Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC -

Danielle L Jensen does it again!
I devoured this book. The Viking centered storyline was so entertaining and I loved all the different gods and the powers that they can give. I also really appreciate DLJ jumping straight into the story and characters from the very beginning versus trying to info dump about this new world she’s created. It makes it much easier to read and get sucked into while also learning about this world along the way. Freya and Bjorn’s scenes were a bit of a slow burn, but so good. Very excited to see where their story goes! I did predict a little bit of the twist at the end from pretty early on, but it didn’t make the journey to get there any less enjoyable. Action packed and a compulsive read.

Only thing that makes me sad about getting this ARC is how long I have to wait now to get the next book!

When I first got approved for this book from Net Galley, I didn’t know what to expect. The context I had was all I needed: Norse Mythology, a spectacular cover, and Danielle Jensen.

I didn’t expect to accidentally stumble into my top fantasy read of the year.

The TLDR? Read. This. Book.

The slightly longer, spoiler-free version?

DLJ painted a vivid world clearly painted with colors from Norse Mythology. It had a powerful FMC who can think and fight for herself, an amazing and believable enemies to lovers romance, political stakes, A+++ banter, and a unique world and magic system.

I don’t want to give much more away. But if you’re a fan of fantasy romance books that really suck you in from the beginning, this book is for you.

I’m almost sad that I got this book as an ARC because it means I have to wait that much longer for the next book. This is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen is a fantasy novel. The story is told in first person POV by Freya, a woman married to a horrible hero who dreams of being a shield-maiden. When her magical secret is revealed, she binds herself to her jarl as he believes a prophecy that she will make him king of Skaland.

First off, I LOVE Freya. She’s feisty, impulsive, quick-witted and sometimes gets herself into trouble. The prophecy is that she will be revealed in fire, and is she ever, right from the start. Her character is consistent throughout the novel and though she has some change, she’s still making impulsive choices through the very end.

Her growing attraction to Bjorn is so believable and really what I’m looking for when a story claims its romance. It has all the tropes I love (forbidden relationship, woman of steel who is also soft, class differences, at least at first). It does have explicit sexual scenes, but they were easy enough to skip and I didn’t lose anything.

Some of the secondary characters I adored and others really bothered me. They all felt well developed.

The world is heavily inspired by Vikings and Norse mythology, but with a Greek twist of the children with a god's blood having a hero’s power. We meet several of these heroes throughout the story and it was fun to see the different iterations.

I deeply enjoyed A Fate Inked in Blood and can’t wait for the sequel to see what happens with Freya.

Favorite quote:
“I’m too afraid to get out.” He continued swimming in place. “You have thrown me in the water, possibly broken my fingers, and threatened to murder me. At least in the fjord I don’t need to fear you pursuing me.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pros:
- Freya is funny and I found myself laughing out loud several times.
- Her and Bjorn’s attraction was believable and felt inevitable.
- Deep, Norse-inspired world.

Cons:
- I personally could do without the explicit sexual content.
- A few scenes are a bit gruesome for a romance.

I was lucky to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Danielle L. Jensen is the author of the popular Bridge Kingdom. For me personally, I think A Fate Inked in Blood is going to be bigger. It's easy to follow along even for those like myself that know very little about Norse Lore. Slow burn but ugh its *chefs kiss* spicy.
The story follows Freya who we meet as a woman forced into marriage with a man that's just trash. In comes Bjorn, He's tall, dark hair, tattooed, strong and just all around Fine as hell. Hes the son of a man looking to be King who happens to need Freyas power in order to do so. After Freyas husband betrays her, she's forced to marry Bjorns dad to help him achieve his destiny. Bjorn protects her, trains her and they fight the attraction between them that grows.
This book does leave you with a wild cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next book. Ill be buying the physical copy to put on my shelf as I feel certain this Ill.continue following this series.

OH MY GOSH! I am so giddy over this book. I’ve enjoyed DLJ’s writing in the past, but this is leaps and bounds better than The Bridge Kingdom!

In this Nordic inspired fantasy, we follow 20 year old Freya, the wife of a cruel man who was blessed with a drop of the God’s blood and is therefore feared and powerful. But this life as a fishmonger is not what Freya wants for herself. She’s always felt called to fight, like her older brother.

One day, she meets a handsome stranger named Bjorn, the son of a jarl and finally has the chance to change her fate.

Freya was so easy to empathize with, her struggles near to my heart as she is constantly trying to put her family first, to do what she sees as right, despite the same not being done for her.

There were quite a few twists and turns, most of which I guessed, but the reveals were still heart pounding.

Thank you so much NetGalley fairies for granting my wish for this eARC, I’m only sad that now I have to wait even longer for the next book in the series!

