Very abrupt ending. I liked the premise of the book, but the power of the Gods kept overwhelming any character development

I was iffy on The Bridge Kingdom. I loved the world but there was a lot I didn’t like too. I’m so glad I took a chance on A Fate Inked in Blood, through! Jensen has shown so much growth in character development and plot through this new series. Romantacy readers everywhere are going to love this!

Danielle L Jensen has done it again , taking you into a immersive world of captivating characters , plot and of course sprinkled with some spice.Freya is a fierce FMC who sacrifices for the people she loves and cares about. She must fight for herself and the ones she cares about. I loved the development as the story went on. She fights to uncover the truth of the past. Bjorn is witty and gives of touch her or die vibes and I am here for it. Cannot wait to see where this series goes .

So thrilling to read another book by DLJ. I have been a huge fan of her Bridge Kingdom series so I was very excited to read the first book in her new series, A Fate Inked in Blood. I think this series has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this series as book one felt like a strong start. I loved the world/setting. I haven’t read much fantasy based on Norse gods but I really found myself enjoying the magic system, religion and world DLJ built in book one. I also really enjoyed a lot of the tropes included throughout the book and found myself easily getting swept away by the book from the very beginning. — The only thing I would have loved to see more of in the first book is overall emotionality. I don’t feel like the characters had a lot of emotional depth or development. I also would love to see more attention throughout the rest of the series to some of the side characters as most of them I found fairly unlikeable but I also see how this could be intentional. In summary, I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely continue to read the series and I very much look forward to how the story will continue to be developed. :)

Before I get into my review, let me just tell you if you're even thinking of reading this book, stop what you're doing and just start it. You will not be disappointed.

This book had me laughing out loud from the first chapter. The writing is so engaging, it's very easy to slip into the world and lose yourself in it. It's the kind of book that demands a cozy couch and a beverage of your choice to just fully engage in this beautiful story.

The characters are dynamic and the chemistry is off the charts. Freya is exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for. She's a badass for sure, but she's so much more than that and it shows in every one of her actions. Bjorn is... you know, I don't even want to try to explain him because this man is just that captivating. He's everything you could want in a fictional man. He's absolutely hilarious and flirty to a fault. Their banter had me laughing out loud and blushing at the same time. The spice was also very much worth the read.

Overall, Danielle has done it again and, dare I say, even better than before. This series is gonna be the next big thing for sure because every line oozes the kind of fantastic escapism that captures the mind. Do yourself a favor and go read it right this minute.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

I'm going to be sending Danielle Jensen an invoice in the mail for STEALING MY HEART with Freya and Bjorn!!

First off, the setting of this book is lush and beautiful. Okay, maybe "lush" isn't the right word since it's, you know, freakin' cold, but you know what I mean. Jensen's descriptive writing puts you right in the middle of the scene, tapping into all of your senses. The connection you feel from the scenery along with the impeccable first person perspective will have you in a trance in all of the best ways.

Freya is so, so brave. She's not the most experienced, battle hardened, or athletic of heroines, but that's what drew me to her most: Her bravery in the face of unbelievable odds, vulnerability, and fear. She has gone through so much in her life, yet she faces each day and each moment with determination and a warm heart.

Bjorn is as sweet as he is spicy. His humor is my absolute favorite and he made me laugh out loud more times than I can count. But then he swings his axe and my smiles move to smirks, enjoying every draw of his weapon and every battle fought in the name of what's right. He's a new top book-boyfriend and solidified his position in the ranks the second he tended to Freya's injuries. THIS. MAN.

The plot is adventurous and exciting, taking readers on journeys over mountains, through tunnels, into caves, and across waters. I never knew whom to trust, who would be hurt, which god or goddess would appear, or which direction we'd go next. And I enjoyed every twist and turn.

This book isn't even out for another three months and I am already SCREAMING for book two!! I have a feeling we have a new favorite fantasy series on our hands, with this one!!

"A Fate Inked in Blood is/was one of my most anticipated upcoming releases and I'm so thankful to have received an ARC copy! Thank you Del Rey, Danielle L Jensen, and NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own and being left voluntarily.*

Holy Hel, 'A Fate Inked in Blood' is the kind of book where you feel every shiver, every burn right along with the characters. The plot twist might not have had me falling out of my seat, but the simmering romance? That was spot on. Danielle Jensen writes with this vivid detail that pulls you in—it's like you're living the highs and the lows with them. And even though they're all beautifully flawed, I found myself secretly hoping for that picture-perfect ending. Five stars—this one’s a keeper for those nights when you just want to dive into a world where you can feel everything a little too deeply.

