I've read a couple of Daniel Jensen's previous books. I Enjoyed stolen Songbird by her, and had mixed feelings about The Bridge Kingdom. However Daniel Jensen is kind of a comfort read for me when I want something to just read and chill. The book had interesting worldbuilding. But the plot was just a formulaic romantasy story.. The pacing was also a bit too fast for me. My main gripe was the romance felt rushed, underdeveloped, and was just insta-lust.

I am UNWELLLLLL!!!

This is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year and it doesn't even come out until February 2024! I literally don't know what I'm going to do until Danielle L. Jensen releases the second book!

This book has it all, Norse Gods that are inserting themselves into mortals' lives when they shouldn't, a very HOT, grumpy Viking, prophecies, betrayals, forbidden romance, and an ending that will have you at the edge of your seat! This book had me in a rollercoaster of emotions that spanned from slap-happy giddiness and hot boiling rage in the blink of an eye.

I cannot believe I have to wait an unknown amount of time for book two to release and I am on my knees BEGGING for Danielle to expand this into more than just a duology because I already know I am going to want more, more, and more of these characters and this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for letting me read an advanced copy of this epic book! EVERYONE MAKE SURE TO RUN TO GET IT ON FEBRUARY 27, 2024!!!!!!

I truly loved the Viking/Norse storyline of this fantasy that helps change things up from the typical fantasy books you see. I also enjoyed every part of the slow burn love and the way the author formatted her action scenes within her storyline. I honestly felt like I was reading a book that could easily become a movie/series.
I enjoyed the book so much that when I was only 1/4 of the way through I hurried to amazon to preorder the book for when it releases!
I’m super excited to see how the rest of the series plays out!

I’ve had A Fate Inked in Blood preordered since Danielle Jenson announced the book and it went live on Amazon. To say that I was highly anticipating this novel is an understatement🤣. I’m impatient, so I requested it on NetGalley and got to reading. Guys, I’m so thrilled to say that A Fate Inked in Blood is my favorite Danielle Jenson book yet. ❤️

I loved following Freya’s story as she went from a simple fishwife to the kingmaker shield maiden. My heart broke for her as she tore herself in half trying to protect those she loved while sacrificing her heart. Freya’s story gave me all the feels, which is exactly the kind of book I love to read.

I also admired that Freya didn’t shy away from having honest conversations. Too often in books, the main characters, especially women, dance around their feelings and do just about anything to avoid an awkward conversation about love and sex. Not Freya! It was so refreshing to see a woman going for what she wanted, even through it was risky 🙌.

The constant action and scheming of A Fate Inked in Blood kept me on my toes and my mind in the story long after I closed the book. There were so many epic battles and huge decisions to be made that you could never correctly predict what would happen next, or who would live to see the next chapter. 👀

As always, I’m here for the romance and Danielle Jenson did not disappoint🔥! I don’t want to give anything away, but if you love the “he’s her bodyguard” and/or “slow burn” tropes, you should go ahead and order A Fate Inked in Blood now and thank me later. Spice lovers, you’ll be happy to hear that this book is open door!

In the pages, you will find:

🪓Magic
🛡️Slow burn romance
🔥Strong female main character
🪓The chosen one
🛡️Battles
🔥”Keep her alive at all costs”
🪓Prophecies
🛡️Hot bodyguard
🔥Longing
🪓You’re mine
🛡️Spice
🔥A jaw dropping cliffhanger

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I’ll try to write this without spoilers…If you like fantasy books about; Vikings, magic, Norse Mythology & Gods, a badass lead FMC/MMC, and/or magic-wielding lead characters, then this book is for you. Seriously. While there is a little spice, I wouldn't call this romance or romantasy as the romance (or lust) is more of a subplot.

Synopsis:Freya is a young maiden who is taken from her life when it is discovered that she has the blood of Hlin running through her veins. A prophecy made 20 years earlier has had her local Jarl searching for her. When she ousts her magic, her life changes dramatically. Bjorn is the son of the Jarl and is fated/forced to protect Freya at all costs. Instead of a life of love, battle glory, and freedom, she finds her gifts (and her life) are thought of as mere possessions to be honed into a weapon. Bound again to one she does not love, Freya must accept the destiny the gods (and the fanatical Jarl) have set for her, or try to change her fate.

