Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy! All thoughts are my own. I swear, no one writes enemies to lovers like Danielle Jensen. This book had me on the edge of my seat and the way the Norse mythology was woven in was MAGICAL. Freya and Bjorns tension was oh so juicy and I’m rooting for them hardcore. The only reason I took a star off was because I predicted the twist at the ending pretty early on. If you’ve read the bridge kingdom this book follows a very similar format, I still loved it though!! Would definitely recommend this to everyone.

This books was fantastic!!! My favorite of this authors writing so far! The shock at the end of unexpected. Can’t wait for the next installment!!!

I *love* Danielle L Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series, so I was really excited for this new series, and very intrigued by the Norse mythology inspiration.
The beginning of the book was very strong, but ultimately did not hold my attention well and the romance didn't really do it for me.

I may still continue the series though depending how I am feeling when it comes back, because I still do trust Jensen enough to write characters and stakes that I care about.

A FATE INKED IN BLOOD by #danielleljensen ⭐️⭐️

I am so sorry this book was not for me! I was seriously so disappointed. I heard SO MUCH about this book when it first came out that it was gonna be the new FOURTH WING and I seriously don’t know how. It was a fantasy filled with a lot of spice, but the plot was basically non-existent.

It would be fight scene, sex scene, fight scene, but nothing ever moved the plot forward??? I was so confused constantly. It would be a giant fight scene and then legit nothing would happen they just moved on????? The characters were also so one-sided and had zero personality. The only thing the main characters could talk about was how sexy the other one was?? Even though the girl was his STEP MOM????? I seriously can’t believe I read this book and only finished it because of BOOK CLUB and I seriously hate myself that I did that.

Danielle L. Jensen can seriously write, that is not in doubt. However the character motivations here felt really murky and contrite....I hope the second novel can remedy this for the series

Honestly, this one left me a little cold. The worldbuilding seemed pretty shallow, I wasn't really invested in the romance (less will they won't they and more when will they because that's clearly where the book is headed), just really not much here that's new or interesting.

Love, love, love. Danielle Jensen does it again. You can never go wrong with her books! Everything from the world building to the character development is flawless!

Ok wow! As a fan of The Bridge Kingdom, I was super excited when I saw this book. A Viking fantasy romance? Yes please! I loved the magic and the incorporation of Norse mythology/gods into the story and the fast pacing making this a super enjoyable read. I did find the main character a bit immature and brash at times but I’m hoping this is indicative of more character development throughout this series. I also loved the build up of the tension/romance, the forced proximity was def *chefs kiss*

Over all, this was a 5 star read for me and I’m insanely excited to see where this is going in the next book!

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen had well-developed characters and a plot that was wildly entertaining. This book was a fantastic read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

What an amazing story! Danielle Jensen does not miss! I loved all the lore in this and it is so much different from their Bridge Kingdom series but no less entertaining and the action was nonstop!! I loved this one and Bjorn owns my heart. I can’t wait for the next one!

This is one of my favorite books of 2024. The setting and the plot line are both so unique, that I've never really read a book quite like it. The magic system is also so cool and fleshed out. I also loved the main character who is such an interesting one.

I am ashamed to admit how long I’ve had an ARC of A Fate Inked in Blood (almost a year!), though I am glad to have finally read it and gotten off my TBR! I really can’t say why I put it off for so long, other than my TBR got in the way. 

A Fate Inked in Blood is a Norse inspired fantasy romance with plenty of action and a ridiculous amount of pining. Freya is married to an awful man named Vragi who sells the secret of her shield maiden’s magic to Jarl Snorri. Snorri grants him a divorce and takes Freya to be his own wife. You see, a seer prophesied years ago that a woman blessed with Hlin’s magic would unite all of Skaland under one banner and of course Snorri believes he will be the one to achieve this. Gods forbid a woman do anything on her own. Unfortunately for Freya, she’s trading one set of shackles for another and even worse, Snorri has a ridiculously hot son who is blessed with the fiery gifts of Tyr.

There is so much lusting for the forbidden in this book that it should be illegal. Freya and Bjorn already can’t keep their eyes off one another, but Snorri immediately forces them together by having Bjorn assigned as Freya’s guard. He can’t let anything happen to his precious property - oops,I mean prophecy! Oh, and Bjorn is also training Freya so they’re always together. Snorri doesn’t waste time trying to unite the jarls of Skaland and drags Freya into needless danger on countless occasions - she almost freezes to death, she almost gets ripped apart by draug, and I haven’t even mentioned her near death experiences by mere humans!

Freya is ultimately pretty tough if you look at all the things she’s gone through and survived, but more often than not she’s just lucky and protected by big bad Bjorn and his flaming ax. She does get progressively more frustrating as the story goes along. I think this is largely due to the fact that her whining, lusting, and catering toward her terrible family gets old after a while. She makes many choices purely to keep her family safe from Snorri’s wrath, but her family doesn’t deserve her. Her mother and brother only wish to profit from her marriage(s) but don’t seem to care for Freya at all. Freya doesn’t have the agency to be a truly lovable character, and sympathy only goes so far. She just gets dragged along for 80% of the story, serving the whims of others and all the while I just kept waiting for her to put an ax in someone else deserving.

A Fate Inked in Blood was an entertaining read and I did actually enjoy the tension between Freya and Bjorn, though it was ridiculously obvious to anyone with eyes they had something going on. No secrets there. The action was great and I particularly enjoyed Freya’s mad charge of vengeance toward the end of the book! I am currently planning to continue on with the series and I look forward to seeing where things go with the Nordelanders so heavily involved now!