By god Danielle youve done it again... BUT BETTER AS IF I THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE. my fav game forever has been assassins creed valhalla, and i'll tell you i've been chasing the nordic high ever since, but this book really scratched that itch plus some. the world building the mythology, the tension all of it is *chefs kiss* i devoured this book. i can't wait for everyone else to read it. i'll be hoarding my copies like a dragon hordes their gold.

"Where you go, I go, and I'm not letting you go to Valhalla without me at your side."

I absolutely devoured the Bridge Kingdom series, so I was super excited to receive an ARC of the first book in the Saga of the Unfated and Mrs. Jensen did not disappoint. The FMC, Freya annoyed the hell out of me the majority of the book with the decisions she made but she still was an absolute badass. The MMC, Bjorn made up for all the times I wanted to strangle Freya, with his possessiveness and the way he put her wants and desires first and didn't try to use her like everyone else.

"You are mine, Born-in-Fire. Even if only the two of us know it."

The one downside to receiving an ARC is how much longer I have to wait to read the next book. I need answers!!!!!

~ I received a copy of A Fate Inked in Blood through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

This book: Freya’s character is flawed, but attempts to be righteous in her pursuits. She has otherworldly powers that her parents tried to hide from the world, but were ultimately revealed, and as a result she becomes the tool of an ambitious leader trying to take over massive territories.

The aspects of the Skalander culture are partially defined in the first book of this series, however, I had a hard time caring about the rest of the characters of this story. Some of the losses are devastating to the main character, but not to the reader, especially because the bonds that the writer suggests aren’t fully fleshed out.

Freya’s relationships with the surrounding characters are trope-y, and the explanation of her duality a little weak. I finished the whole book through, but I’m not sure that I’d follow through to read the rest of the series.

Ever start reading a book and just know you are going to love it from about 2 chapters in? That was this book for me. It’s legitimately up there with Fourth Wing for my favorite book of the year!

A Fate Inked in Blood tells the tale of Freya, a fishmongers wife who is secretly the shield maiden. Freya is blessed with a drop of blood from the Gods, giving her power to repel attacks with a magical shield. When Snoori, a power hungry jarl discovers she is the shield maiden, he marries her and tries to use her to unite Skaland. Bjorn, the jarl’s handsome son, is tasked with being her protector and helping her learn to use her magic. While they start as enemies, Freya and Bjorn soon find themselves struggling to hide their attraction to one another.

This book is action packed, with raids, battles, and dangerous tests from the gods. The romance burns so slowly and the witty banter is perfection. There is tension, betrayal, drama, and everything else that you could possibly want, all packed into this glorious 5 star read.



Reviews are posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph. I plan to also post on Instagram (@babsreads18) on the publish date.

This book….. WOW. I had such high hopes for this, and I’m so happy that every single one of them was met.

Without giving away any spoilers, this book delivered on all fronts - from the plot, characters, Gods, the magic, romance, betrayals, ALL of it. I seriously loved everything.

It physically pains me that this book isn’t even out until 2024, with no release date for the sequel yet. I am in desperate need of book two!

An enchanting and thrilling journey into a norse-mythology inspired world!

“A Fate Inked in Blood” is a breath of fresh air in the adult fantasy world. Readers of Danielle L Jensen’s other books will feel right at home in the beautiful storytelling, relatable characters, complex relationships, and suspenseful deceit this story weaves.

Freya, blessed by the gods, is forced to come face to face with her identity and role in an ancient prophecy. After being forced into marriage with the ruling jarl, she is put under the protection of his son Bjorn, who also possesses god blood. Their underlying forbidden romance was one of my favorite parts of the story, but the story itself is what captivated me. Fans of mythology retellings will love this story for the magical elements and historical references!

Readers can look forward to:
-the “chosen one” trope
-norse mythology
-meddling gods
-forced proximity / forbidden romance
-prophecies
-political intrigue
-powerful children of the gods
-viking smut 👀
-slow burn with amazing payoff
-plot twists

4.5 stars - When I first saw this on bookstagram I immediately added it to my TBR based on the description, so I was excited that I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of this on NetGalley. All it took was one chapter into this Norse-romantasy and I was hooked - on the characters, the setting, the story, everything. The story of Freya (a shield maiden) was a journey with a lot of twists - from her first husband’s betrayal to her magic to the Gods and all of the fighting in-between. The romance was slow-burn between her and Bjorn, the feisty warrior son of Freya’s second husband. The meet-cute between Freya and Bjorn made me giddy and the banter between them was superb throughout the whole book. A lot happens in the story and I predicted part of it pretty early on, but that didn’t make anything less impactful. The pacing felt a little slow, but I actually enjoyed that more than if it was fast-paced. I always struggle with the first books in a series as there is a lot of setup, but this one kept me intrigued the entire time and definitely left me eager for the next book!

