I am so thankful that I got the arc to this book this is one of the books in 2024 I was looking forward to the most and it lived up to my expectations! I loved this book so much that I already bought a physical copy! The tension and the banter between Freya and Bjorn was perfection I was kicking my feet at how much I love them together and the fact it’s forbidden because she’s his dads wife made it that much more exciting. Also in a sucker for Norse mythology and am intrigued my Hlin thanks to this book!! Highly recommend

this is absolutely my new fantasy romance obsession! I was hesitant going into this because I was not a huge fan of the Bridge Kingdom, but this one totally worked for me (prob the viking vibes lol)

Jensen does it AGAIN. I was hooked from the first chapter and absolutely loved the tension in these characters. I adored The Bridge Kingdom and this Viking Romantasy was just as easy to get absorbed into. Everything I didn’t know I needed, except that ending is a doozy. Still A MUST READ. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley (THANK YOU) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The main problem with this book for me was the main character, Freya is one type of character that I absolutely don't like. She is extremely self sacrificing and a martyr that for me was really annoying to follow her. She is willing to throw her life, her survival, and her happiness away to save strangers or to save people that have shown her over and over again that they don't deserve her protection. By the end, she takes tiny steps in the direction of helping herself, so I'm interested in the next book.

The plot meanders a lot; it doesn't have a specific goal aside from the 50-100 last pages. But the world that the author created is extremely compelling and interesting. The involvement of the gods and the norse mithology are pretty well developed and introduced to the reader. I really liked the world building. The other characters are pretty interesting; I was more interested in everyone aside from Freya. But I'm hopeful for the next book. The ending was really good even though it's really predictable. But it was fun and a good direction for the next installement.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Emotionally unwell at the thought of how long im going to have to wait until the second one. I loved this. I have loved all of her work and this was beyond impressive for book one in a fantasy series.

I’m a huge fan of Danielle Jensen and this book is no exception!

A Fate Inked in Blood follows Freya, Born-in-Fire’s journey as the gods chosen shield maiden. Freya comes from an abusive marriage in a fishing town. She’s strong-willed and fierce-minded. The badass FMC we love to see. Bjorn Firehand is our broody, sulky MMC with a few secrets up his sleeve. Snorri is our annoyingly ignorant, little man syndrome Jarl who wants to use Freya to become King. AFIIB is about prophecy, war, forbidden love, and deciding one’s own fate. It is the first book in series.

Things I loved:
✨ Witty banter
✨ Nordic mythology
✨ Slow burn/Forbidden romance tension
✨ The quests/trials Freya faced

Things I wished for:
✨ Deeper romantic development/ending felt rushed even though it was a slow burn (I’m weird, I dunno)
✨ For Nordeland to enter into the story sooner
✨ A double betrayal

What I noticed:
✨ The mountain scene felt a bit LOTR with the Orcs
✨ Since its first in series I’m expecting more action in book two. Book one was about quests and understanding the characters.
✨ FFC is strong but also fluctuates between insecure or filled with rage. I’d like to see Freya grow more confident in the series.

Overall, I loved the storyline and can’t wait to continue reading!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

This was my first book by Danielle Jensen and certainly won’t be the last! I enjoyed this easy to read, binge able Norse inspired fantasy and definitely grabbed a stunning first edition for my shelves.

In general, I wish there was a bit heavier world building at the beginning, there are so many gods in Norse mythology and I think sprinkling that mythology in a bit more would’ve helped frame the story a bit in my mind. It also felt a bit heavy on the romance storyline and I think a little more world building would have tipped the scale a bit better for my tastes.

Felt it was a bit insta-lusty for me. I get that Bjorn is nearly a god coming out of the water on the first page and all, and there was great tension, but it could’ve been pared down a bit from the start IMO.

I also just liked, didn’t LOVE, a lot of the characters and I’m not sure if it was a me thing. I wanted to feel more connected to some of the secondary characters than I did.

In short, I really enjoyed it but it wasn’t perfect! I’m hoping to continue loving this series and am looking forward to book 2!

Do I recommend? Yes! Especially for lovers of romantasy and Norse inspired fantasy.

Thank you to the tagged publisher and NetGalley for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

Format: 📖/📱
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was amazing! To do die for, so enthralling and magical. I had such a hard time putting it down! I really can’t get over the characters and the storyline. I never felt like I was dragging my feet to finish this book, I looked forward to opening it back up. I love Freya, even though at times I was screaming internally “WHAT ARE YOU DOING” I still loved her. Bjorn was such a great pairing to Freya’s determination, devotion and passion. I was honestly nervous to read a Norse mythology because I had no idea really what to expect nor am I well versed in Norse mythology to begin with. However, this book was not confusing, it was easy to follow. I never felt lost in the plot or confused on who was who.
There were twists and turns, some I anticipated (in good ways) and some that I was purely shocked by! By the end I was wanting more and more, I didn’t want the story to end. Especially on the cliffhanger that it did! I can’t wait until book 2. This story was so beautifully written and felt like a fantasy I have not read in a very long time. Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars

I honestly was unsure about this one going in but thematically I was very interested and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I was not a fan of the authors previous series but I love keeping up and seeing the growth. This was solid!

This is probably the romantasy of the year. Jensen always creates worlds that can suck you in from start to finish. You’ll always want to read what’s coming next.
A Norse fantasy world where our main character, Freya, hides a secret from the world. When that secret is revealed, her whole life is thrown upside down. Her life is constantly threatened and no one can be trusted. Except for Bjorn.
Even though romance is not my favorite genre, I very much enjoyed my time reading this. The story was constantly moving, making it easy and fast to read. The characters were great (Freya did kind of teeter off the edge for me a bit by the end).
One of my issues with this story was some parts of the writing. While Jensen is a fantastic writer, there were some lines that kept getting repeated throughout the story which really annoyed and ticked me off. It was almost like the “releasing the breath I didn’t know I was holding” line but had to do with female anatomy.
Other than that, I can’t wait to read the sequel! Jensen really knows how to draw her readers in for more.

