danielle l jensen is a master at spinning dread, foreshadowing, and tense will-they, won’t-they high stakes romances. and this one is all that and more. a viking-inspired spicy romantasy that makes you yearn for the fjords of norway (despite never having been there), replete with drakkars and meddling norse gods.

i read this in a day. i couldn’t put it down, i was hooked from literally chapter one. a fate inked in blood is the first in a duology and truly i wish it was more, because i know two books aren’t enough for me. it’s a norse-inspired adult fantasy with excellent writing, swoon-worthy tropes (one horse! forbidden romance! SLOOOOOOOW BURN!), and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat for almost the entirety of the book.

it tells the story of freya — our feisty, impulsive, sassy FMC — a fishwife in fictional fantasy ‘skaland’, married to a god-touched town legend fisherman blessed by njord himself — but also, he’s awful.

enter: new love interest, new opportunities, and a journey that explores who freya is, where she comes from, and ultimately, what she wants in the face of responsibility to her family and her clan.

there are BATTLES! there are RAIDS! there are SEXY VIKING MEN WITH SARCASTIC AND SKILLED TONGUES! there is FORCED PROXIMITY, a certain degree of bodyguard romance (insofar as fierce viking women need bodyguards), and so much tension that this one will keep you invested mind body and soul for its all-too-brief 432 pages.

this is one of the best ARCs i’ve read in a while, and i’m already dying for the sequel before the book has even released yet. this is absolutely one i’ll be rereading over and over again while planning a trip to scandinavia.

if you’re a romantasy person, if you’re a viking-lore person, if you’re a gods-and-magic-with-a-side-of-spice kind of person — this will be your new favorite book.

As a huge fan of the Bridge Kingdom series, I was eagerly anticipating this new series from Danielle Jensen. A Gate Inked in Blood did not disappoint - interesting world building, political posturing, and some excellent SPICE, I really enjoyed this reading experience. I did find the plot twists to be rather predictable, but I didn't find that this hindered my enjoyment of the book. I'm excited to read the next one!

"A Fate Inked in Blood" by Danielle L. Jensen hooked me right from the start and didn't let go until the very end – a true testament to its captivating storytelling. Can you believe I devoured the whole thing in just one day? Well, I did! I've been a huge fan of Danielle Jensen ever since I fell in love with "The Bridge Kingdom," which has its own special spot on my bookshelf. So, you can imagine how excited I was to finally get my hands on a copy of her new series.

Let's talk about Freya and Bjorn – they're like a dynamic duo that I couldn't help but root for. Their playful back-and-forths had me grinning ear to ear, and I couldn't get enough of them. Sure, some parts of the plot and the final twist might have been a bit predictable, but you know what? That didn't bother me one bit. Sometimes, I'm in it for the journey, not just the shock factor.

I closed the book with a mix of satisfaction and a little bit of sadness. Waiting a year or more is going to be tough, but I'm already counting down the days. I'm dying to know what's next for Freya and Bjorn – the angst, the adventure, all of it. Here's to hoping the wait will be totally worth it!

TW: parental death, domestic abuse, war violence, death, blood, gore

It’s been well over a year since I first heard about this book from Danielle, so to say I’ve been hungering for it would be an understatement. Absolutely feral for it would be more accurate.

A Fate Inked in Blood is the first installment in a new Norse inspired romantasy series and it revolves around Freya, a young woman from Skaland. She’s unhappily married to a jerk of man who is blessed with power from the Gods and uses it to his advantage. He is truly awful and Freya prays daily that he won’t beget her with child. She holds a deep secret about her own powers close to her chest knowing that word of her and her powers are woven into a prophecy that would be the end of her independence, what little she still has. One day she meets Bjorn as she’s trying to throw fish back into the sea to save them and her world is forever changed. He is the son and heir of the Jarl of her lands and happens to hold the fire of Tyr within him and he resents any mention of his fate being already being decided.

