🌟 MARK YOUR CALENDERS 🌟
Because this new release is gonna blow your mind!

✅Forbidden romance
✅Strong FMC
✅He'd burn the world for her
✅🌶️🌶️🌶️ Thank you.
✅Norse inspired mythology/ world building


Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the Arc.
I was very excited when I recieved this Arc as Danielle L. Jenson is known for some romantacy hits in the book community. But having not read her other books I didn't know what to expect. I was not dissapointed though, I can say that!

A Fate Inked In Blood is a Norse mythology inspired forbidden romantacy novel following Freya, a woman blessed with the power of a minor Godess but with a major prophecy surrounding her birth. Jarl's and Kings are willing to fight to control her power. When Freya is discovered by a power hungry Jarl, she is forced to wed him while fighting her growing feelings for his fierce son, Bjorn, a warrior blessed by the God of War.

With a sizzling forbidden romance, a strong FMC and an investing world and plot, this book had everything I want in a romantacy book and I can't wait for you all of you to read it. I just hope the wait for the next book isn't too long because BOY what an ending!! Beyond excited for the rest of this series!

5⭐️ A sizzling and sexy nordic romantasy that you need to read NOW!

This was only my second book of the year and already I have my first 5⭐️read of 2024! Danielle L Jensen just does not disappoint. I loved the Bridge Kingdom books and A Fate Inked in Blood has cemented her as an autobuy author for me. If she’s the author, you know you’re in for an exciting, gripping and sexy fantasy with a beautifully built, immersive world!

This was a fast paced fantasy with a first chapter that orientated you in Freya’s world, a bloodthirsty and ruthless world steeped in myth and legend, before jumping straight into the action. Freya was a seriously badass anti-hero and Bjorn immediately earned his place on the list of the sexiest most swoonworthy book boyfriends🥵🥵
Right from their first meeting, the banter and chemistry between Freya and Bjorn was seriously 🔥

This book had me in a chokehold- I was hooked and could not out it down and I am desperate to know what comes next! There were twists and turns most of which I had theorised correctly about but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Incase you needed anymore convincing to pick up this book IMMEDIATELY here’s what you can expect:
💙Forced Proximity
🩵Forbidden Romance
💙 Sizzling Slow Burn
🩵Sexy Viking Warrior love interest
💙Spice😏🌶️
🩵BAMF Shield Maiden FMC
💙Norse Mythology
🩵Chosen Ones
💙Such good banter 😍

I loved this book, it was full of adventure, banter, flirting and romance. Freya's journey to discovering her path was mysterious and tense. I loved the interactions between the characters and the mysteries throughout, a couple of twists I didn't expect. The Norse mythology was so interesting and I'm excited to read what happens next!

I've only read seven books since the new year, but I already know that this will be in my top three books of 2024.

🛡️A Fate Inked in Blood ✨ by Danielle L. Jensen was such an interesting read in which fantasy, mythology and romance are cleverly and seamlessly woven together. It captured my attention from the very beginning and I enjoyed reading every single page of the novel.
The romance and the action are perfectly balanced and there is some spice on page that is not overpowering the overall story (and this is exactly how I like my romantasy books!) And what can I say about Bjorn? He holds my heart❤️‍🔥.

I'm sorry to say goodbye to the characters (for now) and I can't wait to hold the physical book in my hand.

Please let the wait for the next books not be too long!

Thank you @netgalley the author and the publisher for the arc.

Danielle’s story telling ability is phenomenal- I just love the way she builds vivid world and I feel so engrossed in her worlds!

This is the first book of hers that I’ve read that isn’t in the Bridge Kingdom world, and of course, it did not disappoint!!

D.L.Jensen had my sympathy from “The Bridge Kingdom” series, in “A Fate Inked in Blood” she continues her solid writing. Right from the beginning of a book, I got the impression of the world, main character Freya, her situation, aspirations, dreams. I liked Bjorn the moment he stepped out of the water, oh, I knew it was going to be great reading experience. So I was hooked from the start! Also, I love book cover!

Reading the book made me feel like I am in the world myself, there is the sense of that place. A vivid world without over-explanation – it’s my favorite. This Norse-inspired world breathes with myths, prophesies and meddling of Gods, shows social, political, religious aspects of life. And oh, that sizzling romance subplot! The pacing is on spot, there are action packed battles, thrilling adventures.

