Review Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams has everything you're looking for in a romantasy. In a world full of magic, monsters, assassins, and sorcerers, a young mortal woman embarks on an epic quest to save her sister from a sorcerer's curse. But she can't do it alone. So she finds the scariest, meanest… Continue reading Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams
Rachel Van Dyken offers a fun and unique spin on Norse mythology with Fallen Gods. I think this is the first Norse mythology-based book I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. Most readers are likely familiar with the lore – Odin, Thor, Loki, war between Gods and Giants, the Bitfrost bridging Asgard and Midgard, etc. I really liked the creative choices the author made – both with the storyline and characters.
Odin is a crime mafia boss in this world, and he’s losing his power and sanity. His daughter, Rey Stjerne, is the only one who can find Mjolnir. Although, Rey knows that the weapon in Odin’s hands could mean disaster. And yet, she’s beholden to his demands, or else the lives of those she cares about are in danger.
Furthermore, it doesn’t help that the Erikson family runs the university she’s attending. And yes, the Eriksons happen to have a tumultuous history with the Stjernes. Plus, her formerly betrothed, Aric, will also be in attendance. Cue the juicy drama and steamy tension.
Aside from the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers trope, people are trapped on the wrong side of the bridge, and they have no idea because their memories were erased. And both Rey and Aric realize they have a better chance at success if they work together. But can they trust everyone around them? Can they trust each other?
The author paces the story well and leaves plenty of clues as to where Mjolnir is and the roles our main characters will play. The dual POV adds a fun element to the love story, as expected. My only gripes are the writing style, which seemed choppy at times and didn’t always flow. Also, the romance between Rey and Aric seemed to progress very rapidly after such a slow burn for a majority of the book. It took a long time to get there, and once they crossed that threshold, the switch had flipped. Even so, it’s a good story and I’ll be keeping an eye on this series.
Rachel Van Dyken joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her experience as a writer and how she created this world. Keep an ear out for the episode and preorder Fallen Gods, available December 2.
They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.
The Gods aren’t dead―they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.
He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.
But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.
There’s only a mission I never chose―and a man I was never meant to love―standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.
But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.
Read my book review for The Last One.
The Cruel Dawn picks up right where The Last One left off. Kai’s tries to pick up the pieces while her fractured memory recovers. As her memories come back to her, so does the guilt of what she did in the past. She spends the entirety of the story trying to redeem herself and protect the realm from the bigger threat, but her past keeps coming back to slap her in the face. Not to mention her complicated romantic history and possible future.