My Thoughts This book checks all my fantasy book boxes. I will be purchasing it the minute it hits shelves. However, I’m ticked that I read the ARC and now I have forever wait before book 2. The fantasy-Viking world is immersive and surprisingly well built for a 350 page book. It's not an epic-fantasy that will have you slogging through pages of description, yet I had no trouble imagining the landscape/characters.

The character development is wonderful and you truly fall in love with Bjorn and Freya, even as she seemingly unravels at the seams from what is expected of her, and from the expectations of those she protects. It seems that the only person that isn't asking anything of her is Bjorn. He is another child of the gods, and is the reason she outs her magic. Bjorn is tasked to keep Freya safe, but will the lines begin to blur?

There is a lot of introspection within this book, which makes the characters seem more relatable. There is also war, skirmishes, threats, betrayal, familial love, internal conflict, etc. Freya is the FMC and as such, the book is told through her lens. The plot twists are well hidden and keep you guessing until they are revealed. I want to know more, and the book was too short in my opinion.

Tropes: Forced-Proximity, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Touch Her & Di3, Unlikely Allies, Elemental (God) Magic

Oh. My. God.

When I caught wind that Danielle L. Jensen was starting a new series I was absolutely over the moon excited. Her Bridge Kingdom series has been one of my favorite series of all time and has made her an insta-buy author for me. But even if you have read nothing else of hers, YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

A Fate Inked in Blood is captivating, its magical, thrilling, tension filled fantasy romance perfection. Danielle transports you back in time to the world of Norse-mythology, vikings, war, children of the gods and destiny. You will get immersed in the world of Skaland, following our FMC Freya on her journey of trying to weave her own fate while also trying to honor those she loves and what she feels is right under the bloodlust fueled culture around her. This book emerges you in the world, a fast-paced plot that is full of action, unexpected twists and turns, forbidden desires and divine intervention.

From the beginning Freya is a strong, courageous and head strong character. Forced to be the wife of a fishmonger who was "blessed by the gods". She dreams of being a warrior like her older brother, of living a life that is her own, and one fateful encounter with Bjorn, a Jarl, and a betrayal of her husband has her secrets revealed and starts you on her epic and tumultuous journey.

The banter is amazing, the spin on the world of the vikings, the elements of Norse mythology create a layered and full world that is easy to lose yourself in. Add in the incredible sexual tension, mutual pining, forbidden love, the betrayal and revenge. The book was paced incredibly, giving you just enough to have you scrambling to keep reading and leaving all other commitments forgotten in the dust.

But below the action and romance you see subtler plot points, the heart breaking self doubt, the need to protect ones family because that is all you've ever been seen as being good enough for. The desperation to carve ones own path and defy the oppressors around you keeping you strangled. The characters will worm their way into your heart, have mountains of depth that they feel real.

If you are a fan of fantasy romance you NEED this book, you will LOVE Frey and Bjorn, it has everything you could ever ask for and leaving you screaming at the end that the next book is not out yet. Add this to your TBR, preorder the hardcover edition. It is honestly one of the best books I've read of the year and will be huge when released.

Thank you to Danielle Jensen, Random House Publishing Group/ Del Rey for gifting me the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was absolutely fantastic.

THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD. the storytelling. the romance. the characters. PERFECTION. I couldn’t put this book down. It ended on such a cliffhanger tho so now i need book 2. i felt kinda betrayed at the end and I felt so bad for Feyre throughout the whole book

I had high hopes for A Fate Inked in Blood, as people rave about Danielle Jenson, but unfortunately, this book was not for me. I found it slow and also didn't buy the "insta-love" between the main characters, Some of the Norse mythology was interesting, but that was about it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the first chapter, this book had me in its grip. You know how you find a book you want to consume as quickly as possible but you force yourself to put it down, to drag it out, so you can savor its beauty? This is one of them. Jensen crushed it. Freya is a likeable main character but Bjorn will forever be my favorite. This was a wild ride - how am I supposed to wait for another one?

Nordic gods, enemies to lovers to enemies, bloody battles, betrayal, and just the right amount of spice to top it all off. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is one of my favorite books of the year by far!

First of all I want to say thank you to the Author and publisher for allowing me to read the eArc of this book! I really enjoyed it. This book was fast paced, action packed, and full of romance. This is one of those books that you do not want to put down. I’ve never read a book with a plot about Vikings and was very excited to branch out and read this book. I loved the Viking storyline and liked how the author made it unique by adding powers. I loved the writing and how the author concluded it perfectly for making us readers want the next book right away!