This story had me completely enthralled from beginning to end. The writing is to easy to follow, but also allowed me to completely melt into the world. Such a simple but beautiful fantasy.
Freya’s journey of discovery had so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going to lead, something changed. I was able to guess a couple of the plot twists, but the road to the end was something I could never have imagined.
The characters in this book are amazing. Freya is so frustrating and yet I understand her so well. I love that at times Bjorn is her perfect opposite, voicing what she would never let herself think. The relationship between these two and their banter is spot on from the very beginning. Bjorn knows exactly how to make my knees weak too.
I cannot wait for the release of this book so I can get my hands on the beautiful first edition!!!

Opens with a meet-cute and cold fish to the face, and that’s probably my favorite scene.

Freya the fishwife despises her husband, a selfish man blessed from birth with abilities from the gods. Turns out, he’s had enough of her too, and he betrays her to the jarl, revealing that Freya possesses her own drop of divine blood, with powers that would aid them in battle and make her a key figure in the prophecy to unite Skaland (definitely pronounced Ska-land, home of funky beats). Hailed as a symbol of power, Freya must learn to discern friend from foe and understand her abilities, while the people cheer her name, the jarl claims her with marriage and blood oaths, his son chafes at these zealous ambitions, rivals gather like sharks to blood, and death stalks them all.

Or, an alternative synopsis: Freya meets a hot man. It’s complicated. But since when did that stop anybody?

Yes, it’s very romance forward, ladies and gents. From the fishy greeting onward, there’s all the trappings of the popular romantasy (fire magic warrior with a tragic past, one-liners intended to make Freya and readers weak in the knees because he went there and he said that), which are sure to make a large contingent of readers absolutely feral. Sadly, not for me.

But I’m glad I gave it a go, if only for the Viking-esque world Jensen has created. Already, the mythology and magic feel much richer than in Dark Shores or Bridge Kingdom, and this is with only one book. The gods are alive, blessing/cursing mortals with the power to call fire or lightning, or receive prophecies. One of the bards has the gift of telling a story, and having it come alive in the minds of all who hear it. Specters walk after dark, draugr haunt old caverns, and it’s up to those with godsblood to walk against fate. As Freya learns more about her abilities, she struggles to reconcile the supposed power of being “unfated” with the control held over her by the jarl and prophecy. This creates some interesting discussion of divine narrative, individual will, and how the two coexist, and I’d love to really sink into those themes as the series progresses.

Several other intriguing elements seemed to just get dropped. The spooky blood oath didn’t manifest any consequences, most of Freya’s warrior training occurs off page, and the one person who seems actually wholesome and precious is more of decor than side character. I would’ve liked to see more of those.

But hey, if you’re looking for a steamy read with Viking vibes and foiled edges on the first edition, this might be the book for you.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC*

Having spent most of her life hiding her powers, Freya doesn’t get a chance to be happy to finally reveal them when she is traded one horrible husband for another after accidentally revealing them in a supposed fight for the death. Foretold to reunite Skaland, she enters battles and more hardship, all while struggling with an oath, the magic of the gods, and her forbidden feeling towards the son of her new husband.

This book was an incredible, action packed ride from start to finish. I can’t even find the words to explain it, it was just that compelling I am still recovering from it while writing this!

Freya is a powerful main character, not only blessed by the gods, but fierce even on her own. She somehow remains strong despite all that is thrown at her. Like anyone, she has her weaker moments, which I love, despite her power she is still flawed and angry.

The other characters in this book are all fleshed out pretty well in their own ways, even if you don’t care for them, their moments are still enjoyable to read!

If you enjoy the viking era and their gods, sexy god blessed men born of fire and fierce and flawed female characters, I highly recommend starting this series! I cannot wait for more! Plus, the cover is stunning!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the chance to read this thrilling book!

What a fantastic book! From the very first chapter the story had a grip on me and I had a hard time putting it down. It was well paced, and was full of action. The characters were well developed, easy to picture in my head as I read. The Norse folklore was rich and wonderful. The world around them was well described. I also really loved how they all know and acknowledge that living where they live and their culture is violent and harsh.

