4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I found the pacing and world building to be extremely interesting and captivating. I knew from the first 3 chapters that this was going to be a fantastic read. The banter between Freya and Bjorn was amazing and completely unexpected right off the bat. I really enjoyed reading the forbidden love that began to unravel between the two. I loved that there was depth to Norse history, rather than just skimming it or very briefly explaining things. This was my first Norse mythology book that I've read and I will for sure keep an eye out for these styles of books in the future! Danielle L Jensen is for sure going to be an auto buy author for me in the future.

A Fate Inked in Blood is pure fun, a viking-ish fantasy full of romance, fight scenes, Norse-inspired mythology, magical weapons, cloaked spirits creeping around sharing prophecies, and major betrayals.

Freya is a young woman married to a man she hates, who wants desperately to become a warrior. She’s also hiding a secret: she’s been marked by the gods with a magical shield power. When she’s taken by a tribe leader to become his wife and fulfill a prophecy, she needs to figure out her true place in the world and her growing attraction to his son, Bjorn.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  It’s being marketed as romantasy, which isn’t normally my genre, but fortunately the fantasy aspect isn’t an afterthought. 

The magic and mystery of this world is very fun, with tasks Freya and Bjorn need to fulfill, like climbing up the inside of a mountain full of dead thieves trying to kill them.

The romance is also well-developed.  I liked that while Freya and Bjorn were initially attracted to each other, they also became friends first, and clearly respected each other as people and warriors.  

Also, Bjorn has an axe made from flame.  This is my favourite thing in the book.

I will absolutely be reading the rest of this series.  

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for my review copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Right off the bat: wow. I was so taken in by this world and these characters. Such a strong start, and the momentum keeps up!

Freya has spent her life longing for the glory of battle, while being forced to hide her God given magic. But, of course, nothing can stay hidden forever.

After her magic is forcefully revealed, she is whisked away from her small fishing village to join the side of Snorri, the Jarl who believes he is to control Freya's fate.

Children with God's blood are believed to create their own fate, free of the threads that bind mortals. But Freya finds herself bound by a Seer's visions of her rise to glory, and her own desperation to save her family from the Jarl's wrath.

Honestly, I thought I knew where this book was headed.. and many times I was wrong. Which is truly the best part!

I have also come to *love* Jensen's ability to write a slow burn. *THE TENSION* 👌👌

A solid four stars, I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

"I’m yours, even if only the two of us know it."

LOVED this book! Cannot wait to read the rest of this series when it comes out. This book totally lived up to the hype. I love Danielle L. Jensen's writing style and the development of her characters and the world building is so perfect.

I thought the pacing of this book was fantastic and kept me interested the whole time, I could not put it down.

This was my first viking romantasy read and I'm hooked now.

Stars ⭐️ 5
Spice 🌶️ 2.5
Tropes: Slow burn romance, hidden magic, forced proximity, banter, badass FMC, touch her and die, tending to wounds.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I squealed when I saw that I got approved for the ARC. Danielle has become one of my favourite authors and I was so excited to dive into this one. She did NOT disappoint. This was my first Norse mythology book and now I really want to watch the show Vikings and find more books with Norse Mythology.

Danielle always grabs me by the first page and instantly I’m hooked. The banter between Freya and Bjorn started immediately and had me laughing out loud. Their banter was so good and Bjorn 🫠🫠🫠 SIR! The melting emoji accurately describes how I felt most of time.

This book had it all: adventure, action, betrayal, tension, spice, twists and turns plus so much more that I can’t say because you should just go read it and find out for yourself😉😏

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a good fantasy book and this was great! It has been on my most anticipated list and it seems like it was for good reason. I loved the Norse mythology and Viking aspects, I haven't read a lot of fantasy in this vein so it was so intriguing! The world building and magic were phenomenal which to me are the most important aspects of a good fantasy. I also really enjoyed the romance! The dynamics between the MC's and the progression of their relationship felt sweet and natural.

So anticipated and really hit the mark. Love Danielle and her work. Reading books about or related to mythology is sometimes a big miss for me but this was exactly what I wanted!

Absolutely stunning!! The first book I’ve read by this author, and I am SO glad I gave in to the hype.

The characters are brilliant, especially the FMC who is strong and nuanced. The visuals that the author creates are stunning, and the story will keep you hooked from start to finish!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I very much enjoyed previous books by this author and was very excited for this one. This story had so much potential but unfortunately the writing and characters just fell flat for me. If you enjoy fantasy novels that are very romance heavy with very minimal word building this one may be for you.

2.5 stars.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen.

