A Good read but definitely for a younger audience. I felt the main characters lacked substance and the storyline just did not grab. This book is more for the Y/A.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in return for an honest review.

50 billion/5 stars! Per usual, Danielle delivers a story that knocks me off my feet and just utterly destroys me. I am not a huge fan of Norse stories so I wasn't sure about the premise. But just like with Bridge Kingdom, this story rocked my world. Freya is determined and strong and a bad*ss in her own right. Bjorn is steamy and spicy without everything nicey. Like Bridge Kingdom the cliff-hanger ending wrecked me; but I can't wait for the sequel to come out.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Easily one of my favourite reads! I already cannot wait for book 2! Freya is one of my favourite MMCs. She's badass and not someone you want to mess with. There are so many twists and turns in this book which allow for her character to grow tremendously.

Danielle is one of my autobuy authors and this series has not changed that one bit. Her writing is amazing and I will always recommend her to anyone.

I AM OBSESSED THIS BOOK! Omg like I devoured this one! Like I actually can’t wait for the next book to release I need it right now!! Freya and Bjorn were freaking everything!

“I wanted you the moment I first set eyes on you. I wanted you in Fjalltindr. I want you now, and tomorrow, and all the tomorrows, Freya.”

Danielle Jensen's *A Fate Inked in Blood* is an enthralling blend of Norse mythology, romance, and action that captures readers from the first page. With a fierce and determined heroine, Freya, Jensen weaves a tale of destiny, love, and betrayal that keeps the plot engaging even when predictable.

Freya is a powerful and relatable character, forced into a marriage she despises while grappling with the discovery of her unique, goddess-given powers. Her internal struggles and evolving relationships, especially with Bjorn, the brooding Viking warrior, are the heart of the novel. Their chemistry is palpable, and Jensen handles their relationship's complexity with a balance of tension and tenderness. The world-building is vivid, with well-researched nods to Norse lore, bringing the setting to life without overwhelming the story with too much detail.

Overall, a solid read, perfect for fans of romantic fantasy with strong female leads and rich mythological undertones.

Wow, I am so in love with this book. The characters are so well written and I love the Norde mythology throughout.

This book kept me hooked until the very end!

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for providing me with this arc

A Fate Inked in Blood" is easily one of my favorite reads of 2024. The blend of rich, immersive world-building and compelling characters kept me hooked from the very first page. The story is a perfect balance of action, intrigue, and emotion, with twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the final chapter. The depth of the lore and the vivid descriptions really made the world come alive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves epic fantasy with a gripping plot and unforgettable characters. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page

I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait until the next book! I loved Bjorn’s character and although found Freya to be annoying at times, I am enjoying the direction her character is heading.

I discovered Jensen with The Bridge Kingdom series, which is one of my favorite fantasy series ever. AND Norse mythology is something I've been meaning to get into since I've watched the TV show Vikings (very basic I know). BUT all this to say, I was very excited to see that an author I loved was doing a Norse inspired romantasy.

Honestly, I loved this book so much. It definitely has some flaws, there's some cliches here and there; and I definitely wanted to scream at the FMC sometimes cause she makes some questionable choices AND she's so dumb sometimes.
That being said, the worldbuilding was amazing, the characters making me feel passionate on whether I hate them or love them, the vibes immaculate. I just got so invested in the story and I couldn't wait to read more every day.
The relationship between the 2 MCs felt more like insta lust than real love, which I'm not usually a fan of; but I went with it here, and somehow it worked ?!

I love it because I feel like I truly sensed Jensen's style here, and some key elements I could find in the bridge kingdom and I love that.

I did get the eARC, but wasn't able to read it before pub date unfortunately. So I managed to borrow the audiobook and it was an amazing decision. The narrator was exceptional. She did the accent, the voices, the intonations, the pronunciation... everything was perfect. I truly believe the audio allowed me to get deeper into the world, deeper into this story and just enjoy it fully. Also, having the right pronunication for everything truly feels like a game changer.

All this to say, I know this book won't be for everyone but if you're into romantasy then definitely give this a shot! I, for one, cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hey, Alexa! Play “This Is Berk” by John Powell!!!

"A Fate Inked in Blood" is a Norse-inspired fantasy romance by the author of the beloved Bridge Kingdom series, and it offers everything you could want and more! From forbidden romance and magic to strong characters, witty banter, and excellent world-building, this book has it all. As my first experience with Norse-inspired lore, it left me craving more. The author masterfully introduces a richly detailed world without overwhelming the reader, striking a perfect balance.

The story is fast-paced, packed with action, battles, and tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning the pages. I was particularly captivated by the strong and fierce Freya and the protective Bjorn. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their slow-burn romance—my favorite kind—is filled with angst and tension that builds beautifully throughout the story.

In short, I absolutely loved this book and am eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Thank you to Delrey and Danielle L Jensen for gifting me a digital copy of A Fate Inked In Blood in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Danielle L. Jensen has been a must-read author since I first read The Bridge Kingdom in 2020. I couldn't wait to get my hands on A Fate Inked In Blood because it was inspired by Norse Mythology and a new fantasy world from Danielle L. Jensen's imagination.

