This books sucked me in straight away. The world building was great. I loved the characters especially Freya and Bjorn. I liked the magic system in this book, it's unique. I definitely want to read more of what's going to happen to Freya. Or what she makes happen.

ARC sample provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in a fantasy Norse realm, we follow Freya, a young woman trapped in an abusive and unhappy marriage, who dreams of being a warrior not a wife.

Freya is shunted from one abusive arranged marriage to another abusive arranged marriage, although her newest husband does support her militaristic ambitions, albeit in pursuit of his own power and glory. Freya clearly wants to be able to define her own destiny, but a patriarchal society and divine prophecy have other ideas, and she spends much of the story struggling to reconcile what she wants with the situation she's thrust into.

Freya is described as beautiful, but more in the way you might describe grass as being green or the sun being hot (although in Freya's fantasy Scandi homeland, that's not a given). Our male hero, however, is described physically with such frequency and detail that I could probably give a convincing description of each individual ab to a police sketch artist. Given that we experience everything through Freya's eyes and she has lusted after Bjorn since she first clapped eyes on his rippling muscles, this isn't wholly surprising but does get a little repetitive. If Bjorn were a woman, he would absolutely breast boobily.

The story moves along quickly, with lots of meddling, both divine and mortal, and frequent attacks from rivals hoping to take Freya's power for themselves to keep our heroes busy. Freya's society is presumably modelled after that of the Vikings, and thus features a great deal of creative battle axe usage and mentions of most of the big divine hitters from the Norse sagas (although our main characters are blessed by more minor gods, which was a fun Google rabbit hole to head down).

As the first book in a new series, it sets up a lot of plot lines that will presumably become important further down the road, and I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out for Freya and Bjorn Hardabs.

Jensen presents a new take on old shield maiden stories. While this novel shines bright with detail and a constantly shifting magical presence, she pulls on both the writers of the past and her own unique style. This is a go go go story with adventure and chaos at every turn!

I loved how this felt like a Khalessi/Khal Drogo backstory for much of the first half. I think this has a unique and interesting take on the gods and their gift-giving but the pacing feels off. The end comes abruptly while the passing in the last third is slow-paced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an eARC of this book! This has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I stayed up until almost 2am finishing it.

Firstly I will say the Norse mythology woven into the story is excellent. The magic system within this Norse-inspired world was exciting to read and you start straight into the action.

I have mixed opinions about Freya’s character. I thought her struggles with her lack of agency were well written and added a complexity to Freya. However I did feel as if she could’ve figured out the mysteries in the plot quite easily if she paid attention to what was happening and put two and two together. Or maybe the foreshadowing was a bit heavy-handed? I felt that the ‘twists’ were very easy to predict as they followed similar fantasy novel. The reveal itself was also dumped very quickly and I believe the twists would’ve been more satisfying if they had been written in a different way.

Overall, I am a little dissatisfied with the predictable plot and twists which are an echo of other fantasy novels. But these did not massively hinder my enjoyment of the book. It was fast-paced and kept me hooked. I will be reading the second book in the series!

This is a Norse inspired fantasy romance.

Freya is a shield maiden who is bound by oath to a jarl who is desperate to become king of Skaland. Freya tries to protect those she loves while falling in love with the jarl’s Gods-blessed son, Bjorn, who is just swoon-worthy.

I loved The Bridge Kingdom and this book gives off the exact same vibes. There’s intrigue and passion and betrayal but in the best way possible. The use of Norse mythology was fantastic and so fun. The powers were so interesting and it was just an overall great read.

— 4.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

📖 | 432 pages
👤 | author Danielle L. Jensen
🏢 | publisher Cornerstone, Del Rey UK
📅 | release date 27 February 2024

What you can expect:
— New-Adult Fantasy Romance
— First Instalment In A Series
— First-Person POV
— Singular POV
— Norse Mythology
— Vikings, Gods, Prophecies and Magic
— Chosen One
— Slow-Burn Romance
— One Horse
— Forbidden Romance
— Hidden Identities

A Fate Inked in Blood is the first instalment in the Saga of the Unfated series by author Danielle L. Jensen. We are introduced to our main character Freya as she is bound in an unwanted marriage as she spends her days gutting fish whilst dreaming of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back. Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her and lands her in a fight to the death against the son of the jarl, Bjorn. In a last bid attempt to survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate. Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

This book is my first real experience reading a Norse Mythology-inspired Fantasy book, and I have to say it has not disappointed. I never knew what to expect from this book as it is my first read by this author and to say I am eager for more is an understatement. A Fate Inked in Blood is effortlessly compelling with its enveloping writing style and hypnotic dialogue which keeps you hooked from beginning to end. The consistent pacing, easy-to-follow world building and eye-widening plot twists left me unable to put the book down as I was enchanted and compelled in Jensen's story-telling. I look forward to reading more works from this author as I eager anticipate news on future instalments to this not-to-be-missed series.

