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A Trial of Fate
1 pages, MP3 CD
Published April 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 18, 2026
I went into the book not knowing anything and once I realised it was a shifter romance, I was questioning how far into the book I could make it. The answer is the end, I made it to the end and I loved it.
The audio book narrator was excellent. She kept me engaged, part of why I loved it was her voice acting, and the tension building she did. Will definitely love to listen to her narration again of another story.
For the story, even though I devoured it as fast as I could, there were flaws. My main thing was that the book was too long. I feel like the last 20 precent could have been cut or saved for the next book. There was a lot of world building that was not used in this book, so will likely need repeating in the next book. There was another section that I am not sure should have been there or as extensive at it was, but I get the feeling we’ll be touching up on that later.
So our main girl is strong determined and is surrounded by a great pack, or family and friends. Her parents are dead. She lives with her uncle and aunt and sister. The family dynamic is sweet, Magnus and Julia are like Styler’s parents. I love the healthy family dynamic and relationships. It makes sense for Styler’s character that she is strong and confident because of the people in her life and because of her supportive upbringing.
Her friends are equally supportive of her, and want the best for her no matter what. Her girl bestie is your typical bestie, there is a more deeply connected bestie for her intelligence and then there is the bestie she’s in love with.
Everything is going well until some tall sexy Fea show up and let them know one of the shifters is needed to compete in a mysterious trials. This is where we meet the Tea Brothers, and our other love interest Dax. Really tall and sexy and indestructable.
From here the story unfolds, romances blossom. There is a lot of action, there is a lot of sharp witty humour and a lot of yearning. They will always find each other.
The audio book narrator was excellent. She kept me engaged, part of why I loved it was her voice acting, and the tension building she did. Will definitely love to listen to her narration again of another story.
For the story, even though I devoured it as fast as I could, there were flaws. My main thing was that the book was too long. I feel like the last 20 precent could have been cut or saved for the next book. There was a lot of world building that was not used in this book, so will likely need repeating in the next book. There was another section that I am not sure should have been there or as extensive at it was, but I get the feeling we’ll be touching up on that later.
So our main girl is strong determined and is surrounded by a great pack, or family and friends. Her parents are dead. She lives with her uncle and aunt and sister. The family dynamic is sweet, Magnus and Julia are like Styler’s parents. I love the healthy family dynamic and relationships. It makes sense for Styler’s character that she is strong and confident because of the people in her life and because of her supportive upbringing.
Her friends are equally supportive of her, and want the best for her no matter what. Her girl bestie is your typical bestie, there is a more deeply connected bestie for her intelligence and then there is the bestie she’s in love with.
Everything is going well until some tall sexy Fea show up and let them know one of the shifters is needed to compete in a mysterious trials. This is where we meet the Tea Brothers, and our other love interest Dax. Really tall and sexy and indestructable.
From here the story unfolds, romances blossom. There is a lot of action, there is a lot of sharp witty humour and a lot of yearning. They will always find each other.
April 18, 2026
You know what I hate. Ok so I don’t really hate it. But I “dislike” books that are part of a series. Just give me a 5,000 page book so I can soak it all up right now!
Who ever said patience is a virtue is a liar. Patience is dumb and in the words of Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) “I want it now!
I needed something to get me from Davenport to Omaha and back. A 4.5ish hour trip both ways, so I hopped on NetGalley and searched for an audio book to get me though. I found A Trial of Fate. Giving just a quick glance at the description of the book I saw:
Half human/ half shifter
Shifters
High Fae Prince
Potential love triangle
And clearly a trial of some sort.
Ok sold.
So I put in for it, got it the day before I left and started it as I was leaving town. I listened the whole way up there and the whole way back. Completely invested. Then.
It. Just. Ended.
Like. Done.
I know there are more to come and they are already out (except for the last one I believe) but still!! Now I have to find the audio because for some reason I cannot listen to the audio of a book then read the next one. It’s either all audio or all print. My ADHD brain can’t handle the switch.
I will admit there were some parts where the story felt a bit random at times. But I have a feeling they will become relevant again in the future.
Skyler the FMC is a pretty BA chick who is not afraid to question things and stand up for what she believes is right. And I cannot wait to see how the rest of her story plays out!
Her family and friends seem to be the absolute best and are super supportive.
And Dex. Mmmm.
So if you want a fun book check out a Trial of Fate by J.E. Larson (but do yourself a favor and have the others ready.
Who ever said patience is a virtue is a liar. Patience is dumb and in the words of Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) “I want it now!
I needed something to get me from Davenport to Omaha and back. A 4.5ish hour trip both ways, so I hopped on NetGalley and searched for an audio book to get me though. I found A Trial of Fate. Giving just a quick glance at the description of the book I saw:
Half human/ half shifter
Shifters
High Fae Prince
Potential love triangle
And clearly a trial of some sort.
Ok sold.
