Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine for the e-ARC!
Expected publication: February 27, 2024

A Norse-inspired fantasy that perfectly weaves together action, politics, prophecy, and romance

What I liked:
This is an amazing romantasy—I think fans of Fourth Wing and FBAA are gonna love this book so much!

The story started off strong and the plot is fast-paced and engaging throughout the whole book! The plot “twists” could be seen from miles away but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and the characters’ reactions! The ending sets up the 2nd book perfectly.

The forbidden romance was so good and didn’t overshadow the plot at all—it’s a slow burn but the tension and pining are so well done and all the build up is worth it! The spice was SO GOOD and I liked that the idea of sex isn’t shied away from in this book.

It seems like the magic system is somewhat simple but still really interesting and based off of Norse gods!

What I didn’t like:
I love that Freya (fmc) is so protective of her family even though they might not deserve it. She’s headstrong and a little morally gray! She has her agency taken away from her since her family is literally being held “hostage.” Because of that, I don’t think there was much opportunity for character development in this book but I think we’ll see plenty of it in the sequel! HOWEVER she be acting so stupid sometimes and consistently acting without thinking of the consequences which was really frustrating to read.

The worldbuilding was definitely lacking for me—I think some more background information would have made this read a lot more immersive.

Reviews posted on:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/welen
TikTok: @welen.reads

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This is my first Danielle L. Jensen book I’ve read and did not disappoint. The perfect Norse inspired romantasy book for anyone looking for a good slow burn/forbidden romance.

Freya is a fierce FMC gifted with a drop of blood the gods. When this secret is revealed she is forced to protect those she loves. Her world is turned around by war, politics, and her steamy “bodyguard”🔥. As the shield maiden she must chose to have her fate be decided for her or for her to decide her own fate.

Highly recommend this book for those who was great plot twists because the betrayal at the end is 🤌🏻. Cannot wait until the next book to figure out what happens.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a fun and fast-paced fantasy romance perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash, Throne of Glass, or those looking for a more adult Percy Jackson.
In the Norse-inspired fantasy, there are those who are blessed by the gods, having been given a drop of their blood, allowing them access to powers. The book follows Freya, who has always dreamed of fighting, but when truths of her identity are revealed, she may get more fight than she had ever hoped for. Freya had always been told to keep her gifts secret, but when they and a prophecy come to light, she is launched into a world of war, politics, and forbidden romance. It seems like everyone wants something from her, and she deals with complicated choices to follow her urge to protect those who may not deserve it or to protect herself.
This first book in the series was a fun read that I devoured on a rainy day.

If you love Norse mythology, Vikings or fantasy you are going to LOVE this book. Brutal, action packed, romance—it has it all! I could not put this book down! Excellent world building, tons of action and so many plot twists! And it wouldn’t be a Danielle Jensen book without some epic 🔥 romance.
Put this on your shelves to read when it comes out February 27, 2024! In the meantime catch up on her Bridge Kingdom series, which is equally fantastic!

Will post a full review in February on Goodreads and my book blog www.apageinherbook.com Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Danielle L. Jensen, and now I need to read everything else she has published. This was absolutely incredible! I loved the Norse culture in this book, and the references to all of the Norse mythology. The female main character, Freya, is a strong and kind woman who was put into some horrible situations and still maintains her strength. She undergoes a lot of trials through the book and conquers all of them in increasingly surprising ways. She gets help from Bjorn, whom I am absolutely in love with, and cannot wait to read more about him.

The ending of the book was shocking and expected at the same time. I still felt all of the emotions and I am eagerly anticipating the next book and hope that it comes out very soon!

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I enjoyed reading this so much!! I love Freya’s character, her inner struggles and turmoil, and don’t even get me started on Bjorn! Will be posting a full review closer to publication.

A Fate Inked in Blood a is first in a duology, Saga of the Unfated, and follows Freya's journey, as she is learning to control her fate. Her whole life, she has been forced to hide who she is and is always putting the needs of others before her own, which is how she ends up married to a cruel man. Her life quickly changes the day she meets Bjorn. Bjorn is heir and son to a Jarl, who wishes to become King and believes he needs Freya to accomplish this goal. As she and Bjorn spend more and more time together, their relationship starts to become more complicated and is filled with so much tension and I'm here for it!

Danielle L. Jensen does it again! I was hooked from the first sentence! The pacing was perfect, the banter between Freya and Bjorn was hilarious. Freya is such a strong, fiery and very impulsive FMC, with a sharp edge tongue. Every time I thought I had an idea of what would happen next, another twist appeared! One thing Danielle can do, is world building and it was *chef kiss*

Romantasy. Witty banter. Action. Vikings. Gods. Strong FMC. MMC who is swoon worthy. Slow burn. Magic. What else could we ask for?

