This book left me breathless.

Danielle L Jensen paints such a vivid, rapturous picture of this woman who wants and feels destined for more, but the struggle to achieve it so heartbreaking. The decisions and sacrifices Freya must make for her destiny, for her family, for her people, for her oath just rip your heart out of your chest.

And let’s not forget the smoldering sassiness between her and Bjorn. If he’s not Bjorn, I don’t want him. Honestly, is there anything more attractive than a smartass in the face of death? Bjorn is not only strong and attractive and fierce—ever the Viking warrior—he also doesn’t treat Freya as anything less than his equal. I am all in when the MMC is a gruff jackass, but when it comes to his FMC…

I will forewarn you that the twist is going to you verbally shout, so make sure those around you prepared before your start reading so they don’t become concerned over your wellbeing.

This is the first book I’ve read by Danielle L Jensen, and I’m so immediately a fan. I’ve had Bridge Kingdom on my TBR for a minute, and it just got pushed very nearly to the top as a rather high priority. Genuinely, my only complaint is this book doesn’t come out until February 27, and I already need the second one.

I really, really wanted to like this more. I was so excited to receive this ARC after seeing almost everyone rave about it, flinging 5 stars like confetti. Nordic and Viking fantasy with gods and wars is STRAIGHT up my alley, so I assumed I'd also be one of them.

My biggest issue with A Fake Inked in Blood was the incredible lack of world building. For a 1st in a series fantasy novel, there was virtually none. We're left to imagine the world ourselves, which is off-putting. I honestly believe the author watched Vikings/Vikings of Valhalla and said, "I could write this but make it fantasy". A lot of the names are the same, if not very close, and I wound up leaning heavily on the show's imagery since we weren't given much in the book.

It seems like all recent "Romantasy" novels being put out are following the same, mass media formula. The male has a duty to protect, usually honor bound, there's forbidden love, and a prophecy to fill. Sound familiar? Then you get the bare bones, some epic fighting, a few love scenes, and *tada*, mass market fantasy book that gets eaten tf up because it's quick and easy to digest. This book was incredibly formulaic and by the 30% mark I was bored to tears.

The ending would've been it's only redemption had it not been so predictable.

If you're looking for a fantasy book that's quick to read, and you'll forget about what happened by the time you crack open your next book, A Fate Inked in Blood is for you

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to the author, Danielle L. Jensen, and Del Rey Books for providing me with an ARC of A Fate Inked in Blood.

Right away, I fell in love with the fresh, imaginative setting. I haven't seen many Norse-inspired books within the romance fantasy subgenre and I really enjoyed the unique characters (names & descriptions) and magic system. This book has a good balance of norse folklore, political intrigue, and romance. The plot was fantasy-forward and I felt that it carried more depth than a typical “romantasy.” The world-building was intentional and despite how informative it was, I was still able to follow along.

The romance in this book covered lots of beloved tropes, including: slow burn, bodyguard, forbidden love, forced proximity, one bed, and hidden identity. Generally, the MCs’ attraction to one another seemed to be on a physical level. However, there is unresolved mystery between the two of them, so perhaps one (or both) of them is playing it close to the chest. Don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoyed the romantic tension and look forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the next book. There are a couple spicy scenes, especially towards the end.

Overall, this was a 4.5-star read for me and I'm excited for book 2!

A Fate inked in Blood is a wonderful Norse story about shield maiden who has been blessed by the gods. When her powers are made know many use her for their own desires. There are many turns and twists through the book that leave the reader wondering what will happen next. This story is full of betrayal, forbidden romance, heartache and vengeance. I’m so glad I got an arc for this book. I haven't found many Norse based fantasy books so I was excited to read this. I’m already excited for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this new romance fantasy!

Danielle got me from the jump, the story just moved so quickly. You start with Freya essentially just minding her own business being a housewife to a crap husband when shit hits the fan and it hits it good. Feyre is one hell of a complicated character I am rotting for.

The balance of romance and fantasy was more on the fantasy. The fantasy though is so interesting and easy to grasp. This book gives us fates, gods, magic given said gods, and prophesies! I wanted ALL of the questions answered and truths to come out.

Romance aspect was also good, I would always use more but that is a me problem, lol!
We got the tension, banter, sweet moments, and price between the two!
Bjorn really shows leadership already, however, he is also VERY complicated.

Idk how I am supposed to wait on these books now..

Holy moly Batman where has this book been all my life? I LOVED this. It's Norse god inspired mythology with Viking aesthetic was the perfect switch up my brain needed to be fully invested in the world-building and story. Our FMC is a fishwife who abhors her God-gifted husband and soon discovers she was meant for more. Enter our MMC who is tall, dark, sarcastic, fierce, and hot af. Situations thrust them together in close proximity and the forbidden romance begins. The banter is some of the sexiest, most hilarious I have read in a long time and I ate it up. The spice? It's a slow burn but it is worth it, trust me. The cherry on top? Our FMC isn't afraid to admit her feelings first and I am here for it. The plot outside the romance had me questioning what was coming next and all of the twists were so well done. I was so eager to know what was coming next and now I have to wait so long for book two, I don't know if I will make it.

