I’m a big fan of Bridge Kingdom and Danielle Jensen. So I was pretty stoked when I saw this ARC on NetGalley.

Full of betrayal, twists and turns, this book kept me on my toes. It started off intense and never let up.

As soon as I thought I could predict the plot, something new and intriguing happened. The pacing felt spot on.

The romance plot was believable and swoon worthy. The perfect mix of romance with fantasy.

A couple things that bugged me, I hate how flip-floppy the FMC was. One moment she was guilt ridden, worried about her family, and the next didn’t care. I wanted her to own her decision. Even when she does make a decision towards the end, she has immense amount of guilt and threatens to go back on her word when things start to go awry.

Secondly, the language took me out of the story a few different times. Not a huge deal but it wasn’t consistent.

That being said, I will continue to read the series and overall enjoyed it immensely

Read if you like:
⚡️Norse mythology
🌊Vikings
✨Romantasy
🪄Magic
👏🏻Bad ass women
😾Broody MMC

Thanks to NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f romantasy
-norse-inspired
-forbidden romance
-forced proximity
-he's soft only for her
-hate how attractive you are

I loved every minute of this. The incredible world building and magic system, the forbidden romance. This book had me in such a chokehold. We go from I'm going to kill my terrible husabnd, forced married to another man, but falls for his son. The vibes were impeccable. Freya was such a fierce heroine, struggling to let anyone take care of her. And Bjorn, gosh Bjorn. Just so soft on her from the moment of their not so cute meet, protecting, and caring for Freya in a way no one ever had before.

There are twists and turns, Norse gods, a coming war, and road trip elements that just had me keep reading knowing that even in the calmer moments something was about to happen. Especially that ending, I cannot wait to see how this series continues.

4/5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. I think a part of me enjoyed this story so much because it reminded me of the Volsung Saga meets any Greek myth involving the child of a god proving themselves meets the tale of Tristan & Isolde meets The Six Deaths of the Saints by Alix Harrow. Was this the best thing I’ve ever read? No. It still had the tropes and aspects that normally I don’t like. Such as a reluctant chosen one and leaning a little heavily on internal monologues. Not to mention some of the bantering felt a tad modern, like it would’ve been said by a millennial, and I say this as a millennial. However, it did not bother me so much in this book because it was very entertaining. Same for the plot twist. Like I guessed it around the halfway point, but then I was hit with like two more little twists that I did not see coming.
This book probably won’t be for everyone, but if you like any of her other books, you’ll love this one. Plus, I always forget how her a slow burn, yet don’t feel like one because of all the sexual tension. Aka this is good for the romantasy girlies. Would recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

ARC Review

A Fate Inked in Blood
Danielle L. Jensen
Pub Date: February 27th, 2024
 
SYNOPSIS:
"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.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she has sworn to protect."

This book was action packed and full of adventure. It had a such a good, slow-burn romance. Throughout the book, Freya is falling in love with the King's son, while married to the King, the drama had me fully invested!

It was just such a privilege to get to read this book before the pub date. I cannot wait to continue this series and get my hands on that beautiful hardcover coming out! Check it out if you haven't!

A huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Ray and NetGalley for sending me this e-arc!

5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟! A must read!

Violent, Steamy, axtion packed, and God magic?

Yes please!!!

This wasn't even hard to rate, absolute perfection! I will take no criticism for this book, I loved this so much

This was in incredible read. If you're obsessed with the TV show "Vikings" you'll love this!

This story is rich with Norn culture and you don't need to be am expert to follow along, but its not overbearing to the point where you feel overloaded with information.

Freya and Bjorn both have a drop of a God's magic manifesting in such a unique and incredibly vivid way. Freya with almost like a force field and Bjorn an axe made entirely of fire. Each power corresponding with the God they represent. These abilities are solely unique to all children on the gods, which are rare and highly sought after to strengthen armies.

The world building is fantastic, it jumps right off the page, and pulls you in. It wasn't difficult at all to picture it even when you are pulled from one location to another. I saw it all so clearly which speaks wonders to the writing skills of Jensen!

Dont even get my started on Bjorn! Ugh I love him. If you ever had a crush on Bjorn from "Vikings" (and who didn't) you won't be able to get enough of this new character. He's able.to charge head first into battle, chopping down warriors like nothing, but also incredibly protective and mindful of Freya's needs. And the back and forth with him and Freya had me smiling and kicking my feet, it was sarcastic, smart, and filthy. Absolute perfection.

Then we have Freya, a woman who was used and abused all her life and even through it all tried her hardest to try to find a shred of happiness when she could have just given up.

The other minor characters in this book were also very well written. You could only be introduced to a character for a few chapters and you create such strong feelings towards each and every one of them! It was not hard to love or hate them, especially when the justifications were valid, whether you agreed or disagreed. Also keeping in mind the Norn culture made it hard to hate them straight out. Most of my anger came from Freya's treatment and less about how Jarl's desire for more power.

