I absolutely loved the viking element to this story, I see lots of Greek myths and legends being used so the Norse was a really refreshing change.

Some of the twists were pretty obvious to me and the romance was a little forced at times but overall it had a really fast-paced and interesting storyline that I want to explore more.

I have a love hate relationship I am finding with Danielle L Jensen, I get into her books SO easily and absolutely adore her ideas...but there is always something that just doesn't hit with me. Sadly, A Fate Inked in Blood was the exact same.

Absolutely LOVE the Viking inspired setting and at first I was kind of taken in by the mystery of it all - but if you think hard on anything for more than 2 seconds the entire plot actually makes 0 sense and the main characters are all idiots :)

It does makes for some compelling reading to start off but when you can see where it is all going a mile off you realise it's not really worth it. I know for a fact some people will ADORE this one, it just wasn't totally for me.

Will I read the next one? Much like bridge kingdom where I kept going back...yeah probably.

Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC. Sorry it wasn't my cup of tea!

I really enjoyed this in many parts. I liked the story line - Vikings and Norse mythology always a plus. I liked the world building and that there were was some character development even as I don’t love the characters except for Bjorn.

Freya as our female MC is very annoying. I know that she’s been thrown into the deep end and is figuring things out but for a grown woman she acts like a sulky angry teenager half the time. Bjorn is like the foil trying to temper her rash decisions and show her an alternative path.

I didn’t love the ending of this but I’m glad it’s a series. Please for the love of the gods, I pray Freya gains some sense of agency and stops letting people control her every move/decision. The hand wringing and overthinking is really irritating- especially as she gives so much lip.

I enjoyed the slow burn romance of it and the “your mine even if only the 2 of us know it”. Overall - I’ll give it 3.5 and hope the next book is better.

SPOILERS!

This book was intense and I am already craving the sequel!!

The chemistry between our two main characters was fiery and really drove the story forward, Bjorn was great and I loved that he was just completely supportive of Freya and wanted to help her. BUT of course there was the twist that he was the one betraying Snorri, not Ylva, and so I totally understand Freya’s actions after she found out towards him and hating him, because all she wanted was to not be used or ‘owned’ by someone else and now she’s just thrust back into this war she didn’t want. Bjorn really has some explaining to do in the next book.

The lore was SO rich and I was completely immersed in it, especially when the gods appeared to Freya at the top of the mountain, it gave me goosebumps too. I felt like a lot of the characters really did contribute to the story and I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out after the events of this book (does Skaland even know Freya is alive?).

I guess I marked it down half a star because I guessed a lot of the ‘twists’ 😂. I unfortunately felt the same with the authors other series Bridge Kingdom and so was, I guess, a little disappointed that I had it all guessed pretty early on (with Bjorn being the one meeting with Harald and Freya having 2 gods blood in her). But that could just be my issue!

Overall a great Viking story that I really loved!

This was my first read from Danielle L. Jensen and I was impressed!! I really like the writing style, it flowed well and was easy to read.

I liked the storyline, maybe wasn’t 100% my thing, but was an out of my comfort zone read!
I liked the FMC Freya, and the forbidden romance between her and Bjorn was to DIE for!! Like the TENSION!!! Aghhhh!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited by the very beginning chapters of A Fate Inked in Blood and was intrigued by the set-up, but it very quickly fell apart for me. The main characters were one-dimensional and every time I thought the novel was going down an interesting avenue it went down a more basic, predictable route. The romance was fairly dull and felt like a lesser version of a dynamic that has been done much better in many, many books. I’ve liked Danielle L. Jensen’s other work but this one didn’t work for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot tell you how addicted I was to this book. The plot was so complex and had so much depth it was beautiful. The issue with many fantasy books is the protagonist seems flawless and they have the same old personalities, meaning they come across in such a two-dimensional way - this was not one of them. I genuinely could not put this book down.

You as the reader felt the conflict in Freya’s mind, and you too kept changing your mind on what you felt that she should do.

This was probably one of the best mythology books I have ever read.

I’m loving my fantasy romance this year and I like my mythology books as well.

The world building and characters are fantastic and it was easy to fall into the world. Definitely hit the marks in terms of tropes:
⚔️ Norse mythology
⚔️ Spicy Viking romance
⚔️ Forced proximity
⚔️ forbidden romance
⚔️ One horse

Absolutely amazing book from Danielle L Jesen! I was so ready to jump into a new series by Danielle after absolutely adoring the Bridge Kingdom and it was great to read something different from her. The writing felt similar however the story was new and exciting. I loved the Viking feel of the book and the characters were loveable and interesting!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5 stars

After having loved the bridge kingdom duology (I’ve not read book 2&3), I was really looking forward to this.

I love a mythology fantasy and this book hit that mark with the Norse inspired story. I really liked the writing and for the first 50% I flew through it.

I adored Bjorn so much and what a MMC he was!

