A Fate Inked in Blood takes readers on an enthralling journey into the heart of Nordic folklore, weaving a captivating narrative around the intertwined destinies of its main characters, Freya and Bjorn. With bloodlines that trace back to powerful Norse deities, Freya, a fierce shield maiden with the blood of Hlin, and Bjorn, the son of a jarl bearing the blood of Tyr, are destined to play pivotal roles in their world.

The central theme of fate and its manipulation by Jarl Snorri forms the crux of the story. Snorri's relentless pursuit of power leads him to orchestrate a marriage with Freya, driven by a prophecy that promises him kingship. This sets the stage for a compelling conflict that unfolds throughout the book.

What truly sets this tale apart is the beautifully executed slow-burn forbidden romance between Freya and Bjorn. Their connection defies societal norms and adds layers of complexity to their characters. As their relationship deepens, readers are drawn into their emotional journey, making every stolen moment and secret rendezvous all the more captivating.

The author's skillful storytelling and vivid descriptions bring the rich world of Norse mythology to life, immersing readers in a realm of ancient gods, warriors, and prophecies. The pacing of the narrative keeps readers engaged, with each chapter unveiling new twists and revelations that heighten the intrigue.

Forever one of my favourite authors and she’s done it again.

Another amazing world to be sucked into, the perfect mix of action and romance, characters to swoon over… I couldn’t put it down. I’m already looking forward to a sequel I don’t even know is coming!

Thankyou to NetGalley and Random House UK/Cornerstone for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored the Bridge Kingdom series by Danielle L. Jensen, so I was expecting to be blown away by this book. But unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

One thing I loved about The Bridge Kingdom was how atmospheric and immersive the writing and the world building was. But the world building was severely lacking in this book. Given the Nordic setting, there could have been some stunning descriptions, but we got nothing. The writing also felt very clunky and awkward, and the dialogue would switch between being overly formal and old fashioned to more modern, which was jarring.

The magic system was interesting (being gifted a drop of blood from a God at conception and therefore having some of their powers) but I wish it had been explained more. The Gods are mentioned constantly, as a reason for literally ANYTHING anyone does, but I wish they had been a bigger part of the story and developed more.

As for the plot, it wasn’t engaging, and it was poorly paced and repetitive. I felt myself losing interest even in the more action-packed scenes. There was also a lot of tell rather than show, which I really dislike in books.

The characters were all bland, annoying, and quite frankly, stupid. Some decisions that are made lack so much logic, but were made to try and advance the plot. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two main characters, and their relationship felt very insta-lovey and cringey.

I saw the ending coming from a mile away, as it was so reminiscent of other fantasy romance books, particularly a very popular one that was released recently.

Ultimately I was left very disappointed after reading this book, and I won’t be continuing on with the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and Danelle L. Jensen for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fantasy romance that takes inspiration from Norse mythology skillfully intertwining themes of resilience, determination and love in a captivating manner. We meet Freya, a warrior woman who becomes entangled in a web of political intrigue when she discovers she possesses a trace of divine blood.

Freya is a character whose strength, independence, and determination shine brilliantly throughout the story. Her resilience is so inspiring, and she never gives up, no matter the challenges thrown her way. It's safe to say that Freya's unwavering spirit makes her a character you'll wholeheartedly root for from beginning to end.

Amidst the landscape an illicit love blossoms between Freya and Bjorn the son of the jarl. Bjorns charm and wit are irresistible to Freya as they embark on a burning romance portrayed with prose. Their connection transcends attraction as they delve deep into emotional bonds they share.

While love and romance are central to the story, there is also a generous dose of action and adventure. Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods.

The skillful narrative shines through in the well-paced plot, filled with revelations that keep you captivated and eager to continue reading. The way the world is constructed and the characters are developed adds depth to the unfolding drama. While the story occasionally follows a predictable path, the strength of the characters and their emotional journey more than compensates for any minor predictabilities.

In conclusion, "A Fate Inked in Blood" is a well-written and engaging fantasy romance. Its complex and well-developed characters, exciting plot, and heartwarming romance make it a must-read. Freya's journey, marked by her tenacity, will inspire and tug at your heartstrings, while the evolving love story adds depth to the narrative. If you're in search of a book that explores the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love, then this is a tale that beckons you to immerse yourself in its enchanting world.

When your blood determines if you have a fate or your destiny is still setting, your life choices are weighing much and your romantic life practically doesnt exist, is there something that can be worse?

Yes, there is, and I felt bad for Freya at the begining of her story. Freya - FMC from newest book series written by Danielle L. Jensen, author of books such as The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen - has the best set of character traits you can only imagine. Strong-minded, protective, loyal and sassy. Her life did not spare her. Married to a jerk, left with expectations and broken heart, she is trying her best not to fall apart, untill everything else falls apart, and she has no other choice but to reveal her true identity.

