I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were great, the plot kept me hooked. I could not put it down. Definitely worth the read!

I expect "A Fate Inked in Blood" to be a TikTok favorite, but this one may actually be worth all the hype!

Jensen is a veteran of romantic fantasy- she understands that without a compelling plot and believable world-building, the book will be like any old dud on Kindle Unlimited. Freya's Skaland is appropriately viking-esque, gore and sex included. There's a few anachronisms (and dear god, please stop using "arse"), but they don't prickle too much.

There's some pacing issues- some duller moments that stall the momentum- but overall, the 400+ pages fly by. The real selling point will be the romance between Freya and her technical son-in-law, Bjorn. The situation establishes excellent pining and satisfying pay-off. As it seems to be with Jensen, her female main character is much more complex and layered than her male love interest, but that's totally fine with me.

If you see it on social media, worth a read!

Danielle L. Jensen did a phenomenal job with this book. I was captived and on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading the book. The tension and witty banter between Between Bjorn and Freya were so good. I love how Freya doesn't take any crap from any man and how she continually gets stronger and stronger. The twists and turns this book took I never saw coming. Bjorn's betryal came out of left field and ripped my heart out. I felt so bad for Freya. Heart heart ache was so palapbable. I loved every minute of this ride, and I can't wait for book 2

4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. I thought to story and lore were interesting and engaging. I related a lot to Freya’s struggles and while it was maddening at times I am excited to see how she grows in the rest of the series. The banter between Freya and Bjorn was great and their slow burn was just perfect. Based on the description I was expecting a bit more moments of training (sword/battle and magic) with Freya and some moments on her journey did feel a little repetitive but those things did not take away from enjoyment of this book. The ending left me wanting to know what would happen next and I am excited to continue this series!

I was thrilled to try this book by Danielle Jensen. I had not read her work before and the idea of a Norse inspired novel intrigued me.
As I write, I struggle to find the correct thoughts and words to express my overall feeling toward this book.
While the setting obviously takes place in a Scandinavian area there is writing /vocabulary used throughout the book that seems more modern/American, specifically the cursing used as cute banter between the two leads. The dialogue is cute but it seemed more suitable in a rom-com. I didn't feel like it fit the genre.
If you are not a fan of insta -love and fairly steamy sex scenes you may want to skip this one....especially chapter 33. Just. No.
While there was some potential and there were a few twists toward the end that were slightly surprising, I really do not see myself continuing this series or recommending to others.
The cover art is amazing, though!!

At first, I was nervous because this one didn’t immediately grab me the way The Bridge Kingdom did. Freya felt a bit like a lukewarm protagonist. I liked her fine but I was constantly wanting a bit more from her. A lot of her major plot points seemed to happen to her or around her but not BY HER. She’s this self-proclaimed fighter and dreamer of being a warrior but we don’t see much of that until the end. That being said, I’m curious if this characterization is more underlined by the plot (her being used as a tool for her husband to become King) than poor character development as we see a bit of a shift near the end.

Even with these points, I found myself excited to pick this up and hesitant to put it down. I liked the pacing, Bjorn (I would have loved some POV sections from him!), the mystery about who may be the traitor at their camp, and what the gods' plans are for Freya.

This was one where I didn’t realize it had hooked me in until well after it happened.

I’m excited to continue this series and see what happens next

Not since "Sky in the Deep" have I enjoyed a nordic tale so much! If you are looking for novel worthy of a skald to regale in Valhalla, then this one is for you.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Del Rey publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

From the start the reader wants more for Freya. She was sold into a loveless marriage to a man whose self worth is over exaggerated and abused merely because he has a drop of gods blood in his veins. Then when Freya's secret is revealed and she is names Shield Maiden, she is once again tricked into marriage to a powerful man who will only use her for what she can do for him. This novel is Freya's journey to control her own fate instead of being fated to destroy the world as she knows it in the name of powerful men. There is a love interest that is so mouth watering that it kept me reading well into all hours of the morning, and battle scenes that will sate any blade's blood lust. Cannot tell you how much I highly recommend this book and how much I am eagerly anticipating the second book in the Saga of the Unfated series. Jensen, please feel free to take your time and give Freya the story she deserves! ;-) That's how good this book was for me...I'd rather wait and let the author take her time, than rush her into a subpar story which has been a sad norm in books these days. Just saying!

NO REGRETS!!!!
5 satisfying stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you love romantasy you HAVE TO read this! I’m absolutely blown away by how much I loved it. It’s romantasy, but with the epic fantasy feels of series like The Lord of the Rings and maybe ACOTAR, with lots of battles. This is unique in that it follows Norse mythology, and the Viking slant is brutal and so, so good.

I’m in love with Freya and Bjorn, and I’m struggling to capture their relationship without spoilers! All I know is that I need the second book already and I’m not sure how I’ll wait! Definitely not patiently!

Loved this book. Normally not a fantasy reader. Hoping there will be a second book. Really enjoyed the characters.

My honest review is that I did not get the excitement with this book.
While usually I am a fan of Norse and Viking mythology this book fell flat
But, it didn’t live up to my expectations.
The author’s quick-pace writing, and the sense of Skaland and the Norse “feel” was okay, but the characters did nothing for me. I found Freya to be immature and annoying, and Bjorn was fine, but the two together and their forbidden insta love didn’t ring true, it felt very forced and cringey.. They didn’t hit my favorite couple meter at all.
Aside from that, it felt very YA to me, all of the way through, and the twists were just too predictable.
I am absolutely in the minority, and it seems there is a lot of love for this title. I just didn’t do it for me.

I loved the use of Norse Mythology and the Viking vibes throughout the book. The comedic timing is unmatched and I couldn’t get enough of the banter between the main characters. I anticipated the twist at the end as we got closer to it, but I was still shocked with how it played out. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more!

