I'm not usually a fan of first person narratives, and was worried when I realized this book was one. However, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed Freya's story, and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I don't want to give too much away, but the series does have plenty of adventure, and possible growth of characters. This is the first book I've read by Jensen, and I will go read more now that I have read this one.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Really had high hopes for this epic fantasy. But it fell a bit flat for me.

Didnt manage to get past 32 percent.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was like Vikings with shades of Lord of the Rings. The main characters were so likable, and Bjorn was HOT! If only men like that really existed. I enjoyed the mythology aspect of the story with all the magic. I devoured the story and didn’t want to put it down. I was so SAD when it ended, but WOW, what an ending. I’m looking forward to the next book. I loved this book so much I bought it hard copy for my personal library. The book is beautiful.

This book was entertaining but also was slightly boring at the same time. The world building was easy to understand, the magic system was easy to grasp and I was never confused about how the world worked. I liked that it was based in Norse mythology, that felt very different and was refreshing. The overarching plot did feel familiar and felt like it was a copy paste from a lot of main stream stories. Freya was annoying at times and felt flat as a character, she did not have a lot of nuance to her. She is stubborn and I felt myself getting very frustrated with a lot of the decisions she made. I did like Bjorn, I thought he fit the complex MMC mold that is very common in most fantasy books, but he did feel like a copy/paste of most brooding dark haired men written in fantasy these days. Overall this book rated a 3/5 star for me, while it was good it was not the best book I have ever read. I will continue to read the series as it comes out because I feel that the story has many places it could go and I am curious how it will be.

This was a fun romance fantasy! I did enjoy her other series a bit more but I still love this authors works

In "A Fate Inked in Blood, Freya, a fiery and headstrong shield maiden, discovers her destiny intertwined with Norse mythology. As she navigates her fate, she encounters Bjorn, a captivating and protective warrior. Together, they face magical and political challenges, forming a bond that ignites with passion and tension. The story weaves a rich tapestry of romance, action, and Norse lore, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

This Norse-inspired romantasy captivates from start to finish with its immersive world-building and relatable characters. Freya's journey of self-discovery and Bjorn's unwavering support create a sizzling dynamic filled with slow-burning romance and gripping twists. Danielle L. Jensen masterfully blends mythology with magic, crafting a tale that balances action and heartfelt moments. Although the pacing starts slow, it picks up, leading to a thrilling yet unresolved climax, promising an exciting sequel. The book is a must-read for fans of romantasy and Norse lore, with engaging characters and an addictive plot.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️3/5

Danielle L. Jensen did it again! This epic Nordic God Mythology based Romantasy series should be on every Romantasy lover's TBR!

A Fate Inked in Blood is book 1 in this ongoing series.

Read if you love:
-Forced Proximity
-Touch Her and Die
-Bodyguard Romance
-Taboo/Forbidden
-Vikings/Nordic Gods

Also if you loved:
- From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer Armentrout

This one was SO GOOD! It was incredibly refreshing to have a different type of fantasy hit the market. Bjorn and Freya are an epic love story truly waiting to unfold. This has everything romantasy lovers adore: epic adventure, magical bloodlines, fated destiny, and more!

In a world where there are the fated (non-magical regular humans), and unfated (those blessed by the nordic gods with drops of their blood at conception) - fate means everything. Those who remain unfated - have the power to change the tides of their destinies... and wield magical gifts bestowed upon them by the gods whose blood runs through their veins.

Freya, with the gifts of a lesser god Hlin, finds herself at the center of every power hungry man... due to the prophetic words spoken of her life. She has the power of protection. Said to be born in fire. The only one known to exist. Her life is said to bring the one who is responsible for her great power. To be the king of the lands essentially.

This brings us to Bjorn - child of Tyn - wielder of the magical fire axe. He is the powerful son of Snorri - a power hungry man with the greatest desire to become King. Snorri will stop at nothing to achieve what he feels is rightfully his, no matter the cost. Forced together - Freya and Bjorn must decide to succumb to fate, or dare to change their course into the unknown.