I had a feeling there would be a twist of some kind at the end of this book, to set up for the second book. There were also a few little plot "crumbs" along the way that were hinting at some sort of deception or twist. I had several guesses, but I wasn't able to guess what actually happened. I loved the twist at the end and can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

This book was a roller coaster of emotion from beginning to end. At one point in the story, I found myself frustrated with Freya and her inability to make a decision about what to do. But as I read on I found that she was conflicted for good reasons, and it is a very real human thing to feel that conflicted and therefore struggle with decision making. I also really love a story of a "chosen one" who struggles with the pressures and expectations of what it means to be the chosen one. There wasn't a ton of resolution on that for Freya, but I can understand it is something she will continue to struggle with in book 2. The love, the lust, the heat break, the physical pain, all of it was SO GOOD.

I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE. Thank you for the chance to read it!

Vikings? ✔️
Gods interference? ✔️
Trying to change your fate? ✔️
A romance that pulls your heartstrings? ✔️

Do you want a book hangover? Because this book will give it to you with beautiful writing and an immersive world.

This Viking fantasy romance by Danielle L. Jensen is superb. I was a such an emotional rollercoaster, I have a huge book-hangover over and a void in my heart waiting for the sequel!

I immediately empathized with our FMC Freya. She has been putting her family before herself her entire life, which has led to a life she didn’t want. She’s married to an abusive jerk when she wants to be off raiding and fighting. When the opportunity to get away arises, she’s still a woman trapped by choices men make for her. She wants to protect her family and that makes her vulnerable in such a realistic way. You want Freya to start changing her Fate, but she has to want to do it and it’s heartbreakingly real.

Our MC Bjorn is just swoon worthy, that’s all I will say on this subject. He’s near the top of the list of book boyfriends, and a song of Tyr? Ugh, so cool.

The romance aside, what really sold me on the book was the world and mythos. If you have just a basic knowledge of the Norse gods, draugr(undead), you will absolutely lose it because Jensen has made this world so true to form. It’s violent, they are a violent people, and the gods play an active role in it. If you don’t, that’s okay. It’s written in an immersive way where if you have no idea anything about Vikings, you’ll learn without being beat over the head with the knowledge.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I’m dying for the sequel and this one isn’t even out yet. I’m dying to know what choices Freya will make in the next book, and how I will feel about them.

This review was so hard to write because I enjoyed the book so much and my emotions were just all over the place.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review and making my little heart so happy! I’ll be posting this review to Goodreads closer to the release date.

4⭐️

I found this book to be fun. It's pretty fast paced and easy to digest. There are fantasy elements but it's nothing to in depth.

This story is built upon Norse mythology. There are some blessed mortals that have a drop of the gods blood and have magical powers. Bjorn is the son of a Lord and he has the power of fire and wields a fire axe and Feyre is the shield maiden, her power protects her from all. It's been told the shield maiden will make a man a king, so the Lord has been searching for her his entire life.

Reading this book for what it is, romance with fantasy elements I think it is really good. There is some fantasy but it's very equitable to all reading types. It's not info dumpy, you get just enough information to understand what is going on and the pacing is pretty spot on.

The romance for me was ok. Right off the bat, it's very heavy in lust and flirtation between the FMC and MMC. The dialogue though is filled with banter and humor. Jensen writes dialogue really well and I really enjoyed it. I just had a hard time with the constant lust between the two. I prefer a slow build up. I absolutely loved the action scenes with Bjorn. The depiction of the flaming axe was really adrenaline inducing and fun to imagine. It reminded me so much of Thor and the hammer.

If you are more looking for a fantasy book with romance this book may or may not work for you. This is not deep with fantasy and world building. This is what I would expect for Romantasy genre right now. It's fits very well in that genre and I think it'll find a home many readers.

I have never read from Jensen before so I'm excited to pick up the Bridge Kingdom. After reading this book I think this series would very much be for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine, and Del Ray for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting to Goodreads when publication nears. I will also be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

This book just came out of nowhere to really impress me, and now I’m sad I won’t have the sequel for so long. This is the new-age Viking adventure I’ve been searching for since the day of old paperbacks stolen from my mother. The worldbuilding is detailed and fun, and the characters are strong. Freya is finding herself (with some help) but she’s still incredibly interesting and self-sufficent.
The romance is squeel worthy and fits the story very well. Its the perfect example of a slow burn/forbidden romance. I was very invested in the romance and still am. The plot twists! the betrayals!
If you want a Viking fantasy adventure this is the one.

This book was SO FUN and I really enjoyed Freya as a character. Someone who has always dreamed about being a warrior, but when she gets the chance it’s not exactly as she imagined. I feel like the story really kicked off at the end, and I’ve very intrigued to see where the story goes! I haven’t read many books with Norse mythology/Vikings but I definitely need to add some to my TBR.

I think this story is great for people new to fantasy or people who don’t often read it. The world and magic system are easy to understand, and I never found myself struggling to keep people/places straight.