Such a unique read! If you have watched Vikings this is the perfect book for you! I’ve never read any Norse inspired fantasy novels before but I LOVED this!! I was sucked in from the very start of this book and devoured this book! I’m so excited for book two in this series

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen was the unputdownable book I needed to get me out of the book hangover I've had and is sure to be a bestseller of 2024! The Norse mythology was beautifully incorporated and made me want to go down the rabbit hole of learning all about the lesser gods.

I loved Freya's character from the very first paragraph of the book and fell in love with Bjorn as soon as he was hit with that fish. The romance of the story was delightfully slow-burning and the pacing was spot-on. It reminded me of the Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne but with more romance.

I loved everything about it and my only complaint is the wait for the next book!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Danielle L Jensen could publish her shopping list and I could devour it in a heartbeat! I absolutely LOVED this book so much! The Norse mythology was exquisite and the BANTER…. Amazing!!!

Liked this take on Norse mythology. I think it'll be a great one to recommend to the many library patrons who have introduced to fantasy through "romantasy".

To me the author couldn't figure out what genre they wanted to write in. They would spend time in one, then move to another, and back and forth. I enjoyed the main character, but got tired of the self doubt one minute, the blind loyalty the next, which transitioned into raging fury.

A Fate Inked in Blood is an enjoyable twist on the romantasy offerings lately. With clearly well-researched historical aspects instead of created worlds (still with nigh-unpronounceable names), this scratched an itch I didn't really know I had. I did like the slow-burn romance and many of the side characters, but I felt that the physically diminutive FMC who suddenly has all this strength and blood lust in battle a little tough to swallow. Definitely dug the Norse mythology, though.

Freya was blessed by the goddess Hlin to be an unstoppable shield maiden, but her family has always insisted that she hide her magic for her own safety. Justifiably: the moment her loutish husband reveals her secret to the power-hungry jarl Snorri, Freya finds herself widowed, then married to the jarl to fulfill a prophecy that leads to his kingship. Inconveniently, her son-in-law Bjorn, who is placed in charge of her training and protection, is unbelievably hot. Buffeted by the will of the gods, the plots of mortals, and her seething lust, Freya struggles to forge her own destiny. Steamy Norse romantasy starring two very sassy warriors.

Jensen’s delivers us the adult fantasy we have all been waiting for! Like Thor’s might the story is not only lighting fast-pace, searingly intense in emotions, but delivers the impact needed to tell a tale of heroes and gods.

This is the beginning of Feyre story. Finding out what is her god given powers. She is at her most vulnerable. Everyone using her as a tool except the one man that has been trying to protect her.. or is he? I get frustrated with how her actions are being controlled against also the conflict of her emotions of what is the right thing to do.. but that is human error and trial. Natural instincts and fear.

I cannot wait to see Feyre come into her own. For all heroes must go thru a trial to become the people they are meant to be.

This is a series I am excited to follow! Jensen has a way with words and has such amazing storytelling skills. Her craft just gets better and better.

There is some spice but I love that this is a slow burning romance which gives the anticipation of the action a sweeter moment.

2024 is looking smoking!!! 🔥

This book was so insanely good, I read the entire thing in one sitting. I could not stop. I absolutely love Norse Mythology and loved seeing this integrated into such a riveting plot. It had me on the edge of my seat. I have high hopes for the rest of this series!
The spice level is medium, but definitely contains a lot of tension and build up! Also, the ending left on quite the cliff hanger I never would have expected! Excellent characters and this story was unique and different from the usual fantasies, focusing on the Norse Gods/Goddesses and their magic.

4.5 stars. A wonderful read. I wish some of the characters, like Freya’s family, were a bit more three dimensional instead of people whose whole personalities seem to change instantly. For example, Ingrid is Freya’s best friend, but we’re supposed to believe that suddenly she doesn’t care about her? Just about what she can gain from being her sister in law? I could buy that if it were fleshed out at all, but instead we don’t see or hear any of her or Freya’s family’s thoughts.

Otherwise, I loved the mythology elements and learning about the different gods’ powers. I wasn’t very invested in the romance but I loved their banter. I’m excited to read the next book and see where it goes after the revelation of Bjorn’s true loyalties.

Thank you, @netgalley, for the early copy! Thank you, @DanielleJensen, for writing such a masterpiece. To start, I loved this book. I loved learning about Vikings and how Freya's world was, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series will bring. I am a huge fan of Danielle Jensen's work. She knows how to write a fantastic fantasy novel. I loved how Freya and Bjorn's relationship progressed throughout the book. This book had the best pace in a fantasy novel that I have ever read. Some fantasy novels progress quickly, making it hard to follow, which was not the case with this novel. It represented Norse mythology amazingly. I loved how strong Freya is throughout the book. She represents what I imagine what a powerful woman looks like. If you love forced proximity and a tad of forbidden love elements in your books, you should really check this one out!