Wow! I was very very pleasantly surpised by this book. The lore, the characters, romace, action. It literally had everything that i want and love in a good fantasy book. The characters were by far the best! And that world building. I do not have one negative thing to say about this book. I cannot wait for the next in the series!

I do not know what to say… this book (particularly Freya) pissed me off nearly every other page, but I could not stop reading and now I must wait until Odin knows when to get the next book and idk if I have the patience for that but I guess I don’t really have a choice. Lawd have mercy…

4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

Freya is a fishwife married to a jerk of a village leader when she sees the incredibly handsome Bjorn for the first time. Then when she appears well rid of her husband; she’s married off to Bjorn’s father- another oaf. Freya is a commodity because there is a prophecy about her- she will make whoever controls her King. When will she get to control herself? Will Bjorn help her break free or is he just another seeker.
A fine new entry into the Romantasy category.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own

***2.5 Stars***

Overall,
The thing that peeked my interest about this book was the heavy Norse Mythology/Vikings inspiration for this book. A shield maiden blessed by the gods who just wants to control her own fate, but instead is being used by the men in her life who want to use her power for their own gain. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit that did not work for me in this book. The pacing was a bit weird, the instalove felt off, and the "magic system" was not explained very well and I felt like Freya's reasons for not leaving her family and her instant attachment to her new husbands people was off.

Recommendation, if you liked the Vikings tv show you will probably enjoy this book. some spice, lots of pining,

4.5 ⭐️

Danielle does it again, just as good as the Bridge Kingdom series (and that was a 5 star for me!) with more spice.
I've never read a viking fantasy before but you would expect all the action and myths this nook delivered and then some. If you read any Jensen book before, you would also know you'd be getting a fair share of politics that never fail to catch interest.

Freya is one of the fmcs you can relate to and wish you were just as badass as her, the journey and hardships she went through really pushed her character's growth to fit the huge role i assume she will hold by the end of the series, one that is well deserved. She reminds me of Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, in the best way.

I could tell Bjorn was going to sweep me off my feet from his first appearance; flirtatious, charming with dirty mouth, Freya couldn't stand a chance. I mean, his looks alone would have me on my knees. There's just something about the long hair shaved on the sides that hits a spot.

Action scenes that keep you on your toes, a deliciously slow burn romance, and a cliffhanger that makes you close the book screaming for the sequel, Danielle is an author i will forever enjoy anything from!

HIGHLY recommend the audiobook for the accent and pronunciations!

I was so intrigued when I learned this latest from Danielle L Jensen was based on Norse Mythology! I love Jensen’s writing and especially how she builds her female characters.
I loved this world and the magic system within it. This is a great read for anyone who loves fantasy romance. Add in slow burn, forbidden romance, with a viking flavor and I was HOOKED. I also love that DLJ writes duologies it makes this ending ~slightly~ more bearable.

I love Danielle Jensen! It was less Spicy than her Bridge Kingdom series but I still loved this book. The plot was really good. It set things up nicely. I kind of thought the ending might happen but was still surprised when it did. Cannot wait for the next book to be ready!

I love Danielle L. Jensen’s The Bridge Kingdom series, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this book, an adult fantasy with Vikings?! Yes, please! And I’m thrilled to say it absolutely did not disappoint.
Freya is a shield maiden who goes from a loveless marriage to a prophesy fulfilled as the second wife of power hungry, self appointed king. Complicating things are her growing feelings for Bjorn, his son - and her unhappiness in the role as a pawn in the king’s schemes. He uses her family against her, bargaining their lives for her complacency.
This story is full of adventure, action, betrayal, and love - in a fantastical Norse setting. I highly recommend it for fans of fantasy, Norse mythology, and flawed characters who you still root for.

I think this was my first viking themed book and I enjoyed it. I'm all about backstabbing and betrayals and this one had its fair share. I wasn't sure how things were going to go with Freya in the end but I'm hooked and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Lmaooooo

Okay.

I think I enjoyed this book. I was listening to the audiobook for a majority of it, and I enjoyed it well enough. But my god - there was a lot that got me in this book.

- A ton of repetition of word choices
- The insta-lust??
- The lack of fucks giving by the Snorri? Like, if your weapon freezes to death, you’re not going to have a weapon, and I hesitate to say that you wouldn’t care about that???
- The FMC made me actually yell aloud?? Like she did so much for a family who did not give a fuck about her and after a while it’s like girl do you like being kicked while down????? Jesus Christ.
- The MMC was a choice? Like…. Idk??

But I think that big reveal at the end made me cackle. Like I had to pause the book to laugh. And tbh IDK which was weirder??? The way that the MMC was ~actually evil and had his own plans all along~! Or the truth about her god heritage??? Like lmao it just… I’m sure if I re-read it, it would make perfect sense?

I will say it was a book I could listen in the background and be fine with but the moment I thought about it a liiiitle bit, it wasn’t great? It was good, but that last, say, 20% or so really dropped the nose dive down by a lot.

I’m not going to lie, I will probably check out book two just to see how that ~twist~ ended up playing out, but I should not be cackling during the big reveal scene.

Also my god, every time they thought about boinking, she proclaimed about “her sex.” His dick got like twenty words for it and her sex was all we got.

Goodness. I think I would give this 2.5 stars, rounding down.

Thank you very much to Del Rey and NetGalley for an early copy to read and review!