I can't wait for the next installment! The 2nd book dosen't even have a release date and I just need more!

Adult | Fantasy Romance | Viking

This book was such a vibe. I loved the heck out of it. The ending was a little flat for me due to the overuse of this trope in these types of books but I'm not mad. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between our two main characters. Seeing as they may be 20 and <25 respectively their choices made sense. This fast paced book is filled with family, forbidden romance, and the right amount of showing and telling.

Thank you to the publisher and author for letting me read this book early.

Thank you to Del Rey for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

In a year when I've been VERY skeptical of romantasy because of overcrowding in the genre, A Fate Inked in Blood came in and gave me something that felt fresh and surprised me. I loved this Norse inspired romantasy read.

Freya as a character has her flaws, but isn't a bumbling idiot. The world felt fresh and the chemistry was evident from the moment Bjorn walked on the page. I loved the banter. This was truly the perfect execution of romantasy as plot and romance were perfectly woven, an the romance felt not only believable, but necessary to the plot.

The worst part of this book is that I fear I will simply perish as I wait for the second book in the series.

a fate inked in blood is the first in a new romantasy duology by danielle l jensen. and ohhhh boy does this book embody the romantasy genre so so well. i’m so happy i gave it a shot, you’ve got vikings, battles, meddling gods and magic, forbidden romance full of pining and badass characters. i relished in the slow burn and truly wondered how the romance was going to come about. i enjoyed the magic system and world building in general. it had such a different vibe than some of your romantasy books and now i need more norse inspired fantasy books to add to my tbr. oh and let’s please not forget bjorn…oh goodness, BJORN!!!! he knew exactly what to say if you know what i mean 😉 the banter between him and freya was top notch! the plot was super interesting and that ending left me wanting book 2 out immediately only to remember this hasn’t been released yet😩😩😩

i need everyone to read this asap when it’s released and then we can commiserate while we wait for book 2

thank you to netgalley and del ray books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review✨

The new Jensen series releases next month and it is going to be an instant bestseller. I love Jensen’s other books and this new series is off to a great start. She normally writes YA but this one has a bit of spice, so likely is more New Adult.

What I love most about it is the Viking culture where it takes place. Freya is a child of the Gods and told by prophecies to be the shield maiden. She is unluckily found by a power hungry leader who wants to be king. He uses Freya to scare other lands so he can make them fall to him. He also tasks his son Bjorn to be her overseer, but that backfires on him as he falls in love with her.

There is a bit of a predictable twist at the end but leaves the reader wanting the next book now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fate Inked in Blood | Danielle L. Jensen
Releasing February 27, 2024

It's been a really long time since I completely devoured a story like this – I picked this up and read it from start to finish in less than 24 hours. I just could not get enough.

This book had absolutely everything a romantasy lover could want – a badass warrior heroine with goddess-given power, a hot warrior dude, lots of banter and tension, all surrounded by a really interesting and unique magic system that proves vital in a time of war. All of the best micro tropes are there, like there being only one horse, battle training and forced proximity (plus a lot more that I won't mention to avoid any spoilers). What really sets this book apart is that it is rooted in Norse mythology, with viking warriors who dream of achieving entrance to Valhalla.

I was so excited to receive this ARC, and I cannot wait for this story to continue!

𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
✦ slow burn romance
✦ vikings + norse mythology
✦ girls with swords
✦ intervening gods
✦ classic romantasy tropes

This felt very rushed and had for them to be fated mates it ended up being an insta love. I would have like to see a longer love story with them. Good magic system, fun read all together.

Thank you to NetGalley and ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this eArc! You will find my unbiased review below.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a Fantasy Romance i spired by Norse Mythology written by Danielle L. Jensen.


Freya is trapped in a marriage when she really wants to be a warrior out raiding their enemies. When she is asked to prove herself in a battle to the death her secret is uncovered. Now taken as a pawn disguised as a wife due to a prophecy- she must try to survive every Jarl wanting her for the taking with the help of Bjorn, blessed by the God Tyr.


I have confirmed with A Fate Inked in Blood that Danielle L Jensen is one of my favorite authors. This book is packed with betrayal, action, romance, etc. Once I started this, I literally could not stop. The world building - not overwhelming. The action - easy to in-vision and understand what’s going on. The foreshadowing - I was able to pick up on the twist and turns but if you don’t catch on - THEN IT TAKES YOU FOR THE SWERVE OF YOUR LIFE. The family drama is maculate.

Now, I enjoyed Bjorn so much and he’s probably my favorite character in this series (I’m assuming there will be more). I liked Freya, and despite my disagreement on how loyal she is to her family, I understood it. However, sometimes her getting upset or whenever she feels any time of negative emotion it is almost like she’s throwing a tantrum. Not counting in battle. I hope to see her development in learning how to manage her anger.