I struggled with Freya. I liked her at first but by the second half I was a bit icky with her flip flopping attitude.

I guessed where the storyline was going to go but given the number of fantasies I’ve read, I’m not surprised.

I enjoyed and I’ll definitely read book 2.

📚Book Review📚

#adprproduct

I would like to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special thank you to my buddy readers @bex_boys_and_books and @agirlreadsbookss.

⚔️Battles
💞Romance
🛡️Nordic
💫Magic

This was my first Danielle L. Jensen book but it won't be my last! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and can't wait to read the next in the series. Until then I'll work my way through her previous books.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I won't lie, a pretty cover catches my eye, and it was the lovely illustration by Portuguese artist Eleonor Piteira that made me read the blurb then request A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen off NetGalley. As some of you already know, I'm a huge fan of Scandinavian-inspired yarns, and there does rather seem to be a rash of them lately. Depending on how much research an author has bothered to do or if they've just watched one too many episode of Vikings or The Last Kingdom, savvy readers can quickly tell. I suspect Jensen falls firmly in the latter category, however.

I'd cast A Fate Inked in Blood firmly in the romantasy genre, so if 'icky girl stuff' isn't your jam, then this is probably not the novel for you. Me, I'm quite happy with the romance, provided it doesn't derail the plot, and Jensen does strike a fair balance between the two that kept those pages turning.

The plot is pretty standard, compared to many that I've seen. We meet Freya, who's married to a fisherman who's got divine blood. He's kinda a celeb in their village, his magic responsible for bringing in good catches. The catch? He's Not A Very Nice Man. Of course, we meet Bjorn very early on, and he is A Very Nice Man. Too bad that when Freya's husband is out of the picture, she has to get married to someone else who isn't Bjorn, but his daddy. Of course, Freya, who's been pretty disenchanted with her initial lot as fishwife, is not particularly charmed with being treated like chattel when all she's ever wanted to be is a renowned shield maiden. Everyone else seems to know what's best for her, however. And she's in a situation where she can't say no.

But there's more. It seems that Freya's pretty special herself, for she, too, has a drop of divine blood about her – the kind that would make her a rather good shield maiden. Also, she's wrapped up in a prophecy, which makes things even more complicated, because now there's a bunch of ambitious men who are making grabby fingers at her.

Anyhow, it's not this review's purpose to retell the entire book. For what it is, this isn't a bad little story, and if you're looking for a bunch of romantic tension, this book has it by the bucketloads. As a reader, I do wish there'd been a bit more attention to detail in terms of world building. I guess if you've watched Vikings, it's going to be easy for you to visualise stuff – but I did feel the environment was a bit white-roomy and could have used a smidge more fleshing out. The story does get off on a strong start, but it starts dithering a little and then rushes to wrap stuff up before ending on a cliffie. What did work for me was the Freya-Bjorn dynamic – they seem well suited to each other, and as characters, complement each other well. If you're hooked by book one, I expect you're in for quite a wild ride with glorious battles, intrigue, and wild magic, all liberally doused with Norse flavour.

3.5 stars

I’m a major fan of Norse-mythology so when I saw that AFIB was based on it, I was really excited to read. I really enjoyed the Nordic elements of the story and how well it wove into the fantasy of the world. The descriptions brought me into every village and battle, credit to Jensen’s writing for certain scenes.

I will say that I did have an inkling that the plot would unravel in the way it did (a la betrayal by the love interest), but I did like the journey to get there.

The dialogue between characters was engaging and often made me giggle (is every Björn just naturally witty?) which was my main draw for the story in keeping me reading.

Freya was an interesting character. In the beginning, I took a liking to her as she seemed to have a practical way of thinking about things (being privy to her emotions and thoughts really encouraged me to favour the decisions she made), but I was hoping that she would be smarter in the way she manoeuvred, rather than accepting her fate at Snorri’s hands to protect her family. I had it in my head that she would do *more* to protect herself and everyone, but that wasn’t really the case.

All in all, a good read and I would mind picking up the next book.

4.5⭐️

This book is just so readable. I love the whole viking, norse mythology vibe, make it romantasy & I'm on board.

I loved the magic system in the story & that some characters had been blessed with a drop of gods' blood, giving them certain individual powers. This woven through the typical warrior battles added a great element to the story. Freya, our FMC, was fab if a little frustrating at times, going from an axe wielding, badass warrior to questioning her worth, while Bjorn is gorgeous, powerful & he knows it.

If you like warriors, forbidden love, questions, power-hungry men, where you go, I go vibes, then this is for you.

I was kept on my toes, not sure who to trust. This book is full of action & adventure & leaves you with enough questions to be wondering when the next book is out...soon, please.

The way I devoured this book. I loved Freya from the outset and fell hard and fast for Bjorn as soon as soon as she hit him with a fish. Freya is a badass, and it was so fun watching her navigate being a warrior and learning to find her place in this intense world. I loved the politics, the large scale battle scenes, the way gods and magic work, and the weaving of Nordic lore into the wider story.