-norse mythology
-forced proximity
-bodyguard trope
-only one horse
-witty banter
-slow burn
-forbidden romance
-magic
-prophecies

5 stars
2 spice

Preorder NOW. Release date is February 27, 2024 - first editions will have foil edges, a stamped case, and a premium dust jacket!

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity, in exchange for an honest review!

OMG! A more in depth rtc ( when it gets closer to release date) but I LOVED! Hands down one of my favorites of the year!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book was a pleasant surprise in all the best ways and I can’t wait to read more. I’ve been a fan of Danielle L. Jensen since I stumbled across The Bridge Kingdom, but this series might surpass it.

It has everything you’d expect from Jensen: political intrigue, forbidden romance, betrayal, power hungry characters.

The plot surrounds this prophecy of a Shield Maiden. The one to control the Shield Maiden can secure the most power. This leads of course to many power grabs, the FMC being used my numerous characters, and the development of so much more.

Freya was a wonderful FMC to follow. She’s bold, sassy, and fierce, despite her circumstances of sh*tty husbands and terrible family members. The witty banter she provides had me laughing and cheering her on even as she stumbled through challenges. I’m excited to see where her story goes next. I predict it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!

❥ 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒
❥ 𝑉𝑖𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠
❥ 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑑𝑠
❥ 𝐹𝑎𝑡𝑒 / 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑦 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
❥ 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦

Freya is an unhappy fishmongers wife who holds a secret. She has received a blessing from the gods granting her power. It was prophesied that her power alone would united all of the kingdoms under one king, forcing her into another marriage to her Jarl while he holds her family under his thumb. While coming to terms with her new situation she fights her growing attraction to her husbands son (SO ANGSTY!!!). (Also her husband is old enough to be her father, and his son is her age so it’s not gross.)

This was very fast paced and always had SOMETHING going on, whether it was impending raids or the gods interfering, Freya was always being pulled in a different direction which allowed this to be a very quick, entertaining read. I was pulled into the violence and lust immediately. (Literally the first 50 pages someone dies and Freya meets MMC.)

The love interest seemed to happen almost instantly which I didn’t like, but I ended up really enjoying how it all played out. The small glances, the lust, the ACTS OF SERVICE!!! Again, I ask my self if I will ever be truly satisfied with a real man when fictional men like this keep raising my standards. (Side note: the mountain scene🙈)

THE BETRAYAL AND PLOT TWISTS. I saw 90% of them coming but I was still throughly entertained. I enjoy guessing correctly. but the 10% I didn’t? PHEW. Danielle knows exactly how to do GOOD angst.

Final thoughts: This book had zero plot really, but just like with Ali Hazelwood you read DJ for vibes, not the plot. and the vibes were on point. I had a great time reading this but it was missing something (hence the 4 stars) but I can’t put my finger on what it was. All in all, I had a great time reading this and I needed book 2 yesterday.

4.5 Stars - A Nordic/Viking romantasy? Yes please. A Fate Inked in Blood has far exceeded my expectations. The vivid and NOT boring storytelling Freya and her many trials. Not to mention a forbidden love interest and some SPICEEEE! I immediately want to read the next book and would love to see an HBO series/movie on this book BECAUSE IT'S THAT GOOD. Thank you NetGalley, Author, and Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Just finished reading "A Fate Inked in Blood", and the story that is given by Jensen is phenomenal!
I think this story wonderfully depicts a woman discovering who she is inside and finding her spot in the harsh world of Vikings. The Nordic themed story of a woman who, unknowingly, holds the key to the nations survival or demise is filled with a magical beliefs and spiteful gods. A touch of taboo romance had me rooting for social barriers to be broken and finding relief in all the wrong (**right** ahem) places! Live more in the moment or you'll drown in the expectations placed on you by others. Jensen delivers on typical Viking living involving fighting, beliefs in the gods, and classic lusty behavior of men for the era. I do feel like she was thrown into the plot for going through "trials" quite quickly. But I did read it quite fast, so I will have to wait awhile to see what becomes of our main character. I look forward to reading the remainder of her story in the future!! Thank you NetGalley :D

Shut the f*ck up. Im ill. This was so good and I have no other words. If you thought you liked The Bridge Kingdom this is TWICE as good. I rest my case, read this book!!

I love the world and the use of the Norse gods to tell this story, which for me, makes this story unique. I love Bjorn and can't wait to get to know more of his backstory. He is a constant, reliable character, who is strong and protective. Freya is a wonderful MC because she is strong; however, she is also vulnerable and will doing anything to protect her family. The tension between Freya and Bjorn is spectacular, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Their romance so far is worth the investment. There are plenty of exciting plot twists and betrayals, which create full, complex story.

Thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this.
First, I’m like the biggest Danielle L. Jensen fan. Seriously I adore her books.
Secondly, I saw this swirling on my socials and couldn’t pass up the chance to read it. Romance? 🫡
Gods & God Blood Given Powers?? 🥹
Sexy Vikings??? 🧎🏼‍♀️🤪🥵
This story follows Freya, a local fishmonger’s wife, who has been keeping a secret (or a curse as she sees it) for a large majority of her life. Once the secret of who or what she is is discovered, all Hel breaks loose. She’s not just Freya, the fishmonger’s wife, but rather the Shield Maiden who has been prophesied over.
There are so many characters outside of Freya I adored reading about. And so many that still perplex me and have me drawn even further in. Bjorn, Bodil, Leif, Saga, Steinunn, King Harald — just to name a few.

If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading here. Seriously I mean it…
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Okay, let’s be honest. I’m a Bjorn stan. The witty banter with Freya. His dedication from basically moment one. His ability to turn everything into a “dirty mind” moment. His willingness to protect Freya no matter what. I adore him. And Danielle I will be extremely sad if anything happens to him.

I’ll end with just one quote:
(Also this was a hard btw…cause I legit highlighted so many things)

“You are a clever, passionate woman with a good heart—a woman worth following.”
MY HEART 🥺

This was a 5 star read for me from start to finish! This was my first Norse mythology Romantasy book I have read and I absolutely loved it. The FMC Freya is a force all her own and from the very first pages you are pulled into her story and her situation is less than desirable so you can't help but feel sorry for her and the hand she has been dealt. Freya has so much weight on her shoulders, the situation she's in to begin with is for the sake of her family and of course they just don't deserve her selflessness or even understand how it must feel to be in her shoes. I don't want to say too much and give away all of the details or spoil her character growth but I will say it was quite the emotional rollercoaster for her and me as the reader. All of the world building and the supporting characters were also well written, to the point where you feel genuine disgust for some of them because of their actions and personalities. Now when it comes to the romance aspect of this...forced proximity, forbidden desires, the slow burn of it all really was so well done, I could not stop reading b/c I just NEEDED to know what was going to happen. After ALL of this when you think that you might know what is happening, the last quarter of the book starts to make you question everything you thought you knew about certain characters and when you get to the ending...I felt the force of that betrayal personally....I need the next book now and I don't know that I will be able to stop thinking about this book for a very long time. Highest praises for Danielle Jensen because this story was phenomenal!

This was the first book that I have read by Danielle L. Jensen, and I loved it!! The plot is incredibly entrancing. I did not want to set it down! The additions of Norse Mythology were beautifully incorporated and executed well. The overall fantasy portion was packed with adventure and suspense. The magic system was wonderfully unique and very intriguing.

The flow of romance twined within the fantasy was also executed perfectly!! I believe this book is an excellent example of the perfect mixture of fantasy and romance within a book. The banter was amazing!!! I was obsessed with Freya and Bjorn's relationship from the very beginning. They were lovingly flirtatious and stubbornly slow-burning. The protectiveness Bjorn had for Freya was everything!! The speed of the bidding romance was a great pace and made the spicy scenes towards the end even better.

The cliffhanger at the end broke my heart -- I need the sequel asap!!!

I absolutely will be preordering this book. The foil edges and beautiful cover!! How could you not??

This was my first Danielle Jensen book and I can’t wait for the next one! I couldn’t put this book down!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW WOW WOW. This whole book kept me on my toes! I never knew what was coming next and what to expect. I am ready for the next book already! I need to know where this goes and how they end up!

Freya- such a powerful warrior who has been smothered and controlled her whole life, only to figure out she's still being controlled by those she trusts and loves most. You can feel her pain and heartbreak and see her struggles.

Bjorn- our dark and mysterious hunk of a warrior. I am very intrigued to see how the rest of his story plays out. Part of me just wishes that he would pack her up and run away but now we have a lot of mystery and questions to be answered in subsequent books.

I am hooked and cannot wait for the next book in this series to be released!

Oh Danielle. Oh Mrs. Jensen.

This book is just wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I really loved A Fate Inked in Blood and am already counting down the days until the next book.

The magic system here was very interesting and I was fascinated with the usage of Norse mythology as the gods and goddesses. The sort of Viking, Nordic culture has always been one I’ve found intriguing, and I think Danielle did a great job bringing it to life.

My heart went out to Freya, the shield maiden who has always lived her life for everyone else, never once reaching for her own wants. When she is forced to marry the terrible jarl, I was already team Freya. (Us doormats have to stick together).

But I loved watching the person she became with Bjorn. And my looooooord did I love me some Bjorn. Their banter is amazing and I highlighted so many things. I just loved who they brought out in each other.

I’ll admit, I found myself getting so mad at Freya towards the end of this book, but I think that might be a sign of good writing, keeping me hooked for what is to come.

Overall, this book is lovely and I am really looking forward to continuing the series.