DNF at around 25%. Admittedly this isn't my usual genre, but the premise sounded interesting & a strong female protagonist with secret powers is hard to resist. Unfortunately, the chapters I read involved a lot of things happening to protagonist Freya, making her seem passive as a heroine and difficult to root for. I found it challenging to like the characters overall or see them as fully developed, and ultimately didn't feel compelled to follow them on their journey.

One of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint! Viking vibes, a will they/won’t they relationship, badass fight scenes, and a touch of spice? Nearly everything I could want in a fantasy novel.

This was total romantasy popcorn in the best way: you just can’t stop reading/eating. Stayed up way too late reading and finished in under 24 hours. My first Danielle Jensen but not my last!

Danielle L. Jensen has done it again! This is sure to be a hit with fantasy romance fans. I found myself laughing at the banter between the two main characters and enjoying the world that the author created. The book has magical Viking vibes and fun adventures.

Wow. Freya and Bjorn.
I love the Nordic influences on this story. I love that it brings in major and minor gods. I hate the reasons Freya has to be strong, but I love that she stands and fights. Even with all the trauma, she isn’t one to just lie down and take it. Bjorn brings his own trauma to the story, but they both look for the best in each other. There’s plenty of tension in this book, and there is also some spice… totally worth the wait.

Does it end in a cliffhanger? Yes. Am I going to be waiting on pins and needles for the next in the series to come out? Also, yes. Will it be worth it? Of that, I have no doubt.

SO GOOD. I am so excited for this book to be released. The Norse elements, the magic, the gods- it was all so fun and perfect.

I ended up Dnfing this one at 50 percent. It just wasn’t for me. I do think this is going to be a huge fantasy romance release for this year because it has so many of the elements that lovers of that genre enjoy. I just wasn’t a fan of the love interest and the female main character was a little boring for me.

It's been a while since a fantasy grabbed me and yanked me into its world, but this Norse-based one did it from the first page. I was completely captured in the story. Freya, initially just a fishmonger's wife, reveals a secret about having a god's blood, and suddenly she's a shield maiden. To keep her family safe, she ends up marrying Jarl Snorri, who thinks he's destined for kingship and needs Freya's powers. The twist? Freya can't help feeling drawn to Bjorn, Snorri's son. As it gets harder to hide those emotions, she starts questioning if being a man's shield is truly her destiny.

"A Fate Inked in Blood" had all the fantasy elements I love: a heroine finding her strength, intense chemistry among characters, forbidden romance, the constant doubt of whom to trust, and the perfect blend of action and plot. The ending sets the stage flawlessly for book two, and I knew I'd love this book right from the start. I'm beyond excited to see what unfolds next.

A HUGE thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good enough fantasy. I had a hard time connecting to the characters but I really liked the Nordish mythology elements. 3 stars.

Wow!!!!!!!!! I have always been a fan of shows that were based on Vikings and the Gods. This is the first fantasy romance that I have read with Viking's, God, and the battles. This book written by Danielle Jensen was top notch.

The story had me captivated from the first chapter when Bjorn and Freya first meet. The tension between them was palpable and it kept growing but the underlying story was the fate of Freya. What will she choose which destiny will she will for herself?. Obstacles that enraged her that brought more of who she is and still not knowing why. There is so much betrayal. So much still to be known and the book leaves us wondering and waiting now for book 2. The romance in the story seems to be moving to enemies to lovers but who knows because at first it was forced proximity now they are enemies. Such a great story.

This was a great read and I would recommend.

Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️ .5
Character Development 🎥🎥🎥🎥
Writing style ✏️✏️✏️
Genre ~ Fantasy Romance

Actual Rating: 4.25 out of 5⭐️

I am a sucker for Nordic inspired stories and Danielle L. Jensen newest series delivers! Although certain plot points were predictable, the mythology woven into the storyline, politicking, and character development was superb. Highly recommend this book to romantasy readers out there!!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Del Rey for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

The premise of this book is intriguing and holds your attention. The romance is something that seems realistic - in so far realism comes into play in fantasy. I liked the characters and I liked the romantic lead a lot.

While I liked the main character, she seemed ….naive, or willfully ignorant. A lot of information that I thought should have been obvious to our main character was not which left me yelling at the book “Really, Freya?! Really?!”

All that being said, it does keep your attention with action and a few twists that I didn’t see coming. I am very excited for the next book in the series.

“If there is nothing in your life with dying for, then what is there worth living for?”

Thank you so much Random House and NetGalley for the arc! This is the first book in the Saga of the Unfated and February 27th can’t come fast enough because I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my shelf!

I absolutely enjoyed every second of this book. This Norse inspired fantasy romance follows Freya, a fishmonger’s wife who wishes she could be a warrior instead of tied to a marriage that only serves to benefit the safety of her family. We quickly learn that all her actions are made with intent to protect her family and friends, even if that means living an unhappy life.

In this world there are people who are born with a drop of a God’s blood, in which they inherit some of that God’s power. When Freya’s secret is revealed, she learns of the prophecy that with her power she will make a king powerful and together they could unite the nation. There are many that want to possess Freya in order to be king, while others strive to unalive her to prevent this all from happening.

