This book was very good. Well written, great characters, solid romance couple, and a fantastic story. However, it felt like a setup book for a series and there were answers and things I wanted from this book, but didn't get. I also did find it a little repetetive at times, but I overall enjoyed it and now have to wait for book 2. Even though, I'm dying to know what happens next.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book for my honest review.

I’m really not sure what to say about this one. It just didn’t *feel* like the typical Danielle Jensen book that I love. There was lots of action packed scenes, betrayals, plot twists and steam, which is exactly what I hoped for, but it missed the mark for me. I didn’t feel particularly invested in the characters or the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC.

Once I picked this up I could not put it down. I really just loved it. Freya is something else.

There were many parts of this book which reminded me of the Elements of Cadence duology by Rebecca Ross. But I loved it. I can’t wait for the next one. 4.5 ⭐️

A Nord/Viking romance/fantasy that is to die for! I have not read The Bridge Kingdom series by the author yet but I have heard tons of good things so when I saw this book up for review, I knew I had to read it.

We have Freya who is the FMC, we are introduced to her right away. She is married at the time but is ultimately traded to the MMC's (Bjorn's) father when he finds out she is the shield maiden. Being the shield maiden means she holds the blood of the gods and will help him amass an extreme amount of power. She is married to Bjorn's father and becomes his second wife. She then is subjected to a ton of tests by the gods.

Bjorn and Freya have chemistry from the start. Bjorn is the bastard son of his father but has still been marked his heir. His mother was a famous seer and was killed during his childhood. This was a slow burn so Bjorn and Freya don't cave to their desires until around the 65-70% mark. Because of that fact, I would also say this book is on the lower side for the amount of spice, but with that said the spice it did have was still great!

The ending. OML. THE BETRAYAL. I am so excited to see what Freya does in response in book two. I also did not see the twist coming, there were signs but I missed them the first time through.

This was a great read and I recommend it!

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I found this novel engaging and the characters were interesting, the plot was captivating enough to keep me reading through to the end. But, I feel like the writing skill level could have been a bit more mature and used more lyrical language throughout the narrative. It definitely reminded me of Fourth Wing, and I'm sure many readers will find it just as satisfying as that book. For me it was not a huge success, but interesting enough to keep my attention.

I’m sorry and hate to do this but for my honest opinion I was extremely bored. I don’t know how the beginning even grasps anyone’s attention. I felt thrown into something that just didn’t make sense and was like “boom” here you go. So yep!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I knew halfway through this that it was going to be a five star read. I was recommending it to friends before even finishing the book. This was my first Danielle Jenson book and I’m now committed to read all her others. It was also the first book I’ve read with a Nordic setting and fell in love with it.

AFIIB was such a gripping and unique change in recent fantasy stories, though it leans towards romantasy. Freya is god-blessed by Hlin. She was forced her whole life to keep this secret hidden from all she knew in her parents futile attempt to keep her from being used as a weapon by those who yearned power. All her life, she has been used by those she loved and loathed. She has sacrificed her own happiness again and again in order for those she cared for to be happy.

Once she is discovered as the coveted shield maiden, she is forced to wed Jarl Snorri in order to fight to unite all of Skaland and make him king. She is his greatest weapon and he is desperate to control her to help his rise to power. All the while, she desperately tries to hide her infatuation with her new husband’s son, Bjorn (enter swoon here). The banter between Freya and Bjorn is *chefs kiss* and I ate it right up.

The only reason I deducted .5 was because I did find a couple of the twists predictable early on and felt the plot maybe could have been delved into a bit more. However, it didn’t take away from the story itself and I enjoyed every page of it.

It’s going to be torture waiting for the next book to come out.

This was an amazing book. The world building alone was intriguing. I now need to know everything about Norse mythology! The spice and romance was sooooo good. Did I get the ick vibes of the main female characters situations with her husband and future husband? Yes. Did she end up being a bad ass? Yes. I want the next book now. So good! Thank you NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy.

from goodreads:

thank you netgalley and random house publishing group for this eARC :)

i went into this not knowing too much about it. this was also my first danielle jensen book. as someone who is not the biggest fan of mythology, i was hesitant to read it. little did i know i would finish it in just two days and absolutely eat it up!

this book is the epitome of a good plot with good characters and world-building that is easy to understand. the world was so intriguing, especially the norse gods and how their magic is used within the people. i absolutely loved freya and bjorn. freya is such a badass and bjorn could step on me and i would say thank you. the banter and tension was *chefs kiss*, and i loved the protector role he played for her. also his MOUTH was so sassy. i’m obsessed.

this does end on a cliffhanger that has me so excited for book two!

“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.”

4.5!⭐️

🤍 Thank you so much @delreybooks for the arc of A Fate Inked in Blood! 🤍

Gosh, I enjoyed reading this book so much!

Freya is such a fascinating character. Life has beaten her down again and again, and even with new power and respect, she’s still being forced to conform to what others want from her.

As she learns what it means to stand on her own and find out what is worth fighting for, enter Bjorn.

He is forbidden and impossible to ignore. Their passion is palpable and all consuming. I was so here for it!

The setting was immersive and I want ALL the Viking books now. I will be on pins and needles until @danielleljensen’s book!

Read if you love:
• Viking mythology
• forbidden romance
• meddling gods
• twists and turns

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: open door
TW: violence, death, murder
Out February 27th

“Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. And it’s been foretold that such magic will unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.”

What an amazing book! I’m newer to fantasy and I absolutely loved this. It did take a little bit to get going for me which is why I took off a star. But it definitely picked up and I was hooked.

The growth of the characters is amazing. Danielle Jensen writes so beautifully and really develops her characters well.