"A Fate Inked in Blood” meet my high expectations, delivering a captivating romantasy. The intricate world building and mythology, coupled with stolen glances, drew me in. While some plot elements were predictable, Jensen skillfully engages readers in connecting the dots ahead of the characters. If you crave forbidden romance, Norse mythology, and strong female characters, this novel is a must pre-order!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House publishing group for this advance reader copy!

I can honestly say, this genre doesn't ever keep my interest but WOW. This was such a fun read with lots of action packed scenes, as well as some drawn out ones. Overall this was a fantastic read.

This is the first Danielle L Jensen book I have read and I am hooked! I could not put this book down, loved everything about it. The Norse inspired fantasy world, the characters, and the storyline were all phenomenal. The cover of this book is so beautiful I had to pre-order to add to my collection. Can’t wait to read again!

Somehow familiar yet fresh, I knew A Fate Inked in Blood would become a genre fav within chapters of reading. Readers of the genre will flock to join Freya on her tumultuous journey and newcomers will fall easily into step with Jensen's accessible worldbuilding and fast-paced plot. This first in a new series is rich in it's lore and dynamic characters, with tales of gods and mortals and trials and wars. This story could have easily been bogged down by it's magic system and political intricacies, but Jensen weaves a tale full of banter and charm and heartwarming main characters that readers will find themselves cheering for and screaming at in equal measure.

4.5⭐️ Rounding up, I'm rusty on reviewing but this one was a lot of fun

**Big big thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Del Rey for the eARC**

I just finished this book and my mind is reeling! The twists and turns the book took me on and the shock of some of those twists was amazing.

I loved the World, which is based on Norse mythology. The world building was really easy to understand and was revealed as it was needed in a seamless way. I also really loved the magic in this world, it was unique and interesting.

The pacing of the story was above reproach. The story never dragged, I couldn’t wait to get to the next page to find out what was going to happen. The romance between the FMC and MMC was slow burn angsty deliciousness. There was some spice later in the book and it was just the right amount of spicy and passionate romance.

The story delivered on every single thing that I love in a fantasy romance… heart pounding action, interesting world and an intense love interest. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy romance. One of the best I’ve read in a long time.

A Fate Inked In Blood was an amazing read! It was a fast paced, action packed story based in Norse mythology. Danielle L. Jensen writes a truly captivating story with a wonderfully strong, intelligent female character. I can’t wait for the sequel. This is a perfect read for those who enjoy Sarah Maas, as well as those reading The Fourth Wing series.

A tale depicting the trouble when children blessed by Norse gods are the only people to have control of their own fate.

This is a world of violence and brutality. The antagonists are very easy to hate. The male protagonist is morally grey, mysterious, and extremely loveable. The world and societal structure this is set in creates a lot of frustrating emotions. I’m genuinely looking forward to the next addition to this story.

This had a slow start, and to be honest, the entire book felt like an intro for book two to come in and knock our socks off. It felt like the story didn’t start until we reached the last 50 pages. Overall, it was enjoyable though and I am VERY eager to read the sequel once it releases as the cliffhanger we’re left with in AFIIB really got the ball rolling. I’m a big fan of Danielle Jensen and I have no doubt that this will be a favorite once the story progresses further into the series!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of A Fate Inked In Blood in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sending me an ARC of A Fate Inked in Blood!

A Fate Inked in Blood follows the shield maiden, Freya, in her attempts to keep her family safe and unite Skaland under one king using her power from the gods. I thought this book was incredible - and was hooked from the start! I kept telling myself "okay just one more chapter," only to get to the end of of it and continue reading. The romance, the internal struggles, the betrayals! It was all so well written.

I loved the story, the main characters and their banter, and the foreshadowing throughout the entire book. The foreshadowing was incredibly well done. I also loved how the author would bring up secrets or questions that Freya had, and then have them answered/revealed a few chapters later instead of leaving you wondering for the entirety of the book.

My only critique would be that it did get a little repetitive, which is fine, but it was a little hard to picture how the story was going to progress. I felt the first half of the book was faster paced/drew me in more than the second half due to the repetition, but it was still a book I couldn't put down!

I did not see the twist at the end, and felt it was very well done! This is definitely one of my new favorite fantasy reads, and already cannot wait to see what happens in the next book! This was my first read of Danielle Jensen's but will not be the last!

WOW, what a fantastic Norse-inspired epic fantasy adventure with romance.

I loved everything about this!!
It's been a hot minute since I've read anything new by DLJ (Zarrah, Kris, please forgive me, I'll be coming back to you soon) and this book really surprised me. I was expecting mostly romance with some kind of plot happening in the background but I couldn't have been more wrong!
The fantasy elements were so good! Loved the world and magic system - everything from the gods to the prophecies was so interesting!
DLJ's writing was super immersive and I was hooked from the first chapter. I literally breezed through this and I barely felt it, it was just so entertaining and fast paced (though not too much! Just the perfect amount I was never bored and I didn't feel like anything was rushed)

The FMC Freya frustrated me at times but that was mostly due to her inner conflict and I get where she was coming from. She was definitely a very interesting and complex character, also she's the type of FMC I adore - fierce with a sharp tongue.
Speaking of her sharp tongue, her banter with Bjorn was top tier.
And Bjorn.. gods, I love him — morally grey, gorgeous with a soft spot for the FMC — there's nothing I'd change about him, and if Freya doesn't wanna keep him I'd gladly take him off her hands.

One of the main plot twists I suspected pretty early on and I think if you read fantasy you'd be able to guess it but the way DLJ wrote it made me question if i was right until the last moment unsure what to expect and i loved that.

I'm so, SO excited about the next book!! I can't wait to see what will happen with Freya and Bjorn with where AFIiB left off!!

eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the arc