There were many times where I grew angry watching the amount of people wanting to control our main character. Watching Freya’s rage bloom was another thing that kept me on the edge of my seat. She is so fierce and has become a favorite main character of mine.

I love a book where I develop many theories and still manage to be surprised with a twist I didn’t see coming. And the ROMANCE! The chemistry and banter was everything! It flowed so well and had me giggling. There was such a good balance of action and romance that I think reader’s will enjoy. I had such a fun time with this book!

This book was so good! I did not find myself bored at all! The layers of the characters were so interesting! The world building was SO fun and easy. I had not ever read a Viking based fantasy and I had no problems keeping up. This is also the first novel I have read by this author and I have to say it won't be the last now! My best read of the year so far!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital advance copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A Fate Inked in Blood is a romantasy that uses Norse/Viking mythology with a slow burn, forced proximity, and forbidden romance.

This is my first read by Danielle L. Jensen and what a surprise this was. AFIIB was marketed as a readalike for ACOTAR. And there were a lot of similarities, which is probably why I liked it so much. I love a book with a strong FMC, and Freya is definitely a baddie. Bjorn is such a fire (literally) MMC. The banter between the two and sexual tension was just perfect. Their chemistry was undeniable from the moment of their meet-cute. The magic system was unique and the world-building was strong even in the fast pacing of the plot. The secrets were a little predictable to me, but that didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the story.

The ending is very much a setup for book two and I am chomping at the bit to know what happens next. I can't believe I am now hooked on an unfinished series that is not even out yet. Be warned, you'll be hooked.

Danielle - I am anxiously awaiting the next.

This was a fun and sexy take on Norse mythology that left me both wanting more and also feeling like a mosey fly on the wall. . . More on that later. 😳

Freya as a MC was a fiery woman who is loyal to those she loves. Jensen did a fantastic job showing how much a daughter will sacrifice for the safety of her family while the sons can go off and play. Freya for sure still has the spunk and stubbornness that teenagers will have l, but hers is more out of spite to her horrible first husband and the way her family treats her. Her loyalty though, I think, really keeps her from her full potential because while it’s good to see a woman who would do anything for her mother and brother, the fact that they’ll happily throw her to the wolves at the drop of a hat is just cruel. Due to this, she kind of reminds me of Feyre from ACOTAR (from the ~50% of the book I fought through). Her banter with Bjorn at times was comical as he matches her toe to toe in snark. Their chemistry is undeniable and to the point that both do a HORRIBLE job at hiding their feelings for each other. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Bjorn by himself was an excellent male love interest. He’s aloof, snarky, and honestly quite rude at times, but his background story really shows how he came to be the way he is. I will admit that their sex scenes were. . . Something and that it consistently made me feel like a nasty fly on the wall rubbing its hands together like, “yess, tell me more.” I guess it shows that I’m not much into steamy romantasy. 😬

The story itself was action packed and evenly paced, but the last 15% of the book felt like I was getting pelted with plot twists/reveals. I think this book would be benefited from getting at least 50-75 extra pages to help the high speed train that was the conclusion. However, Freya’s personal review was done quite well in my opinion as it’s definitely made me interested to continue the series! 🛡️

As for the Norse mythology elements, I really like the way children of the gods are created in this world, and I can definitely see Jensen did a lot of research into this mythology. 🩸

Wrapping this up, I had a pretty good time reading this and would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy ACOTAR-like stories, a fiery FMC, and Vikings. ⚔️

Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, Danielle L. Jensen, for creating a fun and steamy Norse inspired world! 🔥

Overall: 4.25/5 ⭐️

OMG I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOVED THIS BOOK!
It is EVERYTHING! Action-packed, steamy, tension and banter.

I was invested from the very first page. Vikings?! Hell yes! Count me in.

I immediately loved Freya and her fiery personality. Parts of her journey were sooo heartbreaking. At one point in the book, I was all for her killing everyone LOL.

This book was brilliantly paced. I was never once bored.

I fell in love with Bjorn. He really put Freya first and was the only one who truly “saw” her. Their banter and the tension was *chef’s kiss*

There were so many Villians and I can say that I HATED 2 of them. Well 3 BUT I felt way stronger about the 2.

There were sooooo many plot twists. I did predict about 96% of this book but I still loved and devoured this book. The author was steady dropping subtle hints so everything made sense.

I really cannot wait for the next book. There is a wicked cliff hanger and I NEEEED to know more.

I highly highly recommend! I’ve read a lot of Danielle Jensen’s books and loved them all.. but this one is so fresh and new and I can see sooo many people loving it.

Easily 5 ⭐️ read.

This story hooked me from the start. Loved this fresh take on fantasy plus romance. The forbidden love was amazing. This will be the romantasy book of 2024

An absolutely fabulous and stunning Norse romantasy with Gods & magic, slow burn romance, a strong and witty FMC, and a protective and swoon worthy MMC. This book had me hooked from the very first chapter to that ending!! I knew I would like this book coming from Danielle L Jensen and I was not disappointed. A well crafted story, one that I can't wait to have more of in the next book.
I received an ARC of this book and all opinions are my own,

The characters were well written and it was fun and refreshing to read a novel that utilizes Norse mythology in its story. I look forward to the next installment in the series.