I don’t want to give too much away (keeping this as spoiler free as possible) but their bickering and fighting while both secretly lusting after one another was so good! Not total enemies to lovers but more like disgruntled acquaintances to lovers. Freya is fierce but she fears turning into the monster that she is prophesized to become. Bjorn is tall dark and handsome and of course is the talk of all the women in the village but he has a need of revenge for the death of his mother.

Danielle has a definite knack for writing romantasy and keeping readers hooked. I finished this in one day, not wanting to put it down at all I was so caught up in it! There are various trials for Freya and almost all appeared to have death knocking at her door. It’s well paced and once you get a hint of the twist coming it’s highly nerve wracking waiting for it to be revealed, but I like that kind of torture lol. I loved all of the Viking/Norse themes presented as well, it reminded me a lot of the shows Vikings (of course) and The Last Kingdom (Uhtred, my love!) the ruthlessness of the times and situations and the sexiness of the MMCs, whew!

I really should’ve checked myself and held out a little longer before cracking this one open because it doesn’t come out until February and I’m already dying for the sequel after that cliffhanger! But who can resist Danielle L. Jensen?! Thank you so much to Del Ray and Random House Publishing for blessing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I have seriously loved all of Danielle L. Jensen's books thus far, and this did not disappoint! The story was so smooth and I enjoyed the originality of it! I cannot wait to see what happens next!

This was my first Danielle L. Jensen book, and she is now an instant buy author for me from this book alone. One of my favorite reads so far this year. It was good from the first chapter to the last. This book was so good I tried to read it slow....I didn't want it to end...I'm sad I read it all and want more!!
This has vikings, romance, slow burn, Gods, betrayal, twists and turns, a fiery amazing MC, a hunky Viking love interest who is just awesome, spice etc etc I think I could talk about it more if I liked it less but just read this book...it gets all the stars!!

4.5 ✨

I’m officially Viking obsessed and it’s all your fault miss Jensen🥲

This is the first Norse mythology inspired fantasy that I’ve read so I’m no expert on the subject but Y’ALL. This was so good. I was hooked from the start and could not put it down. I requested this arc on a whim and I’m so glad I did!

Freya was such a great MC to follow. This girl was FIERY 🔥 She went through some really intense shit to protect her family who did not deserve her at all and was constantly faced with really tough decisions. Choose herself? choose her family? choose her people?
I loved it.

Bjorn was so so fun. I’m really glad that we only had Freya’s POV instead of dual because there was so much mystery to his character. I hope we get to see a little bit more depth from him in the second book.

The romance was very much instant attraction/lust which I don’t like but the slow burn was fantastic and their chemistry and banter was YUMMY. I feel like this book had really great plot-romance ratio. Some fantasy romance doesn’t have enough substance for my liking but I think Jensen blended the two nicely. I do wish there was a bit more world building and explanation of the gods. It also got to be a little sappy sweet near the end for me but then 👀

I thought I had everything figured out and was slightly disappointed but then BAM💥 that ending 😮‍💨 definitely did not see that coming. The first book is not even out yet and I’m already in agony waiting for the second one 😭

*review will be posted to Goodreads closer to the publication date

Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.

Oh no, I read this too fast. What am I to do now?!

The first time I learned of A Fate Inked in Blood, I knew I was going to love it. And when I got my hands on an ARC, I tried so hard to read slowly and savor every page. But I failed spectacularly. I couldn’t stop reading. This isn’t going to be released until next year so what the heck am I supposed to do now?! I’m going to have to wait two years for book two?! I’m just gonna go cry myself to sleep from now on.

Topnotch banter. Vikings. Norse mythology. Spice. Warring clans. Prophecies. Forbidden romance. Magic. Fierce FMC. Sexy, flirty, axe-wielding MMC. Romantasy at its finest… just some of the things you can expect from A Fate Inked in Blood. And since it’s Danielle Jensen (one of my all-time favorite authors ever, ever, ever) you can expect that it’s going to be so, so good!

From chapter one alone, I knew immediately that this was going to be epic. It has Danielle Jensen’s signature writing style– with the perfect blend of action, and humor, intrigue, romance, banter and just the right amount of spice.