Favorite Quote:
"No oath is worth your life. No amount of vengeance is worth your happiness. I'll let the past burn to ash, Freya, because you are my present. My future. My destiny. I love you."

It took me a little bit to get into this, but I was captivated. I had a pretty distinct feeling of where things were going, and what was going on, and then the last chapter or so. It got near the end and things started going in an interesting direction, then swerved suddenly. Once I realized I was on the last page and the story just sort of dropped, in a pretty messy and haphazard way, I was frustrated. I would like to read more, but I also wish it didn't feel like pages got dropped and then left out of the book.

At this point, Jensen can do no wrong. All the different stories she writes are so exclusively her own and I love that about her. Her way of capturing the reader in just the first few paragraphs of a book is magic and the story never disappoints. Freya is such a strong female character and just like in her other books, dominates the page without being overly boorish and dick-ish like other FMC's are in order to compete with the MMC's. Also like her other books, the romance does not dominate the story line even though it is a big part of the plot and people who do not appreciate romance in their fantasy books will appreciate that.

A Fate Inked In Blood is a unique spin on the popular romantasy genre. I enjoyed the setting and the magic system which is tied to Nordic mythology. The characters were interesting and while I saw two of the major plot twists coming, I was pleasantly surprised by the third. I will eagerly await the next installment of this series.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle Jensen
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Freya dreams of becoming a warrior. When she is forced to reveal a truth about herself, it sets her on a quest to unite the people of her land. It also makes her a prisoner to a leader who wants to use her powers to make himself king.
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My thoughts:
-First I would like to mention that for whatever reason this was not a binger for me. It took me sooooo long to finish this book. I would read one or two chapters and then not have any desire to keep reading but want to switch to another book. I don’t know why it kept losing my interest.
-I did like the story. I think it had a very slow build and things didn’t really pick up till maybe the last third of the book.
-I was super annoyed by Freya’s family, and a little bit with Freya herself. I feel like she was keeping herself blind to practically everything going on around her. I was not very surprised by how the book ended.
-And yet when I finished I thought to myself, that was a good book and I DO want to know what happens next.
-Moral of the story is, the next book I will do the audio! Also I am excited to do the audio as I would love to hear all the names pronounced correctly.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a chronic chaotic reader who never reads book blurbs, the only two things I knew going in was 1. Danielle Jensen wrote it (and I loved the Bridge Kingdom) and 2. it’s a Viking romantasy. I had no other expectations besides those two things.

A Fate Inked in Blood was fast paced in a way where events happened rapidly to move the story along but slow in a way where I wasn’t super invested until quite a bit later in the book.

I despised the FMC’s family and I was constantly mad that she made choices and sacrifices that were detrimental to her but helped her kin and they repaid her with cruelty. While I’m not normally someone who wants characters to make all the “right” choices or do “what I would do”, I was so annoyed by the end that she didn’t let her jerk relatives lay in the beds of their own making that I wanted to scream. I wanted to shake some sense into her. I respect the loyalty but there’s only so much I can handle. I literally screamed out loud “NO DON’T DO THAT”.

Then of course we have the ending that made me gasp and screech like a feral raccoon. I’m so mad at the MMC for what he did but I was not surprised by the big reveal about the FMC at the end. I need book 2 in my grabby hands IMMEDIATELY.

Mehh, hard to get into. Feels like the author is trying too hard way too soon and not in a good way with female MC. gonna move on, this book feels like a chore not fun.

I really wanted to love this book. I had the highest of hopes for it.
It took me awhile to get through this one. I really love the idea of the book, I just find I am very pick when it comes to Fmc’s & I just found this one missing the mark for me. Also the beginning was pretty slow the the last 1/4 was fast paced, so that was a little off for me.

With all this being said I will probably attempt book 2 because like I said I like the potential for this book!

