Awesome, new fantasy book that dives into the realm of vikings in such an intersting way! Perfect for fans of romance and fantasy. The main character was awesome and unqiue.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this ARC! 🖤

"I wanted yoh the moment I first set eyes on you. I wanted you in Fjalltindr. I want you now, and tomorrow, and all the tomorrows, Freya."

"You are mine, Born-In-Fire. Even if only the two of us know it."

"I used to dream only of fire and ash. Now when I close my eyes, all I see is your face."

Danielle never misses, honestly. This book was AMAZING. I loved Freya's interactions with Bjorn from the start. The flirting, matching each other's energy, the forbidden...ugh. it was so good that I wasn't even finished with the ARC, and I had already bought the physical copy! I can't wait for the next book!

🖤 Norse Inspired Fantasy
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Badass FMC
🖤 Chosen One
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 One Horse
🖤 Vikings
🖤 Slowburn Romance

Danielle L Jansen is hands down one of the best fantasy romance writers of our generation. Whenever I pick up one of her books I’m immediately swept away into the brilliant worlds she creates!

A Fate Inked In Blood was no different and dare I say one of my favourite reads of the year 😍 Nobody writes epic romances and vicious battles quite like she does!

This read was simply brilliant, the characters, the world building, the mythology… I can’t sing its praises enough !!

I really love books based in mythology of any sort. This one was interesting to me because it focused on a a powerful female main character based in Norse mythology that was more than just the usual suspects. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Freya was a likable main character for the most part and the romance aspect was there but didn't detract from the plot. I do think it became a tiny bit slow in the middle but it did set it up so the next book can be less explaining and more moving the storyline forward. An enjoyable read!

An amazing fantasy romance! I’m absolutely obsessed with Danielle L. Jensen’s writing. This story was no exception.

Whew boy, this was a fun read. A romantasy based in Norse mythology, the story follows Freya, the shield maiden, who possesses a drop of a goddesses blood which allows her to repel any attack. This makes her very desirable to her region's jarl, and he binds her to himself with a blood oath and loveless sham marriage, while simultaneously ordering his son Bjorn to protect her, as he believes he is fated to do. As they fight to unite Skaland under the new King, as they believe has been foretold, Freya and Bjorn are drawn to each other. However, if Freya betrays the jarl, he has threatened her family.

Things I liked: the world building, the mythology, the slow burn tension, the spice, the fmc is a badass, the mmc is very very likable, the end makes me want to keep reading!
Things I didn't like: nothing! Can't wait for the next book!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

As I was reading it, I felt there was something off. About a lot of things: there was just a lot of unexplained story points, world-building points, and characterizations. It started off fast paced, with an interesting premise. But as the book dragged on, there was a lot of things happening but no major plot development.

I got annoyed... a lot. Particularly with Snorri and Ylva. I just couldn't take how stupid some of his statements were 😅 There was a prophecy which we only heard snippets of. Freya was too self-sacrificing, especially for people who didn't care for her! But I really liked Bjorn, because he made the most sense out of all of them. Plus his character is really intriguing.

It was entertaining enough to keep me reading. And all the revelations near the end (which I got some of right!) will surely get me still reaching for the next book.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.

Read if you like:
⚡ Chosen one
⚔️ Vikings and Norse mythology
❤️ Slow-burn forbidden love
🐎 One horse
👀 Cliffhangers

Other details and mild spoilers:
Open-door
Single first-person POV
CW: war, death, blood and gore, manipulation

“Following Freya, a girl concealing her powers until a jarl discovers her secret, the story unfolds with gripping action, compelling conflicts, and a forbidden romance. With well-structured world-building and a protagonist’s perspective that captures every emotion, Jensen crafts a tale filled with morally grey characters and an ending that leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter of Freya’s journey.”

One of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and let me tell you that Jensen did not disappoint. This story follows a girl who hides her powers but a jarl finds out and forces her to marry him because of the fate he saw long ago. This was a great story and I loved everything about it. The world-building was new and well-structured. It wasn’t hard to understand but I would love to see a list of gods/goddesses in the future to know more about their powers. There was a good amount of action and a lot of conflicts to keep the story interesting. The pacing was great and this story is told from just Freya’s pov.

Freya is the main character of this story who is just twenty but has had a difficult life. I loved her character and her development throughout this book. All I want is for this girl to be happy. Bjorn is the main side character and I enjoyed his character too. There is more to his story we don’t know about but I’m hoping to get his POV in the next book. There were quite a few side characters most of whom I hated and wanted them to die because of their characters. Not the author’s fault as we are supposed to hate them. There are a lot of morally grey characters and some we don’t know which side they are on. The romance is forbidden love and instant love with one steamy scene but mostly everything being closed-door romance.