The author never fails to give us characters who are so easily lovable. Freya was so unapologetically selfless. She’s fierce and protective and she never does anything without heart. She may sometimes charge into battle without thinking, and she lets her emotions get the best of her. But no one can blame her for doing anything for selfish reasons. And that’s one of the things I love about her. Bjorn, my sexy tattooed Viking who never runs out of innuendos… I LOVE YOU. That scene with the fish? I was laughing so hard! I will never look at fish the same way again.

I love this new world the author created. I feel hopeful that the next book would explore more of it.

I usually find gods, prophecies and whatnot exhausting. And I find it a turn-off when they’re the driving force behind the characters’ actions. But I love all the other aspects of A Fate Inked in Blood that I would gladly endure deceitful gods and the roundabout ways of prophecies. (Seriously, why can’t they just say what they mean?! Why make everything so mysterious?!)

This didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but I screamed at the last page all the same. It was hard getting through the last two chapters…

A Fate Inked in Blood BLEW ME AWAY. I was already a huge fan of Danielle L. Jensen’s world in her series The Bridge Kingdom, and AFIB is an excellent follow up.

Set in a harsh world based in Norse mythology, A Fate Inked in Blood brings us into the world of Freya- the seemingly ordinary wife of the village’s most successful fishmonger. But quite suddenly, Freya finds herself drawn into a conflict where she plays more than just an integral part- she might just be they very key to an entire Kingdom.

In this captivating world where gods walk among humankind, Jensen sucks us into a fast paced story of romance, politics, intrigue, and just the right amount of spice.

I can only complain about reading this so early because now I have even longer to wait for the next book! Five stars.

This was my first Danielle Jensen book, and it will not be my last. I've already ordered some more from my local library to get caught up on her catalogue.

A Viking Romantasy with a quick moving story, epic battle scenes, and steamy forbidden romance? Highly recommend to everyone

Freya is trapped. She's trapped in a horrible marriage and hiding her dreams of being a warrior. Until her region's jarl shows up and Freya finds herself betrayed and her darkest secret revealed. She's a child of the gods and the shield maiden the entire country has been searching for, for over the past twenty years.

Thinking Freya is his ticket to ruling as the king 'he deserves to be', the jarl binds Freya with blood so she will be under his control. Determined to prove her worth, Freya must deal with constant tests, controlling her magic and her steamy bodyguard who happens to be her new husband's first-born son. Can Freya protect her country, her family and herself? Only the gods and time will tell.

Oh all the gods, this book was magnificent. Once I started, I couldn't put it down (I finished at 2 in the morning.)

What I liked:
-I love Nordic stories and this one made me want to go pull all the ones I could and immerse myself.
-Freya. I loved her and her inner conflict of always wanting to protect others over herself. The battle always moved two steps forward and three back, but she was getting there.
-I really liked the way the children of the gods were presented
-Skand. For a specific spoilery reason that I won't say but you'd know if you got there.

What I didn't like"
-There's only one book out currently. I NEED MORE

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

Eh.

It was a gamble. I expected something like Juliet Mariller in terms of writing but with a stronger angle on fantasy, instead I felt like it was rather modern. It was also rather dark at times, which I expected but at 40% I just kind of wanted something that focused on giving the FL character development. I felt she wasn't her own character in a story about how she was hidden / shielded from using her 'god' powers.

Yes, yes, yes!!! I've always loved Danielle Jensen's writing and her latest book did not dissappoint. Viking's, magic, old God's... perfection. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy. I will be purchasing the hard copy for my bookshelves and pre-ordering book two.

I am so thankful to have received an arc copy in return for my honest review.

Best book I’ve read in 2023!

This book is such a great story!
-Amazing Female Main Character
-Sexy Love Interest (welcome to the book boyfriend roster)
-Norse Mythology Magic System

The plot was amazing! I literally was enthralled the entire read. Just when I thought I had it all figured out there would be another twist.

Freya our heroine had been dealt a bad hand, but she is still strong and quick witted with a kind heart. I adore her. She is very loyal to people who do not deserve it. I’m so excited to see her character continue developing and breaking out of that mindset everyone has instilled in her, her whole life.