The writing is evocative and engrossing – I couldn't stop turning the pages, and my intentions to complete the Fairyloot daily read-along chapters for this book went out the window on day one. Jensen's written an evocativ, engrossing Viking epic featuring a gripping, action-packed plot of political intrigue, warring nations, a magical prophecy, forbidden love, and interfering Norse gods. The storytelling has packed everything you could want from an epic fantasy tale with high stakes for the Gods and human kingdoms at the heart of A Fate Inked In Blood. The world-building uses Viking history and Norse lore to create a unique world and fantastic magical elements for the Gods to favour their children with their powers. The cherry on top is Jensen's ability to make these wonderful, complicated fictional characters incredibly human to the reader, coming alive off the page despite their godly powers.

The forbidden chemistry between Freya and Bjorn is scorching – these two are destined upon first sight to go up in flames (and what a first sight!). A Fate Inked In Blood is much spicier than the Bridge Kingdom. The forbidden romance was fuelled by some very understandable lusting (Bjorn is a magnificent specimen of the male gender) and snappy, snarky exchanges between Bjorn and Freya that lit up the page. It was never said in the text, but I knew other characters in the background were making bets when these two would fall into bed, probably just not expecting them to catch feelings for each other.

If Jenson has a trademark, it should be writing main male characters who leave us weak at our knees and an aggressive, deadly female main character who will sooner kill you than trust you. Freya is no different – a tough, stubborn woman struggling to belong as a simple fisherman's wife, hiding her gods-blessed powers and dreaming of being a fearsome shield maiden. She's made mistakes along her journey through recklessness and pride, but I found her incredibly relatable and learning what she can do with her powers. Jensen perfected the art of crafting a charismatic, dangerous, and powerful man who is a force to be reckoned with in her stories. If you mess with their ladies, best run, as you will die. Speaking of 'touch her and die' vibes, Bjorn is the king of them, and you will rue the day you cross the line with this protective Viking god-touched warrior.

An incredible, immersive, action-packed romantasy full of Viking vibes, ancient gods, and a colourful Norse warrior society with plenty of fierce battles. I couldn't put this book down and read it in one night. Be prepared for a book hangover and be aware this is the first part of a duology; the sequel, A Curse Carved In Bone, isn't out until May 2025. Someone pass the Viking drinking horn – I need strong mead and a sob to get me through until next year!

An interesting story that has a unique magic system that involves gods. The character interaction developed the story well and allowed us insight into the world and it's magic system. A series I am definitely going to continue.

I absolutely loved this, bjorn had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I am absolutely obsessed with both of them. I will officially read anything Danielle l Jenson writes

Nice and interesting new adult book by this amazing author! Something more could have been done to invest more the reader's emotions and interests in some parts, but overall a great read and an interesting take on norse mythology

A Fate Inked in Blood is an enthralling epic that masterfully combines rich world-building with a gripping plot.
the intricate political intrigue and unexpected twists keep the narrative compelling from start to finish.

It was okay, I think it was over hyped. I had been really looking forward to this book.

I had higher expectations of Freya and the way she spent the whole book directionless and meek left me feeling disappointed. I hope she grows as a character.

The ending felt super rushed and was basically a massive info dump. It made parts of the plot seem super stupid.

It took me a while to get into this book, which was a little disappointing since I absolutely love The Bridge Kingdom series. However, the last 100 pages managed to caption my attention! I did predict some of the twists, but they were well written nonetheless, and I'm still planning on continuing the series once the next book is released.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Randomhouse UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This was a really refreshing read. A lot of books are a bit samey at the moment re characters, tropes and magic systems but a Norse inspired book is something that isn’t currently an overused basis for fantasy and I really enjoyed that.

The twist was pretty obvious, but I still enjoyed it. I’m keen to see how this all progresses in the next book as a lot happened at the end, so there is a lot to unpack for the next book.

I think this might be my first viking fantasy and i'm pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The author makes the world very absorbing and yet still understandable for those new to the genre and the norse mythology in particular. I know a lot of people steer clear of myth based fantasies if they aren't in the know, and perhaps I would have even in some situations, but this was a great introduction.
The main character is a strong one, not the type that is weak and magically comes into battle prowess through a quick instruction with a hot teacher. She has grit and determination, she is flawed and her motivations aren't always ones that you will agree with but make sense none the less. She has great banter with the forbidden love interest too.
I really enjoyed seeing how magic manifested itself and was intertwined within the politics of this world, whilst I would consider it romantasy there's plenty more to it to get your teeth sunk into. Not only are the stakes high but you find yourself teetering on the borders of morality, which i think is often shyed away from when protagonists are women.
Unfortunately I did see the big plot twist coming from very early on in the book, although not in the exact detail that it was revealed. This is not however necessarily a flaw in the book because I tend to do this a lot. If i had been more surprised however, it could have got a higher rating, which is encouraging to me as i will be looking forward to the next book in the series to see where it takes us.
If nothing else this book gave me the opportunity to try out an author I had heard about for a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed her work. As such its safe to say I will be exploring her backlist as I wait for the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book - the Viking inspired-story, the chosen one in form of a heroine who is unable to choose her one fate, and the forbbiden romance.

Freya's story was intriguing, and at the same heartbreaking since everything that happened to her wasn't her choice. Bjorn is for sure a dreamy hero, with stunning looks and a blessing from a God of War. But sadly that was all that these characters were - we didn't get any insight into who they are other then their powers. While the story was enjoyable, the book was ruined by the ending - it totally didn't fit the story, and for me it made no sense. The plot twists at the end were there only for the shock value, and personally I didn't like it.