So I put in for it, got it the day before I left and started it as I was leaving town. I listened the whole way up there and the whole way back. Completely invested. Then.
It. Just. Ended.
Like. Done.
I know there are more to come and they are already out (except for the last one I believe) but still!! Now I have to find the audio because for some reason I cannot listen to the audio of a book then read the next one. It’s either all audio or all print. My ADHD brain can’t handle the switch.
I will admit there were some parts where the story felt a bit random at times. But I have a feeling they will become relevant again in the future.
Skyler the FMC is a pretty BA chick who is not afraid to question things and stand up for what she believes is right. And I cannot wait to see how the rest of her story plays out!
Her family and friends seem to be the absolute best and are super supportive.
And Dex. Mmmm.
So if you want a fun book check out a Trial of Fate by J.E. Larson (but do yourself a favor and have the others ready.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was really quite a fun book! I'll admit I was nervous that I'd be diving into a world of toxicity when I saw "alpha" mentioned in the first chapter, but it fortunately did /not/ go in the toxic direction that so many alpha books do.
But it does have many of the fun elements you might be hoping for - a strong female protagonist who's tough as nails but relatable and deeply caring for her loved ones as she fights through limitations the world wants to put on her. The world itself is fun and suspenseful - magic, various political and geopolitical factions in play, toxic leadership, etc. There's clearly a slow-burn romance in progress with a super-hot fae prince, and their interactions are fun and relatable. It's not paid off in this first book, though there are some racy scenes and self-pleasuring, so this book isn't for the under-18 crowd.
Content warning: there are some torture scenes in here. They get a bit rough, but often torture scenes can turn me off a book entirely and that wasn't the case here.
Overall, it's not quite Sarah Maas, but a solid, fun, romantacy read, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
-----
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review expressing my personal opinions.
But it does have many of the fun elements you might be hoping for - a strong female protagonist who's tough as nails but relatable and deeply caring for her loved ones as she fights through limitations the world wants to put on her. The world itself is fun and suspenseful - magic, various political and geopolitical factions in play, toxic leadership, etc. There's clearly a slow-burn romance in progress with a super-hot fae prince, and their interactions are fun and relatable. It's not paid off in this first book, though there are some racy scenes and self-pleasuring, so this book isn't for the under-18 crowd.
Content warning: there are some torture scenes in here. They get a bit rough, but often torture scenes can turn me off a book entirely and that wasn't the case here.
Overall, it's not quite Sarah Maas, but a solid, fun, romantacy read, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
-----
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review expressing my personal opinions.
April 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
The story itself is really interesting, and I loved that the romance was a sloooow burn (which I appreciate immensely, and honestly, it’s probably the reason I devoured this book).
That said, while the concept is strong, the execution felt a bit scattered and all over the place. It’s called A Trial of Fate, yet the trials haven’t even happened yet. I actually sat on this review for a couple of days because I was torn as this easily could have been a DNF for me, but the slow-burn romance kept me hooked until the end.
I think the idea is great and there’s a lot of potential, but it felt a bit too long and plateaued multiple times.
As for the audiobook, it was good, but not great. The narration occasionally annoyed me, though not enough to stop listening.
Overall, I’d say this is a solid 3.5 stars, for both the story and the audiobook.
The story itself is really interesting, and I loved that the romance was a sloooow burn (which I appreciate immensely, and honestly, it’s probably the reason I devoured this book).
That said, while the concept is strong, the execution felt a bit scattered and all over the place. It’s called A Trial of Fate, yet the trials haven’t even happened yet. I actually sat on this review for a couple of days because I was torn as this easily could have been a DNF for me, but the slow-burn romance kept me hooked until the end.
I think the idea is great and there’s a lot of potential, but it felt a bit too long and plateaued multiple times.
As for the audiobook, it was good, but not great. The narration occasionally annoyed me, though not enough to stop listening.
Overall, I’d say this is a solid 3.5 stars, for both the story and the audiobook.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ok. So I read this book a while back and I said I was unsure what I thought until 50% but this time I can say I loved it from page 1! I'm not sure what was wrong with me in 2024 but I'm fixed now. Lol.
Listening to the audio book was such a good experience. I must say it made me dislike Gilen even more. I loved that Skylar was secure enough in herself to push away from what she thought she wanted and took a chance to try and save everyone.
Daxton is just as wonderful listening to as he was to read about!
The narrator did a great job and I would recommend giving this a listen or read!
Thank you to Net Galley and RB media for the advanced listener copy and these thoughts are my own.
Listening to the audio book was such a good experience. I must say it made me dislike Gilen even more. I loved that Skylar was secure enough in herself to push away from what she thought she wanted and took a chance to try and save everyone.
Daxton is just as wonderful listening to as he was to read about!
The narrator did a great job and I would recommend giving this a listen or read!
Thank you to Net Galley and RB media for the advanced listener copy and these thoughts are my own.
April 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC of this book.
Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I DNF'd at 61%.