A Fate Inked in Blood kept challenging me as I sought to theorise and discover the answers before they unfurled. Some answers I guessed correctly which left me feeling elated and looking forward to what comes next in the sequel, whilst some twists took me by complete surprised and left me with my jaw on the floor. Freya is such a wonderful character to follow as we see her rise and fight against the fate that others try to force upon her. With a warrior's spirit and a kind heart, its unsurprising to see Freya battle with what she believes to be right and wrong. I was glad to see her struggle despite her "chosen one" status as Freya was forced to train and learn her way around a blade, as opposed to just knowing what to do. Her struggle and determination enabled me to better connected with her character and the journey we follow her on, and I'm truly excited to follow Freya on her journey to see what comes next. Bjorn was an absolute delight as a main character and a love interest. His roguish nature and quick wit often left me laughing and smiling as he gleefully went toe-to-toe with Freya's temper. I love how accepting and encouraging Bjorn was of Freya as he never once expected or asked her to change, as opposed to others around her. A lot of mystery and suspense surrounds Bjorn's character and I found a lot of enjoyment as we unravelled many of his mysterious layers. Bjorn has quickly become a fan-favourite of mine as he has demanded his space on my list of favourite book boyfriends, and I look forward to discovering more of his truths after that suspenseful ending

The development between Freya and Bjorn was suspenseful and seductive as follow the pair whilst they battle their hidden desires and yearning. I loved that we watched them form a comforting companionship which served as an emotional establishment to fall back on. Their slow-burn felt genuine and true as it was effortlessly explored through yearning and want. The progression offered a deeper insight into the wants and needs of both characters, and the only disappointment that I have is that A Fate Inked in Blood is not a dual-POV book. I would have truly loved to have a deeper insight into Bjorn's POV which I believe would have further divulged into the emotional stakes that were delivered upon the end.

I had the absolute best time when reading A Fate Inked in Blood by author Danielle L. Jensen, and I truly believe new and existing fans of Jensen's work will share my sentiment. This book is perfect for readers looking for a Fantasy Romance with an easy-to-follow world filled with political stakes, pining and a forbidden romance which leaves you yearning for more. An absolute must-read of 2024, and I'm already sad that I have even longer to wait for the much-anticipated sequel.

Thank you to Cornerstone, Del Rey UK and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review prior to release day.

A very quick paced and action packed romance book. I really enjoyed the old nordic atmosphere created by the author.

“A place where I’d find answers, yes.
But also where I’d begin to control my own fate.”

This was the first Norse-mythology based story that I have read and I enjoyed it.

Freya is a strong female who is used by her family time and time again to secure their own lives without care for her state of being. It is her duty to sacrifice for them which served to underscore the loneliness and burden of obligation that she carries. Bjorn is caring, understanding and hides more than the eye can see. There is a fair amount of angst and tension between the two and it has you rooting for them time and time again. The story was well-paced and easy to follow however I thought that the plot twist was quite predictable and guessed it early on. This doesn’t detract from the story except to make me want to shake Freya and tell her to think before she acts. I love how Bjorn helps her to understand how much power she truly holds and come into herself.

Overall, this was a great romantasy and I eagerly await the next installment.

Thank you to Penguin SA and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

4⭐️

This was an enjoyable, yet entirely frustrating, read. I enjoyed the romance, the plot/world building, I even liked Freya’s character most of the time. But was this utterly predictable? Like, from LITERALLY chapter one-two I called the big plot ‘twists’ and guessed everything else way before the ending too. Foreshadowing is good, beating me across the head with info for the ‘twist’ until I start to wonder if the FMC is dense not to understand what’s going on? Not so much.

The problem I had with this book is that Freya could have solved ALL of her problems by literally just stopping for two seconds and actually considering what information she had. If she’d done that in like the first two chapters, then this would have been a very different read. Because of this, the ignorance of the FMC feels like plot convenience rather than clever character development. The pacing for some scenes also seemed a bit off for me, with info being dropped in like an abrupt bomb rather than being skilfully led towards/revealed.

