A Fate Inked in Blood is a Norse-mythology based tale that follows a woman on an ill-fated (or maybe not fated at all) journey. It has some spice (particularly near the end) and a decent plot. This book was mostly enjoyable and I will continue the series, but some plot points felt rushed and some felt over-explained.

A Fate Inked In Blood is an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology.

Freya's life is forever changed when a violent encounter forces her to invoke the name of her goddess, revealing her magical ability and identifying her as the Shield Maiden, a woman prophesied to unite the people of Skaland under the ruler who controls her. Eager to claim her power and prophesied fate for himself, the region's jarl, a man decades her senior, whisks Freya away to be his second wife. His enemies swiftly move in to kill Freya or steal her for themselves, so her husband tasks Bjorn, his son and heir, with her protection.

Freya and Bjorn's chemistry is evident from their first interaction, and the author does an incredible job weaving and escalating the romantic tension between them as the characters and their relationship develop.

I really enjoyed the way that the author uses Freya's journey to explore what it means to be unfated - to have the power to choose your own destiny apart from the control of the gods - and the weight of responsibility that follows when your choices have deadly consequences for those closest to you.

I recommend this book for fans of The Last Kingdom on Netflix and Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young.

Thank you to Del Ray and to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoyed the show Vikings, or like Fourth Wing or ACOTAR you will love this book! It’s fast paced, gets into the action right away and keeps you engaged the whole time. You follow Freya’s journey as an unfulfilled wife and desire to fight. She becomes an indispensable shield maiden and becomes an important member of the Yarls inner circle.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. This book comes out February 2024.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I’ll say I was immediately hooked and found myself 25% into this book very quickly. I really enjoyed the Norse mythology as I haven’t read much of it. Freya, the FMC, has a magic that if controlled by a power hungry king, it will allow a nation to be united and conquered. This part of the storyline was what I really enjoyed. Freya has known no freedom and is seen as a weapon and someone to possess and control. At first I really liked her character, but I admit she became rather infuriating. The romance is familiar and full of tropes that are commonly seen in romantasy novels. And while I love those tropes, I prefer to read them within a fresh storyline and this novels “twist” ending was a bit too familiar. This does end on a cliffhanger as it’s the first in a new series. Overall, A Fate Inked in Blood is a solid read that’s just missing the “fresh and unique” mark.

Thank you very much to the publisher and author for the chance to read and review this.

3.5/5

4.5⭐️
Vikings, gods, shield maidens, and the best banter!
I loved this book. It was funny, action packed, and the romance had top tier banter that started immediately. Such a good start to a series. I will be reading the second book the moment it comes out!

I became interested in this book when I saw all of the buzz surrounding it at NYCC. The hype is real. This book was incredible. It's well-written, I loved the world and the complexity of the characters. I need the next book ASAP!

“A brutal and gripping Norse inspired fantasy romance that swept me away”

I want to start this review by saying I LOVED this book and I already knew from chapter one that I was going to enjoy it. I can’t wait for the second in this duology. I NEED IT NOW PLEASE!!

The main character Freya is a bold, impulsive, fiery MC who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. The love interest? I adore him, the banter and back and forth between the two is fantastic and you can feel the tension through the page. Norse mythology and Viking inspired romantasy with an exciting plot that keeps you engaged all throughout? Yes please, I highly recommend if you enjoy romantasy that still has a high stakes plot.

I found the first 75% a bit boring but I just brushed it off as a part of the world building. It really picked up in the last 25% so I hope that continues into book 2.

Freya lives a quiet life, as wife of a man she despises. But when she is discovered as the subject of a prophesy, her life is shattered as she becomes nothing more than a pawn for the men that seek to control her.

This is an excellent fantasy with plenty of twists and betrayals, and an agonizing slow burn romance. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for review.

I got this book eARC from netgalley for an honest review.

Danielle is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint!
The ending was CRAZY even though it was very predictable. I think Danielle L. Jensen purposely foreshadowed a lot during the story so that you did have to think about what was going to happen.

