4 ⭐
3 🌶️

This was an exciting read. I enjoyed the story, characters, Viking mythology that permeates it, the pacing (the author moves the story along at a nice pace), oh the banter, and all the action she included. I am trying to decide if my frustration with the heroine, Freya, is part of the character's arc or if she is just slightly annoying to me. The more I think about the story I believe it's part of Freya's character's unfolding story and will be resolved in the coming books. However, right now she's just pissing me off. Therefore I HAVE to read the next books for her to get her act together. I believe the author has done this to illustrate dramatically what is propelling the story forward with all the Viking gods involved. It is so rich the way the magic happens in this book, I quite enjoyed this aspect of the novel. Bjorn is a wonderful hero and I look forward to seeing his character develop along with Freya's as the series moves along. Some bad players need to be dealt with in the violent Viking way. All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, exciting read and I will definitely be looking for book 2!

Rating - 4/5 🌟

I was super lucky to get an early copy of this book from Netgalley, so thank you, Random House Publishing and Del Rey!

This was my first Danielle L. Jensen book and it didn't disappoint. I've seen that this book is a lot of people's most anticipated read for the beginning of 2024, and it was a hit!

I really liked the vibe that this book gives off and all the Norse viking lore that comes with it. This book was fast-paced, and the action scenes were well written. This book was a great entry to a new series!

Now we just have to wait for book two...

This was the absolute perfect romantasy for fans of Sarah J Maas or Carissa Broadbent; it truly had everything you could want out of the genre! Inspired by Norse mythology, we follow Freya, the Chosen One for a prophecy spoken years ago, as she is taken in by the jarl so he can pursue his "fate" with her help (basically he holds her family hostage and makes her do his bidding to "serve the gods" we love to see it). The jarl's son, bound to protect her, proves to be a forbidden love interest. What I often struggle with in "romantasy" is the lack of the fantasy plot, world-building included, but I found this book to be very well executed, with very little info-dumping or things done for convenience's sake--major plot points and events were laid out well, and any plot twists had a good amount of buildup. The ending was a little rushed, in that a few balls were dropped and then the book ended, but it wasn't enough to really complain about, rather leaving me excited for the next book! The romance was very well done and was slow-burn, but there was fun dialogue between Freya and Bjorn leading up to them admitting their feelings. If you're looking for a brutal fantasy with strong characters and a great romance, I highly recommend this one! You won't be disappointed, and I already can't wait to reread this!

Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 3 🌶️

💭 BOOK THOUGHTS: I was having the hardest time writing this review because I keep wanting to go back and reread my favorite parts (which is essentially most of the book)! 🤣 I was immediately sucked into the story and was able to binge it in 2-3 sittings, reminding me why Danielle Jensen is an auto read author for me. I loved the unique take on magic and Norse mythology within a romantic context. If you’ve read The Bridge Kingdom series and were hoping for a little more spice, A Fate Inked in Blood delivers! 🤌🏻😮‍💨 Plus in addition to a healthy dose of steam, the author weaves in an amazing narrative that kept me engaged and connected with the characters. I will definitely be getting a physical trophy copy for my shelves, because I know this is one I will read over and over again. Add it to your TBR ASAP!

READ IF YOU LOVE:
• Fantasy steeped in Norse mythology
• Forbidden romance
• Chosen one trope
• Forced proximity
• Slow burn
• Fiesty FMC

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for an advanced copy of this book!

A Fate Inked in Blood

Norse mythology, intriguing characters, plot twists, and the perfect amount of delicious spice, mix together to tell the story of Freya.

Her husband’s betrayal forces her to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a single drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic. A prophesy once spoke of her magic, and how the one who controlled her fate, would unite her nation.

The Jarl believes himself destined to be king, so he binds Freya with a blood oath. Freya knows she must learn to fight, and prove herself worthy of the gods by passing the rigorous tests placed before her…

But her attraction (and physical proximity) to Bjorn, the Jarl’s son, will be the most difficult test she faces.