Freya lives in a world straight from Norse Viking Stories. Her village is under protection of Jarl Snorri, her kingdom unstable and splitted by powerhungry raiders. In that world, everyone has a fate, destiny written somewhere, and no matter what you do, you can’t change that. But well, a few „luckers” are born with a drop of Gods blood, so if you are one of them, you are unfated. That means every decision you are making, has a consequences, and you have to live with your choices and forge your own destiny. Drop of Gods blood let you also inherit Gods power - ofc it depends on which God was willing to give that drop, e.g. if it was Thor that means you can wield thunders etc.

In a world full of magic and fates, prophecies and seers carries huge power. One prophecy can change lifes of many - for sure it changes Freya’s life. When Jarl Snorri takes her as her wife, because he belives he can control her fate and become King, only one person seems to care about her.

Bjorn. A warrior. Friend. Lover. Mystery.

„When I closed my eyes, the vision of him coming out of the water filled my mind’s eye, all tattooed skin and muscle, not a spare ounce of flesh on him. Every bit a warrior, and that face . . . Mortals shouldn’t be allowed such beauty for it made fools of everyone else, his silver tongue making it all the worse because even if he’d been ugly as a pig’s arse, Bjorn was bloody charming.”

Yes 🥵🥵 he is every bit of bookboyfriend material, so fine, protective, with filthy mouth - PERFECTION 💦 but is he?

Well, the problem is that, Freya is married to his father.. So well, it can’t work, but will it stop them from longing to one another? Will Snorri achieve what he wants and become a King? Will Freya be finally free from monstrous men?

You are yet to find out in that excellent book! Im so thrilled I could read it as an ARC reader, so thank you NetGalley for that opportunity!

If you love:

🌊 excellent fantasy world fill of magic, based in Norse Mythology
🌊 following fate and prophecies
🌊 forbidden love
🌊 hidden identity
🌊 strangers to allies to lovers
🌊 slow burn
🌊 forced proximity
🌊 strong, loyal and protective FMC

this book is for you!

5/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

A well written historical fantasy with a viking romance. I absolutely loved the world building of the gods and the lore crafted by Jensen. The magic integrated into world was fascinating. This was a fantastic story including battles, political intrigue and a slow burn romance to top it all off.

One of my favourite aspects was Freya's morality struggle and seeing her grow more confident with the unfated prophecy in the books to come will be interesting.

Freya and Bjorn have swiftly rose to the top of my favourite couple list. From Danielle's, the bridge kingdom series, I expect the betrayal to come but it still hurts. Because it's so well written. I know Danielle won't let us have happiness unless we suffer first so I need the next book ASAP. I'm too excited to wait. 4.5 ⭐

Brilliant! 5/5
I inhaled this Nordic adventure, with its plot twists and emotional scarring.
A fate Inked in blood was action packed from start to finish, with a light sprinkling of Nordic politics and an easy to understand but very interesting magic system.

This was a perfect, slow burn, romantic fantasy. And our MMC is *chefs kiss*

I have never read any Viking books before, but this may have opened me up to pursue more!
Looking forward to reading the next one, and have already preordered a special edition.

Omg...Norse mythology meets magical fantasy. My new favorite! I loved this book from start to finish. It's very rare to see a well written female character with actual wit and someone honest with themselves about their feelings. I loved every second of the banter between Freya and Björn, and such a refreshing take on forbidden romance. The world building was great, plot was well paced, I didn't feel bored at any point. Although I saw the ending coming from far, it was still enjoyable. Cant wait for next installment of this series!

Special thanks to Random House UK, Del Rey and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read. It gave me everything I could’ve wanted as a fan of Vikings.

Feisty maiden
Hot warrior
Magic

The only thing I ever do struggle with is insta love/lust and this had it.

HOWEVER I was still able to enjoy everything this book had to offer!

Thank you Netgallery and DLJ for this arc!

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power hungry king - while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son.

Norse Mythology, Vikings, forced proximity, forbidden romance, what more could a girl want. I am already a huge Norse Mythology lover and A Fate Inked in Blood just solidified that fact. To say I loved this book would be an understatement, it was phenomenal.

The storyline was superb, not once did it feel rushed, yet nothing felt slow or lacking. I felt thoroughly immersed right from the first page. Danielle's writing as always was brilliant, I absolutely adored the Whitty banter between Bjorn and Freya, their little quips had me laughing my ass off.

A Fate Inked in Blood demonstrates everything Romantasy should be, The world building was great, the storyline was addictive and the romance was swoon worthy, Bjorn and Freya have firmly earned a place on my list of favourite fantasy couples.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

Fast paced, action packed book with a strong FMC and a liberal dose of spice. I really enjoyed this book.

A Fate Inked in Blood is an amazing start to this new series. I loved the Norse inspiration and loved learning all about it and following the characters along on their adventure. Although at times the FMC was slightly annoying to me I realise this may be because of the time period and I did find this slow at points I overall found this to have an incredibly unique premise with characters you really want to root for. The world building also blew me away and I can't wait to learn more in the sequel.

Genre: Fantasy romance

Tropes:
Banter
Forbidden romance
The chosen one/Foretold destiny
Norse inspired

When your favourite author is coming out with a new series you get excited- even more so when it is a Norse inspired fantasy romance!

I started reading pretty much immediately after getting the arc, and finished it within 24 hours. And let me tell you- it’s been a while since I did that with a fantasy novel 🙈.
From the start I was drawn into the world and quickly fell in love with the characters. Freya and Bjorn was fantastic together- they complemented each other perfectly and I loved their banter!

I loved the concept of the magic system- that people born with a drop of a gods blood had a magic ability associated with that god. The gods themselves inspired by gods from norse mythology. The story gripped me from start to finish with an excellent story and some nerve inducing action scenes and now I have to endure the torture of waiting for the next book in the series to find out what happens next. In regards to tropes we got a few staples of the fantasy romance genre with witty banter, forbidden love (that started out antagonistic), forced proximity (even only one horse!). There was also some other things- but I don’t want to go into spoilers 😊 Also, yes- it’s spicy 🌶️

So if you’re a fan of fantasy romance, Danielle L. Jensens other works or just a good Norse mythology fantasy- you should check this out!

That was a rush.

Exactly what I needed after my last read. I knew from the first chapter that this was going to be right up my street. I’m very glad that I was approved to read this via NetGalley.

It was so incredibly dark, I loved the Nordic style of it. Freya’s character has so much depth. I’m so glad she wasn’t just thrown in all powerful at the start, that Danielle took the time to let the character build. Some of the descriptions were so vivid, it was a shock. The attention to detail not overdone, but done quite perfectly when needed.

You know when you read a book and you start getting a vibe where you can guess roughly what’s going to happen or where it’s going to go? I can honestly say that didn’t happen here. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

<b>2.25 stars.</b>

I think I’ve got to accept DLJ isn’t for me. I honestly don’t really know how I feel after reading this because it was honestly a lot.

- for the most part, none of it made sense. I didn’t care for the plot despite being excited to read about vikings and nordic gods etc. the plot was all over the place and the inner dialogue was honestly insufferable. if it wasn’t the inner monologue we got constantly it was the wishy-washy same thing. every two chapters freya was being attacked and every one chapter she was pinning after bijon.
- the romance was forced and insta-lust. at first, I really liked it. it felt forbidden and fun but after around 40% they both were obsessed with each other and I hated it.
- the magic building was confusing which is ultimately what I didn’t like about the book. I wanted more knowledge of the gods - why only certain people get their blood and what on earth being this shield maiden actually meant for the world because it was basically to win a war where everyone dies.
- I hated all the side characters too which never makes for a good fantasy.

Definitely not for me and I won’t be continuing.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really enjoyable fantasy romance, fast paced and you get thrown straight into the action! The characters were easy to follow and I liked the plot, perhaps a bit predictable but sometimes that what you want.

This was not for me. This felt like a worse copy of the Bridge Kingdom series, only with a different setting.

I've always liked Jensen's writing style in her previous books, but I didn't enjoy it in this novel. She tried really hard to make the language sound old-fashioned to suit the nordic setting, but occasionally she forgot about it and used modern words which just really annoyed me. I also didn't love the worldbuilding itself, it was barely explained and didn't seem well thought out.

The story itself was okay, it was pretty boring during the middle parts and even the fight scenes weren't really all that exciting. The two main characters were basically copies of Aren and Lara from the Bridge Kingdom, and so was the romance. The romance was also insta lust which didn't appeal to me and it was just so bland and without any real chemistry. I'm not sure if I will continue this series.

I thank NetGalley, Cornerstone & Del Rey for sending me an eARC of this book, I will give an honest review.

Looking at this gorgeous cover and gripping title, I was very eager to dive into this book, and it exceeded my expectations.

A Norse Mythology inspired fantasy Romance, based around Freya a Shield Maiden with blood from the god Hlin running in her veins. Can Freya take control of her own destiny, or will she be used by the countless men who only see her as a weapon to grasp power for their own gain?

I absolutely devoured this book and didn't want to put it down. The characters were well written with such depth and personality that you could easily connect with. And don't even get me started on the chemistry between the main love interests, it was so electric and slow burning, that you could really feel the tension from the forbidden fruit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend everyone to go and preorder now, you won't regret it!

A promising start to this new Norse inspired fantasy romance series from Jensen. I enjoyed this and found the story to be immersive and I’m interested in where the sequel will take this story. At times I did find the FMC to be a bit gullible and just did as she was told but overall liked how her character is being developed.

I really loved this book! Since it was announced it has been one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint!

Danielle truly is a great talent in the fantasy romance genre, I think her work can appeal to a huge range of people. I’ve found that a lot of recent romantic fantasy books lean heavily on the spice but Danielle finds a great balance between the romance and the plot. This means that no matter your preference of spice you are satisfied with this book!

The pacing is also brilliant. Rather than a long introduction to build the history of the world this story gets straight into the action and introduces you to the world as you go along. The action never stops either, there is always something happening to catch your attention and keep you interested.

It was such an honour to read an early copy of this book, I can’t wait to read more of Danielle’s work in the future!