All characters are distinctive, they are real, they act accordingly. A focus is on the main characters, but the side characters are also well fleshed out. Both main characters are strong and brave, blessed by Gods. Main female character Freya is fiery, main male character Bjorn is caring and - let’s be honest – he’s hot. Slow burn is so good, the build up is worth the wait, the tension crackles, the banter is witty and full of humor. There are forced proximity, forbidden romance tropes.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read: a vivid world, strong characters, sparkling romance, action. I would recommend it to all fantasy romance readers, romance readers who enjoy Norse mythology, and of course- Norse mythology fans.

I received ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, NetGalley.

A Fate Inked in Blood is the first book in Danielle Jensen’s new romantasy series, which is set in a world inspired by Norse mythology and Vikings. Having enjoyed all her previous novels, this one was high on my list of anticipated reads for 2024, and I am really grateful to NetGalley and Del Rey for approving my request for an eARC.

I was absolutely hooked from the opening paragraph and stayed up well into the night because I just had to know where the story would go. I loved both Freya and Bjorn as main characters right from the get-go. Their initial flirtation on the beach was brilliant, and the forced proximity and slow-burn throughout brought all the chemistry I love in a romance. Snorri was easily the character I disliked most, with a personality and ambitions even less attractive than his name.

There were some plot twists I saw coming, and others that blindsided me. Can’t wait to see where this goes next after a bit of a shocker of an ending! Danielle Jensen has been one of my auto-buy authors for a while now, and A Fate Inked in Blood confirmed this status.

The inspiration for A Fate Inked in Blood: norse mythology, is fantastic. Before picking up a fantasy book inspired by some kind of myth, I always find myself filled with excitement. There is simply so much you can do with different mythologies. How you use them to shape your world, characters, and thematic explorations can shape your story in intriguing and often, complex ways. I felt the same excitement when I heard about A Fate Inked in Blood.

Unfortunately, I can only say that here, the concept vastly overshadows the execution - a fact that significantly dampened my enjoyment of the book. While there is surface-level use and mention of the Norse setting (and its accompanying gods): children (and importantly, their fate) may be altered irreparably by a mere drop of a god's blood at their conception, the Skalanders and Nordelanders abide by the will of the gods, some of the gods appear (and by "appear." I mean very briefly, often without any dialogue or proper significance), there is only a very vague sense of god-centric religion, politics, and intervention in this book. Mainly, Danielle L. Jensen relies on the reader's own (presumably) surface-level understanding of the Norse gods and the Vikings, more generally. She doesn't deepen their involvement in any tangible way, beyond having them appear every so often or acting as superficial plot motivators. This means Jensen doesn't develop the politics or the religion of this fantasy world in any interesting way. And the gods and the Viking setting more so acts as backdrops to some standard fantasy action and again, vague war-centred plot. At a push, they provide the foundation for, what I thought to be, quite a generic exploration of female autonomy and fate. This under-use of the Viking setting really undercut the book for me.

In regards to other aspects of the book: I felt the plot to be particularly and glaringly contrived. Characters often acted out of character in order to push the plot forward. And because the plot hinges on the motivation of a confusing, and purposefully unexplained, prophecy, there is no sense that it actually has a specific trajectory. This made much of the book feel like a series of haphazard action scenes lumped together, pushed forward by contrivance. It doesn't help matters that the two main characters (Freya and Bjorn) also lacked any sense of tangible depth or chemistry. Beyond superficial attraction, I didn't really understand why they liked each-other so much. They didn't have many proper conversations and Bjorn, particularly, felt like a cardboard cut-out male lead. Freya was much your standard FMC. While I admired her furious attempts to re-gain her autonomy and her continued kindness (even in the face of violence), she too felt underdeveloped and not a distinct lead character. It also frustrated me that in moments of great pain (such as her hand melting off), she could only think of Bjorn. Not only did this remove tension from much of the plot's key points, it also made her seem quite literally inhuman.

All in all, this book just didn't work for me! While I love the idea of the book, and praise Jensen's imagination, unfortunately, I don't feel that A Fate Inked in Blood nailed the landing, here. However, if you're looking for a light romantasy and something that differentiates itself with a Viking setting, I would recommend trying this out. I think Jensen shows her imagination, verve, and uniqueness as a writer with this Norse-inspired book.

