We chat with author Rachel Van Dyken about Fallen Gods, which is Twilight meets Thor in this Norse-inspired romantasy full of ancient secrets and perilous desires – perfect for fans of dark academia, forbidden romance, and myth retellings.
Hi, Rachel! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a mom of two boys five and ten, both named like the little Vikings they are Thor and Rorik 😉 I’m married to my own book boyfriend who’s kind enough to take one for the team and get book related tattoos for me, I’ve been writing since 2011 and have nearly two hundred books out spanning multiple genres. I write full time and in the past was a school counselor 😉
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe CS Lewis
- The one that made you want to become an author: Eloisa James (literally her entire backlist)
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I’ll never get over Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Ever.
Your latest novel, Fallen Gods, is out December 2nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Addicting, electric, intense, funny, fast paced
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a very dialogue driven and fast paced romantasy that centers around two warring families where the good gods are actually bad and the villains are good. One thing I love is that the FMC is morally grey right along with the hero. They both do questionable things for justifiable reasons.
Where did the inspiration for Fallen Gods come from?
My family is Norwegian on my dads side of the family so I grew up with a lot of Norse mythology books around the house mainly from my grandfather. I’m an avid reader and writer and I noticed there really wasn’t any sort of romantasy that dealt with Norse Mythology and thought it would be really fun to do not only center a book around it but flip the switch so that the Odin we always thought was good—was evil.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Odin, from the very beginning you know exactly who this character is before he even speaks, just based on the way he folds his newspaper and taps his cane you’re like okay, so we don’t speak unless spoken too and even in his silence he’s giving directions. I also really loved writing Rey, she knows who she is and is fierce but also has a lighter side to her that Aric brings out right along with the hatred.
Can you tell us a bit about the worldbuilding in Fallen Gods?
Absolutely! The book takes place in a fictional University around Lake Stevens Washington. I chose that area mainly because it’s the closest area geographically that I could think of that reminds me of Norway, from the mountains to the snow, the mist, the Puget Sound in an of itself is the perfect backdrop. The world I created is extremely unique in that we have gods and giants who exist within our reality but have no idea who they are or what they are capable of and Rey’s job is to wake up not just her enemy but one of the most powerful of them all in order to find Mjlonir (Thors hammer). I wanted the world that I created to feel like something that could genuinely take place right here and now and I feel like the story succeeded in doing that.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I laughed when I read this question only because I faced so many challenges in writing this book, the main one was that I am a complete nerd when it comes to mythology so my very first draft of this book was like, the heaviest book of Norse mythology that you’ve ever seen. I wanted to include everything and was so proud of it but it ended up being just way too much, I mean to the point that readers would have been like, yeah I didn’t buy this for a lesson in mythology I also want to have a good time. So, I really needed to dial back and make sure that he story shone through. The characters had a lot to say and I had to make sure they had space to do that. By allowing the characters to take control of the story and letting things happen more naturally, I was able to really create an incredible book.
What’s next for you?
More writing of course! I have a mafia book releasing this next year along with another brand new series that I’ll be working on, and of course more from the Fallen Gods world.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?
I normally stay away from romantasy when I’m writing it so I’m excited to take a quick dive back into it while I’m on a fantasy writing break. I’m also starting Kingdom of Tomorrow by Gena Showalter. She’s such a talented author I can’t wait to read it.