I understand that this was a "fated mates" trope, but I was so over hearing the word "mate" well before I quit this. I typically don't mind love triangles, but I knew I wouldn't like him from the moment he showed up.
Also, as of 61%, our FMC who was chosen to be a champion still hadn't left on her quest/mission/whatever you'd like to call it. She was still with the pack and the Fae that showed up. Aside from the FMC being kidnapped for a short period of time, nothing had really happened.
Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I DNF'd at 61%.
I understand that this was a "fated mates" trope, but I was so over hearing the word "mate" well before I quit this. I typically don't mind love triangles, but I knew I wouldn't like him from the moment he showed up.
Also, as of 61%, our FMC who was chosen to be a champion still hadn't left on her quest/mission/whatever you'd like to call it. She was still with the pack and the Fae that showed up. Aside from the FMC being kidnapped for a short period of time, nothing had really happened.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨Audiobook ✨ 4,5⭐️
Just have too say I was a little sceptic for the Narrator at first, but she definitely delivered, the way she not just read the book but plays it is amazing and makes its a fun listen.
The book itself is good written and makes you want too know what happens next.
I was a little disappointed when the story didn’t actually fit the blurb a 100% but we get there, and I don’t know if I can wait for the next audio too know how this ends.
Just have too say I was a little sceptic for the Narrator at first, but she definitely delivered, the way she not just read the book but plays it is amazing and makes its a fun listen.
The book itself is good written and makes you want too know what happens next.
I was a little disappointed when the story didn’t actually fit the blurb a 100% but we get there, and I don’t know if I can wait for the next audio too know how this ends.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fated mates
Forbidden love
Shifters, fae, humans, fae prince
Friends to lovers/childhood friends
Slow burn
Touch her and ☠️
Trials/ high stakes/☠️ competition
Chosen one/ marked by fate
Forced proximity
Found family
Dreaming of each other/nightmares
Political intrigue
This was such a fun read! The narrator did such a fantastic job, keeping me hooked and making me want more! I can’t wait to hear what happens next. I loved the tension between Skylar and Daxton. Skylar is a strong FMC and fights for those she loves. I’d definitely check the TW page as there are some dark heavy topics!
Forbidden love
Shifters, fae, humans, fae prince
Friends to lovers/childhood friends
Slow burn
Touch her and ☠️
Trials/ high stakes/☠️ competition
Chosen one/ marked by fate
Forced proximity
Found family
Dreaming of each other/nightmares
Political intrigue
This was such a fun read! The narrator did such a fantastic job, keeping me hooked and making me want more! I can’t wait to hear what happens next. I loved the tension between Skylar and Daxton. Skylar is a strong FMC and fights for those she loves. I’d definitely check the TW page as there are some dark heavy topics!
April 25, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Oh my, my jaw dropped multiple times! I am team Daxton 100%! The narrator did a great job, i didn't mind that it was only one voice! I love how strong Skylar is! She kept fighting and always stood strong even when the alpha tried to make decisions for her over and over, she did not back down.
"Touch her and die" vibes through out but when he finally said it, looooveeeeeed it!!! I have to know what happens next. Skylars powers were truly amazing!
Made me tear up a couple times.
Oh my, my jaw dropped multiple times! I am team Daxton 100%! The narrator did a great job, i didn't mind that it was only one voice! I love how strong Skylar is! She kept fighting and always stood strong even when the alpha tried to make decisions for her over and over, she did not back down.
"Touch her and die" vibes through out but when he finally said it, looooveeeeeed it!!! I have to know what happens next. Skylars powers were truly amazing!
Made me tear up a couple times.
April 29, 2026
🎧 I enjoyed this audiobook! I liked both of the narrators and found the story to be unique and engaging. My only gripe is that book one doesn’t even get to the trials so there is clearly a lot more to come in this series, but I’m definitely hooked enough to want to read book 2.
I was provided with an advanced listener copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was provided with an advanced listener copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
May 4, 2026
I found this book very enjoyable!
I loved the storyline, characters and chemistry and I was not expecting where the plot headed.
The narrator did a great job reading this story and I’m very excited to read the rest to know what happens next!
My favourite part was when sky and daxton first met and she nearly killed him!!
I loved the storyline, characters and chemistry and I was not expecting where the plot headed.
The narrator did a great job reading this story and I’m very excited to read the rest to know what happens next!
My favourite part was when sky and daxton first met and she nearly killed him!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a great audio book! Loved the narrator, her voice was the perfect fit for our main female character. Defs would recommend this to people starting their fantasy reading journey. Loved the heated tension between Skylar and Daxton, can't wait to continue the series!
Did Not Finish
May 19, 2026I got 41% into the audio and realized this just isn’t for me. Nothing wrong with the story itself. I’m unable to connect to the characters so any time something happens I’m not into it. I’m sure this will be for someone else. I’m also currently in a reading slump so that doesn’t help.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews