When’s the next book coming out?! I need to know what happens next to Freya!
I loved the story telling in this book. It provided a twist on Viking Mythology that kept it entertaining. I haven’t come across many fictional books that are based around Viking Mythology. Typically it’s been Greek Mythology but they have not kept me as enthralled as this book did. The romantic tension between the Freya and Bjorn was palpable. Definitely worth a read for those who like Mythology and a strong female character who all the men rely upon to capture and secure their power.
Book cover art is on point!

A Fate Inked in Blood
Saga of the Unfated [Book 1]
by Danielle L Jensen

I totally shirked all of my responsibilities and devoured this book in one day. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and cannot wait to read what happens next.

The story opens with Freya, using her knife for the unfulfilling task of gutting fish, instead of wielding it as a warrior. She’s trapped in an unhappy marriage that she didn’t want in the first place. We quickly see why the marriage is unhappy. Despite being blessed by a god upon birth… her husband sucks.

How could she have known, the same morning that she [accidentally] smacked an intriguing stranger with a fish, her whole life was about to change.

The banter was top notch. The pacing was on point. Things kept moving. We didn’t settle down and stay in one place for long. The characters moved, the story moved, big happenings, little happenings, it never stalled, and I don’t think there was a lull where I was bored for even a moment.

One of my best reads so far this year. It went straight into the “re-read” pile after recommending it to my bookish besties- earning it a 5/5 ⭐️ rating from me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

✨ I received an eARC of this book
this is my honest review ✨

I was thoroughly disappointed with the lack of world building, character depth, and the pacing of this book. The plot was difficult to follow through out the story and the insta love made no sense. Most of the narration of the plot felt oddly paced where I felt like some scenes needed to be more developed in order to root for the female main character. The love interest was also lacking depth and it felt very surface layer. I have read this authors other books and really enjoyed them but this one was not very good.

Norse inspired adventure following Freya, a shield maiden, who was told all her life to keep her powers a secret. When they are revealed she find herself trapped into servitude of Jarl who believes it is his right to use her to become king.

I just finished this and I already cannot wait for the next! This is not even out yet!

Thank you to Netgally and The publisher for granting my wish at receiving an Arc for this.

I absolutely devoured this book. A Fate Inked in Blood is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I am always amazed at how well (and quick!) Danielle L Jensen draws you into her books.

I adore Norse mythology and this book did not disappoint. The uniqueness of the Gods and their powers was really well done.

There was the perfect amount of lore, action, and tension. The pacing was excellent. I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were some of the best; Those I loved…and those I loved to hate (or so I thought)… Also, LOVED the slooooow burn. It was so so good.

I can’t wait to revisit this world and I don’t know how I’m going to survive waiting for the next book. Likely reading this one again at least once! This might just become my favorite DLJ series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 1/5 🔥

Now to start off, I absolutely love Danielle Jensen’s writing style and the worlds that she creates. Danielle has mentioned that she’s had this story in her head for a while of a Norse style tale. I was all about it because of the legends of the Nordic gods and their tales has always been intriguing to me.

The story is about a woman that has been hiding in plain sight by a fear of discovery that was engraved in her at a young age. She soon becomes discovered out of defense for herself through combat. She is continuously reminded that she is fated and thrusted into a world of war, control and deceit. Relationships are built and burned through the variety of voices that pull and rip at her. Throughout the story she becomes stuck in the weaved web of knowledge she has been fed and becomes trapped in the middle.

Danielle does a great job connecting to the Norse tales and the story has a great premise. I enjoyed the people that were blessed by the different gods and how they represented their abilities. The FMC had a developing ability that we were able to see develop throughout the story. The romance was definitely a slow-burn and took off toward the end (last 100 pages).

The inner monologue of the FMC and her decisions grated me a bit and I got a bit frustrated because of her reactions. However, she was acting strictly on a fire of emotions that was actively being fanned. The MMC was captivating in the beginning, but his development went a bit stagnant for me due to the rational thought process he had, but he continued to standby the FMC even after irrational actions. (Once again, this makes since because of how closed off she was prior.) The romance came in random blotches throughout and that pulled me out for a moment or so due to the events it had followed.

The story was a pretty good read for a Norse tale with a developing story of a shield maiden that is finding her path and what she is truly fated for. I will continue the series to see what happens and hope that the FMC grows throughout to make the read a little less grating in parts.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump and this was a breath of fresh air. The pacing was really good, I had trouble taking breaks from this one. Despite having work and 2 kids I still managed to power through in about 24 hours.

I saw some of the other reviews call this a slow burn, it definitely is not: there just isn't a full sex scene until near the end. I actually would have liked to see a little less lusting between the two mains, let the tension build more.

I enjoyed the setting. If you are a Viking lore purist you might be grumpy because the author takes some liberties. Definitely has some Kingmaker Chronicles vibes. Parallel fantasy land that has shades of similarities.

Ok, so I received this book as an arc and it was so unexpected!!

Let me explain… I’ve been a fan of Danielle L. Jensen for awhile and have read lots of her books. This book though… this book is her crowning achievement! This is the most epic love story she written so far. The love story isn’t even the best part though (but can we spare a 🙌🙌🙌 for the fates mates vibe???) Freya was a really well written FMC and I loved her journey from beginning to end. She started as a fishmongers wife and ended up a certified badass! She strong, capable, but still struggles with self-doubt and regret. She’s not just a pretty face, she’s a warrior in her own right and I loved seeing how getting everything she ever wanted left her feeling confused and conflicted. I will be waiting, VERY impatiently, for the next book!

Loved this from start to finish! I rarely read fantasy romance anymore but this was perfect book to ease my way back into the subgenre. The writing was lush and perfect for this time of year. Can’t wait for the next one!

I loved this book! This book reminded me how much i've missed reading Danielle L Jensen books! I really enjoy her writing style. The writing immediately pulls you into the story. It also makes the story easily digestible which I found helpful since this book centers on a Viking and Norse inspired world-which I love but don't have much familiarity with. The book follows the story of Freya, who learns she is a shield maiden blessed by the gods-and that because of this everyone sees her as a tool or weapon for their power. Freya has to navigate her powers, politics, and power struggles, all while trying to figuring who she's meant to be. On top of this she also can't help her feelings for and draw to Bjorn, a viking warrior. Freya was such a fierce character and I loved that her flaws were real. She had alot of inner debates, made assumptions and made mistakes, which I think we can all identify with. The romance dynamic was great. The banter and sass to one another made me laugh and the spice was perfect, build up to action- but not too overpowering to the plot. The plot of this book moved fast! There was action throughout the entire story, from battle scenes to magic rituals and more. It was also nice to have a unique. magic system and connection to the Nordic gods. With the fast plot, it felt like there were twists and turns nonstop, which kept me guessing up until the final moments. The ending!? I need book two ASAP.

If you love action packed fantasy romance, strong FMCs, and Vikings then this book is a must read!! Definitely recommend adding it to your TBR! Thank you to netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I haven’t read many Norse-inspired fantasy books, and this one was definitely a good one to enter into the world with! The world building is very easy to follow, all the naming conventions are easy to remember, but I thought the world terrain could use some more explanation. I never really knew where we were in relation to everything, but I’m hoping the finished copy has a map at the front!

Now onto the characters:
I really liked Freya as a FMC. She’s a super badass, feisty, strong headed woman. She definitely lets emotions get the better of her judgement, but I think the reasoning behind this that you find out later in the story is a good excuse. I mean, the plot twist of her bloodline was something I was not expecting.

Bjorn is theeee classic MMC in romantasy. He shows up in a quirky way and immediately believes in her more than anyone else does. I didn’t super love the insta-love of their relationship, but the banter and angst that came from their forbidden love was worth it. Without giving too much away, I did see his plot twist coming, but only because this seems like the way romantasy has been going lately. I’m excited to see his and Freya’s relationship grow in the next book!

The battles were epic in this story. I fight scenes were a bit of a nail biter for me. The scene at the top of the mountain was really well written too. There are some dark themes and trigger warnings to this story that I wasn’t aware of. Hopefully these will be added to the final print (specifically thoughts/attempts of suicide)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I definitely recommend reading this if you like romantasy, betrayal, forbidden love, chosen one, Norse-mythology, and toe-curling banter

Holly guacamole!!!🫨 4.5 ⭐️

This book was so good I couldn’t put it down, it got me from the first chapter. I had not felt for a book like this since I first read ACOTAR. But let’s get something straight this is nothing like it. I’m just talking about the feels and the need to read it again just right after finishing it. The book gave me all sorts of emotions, excitement, anger (a lot), anxiety, happiness, giddiness, disappointment, frustration and many more.

I really like to forbidden romance, at the same time I felt that it was too soon for them to fall in love, but I can understand given Freya’s love history and the need to feel loved by someone. In the first half of the book I really like her character but towards the end I was really mad at her because she kept defending her family after all they have done to her, it just got on my nerves all I wanted to do was to shake her and tell her to open her eyes. The plot twist at the end I saw it coming a mile away but it still was a shock.

The story was very fast pace there where stuff happening left and right without stopping. Full of action with magical battles which I loved. But sometimes the scenes where changing so fast that I had to go back and read again because I was not sure when or how had they gone from one place to another, also there were lots of telling instead of showing which bothered me a little, and I feel the the world building needs a little more explaining, and I was really confused with Freya’s inner voice, it need more explaining than the one that was given. I really hated Snorri he is so delusional he sees what he want to see. But from what I see the bad guys are not that bad and the good ones are not that good.