- Nordic fantasy
- Prophecy
- Gods
- Complex magic
- Battles
- My new book boyfriend
- Characters you want to punch
- Low level spice

A very strong first book in a series, I'm so excited to read more by Danielle Jensen and see where she takes this series. If you love a good romantasy, some witty banter, strong women, and a good battle scene, you need to add this to your TBR.

This was the best book from Jensen I have read yet.

I loved the attention to detail of the mythology and the dynamic and tension between the main characters was absolutely edible.

If you are looking for the next best Romantasy read this is it!

DNF at 64%.

As the story usually goes with my DNFs, A Fate Inked in Blood was a highly anticipated book I was super excited to get an ARC for. I absolutely love Norse mythology but this book did nothing for me. I had to force myself to pick this book up every single time and am surprised I made it through as much as I did.

Admittedly I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but after Freya is taken by Snorri, everything went downhill crazily fast. Freya was such a boring, useless FMC and she never does anything to help herself. Of the 64% I managed to trudge through, Freya spent most of it making stupid decisions in the name of her family, complaining and crying about her ex-husband that she (rightfully) murdered, or waiting to be rescued by Bjorn (who has zero personality and an annoying habit of calling her Born in Fire). I'm all for a nickname when it comes to my ships, but this one really grated on my last nerve.

Freya's attachment to her family (her apparent motivation for doing anything in this book) made no sense either, as they repeatedly showed they didn't give a damn about her.

The dialogue in this book is downright awful and repetitive, and don't even get me started on the hot mess that was the plot. I felt like I read the same scenes over and over again. I don't even know what the plot was to be honest, and have half a mind to say that anyone who did understand what happened in this book is lying.

From the other negative reviews I've seen of this book, it seems Danielle L Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series is considerably better written, but A Fate Inked in Blood was such a dumpster fire that I don't think I even want to read anything else by her.

Thank you to Del Rey UK for sending me an eARC via Netgalley.

↠ 1 star, DNF at 64%

**INCLUDES SPOILERS**

What an incredible start to The Unfated Saga! Honestly, just woooow!

The plot was well thought-out (although maybe slightly predictable in some places), and the tension between Freya and Bjorn was palpable and exciting. The slow burn and forbidden nature of their relationship made the spice scenes pretty explosive to read. The development of Freya's character from a fishmonger's wife to a badass shieldmaiden was well written and I felt very emotionally connected to the internal struggles she faced on her journey.

You'll fall in love with Freya and Bjorn both in their own right and together, in a way I can see growing akin to Feyre and Rhysand!

The only criticism I could offer is the relationship between Freya and Jarl Bodil could have been cultivated more, as the reaction to her death seemed slightly disproportionate to their interactions. I didn't feel the same loss that Freya portrayed.

What a cliff-hanger to be left on, I cannot WAIT for the next book. 5 stars no question, my favourite read of the year so far!

4.75 stars

I was not expecting this to be as good as it was!! It was so addictive to read, and the last 50 or so pages had me on the edge of my seat! This was the first book I've read from Danielle L. Jensen, but it certainly won't be the last - I really want to read The Bridge Kingdom series now, because this was so incredibly well-written. I felt completely transported to this world. There was also fantastic worldbuilding; as someone who knows next to nothing about Norse mythology (and what I do know, comes from the Thor movies), I was able to understand the gods and the magic system fairly easily and I loved whenever a new type of magic/god popped up. I also felt this had great pacing, with a good balance between action=packed scenes, and slower, more political moments.

Now. The characters. I LOVED Freya, she was fierce and brave and a total badass and I loved seeing her discover who she was, learn more about her past and her powers, and I was rooting for her the whole time. And Bjorn??? Bjorn, what a MAN. Loved him, and the chemistry between Freya and Bjorn was insane, love me a good forbidden romance!

The ending had me squealing, it was intense and while probably not that surprising, I still felt shocked by it! And now I desperately need the next book in the series, because I need to know what happens to these characters!

This is the kind of book that made me wish I could take time off from work just to spend a whole day reading it. I was hooked from the very beginning, and even though it felt quite predictable sometimes, I enjoyed Freya’s story immensely.

I was invested in the romantic plot thanks to the hilarious banter between Freya and Bjorn and the exquisite slow burn. I loved seeing Freya and her strong-willed mind battle with the ideas of fate and loyalty to family, her journey in this first installment was interesting and I was never bored. I will also say that the audiobook was really good and alternating between the ebook and the audiobook was very enjoyable.

I was maybe a bit disappointed that the part played by the different characters in the finale of this book were too predictable and I imagine that most readers can anticipate all this from a fairly early point in the story. Some of Freya’s inner dilemmas were also a little repetitive at times and although I understood them, it sometimes felt a bit stupid.

But this did not manage to take away from my enthusiasm for this book and I’m really excited to see what’s in store for Bjorn and Freya in book two.