I haven't read anything else that Danielle Jensen has written though her Bridge Kingdom series has caught my eye.

This book was just kind of ok for me until it got good, but that was like the last 20-ish pages or something. I feel like there was a big chunk of this could have either been left out or used as like a novella.

I should have had a great time with this romantasy and vikings and a prophecy i mean helloooo but i just kinda feel meh about it. The characters weren't all that likable there was a whole lot of show and tell and even with all of that it felt like a whole bunch of nothing...

I really enjoyed this book. The story was well written. I loved the characters - especially Freya and Bjorn. They were characters I would have loved to know and have as friends. Love stories that have to do with Gods and Goddesses and their powers. I would love to read more from this author.

I liked this a lot!

I did get an ARC from Netgalley, (thanks so much!!!) and this review is entirely my own humbled thoughts.

The good far outweighs the bad, but it’s easier to record what annoyed me. So please don’t read into the fact that this will be about my gripes.

Freya was a FMC I really wanted to root for, but she made such weird choices (when she actually made choices and didn’t just let people control her). I am CONFIDENT this will be a key factor in her development and it’s probably going to be a good plot point, given the prophecy about her. So with a grain of salt, I really wanted more from her. Two brain cells, please. And her reaction to the spoiler at the end really bothered me. Like Snorri and co have been terrible the whole time, she hates them, but then she has some desperate loyalty to them anyways? HOWEVER, I think this was intentional and we are going to see so much growth. And I’m pumped for that.

The romance and MMC were fine! No complaints, really! But they also didn’t do anything super exciting or new. But that’s ok! I liked it.

The plot was nicely paced!

More or less, this was a fun romantasy read. It didn’t do anything super unique in the genre, lots of the same elements were there. BUT THIS ISNT A CRITIQUE. Obviously we like these books, you know?

There is a cliffy, and like 1.5 steamy scenes that were quite nice ;)



My last actual complaint is a spoiler. So, don’t keep reading if you’re afraid of that.



Ok? Spoiler below.


The ending is my least favorite trope of “they finally get to be happy, they have sex, and then the next morning we find out he kept secrets and instead of hearing him out, FMC reacts with blind fury and tries to return to circumstances just escaped from.” The devil you know?
So, hated that.

This was my first ever Norse mythology romantasy! I was a bit nervous about grabbing this ARC because i Have no knowledge about the Norse gods, however, this was extremely easy to follow with great explanations. The explanations didn't feel like a dictionary so it did not take away from the writing quality which is a great thing to do!
The end of the story was a bit predictable, but I'm taking that as i understood the story very well.
Great cover design, will 100000% be applying for book 2 ARC.

I DEVOURED this book!!!! let me tell you something — YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK AS SOON AS YOU CAN!! it’s incredible.

it truly is such an incredibly written novel. there is heartache, betrayal, growth, love, war, gods, power and so much more. I’m at a loss for words because I don’t want to give anything away. there are so many twists and turns you will be shocked by the ending. you’re going to fall head over heels in love with Bjorn — that’s guaranteed. and Freya is a strong female character that feels way more realistic than some of the other main female characters out there. I loved everything about this book - the plot, the characters, etc. also the world building is really well done so it’s easy to dive right into this book. Danielle Jensen does it again.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a fantasy romance set against a Viking-era backdrop. Freya has spent her life used and manipulated, and recently has been captured by a local jarl who believes she is the key figure in a prophecy that will bring him a kingship. As the jarl’s second wife, Freya is thrust into a political quagmire, where it seems like her only ally is the jarl’s son Bjorn. A charming ladies man and formidable warrior, Bjorn is ordered to protect Freya. Peril threatens on all sides, and Freya must choose between her growing feelings for Bjorn, protecting her family, and protecting the people she is sworn to.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There are parts that certainly dragged on a bit for me, and other points that seemed underdeveloped. Fans of Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series are likely to enjoy this one. The second part of the duology is slated for Spring 2025 I believe, and if you’re someone who doesn’t like loose ends in your stories, it might be worth waiting until the second book is released to start this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Main takeaway: What happened to Freya's toes.

Anyway, A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen was a jolly good time. Bjorn is a cutie, love him. The whole setting gave me major Assassins Creed Valhalla vibes (rightly so), which I had a grand time with. I personally love the Vikings, so I slurped this book right up. Great stuff. Everyone appeared to have brain cells, which is always exciting.

A Fate Inked In Blood did have its silly parts, mostly due to Freya having anger issues (understandably so). I saw the plot twists from a mile away, but it didn't ruin the book for me. If you are expecting your mind to be blown, maybe don't. If you are expecting a silly good time, you are in for a treat.

I saw one review that compared A Fate Inked in Blood to Fourth Wing and... I hate to say it, but I see it. The writing and plot are undoubtedly better, but there were certain...aspects that were similar. Not in an overly bad way, but in an "Oh, is this becoming a trend?" kind of way.

I was expecting a lot since I had heard such amazing things about Jensen's books. I wasn't necessarily disappointed; it just wasn't as God-teer as others have led me to believe. That being said, I did have fun and look forward to reading other novels by Jensen. I recommend this book if you love Vikings and want a spicy romantasy. I had fun, and you probably will too.

If anyone has suspicions about how Freya's toes are doing, let me know.

Thank you, NetGalley, Danielle L. Jensen, and Random House, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4/5 stars.

The premise of this book sounded great and I felt let down. It was the chemistry between the two MC's that I wasn't buying. The fantasy aspects had great potential but came across as a "it is what it is" type thing.