3.5/5

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It was very fast-paced and I never felt like I was struggling to get through it. I actually would've enjoyed more information. The main characters felt a bit under developed and I didn't understand why they were interested in each other. The cliffhanger at the end is definitely helped me understand why these characters might have felt under developed and it was enough for me to wish I had the second book right now!

This was a really fun romantasy story inspired by Norse Mythology. I really enjoyed the characters and the twists and the turns. Freya has been harboring a dark secret. She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood. When her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl she is exposed. She is a shield maiden blessed by the gods to unite a nation under a power hungry king. I loved the themes of fate and owning our own fate. Freya is sick of being looked at like a tool to be used and a prize to be owned. I felt like she was one of those headstrong characters that was a bit brash at times but I’m excited to see her character development. I loved her fiery nature and how her and Bjorn had a great slow burn romance. This story definitely felt like a great blend of fantasy and romance. The romance never felt like it became the sole focus of the story. I loved the scheming and the backstabbing and the last 10% of the book was so good! Be warned it does end on a cliffhanger but I’m excited to see what happens next! Overall I think if you’re a fan of Danielle L. Jensen’s or even if you haven’t read her books this would still be an enjoyable and fast paced fantasy read.

A Fate of Inked in Blood is everything I wanted in more. We enter such an interesting world and get to know this world gradually. There is interesting magic, characters, politics, and more. Danielle's writing pulled me in from the start and just wouldn't let me go!

Freya is an interesting character. Her father told her to always hide her magic, but during a blink of an eye she's forced to use it. This turns her world upside down and forces her into another marriage she doesn't want. She's a feisty one though and even starts to realize her family is using her more than she should let happen. While I loved her growth in this book, she annoyed me quite a lot. Especially near the end, because some of her decisions just didn't make sense.

Then we have Bjorn. The only thing that could've made this book better would be Bjorn's POV. I really think that it would've added something special to this story. We think he's a bit of a grump, but he's so protective and has his reasoning for things. I predicted some of the things that would happen with Bjorn or that would come to light, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

We also have to talk about the romance! The tension and chemistry between Freya and Bjorn is there from the start and I just couldn't get enough. Their romance is definitely slow burn, but it's worth every moment, because the banter is just amazing. A Fate Inked in Blood isn't a very spicy book, but there are a few spicy scenes that were very well done.

The cast of characters, plot twists, and politics were all amazing. I didn't know who to trust and to be honest I still don't. I have a feeling A Fate Inked in Blood is going to be in my top 10 books of 2024 and I want the sequel ASAP!

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on July 6th.

✨Book Thoughts✨
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Read if You Like
~Norse mythology
~Forbidden love story
~Characters you’ll love and characters you’ll hate
~Banter, Tension, Fire

I’m just so happy I finally picked this up. All fantasy readers should grab this book. I’m sure we are in for an amazing journey that is just starting…like seriously when does book two come out?

Freya guts fish and dreams of an axe going in her husband's back. Then a time comes when she must reveal the drop of goddess blood she has in her and let all see that she is the foretold shield maiden that will allow the one who controls her fate to unite the land. She is a weapon that all want to possess or kill. Pick this book up so you can see Freya try to choose her own destiny. Watch as she fights to do what is right. Read every page enjoying the chemistry between her and Bjorn 🔥. You’ll be left with a cliffhanger that will have you screaming for book two.

Ok, well I’m off to immediately get my hands on a book from one of the author’s other series.

I NEED BOOK TWO ASAP!!! Something about Jensen's writing is so addicting. Recommend to any fan of Sarah J Maas or Carissa Broadbent. Any fantasy or romance (or romantasy) lover will love this book, as the characters, and world-building, is to die for!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I was engrossed in this book almost immediately which I'm not that used to for fantasy books. I feel like I normally have to go through at least 100 pages before I start to understand things and get interested so I was happy for that to not happen.

Freya is a fantastic badass of a main character and I love Bjorn. As for the twists at the end I knew one of them almost immediately but the other one I was actually surprised by.

I can't wait for the next one in the series to come out. I also really need to read other books by this author.