A Fate Inked in Blood is the perfect read for fans of Fourth Wing and Norse mythology. It's immensely readable, it's spicy but doesn't skimp on witty banter, it's got a very straightforward magic system, and the characters are easy to keep straight. However, I did struggle with Freya's decision-making and internal dialogue just not making sense and a world that generally felt poorly conceived. Confusing and nonsensical character actions and decisions weren't limited to Freya--they were kind of all over the place, and some of them were weird enough to seriously impact my enjoyment of the book. And the instalove/forced proximity element of this book felt way too contrived (and also nonsensical). Like ""don't you dare touch each other, but we can see you have the hots for each other and we're going to continuously force you to be alone together in treacherous, trauma-bonding situations."" Snorri is an absolute ding dong. Some of that is intentional, and some of it is poor writing.

Also, I'll never understand why they call her Freya Born-in-Fire when the alliterative Freya Fireborn is sitting right there for the taking.

Overall, I think this was worth reading, and I may even be invested enough to pick up the sequel when it comes out. But it will probably depend on my threshold for annoyance at that time.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for access to the ARC!

I very much enjoyed A Fate Inked in Blood! It’s a Norse-inspired fantasy, filled with the blood and action you would expect in a Viking story along with a heavy dash of romance. I liked Freya’s character; she was strong, but not without her weaknesses, and I really felt her struggle as she learns the truth of her own powers. She faces impossible choices, and Jensen did a superb job of bringing Freya’s pain and turmoil to life. The romance was fun too! Bjorn is sexy, passionate, and stubborn - key ingredients for a male love interest. However, I did feel that the spicy things actually pulled me out of the story. Everything felt accurate and realistic, but then the descriptions/word choices of the intimate scenes read more like a modern romance. It didn’t lessen my interest in the story. I know that readers these days really crave spice in their stories, but sometimes I don’t think it’s necessary to further the plot. Overall, a fun read! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my review copy!

Overall I liked this, it was an easy-ish read. What I really enjoyed was the setting and the magic. I found the main characters to be pretty typical and just ok - not anything crazy one way or another but I was expecting that to be honest. I would likely read the next book in this series.

For fans of Cresent City - you know how the last 100 pages of both books is just back to back shit hitting the fan? This is the same way. I couldn't have guess how this was gonna end. And I'm so upset I have to wait forever for book 2.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of transporting the reading to a Scandinavian/Viking fantasy world while still ensuring the characters felt real and vibrant and the action and plot felt relevant and engrossing. The language and thoughts of the characters were relatable while still holding true to the time and setting of the story, which I really appreciated.
Freya was a wonderful character, and I was drawn into her story, even as she jumped to conclusions (I did see the big "reveal" coming a mile away) and made some questionable decisions. She had rooting value despite her short-comings, and her character developed in an organic way.
The pacing and plot of the book was well-done, as well. I really had a hard time putting it down and couldn't wait to get back to the story when I did have to close the book. I was completely drawn into Freya's world and the setting and world-building were great.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Norse-inspired fantasy. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series!

I received an eARC through NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I wanted to love this story so much. I loved the premise and storyline, I enjoyed the characters. I absolutely adore the author and her stories. But I hated the pacing. It felt rushed during the important moments and drawn out at the unimportant moments. At about 80% through I had to skim just to finish the story. The ending had a twist I saw coming and was incredibly predictable. The language was awkward and seemed similar to how you’d write a script for a dramatic play and not a novel.

I also don’t know very much about Vikings or Norse Gods but from what I do know it seemed like the it wasn’t an entirely accurate representation of their beliefs. Although I know this is fantasy and not supposed to be accurate, I was hoping for a more thought out and researched approach to this story.