If you are a romantasy reader, you will love this book.

A Fate Inked in Blood is a compelling Norse inspired story that pulls you into a world filled with raiders, gods, and quite a lot of fish references. I have always believed Danielle has a wonderful way with building new worlds. But this one left me shocked, never did I imagine that a Viking inspired story would be one of my top reads of the year. The tension between Freya and Bjorn is too tier, and when the tension breaks, grab a fan or an ice pack. Cannot wait to get my hands on this book when it releases and definitely cannot wait for book 2

I came to this book a bit skeptical but found myself surprised at how much I loved it! I loved Freya as a character and how she wasn't perfect but more relatable for the life she lived. Watching her slowly grow and struggle with it made this book relatable.

Freya and Bjorn captured me from the start. I felt so many emotions while reading their love portion of the story. I was rooting for them all throughout the book. I really can't wait to learn more about Bjorn in the second book.

The cliffhanger on this book is just brutal. I want the second book so badly!

This book was very enjoyable to read. I think it would be a great book to pick up for anyone newer to fantasy books and the fantasy romance sub genre.

The overall plot was pretty easy to follow, though some of the world's lore got slightly confusing at points. For those who don't have a background in Norse mythology, it might have been slightly confusing. The writing style was compelling though and it did align with my enjoyment of Jensen's other series - The Bridge Kingdom. I enjoy how Jensen depicts character emotions and find this to be a strong suit of hers.

Overall, I gave this book 3 stars. It was enjoyable and easy to read, however I think it fell short on building a believable romance between the two main love interests. As that was so prominent in the story, it brought down the rating a bit for me. Nonetheless, I think a lot of readers would thoroughly enjoy this book!

First of all, thank you for the ARC and for the opportunity to read a great story!

From the first few chapters, this book had me HOOKED. I loved the setting- I am a big fan of nordic/viking-based fantasy- and I found the premise exciting and interesting. Freya was a fun character to follow, and I was chomping at the bit to get through the first half. I also loved her powers- they’re unique and powerful without making her into an infallible warrior out of nowhere.

That being said, things seemed to slow down a bit for me in the middle/second half. I wasn’t quite as invested, and the way the story was unfolding didn’t keep my attention the same way the first part did. I found myself wishing that Bjorn had a little more depth, especially because there were times when I didn’t find him especially likable, and I wanted to understand why. I still rooted for the relationship, obviously, but I’ll be interested to learn more about him in the second book. I also saw at least one part of the plot twist coming for a while, but I will say that it didn’t take much away from the reveal/how it played out.

Overall, this was a fun, engaging fantasy read and I will be tuned in for the second one to find out what happens next!

The Norse gods are playing with the mortals again and this time that includes Freya, a fishwife and secret child of the gods. Freya has spent the first 20 years of her life hiding her power as the Shield Maiden chosen by Hlin to unite her region know as Skaland under one king as foretold in a prophecy before her birth. Once her secret becomes know, every ruler in her territory and their enemies wants to possess her so that they may become the most powerful through use of her gift.

The storyline is exciting and so much of it feels like more than your typical Romantasy. I appreciated that author’s incorporation if Norse mythology which I am not as familiar with. I feel like I learned something about it by reading this book! The spice level is high when they author goes there so if you’re a blusher, be careful reading some scenes in public!

Pieces that didn’t work for me or could be improved: there were several points where I would skim over the MC’s internal monologue because it became a bit redundant. She agonized over the same decisions over and over again which felt a little frustrating as the reader. Some of the big reveals felt a little predictable but there can’t be comfort in that as well.

Overall a solid read, and I definitely want to know what happens in the rest of the series.

This was a fun read! The setting was really interesting and the characters were compelling. Loved the suspense as the story went on. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the show Vikings or The Last Kingdom. Political intrigue, divine powers, and a heroine you can find yourself rooting for again and again make this book stand out.

I noticed a few spacing issues in the ebook download - mostly after italicized words or phrases but I would expect those to be caught in final edits.

Overall I thought this book was an awesome first book introducing us to the characters and setting and I can't wait for the next one!

“A Fate Inked in Blood” was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read! There was a lot that I liked about this book and it left me eagerly awaiting the second book (which is always a good sign, in my opinion). Below is my non-spoiler, hi-level review of the book.

What I liked:
1. As someone who typically and correctly predicts the surprises of stories, I was actually shocked two different times in this book and did not see some of the twists coming which was fantastic.
2. The banter between the two main characters had me literally laughing out loud at times.
3. There is a slow burn in this book that is great (but could be a bit too slow for some readers).
4. The world building and overall writing was solid with a twist of an ending that will make the reader want more!

What I liked less:
1. There were parts of the book that had a lot of talking and not a lot of doing which impacted the pace and, at times, felt repetitive. Nothing that would have stopped me from finishing, but it definitely was evident in some key areas.
2. While there are content warnings of violence, I would have wished that the publishers would have added a specific domestic violence warning to the list as well. It’s a very small part of the beginning of this book and by no means a key factor in the remainder of the book, but seeing as how the story opens with a volatile relationship, I always just like to keep people aware in case that might be a trigger.