4.75/5 stars

Having loved the Bridge kingdom series, I could not tell you how honored and delighted I was to be accepted for this ARC. It felt like a big moment for me as a beta reader.

Hooked from the very first page, this was one of my favorite books of the year (so far).

Although I began the book through my Netgalley app, I held out for my absolutely stunning pre-ordered hardcover copy to finish reading it. The blue, glittery edges alone sold me!

Pros:
The magic systems were creative and I loved the woven threads of the influence of the gods. Freya was enigmatic, yet strong, and Bjorn is a top tier book boyfriend by a long shot. The banter was delicious, the adventure was gripping, and in a true Bridge Kingdom-esque ending of betrayal, I cannot wait to finish this saga. The spice did not disappoint!
I like how the history of the single story of Prose Edda by Snorri was nodded to through the incorporation of the character.

Cons:
Freya's stubborness was her pitfall and a little frustrating, yet I see how it was necessary to progress certain elements of the plot.
Some of the foreshadowing was a little too gratuitous, but that may just be my tendency for careful reading whilst reading books of the fantasy genre.


As the Vikings Title Song says, "If I Had A Heart" says, "Give me more, give me more, give me more." I will eagerly anticipate any of Jensen's works.

I have a feeling this is a series to watch ignite like Týr's axe. Perfect for fans of romantasy and the show Vikings.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Del Rey for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. Words cannot articulate my gratitude enough.

This Viking read has it all- magic, battles and romance. It starts off in a very unexpected/surprising way which certainly grabs one’s attention immediately. I very much enjoyed how the main characters banter and all the drama and tension it adds to the romance. Also, I found it very intriguing how the lore and gods played into the plot lines. It definitely left me wanting to know what happens in the next book.

Thanks NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Del Rey for this arc!

3.5/5 stars rounded up

This is a solid 3.5 stars. I liked the setting, the magic system and lore was cool, but so many if the characters were aggravating to me, including Freya. I wanted to like her more, but she was just headstrong to the point of being super annoying sometimes. Which I get, I know why it happened, but still lol. The twists were interesting and I'll definitely continue the series, I'd like to see where it goes from the cliffhanger ending.

I have never read anything by Danielle Jensen (despite the popularity she's garnered with The Bridge Kingdom) but I've decided i need to because of this book. The slow burn was done so well, and I had made assumptions on the foreshadowing really early on, and I was RIGHT, but she waited so long to reveal it I was almost convinced my pattern recognition skills were becoming faulty. The Norse gods and magic and warfare and losing yourself to protect others, beautiful. The end though *side-eye* I will be waiting IMPATIENTLY for the next installment in this series.

This ends on a cliffhanger!
The beginning starts off strong and ends with a bang! Bjorn sounds lovely, l've hated Snorri from the beginning, and I want to know what is next!?
Freya goes from a whimpering house wife to a badass woman who at times seems like a spoiled whiny brat.
She is house wife to a selfish idiot, hiding her gift/powers from birth in fear of being used by the wrong hands.
She turns out to be a warrior, but doesn't know how to control her tempter and finds herself falling for a man she shouldn't be.
This book has romance, warriors, battles, powers, witches, gods, fire, you name it.
Loved it!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved reading this book! Of course I did, I've loved everything that I've read of Danielle L. Jensen. I loved this new world, with the gods, those they've gifted powers to, and the different jarls, and of course this cast of characters was so fantastic!

I felt so infuriated on Freya's behalf. Her husband is absolutely awful, she has to protect her family, but they very much take it for granted, what it costs her. To then have to marry this other guy to fulfil this prophecy so that he can become king, but a) he has a son about her age, and b) he's already married? Yeah, it was not a good place, but he had her family as collateral.

Speaking of said son, Bjorn, yeah, I loved him, he's a ladies man, always has a quip, but he's hiding hidden depths, and he sees and cares just how poorly she has been, and is, being treated. They were so fantastic together!

I'm so excited to see where this series will go from here! Everything is pretty much set up, of what's going to happen next, but I don't know exactly how that's going to go, and what's going to happen because of that, but I want to know!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait for more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

This was a highly enjoyable read for me. This was a fairly easy read. I loved all the world building and mythology in this, Norse-inspired Vikings fantasy. This story is a more moderate pace compared to the fast pace plot of her Bridge Kingdom series. I love Danielle’s writing style and was quickly engaged in the story.

Our FMC Freya, is a mouthy, impulsive and a bit naive, warrior heart, forced housewife which makes for great plot. The forbidden-love tension was great and I really enjoyed the banter. Was the ending a bit predictable, sure, and I’m so glad it went exactly that way. Book 2 will absolutely be another winner.