The book was so good that I already preorder this book because I need to have a physical copy in my hands.

This book has everything you want in romantasy, great story, great romance, unique magic. The action is epic and I love the world the author built. Maybe a bit predictable but that's not a bad thing. If you love bad ass female characters and viking vibes this is the perfect book!
4.25 ⭐

Before I begin my review, I want to preface this by saying that I really don’t have enough knowledge of Norse mythology to critique how it was dealt with in this book. I’ll be focusing more on the story itself!

What a thrilling adventure filled with Norse mythology and forbidden romance!

At first, I wasn’t even sure what to think about this book. The blurb sounded interesting, the cover enticing, and I was hoping to read some romance. Immediately after the first page, I knew this book was going to take me on a journey like no other. The words carried the story seamlessly—to the point where I forgot I was reading. Each character felt so distinct and well-rounded. Each setting felt vivid and alive through Freya’s eyes. It was so easy to read that it made the experience feel richer.

As for the plot, I loved how heavy the war and how Freya was seen as a mere weapon throughout the book. It raised the stakes and kept reminding me of everything Freya had to lose and how much she suffered at the hands of power hungry men. Snorri, in particular, disgusted me because he drowned in the fanaticism and ambition, pushing and pushing to get what he wanted—glory. He never cared about anyone else but himself. And because Freya was his tool to use, she was stuck with a leash around her neck.

But it was also shocking yet also thrilling to see how Freya slowly fell right into Snorri’s beliefs, wanting the war and the bloodshed, wanting vengeance. She clearly did not have control over herself, but the thought of being unfated, of never knowing what to do and having that freedom to choose, really unraveled her. It was an interesting aspect of her character, and probably one of my favorite things about this book.

The romance. I mean, I was over here cheering for these two, but also scared because Freya was “married” to another. But she and Bjorn persisted despite all the obstacles. My one critique for their relationship is that there wasn’t much development at the beginning. I felt like they needed a tiny bit more space to breathe before it all came down. Their meeting, while entertaining, was so quick, in my personal opinion. I had just wrapped my head around Vragi and Freya’s familial situation when she whacked Bjorn in the head with a fish. I felt like there needed to be a clear separation from Vragi and her current reality before introducing Bjorn into the picture. Fast forward, I also felt like they needed more time to develop their feelings past lust. It was clear the two found each other attractive, though Bjorn did hide it more than Freya. (Goodness, I was constantly yelling “Stand up!” at Freya…) I felt like there was a scene missing somewhere that showed them like the other as a person. I wanted that proof that what they were feeling wasn’t just lust. Essentially, they needed more room to breathe and develop. Otherwise, I thought the two of them were amazing together, and I loved how Bjorn was equal parts exasperated and in love with Freya’s tendencies.

As for the ending, I had already called the “spy” from the start, but I had no idea how a certain betrayer was going to come into play. I think what pained me the most was how they tried to change all the plans, but it didn’t work. All the lies got tangled together into a huge mess. And then the whole reveal over Freya’s full identity. It was an emotional ending promising so much adventure and betrayal for the next installment.

Overall, this was an exciting read!

4.25!

ARC spoiler free review

A Fate Inked In Blood

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the badass strong female main character and the magic system. I haven’t read many Norse inspired romance books but after this one I need to add more to my tbr. There was never a boring chapter in this book and I couldn’t put it down. The world building wasn’t to complex and it was easy to understand and follow. Also the spice in this book 😏 *chefs kiss* I looooved the banter between the main character. 10/10 recommend this book.

I need book 2 in my hands already 😭

A Fate Inked in Blood was the PERFECT way to get into reading fantasy, and I'm sure it will be true for everyone who, like me, is wanting to get into the genre but is a little intimidated. Each page was so jam-packed with action that I was unable to put the book down, in addition to the fact that it was straightforward and entertaining to read. The only reason I finished in a week was because I desperately wanted this book to go on forever and found myself hanging on to every word as a result. This book also gained bonus points for reminding me of The Lord of the Rings, as I believe some scenes were significantly influenced by the movies.

My knowledge of Norse mythology is limited, so I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to follow anything in this book. However, I think the author did a good job of explaining things in a way that didn't leave me feeling lost and that instead encouraged me to learn more about the mythology besides what was covered in the book.

After reading the first chapter, I was immediately connected to the main character Freya. She was funny, endearing, and just an all-around badass. There isn't a single thing about her that I would have changed, and it was really difficult for me to read about her without thinking of the qualities she shared with a few badass Game of Thrones ladies.

I'd seen a few reviews complaining that there wasn't enough romance, but I have to disagree since I think adding more would have taken away from the adventure of the main character, who is a soldier on a mission to defend those she loves, while also making a name for herself. The chemistry between Bjorn, Freya's forbidden love interest, and herself was fantastic. I found myself laughing and audibly gasping because of their banter, and was compelled to share their bickering with anyone who would listen to me.

This. Was. So. Good.

After reading The Fourth Wing, I have been waiting for another great fantasy romance book. This was it.

Freya is pulled out of her small fishing village and thrown into the center of a political war after her god-blessed magic is discovered. Freya will have to decide if she is willing to use her power to unite Skaland and to what ends...

Despite the title mimicking an ACOTAR knockoff, this book stands on its own. The perfect mix of plot and romance, I literally could not put it down. I'd even argue that this book was better than the Bridge Kingdom, a series I also loved. Already waiting for book two.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freya would sell her soul to be on the battlefield. The wife to a cruel man, she spends her days hiding the power that could get her killed, mending, and playing house. But then her husband discovers her gifts and turns her over to the vicious jarl who believes Freya is the prophesied shield-maiden who will make him a king. Protected by the jarl’s son Bjorn, Freya is a pawn in a game of empires, forced to come to terms with her own power and the cost it will claim. As warlords from across the land hear that she is a kingmaker destined to change fate itself, danger closes in, and Bjorn is the only one who can protect her. But he could just as easily be her ruin.

Danielle Jensen has created a brutal, beautiful, bloodthirsty book that cements the Saga of the Unfated as a truly epic fantasy. Norse mythology is woven expertly throughout the magic system, and as an avid fan of anything mythological, I noticed so many details that were nods to the original stories. A Fate Inked in Blood is not a retelling by any means, but the magic system and vividly depicted setting lent it an ancient and almost sacred quality. Speaking of the setting, the frozen fjords of what I can only assume is mythical Scandinavia set the mood perfectly. I could see almost every scene the author described, and was captivated by the continuation of Norse imagery.

The characters established the novel as the first chapter in an epic I can’t wait to continue. Freya managed to be powerful and vulnerable at the same time, clearly in over her head. At times, her refusal to be an active participant in various situations annoyed me, but she’s human, so it makes sense that she’s flawed. I liked Bjorn on his own and wished for more of his perspective. His motivations were intentionally dubious, and I look forward to seeing him more clearly in future books. The side cast served their roles well, each having complex motivations and goals that wove a wonderful net of treachery that Freya had to navigate.

Honestly, I didn’t need this book to be a romance. And I know that sounds a little ridiculous: it’s a fantasy romance, so of course there is going to be romance. I love Jensen’s other romances, but I didn’t fully believe Freya and Bjorn’s relationship. I absolutely understood her connection to him, but felt that his attachment was rather sudden. He gave and gave and gave, but it never seemed like Bjorn got anything out of the relationship. I’m sure that will change as the series progresses, but for now, I just didn’t buy them as more than friends.

More than anything, A Fate Inked in Blood set the stage for incredible books to come. This series has so much potential to become a fantasy staple, equally accessible to Sanderson and Maas fans. The layers of worldbuilding and character development and the truly spectacular writing make me so excited to see what is to come.

I honestly don’t know who to trust…

Okay that might be a stretch because at the beginning of A Fate Inked in Blood I was all the way team Freya. However as the story progressed and the story went on I think I’m with Bjorn and believe him. Okay enough tiptoeing around not spoiling anything, here’s my review. I really enjoyed this new series by Danielle Jensen. It has the magic, forbidden love and stakes that every good fantasy needs. I would say it is very slow burn but within good reason and I loved how this book slowly set us up with more to uncover without just leaving us on a cliffhanger. For that alone, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. My only reasoning for deducting a point is the main character, Freya. As I said at the beginning I loved her character but towards the middle and end, she seems dull and naive about everything which irked me a bit. However, I have hope in her and can’t wait to see how the rest of this series goes, definitely a high fantasy read that sound be everyone’s list for 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

This was a solid book and it took me a couple days to decide how to rate it. Ultimately, I landed on a firm 4.5 ⭐️’s for this title and I’m excited for book two.

A Fate Inked in Blood follows Freya, a child of the gods who was forced to hide her magic her entire life due to a prophecy that she was going to unite her nation under a jarl who would become king. Freya has this internal struggle over what is protecting her family and servicing her people and vengeance and selfish desires; good vs evil. At first I found her character difficult to connect with but in the end having a full understanding of who she was helped to soften that. There is a loveless marriage, forbidden love, betrayal, battles, magical powers, loyalty, and more!

The one area in which I deducted .5 stars was just because some of the plot twists were not very surprising. Overall this is an amazing book a great Fantasy + Romance that I think would be easily digestible to lovers of both genres and not overly heavy in one area.

I didn’t realize until after I had read this book that it was the same author as the Bridge Kingdom series- I have book one on my shelf as a recent purchase so I’m excited to dive into that one soon!