you to a world with amazing characters, action, gods, tension, romance and friendship, this is your book! And there are lots of twists and turns that I loved! What a world to be a part of!
Sylvie is one of my favorite fantasy characters. As I read this book, I felt closer to Sylvie. Cheering for her. Worrying for her. Heart breaking for her. I cannot wait for the next book in the series! If you want a book that can transport you to a world with amazing characters, action, gods, tension, romance and friendship, this is your book! And there are lots of twists and turns that I loved! What a world to be a part of!
December 9, 2025
Trials of The Gods is the second book in The Fallen Daughter Series by the incredibly talented author Rebecca Layton. The novels are Norse inspired filled with Viking fantasy galore!
Her first book, Daughter of The Serpent, is about a woman named Sylvie who has been in religious servitude under the watchful eye of a high priest named Rederick her whole life. She has never truly known autonomy and has always followed the strict rules of her community until events begin to unfold that broaden her perspective. She enters what is known as the trials given by the gods.
In book two, we see Sylvie enter the trials and her personal growth takes flight. It was incredible and painful to witness her transformation. There will always be growing pains in transformation. She also has angst (which I acutely felt) caring for two men and a bit of a love triangle ensues.
Rebecca's lyrical prose sweeps you up into an ethereal escape. Her words evoke emotions (I was so angry at two characters) across the board!
Do yourself a favor and let this series sweep you up! I look forward to book three!
Her first book, Daughter of The Serpent, is about a woman named Sylvie who has been in religious servitude under the watchful eye of a high priest named Rederick her whole life. She has never truly known autonomy and has always followed the strict rules of her community until events begin to unfold that broaden her perspective. She enters what is known as the trials given by the gods.
In book two, we see Sylvie enter the trials and her personal growth takes flight. It was incredible and painful to witness her transformation. There will always be growing pains in transformation. She also has angst (which I acutely felt) caring for two men and a bit of a love triangle ensues.
Rebecca's lyrical prose sweeps you up into an ethereal escape. Her words evoke emotions (I was so angry at two characters) across the board!
Do yourself a favor and let this series sweep you up! I look forward to book three!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews