I haven’t been this excited over a book in quite awhile. This isn’t your typical Romantasy- you won’t be getting dragons and fae. You might be saying, ew David that’s disappointing. It’s not, at all. This story focuses on Norse mythology and Viking warrior culture, with magic only coming from the people who have been Norse Gods blessed. You will be completely invested in the story in the first few chapters, seriously I couldn’t put this book down. The action is nonstop and the twists are endless. While some might be predictable, they in no way take away from the story. The world building isn’t overcomplicated or long winded like in some fantasy stories. Freya and Bjorn (🥵) are totally complementary FMC & MMC and you will fall in love with both of them, as well as some other secondary characters. If you’re able to get your hands on this book, you should read it. This definitely snuck into my top reads of 2023 and I can’t wait for more of this series.

Book Name: A Fate Inked in Blood

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

ARC

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC of Danielle L. Jensen’s A Fate Inked in Blood

Stars: 5

Spice: 2.75

First Book in New Series

Cliffhanger

Fast Paced

FMC POV

High Fantasy

- Thoughts.
- VIKING FANTASY
- Bad Ass Heroine with Traumatic background
- Loads of internal conflict
- Forbidden Romance
- Tristan and Isolde vibes
- MMC had all the badass big dick energy
- Norse Gods
- So many twists (yes some were obvious)
- Fast Paced
- VERY VERY GOOD
- TOP Read for 2024

This was my first Danielle L. Jensen book and the last time I was this excited to know an author had such an extensive back catalog I discovered Sarah J Mass. If you like grounded fantasy read this book. if you like Vikings read this book. if you like loads of tension romantically read this book. if you like adventure novels read this book…. guys just read this book

This book took me a little while to get through, it was slow at times but really picked up and had some twists and turns that I was absolutely not expecting. I’m glad I stuck it out and made it through the book! I’ll look forward to the next one!

ARC Review - A Fate Inked in Blood

Danielle Jensen writes amazing fantasy stories and I knew I was going to enjoy this book before I even started! The Norse mythology, the slow burn romance, the battles and action all made this so fun to read. There is so much action and adventure, and so much tension between Freya and Bjorn! I loved both characters and how Jensen perfectly captured their separate desires for revenge. I did struggle with the pacing in a few areas, but overall the ending left me wanting book two immediately. My jaw literally dropped and I can't wait for more of this story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray/Random House for an e-ARC manuscript of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book was absolutely phenomenal. It was very different from other romantasy books being published lately, which are generally set in your typical "dragons and fae" fantasy realms, as one might say. This book draws heavily on Norse mythology and Viking culture. The "lands" are named after real places in Norway, and there is no mixing of Greek and Nordic gods like many books tend to do.
I think this book might appeal to readers who aren't into "traditional" fantasy or romance books because it is so heavily based in reality. The only magical elements are the powers given to these people by the Norse gods, which line up with their powers in traditional mythology. Other than that, this book could easily be set an an "alternate history" 10th century Scandinavia. That being said, parts of it are a little heavy and violent.
All that being said, my one complaint is that the ending was very predictable and unfortunately does fall victim to a couple of the majorly overused tropes in other romantasy "first books". I found myself almost hoping that it would take a different path considering that I've read so many of the exact same ending in this genre recently, but I'll overlook it since the writing and story in the rest of the book was excellent.
I will definitely be recommending this book after publication and look forward to reading more in this series.

This book was a really rough read for me. I was excited by the concept and the premise has such great potential, but I'm very disappointed in the outcome. The character development fell extremely flat, making it difficult to become invested in the story. Every character, including the FMC, reads like a caricature of a real person rather than an actual person. I struggled to believe their actions throughout the story, making the entire plot read as unbelievable.

It's rare I feel this way so quickly about a book, but very early on I knew this wasn't the right title for me.

Fast paced, great world building, amazing magic system, Norse mythology, and so much more. This was another excellent read from Danielle! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved Freya and Bjorn so much and how kickbutt Freya is.

I will post about the book on my bookstagram which is instagram.com/thatbookishteach on the release date!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I’ve had this ARC sitting unread for a while now and boy was that a mistake- I devoured this book in 3 days.
I’ve loved Jensen’s writing since I read The Bridge Kingdom last year, but this book might just be better!
A Fate Inked in Blood follows our main character, Freya, as she navigates her new world- learning she is the shield maiden, the kingmaker, for anyone who controls her.
Freya is strong, opinionated, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. But she also cares deeply for her family and the people around her whose lives depend on her.
The Norse mythology was just the perfect cherry on top to an already amazing read. Power is derived from the gods and only those with a drop of the gods’ blood can wield magic.
The way Jensen describes her scenes- the towns, the meeting halls, the war camps- makes it so easy to picture them in my mind.
And can we just talk about Bjorn for a second? 🥵 From the moment we are introduced to him, I knew I was going to love Bjorn. He is the perfect complementary MMC to Freya. I cannot WAIT to get more of his story in the next book.
Spice wise, A Fate Inked in Blood is very much a slow burn, but when you get to the spice it is well worth it. If you’ve read Bridge Kingdom, I sold out this slightly spicier than that series.
The only downside to receiving an ARC is that I now have to wait even longer for the next book. I absolutely cannot wait!

In A Fate Inked in Blood, a fishmonger's wife, Freya, is betrayed by her husband and forced to leave her quiet life to fight as a shield maiden of Hlin for an ambitious jarl. Though she long dreamed of fighting in war-bands, like her father and brother, this forced allegiance is not the life she imagined. Bound to a jarl intent on uniting her land under one king (himself), Freya must learn to control the magic she previously had hidden, and to control her own fate, despite the fate seemingly predicted for her. On top of all this, she must reckon with the growing feelings between her and the jarl's son, which she knows she may never act on.

I was cautious going into this; while I love Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series, it seems not to rely too heavily upon any particular religion/mythology/creed. Knowing how talented she is at world-building, I worried that relying on a real mythology would make the story more flat, more predictable. I am happy to say that my concerns were misplaced. I was invested in this story from the start, and found it hard to put down. I particularly appreciate the themes around family and loyalty. Jensen illustrates a main heroine who is torn between her love for her family and their treatment of her. As with Lara in the Bridge Kingdom, Freya is not perfect - in fact, she is frequently lead by fear and rage, and makes bad decisions. She does not always know the right path. She is sometimes, even, the villain. That's a hard line to walk when writing characters, but Jensen does it perfectly.

I loved this book and am so excited to see Freya's and Bjorn's stories continue in the rest of the saga. As a librarian, I would definitely recommend this to lovers of fantasy, mythological fiction, and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced readers' copy!

I devoured this book! While I had some issues with some of Freya's choices and the logic she employed, I really loved the reading experience. The characters are well developed, and there are some that you will hate and some that you will love. The writing is compelling - I could NOT put it down. The book is very atmospheric; I felt like I was there in the cold Nordic lands with Freya and Bjorn. Jensen's magic system is unique and intriguing.
Again, I had some issues with Freya's logic and decision making, but I don't want to spoil anything. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to book 2 in the series.

Ahhh this book is soo good!! I'll be honest I was a little weary going into this but I love the characters, the world building and the story is just *chefs kiss* I can't wait to have a physical copy of this book.

It was a lot of fun getting to read this tale woven around Norse mythology and digging into the deeper question of whether fate or free will rule us each. Freya was simultaneously a breath of fresh air and entirely infuriating, but Bjorn completely stole my heart with his protective broodiness and shameless flirting. Consider me officially hanging off the cliff, anxiously awaiting rescue from book two!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy NetGalley.
this Norse mythology reflected around Freya who had been used her whole life but her family for the things they needed. She was touched by a god, meant to hold it a secret all her life.
But the secret got out and she is fighting for her life.

This book grabbed my attention because it included Norse mythology.

I was hooked after the first chapter. I kept wanting to know what would happen next.

At a few points throughout I thought I had it all figured out and then I'd turn the page and BAM, the plot kept me on my toes. This was especially true in the last 25% of the book. I am already anticipating the next book to see where this journey goes.

I would love to have a pronunciation guide at the beginning or end of the book, but this did not keep me from devouring A Fate Inked in Blood.

Oh. My. Gosh. I cannot get over how good this was.

Freya is the shield maiden. A child of the goddess Hlin who was foretold to unite Skaland under the one king who controls the her fate. However, as a child of the gods, Freya is unfated. Her fate is not set in stone as the Norns cannot control her destiny, so it is up to her to take her fate into her own hands and weave her own path

Reading this book was an adventure. I love Norse mythology, and there were many moments in the book that made me think of one of my favorite games based on Norse myth, Skyrim. Snorri, the extremist Jarl who wants to control Freya, reminds me of a more radical Ulfric Stormcloak.