This was such a refreshing fantasy read! This was my first Norse-inspired fantasy and it did not disappoint. And of course I’m a sucker for romantasy. The balance between world building and story line was great and made it incredibly easy to read. I can not wait to read the next book in this series!

Fantasy romance books always hit that sweet spot for me especially when it balances the right amount of romance with world building and everything else. And Danielle Jensen's books are always enjoyable when it comes to that! I think I've read almost all of her books starting from the time I read Stolen Songbird nine years back and it'd be an understatement to say that I was very excited for A Fate Inked In Blood! I'm happy to report that it was all that I was expecting it to be and more!❣️ I finished it in one sitting and I want to read the next book so badly😩(okay ik it's my fault for reading a Feb '24 ARC so early but I couldn't resist 😂)

A Fate Inked In Blood is a Norse-inspired fantasy romance that follows Freya who spends her days dreaming of becoming a warrior while stuck in an unhappy marriage. Her life unexpectedly changes when she's forced to reveal the secret that she's been hiding for years - that she also possesses magic and that she's a Shield Maiden. And that puts her in the center of a prophecy that she's been unaware of. In order to protect her family she's forced to submit to the jarl's demands as he believes he's the one who'll unite Skaland and become its king while wielding her fate. And as if training to fight and working to change her fate wasn't enough, she must work hard to resist her attraction to Bjorn, the jarl's son who's been assigned to protect her.

Not only was this one fast-paced with action, magic and romance(+steam) but it had some amazing characters too! Freya was feisty, protective but also quite impulsive and she goes through so much and grows a lot. I loved the flirty banter between her and Bjorn along with the tension and forbidden attraction 😍 It doesn't get too confusing as the world building is quite simple. I was expecting some of the twists but there were a few nice surprises too 😆 I can't wait for everyone to read this so that I can discuss it with them and I really want book 2 asap!❣️✨

I’m convinced Danielle L Jensen can do no wrong. This was my first Viking-inspired novel and I loved this concept! Freya was a strong, capable main character. Forbidden romance. Incredible banter and chemistry—I was obsessed with Freya and Bjorn from their first interaction. All things that are DLJ’s specialty. So glad I got the ARC so I could read it early, and not even upset that I had already preordered a physical copy.

Despite my love, there are a few critiques I would make: Unfortunately something about the pacing felt off with this. The middle feels long. And then the end felt a bit rushed and cliche. I also noticed some repetitive phrases and plot devices.

There was a lot to love in this book. An action packed Viking-inspired story with magic felt refreshing in our current Romantasy saturated book market. Freya and Bjorn had swoon worthy banter and forbidden romance.

I was so excited for this book after absolutely loving The Bridge Kingdom and its sequel earlier this year. I might have gone in with too high of expectations. First for the good: the worldbuilding and magic system is very interesting. I am not too familiar with Norse mythology and have only read a handful of books inspired by it - so overall I really loved learning that aspect of the book. What I honestly struggled with most was the romance - I just didn't buy it by the end. I did not understand all of Freya's actions and many of them frustrated me, but also Bjorn felt so unlikeable. The ending made me more interested in a sequel, but I am unsure overall if I will pick it up. I am still interested in other Danielle L. Jensen series though. :)

A Norse-inspired fantasy romance by Danielle L. Jensen - author of the beloved Bridge Kingdom series.

A Fate Inked in Blood was completely action packed, full of tension, and so filled with angst. I couldn’t put it down.

This story follows Freya, the one who is fated to be the shield maiden and Bjorn who is sworn to protect her. The book blurb describes it best, but I think if you are a fantasy romance lover you should just dive in head first without much research.

I didn’t know I could love Danielle L. Jensen’s writing more, but I am blown away by A Fate Inked in Blood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Freya's life is anything but glamorous. Tied in matrimony to a boorish oaf, she yearns for a life of battle and fame that is out of her reach. Day in and day out she cleans the fish her husband catches, suffers his attentions when she must, and bites her tongue... mostly.