Bjorn…😍
He is perfection! Everything from his wit to his dirty innuendoes stole my heart. He’s an amazing hero with a great head on his shoulders. He also is so protective of Freya in the most adorable ways.

Snorri is our villain… one of them anyways. He’s so delusional it’s almost funny. Almost, because of his need to control Freya as though she was property. I could not stand him in the best way. He’s a great villain because his reasoning is demented, but I am able to track his thought process.

The romance plot in the story was done so well. The banter from fish slap to the end had me laughing. Freyorn? Hmm I wonder if that’ll be their ship name.
Anyways, we get insta attraction, but the love is a slow burn. There is a lot of tension and interrupted moments that make the story super sexy. We get a bit of spice but not a ton; which I am thankful for. The story is so enthralling that it didn’t need more. Oh but the spice we do get is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️!

The way the Norse gods play into this story is so interesting to me. Basically each god can bestow a drop of their blood on humans to give them a power. The humans with the blood of gods have no set destiny. They can change the future with their actions. It’s so cool!

We get lots of action filled battle/fight scenes. They’re all relevant to the plot and not overly gory, which I appreciate.

The ending made me nervous. I was worried this beautiful book that had me so captivated was going to let me down with how it ended. I was wrong. OH BOY WAS I WRONG! The reveals at the end were jaw dropping! Parts I had inklings about, and parts were complete shocks. All the reveals made sense, and as I thought back there were foreshadowing hints dropped throughout. I love when I am like “oh that’s why this happened and oh that’s what they meant when they said that.”

This book is an insta TBR book. If you love fantasy, romance, adventure, Norse mythology, witty banter, and strong female characters this book is for you! The writing is done beautifully. The plot is a roller coaster worth every drop.

My top book for 2023 (and yes I’ve read Fourth Wing and loved it). I can’t imagine any other books topping it!
I can’t believe how long I have to wait for the next one.

There’s no cheating. OM drama a bit, I guess, but not angsty kind by any means. OW drama only in one scene and it’s so fleeting and really just a jealous moment.

Book ends on a cliffhanger, but you do not feel unsatisfied by any means.

First of all, I can't believe I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this beauty, and I ran home the moment I saw the approved request notification.

Now, I have to admit one thing. I am no big fan of vikings. Like, at all. But it is a romantasy written by the queen, the great author of the Bridge Kingdom and Dark Shores series herself, Danielle L. Jensen, and there was no one else I'd trust to make me love vikings.
Therefore, I dived into this book without fear of being disappointed and I let myself be transported by this incredible story with amazing, solid, characters and a forbidden romance to die for (the banter between Bjorn and Freya was sooo good!).

A Fate Inked in Blood will, without a doubt, please fans of the genre. It is a great fantasy novel that has it all; fast-paced plot, great action, politics, North mythology (which I know a lot of people love already), and a good amount spice!

Overall, you should definitely mark your calendar because this book right here is epic!

The idea of shield maidens has always been a topic that was fascinating for me. Just the concept of a culture using women as warriors when so many cultures kept women from the glory of battle is fantastic. So when I saw that this book showcases Freya, the shield maiden, as its main character I knew I had to read it for myself. Freya was an interesting, and at times infuriating, character to follow. While I didn't always agree with her reasoning, I fully back her strength and commitment to protecting those around her. Even at the risk of herself and being used by everyone around her, she stayed true to herself and her beliefs. And despite the fact that I was't surprised by the events at the end, I still found those moments to be emotional and well executed. I wish there had been a bit more insight into Bjorn's time in Nordeland. I think it would have been nice to know more about what he went through and his perspective on the events that unfolded. However, I am sure that more will be revealed in future installments. I look forward to picking up more books from this author and hopefully it won't be too long until there is a second book in this series.

