⭐️ B O O K R E V I E W ⭐️

🩵 A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle Jensen

I haven’t been able to put this book down…. It’s absolutely amazing, a racing plot line and such interesting characters I’ve adored reading about. I loved the Norse mythology elements and they’re included so well with Viking warrior culture, Chieftains battling, blended families vying for importance, skands singing with their power of giving visions, a ghostly creature giving warnings, seers prophecies and quests to boot.

In this world Norse gods can give a drop of blood at conception to babies to then claim them as their kin imbued with power and this makes them sought after warriors. The Jarls of the land wish to have as many god kin warriors as they head to battle as it can turn the tide to become unconquerable.

Bjorn is one such man, with fire powers from the god Tyr and he serves his father Snorri and will inherit the title in due course.

But it is Freya we meet first of all, married to Vragi, a god touched fisherman of importance in their village (but cruel and lazy in his character) but she is restless and unsatisfied with her lot, longing to be able to join the Jarls band of warriors as her brother has done.

I don’t want to give away too much plot because this was just such an engrossing story and I loved not knowing too much about it. It does sit comfortably within the romantasy camp but with the added bonus of decent mythology at its heart too. I saw a review which described it as enemies to lovers but wouldn’t agree for this book as she falls for Bjorn right from the start, the hindrance comes later as she is put in a situation where they cannot be together.

The romance is wonderful, I very much enjoyed the slow burn and pacing throughout the story, and the writing was perfection.

I read The Bridge Kingdom a year ago and am now feeling a need to go back and appreciate that series again! This is aimed at an older audience which worked very well rather than being written for YA.

I give this book 5 stars, it was amazing.

I am hugely grateful to Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy and the wonderful reading experience this was.

DNF at 58%

I was so excited when I got approved for this ARC. Danielle L. Jensen is an author that I've already seen everywhere thanks to the Bridge Kingdom.

Unfortunately, I wasn't invested at all in the story, didn't feel any connection towards the characters either.
I do recognize that the world building has a good foundation.. So I think it definitely has potential to become a very popular series because of it.
Then I started thinking... If there's all these good elements at the base of the story, why am I not enjoying it??

I think it partially might be due to the many confusing words/names and lack of explanation.
You know what they say: if you start a new fantasy book it's normal to be confused in the beginning - but it will make sense the more you read.
But I felt SO lost, even after read almost half the book. I was getting more and more confused with each chapter. I felt like I had skipped a prequel or something?
And so the foreign/complicated words/names didn't really help. I would have loved to have a glossary at the beginning of the book.

Maybe in the future I would revisit this story, but in audiobook format perhaps.

I enjoyed this very much, from the writing, the world building, the Norse mythology, to a decent plot and pacing, as well as the slow burn romance.

It was a little predictable but still entertaining, and the twists had the intended impact, despite not being very surprising.

Freya as a character confused me a little - she was mature and strong in some ways, but repeatedly vomited at any sign of conflict or tension, which made her seem a little pathetic at times.

I desperately wanted Bjorn's POV! Danielle's Bridge Kingdom books are dual POV so I expected the same here, but we only got Freya's perspective. Which is fine, but having another perspective would have enhanced the story. I suppose it makes sense that we didn't get his side though, with how the book ended.

I just wish Freya and Bjorn's relationship was a little deeper, as to be honest it felt mostly physical and built on lust. Whilst they had some great banter and chemistry, it takes more than that for me to believe in the romance. Maybe some deeper conversations to actually get to know each other?

I am definitely looking forward to the next book, with how this one ended! I have so many questions I cannot wait to get answers to.

I loved the Bridge Kingdom series so I was super excited to receive an E-Arc of Danielle L. Jensen's latest book, I was especially intrigued to read her take on Norse mythology and how she would weave the romantasy aspect into it.

Wow! A Fate Inked in Blood is going straight into my favourite reads of the year so far. A Fate Inked in Blood far surpassed my expectations, I knew I'd love it, especially after that killer of an opening chapter but I loved this so so much. I'm actually a little mad at myself for not reading this earlier, not a mistake I'll be making in the future that's for sure haha.

A Fate Inked in Blood has an excellent premise which was flawlessly executed. I devoured this in just two days, this has all the hallmarks of an fantastic fantasy series.
Freya and Bjorn, our two main characters and my new favourite ship, Freya is your typical badass female, think Aelin Galathynius crossed with Bryce Quinlan with a hint of Nesta Archeron. I loved her, she's feisty with a vulnerable side, she's not two dimensional, I loved watching her journey and I can't wait to see what happens in book two. Bjorn, is all man, he has that protective "touch her and you die" vibe that really works in a story like this one. Bjorn definitely is a bit of the typical hot brooding warrior but I love that for him, he owns it!