A Fate Inked In Blood
Danielle L. Jensen
Pub Date: 02/27/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


A Fate Inked In Blood is a Norse Inspired Romantasy that hooks you from the first chapter. It’s got action, forbidden romance, revenge, magic… literally what more could you want.

A Fate Inked in Blood follows Freya, who has a drop of God’s blood, making her the perfect weapon & everyone knows it. Once she is discovered as this prophesized “Shield Maiden”, the Jarls from all over come to take her for themselves.

The pacing of this story was so fast, I was invested in these characters from the moment I finished the first chapter. And the stakes just kept getting higher. Freya is torn between her emotions / and what the good of the kingdom is, and keeping her family safe. She is also developing feelings for one of the Jarl’s sons… which is definitely not allowed.(I mean, Bjorn is just hot so I dont blame her.) But, the banter between them is some of the best you will ever read. I definitely snorted a couple times.

I really really enjoyed this book & these characters. Also, the world building is super easy to understand, so if you are new to Fantasy I would definitely recommend this book as a good starting point!
My biggest issue is that I have to wait so long for the second one. Especially with that ending…

Thank you so much @Netgalley & for this eARC in return for my honest review.

I was given the opportunity to read this ARC and I'm so grateful. This book was nothing like I've read before. The Norse mythology and magic was so cool to learn about and see used in this book. The TWIST at the end, I didn't see coming for a MILE. I'm if I'm blind or if its just that good, but either way it was phenomenal.

Freya is such a strong female character and way hint her grow into her powers and realizing how capable she is was so GOOD. The trials, the betrayal, the hurt she goes through I felt every part.

Highly recommend to anyone who likes fantasy reads

5/5 stars
3/5 spice

A Fate Inked in Blood is a fast moving fantasy romance based in Norse mythology. This novel has some really good dialogue which is sometimes hard to find in fantasy - oftentimes it feels to forced and unrealistic but I could imagine these conversations in my head.
One thing I found lacking was solid world building. A lot of the world building was overlooked in favor of propelling the plot, and I would have liked to learn more about what having the blood of a god meant, as well as the hierarchy of the gods especially because there’s so few current fantasies about Norse mythology compared to Greek mythology.
The female main character reminds me a lot of other NA fantasy protagonists, quick to anger with a short temper and occasionally doing foolish things, for what feels like no reason. This leaves a lot of room for growth throughout the series, however sometimes Freya’s actions bordered on childlike. However, I will say she has a lot of redeeming qualities, mainly her care for her people’s and family’s well-being before her own. She also has some great moments of perseverance that hint towards a much stronger character later on. I especially appreciated her fight against being used as a weapon by those who only covet power.
I found that a lot of the side characters added significantly to the plot and it will be fun to see them fleshed out in the future as they have a large variety of different and warring personalities.
All in all, a middle of the pack romantasy that checks all the boxes if you want a fun read that moves quickly and has a lot of focus on the romance subplot - with a beautiful cover!

This review will be posted on Instagram @within_words on November 4th 2023.

I had so much fun reading this book! It drew me in from the first page. I absolutely loved the setting and theme of norse mythology and their god/goddesses.

Our main character is Freya. She is a fisherman's wife, but longs (and is destined) for more. She has a meet-cute with a handsome warrior one day by accidentally throwing a fish at him. Cheating or infidelity in marriage is usually a deal-breaker for me when reading, but in this case I didn't mind at all, as her husband is abusive and that relationship ends quickly. I love that Bjorn and Freya were instantly attracted to each other and you knew they would keep falling for each other, but the tension was still drawn out throughout the book which made it so addicting to read.

Some characters are "blessed by the gods" and have a certain magical ability. I really enjoyed this element of the book and thought it was a unique and easy to understand magical system.

The book was pretty quick-paced, which I enjoyed- so much happened! There was a lot of fighting and battle scenes which are usually not my thing but they happened pretty quickly which I appreciated.

I will say that I had a bit of a hard time relating to Freya as a main character. I understand that she was motivated heavily by protecting her family, but she felt like a massive push-over most of the book. Despite frequently talking about controlling her own destiny and how she was "un-fated". Actually that phrase "un-fated" confused me, because there seemed to be an awful lot of things she "had" to do because the gods asked or foretold it. I also have mixed feelings on Bjorn. While I enjoyed every time he appeared on page, he seemed almost too altruistic and perfect as a love interest.