Absolutely fantastic book, and I cannot wait until the next one. The prose is phenomenal, and the characters and world are rich. Bjorn is everything I’d want in an MMC, especially in that he resembles Ruhn from Crescent City. I highly highly highly recommend an immersive read. The names and terminology are not phonetic at all, and Nina Yndis does a fantastic job on the narration. Having the book in front of me as I listened really helped me appreciate the story and grasp the characters’ names.


So again… when is book 2? That ending was…

Short Synopis:
Freya has been blessed by the gods as the shield maiden. She has hidden her power her whole life so men with power don’t find her and use her magic. But when she can’t hide it anymore, a power-hungry king takes her for his wife to use her power for his own gain. But oh, he’s old and it’s his son that has caught her eye.

My Thoughts:
Before ever reading this book, I saw some artwork for the characters, and the MMC looked a lot like Ruhn from Crescent City, so I was immediately sold. BUT then I started the book, and met both characters and it was love.

This book has banter for days! The tension and romance were top notch. I loved the Norse-inspired aspects of the gods. The main characters were both so much fun. Freya was a spitfire. Bjorn was a strong warrior.

I did a mixture of reading this one and listening to the audio. And I adored the audio just as much. The narrator, Nina Yndis, really bought Freya to life. Her voice was the perfect casting for this Viking fantasy romance.

Read if You Like:
🛡️ Only One Horse 😏
🛡️ Forbidden Romance
🛡️ Norse mythology
🛡️ Banter. All the banter
🛡️ Forced Proximity
🛡️ Bodyguard and savior trope

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I had heard of Danielle L. Jensen before, she was never an author I had felt a major urge to read, as while I enjoy fantasy romance/romantasy, she never got pitched with the same reverence as the likes of an SJM, despite having multiple series in both YA and adult fantasy. Nevertheless, I decided to take a chance on her when I saw A Fate Inked in Blood, the first of a new series, Saga of the Unfated, available for review. Despite not fully knowing what to expect, I enjoyed it, and while this is my first book from Jensen, it won’t be my last.
The world building is very interesting, borrowing from Norse/Viking culture. While it’s still not a society I’m super familiar with, I could still pick up on subtle things that I recognized. It comes through in the narrative in a very unique, intriguing way, and it really stood out in comparison to a lot of what’s out there in the “romantasy” space right now.
Freya herself is a sympathetic protagonist, who begins the book in an awful arranged marriage to a boorish man. But she’s no delicate flower, and I love how strong-willed and confident she was, as well as being very dedicated to her people and putting their needs first.
There are definitely some tropey elements here, like the “chosen one,” and of course the forbidden love, but Jensen manages to make it feel fresh.
And as for that romance, it’s a slower burn than I expected, but that also works in the book’s favor. There is such an intriguing, taboo dynamic, given Bjorn is her husband’s son, so he feels an obligation to protect her for somewhat-filial reasons. I love how he’s truly a contrast to his father, constantly building up her confidence.
This is a solid first book in a series, and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy romance.

i loved this world and just the overall storyline of this book. the way that the author tied in all the norse mythology and still made it unique to her story was amazing. i really enjoyed freya. i feel that she is a great fmc that i am very interested to see where her journey takes her and how her fate slowly reveals itself. bjourn is the perfect mmc to compliment freya and i thought that the romance subplot worked really well in this book too. there were some things i was able to predict were going to happen, but it didnt take away from me enjoying this read. this book is magical, adventurous, and and epic fantasy that i think readers will love. this was a great first book that has me excited to see where the series takes us!

Thanks to Del Rey for the copy of this book!

Was I obsessed from the first chapter? Yes. Is this maybe my new book personality? Yes.

Rooted in Norse mythology, A FATE INKED IN BLOOD delivers all the best elements of a romantasy: a swoony warrior, a feisty female main character, sizzling banter, blessings from gods, twists, and the only one horse trope. I thoroughly enjoyed every single word in this book and had the best time reading it. There’s something about Danielle’s writing that just flows so nicely and keeps me really engaged - and I think that makes it a perfect book for most fantasy readers!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC.

3 ⭐️

The first half of this book had 5 star banter and a welcome slow burn romance between the two main characters, Feyra and Bjorn, after that it just kinda fell off for me and the romance didn’t really feel all that genuine. Bjorn’s father made me want to gouge my eyes out and ruined a lot of the story for me - who I know is supposed to be unlikeable but it felt too forced. I was just happy the book was over by the time I finished it, which was a bummer because I really enjoyed the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed 50% of the way through.

Usually, I drop a DNF at 20% but I was trying to give this book a chance with its fantasy/magic angle. It disappointed me. :(

This is definitely more of a romance than a straight-up fantasy book. Everything is about Freya/Bjorn and everything else is an afterthought. I didn't like how insta-love the romance is and how Bjorn drags Freya into situations he created--they're constantly insulting each other.

I also can't get past how Freya marries Bjorn's dad in the first couple chapters of the book so it's like...double ick to me.

It also didn't help how Freya was the protagonist but was just often sitting there twiddling her thumbs as men such as her husband and son-in-law Bjorn did all the heavy plot lifting. Freya, as a protagonist, was not fun to read about.

I'll stop there before I keep going but it was a very disappointing read. I'm going to run away anytime people say "This is the next Fourth Wing!"...Fourth Wing wasn't that good.

4.5 stars!

Freya is a shield maiden blessed by the gods but has been hiding her power since she was a child. She’s tied in an unwanted marriage and when he betrays her for his own greed, she’s forced to envoke her magic to save herself. Now, based on a prophecy told long ago, Freya finds herself in yet another unwanted marriage to Jarl Snorri, who believes he’s destined to rule as King of Skaland with Freya at his side. As she navigates her new situation and learns to be a warrior and to control her magic, she also finds herself attached to the Jarl’s son Bjorn, whose attraction she cannot deny.

This book sucked me in from page ONE. It’s super fast paced and keeps you so entertained the whole time. The lore and norse inspired story line was so well done and intriguing. Freya is such a fierce FMC and her chemistry with Bjorn is hot, hot, HOT. This book had literally all my favorite tropes: forced proximity, forbidden romance, one horse, SLOW burn, sharing body heat (UGH)... SO, SO good.

I couldn’t put this down and tbh it was 5 stars for me up until about 80% in. Some of the behaviors of the FMC towards the end had me so annoyed. I felt like her behaviors were repetitive and I was tired of it a little and I was frustrated by the end BUT I am very excited for book 2!!!

As a huge fan of one of the author’s other series (The Bridge Kingdom), I had really high expectations for A Fate Inked in Blood. I was also intrigued about the premise and inclusion of Norse mythology elements. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed overall. I did not feel like I connected well with the female main character, Freya. She was brash, and often I was frustrated with her decisions. I found the concept of children being blessed and given powers by the various gods to be interesting. I will say that the book picked up for me in the second half. Some of the plot points were predictable, but I found myself surprised by others. I will absolutely read book 2 to see how the story continues!

This had me from the first page. God-blood, snappy comebacks, and battle scenes fill this book. If the first book is like this, I don’t know if I can stand having to wait for the rest.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This was an amazing story. I really enjoyed the strong, fierce female characters.
What drew me to this book was the gorgeous cover, and the fact that it was about Vikings and the old Norse Gods. The story line about Freya and Bjorn was my favorite part. This book was exciting and action filled, and it also had romance and heartbreak woven into it. The story was very well written and it had a twist. It kept me entertained, eager to find out what was going to happen. Now I have to patiently wait for the next book to come out before I find out the rest of the story.

LOVED IT. Period. A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. I have skipped over this book many times, and it was a HUGE mistake. I have had trouble finding a book that sucked me in from the beginning (coming off of a Yarros/Maas hangover will do that to a reader). Danielle DID IT. I've had many of her books on my never-ending tbr, and I think she just pushed her way up to the top of the list.