I loved the banter, the yearning and the angst, the crazy tension so hot you can almost feel it through the pages of the book. A Fate Inked in Blood is top tier on the romantasy pyramid, it's well written, I found the pacing to be great and the worldbuilding was brilliantly woven in, there were no huge info dumps or clunky information spewed at us, which I always appreciate. I loved the addition of the Norse Gods but I hope we see more of them in book two.

A huggeee thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen. All opinions are my own.

This marks the beginning of Danielle L. Jensens newest saga. A Fate Inked in Blood is the Nordic inspired tale of Freya - born of the gods however kept hidden until fate forces her hand to reveal her true self. Freya battles to defend her family, her people and to fulfil what the fates have said she must. By her side always is Bjorn - however their journey together is messy and complicated, to say the least.

The writing and pacing was off in some places - there was lots of fast paced drama without much resolution, until the end. Lots could have been shortened, whereas others would have benefited from more in depth exploration.

I did see the plot twist coming at the end; but I still enjoyed it!

I’m not surprised that this book is receiving praise. I have yet to read her other series but if this is an indication of her writing I’m sure I will love that too. This book is full of adventure and mythology and if you like any of those aspects then this is your next book. The romance is chef’s kiss! Everything was hitting the marks and I’m very very pleased. Thank you NetGalley and publishers!

I knew I would love this book but I was not expecting to be absolutely godsmacked after how much I loved it😭

A Fate Inked in Blood is a Viking lore-based fantasy romance with incredible world-building and a swoon worthy love interest that will have you screaming without the s

Freya is a badass FMC who is trying to free herself from the clutches of those who seek to control her, whilst also protecting her family and loved ones. Her and Bjorn’s chemistry was undeniable and I was absolutely swooning at their angtsy and tension-filled interactions 😮‍💨 the ‘princess’ and bodyguard trope was expertly used here and these two will be living in my head RENT FREE for a very long time

I truly did not expect majority of the plot twists simply because I was so enraptured by the story, I missed it completely 😂 but there were a few I picked up on and I was still genuinely shocked and yelled ‘what the fuck’ several times

Danielle’s writing is excellent and this is absolutely the start to an incredible series and I am DYING for book 2

Freya, stuck in an unwanted marriage as nothing more than a fishwife, longs to be like the warriors. She longs to go off into battle, to raid, and most importantly, get away from her husband. Her wish seems to be granted when jarl Snorri visits her village, forcing his son Bjorn to fight Freya. Except Freya is not the weak and harmless woman she is perceived as by the jarl, and in order to defend herself, she exposes her biggest secret – she has a drop of a goddess’s blood running through her veins. Freya is the shield maiden prophesied to unite Skaland under the control of another.

Leaving her village and old life behind, Freya is quickly bound to Snorri who believes the prophecy is about him, sure that he is the one meant to control her and become king of Skaland. Snorri commands Bjorn to protect her, and Freya is determined to learn how to fight and control her magic, as well as guard herself from the incredibly hot Bjorn.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this, but from the very first chapter, I was hooked. The world building is woven into the story and never once felt bulky or bloated, it flowed perfectly and gave the necessary information at all the right moments. The pacing is bang on. No extremely slow bits, no rushed bits, it moved along at the right pace for the plot.

Freya is definitely one of my new favourite badass FMC. She learns so much about herself and her magic, about the people around her, and their intentions. With fate a heavy plot point, I loved how it affected so many decisions, and how often Freya questioned it, unsure of her destiny but determined to make her life her own.

Bjorn. Oh Bjorn. Hot, tattooed, flirty, and very protective. He’s been added to my long list of book boyfriends, and each scene between him and Freya had me glued to the pages.

I really enjoyed the Norse inspired story, and found it interesting how the Norse gods were involved in the lives of humans within the world. I’m definitely hoping to see more of them in the next book!

This is easily one of my favourite reads of the year so far, I loved it that much I had to go out and buy the physical copy for my shelves. The author is definitely a new favourite of mine.



Did I like the book? Yes!

Did I love it? Yes!

Would I recommend it? Yes! I found it an amazing and interesting read, with great characters and a great story. If you like your MC’s flirty and flaming hot, with a dose of mythology, it’s a perfect read for anyone who is more into the romance side of fantasy, yet still enjoys a good plot.