Ooo, am I ever glad I started this one in the right mood! Because when I picked it up today, I was instantly hooked.

Freya is a badass and Bjorn is the perfect forbidden love interest. Literally my only complaint is that I have to read it on my phone in the Netgalley app and the font is too small. You also can't highlight or search words up. Gah!

The book, however, was so good! Battles, crazy powers, gods, a major betrayal and that cliffhanger?!

The fact that I almost didn't read this because of the poor Netgalley platform is insane. I absolutely LOVED this book! Freya was a complicated FMC and Bjorn… oh Bjorn. I will remain 100% team Bjorn. From the very first moment on the beach with the fish, I was both a huge fan of Freya and Bjorn and their chemistry was 100. This book has action, adventure, trials, forced proximity, massive betrayal, all wrapped up in a warring Viking landscape, with just a few drops of god blood. I literally could not put it down - and I HATE reading on my phone.

This book ends on a major cliffhanger, so be prepared!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Maybe the easiest 5 stars I've ever given.
🌶️🌶️ Spice is not the main attraction here, and it's a definite slow burn, but gods does the pacing and story telling keep you absolutely hooked!

3.5 stars rounded up!
A Fate Inked in Blood is both unlike and exactly like every romantasy I've read before.
I want to make it very clear that I REALLY liked this book!!! But I wanted more from it.

I found the magic system to be very intriguing in its uniqueness. I enjoyed the viking/norse mythology setting, even if I stumbled my way through name pronunciations - thank you for the pronunciation guide on the Danielle L Jensen website! It was super helpful!

I really loved the way Freye began to come in to her own, not only in her magic, but in her confidence too. She underwent some significant character growth, but I want more! I think that is what I both loved and was frustrated by this book. I her growth was fantastic to read, but she still has so much more growing to do - which I think is absolutely going to happen in the next book. I'm simply impatient and want it all now lol.

The end of the book was easy to anticipate - I knew what the major point of conflict/twist/cliff hanger - whatever you want to call it - was going to be long before the ending. I would have loved if Freye had realized it on her own rather than be blindsided by it.

I liked the forbidden nature of Freye and Bjorn's relationship. It allowed for building tension and you could feel the internal struggle from both Freye & Bjorn, even though it was written from just Freye's POV.

Overall, I think this will be a hit!

Understanding this is the first book in the series and is setting the scene for future plotlines, I genuinely enjoyed reading this. I'm looking forward to what happens in the next book(s), however, I would have liked a little more from this book overall.

“Where you go, I go Born-in-Fire. Even if it’s to the gates of Valhalla.”

When I was surprised by NetGalley at the beginning of the month & approved for an e-ARC, I was so excited! but also knew that I had the busiest month ahead of me! Agh! It did however, end up being such a blessing, as I savoured every single moment that I got to spend reading it!! I finished on release day, and I am still at a loss for words to explain how much I adored this story.

I have always had such a passion for stories inspired by Norse Mythology, and Danielle did the most amazing job at bringing it all to life. We all know the tales of gods creating offspring, who are then destined to rise and fall amongst the mortals who would use them and wield their power for their own, but this was a tale unlike any other. Bjorn and Freya our MMC and FMC are two such characters, thrust together by fate and trying to find their own way, attempting to escape the tangled web of the Norn’s weavings, and make their way on their own two feet. They had the most fantastic banter, constantly pushing each other away and inevitably being drawn back together. The action was fantastic, the adventure was epic, the romance was steamy and the ending was the biggest cliff I have found myself on in a long time!!!

Wow! I really love any stories with Vikings and Norse gods of old! One thing about this book that really stood out to me was the magic system! I thought this was a super neat way to add another layer to the story about fates, and to more incorporate the gods. I enjoyed all the how the magic system worked from the god claiming you with the blood ink tattoo, to the specters that appeared along the way in the story, and how those with magic from the gods are unfated.

I enjoyed how the story progressed I felt it had a good pace and it only dipped very rarely. The writing was phenomenal I felt like I was in the story watching everything go down. There were some predictable parts but I think thats okay, I think reading Red Queen really made me really look at what the characters were saying to find loopholes.

One thing I really enjoyed was how she included a Volva in the story, I've read many fantasy books with Vikings but almost none of them include a Volva. I did a research paper before on womens roles in viking societies and Volvas are often left out in retellings. So I was very excited to see it included as it really adds more depth to the viking history and one of womens many roles in Viking society.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, Danielle really knocks it out of the park each time. From start to finish this was a page turner! Thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book to review! this is one of my new favourites and I cant wait to receive my fairyloot edition to put on my shelf.