Rating: 4.75 ⭐️ / 5 ⭐️ Rounded up to 5.

This was the perfect book for those wanting to transition from YA to NA/Adult fantasy. Next to the romance, the world building in this book is it’s greatest strength. Jensen has created a lush, intricate world. She has painted a picture which is quite vivacious and vivid full of compelling characters; with the plot intense enough to had you sat on the edge of your seat throughout the reading time.

Danielle L. Jensen does it again. I was fully immersed in this brutal, cold world. Freya has always had her own fire within where she wants to be in charge of her own life and throughout the book starts taking control. The relationship between her and Bjorn is so spicy. Loved the twist and how it upends Freya but also gives her the strength to finally be in charge of herself and vow to fight for what she wants.

3.5 stars

I’m a little conflicted about what to say in this review. I’m a big fan of Danielle’s and this was definitely a fun read, but I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. I loved the Norse mythology, Vikings, and the magic system with different powers granted by the Gods at birth. Freya and Bjorn’s connection started out strong with their flirty banter & forbidden romance, but overall I didn’t really feel all that moved by their relationship and their declarations weren’t really making sense by the end. Most of the characters were actually pretty awful (purposely so) but it could have used a few more redeeming ones. That being said, the ending was promising so I’ll definitely continue the series to see where it goes.

Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

This is a fun and pretty engaging romantasy at first. I read Jensen’s Bridge Kingdom series and loved it. I found the world-building in this book to be much more inconsistent and confusing. Freya grates towards the end of the novel and Bjorn loses his initial intrigue.
This book falls apart as the plot moves forward. Freya makes lots of bad decisions and acts very passively to meet the needs of the plot. The divine blood business is not well defined.

Hated the cliffhanger.

Freya is trapped in an unhappy marriage but dreams of becoming a warrior. Her wish unexpectedly comes true but not as she wanted– when she’s forced to reveal the divine blood that makes her a shieldmaiden, Freya becomes the pawn of a powerful jarl bent on expanding his influence. But Freya, alternately assisted and stymied by the jarl’s handsome and god-touched son, wants to make her own destiny.

This is a fun and pretty engaging romantasy. I read Jensen’s first Bridge Kingdom book and didn’t particularly enjoy it– the world building wasn’t substantial enough to help me suspend disbelief. While the world-building is certainly better here, there are some other good qualities: Freya is a more compelling main character, Bjorn has more personality, and the sexual tension could be cut with a knife.

In my opinion, to be a spectacular romantasy, the book would be good with the romance removed or the fantasy removed. That’s not the case here– without the romance, there’s not much substance. Freya makes lots of bad decisions in the interests of advancing the plot. The divine blood business is not well fleshed out. I guessed one of the big ahas in the first couple of chapters (but I’m not always looking to be surprised by the books I read). Despite all that, this one is a fun, light read that’s perfect for this sudden fashion for Viking-inspired books.

Warning: this is the first in a series, which isn’t immediately clear. Expect a cliffhanger.

From the very first page I simultaneously could not put this book down, while also not wanting it to end! I didn't want to stop reading, but also knew the more I read the sooner it would be over. I enjoyed every single second and knew even before the end of the book that this will be one of my top reads this year, even though it is only January!

This book reminded me why Danielle L. Jensen is one of my favorite authors. She builds incredible fantasy worlds (this one including Vikings and magic!), creates high stakes plots, and writes perfectly executed romance. Bjorn and Freya's enemies to lovers and forced proximity storyline was incredible. Their banter was off the charts amazing and I totally had a crush on Bjorn from the very moment he came into the story. He is definitely one of my top book boyfriends now! And that was all before she posted the artwork of Freya and Bjorn, where he is even more 🔥🥵 than I imagined! @offbeatworlds did incredible ❤️

I need the next book ASAP! I am so hooked on this world and these characters!

Thank you to Netgalley and Danielle for the ARC! Definitely preorder this one NOW!

Vikings, romance, magic and battles? Sign me up. The book has a fast pace. Freya is put into some very difficult situations, but behaves like a badass. There’s some great action moments in here. Bjorn is pretty swoony and noble. There’s a forbidden romance and slow burn attraction. The situations seem to get worse and worse, but they keep figuring out a way through it. Banter and a good sense of humor bring some balance to this book. A good quality, fun romp in fantasy romance.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 

A little predictable honestly, but still so very good! I loved it. Freya frustrated me at times toward the end though. You can be a good person and kind and still not let your awful family dictate your life or choices. Just because your love is greater, doesn't mean you deserve to constantly feel pushed aside or used, especially by family. I too have family issues right now and it's because I put myself and my happiness first. 

All in all, I love Danielle's writing and stories so much. Each are so unique and different to each other but yet still so good. Cannot wait for the sequel eventually.