A Fate Inked in Blood let's just say that I am blown away and that ending is amazing. This book is about a shield maiden blessed by the gods battle to unite a nation under a hungry power king while growing desire for the king's fiery son. Let's say that this was a page turning book from beginning to end and one that I highly enjoyed reading. This book is Norse inspired fantasy romance that I would highly recommend to any reader especially if you like fantasy books. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

A Fate Inked in Blood was disappointing. The beginning of the book was captivating and unique. Unfortunately, the book started to go downhill half way through. I'm not sure where to start with this book😅 The biggest problem I had was the world building. I thought Jensen could have done so much more with the plot/mythology element. I really struggled with the setting. The setting needed to be developed more. There were a lot of times where I was wondering where the scene was taking place. I really had to puzzle things together...and not in a good way! A pet peeve I have with romantasy books is the lack of training scenes. It was hard to believe that Freya was suddenly a competent warrior after two training sessions. It was hard for me to root for Freya. I didn't understand her choices. It felt like she never learned from her past experiences/mistakes. As for Bjorn, he felt one-dimensional and repetitive. I thought the ending with him was predictable. This is the second book I've read by this author (The Bridge Kingdom) that I did not care for. Perhaps Danielle Jensen isn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

A FATE INKED IN BLOOD was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, but unfortunately it really did not work for me.

The main character, Freya, is unhappy in her marriage and dreams of becoming a warrior. After her husband betrays her and she must participate in a duel to the death, she reveals that she is a shield maiden who is destined to unite the nation.

I struggled with two main parts of this book:
1. The pacing was incredibly uneven, in different ways. The very beginning was almost too fast and got the action going before I cared about the characters or the stakes. Then, once Freya was on the journey, I found it to be incredibly slow. This may be a me problem because I do not particularly like "journeying" books.
2. I do not feel like there was much character development, and Freya had very little agency, which made her POV boring. I want to be clear that it is not the scenario that I think gives her no agency, but the fact that things tend to happen around her, rather than her making decisions that influence and impact the things around her. I feel like this would have been a much more interesting book from someone else's POV, especially because I didn't particularly care for Freya by the time she was kidnapped because it happened so early in the book.

These two issues overpowered the parts that I found more interesting, like some of the magical creatures or the romance aspects. I do not plan to continue with this series.

What a surprise! This is my first book by this author and it certainly won't be my last because I enjoyed the heck out of this. For any fans of fantasy romance, I encourage you to pick this up and give it a go! Fantastic world building, interesting characters, forbidden romance and very cool magic system - overall a fun read!

Full review on the Pages n' Pages podcast - Chapter 132

Wow I loved this. I adore her other work so I had high hopes for this book and it delivered. Romantasy if my favorite genre that I read on my own time and not as much for the library so I was very excited to get something I would for sure choose on my own. The world is so interesting I love the Norse setting. I loved the pacing and never felt myself being too overwhelmed with the world building or plot. The romance was great too - maybe a little more tension but that’s literally my only note. Will be purchasing for the library when it comes out 100%. This is perfect for fans of SJM or Fourth Wing.

The story pulled me in immediately and I enjoyed the adventure, romance, and Norse mythology included. The tension between Freya and Bjorn was great and the ending left me wanting the next book in the series. I was thrown off by how many times it was noted that Freya "bit her cheeks" throughout the story. Other than than that, I would recommend this as a new adult/adult novel to my friends and family.

This was my first book by Danielle Jensen, and I'm hooked! There was a perfect combination of mythology, family drama, political intrigue, and sex to keep me turning the pages from beginning to end. And this book itself is gorgeous! So excited to have this in the store, and I'm confident I can handsell this one to tons of our regular fantasy and romance readers.

2.5/5

This is so hard for me to write because I am such a fan of Danielle L Jensen’s writing. She is so well versed in creating a fantastical worlds and such fun witty banter. However, I did not get that from this novel. Though the premise of the book was intriguing, I think the execution was lack luster.

I was eager to dive into this especially knowing there was a Norse backdrop. There are exciting themes of prophecy and fate however… it was diluted by the FMC’s telling of events. She didn’t have any clear motivations and was often flip-flopping in everything she did. The story being told through first person might not have been the best choice. Although she is tough and you want to root for her from the get-go, you soon realize that she’s actually quite rash, ill tempered and immature. We lose a lot of world building because Freya is the one telling the story and we’re figuring out things as she does. But it is very confusing because she doesn’t know who to trust and I feel like we’re ping-ponging around without intended destination until somehow we end up in a redundant battle scene.