With that being said I will continue devouring Danielle L. Jensens books because she writes love interests so well.

i felt like this book was sort of a good book & wrong person sort of vibe. i think the author writes eloquently with a decent sense of imagery and character structure. i don’t particularly love when people speak with transatlantic/ extremely proper language in books because im not personally a huge fan of older settings, but i think that was just a me thing. i felt like it was very predictable the whole way through and honestly if i had to use one feeling to summarize how i felt throughout this book it wouldn’t be excitement, anticipation, nervousness, or even sadness, it would be second hand embarrassment. i just felt like freya was constantly being an idiot, looking foolish, or being naïve. i just truly wanted more from her character. she never once throughout the whole book really proved to herself or others that she could be independent and/or powerful. she always seemed to be sulking and needing the care/support of bjorn or ingrid or geir to fall back on. i just REALLY wanted that badass, strong fmc turnaround from her and it never came. she was just constantly being used and played as a fool in her own game which just made for a really hard read in my opinion. that being said, i do think i could see myself recommending this book to others depending on their interests which is why i still gave it 3/5 stars. the plot was very interesting and enticing, but i just think the way it was executed wasn’t what i was personally looking for.

SPOILERS BELOW!
from the moment freya overheard “someone” talking to harald i KNEW it was bjorn. it was so obvious to me by the way he was always around whenever this mysterious person was doing things and that we were setting up for a massive betrayal. not only his consistent conspicuous placement, but the way the author continued to emphasize the fact that he’s the only one to absolutely ever treat her like a person rather than a weapon over and over again, that really sealed the deal. i knew he was going to betray her.

A Fate Inked in Blood follows Freya as she is married off to Jarl Snorri. Her secret has been revealed and her identity as a shield maiden of Hlin. I really enjoyed reading Freya’s story. Danielle Jensen knows how to write a well-paced book. I did not ever feel bored while I read A Fate Inked in Blood. There was action at every turn and sometimes I hardly had a chance to catch my breath before I was thrown into another whirlwind of sword swinging and village burning. Bjorn’s character was also exceptionally done. He keeps to himself enough to maintain an air of mystery but he also opens up to Freya and respects her! I went into this book expecting to enjoy it because Jensen’s Bridge Kingdom series really hit the marks for me and I was not wrong. This book was interesting, entertaining, a little steamy 🥵, but also touched on more sensitive topics. Freya’s self doubt had a large role in this book. She sets higher expectations for herself than anyone else does and berates herself when she fails to meet them. Freya feels responsible for people close to her, even when they do not consider her feelings with the same gravity.
Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and the twists it had to offer. I am looking forward to the next one coming out so I can move on from the unexpected ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC and allowing me the opportunity to read A Fate Inked in Blood before it is released.

ᴀʀᴄ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴏғ ᴀ ғᴀᴛᴇ ɪɴᴋᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ʙʏ: ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟʟᴇ ʟ. ᴊᴇɴsᴇɴ

⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Description “A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king — while fighting her growing desire for his fiery son — in the first book of a Norse-Inspired fantasy romance series…”

After having had loved reading The Bridge Kingdom earlier this year my expectations were modestly high for this arc, so I was surprised that I did not enjoy this one.

I liked the idea of the Norse world that DLJ tried to built, but had a hard to visualizing it. The writing felt cold, stilted, awkward and lacked description. I liked the Norse inspired magic system but felt it needed to be fleshed out more. I was not able to feel the characters emotions or connect with them. I was surprised to find that the plot felt underwritten, repetitive and predictable. I was a little irritated that the plot felt like a constant clique of Viking men drowning in their masculinity while treating women as property.

The romance portion to me did not feel like a slow burn but more of a instalove. The banter between the two main love interest was enjoyable, but overall felt like their relationship was under developed. I had a hard time feeling any kind of a connection with any of the characters.

Overall I liked the fmc of Freya well enough. She was portrayed as an intelligent character, but watching her miss vital information and make poor decisions for sake of moving the plot forward was tiring. I did enjoy watching her come into her power.

This was a quick read, but I had to make myself return to this one to finish it. The middle just simply became boring and I struggled to feel engaged with the story. This one was definitely lacked the interesting and complex storyline that I adored in The Bridge Kingdom.

Pub Date: 27 February 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group — Ballentine for this eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Danielle Jensen for my ARC copy of this book.

This book is a Norse inspired romantacy with viking vibes . This book is filled with sizzling chemistry, exciting violence, magical powers from gods such as Thor and Loki, and adventure. There are unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader hooked the entire book. This book leaves you wanting to read the second book as soon as it is released!