I enjoyed that this book was a Norse based fantasy, which is something that I am not usually drawn to. I am a sucker for strong and clever FMCs, and Freya fits the bill. Bjorn is *chef's kiss*, and their banter is top notch. I giggle snorted so much throughout this book. The twists and turns kept you on the edge of your seat; and the chemistry between Freya and Bjorn was out of this world. Bjorn is bound to be everyone's newest book boyfriend - how can he not be when he's spitting lines like: "I will be at your back until I cross to Valhalla, Born-in-Fire, whether you want me there or not." *swoon*

The ending was EXACTLY what I look for in a book. It was just enough of a twist to make you mark you calendar for the next release date, but not so crazy that you are making charts and obsessing over what is going to happen next.

I love Norse mythology and vikings, so when I saw this arc on Netgalley I jumped at the opportunity to grab it and I’m extremely glad I did. I forgot how much I enjoy Danielle L. Jensen's writing especially when it comes to worldbuilding she ALWAYS does a fantastic job at it. And the story never disappoints at drawing you deeper and deeper.
We have 2 amazing main characters, Freya who has the magic of Hiln the shield maiden, and she is a part of an important prophecy: Whoever controls the shield maiden, controls Skalands fate. Her husband is a piece of shit and tells Jarl Snorri and she ends up fighting our mmc, Bjorn. She ends up making a blood oath and marrying the crazed man and Bjorn is set to protect her. And boy does this setup the plot well. 2 main characters trying to deny their attraction to each other? My favorite trope! I loved Freyas character so much, and she had such amazing development throughout the book and she paired extremely well with Bjorn who seemed a bit more controlled. There were spicy romance scenes in this book and I’m just saying, Danielle please… put more in the next book I'm begging you.
The book was extremely well paced, and like I said earlier the world building was well done so you’re never confused and you always have enough information on what's going on and if you’re a mythology nerd like me, the parts including Norse mythology will have you giddy.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

"Her fate is inked in her blood . . . . It's carved in her bones. This power is Freya's destiny."

If you're looking for a fast-paced fantasy romance with a strong female main character, Norse mythology themes, and a struggle against fate, this book is for you. This book follows Freya, a fishwife in a local village whose life is changed in the blink of an eye when it is revealed that she has the power of a minor god and is unfated. Jarl Snorri is convinced Freya's power will make him the king of a united Skaland, as foretold by a Seer's prophecy two decades prior. Determined to save her family from Snorri's wrath, she reluctantly agrees to be under his control.

The pacing of this book is reminiscent of Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing and is a wild ride from start to finish. Freya is confronted with trial after trial, all of which Snorri claims are tests by the gods. These trials make it hard to put this book down and constantly keep the reader wondering how Freya will survive the challenges she faces. By her side throughout each of these challenges is Jarl Snorri's son Bjorn, who recently returned from enemy lands after being held captive for most of his life.

Despite being unfated, Freya finds herself constantly struggling throughout this book with her desire to make her own way in the world, while either being used or targeted by others because of her power. The one exception to her unhappiness continues to be Bjorn, who like her, is unfated and has the power of a god. Together, they navigate their growing feelings for each other and Jarl Snorri's hold over Freya to give him power over all of Skaland.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and plot of this book, I struggled with the characters and relationships. Freya is not a dumb character -- quite to the contrary -- however, she continues to make dumb decisions time and time again. While it is believable in the beginning of the book that her decisions are driven by her need to protect her family, her desire to protect her family becomes less and less clear as the book goes on. This makes her decisions towards the end of the novel confusing and creates an artificial struggle. Additionally, while the relationship between Bjorn and Freya throughout the first 60% of the book was compelling, it became less so as the book went on. The relationship struggles became repetitive and I was slightly confused by the sudden devotion of the characters to each other. Some more buildup in their relationship would have made it more believable.

That being said, I will likely read the next book in this series because I am curious about what will happen next. The book ends on a major cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Jensen writes next!

What a fun and amazing read! This is my first Danielle L. Jensen book and I was not disappointed in the slightest. The characters, world, and story were just so fun and I am so excited to read her other books.