But when her husband betrays her deepest secret to their Jarl and the heritage she has kept hidden her whole life is revealed, Freya will be thrown into the life she once dreamed to call her own - only it's no longer as inviting as she once believed. As Jarl Snorri's fanaticism threatens to break her, even as he seeks to unite all of Skaland under his realm, Freya will be forced to choose between serving Snorri or chosing her own fate. After all, as a child of the gods, she alone can weave a new pattern for her life.

This was a decent start to the Saga of the Unfated series. I really enjoyed all the Norse mythology elements and the viking inspired world of Skaland. The way the children of the gods were handled was very well done. The fact that a child could be claimed by the Gods both in the literal sense of being a part of the conception or also just having been blessed at conception was an interest twist.

However, I really feel like this story suffered from the constant and incessant repetition of Freya's inner monologue as it centered around her lack of control. I feel like she never really learned anything and constantly just bemoaned her fate as opposed to finding a way to take the reigns. It seemed like she was always stuck in a spiral of poor decision making and couldn't dig herself out to save her life. As such, I found myself losing some of the immersion in the story and just wanting it to be over. I'd be curious to know what age she is supposed to be because I have to agree with Harald on this one, she often acted like a child.

There was also an overabundance of the miscommunication trope in my opinion. I'd have liked to see less miscommunication between the characters. We all know miscommunication is a trope for a reason but there is a fine line between it enhancing a story and being overbearing.

All this being said, I am definitely intrigued enough to give the next installment in the series a go. I want to know how the god blood in her veins plays out and whether or not she and Bjorn can move past the events of the end of the book. I'd like to see Freya grow into her own and start to take charge of her fate instead of remaining a bystander as she seemed to be for most of this book. I'm also hoping we might get some more direct involvement from the gods - especially the gods most central to this story.

This was a solid Romantasy that I did enjoy! I really liked the Norse mythology that was a center of the storyline. I thought the incorporation of the Norse Gods was done really well! I really liked our MMC Bjorn’s personality and banter! There were a couple things that didn’t do it for me unfortunately! I could not like Freya no matter how hard I tried! She had a bad personality and kept making the wrong choices for bad reasons and I found that annoying. She didn’t grow as a character I felt that she actually got worse as the story progressed. It was a tad predictable which we are unfortunately seeing in this genre lately. I’m not a fan of insta-lust/love but if you like that I think you will love this story!

Danielle Jensen is an amazing writer and I will be reading the sequel! Despite the ending being a little predictable I’m curious how the characters will grow and if Freya becomes better!

Thank you for the ARC!

I have been in an off an on reading slump for a while now and this book yanked me right out of it. I assumed when I started this that I would enjoy it simply because Danielle Jensen wrote it, but I was unprepared for how quickly I would swallow up this story and I sat there afterwards wishing book two was already in my hands.

If you love mythology, especially Norse mythology, and want a fast paced read with forbidden romance, forced proximity and a fierce FMC, then this book will be right up your alley.

First I would like to thank the Author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was so well written and I felt completely emersed into the world of Skaland.
The main character is fiery, brave, and would do anything to protect her family. She is a child blessed by the Goddess Hlin (Goddess of protection) from conception. She had to navigate her whole life keeping this secret, until eventually it was found out. In this story, she goes on a thrilling adventure to keep the people who just want to use her from exacting revenge on the people she holds dear.
I didn't want to put this book down. Every page was gripping, and the whole story itself came together perfectly. Not to mention the love interest <3
One of the best fantasy books I've read this year.

-Fantasy/Adventure
-Norse Mythology
-Magic
-Forced Proximity
-Strong & Badass FMC

This book is perfect for fans of The Last Kingdom!
I truly love all of The Bridge Kingdom Series, so when Danielle L. Jensen posted about A Fate Inked in Blood, I knew that I needed to read it! It truly did not disappoint. I loved how raw, suspenseful, and immersive this book was, as well as the swoon worthy Bjorn.