I would definitely recommend adding this fantasy to your TBR!! Publish date: February 27, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I heard this book being compared to Fourth Wing, so I had to pick it up. This was the first book I’ve read set in a Viking era, so that really intrigued me. Sadly, there was little to no world building so I had to draw on previous understanding of what I thought things looked like. I was very interested in the story for about 40%, but then I realized the story was very much telling with no showing. It almost felt like the story read as “this happened, then this happened, then this happened”. Large plot points were made within a paragraph. It felt rushed in areas when it should have been expanded upon and it drug on in areas that should have been more concise. I am not an insta-love fan, so I’m probably not the correct audience, but I could have cared less about the romance element. I didn’t believe it and didn’t care. I couldn’t stand Freya in the majority of the story, she was whiney and showed little to no growth over the length of the books The “twist” at the end was interesting, but I will not be picking up any further books in this series.

This was such a fun, addictive read! I’ve read some Danielle Jensen before, but I think this is my favorite that I’ve read—complex characters, lots of interesting political machinations, believable romance, high stakes…this book did it all so well.

I knocked off a star for Freya’s stubbornness toward the end. The whole book sets her up and bright, curious, and good at asking questions and being open to genuine answers, but at some point in the book she develops a theory about what’s happening and her ability to ask questions just…disappears. That was a bummer. I also thought a particular reveal toward the end should have been much more obvious to the characters before the reveal happened. So, the plot seemed to thin a bit at the end with these two issues.

Overall, Freya is an inspiring heroine, Bjorn is a compelling hero, and the political net they are caught in is believably difficult to get out of. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story ends in the next book!

This was one of my favorite romantasy books of the year. I was introduced to Danielle through the Bridge Kingdom so I had high hopes that I would love this as well. I was pulled in within the first chapter and could not put it down. If you love a POWERFUL fmc that has ALL the sexual tension with the tall, dark and handsome mmc, then this book is for you. Do yourself a favor and see how Freya manages her changing world with bravery while still staying true to herself.

Violence, romance, intrigue, deception. *Chefs kiss*

So first of all, no one is more shocked and upset than me about what I'm rating this book. It was solidly in 4 star territory for me for literally the first 99%.

Everything about this book was for me. The really interesting lush Norse inspired viking world, the enemies to lovers forbidden romance, the witty banter between the characters, the mystery. All of it. It was exactly what I like in romantasy books, including this one. I was so excited to dive right in and experience what a lot of people online are calling the next Fourth Wing or ACOTAR. Plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

So why the low rating then? What in the world could have happened in the last one percent of the book that took a 4 star read down to 2 stars?

Well, I won't say what happens for spoiler reasons, but there is a plot twist that happens literally two pages from the end of the book that essentially makes almost all of a very main character's motivations and character development make ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. I'm sure the reason it was included is going to matter later, but it seemed kind of shoehorned in there in a really rushed way right at the end and didn't seem to be required for the plot at all. I love plot twists, I really do. They're usually my favorite part of the book. However, they have to make sense and actually serve to further the plot and reveal the answer to questions we previously had. This did none of those things and also had the added bonus of ruining an entire character.

Freya was a decent FMC, but she also had a tendency to be a giant idiot and then be totally incapable of getting herself out of the situation she got into as a result. This book also suffered from "main character thinks everything is her fault even though it obviously is not" syndrome. This isn't inherently a negative thing, it's just something I personally find annoying.

The magic system was very cool, and I really enjoyed it. The logistics of how someone acquires "a drop of god blood" however, are kind of confusing. It's sort of explained at the end, but that explanation also makes another really big plot twist also not seem to make a whole lot of sense? Hopefully it's something that's touched on more in depth in future books. The concept of everyone being fated except those descended from the gods was a really nice touch, though, and added a lot to the story.

Overall, it's a solid romantasy with a few issues that I really enjoyed until the very end absolutely ruined it for me. I'm still planning on reading the rest of the series when it comes out, but MAN I went in with such high hopes, and those hopes had the audacity to be so close to being fulfilled.