This review is for A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen which releases in the UK on 27th February! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Danielle is one of my must read authors, and as soon as I saw this available to request, I applied straight away. I’ve read her Bridge Kingdom series which I was obsessed with, and could not wait for this book to come out. This is now my favourite book by her and cannot wait to see what happens with the rest of the series.

It features a Norse inspired world where some children are born with a god blood in their veins, not from being related to them, but their parents being chosen by the gods to carry their bloodline. These children are then born with the gifts of the gods that chose them. This was a super cool magic system for me, and loved seeing all the gods and the powers they give their ‘children’. It does feature a lot of the Norse gods as well, so a lot of recognisable names and powers thrown in (I’m looking at you Thor).

The romance in this book was amazing, starting from the very beginning when our female main character Freya runs into a beautiful man while trying to fix the problem her nasty ass husband caused. The tension was also god tier, and you’re always kept on your toes wondering if they will finally give in to their attraction to each other.

The plot was super interesting too, although a little predictable, but does come with a lot of interesting twists and turns. It was super easy to read, nearly finishing in one sitting, and I could not put this down. The temptation to stay up till 4am finishing was nearly too much, but thankfully I resisted (this time).

Freya was a super interesting FMC and can’t wait to see what happens with her in the next story, although her character development was a bit meh for me. She started off as this super cool, badass warrior wannabe and then turned into this super anxious mess always over thinking her actions. I missed when she was decisive.

However, this was an incredible book and again I cannot wait to see how the series progresses and what comes next. The cover artwork is also incredible! Would 100% recommend this to any fantasy readers out there, you don’t want to miss it!

Danielle L. Jensen wrote this for me and all the other Uhtred (The Last Kingdom) and Ragnar (Vikings) lovers. If you get it you get it, if you know you know. Gods bless you Danielle L. Jensen.

If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. It took some of my favourite things about those shows, threw in even more drama and sexiness, and called it a day. Brilliant. It worked. No notes.

Okay, maybe some notes since I didn’t rate this 4 stars. I did feel the writing and pacing was clunky at paces, that we were zooming around everywhere without achieving much. I felt somethings dragged out longer and other things should’ve been shorter.

I guessed the big plot twist and the reveals at the end and I’m very excited to see the consequences play out in the sequel.

3.75*

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! Our main character Freya is very likeable and I loved seeing her grow and develop throughout the story. All of the blood magic and gods was fascinating and I loved getting to learn all about it. I hope this continues through the series.

The world intrigues me and I wish we had a bit more worldbuilding and there were times where I felt the story moved a little too fast in areas for me. It is book one of the series, so I hope we get to learn more about this world as the story continues.

That ending though...can't wait to read the sequel to find out what happens next!

I was nervous to read this book. The Bridge Kingdom is up there as one of my favourite fantasy romance series of all time and I was scared Danielle L Jensen would be knocker off her pedestal.

And what a pointless waste of time all that worrying was. This series is off to a magnificent start.

I have come to realise that Danielle L Jensen is amazing at writing female main characters who are strong, skilled, leaders and unquestionably morally grey. Freya is the perfect example of this and I just couldn’t help but fall in love with her. She makes some decidedly bad decisions, her motivations are questionable but I love her anyway.

Bjorn is a great main character and I really hope we get to see more of his story as the series develops.

Norse mythology inspired fantasy is not usually for me but this book completely converted me.

In case you haven’t realised I just loved this book and Danielle L Jensen has sealed her place as one of my favourite authors. If you love fantasy-romance, make sure you pick up this book!

I loved The Bridge Kingdom, so I had high hopes for this release, and I literally squealed when I scored an arc on NetGalley. I didn't, however, think I could love it MORE than The Bridge Kingdom. I was wrong.
As you'd expect, Freya is a fiery personality, full of sass, quick to anger, and constantly battling her desires to live life for herself or to sacrifice for her country and her loved ones.
Bjorn is a grumpy warrior with a heart of gold. Ylva is a force on her own. Snorri, a weasel of the highest order, concerned only with his own power.

An exciting and fast-paced fantasy filled with glimpses of Norse mythology and a fascinating Viking culture, I couldn't put this down and am eagerly awaiting book 2!

