This was the first title I've read by Danielle L Jensen and the writing was beautiful. I loved the setting, and I loved how passionate and flawed Freya was, and how fiercely protective Bjorn was. I also very much enjoyed the inspiration from Norse mythology which I don't see as often in Romantasy. I'm left wanting more if the story and cannot wait for the next book. We'll be featuring this title in one of our store's upcoming book clubs!

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.

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!

I really enjoyed reading this Norse inspired romanasty. I think the characters are great , but get a little flat towards the end. I wanted more than the gods working through the two leads. The timing was good and kept me reading.
However, the ending left me flat. It just ended to quickly.

Freya is trapped in a horrible marriage until an incident occurs and she is forced to show her unique power that she has kept hidden for her whole life.

A Fate Inked in Blood is an action packed book full of mythology. Lots of twists and turns, shocking reveals, and a fast paced plot. I loved the unique culture and the high tension/high stakes.

I will say this book started to lose me towards the end. There were a few things that seemed to repeat a lot and some decisions I couldn't wrap my head around.

Overall, I would suggest and will definitely read the second book when it comes out.

This book has Danielle L. Jensen's usual excellent story telling but the rest of it felt like a pretty big shift in her writing. The spice was a lot and was just a bit too much for me. Also the beginning was a bit to slow for me.

Other than that though the story itself was very interesting and I think it will definitely find its audience and thrive there!

Thank you to netgalley for the eARC!

Filled with legends, gods, lore and sensuality.
Great build, loved the plot and the characters. I did the audio - very engaging and held my interest easily.
Freya is married to a horrid man - treated and used poorly. A opportunity arrives - Freya grasps her freedom, determined to be the warrior and lead the life she dreams. Finally encouraged to use her magic, Freya begins anew.
I loved the supporting characters - and obviously the banter of Freya and Bjorn.

4.5 ⭐️

This was PHENOMENAL. It was my first book by Danielle L.Jensen and now I can finally understand why people love her fantasy books so much. I was captivated and so immersed in the story since the first chapter. I loved every second of it; the high stakes, the battles were insane, the forbidden aspect kept me sweating and I feel in love with Freya. She was a strong, powerful, confident female main character that will do anything for her people and the people that she loves. The writing was super easy to get into and the world building was explained very well. I didn't had any questions because every single one was answered and I am so happy because I hate when authors leave plot holes in the stories. The plot was so unique and like nothing I have seen before, specially the aspect of the Vikings.

The forbidden aspect of the romance was delicious and I am glad that the author decided to go with a slow burn because it delivered gracefully. The ending was insane, I didn't see that coming and I seriously need the second book right this second because I need to know what HAPPENS. 🤯🤯🤯

Also ... training scenes? I am a sucker for those. 🥵

Ok so I’ve never read a book about Norse Gods etc , but wow I’m obsessed!! Literally this book was so great. The fmc is such a badass! I am so thankful I was able to get an arc for this book. I’m even more excited to have a special edition on order as well! The world building in this one was so great. Made it seem like you were actually in the story!

Vikings! Caves and furs! A clean and simple magic system! TWO hikes!

Not a lot of lovable characters in this one, guys, but I'd give anything for Bjorn to sit in my (cold and deeply drafty) living room all winter and save me from my very scary National Grid bill.

The nitty gritty: Jensen leans towards under description in her worldbuilding in a way that propels the story along quickly at the expense of being less immersive than I'd like, and I think there's some missed potential there. Also, the hints about the big twist at the end are a bit too heavy handed from the get go, so the eventual reveal isn't super satisfying.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this!! It's easy to read, the romance is gorg, and I think there's tons of room for Jensen to go deeper into the gods and magic in the next books. I'd recommend this especially to anyone who's A: just getting into the fantasy genre; and/or B: looking for something that feels both new and familiar to fill the PJO tv show void.

3.5 rounding up to 4! Freya is a bitch and an icon. I love angry girls <3

Thank you to Del Rey and PRH for the arc!!

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Saga of the Unfated series. I got an eGalley for this for review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: This was decent Norse influenced fantasy romance. Previous to reading this book I had read Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series (well I read the first two books, loved the first one, thought the second was okay and then never finished the series) and I also read her Malediction Trilogy (Loved the first two books, thought the third was just okay), and I have had her Dark Shores series on my list to read but never really got around to it. There were some parts of this I liked and, I as sit down to write this review, I am realizing that there were a lot I didn't like as well. In the end this was mostly just kind of forgettable to me.