The only interesting and semi complex characters were Steinnund and Bodil and there were not nearly enough of either.

Bjorn and their romance felt rushed and underdeveloped. I can understand the lust, but I don’t know where or when or why it developed into love until the very end where it was explained why they fell for each other. And even then, I didn’t buy it. I didn’t feel a connection to them individually and less so as a couple. There were a couple of spicy scenes, but I don’t think it added anything to their relationship or the story.

I also don’t think it helped that there were chapters that were SO long. I felt like a lot was happening, but nothing at all was happening at the same time. A lot of the important storyline didn’t surface until the last 10% of the book and I understand that it is meant to lure us into the next book but so much of the middle was hard to get through.

Lastly, for such a politically motivated book, there was hardly any political intrigue or finesse; I expected more knowing DLJ knows how to do politics in plot well. It was very cut and dried and even quite a bit repetitive which made the plot a boring, until of course the very end where a lot of things are revealed.

I can’t say I’m super excited for the next book but I probably will read it to see how the issue at the end is resolved. I think this book is for readers who are new to the romantasy genre and want something more surface level.

Thank you to the author, the publishers, and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A pretty solid start to 2024! There was a lot of great balance in this book: An interesting — albeit at times predictable — plot, a good dash of fantasy, an interesting magic system, good world-building, and a few pinches of spice. On top of that, the whole story is Norse inspired, and it was represented very well throughout the whole story. I can definitely see Danielle’s passion for writing and fantasy in this novel and will 100% be looking out for book two! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

3.5 This is my first book by this author, and with such good word of mouth, I couldn't wait to dive in. There is magic, forbidden romance, Norse Mythology, battles, and more. I did read through the story very fast, but I found the pacing to be a little off. I really liked the beginning of the book, but towards the middle and end I started to lose interest. I am interested in seeing how the next in this series plays out. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing--Ballantine for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adore Danielle L. Jensen. Her writing is so accessible and she makes fantasy digestible without compromising engaging plots and characters. This book has heavy Nordic inspiration and it's filled with tension and a strong heroine and of course my favorite- a forbidden romance! My only complaint is that I don't have the next one in my hands now!!

I was very excited to read this Norse inspired fantasy. At the center is Freya who is trapped in an unwanted marriage. When circumstances lead her to a deadly fight her secret is revealed that she is blessed by the gods to be a shield-maiden capable of withstanding any attack. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and fast paced story line and the romance between Freya and Bjorn. I would recommend this to fans of Fourth Wing. Thank you #NetGalley for the arc. #afateinkedinblood

4.5 stars rounded up.

I seriously love Nordic fantasy novels and this one did not disappoint. I loved The Bridge Kingdom so I was really excited to receive the ARC for this book. Freya was such a badass and loyal to a fault. I loved Bjorn and Freya's connection. Their constant back and forth was great. This book was a slow burn but it didn't really feel like it because I was enjoying it so much. Part of the ending was unexpected and I can't wait to see what's next for Freya and Bjorn.

Thank you to Random House publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Fantasy Adult Romance
✨ Norse Mythology
✨ Vikings
✨ Prophecy
✨ Quests and Raids
✨ Forbidden Romance
✨ Magic
✨ Open Door Spice
✨ Strong FMC
✨ Protective MMC

Freya is the long awaited shield maiden that a seer prophesied would help unite Skaland and Nordeland under one king. The jarl of Halsar finds her and takes her to be his second wife so he may start his plight under the guise of being the prophesied king. He enlists his son, Bjorn, as the warrior who will follow, train, and protect Freya.

This book was perfection! I’m a big fan of Danielle L. Jensen and this one absolutely did not disappoint! This book has it all - a fantastic fantasy story steeped in Norse mythology, strong and complex cast of characters, a forbidden romance with excellent banter, and a jaw dropping cliffhanger! This was an intense ride right from the first chapter that saw twists and turns filled with secrets and revelations and action and adventure. Freya is such a whip-smart female lead who will do anything to save her family, including giving up her freedom and fate. Bjorn is the heir to his father’s lands and is protective over what is his. He exudes Big Viking Energy and I loved every interaction he had with Freya. Their banter is top tier with their explosive push and pull relationship! Their relationship is entirely forbidden and the tension between them is just fire!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion!