Luckily, our hero is nothing like his father. Bjorn encourages Freya break free of the people who seek to use her. She has been put last by her family and friends for years, and now his father sees her as nothing but a tool to be used.

Also, I love how Danielle L. Jensen kept me in suspense the whole book. There are several mysteries in A Fate Inked in Blood, and I didn't start to put the pieces together until about 80%, and even then, there was a lot I missed. There is a huge cliffhanger at the end of the book, and I cannot wait for book two!

Thank you so much to Danielle L. Jensen, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I loved it and am excited to read more!

I haven't read a single book of Daniele L. Jensen that has been a miss so far. This book was no exception. I loved the writing style, and while I'm usually opposed to first person in fantasy books, I didn't feel like I was lacking worldbuilding. I liked that we weren't solely in Freya's head; it still felt like I was able to experience the world from a separate point of view not strictly colored by Freya. I was sucked into the world from page one and I was able to visualize everything vividly in my head without struggle. The plot progressed nicely and there wasn't one moment where I wished the pacing was faster. I did figure out the plot twist before it was revealed, but I was left with enough questions to want to continue the series. The characters were well-developed and they felt like they could be real people.

It was really unique to read a Nordic-inspired fantasy as I've never read something like that before. I would highly recommend picking this book up!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book and it had me hooked from start to finish. A Fate Inked in Blood was action packed, but still had a great romance plotline. Danielle L. Jensen really gives life to the characters in this lush world inspired by Norse mythology. I loved the mythology aspect of this book. Currently, I feel like Norse myth is underused in the fantasy space and it was amazing to see it depicted in such a well researched and interesting way here. This book combines battles and fighting with political drama and romance so well! I think that this book will appeal to romance readers as well as strictly fantasy readers. A Fate Inked in Blood has a great feminist message throughout. The main character Freya was well written and complex. Her story of overcoming her abusive and manipulative husband to come into her own power is something I think many women will resonate with. I am excited to see how the character develops in the rest of the series. Overall, this book is one of my most anticipated releases and I cannot wait for the series to continue.

Being a mythology lover, I really enjoyed that this book was based on Norse mythology. I know a little about it and this story really dove in but was not confusing or hard to follow. I love books that have strong female characters and this book delivered in that department. I also found how Danielle wrote about fighting kept the reader engaged. Can't wait for the reading world to experience this book.

I’d like to announce that Danielle L. Jensen has done it again! She has written another gripping, romantic, action-packed fantasy book. Am I surprised? Nope. She transported me to Skaland instantly. Freya’s voice was strong and compelling; I immediately rooted for her. If you’re looking for a Viking-inspired fantasy with a headstrong, fierce heroine, you’re in the right place.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a story about a young woman’s agency being taken from her by a man who believes he has the right to wield her as a weapon. As the story progresses, Freya grows and learns more about her powers and her limits. At every turn, she decides to put her loved ones above her while no one else seems to do the same for her. My heart broke for her. Thrust into a new world, surrounded by people who seek to use her for their own gain, Freya isn’t sure who, if anyone, to trust.

This is a strong start to a new series! I will say the story was a bit slower after the halfway mark. I devoured the first half; I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. After that, things slowed a bit until around the 75% or 80% mark. And then, Freya proceeded to make choices that irked me until around the 90% mark. However, the last 10% of the book is much better and ends on a cliffhanger that will leave fans desperate for the sequel.

Fantasy and romantasy fans alike will fall in love with Freya and Bjorn. If you’ve never read any of her books, you’re in for a treat.

I have been on a Viking shield maiden kick, and when I came across this book. Wow just wow I am so glad I did. It checked off all of my boxes.
Hidden magic, battles, prophecies, banter and so much more fill these pages. I couldn’t get enough. It’s been a long time that I literally wanted to do nothing else and read, to completely devour a book.

I loved, loved, loved Freya, such a strong yet vulnerable character. She always had a dream to become a shield maiden and we get to go with her on her journey to get there. I wish I could give this book more than 5⭐️ it was that good. I cannot wait for book 2

Thank you to this amazing author Danielle Jensen and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this ARC from Netgally.