The story follows Freya, a young woman in an unhappy marriage who dreams of being a warrior. When her husband betrays her magical power to the region's jarl, she finds herself bound to this jarl. The jarl has ordered his son, Bjorn, to protect Freya at any cost. Only Freya and Bjorn have a very strong attraction to each other that is making concentration on godly tests and wars very difficult.

To start with the things I liked. I really loved how Norse gods were woven into this story. I enjoyed the world building here and the action. There are quite a few fights and battles and these were well written.

Unfortunately, in a fantasy romance like this it's important to like the characters and I really struggled with that here. At the beginning of the story I really like Freya and was enjoying watching her get a new chance to find some happiness. However, as the story continues, she makes poor decision after poor decision all in the name of loyalty to a family that has been vile to her. It was frustrating to watch; her poor decisions are what drive the storyline forward, I just couldn't stomach it. In addition to this Bjorn starts off seeming like an intriguing character, however I started to intensely dislike him as well. Bjorn is deceitful and starts to treat Freya the very way he said he never would. In the end I thought they both deserved the mess they were in and didn't want to read anymore about them.

The writing style here is fairly easy to follow and read. The pacing varied some throughout and there were parts I thought were a bit slow. It was fine but nothing specatcular.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this is a decently done Norse-based historical fantasy romance. Originally as I was sitting down to write this review I was planning on giving this 4/5 stars, but as I started to write the review I realized the way the story ended and the characters themselves really left a bad taste in my mouth. If you love fantasy romance and don't mind unlikable characters that make poor choices this might be a good book for you.

Given how I haven't really loved any of Jensen's full series and mostly just really enjoy a book here and there, I think I will stop seeking out books by her. I also don't plan on continuing this series.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

A Fate Inked in Blood is the start of a new fantasy series inspired by Nordic gods and myth. Freya, the fated shield maiden, must learn to control her powers and her own fate after she’s tied to a power-obsessed king. But her attraction to his warrior son may be the most difficult part of all the rein in.

Like this author’s other books, this fantasy is unique and well-written. It’s a fun, fast-paced read, set in a well thought out world with interesting characters and high stakes. This book is also much spicier and lusty than her others, so romantasy fans will enjoy it. The plot twists were a bit predictable, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I’m excited to read book 2!

4.5✨

I love how Danielle writes, I love TBK, it is one of my favorite series, so I needed to read this one and it did not disappoint me.✨

This book surprised me, I love any type of mythology, but Norse mythology sometimes tends to be a bit heavy, and I loved this book that it is not complicated, everything is understood very well!!🤍✨

From the beginning it is very entertaining, there are always things happening that you simply want to read and read (5 chapters and everything was already happening haha😅🫣).

The plot is easy to read, nothing confusing, it is very well explained and at least in this first book, it is not a big world, so what happens around it is not complicated to understand, it would only be the war fights, but in overall, everything is very good!🛐

I don't want to say much because I feel like anything I say could be a spoiler 🧍🏻‍♀️🤣hahaha so I won't say much, just that it's very good, the world, the characters, the gods, the betrayals, the secrets, the last 10% just omg🫣

The tension between Bjorn and Freya, omg, enchanted✨ their interactions are very entertaining, and apart from the forbidden love it just intensified it, and with that ending of the book? I need the second one urgently! I would like to have Bjorn's pov, I hope he narrates in the second book🥹(I'm happy it's a duology, I can't wait so long)😩

-Forbidden love
-Norse mythology
-gods/goddess
-Bodyguard romance
-Romantasy
-One horse
-Forced proximity
-Prophecy
And more.

[release: February 27th]

Thanks netgalley for the arc

This was one of my most anticipated for this year. I loved that this was a Viking storyline and wish we had more of them.

This was a 3-3.5 for me... I loved the concept, but the $ex scenes were cringe. This was a decent book, but also very predictable. I'm willing to check out the next book, but can we please stop calling her private parts her $ex!? 🤮 There are so many ways to describe female anatomy without just calling it her $ex.... I just cant...

That being said, the story itself was pretty interesting. The plot was decent and I enjoyed the magic.

I highly enjoyed this romantasy and am already looking forward to the next in the series!

A Fated Inked in Blood managed to skillfully intertwine Norse legend with a fantastical Viking world. The world building was very palatable and fairly easy to understand. The storytelling was very vivid and intriguing. By the middle point of this book, I didn't want to put it down to see what came next.

The romance was also well-written and made me excited to see how it will continue. I think this will be a hit romantasy perfect for fans of ACOTAR or Fourth Wing.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey books for this arc! My opinions are my own.