Grateful to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Freya wants nothing more than to be a shield maiden. Instead, she’s in an unwanted marriage with a secret that she’s been harboring since she was a child. When her husband sells her and her secret out to the jarl, she’s forced to fight to the death with the jarl’s son, Bjorn, and reveal her deepest secret: that she possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, making her a shield maiden capable of repelling any attack. Such magic was foretold in a prophecy declaring that a shield maiden who’d been birthed the night of a red moon. Who would be born in the fire of the gods would unite the people of Skaland beneath the rule of the one who controlled her fate. Thus begins her saga as Freya becomes the wife of a fanatical Jarl who believes he is destined to rule the land. While training to fight and control her magic and prove her strength, she is put to the test by man and gods alike, but no test is greater than trying to resist the lust-filled feelings she develops for the jarl’s son, Bjorn, whose fated to protect her from their enemies. As her emotions grow and war looms on the horizon, Freya must make choices that risk her destiny and those she has sworn to protect.

If I’m being honest, I’m not sure what I expected going into this book. The synopsis immediately hooked me, and I knew this would be a book I was going to enjoy. I’ve had problems with historical fantasy before where I get bored with the exposition and the history lesson that can occasionally come with them. This story was not the case. I was drawn into the story from the first page. I did not want to put this book down. I was finding moments in my work to read this. The story was well-written and engaging. I love Freya. The moment she threw that ax (if you’ve read the book, you know what I’m talking about), I knew I would follow this fictional woman into battle and kill for her, and that was just in the first twenty or so pages. The story gets better from there.
Oh my God, this man. I wasn’t into the hulking warrior-type men until I met Bjorn. Now, I’m a Viking girl. He’s immediately alluring, and the chemistry between him and Freya has you rooting for them from the moment they meet.
I also learned much from this book about Norse culture and the Norse Pantheon. I read this on my Kindle Paperwhite. I could highlight and research certain words I didn’t understand or wanted to learn more about, and it enhanced the experience. The more research I did, the more easter eggs and nods to history and Norse mythology I found. It was delightful. I love a book that teaches me something. A story that engages me in ways that will make me want to learn and understand the world more. I will now be taking a deep history dive.
I’ve already got a pre-order in for February, and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this delicious ARC! I was SO ecstatic to read this—romantasy is my favorite cup of tea. You had me at Norse mythology, enemies to lovers, a shield maiden, and an enticing, yet familiar system of viking magic…and let me tell you I ATE IT UP! This book is copiously bingeable (it kept me awake until the early hours of morning) and includes all the elements of the romantasy genre coupled with fantastical Norse lore. Jensen joins the ranks of authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Scarlett St. Clair, and Sarah J. Maas by seamlessly blending the romance genre with a brilliant shade of traditional, familiar mythology to create a devour-worthy romantasy book.

Warning: mild spoilers contained below.

I’ve consumed plenty of Norse mythology books AND a litany of the romantasy genre, but never the two blended. I went into this book with high expectations, both genres being personal favorites, and let me tell you—the book delivered! Jensen paints an approachable, distingushable Norse realm. Even the writing, tone, language, and voice lended to it. The lore gave space for the romantasy readers who enjoy the gateways and glimpses of a complex magic system, but are initially sucked into the realm building by the romance that drives it. Jensen gives a delicious balance of both, without sacrificing the plot and the pacing of the novel.

This book is full of tropes, which I understand might dissuade some readers, but for me? Quite the opposite, I’m a trope hoarder to the core. Enemies to lovers, forbidden love, secret/hidden identity and powers, tension (TENSION!), he falls first, strong heroine—it’s all there.

And the cliff hanger?
*Strikes the single chord on my harp labeled “enemies to lovers” and declares: PLAY IT AGAIN!*

I’m curious to see how Jensen will shape A Fate Inked in Blood’s world and fledgling politics, as I’ve sifted through other reviews boasting her capacity for both elements. This book is not a placeholder for the future installments, but a beautiful foundation for the world of the Saga of the Unfated to come.

A Fate Inked in Blood has solidified Danielle L. Jensen on my auto-buy author list. I’m so glad I was blissfully unaware of other her works, because now I get to pick up and devour an already well-developed Bridge Kingdom Series.

I hope that romantasy and fantasy readers alike stumble upon A Fate Inked in Blood!

The book is set in a world of Nordic Gods with some so lucky to be blessed by a drop of their blood. Our shield maiden lives a life so far from what she hoped she would do with her life- gutting fish and spending her days in a loveless marriage to an atrocious husband, but suddenly, she gets a window to be the warrior that she has always wished to be.

I adored this book. The Norse mythology and concept carried many of the Fantasy YA themes that we all know and love, but had a unique concept and twist that kept me reading and reading. I could not put it down!

Freya is a very likeable main character and despite her challenges in her new situation I found myself rooting for her the whole series. Danielle can count me as a new lifelong reader.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC - this was a joy to read!

Freya is the disappointed wife of a fishmonger when we meet her - wedded to one who sees her only as a glorified servant who is supposed to bear him children. She dreams of a life as a warrior, earning fame and wealth alongside her brother. When the jarl in charge of the region including her village arrives, she has no idea that he is there for her and that her life as she knows it is about to end. For Freya is a child of the goddess Hlin. Her birth was prophesied and her destiny is to unite the people of Skaland under one ruler - the one who controls her fate.