A fate inked in Blood is the first book outside her 'Bridge Kingdom' series that i have read by Danielle L. Jensen and my obsession with her has not waned. Phenomenal is the world i would use for this book. Freya is such an amazing character and Bjorn is just chef kiss. It has everything i love in her books, a badass MMC and FMC, intrigue, action and lots more.

The Ending!!!!!!!!!... that is all i am going to say

Do not walk, run to read this, it will consume you (in the greatest way).

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRey for gifting me this e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely flew through this book! Firstly, we meet a fierce and clearly powerful Freya who just wants to prove herself and control her own fate. Then we have sexy, mysterious Bjorn who can't seem to stay away from her no matter how hard he tries. The journey between these two as they navigate magic gifted by the Norse Gods, the whims of men lusting for power, and the mysteries behind a nightmarish prophecy is one of tension, moral dilemmas, and many steamy moments.

I don't think I've ever read a story with such a unique magic system, Norse mythology has always been interesting to me, and Danielle brings it to life in the most wonderful way. I absolutely need the next book ASAP!!

This was a marvellous Romantasy to start the year with! I am such a big fan of Fantasy and romance and when I click with a great Romantasy, I just devour it whole and this book was exactly like that: I read it in one sitting (to also keep myself awake during NYE). Freya is such an interesting, fierce FMC that I couldn’t stop myself from cheering her on and wishing for her to overcome anything that would come her way! Bjorn is also super interesting, charming and captivating, and you can see how they would be great for each other straight away: he elevates her to achieve her best potential!

I loved the world created and the magic system with the Norse Gods, I confess I don’t read many books inspired in the Norse Mythology and Danielle definitely made me want more. Her writing is beautiful, it’s coherent and magical. All characters are different and this was a great enemies-to-lovers, with a dash of bodyguard trope and forbidden love! Although I was suspicious to whom might be selling them out, I was still quite surprised to find out the culprit (but at the same time, made all sense!) and I cannot wait for book 2!

Check out my bookstagram (@maria_bookshelf) on release day for a pretty post to match this gorgeous book!)

Thank you so much Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC!

A Fate Inked In Blood is the first book in a new Adult Fantasy Romance series from Danielle L. Jensen and having read and loved every book from this author I must admit this one is definitely one of my favorites, I absolutely loved it!

Freya spent her whole life hiding who she really is, but when her secret comes to light, she takes a chance to escape the husband she doesn’t love and fulfill her dreams of becoming a warrior as the prophesied shield maiden. Forced into a new marriage, Freya soon realizes the life she dreamed of is nothing like she imagined and she will need to find a way to fulfill her destiny without starting a war and also figure out how to stop her growing attraction to Bjorn, her new husband’s son, whom she can’t seem to stay away from.

As always, Danielle L. Jensen created a fascinating and unique world based on Norse culture and mythology and I loved every second I spent in it. It felt like I was exploring it alongside Freya and in combination with fast paced and interesting plot, I couldn’t put this book down. I loved the main characters, Freya was a really strong FMC who went through a lot and it was amazing to see how much she grew in this book. Bjorn was a complicated hero but I loved how he always cared for and supported Freya, these two had a beautiful slow burn enemies to reluctant allies to lovers romance and while their love was forbidden, I loved how they were willing to fight for a chance to be with each other and I already can’t wait to see what will happen with them next.

A Fate Inked In Blood is an amazing fantasy romance book that kept me on the edge of my seat and that I really enjoyed. I definitely recommend it to everyone and already can’t wait to read book 2, it can’t come soon enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an eARC of A Fate Inked in Blood.

I didn't know much about this book before going in except that it was viking and Norse mythology themed and that was a immediate draw.
The book has a unique magic system of a select few being sired by one of the Norse gods so they are part god and part human. This comes with different powers, a few of which we see in the form of a child of Thor, Eir, Odin and Hlin.

We follow the story of Freya, her discovering the power of her blood and the prophecy in store for a child of Hlin's blood: the shield maiden who is widely coveted.
I loved Freya really coming into her power, exploring her fate while trying to write her own.