Freya lives a quiet, miserable life as the wife of an awful fishmonger. However, she’s hiding a massive secret. She’s the shield maiden possessing the ability to drive away all enemies from vicious attacks. With the drop of blood of the Goddess Hiln, she is prophesied to unite the nation of Skland, under a king who controls her fate. Jarl Snorri believes to be this future king and when he finds out from Freya’s husband that she is the woman he believes he’s been waiting for, he sweeps her up to serve him and his agenda. With the Jarl’s depending on her and Freya’s budding feelings for his son, Bjorn, she must learn to navigate this dangerous world full of secrets, power and love.


I have very mixed feelings about this one.I really want to blame a mood/reading slump on these feelings, but I’m sure that’s it. Overall, I enjoyed it. . The magic and the world are very unique. I have never read a Viking inspired novel before so this was a fun change of the typical fantasy novel. However, the book was too fast paced for me. I needed some slowing down to really become attached to the characters. I did love Bjorn and Freya. However, I feel like we missed a few steps when getting to know the characters. I also found the story very predictable. I felt like I was just waiting and waiting for this “twist” to come to pass, only for it to be at the very end of the book. I do hope to read the next book. Even though it was predictable, I think the second book could be really good if done right. I just need some slowing down.

3.5/3.75?! stars

I was iffy going into this book just from the synopsis, but once I got about 15% in I was hooked and ended up staying up most of the night saying just one more chapter. Freya was a little hard for me to understand at first, was I going to like her or not, but after the story got going she hit all the right notes for me. Now Bjorn.. sigh.. that is a I will burn the world for you kind of guy. I enjoyed the twist and turns that their adventure takes and the character growth goes well throughout the book. I put this one on pre order for the sprayed edges and am looking forward to coming back to this world for more.

A Fate Inked in Blood follows Freya, the prophesized shield maiden blessed by the gods who will unite the nation. Given the weight of her destiny, she has been hidden her entire life, until now. With power hungry jarls fighting to be the one to wield her to their own victory, Freya must become the warrior she had always known she could be and choose how she will let her fate unravel - at the hands of others or forging her own path.

This book at me totally hooked right from the jump - between the norse mythology inspired magic, the characters, and the spot on pacing, I could not put it down. Freya is a fantastically written heroine; she is smart, fiercely loyal, and yet still flawed in a way that makes her real. There is a delicious forbidden love / slow burn that teases you through the greater plot (the BANTER!!) and the ending, while I did see coming, struck like an emotional anvil dropped from the skies. This book is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what the next book in this series will bring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC!

The pacing was alittle slow but it worked as the story progressed. The main character was interesting and the power system was pretty creative

For reference, the only other book I have read by the author is the first book of the Bridge Kingdom series. I found that I enjoyed this one more. It's really obvious to me how much she has grown as an author.

I think she did a good job with the world building and establishing the magic system. The story is based in a Viking civilization so there are a lot of aspects about the world and it's lore that are typical to that and predictable, but I don't necessarily count that as a negative.

What I did count as a negative were the characters names. There have to be other Viking names than the same 10 every single Viking story uses. I found myself rolling my eyes several times during character introductions. It feels petty, but it does take me out of the story.

Being the first in a series, I knew to expect a certain level of weakness in the protagonist as her character is established and she comes into her strength. I guess I just get frustrated when reading romantasy specifically how moments that should be dedicated to the protagonist's inner monologue working through clues, establishing her motivations, or developing her character derail into lusty thoughts about the love interest. Because when the reveal hit towards the end, it almost ruined the story completely for me because it didn't feel like there was enough groundwork laid for it to work for the narrative. I'd compare it to a similar reveal scene in Fourth Wing (if you know, you know), which was also a 3 star for me, but that reveal was entirely too obvious. This was the opposite of that, but somehow not as good. That's just my opinion. Up until that point I was leaning towards a four star, and then abruptly at the end it was a mid 3.

I am still 100% interested in picking up the sequel when it comes out. I am glad to have had the opportunity to read this ahead of release and I will be handselling this title to customers who read romantasy and enjoyed books like Fourth Wing.

I am both happy and upset that I received an arc copy of this book. I’m happy because this book was amazing from start to finish but I’m upset because the book isn’t even out yet and now I have to wait for the second! The revelation at the end has my head spinning and I have so many questions that I’m hoping book 2 will answer them all. This is my first book by Danielle L. Jensen and she did not disappoint one bit. This book has everything you need. Magic, forbidden romance, slow burn, battles, a little mystery, spice, mythology, and plot twists you don’t see coming. There were a couple things that bothered me from the book, like how her family treats her and she continuously defends them when they don’t deserve it and how she reacts to certain events that happen halfway through the book, but overall this book was incredible and I can’t wait to see where Freya’s fate will go in the next book.