On the whole, I enjoyed this. But I do think that the ending of this book should have been the middle in order to improve the pace and to ease the predictability of this book. Predictability isn’t always a bad thing, but I almost didn’t want to read this because I already knew beat-for-beat what was going to happen next. This book wields plot convenience and miscommunication a little too freely which led for an ultimately frustrating reading experience.

"A Fate Inked in Blood" by Danielle L. Jensen is an adult fantasy romance set in a norse inspired world. The book follows Freya as she is revealed to be a Shield Maiden, fated to unite Skaland.

This was a book I should have loved. It had so many elements that I enjoyed, and yet it didn't quite click right for me. Which is a shame. I am not sure what it was that slightly made me always feel disconnected, but I was never fully lost in the story.

Nevertheless, I liked the book enough to finish it and I don't regret reading it. I really enjoyed the two main characters, Freya and Bjorn.

Freya is a strong-willed character and a victim of the world she lives in. The depiction of her two very unhappy marriages is very dark as both act as a control tool. Even in families where there is love, like Freya's father and brother and mother had some love for her, marriage is how daughters serve their family, the only way. She is quickly forced from one unhappy marriage to another and it is painful to watch and, a part of me definitely grew irritates at her family for not simply allowing it but also not providing emotional support to make her situation more bearable. Their lack of acknowledgement that she was being sacrificed irked me from the start.

Bjorn is far more mysterious. His banter with Freya is quite funny, and he hrew on me very quickly. He was the one person who admitted how unfair what was happening to Freya was, and I think that immediately endeared him to me as a very different kind of man in the world of the book.

This is definitely an adult romance book. There is so much sexual tension from day one. I actually felt bad for Freya because she clearly was very unsatisfied for so long, even though her constant sexual thoughts felt odd at times. To the point she admitted that no sane person could have those thoughts when their life was on the line.

Beyond the romance, there is an interesting plot and a wider story about destiny. In a religious society being the one who is the exception of the rule that the Norns (the Nordic goddesses of fate) control one's fate makes other people try their hardest to control them. The threat of this person being a woman upsets the gender hierarchy so much that it makes all the surrounding men ever more eager to tighten said woman’s leashes. This is true in Freya's story.

I think many people will enjoy this book. It has a couple you can easily root for, a good amount of spice, and a plot that is separate from the romantic element and allows for independent character development.

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

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

3 stars.

i am soooo conflicted about this book. i really enjoyed the world, the setting, the nordic lore woven into this. it was different. the plot, i also enjoyed. but the characters... i just couldn't bond with them. i didn't like freya's whole "woe is me" mindset, and it really annoyed me at times. bjorn was okay, but still not entirely there either. and i think there wasn't one character i really felt for, that i rooted for and didn't want to die. not one. and strong characters are just so important to me, i feel like we know none of them. it feels like the world was built around freya and bjorn instead of them being built into the world. and while i am sure there will be plenty people to give this book the love it deserves, it just wasn't for me.

The Bridge Kingdom is one of my favourite series so I was excited when I saw a new series from Danielle L Jensen, and let me tell you, A Fate Inked in Blood did not disappoint!!

I absolutely flew through this book I loved it so much! The story follows Freya, who is blessed by the Gods and is fated to become the shield maiden, seen to unite lands and make a king out of whoever controls her fate. She is unwillingly married to a Jarl who aims to use her in battle to become the King that was prophesied. Freya faces dangerous tests set by the Gods, and is reluctantly guarded by the Jarls son Bjorn. However her growing desire for Bjorn could be the thing that destroys everything…

This Norse-inspired tale was everything I love in a fantasy romance. A strong female character, a tattooed warrior for a love interest and gods/goddesses. The romance is a bit of a slow burn but the angst was so good and I loved the banter between the love interests. There was also some spice, more in the second half of the book. I loved the battles and the plot was very fast paced with lots of action. We don’t learn much about the gods but I am hoping that comes in the sequel.

I did see the ending coming but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book. An easy 5 stars for me. I can’t wait to read the next instalment!

Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone for an advance copy of this book.

Having read The Bridge Kingdom previously, I was really looking forward to this and delighted to be approved for an ARC.
This Norse mythology inspired fantasy romance was really enjoyable and I flew through it in a couple of days. I really enjoyed the Norse elements of the world building, and I thought it was quite a refreshing change from some other Romantasy books I've read recently. I really appreciated that the MC was very capable and it was good to see her growth by the end of the book.
The writing was generally really enjoyable to read, however, some of the phrasing was a little repetitive at times. The romance was absolutely one I was rooting for, I just personally would have preferred a slightly slower burn.
Overall, I found this one really fun to read, the plot moved quickly and there was never a dull moment. I'm really looking forward to the next one!

