A book where the past and the present collide.
Rey is tasked with finding Mjolner (Thor's Hammer), which has been hidden by the Giants eons ago. Odin put a spell on all the gods and giants left on earth to forget who they are.
Rey needs to awaken Aeric to reveal where the hammer is hiding. The problem, he hates her and wants nothing to do with her.
Of course they are thrown together at every opportunity. The longer they work together, the closer they get.
There's intrigue, betrayal, scheming from family members and lots and lots of angst.
The storyline is riveting and I was sorry to reach the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy

⚡️ FALLEN GODS by Rachel Van Dyken ⚡️
Fallen Gods #1 — releasing December 2, 2025

The gods aren’t dead. They’re just sleeping and they’re about to wake up angry.

Rachel Van Dyken’s Fallen Gods launches an epic new dark romantasy filled with myth, danger, and impossible love. Think Greek and Norse mythology meets dark academia, with a heroine born for war and a hero made for heartbreak.

Rey has been raised to be her father’s weapon. She's obedient, ruthless, and loyal. When he sends her to Endir University, a school built on ancient bloodlines and buried secrets, her mission is simple: steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend, or everyone she loves will die.

What she doesn’t expect? Aric Erikson is the cold, devastatingly gorgeous heir of her family’s greatest enemy. His walls are made of ice, his trust impossible to earn… and his touch, her undoing.

Every secret Rey uncovers pulls her deeper into a web of deceit, ancient power, and forbidden desire. Because if she’s the spark meant to wake the sleeping gods… then Aric just might be the fuse.

💫 Why you’ll love it:
⚔️ Enemies to lovers with world-ending stakes
⚡️ Mythology meets magic school vibes
💔 Star-crossed romance that hurts so good
🩶 A fierce, morally gray heroine raised to kill
🔥 A brooding heir who hates that he can’t stay away
🌌 Epic worldbuilding + cinematic twists
🏛️ Hidden gods, ancient artifacts, and a destiny that burns

This book is pure adrenaline and tension, part fantasy quest, part forbidden romance, and all-consuming from page one. Rey and Aric’s chemistry is fire and frost, their push-and-pull the kind that leaves scorch marks. And when they ignite? The world doesn’t stand a chance.

If you love mythic rivalries, found-in-academia magic, and romances that teeter between salvation and destruction, Fallen Gods will own your TBR the second it drops.

#FallenGods #RachelVanDyken #DarkRomantasy #MythologyRomance #EnemiesToLovers #ForbiddenRomance #FantasyRomance #GodsAndMortals #SlowBurnFantasy #BookstagramFantasy #UpcomingReleases #RomantasySeries #EntangledPublishing

Talk about a one sitting master piece 😮‍💨
I start this ARC in the morning getting to about 25%
Told myself 5 chapters before bed around 11:30pm and then all of a sudden it was 3:30am and I was done.
More like the book was done with me, because I actually was not done.
This was one of the most well written, page turning, literary masterpieces I’ve ever read 👏🏻
@rachvd did the most steamy tension, the most bantered humor and an insane amount of well-curated Norse Mythology I have seen 🥹🖤
Thank you @netgalley for the #gifted e-arc of Fallen Gods! ⚡️

This story was worth every second of waiting. Rachel delivered a story filled with heart and intertwined with the stories of the past. The way she brought Norse mythology to life has me in awe of her writing because she brought the stories of old to life in a new fresh way. This story will inspire generations to embrace who they are and where they come from.

Aric and Rey are a formidable duo! It took them awhile to figure out that together they can change the fate of all. Two pawns in a setting neither fully knows about but trusting in who they are and what they have become together is all they have to fight the evil that wants control.

I love that this series is not drawn out. What I mean is that Aric and Rey’s part ended here. Now their story isn’t done because there is a bigger plot but it’s not one that Van Dyken is going to draw out forever and I appreciate that because it kept the story interesting and invigorating. It also allowed the other characters to have their time and there are alot of people I am so ready to get to know.

Another thing I love is that Van Dyken didn’t show all her cards. There are still secrets to be revealed and twists that I know will shock me and i love that she does that because it keeps me coming back, book after book!

If you’re a lover of mythology, secrets and the deep healing of love then take a chance on this book, you will not be disappointed!

Fallen Gods absolutely stunned me. Stop everything and pre-order this book immediately. I’m in a full-blown book hangover after finishing it, and at this point I will read anything Rachel Van Dyken writes.

We open with Rey, daughter of Odin, arriving at Endir University with one mission: find Thor’s hammer and return it to her father within a week. Simple enough until she finds herself face-to-face with one infuriating complication: Aric, the boy who once rejected her and refused to become her fiancé.

This is enemies-to-lovers at its absolute finest. The slow-burn tension is delicious, the kind that doesn’t fully ignite until around the 65% mark, and every moment leading up to it is sheer perfection. The chemistry leaps off the page.

The plot twists? Completely unexpected.

The worldbuilding? Electric. Rachel takes Norse mythology and reinvents it with a creativity that feels both fresh and thrilling. I was utterly feral, in the best possible way the entire time.

Without question, this is going to be one of your new favorite fantasy reads. I’m fully invested in this world and these characters, and I cannot wait for what comes next.

Thank you to Red Tower for the eARC I devoured and cherished every word.

I’m not sure the best way to start this review…mainly because I’m still absolutely speechless over this book! 🥰

Fallen Gods was everything I could have wanted and more. Norse mythology x dark academia x enemies-to-lovers = the perfect recipe for a bestselling book. The way I have to bite my tongue so I don’t spoil anything…

Y’all, let me tell you- the plot twists in this book? You. will. not. see. them. coming. Don’t even try to predict it- the way Rachel weaves the mystery and intrigue through the romance has the plot twists REALLY twisting (does that make sense? It makes sense in my head, but I also tend to exaggerate 🤣). I mean, don’t just take my word for it- look at my top 2 favorite quotes in the book:

“Sometimes I think…I was meant more for the likes of a monster than a man.”

“A crack flashes outside. A rumble follows. The world will hear it as thunder. But I know the truth—it’s the sound of a giant’s heart breaking.”

Chills. Literal chills! Aric is my #1 Book Boyfriend right now…anyone doing a cosplay for him, PLEASE let me know!! Y’all need to do yourself a favor and preorder Fallen Gods NOW! 🦌🖤⚡️

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