I love the Norse mythology and just loved the forbidden love as well. I can’t wait to read the second one!

A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen 💚
Saga of the Unfated, Book 1
Series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Fantasy Romance
ARC Review
419 pages
🗓️ February 27th

🪓 forbidden romance
🛡️ power from the gods
🪓 one horse
🛡️ Norse mythology inspired
🪓 force proximity

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

I saw an early review saying, “if you thought you loved The Bridge Kingdom, this is twice as good.” They weren’t wrong. And I LOVED TBK. But the romance on this one 🤌🏼 and the world building 💋

📍“There is no future where I would regret choosing you, Freya.”

I was waiting for it for about 50% of the book but still… when that twist hit, my heart skipped a beat because that’s how powerful Danielle’s writing is.

The growth of these characters is a journey I’m telling you to embark on because it’s absolutely glorious. The little crumbs of information she kept letting us find as we went… the absolutely cherry on top. 🍒

And just like that, I read two of the best Fantasy Romance books of the YEAR in the same month.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

This is probably on me but I wasn’t feeling this book too much. I enjoyed the fantasy aspects but I wish we had more world building! The characters were meh. But like I said this is probably on me. I would still recommend this book! And the cover? Breathtaking. 3.5 stars

I had high hopes for this one but I was left bored, unsatisfied, and slightly irritated. The world building/plot was a jumbled mess. The plot twist was not surprising. Freya, the main character, couldn’t make up her mind to save her life. She’s a victim, no she’s a monster, no she’s a victim, no she’s a monster. Girl, make up your mind. The romance felt unbelievable because I felt no chemistry. They also couldn’t make up their minds on if they liked each other or not.

On a positive note, the spice scenes were bearable maybe even slightly enjoyable. I will not be continuing the series but I will give Danielle another chance with one of her other series.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I will be posting a video over on my TikTok (@resurrectedbookworm) on 2/27.

First quarter of the book made it feel like any other fantasy. It did redeem itself, but still has lacking description and details. Things were happening, but I couldn’t picture it. I thought because this was a different series by her I’d try again, but unfortunately I felt the same way.

The cover is gorgeous though!

ARC Review ~ A Fate Inked in Blood ~

*******************************************

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jensen’s books always draw me in so I jumped at the chance to apply for this ARC and was honored to receive a copy. Vikings + forbidden romance is definitely a great combination. I struggled with the characters at times but loved the magical system. It’s no surprise that I read this in one sitting. It was a great introduction to the series and I’m intrigued to see where it goes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Del Rey for this ARC!

Danielle L. Jensen is that romantasy girl!!!!! No one does the perfect balance between fantasy plot and romantic plot like she does! I had so much fun reading this book, it was high stakes, romantic, and the world was so intricate. It felt like she built this world with such careful consideration for the Norse mythology while still making it her own.

Freya Born-in-fire was the star of this book! I loved her character so much and grew to love her and care for her very early on in the book because of her resilience, loyalty and intense will to live in spite of everyone in her life trying to use her for their own needs. That's my girl and I will defend her always! And Bjorn??? Now that's a man obsessed! I can't wait to see what their story looks like in book 2 because I was absolutely GAGGED by the end of the book and I actually need book 2 now, please and thank you!

I absolutely love her Bridge Kingdom series, so I'm so happy to have another one of her series in my back pocket of romantasy book recommendations.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC. It's out 2/27

I’ll admit when I first picked this book up, it didn’t fully grasp my attention. But on this second go I ended up really enjoying the story and the romance. I usually love anything Norse mythology or Viking based, so of course I enjoyed that here as well. I found the world and magic easy to understand and the pacing felt great for the way the story unfolded. I absolutely adored the romance between Freya and Bjorn, even though their connection started more insta lust than anything else, I think the progression of their relationship felt natural by the end. They have great banter and chemistry together and I loved every tender moment between the two, as well as the amazing tension. I did find the ending a bit too predictable though, so some parts did annoy me but im still looking forward to reading the next book in this series overall.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice level:🌶️🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️Norse mythology
▫️magic
▫️forced proximity
▫️forbidden love

I really loved this book! I’ve not read a lot of Norse-based mythology, so this was a nice change of pace for me. The magic system seemed well thought out, and I liked the mixture of prophecies, interference from the gods, and the battle between fate and free will.

The plot is fast-paced and filled with adventure, political machinations, alliances, betrayals, and danger. I loved that Danielle didn’t make the battles seem glorious, but instead showed us how awful and horrifying they were to be in and how terrible the aftermath is.

My favorite part of the book was the chemistry between Freya and Bjorn. It was tense, angsty, and delightful. He has dedicated his entire life to vengeance, and Freya threatens that. In addition, she is married to his father, which further complicates their relationship. They have the best banter, and Bjorn has a deliciously dirty mouth. He is damaged, cocky, and strictly off-limits…which leads to the best slow burn ever!

My only complaint is that I found myself irritated with Freya, because she wouldn’t just accept that her family sucked and abandon them to their fates like they deserved. She continually saved them and put herself in danger for them, when they didn’t care for her at all. But besides that, she was a likeable enough heroine.

This was a great romantasy read and I recommend it!

Thank you to Del Rey, NetGalley, and Danielle Jensen for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I give this a 4.25! My first Danielle L. Jensen book and this did not disappoint! What I think is so great about her writing is that she builds up so much more for us to be invested in than just the romance aspect of the plot. There are so many threads and plot points where I felt like I literally couldn't stop reading because I just had to find out what happened next. Loved the chemistry of Freya and Bjorn. That ending!!! I'm gonna run to read the rest of Jensen's backlist while I wait for the next installment in this series.