There was a twist at the end which I saw coming, but was enjoyable nonetheless! I have a feeling the next book will be sooo good!

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot! It felt very unique out of all the fantasy books I have read recently. I loved the setting and magic. The characters didn't have a lasting impact on me, but I ate up the story and would recommend it quickly to anyone interested!!

I received this arc via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I can't do it. DNFing at 49% because as excited as I was to receive this ARC, it's honestly such a dreadfully boring and lackluster book that I'm willing to take a hit on my NetGalley profile for this.

By all accounts, this book should have been book chemistry for me. I mean, vikings? Fantasy vikings with fantasy mythology? With enemies to lovers? And from the same author as my favorite Bridge Kingdom ? Except after a firecracker beginning chapter or two, we lose that momentum and lose our sense of what we wanted this book to be. If I'm comparing to the two foremost viking books that come to mind for me, this book had neither the plot intricacies of The Last Kingdom nor the character connections of Sky in the Deep . This book didn't necessarily to be a copy/paste of either of those, but it certainly did need to be something.

THE GOOD
The beginning is wonderful. We get an early glimpse of our two main charaters and what their push-and-pull, enemies-to-lovers dynamic would be like.

THE BAD
But from there, it's a bit of a confusing mess. Stuff happens to our characters without the necessary world building to explain what's going on and why we should care, e.g., certain people have powers from the gods, different viking clans, a grand mission that our characters are sent on, etc. I kept waiting to see if we would explain Freya's powers, her backstory, her character...but midway through she's just as flat as any of the side characters introduced that I also have little care about.

Even the action or fight sequences -- of which there should be arguably enough to be interesting -- lack a sense of connection to them that allows us to experience the adrenaline or fear from the characters' perspectives. This makes those fight scenes boring and if the fight scenes or boring...you can bet the journeying and dialogue is similarly meh.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I was THRILLED to be given an advanced copy of it. It's a shame it didn't match expectations, but who knows...maybe I'll revisit it again someday.

I’m not super into fantasy but started dabbling a little bit more into it and this world building was easy to understand for fantasy newbies like me. Character build up was fantastic as well.

3.5/5

Heads up, readers—whatever you think you know about Danielle Jensen’s writing, forget it. Although I haven’t read her Dark Shores series, I was shocked by how different this book was from The Bridge Kingdom series. It has to largely be because the subject matter is so different, but honestly I can’t think of a single similarity otherwise (except for having warrior female leads). I think my main problem with this book is that I failed to connect with the characters or setting. Viking times aren’t my favorite to read about, especially with the whole second wife thing (not a spoiler). Freya, for all her emotions, felt really distant to me and I felt frustrated with her too often. Her relationship with Bjorn may have been written as having depth, but it didn’t come through as much as it should. Instead, they felt very surface level.

The main reason I’m rounding up to a 4 for the rating is the ending. I’m going to be completely honest: a lot of it was predictable. I usually really struggle to figure out what is going to happen but not so with this book. However, I like where it’s going and there were a few surprise details that I look forward to reading more about.

Overall, not my favorite Jensen book but I will keep reading!

Danielle L Jensen has done it again! I’m a long time lover of all of her work, but this one absolutely blew me away! The FMC is possibly one of my favorites that I’ve ever read and I love this world that was created!

WOWWW THAT ENDING???

I need the next book yesterday.

As someone who hasn’t read Bridge Kingdom (yet) but has heard amazing things about Danielle Jensen’s writing, I was so excited to get this arc! She gave spicy viking forbidden slow burn romantasy.

The magic system is SO cool… like you mean the gods are out here having threesomes to give out magic?? So crazy and interesting and FUN!!!

I also couldn’t get enough of the characters. I love them so much and Freya is a baddie. Even the “unlikable” characters like Snorri and Ylva were so entertaining. Also Steinunn was so cool, especially her magic.

Perfect book I have no criticism other than that I need to second one in my hand right now.

I’ve loved Danielle Jensen since the first Bridge Kingdom book. This new series did NOT disappoint. Even though I was disappointed it left on a cliffhanger and was not longer. I enjoyed it immensely.