A Fate Inked In Blood is part of a new series by Danielle L. Jensen, it follows Freya, a shield-maiden and daughter of Hlin, who is stuck in an unwanted marriage until the day her husband sells her off to the Jarl (King) of the land. Fighting to prove her worth, Freya revels that she is a shield maiden whose magic can repel any attack, in doing so she finds herself trapped in another unwanted marriage with the Jarl himself will falling in love with his son, Bjorn. With all Jarls wanting to control her, due to a prophecy stating that the nation of Skaland would be united beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate, Freya must find out who controls her destiny, Bjorn, the Jarl or if it can be re-written.

I had to physically put this book down at around 80% because of how annoying I found Freya, like she could not be quiet for a hot minute and think before she acted. Live now, think later followed her throughout the whole book. But then I picked it back up and finished in within 20 minutes and I'm so annoyed I didn't finish it earlier.

The world building was there, I could very much envision the world that Jensen had created, and I like the range of characters and the range magic and the magic system. There wasn't really a need for the info dump that's normally required when coming into a new fantasy book. However, there was no character that you could like or root for throughout the book, and I think that's where is fell flat for me. I still gave it four stars because I wanted to know what was going to happen plot wise but I couldn't have cared less about that characters. There was no depth, it was just face value for most of characters,

I eagerly await book two. I'm excited to see where the story goes and explore the new worlds with Nordeland and get to know our other characters more.

Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Freya has always wanted to be a warrior, but instead she's stuck in a marriage to a cruel man blessed by a God. Her husband, unhappy with her for not bearing him children, betrays her deepest secret to the local jarl. Freya's life changes forever as she's forced to move in with the jarl and fight by his side, along with the jarl's son, Bjorn.

I really liked the nordic/viking setting of this, it's unlike any other fantasy books I've read! The amount of magic in this was just right for me.

I think I was perhaps hoping for a bit more of a female empowerment story but it does lean very heavily towards romantasy. Freya's character is interesting but I hope we see a little more independence and fight from her in the next one.

I did like the pacing and writing in this and enjoyed the read overall.

N.b. I was given a free ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly thank you for the publishers for approving my request in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this first in a series by Danielle L. Jensen (I have not read any of her previous books). I found this book to be highly anticipated fantasy of 2024. It is a Norse mythological story where Freya has a hidden power that was review as the Shield Maiden. This book is based on fate and where our lives are predicted.

The story was packed with action, new information and development constantly happened making it a fast paced read. Bjorn was mentioned right from the beginning making him a sassy yet lovable character. He was swoon worthy and quick witted. The chemistry between Freya and Bjorn was off the chart and the angst was so so GOOD.
The world building felt complicated due to the all the characters being introduced and honestly it took away the enjoyment for me slightly. Some of the side characters were so unlikable that I think Danielle smashed it out the park cause I LOATHED some of them.

Now where did it lose it rating for me?
The plot may be well thought out., however it was predictable, nothing really took me by surprise. I found at the time I did not care for Freya and Bjorn relationship and more interested when the betrayals would happen.
Overall a great first novel to the Saga of the Unfated Saga. And I'm honestly excited to see what happens next!

This book was exactly what the doctor ordered. I was struggling to find a book that stuck for a few days and as soon as I opened this one I was hooked. I have always loved Vikings so that was the perfect group to set this story around. Watching Freya go through every stage of this story had me on edge, excited, near tears. I didn’t trust anyone in this book, especially not a Bjorn, but right at the end I was starting to feel convinced that while he was probably the traitor, he was trustworthy and they were going to make it out together. And then BAM, right at the end, all their plans destroyed and they’re taken away to somewhere new. I cannot wait to see what will happen to these characters in Nordeland. The new characters we will meet, and the development of all of the characters we already know from a different perspective and different side of the conflict, is very exciting and I will be eagerly awaiting a sequel!

This wasn't great.

I knew the moment I rolled my eyes at the main characters actions, I would dislike this story. The romance was boring and extremely instant-lovey. The characters I found annoying and all they knew (especially the love interest) were lewd jokes that made the main character blush every other page.

The world itself wasn't really expanded beyond the first few chapters. The plot didn't make sense, and the main character had no purpose. She had powers, but she's just a pawn for someone else, and basically has no motivation to do anything. She just follows what she's feeling at the moment she feels it.

Nothing surprised me, and the writing wasn't great.

Thanks to netgalley for the e-arc! I am very grateful!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!

This was amazing!!! 10/10

This is an amazing read, Norse mythology with a fresh twist. Absolutely loved the action and adventure with twists I didn’t expect. A fantastic Romantasy set to be a favourite for sure.