I'll be posting my review on social media closer to release date.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my opinion**

Freya is awesome! Her character development, as well her stubbornness, made me smile and cheer on multiple occasions. Her banter with Bjorn is fun and flirty at times. Hell, their first scene together had me cheering for their relationship. I haven't read anything with Norse mythology recently, and what I d recall, the books weren't very good. Mythology is a HUGE love for me, but I have high expectations when a book uses certain mythologies. If they mess things up, such as getting names wrong or tell stories incorrectly, it is almost a sure-way for me to DNF the book.

"A Fate Inked in Blood" met my standards, and I can't wait for book 2 to come out.

Danielle L. Jensen has done it again. After experiencing the full range of human emotion reading the Bridge Kingdom series, I was eager to see what she would do with a new world and new cast of characters. Add in a touch of Norse mythology, and I'm a goner. Completely obsessed with Freya and Bjorn already.

In this Norse-inspired setting, the gods bestow their favor on certain children before they are born, granting them a drop of their divine blood. Only these god-touched children are free to control their own destiny; for all mere humans, their fates are fixed, woven in the textiles of the Norns.

Freya was one such child, but her parents made her hide her power. When she is forced to reveal it, she is thrown directly into the violent political posturing of the local jarl, Snorri. Years ago, an Odin-touched seer gave a Snorri a prophecy. A child touched by the protector-goddess Hlin would be born, and this shield maiden would have the power to unite Skaland under the one who controls her fate. Snorri takes Freya as his wife in order to assert that control.

Meanwhile, Freya finds herself powerfully drawn to the jarl's handsome son, the Tyr-touched warrior Bjorn, who becomes her protector, even as he seems less than enthusiastic about her barreling toward her destiny.

The banter between these two is sexy, witty, and off-the-charts adorable, hiding their affection under barbs and taunts. He is pure swagger, apparently allergic to shirts, with a reputation as an absolute rake, but his affection for Freya is immediate, obvious, and all-consuming. I adore him.

Freya's implausible "chosen one" strength and ability comes in fits and starts. Her gods-given powers are clearly strong, but her skills as a warrior are rusty and she is otherwise very human.

Be forewarned that this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS that I hope to see answered in the next book in the series. That said, I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, or who would have enjoyed Skyrim more if it had more sexual tension in it.

A Fate Inked in Blood is based on Norse mythology; the inked fate refers to children of the Norse gods, who have a drop of a particular god's blood within them, giving them access to a portion of that god's power. Only once the bearer of a god's blood manifests and accepts that power does the tattoo indicating the nature of the power appear - a tattoo in red ink, finer and more detailed than any made by a person. Most children of gods celebrate their power, as they are free of the fate that binds the rest of their society to future that has been written for them.

Freya is a child of a god - the goddess Hlin, the goddess of protection. But unlike others with a drop of god's blood, Freya has hidden her ability since it first appeared in her childhood - only when challenged, when death is the only other option, does she reveal her power of protection, which manifests within any object she chooses as an unbreakable shield. Having been foretold as the shield maiden who will unite the Skaland, always at war, under a single king, every jarl in the area vies against the others to possess Freya and her ability. But there is more to Freya than meets the eye, information her parents hid about her conception - information she must find if she is to understand who she is and what she can do. A fascinating look into Norse mythology, with a focus on a lesser-known goddess, although other, better-known gods are referenced too. Recommended for older teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this! It was fantastic and I can not wait to see what's next! The character development, plot, and story were so well developed. I loved it.

This was a great fantasy read! I loved the characters and how the author wove each part of the story together. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

Jensen's world-building is immersive and richly detailed, bringing Skaland and its inhabitants to life with vivid descriptions and a palpable atmosphere. The author effortlessly navigates between the intricacies of Freya's magical training, the perilous tests set by the gods, and the political machinations that threaten the fate of the fractured nation.

"A Fate Inked in Blood" is not just a fantasy romance; it is the beginning of an epic series that promises adventure, heartache, and triumph. Jensen's writing is both evocative and engaging, capturing the essence of forbidden love with a finesse that leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.