I enjoyed this book from the start. Just a thrilling ride from start to finish. Bjorn is absolutely awesome. I honestly enjoyed him more than Freya at time. What a stunning love story. Go read this now. You will not be disappointed.

You cannot go
Wrong with a Norse inspired fantasy. So so good! The end wow! Can’t wait for the next book.

A strong 3.5 out 5 stars

I was really excited to receive this ARC because I heard great things about Jensen's previous works and this romantasy seemed right up my alley. The book does lean more towards fantasy than romance which I don't mind at all.

Freya is blessed with the goddess', Hlin's, power to act as shield and protect others during battle. It is prophesized that she will unite Skaland as one nation. She is forced to follow Snorri, a jarl/warlord who wishes to be king, to protect her family. Along the way, she has a forbidden romance with Snorri's son, Bjorn, who is also blessed with Tyr's power to control fire.

I enjoyed reading about the different battles and political intricacies in the book. I wish we got to see more people using the god given gifts rather than just focusing on a select few. Hopefully this will expand in the series. Since I am not as familiar with Norse mythology, it would have been helpful to have a glossary/legend of the different Norse gods and terms (jarl, drakkar, thrall etc.). There was also no map so it was confusing to keep track of time/the places the war band traveled to. The book was little slower in the middle so it took me a bit to get into. But, whenever there was a battle, I quickly read through those chapters. I like Freya and Bjorn's romance but it's not my favorite. Bjorn does have some swoonworthy quotes though. The twist at the end was a bit predictable but still painful.

Overall, I liked this book and would recommend. Will re-read to prepare for the future books in the series.

Thank you Danielle L. Jensen, Random House Publishing Group, and Netgalley for this ARC!

“It was easy to take risks when one faced death but far more difficult to take them when one faced life, and that was what he promised.”

I absolutely loved this book. I love Norse mythology, so I was interested as soon as I saw the premise. A woman has a drop of goddess blood, becomes a shield maiden, and has to fight against her forbidden love? Sign me up.

I loved Freya. Her struggles between what she owes her loved ones/people and what she owes to herself were incredibly relatable, and I love how strong willed she is. I also loved Bjorn—he has just the right amount of sass and mystery to pull me in.

This is definitely a slow burn, but the world is so interesting that I was never frustrated by it. I loved their banter and pining! The build just made it even better in the end. I loved seeing some of the different powers given by different gods. I’m interested to see what else is revealed later on in the series.

This story had me hooked! After that ending, I absolutely can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Danielle L. Jensen for gifting me this ARC for an honest review.

A Fate Inked In is a captivating and enthralling read. This compelling story with a strong-willed protagonist and a charismatic hero whose forbidden romance ignites with an intensity that is simply irresistible.

This was a highly anticipated read for me from Danielle as I love her writing and was so excited by the idea of a Norse mythology based fantasy romance! I was very intrigued by Freya as a character from beginning of the story and her determination to make her way in the world as something more than an abused wife. The plot gets going fairly quickly as we learn about Freya’s connection to the gods and what this is going to mean for her destiny and life moving forward. There was some really tense action scenes throughout the book and a lot of character development for Freya as she deals with her circumstances. There were times I was frustrated with her for her loyalty to people that did not deserve it and how that affects her choices. Honestly, Bjorn was my favorite part of the story 😋😋 he’s got some serious BDE going on as a god-touched Viking warrior and I lived for the scenes that featured him. There was a tense, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, slow burn going on between those two and 😮‍💨😮‍💨 I was all here for it! There is a bit more spice in this one compared to Danielle’s other books just FYI. The ending kept me so on edge and there’s definitely a twist and a cliffhanger! Which I’m sad about as I’m reading this as an ARC and book 2 won’t be out for quite a while 😂😂

Wow. What a whirlwind. The last 50 pages shook me. This book was not at all what I expected and I loved it anyways. I don’t usually read any summaries so I can go in with no idea what will happen and this one kept me guessing till the last page. I am thrilled to have gotten the ARC but now so, so sad that I have to wait even longer for book two because that cliffhanger was brutal🫣