I was ecstatic when I heard that the author has a new series since I really like The Bridge Kingdom Series!
I finished this book in two days. I like the author's writing style, both plot and the worldbuilding even the prophecies are fun to follow. Unfortunately the twists are kinda predictable and when the fmc keeps throwing up somehow gets on my nerve, but I still find myself enjoying the book until the last page.
Definitely looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

What a great read! I did not know until later this author also wrote the Bridge Kingdom series, It then made sense why I really liked her writing style. I also just started watching the tv show Vikings Valhalla so this was a great transition. The heroine Freya goes through trials, heartaches, and many tribulations through the first book in the Saga of the Unfated. She has blood of a god which gives her special powers, in which a power hungry jarl uses to his advantage. She is held hostage and made to fight in his quest to be king. Freya and the king's forbidden son Bjorn have an initial attraction that has a will they wont tension. It does leave off on a major cliffhanger that leaves you wondering and wanting more. Overall really enjoyed this and can't wait for the rest of the series! I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wild ride! A Fate Inked in Blood is going to be the next big Adult Romantasy. But this time it's VIKINGS!!!!

It has all the savagery and morally grayness of Viking stories but also the heart of them: family. We follow a young woman who dares to dream and her dreams come true in the worst way possible. We see her being used over and over again. But we also see Freya make new friends, discover magic and find love.

I love that all the characters had depth, but it wasn't a slow character driven book (nothing wrong with those, I love those but in this case it wouldn't have worked because vikings) yet the characters were implicitly developed. We get to see bits and pieces of them and see how they react in different situations. We're allowed to build our own judgement of them depending on what we have absorbed of the story. There's no heroes in this story, especially not the Nordic gods. You witness how a white man wields religion against his peers and people. You see women forced to be what men expect them to be but you also see how they fight against it and support one another.

Freya is between a rock and a hard place. There's really no good answer to her situation and I do not envy her journey to figure out her path. But I suppose all of us go through some sort of struggle to figure out our paths. I related to Freya so much and I hope other readers see themselves in her as well.

Freya and Bjorn find peace in their violent lives in one another. They try to make the best of a bad situation and I'm really rooting for them. When I tell you their banter is unparalleled, I'm not lying. Bjorn is good humoredly self-depreciating and plays along with Freya's fiery temper.

My favorite was Baby Bjorn (there's no babies in this, Bjorn is the grown adult MMC, his name just reminds me of the baby product company and is an oxymoron because Bjorn is anything but little). Baby Bjorn just needs all the hugs in the world.

Fans of Jensen's Bridge Kingdom and Dark Shores series alike will love this book. I highly recommend to fans of the adult romantasy genre in general.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! It was my first story inspired by Norse mythology and I loved it. Danielle does it again- everything she touches is gold.

The book follows Freya, a young woman blessed by the gods with the power to protect, and her journey to unite her country under her territory’s jarl-turned-king. As the king she swore her loyalty to continues to escalate what he’s willing to sacrifice to achieve his goals, Freya has to weigh the cost of staying the course with the cost of weaving her own path, all while resisting the alluring pull toward the king’s son - her assigned protector.

This book has so many of the most delicious romantasy tropes. The banter is next level and will have you cackling one moment and melting the next. This is a book I’d recommend to any romantasy lover.

**Review will be published release week on my site and socials!**

There was no chance I wasn’t reading this immediately upon my Netgalley approval. And I loved so much of it!! I love seeing a new DLJ world and all of the Viking content had me soaring. It was brutal and intense and I loved the fast paced nature of it all.

And the ROMANCE. It was quintessential forbidden and I am here for it all. And I loved how frustrating Freya was to me as a character. She simultaneously made me cranky and yet I also understood her decisions. I really see a great character arc for her coming and I can’t wait. And I absolutely adored Bjorn. He must be protected at all costs.

The plot is filled with some politicking, plenty of raids, lots of battles, and yes, plenty of spice (I will say this is DLJ’s spiciest book and that did bug me a little, buuuut I love her soooo I skipped over). Anyways, there’s also MEDDLING GODS which are my current fantasy weakness. There’s something about the chaos they cause that has me gripped to my kindle needing to know what happens next.

As always, DLJ crafts a beautifully soul shattering cliffhanger that has me begging for more. I love the direction it’s going though and can’t wait to see more of Freya’s world unravel.