Throughout the book, I wavered between a 3-4 star review (mostly due to some repetitiveness in writing and character behavior) but the last couple of chapters really locked me in and made me love this book far more than expected so I'm giving it a solid 4.

I understand with a first book in a series that the author is up against creating and setting up characters and storylines that can continue on so I took that into consideration as well. And if you are wondering about spice level, I would mark it 3.5 out of 5 given the pace of the slow burn.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publishers for the opportunity to review!

#AFateInkedInBlood #NetGalley

“Then Bjorn’s hand moved from mine to press between my breasts, over my heart, which skipped at the contact, then sped. ‘You will not die today, Born-in-Fire, because I will slaughter anyone who comes near you. That is a promise.’”

Did anyone else picture Jason Momoa as Bjorn? 👋

This book was an absolute delight! I loved the magic system and Norse mythology. The romance was spicy and kept you rooting for them from the moment the characters meet.

Danielle L. Jensen consistently surprises me with her books and A Fate Inked in Blood was no exception.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a story with adventure, easy to follow magic system, strong female lead that endures and (usually) prevails, and a secret romance.

This forbidden love story sucked me in and I couldn't put it down until I finished the whole thing! Freya is a strong, resilient, fiery, and would put everyone else before herself. In order to save her family, Freya is forced into an arranged marriage to fulfill a prophecy regarding the god blood running through her veins. There's adventure, looming war, deceit, mystery and all the while, Freya is fighting her attraction to the gorgeous Bjorn. Bjorn, who is Freya's assigned bodyguard and the son of her new husband. Bjorn who is overly protective of Freya and contains the blood of the gods himself.

This is a great book if you like vikings, norse mythology, forbidden romance, and forced proximity. A slow burn love story underneath Freya's journey to change fate.

Did not finish this book. Stopped reading around 30%, just did not feel like it fully captured me nor did it fully engage me. Was not for me but would recommend to other readers looking for diverse fantasy or norse fantasy. I can see this book being interesting to those who enjoyed The Witch's Heart.

I have been a fan of Danielle Jensen’s the Bridge Kingdom series for a while. So I was very excited to learn about this new series based on Norse mythology.

Although I put together some of the plot points before they were revealed, I still enjoyed everyone. The banter between Freya and Bjorn was fantastic and often had me laughing out loud. Not many books can do that to be honest.

With how the book left off I cannot wait for the sequel to continue along the story of Freya the shield maiden. Im just in agony knowing how long I will have to wait for the next book 😭

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this fantastic eArc.

Norse mythology at its finest. The fantasy system weaves mythology in a very different way and i really enjoyed how imaginate the author was with the powers that they wielded. There was definitely some outside of the box power use and it was almost like they did grow up with those powers for years and trained for a long time.
There is so much raw emotion in this book that you can't help but binge to just know what happens next. Our main character, Freya, is somewhat an unreliable narrator in which she is fueled by emotion at times and does not see wrong in what she does. In one instance, she is able to see herself in a different point of view and alters the reader's perspective of it. It just shows her desperation and emotion so well because she is so set in her ways that it is really, really difficult to put her on a different path. This is one of those main characters that you just want to shake and tell to calm down and think before acting!
Bjorn? What is there to say. He is great, great, great. Does not deserve Feyra in my opinion as she has a lot of growing up to do. If anything, I can see the next book doing that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with this ARC!

Okay, so I don’t know that I’ve ever read a Viking fantasy before this, but I am OFFICIALLY a fan. This book was so good, I read it all in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. Freya is a straight bad@ss from start to finish, I loved her and her journey, and Bjorn was so perfect. Also, the banter and amount of dry wit in this book had me DYING laughing. There’s a good balance of action both plot-wise as well character driven, which is always a plus, and the romance was also top-notch. The only thing that was hard was that the world building was uh, a little tough. Again, maybe just because this was my first Viking fantasy, but it took some time and context clues to piece things together. All in all, I really enjoyed this and cannot wait for the next book!

OMG this book! First, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Danielle L Jensen for making the ARC available to me, this book was a HELL of a ride! It contained all of my favorite things in a fantasy: a mythology-based realm with rich world-building that immersed you in every scene, a real, relatable main character who was (dare I say?) morally grey in her own right, a swoon-worthy love interest, a good mix of ~spice~ with action scenes, and (without giving away too much) a GUT-WRENCHING betrayal that I will be thinking about for weeks to come. Going into this book, I knew little about Norse mythology, but I felt like Jensen did a great job of explaining a complicated landscape of backstory along the way, while not making the explanation of each god/goddess we encounter take away too much from the story. There was plot twist after plot twist, and I found myself jaw-dropped with some of the surprises throughout.
I thought that the romance element that was woven throughout was done very artfully, as it did not fit into any box of the sometimes-tired tropes we usually see; the characters were fresh, their banter was natural, and the tension between them was palpable, without being in-your-face throughout the book. Plus, the cave scene? OH MY LORDDD!
Needless to say, I will be eagerly awaiting the second installment, and cannot wait to get my hands on the pre-ordered hardcover in February, so that I can bully all of my friends into reading this once it is out as well. <3