The ending is a cliffhanger that makes me want more of this story. I do have to say that the ending is very typical of what I’ve been seeing lately but overall it was still great with what we learned. This was such a great story and I had an enjoyable time reading this book. I can’t wait to check out the next book and see what is next of Freya’s journey.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen. This is my first Norse mythology fantasy book and I loved it! This book was fast paced with a slow burn. The plot twists weren't totally unexpected but still well done. I did find Freya's character to be frustrating. She doesn't seem to change much throughout the book and continues to make the same mistakes again and again. I am eager to see what else Danielle L. Jensen has written.

Consider this my official petition for more viking romances 🙏

"Fate cares little for your opinion on how things should go."

Being a tiny bit obsessed with everything viking related, I've been looking for a good viking romance to read. A Fate Inked in Blood definitely delivered!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The book started out so strong. I instantly liked Freya, our strong-willed wannabe shield maden. She's witty, empathetic and cares for the people around her. Then, unbeknownst to her, she throws a fish at Bjorn's face and I was a goner. The tension. The banter. The primitive "I'm going to k!ll your husband so you can bed me with no concerns for propriety" 🥵

What I loved most of all, though, was the setting. For someone who usually doesn't have many visualizations while reading, this book immediately transported me into this world of vikings, norse mythology and magical aspects. I liked the idea that Freya and Bjorn are unfated thanks to receiving a drop of the God's blood. It sparked some interesting thoughts and conversations about free will, accountability and the consequences of making certain choices.

"It is hard to keep one's wits when faced with a woman as beautiful as the sight of shore to a man who has been lost at sea."

I loved the way the story and romance were unfolding. It was a good mix of action, well written fight scenes, funny moments and romantic elements. I will admit to being willing to burn my hand just to have Bjorn tend to it with his little salve 😏 He's such a caring protector, which we all know is my krypronite.

About halfway through, though, I started to struggle. The book felt too long, as it seemed like subplots and events were being added to the book just to keep things going which threw off the pace for me. On top of that, Bjorn started to be too cheesy for my preference and I wasn't a fan of how Freya's character arc was handled towards the end, since it felt out of character for her.

Overall, an entertaining read, so I definitely recommend it. Beware of the cliffhanger, though! Am I bragging if I say I suspected most of it? 😎

Thank you to Del Rey for the free copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Danielle Jensen is an all time favorite. Add Vikings? SOLD. Absolutely devoured this and loved every second… she can do no wrong!

"A Fate Inked in Blood" had me hooked from start to finish, which is rare for me. I usually take time to get into a book. I loved the world, the story, and the characters of this book, and I cannot wait to read future installments.

I think one of the reasons I was hooked by this book so quickly was that it didn't meander for a long time before diving into the action. I feel like many fantasy books have several chapters of "woe is me and my boring/sad life" before the story really begins. And while these chapters are sometimes necessary for worldbuilding or character development, I didn't feel this was lacking in "A Fate Inked in Blood."

Freya was such a compelling protagonist and while I often felt frustrated with her actions, I'm excited to see how her character develops in future installments. Something that was really refreshing about Freya was that she always spoke her mind (often to her detriment). While this is partially a result of her impulsivity, it also meant that there was very little of "these two characters are clearly into each other but won't talk about their feelings." Bjorn was also a fantastic character, if not quite as complex as Freya. I adored their relationship.

I do think the plot of the book was a little predictable, but that didn't take away from my experience reading it. It was often frustrating to make connections that Freya did not, though I think her bullishness was a very intentional part of the story. However, while I was able to predict the direction the plot took, I thought Jensen did a fantastic job at writing characters who were all deeply complex. There was no clear villain in the story (to me or Freya). Even characters I did not like had interesting or compelling motivations, earned the loyalty of others, or had shades of gray in either their means or ends.

Overall a fantastic start to a series. I can't wait to read the next ones.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Freya is married to an old turd who just wants her to do work. She doesn't really want to be a housewife she wants to fight. Then old turd ends up betraying her so stuff and thangs happen and he is no more.
The thing is she has some blood from the goddess Hlid. It gives her the ability to shield when fighting. She is finally going to get a chance to do what she loves but then she has to marry another old turd.
This book was actually entertaining as everything and I could barely put it down.

There is a lot of modern language that I really do not think they used but most of it was cussing so I was good with it.

Then I'm grooving along and the dang thing ends without giving me answers! It's a damn series. Where's my book two? I ain't got time for this.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I really wanted to love this book because so many people have been raving about it but sadly I did not. I honestly hated every character except for Bjorn. I would get so irrationally angry with every decision Freya made that I had to set my book down and take a break from reading. I kept hoping it would get better or that I would at least enjoy the romance but even that was disappointing. It felt very insta love and they had no chemistry.

I guess I’m just shocked it was so bad because I love the author’s other series, The Bridge Kingdom. If I hadn’t gotten an arc, I would’ve DNFed🙃

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy to review!