This is a fast paced plot, strong fantasy elements whilst also giving us a romance story line with a forbidden love trope.

There were a few words and phrases that were repeated a bit too often for me, and a few errors in grammar, but all things that can be fixed during editing and reviews.

I knew there was going to be an end chapter plot twist because this is book one of a series and there were 50 pages left... Part of the twist I expected, but the levels to the betrayal was a pleasant shock and really had me hooked.
I really enjoyed this and I look forward to the sequel.

A Norse-inspired romantasy that’s sure to be a hit. The use of mythology and the Viking vibes are amazing, it’s gritty and feels well researched. The plot is fast-paced, there’s plenty of action and a bit of magic and mystery. Romance wise the forbidden element was done well but there was an instant attraction. For me I realise I like a slow-burn so I wasn’t as invested in the romance. Although saying this the banter was good, I just didn’t feel the connection. The FMC has it rough and I think the last thing on her mind should have been romance. The MMC is cocky and confident, and he grew on me. Overall I think if you like good banter, romantasy and anything remotely Viking this book is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

A Norse inspired fantasy romance - as soon as I read this description I knew it was for me and I wasn't wrong. I couldn't get enough of the encounters between Freya and Bjorn and found myself reading chiefly for them - they're great characters, there is great tension between them and their banter is tip top - but there is a wonderful adventure, interesting magic and plenty of intrigue along the way. At the end I just wanted more. A great start to a new series.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc. This book was truly a delight to read. I’ve loved Danielle’s other works and this one definitely didn’t falter in brilliance. The pacing of the story as well as the plot kept me hooked throughout without stretching out the story or speeding up at all. The characters are loveable or (rightly so) ones you grow to dislike. The blend of Norse mythology taught me as well as entertained. Truly a fantasy story I will love forever.

Brilliant! Truly a book I could not stop reading when I started it, had to force myself at 4am! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

At 28% in I am strongly considering DNFing this book.

I will preface this by saying a lot of my frustration stems from the fact that I have researched and studied Vikings in the past. Unfortunately, I don't feel like the author has done the same amount of research (from what I've read).

I am currently on chapter 11. I'm not sure if it's just because it's an arc but the fact that the title of Jarl is not capitalised throughout is frustrating. There are incorrect spellings of Norse Gods/words, and the erasure of traditional language has me wondering why the author chose to write a viking novel. For example, 14% in, Freya claims she is "Freya Erick's daughter" - this would traditionally be typed as Eriksdottir/Eriksson. Besides it being incorrectly formatted, typically the men used their fathers name and the women used their mothers, which provides another inconsistency.

However the thing that frustrated me most was the initial portayal of Freya as being weak. Ultimately, Freya has been Westernised - she is portrayed as weak/forced into propriety/shunned as 'other' for wanting to fight. She's also mocked and goaded whenever she does take up a weapon. Yet in reality, Viking women had so many rights compared to a western woman, its mindblowing. Not only were they trained to fight as standard but they could initiate a divorce from their husband, etc.

I think, with a little more research and formatting, this book could have been a fabulous read.

That said, I want to say thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book. While it's not for me, I do think this book will have an audience with others who don't strive for historic realism with their magical fantasy books. I almost wish I was one of them so I could enjoy this book to its full potential.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read an early copy of this book!

I had such high hopes for this one and was let down a little and was leaning towards a 2 star rating but luckily the ending picked up and had me intrigued again.

I was thrilled to find out this was a viking / Norse myth inspired story as I personally have such a deep interst in the Norse Gods and their tales. It was refreshing to FINALLY read this instead of yet anoootthherrr Greek myth book.

I felt like the intro was SUPER strong, but then a good 50-60% of the book dragged in the middle. And by dragged I mean I was bored, the conversations and drama were so repetitive. I also felt like the reveal was obvious and basically STATED from the beginning and yet the author dragged out the reveal till the literal LAST PAGES OF THE BOOK.

In saying that, the last maybe 20% of the book did suck me back in and honessttyyllyyy I did end up enjoying it more than I thought I could. I also can't stop thinking about it since I finished which is a rarity for me

My 2024 started with a bang because DAMNNN!!
Honestly, you had me at "Norse inspired fantasy romance" but did it have to be this addictive??!! How am I supposed to wait another whole year for a sequel?