First Thank you to Net Galley for this arc,

If you love Norse mythology, gods, and fierce women you will love this book. Freya is a shield maiden meaning she has a drop of gods blood in her and the
Power to win wars. She’s divorced from her first husband marries the 2nd husband who plans to wield her and unite all skaland to become king. Oh yeah Freya is not only married but has crazy chemistry with the kings son who is also training her to fight.

Freya has been constantly being told what to do and sacrificing herself for her family. Now she has a prophecy to uphold. I loved how the main character is finding herself and trying to forge her own path and fate and finally sticks up for herself. The betrayal and ending shook me can’t wait for the next book. This will definitely be a booktok hit.

Be prepared to make this book your whole personality. I'm absolutely obsessed.

Freya has kept her fate hidden her whole life. Blessed with a drop of a goddess' blood, she has the power to unite Skaland, but her fate has not been foretold. A jarl seeks to bind her to him and establish himself as king. But she can't deny her pull toward his son, Bjorn. A tale of gods, fate, and forbidden love, A Fate Inked in Blood is sweeping epic that will pull you into this world inspired by Norse mythology.

Vikings, magic, and forbidden love? Yes, please! A Fate Inked in Blood is utterly captivating. I didn't want to put it down. The pacing is perfect and the foreshadowing absolutely brilliant. It ended on a cliffhanger, but also in such a way that set up a satisfying start for the next book. Freya's journey felt like an epic of old. And the romance had me swooning. Freya and Bjorn were perfectly balanced, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were fated by the gods.

I'm so excited to see where this series goes. I highly recommend this book!

That was a pleasant surprise! The blurb does not tell you much, so this was one of those books were I went in without expectations. There have been many books recently using "shieldmaidens" as their central plot, and the results have been mixed—two of ten get them right while all others unfortunately do not. Well, this one actually does get a lot of things right—the story itself, characters, action, and the central theme. I give it four stars for the simple fact that it stands out in a pretty saturated genre.

This book was everything I didn’t realize I was needing in my life. I love that the author is giving us an adult Viking story. I loved how powerful Freya, the female main character is. She has endured so much in her short life and has been the pawn in other people’s games. It was nice to see her step out and into her own. I really enjoyed Bjorn’s character too. You can tell how conflicted he is and how hard he is fighting his feelings for Freya. The twists at the last 10% of the chapter had me reeling. I’m dying to get my hands on the second book so that I can see how everyone’s choices play out.

I started and stopped this book a few times which isn’t really normal for me. I finally decided to commit to it and read it in one day. I’m still processing the book, but on the whole, I did like it. The story is good and it has a lot of promise for future books. I think one of the things that detracted from the story for me was my struggle with the names. I know it’s kind of silly, because usually I just go with it and pronounce them in my head how I see them. I also found myself getting confused with the god’s backgrounds and I know I’ll get more out of this book when I do a reread. It’s a good solid story with lots of setup and I’m excited to see where it goes.

screaming from the rooftops about how FANTASTIC a fate inked in blood was!

this book is inspired by Norse mythology and follows our main character freya who is blessed with a drop of a goddess’s blood & born to face a prophecy that will leave men fighting to control her fate.

there is forced marriage, forced proximity, the most amazing banter, morally grey characters, Norse gods and goddesses, betrayal, romance, and more🔥🔥🔥

the ending left me DYING for the second book, and a fate inked in blood hasn’t even been released yet😩🫠 (the release date is february 27th, 2024!)

i’ll leave off with one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“The gods love riddles, Freya, and I am as much at their mercy as you. But the question I find myself asking is this: How can a man control your fate when he is not even the master of his own?”

5⭐️s / 2.5🌶️s

Incredible tale of all that falls under the term Viking, and one badass Viking "queen". Perfect for those who yearn for the northern winters and all of the fantasy that comes from them. An action-packed, forbidden tale of Freya and Bjorn, with god blood in their veins and an attraction to each other. Don't let the secrets fool you; there is one at the end which left my mouth hanging open, and that cliffhanger makes you want to dive into the next instalment immediately.

First off, the cover is BEAUTIFUL! Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and this book was a grand slam.

“It is hard to keep one’s wits when faced with a woman as beautiful as the sight of shore to a man who has been lost at sea.”

That is my favorite quote throughout the book!

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the arc. 4.5 stars
A Viking Romantasy, heavy in Norse lore- YES PLEASE. I loved every second of it. Bjorn and Freya are such layered, complicated characters each with their own story to tell. It is so easy to fall into Freya’s world and follow her along as she figures out who to trust, who she really is, and trying to write her own fate.
I really enjoyed this and will definitely be picking up the next one , because the whole last 4 chapters 😅😮