I was so excited when I got a copy of this, I loved the bridge kingdom! This entire book was a thrilling adventure, with exceptional pacing - cannot wait to see what’s next in the series. Adventure, excitement and more

I really enjoy Norse mythology so I was excited to read this one.

This was a fast paced, entertaining romp, with an interesting magic system.

The story is built around shield maiden folklore, with the female MC being a prophesied shield maiden with magic destined to be a king maker.

Freya spends most of the story fighting to control her own life, while being bound by her desire to protect her family.

The romance is pretty good, but also produced my main quibble with this book, which was the sheer number of times the word core appears. Find another way to describe arousal, I beg you!

Overall, a really fun read, immersed in some fun reimagining of Norse mythology. Will definitely be going back for book 2!

I've been reading a lot of romantasy lately and Fate Inked in Blood is up there with the best of them. At the start I thought it was going to be a bit too predictable and just follow the regular romantasy tropes, but I soon became so immersed in the world of Freya and Bjorn that whenever I had to put the book down I found myself still thinking about it. Inspired by Norse mythology, it has lots of my favourite things - drakkars, vikings (tall, hot and tattoed), battles, and most importantly (for me) a fierce FMC. The ending...well being a duology (?) I knew it was not going to end on a happy ever after, but it still broke me. Now to endure the wait for book 2.
I think this one will be a big hit at the start of next year.

A Fantastic Viking-esque Read!

If you loved The Bridge Kingdom, you'll adore this, with Nordic inspired magic gifted through union with gods and a prophecy of a shieldmaiden fated to unite a kingdom.

Freya has hidden her power her entire life, until fate has other ideas and tosses her from an unhappy marriage into a forced union with a jarl determined to be king. Left with no choice but to become the shieldmaiden he demands, she journeys under the protection of Bjorn, the Jarl's son, in a battle to prove herself worthy, protect her undeserving family, and resist her evergrowing attraction to a man with too many secrets.

So, so good.

<I>”They say being given the blood of a good is a gift, but it’s a curse.”</I>

I want to preface this review by saying I ADORE The Bridge Kingdom by DLJ, and romantasy is my jam. I love a book with great world building, political intrigue and a swoon-worthy romance. So when I saw DLJ was doing a Norse inspired fantasy romance I was SO excited to get my hands on it!

Unfortunately… this book didn’t quite deliver for me. I’m not sure if it was the fact it was written in first person which just made the protagonist, Freya, feel incredibly whiney and repetitive and the political and world building side of the story feel very shallow, or if it just felt a bit rushed and clunky.
But either way, this book wasn’t what I was hoping for.
While I am intrigued by the world and the magic system, the whole thing felt a bit rushed, flat and predictable. I really wish that there were more layers to Freya and Bjorn’s relationship, and that I didn’t see where this story was going from the very first page- or heck, even if I knew where it was going I spent the whole time waiting for a twist or turn in the journey, something unexpected or exciting before the guessed at conclusion. But no.
I left this feeling that Freya was stupid, and not the strong warrior women she wants to be, and that Bjorn had a million and one chances to talk and deepen his character but just didn’t…. For future plot and character development? One can hope.

I will continue with the series, but am just feeling a little underwhelmed as I know how fantastic DLJ can be. This could have benefited from a dual POV to get a deeper story, so maybe the next one?


***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I've been hooked on Danielle's books since The Bridge Kingdom series, and this isn't my favourite; I don't know, I think the plot isn't as solid as Freya, which is sometimes powerful, sometimes unsteady. I struggled with this book, and it took me about a month to finish it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it and will eagerly await the sequel.

The Norse - inspired mythology was one of my favourite things about this book, add in the fantasy element as well as the magic system and the mystery behind the fmc Freya and the forbidden love between her and Bjorn made this an enjoyable read.

Freya is a tough character and was portrayed so well, sold into marriage by her family and then again to the jarl all because of a prophecy, even though all this was against her, she never stopped caring and still held onto her patience and control which was a refreshing thing to see after all the negligence she has suffered from the men in her family and village.

The plot doesn’t really move along very well and i did find it dragged in some parts it’s not until the middle did things start to pick up and move into a more thrilling adventure and I especially liked how it ended as it makes it exciting for what’s to come.

I will say the world building and descriptive writing was beautiful and held my interest and I found the magic system was perfect and gave just enough information that wasn’t too hard to follow and added to the realistic and relevance to Norse inspired fantasy romance I can see how this can be expanded on in books to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.