As the novel progresses, we see Freya struggle with her fears, doubts, desires, and loyalties as well as her destiny to be the shield maiden. The best way to describe her struggle is in her own words: "If I could only stop wanting, perhaps I might find some happiness in what I had." This is, of course, a situation we all face at one point or another and it makes it easy to identify with Freya as she moves from one danger to another, never able to control her own destiny or make her own choices. We see early on what she would choose and it is both more and less than her childhood dreams.

As you might expect in a novel featuring a shield maiden as the main character, there are a number of scenes of violence.

This book is firmly in the "romantasy" genre, but still has plenty to offer for those who enjoy a more standard fantasy offering (although those readers need to be prepared for some steamy scenes). Since a fantasy tale is more likely to contain a romance than a romance is to include fantasy elements, I don't think the jump for a romance reader would be as straightforward since you still have to enjoy fantasy elements. Still, I think that a romance reader who likes slow burn, enemies to lovers, and forbidden romance would enjoy this book. The Norse mythology influenced setting should also help since it is a lot of fun. I look forward to finding out in future installments of the series what gifts those with drops of other god's blood receive since we only dipped our toes in the water as far as the number of Norse gods is concerned. For example, what would a child of Heimdall receive as a gift? I would have expected his children to be seers, but that is the children of Odin according to this book.

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Fate Inked in Blood opens in a Viking village where Freya is arguing with her oafish husband about how to gut the fish that he has caught. The reader quickly finds out that her husband has a drop of the blood of the gods and is therefore able to call fish from the sea. Freya's family is thrilled with this connection to wealth and don't want her to do anything to jeopardize the relationship. She herself has no interest in this forced domesticity and wants to become a warrior.

Just a few pages into the story, the local jarl's son Bjorn emerges from the bay near Freya's home and the plot of this wonderful fantasy-romance picks up the pace. It is quickly revealed that Freya has hidden potential and that many believe that she has a role to play in uniting the people of her region under one king. Jarl Snorri swiftly weds Freya in order to tether her abilities to his goals but many other jarls have the same plan and Freya suddenly become s a target just as she begins to come into her own powers. Snorri's son Bjorn, who wields a flaming battle axe is tasked with her protection and the banter and steam between these two characters does not disappoint.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a thrilling tale that absolutely nails the assignment. All of the expected romantasy elements flourish in this novel and the setting in Dark Ages of Viking raiders is exceptionally fun. This series is certain to have wide appeal.

A fate Inked in Blood was a breath of fresh air from the current world of fantasy novels. Again and again Jensen shocks me and keeps me coming back for more. I was very impressed with the development of characters, there weren’t choices made where you couldn’t reasonably agree with either the FMC or MMC. The world-building and plot design were impeccable, and we can’t forget the romance (I definitely haven’t). I hate to compare authors, but I would say if you are already a fan of romantasy this will elevate your reading TBR and if you are new the genre, this would be fantastic series to get you started, it has everything you could want. Can’t wait to add this book to my physical shelf!

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC. This was a great story. Loved the Norse mythology, even if my knowledge is a little rusty. Enjoyed the magic system and I did figure out some of the twists. I really enjoyed the romance and the banter between the two. The middle was a little slow but she paints a great picture of the world and the battles. I can’t wait to find out what happens and even though the ending gave you some answers. I still have a lot of questions.

I'm all over the map with Danielle Jensen so I wasn't sure where this would fall (Bridge Kingdom, love, Dark shores, meh). For me, it falls between those two series. It lacks the world building and witty character banter that made me love Bridge Kingdom. I think it's the first person POV that throws me off, so it's more telling and not showing, and it slows the pacing especially in the middle. The magic system was fun and the Viking aspect has a lot of potential. I enjoyed it as a fun, quick read, so if there's a sequel, I'd pick it up (which I did not do for Dark Shores), but if it's a long series, I don't think I'd keep going that far.

this book!! it was the perfect mix of fantasy and Norse myth set in a magical Viking world, sprinkled with some romantic tension and quick witted banter.

If you’ve read any books by this author before, then you know she always finds a way to shock you. And this was no exception- I was seriously shook in the best way a few times. The plot and action were perfectly paced and continued to twist and turn until the very end. Aaand it helped that the MMC literally had me giggling and kicking my feet more than once throughout the story 😌

I 110% recommend this to anyone who loves unique magic, enemies to lovers, and badass female leads!

I love this book! It's full of adventure and a strong female heroine. The introduction of the two main characters was a great interaction and made me invested in the pair so much more. I would order this for my collection.

I’m calling it now, this will be the romantasy read of 2024.

Such an addicting , fast-paced, and swoon-worthy read. I literally read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the characters, the political intrigue, and the banter of this book. It was painfully predictable, but I didn’t mind that.

I enjoyed this book!! I loved the character development and the plot and setting. I found the MC to be an enjoyable character.