In an ancient Viking land, magic is gifted by the gods to select children. Freya is forced by her family to hide her gift, as a prophecy has been spoken that it would unite the region by the one who controlled her fate. She is discovered and taken by their Jarl, who tasks his son as her protector. They become close and soon Freya is not sure whom to trust or follow as she is tested by the gods. Freya is naive and headstrong, which leads to her making rash decisions which I started to tire of, but Bjorn is so supportive and encouraging of her to make her own fate.

This is an amazing Romantasy, I enjoyed the romance development as well as the fantasy plot. This is great for those who enjoy the tropes:
Slow Burn with Insta-lust
Forbidden bodyguard
Forced proximity
Banter
Only one horse/bedroll
He takes care of her
Touch her and die

This was light on Norse mythology, you don’t need to have much of a background to follow along, but it is a fun take on it for those who do. It ends on a small cliffhanger, with an HEA undetermined.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC for my honest opinion.

Ok I think this is like a 3.8 I enjoyed the writing and it didn’t feel like a chore reading. It was immersive and I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading.

The plot twist at the end had my jaw on the floor cause it all came together in my head when they explained it and I was like “wow that’s how it is ?”

I will say it was annoying how the main character made herself the victim and the self punishing was annoying. Also she was a baddie but then bjorn was saving her left and right like ??? Yea she is a warrior but oh no she’s clumsy and needs big old bjorn to save her from falling off a hill or stumbling when they are walking . That is one of my biggest pet peeves in books

But other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I will def be reading the rest of the series💗💗

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165940202-a-fate-inked-in-blood" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1690490514l/165940202._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165940202-a-fate-inked-in-blood">A Fate Inked in Blood</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091823.Danielle_L_Jensen">Danielle L. Jensen</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6048110493">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
WOW, such a great fantasy, romantasy book! Honestly this is my new Roman Empire. I think the best thing to compare it to is all the hype with Fourth Wing. I think this is up there with TOG and ACOTAR for me. The norse mythology was something that I was so interested in and so looking forward to and it did NOT miss. There was so much banter and instant attractions that I am an absolute fool for. Seeing this strong FMC come into herself and her power was so intense. I was rooting for them to get together the whole time. There were times where some stuff felt predictable but I enjoyed them regardless. The betrayals and lies hit at the perfect time and I am obsessed with this story and CAN NOT wait for the sequel. I not only received the earc but I also got the fairyloot edition and bought the beautiful blue edges first print. This story is definitely worth it. I have so much more I could say but I will just keep this with a DEFINITELY recommend. <br /><br />I am so thankful to Danielle L Jensen for being able to read the advanced copy of this book and desperately need the next book in the series!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6094585-rosa-maria-lueras">View all my reviews</a>

A Fate Inked in Blood gave me the same feeling so many of my very favorite books did. something about the way this book ebbs and flows made me feel like I was in it. that I was was right beside Freya, witnessing her journey and fully supporting all her rights and wrongs. she’s such a badass and seeing her come into her power gave. me. life.

I loved seeing her growth and her rage as she comes to terms with her new life and the cards she has been dealt. she has so much control over her emotions and is always thinking of those she loves even when they aren’t deserving of it. seeing her slowly begin to choose herself was so powerful.

Bjorn is THE man. there were so many things he did that now live rent free in my mind. I loved the way he was constantly there for Freya and never questioned her power or strength. he provides so much balance for her in this book and I ate it up.

I also felt the primal need to avenge her at so many points in this story because some of the men in her life are truly vile. I wouldn’t say I’m a violent person but I did rejoice and whisper “thank god” if a karmic ending took place.

then there’s the ending. so much was revealed all at once and now I’m just expected to carry on with my life acting like I didn’t just experience a major cliff hanger with zero answers to all my questions. I have not known peace since.

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I knew from the first couple chapter that this book would be a five star read and it did not disappoint in the slightest! I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy the next time I’m at the bookstore!

thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read anything by Danielle Jensen (despite the popularity she's garnered with The Bridge Kingdom) but I've decided i need to because of this book. The slow burn was done so well, and I had made assumptions on the foreshadowing really early on, and I was RIGHT, but she waited so long to reveal it I was almost convinced my pattern recognition skills were becoming faulty. The Norse gods and magic and warfare and losing yourself to protect others, beautiful. The end though *side-eye* I will be waiting IMPATIENTLY for the next installment in this series.

This one, this one hooked my by the end of the third page. I couldn’t put it down. I felt like a kid sneaking a few pages through out the work day. Telling my partner no TV tonight I’m hooked on this book. Being stuck in traffic and running through what I thought was going to be next. There was real and incredible passion in the author’s commitment to this novel. And that commitment was palpable throughout the novel. There was never a detail un-connected, nor a plot line un-tied. It was an absolute joy to read and impossible to put down. The only thing I’m upset about with this novel is that the rest of the series isn’t available to read yet. Incredible seriously a great read.