Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @netgalley for the advanced copy! I finished this one last week and enjoyed so much about it. Truth be told, I usually like to listen to this type of story on audio and have access to the print as well because I can somehow engage with it a little bit better and I enjoy hearing the pronunciations of various foreign names and places. However, I am proud of myself for enjoying this with my eyes and I did not struggle to engage with this plot in the least! There's a lot of action and many, many characters (some of whom I had mixed feelings about!). There's a love story and some very messy family dynamics and some unique world building that is a bit like a more complex Divine Rivals situation mixed a bit with the leaders in ACOTAR? Maybe? Just how I felt about it!

This also ends on a cliffhanger that made my jaw drop so friends who enjoy waiting to read all books in a series at once may want to wait!

I ultimately enjoyed her Bridge Kingdom series a little tiny bit more than this newer one but this was still worth the read for sure and I will look forward to future books!!!

I’ve been trying to read some of the latest romantasy books that are all the crazy on booktok and bookstagram lately and let me tell you - a lot of them have fallen flat for me. Thank god Danielle Jensen is here to save my romantasy reading kick because I absolutely adored A Fate Inked in Blood!
A Fate Inked In Blood is a unique fantasy world that is norse-inspired; in this world, individuals can be blessed with a Norse god’s blood, granting them certain powers. It was refreshing to read a fantasy world that differed from the very saturated fae market. Our lead character Freya, is one of the blood-blessed who is betrayed into revealing her powers and forced to become blood sworn to a fanatical jarl who wants to be king. Through her new position at the Jarl’s side, she is forced to deal with Bjorn, his son, who is her sworn protector and someone whom she is fighting her attraction against.
For the first time in a long time I liked a male lead! So many romantasy books have toxic male characters but Bjorn was pretty much a green flag. And because I enjoyed him I enjoyed the romance in the story so much! I’m intrigued to see what Jensen does in the next book with Bjorn given the cliffhanger ending in this one - I really hope he continues to be great! With the cliffhanger ending - I’m going to pick up the next book for sure!

This was absolutely amazing. The last two chapters were insane, and that ending?!?!? I need the next book now.

I really enjoyed this novel!!! I'm looking forward to the next installment when its released as I'll definitely be continuing the series. I loved the Norse mythology aspect and the world-building was fantastic! The only reason why this isn't rated 5 stars for me is because I'm personally not a fan of the insta-lust trope between the FMC & MMC. However, the romance and action were well-written and enjoyable :)

Being my first Norse mythology book, I was excited to get into the plot of A Fate Inked in Blood. I had recently listened to another author speak about books they had written also about Norse mythology, and loved having those background ideas in my mind when I finally was able to sit down with this book. The story was beautiful, I was fully engaged and could not put this book down. The banter between Freya and Bjorn was perfect. Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Danielle Jensen holds a special place in my heart. I've been following her writing since Stolen Songbird, as so far she's never disappointed me. While I did find some issues with A Fate Inked in Blood, I'm impressed by it's writing all the same. Some things that stood out to me as quite good in this novel are the writing style, the themes, the characterization and exploration of the loss of self, the mythos, and the writing of fights/battles. My main two problems with this book were the pacing and the tone. Freya's circumstances in this novel are consistently sad. While they propel her characterization, her relationship with Bjorn and the feminist themes, she is always in the clutches of cruel people, specifically men. From a writing standpoint, I understand why, but as a reader it sometimes made me want to put the book down and take a break to read something more lighthearted. I won't dissuade anyone from reading this book because of this fact, just know that this is an uprising type of fantasy, not an escapist, cutesy fantasy. I also found the tone and pacing problems to be connected. The first half of this novel felt quite slow, but I think that is also because it was the most bleak section of the bool. The second half fully captured my attention, with more moments of levity and of Freya coming into her power. And that ending! Overall, I found this book very well written and I'm excited to see where the story goes in the sequel.
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited for this one. unfortunately I found myself not invested in the story or compelled by the quest. I did laugh a few times which was enjoyable.

I'm convinced most who read this will enjoy. thanks so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen Book Review

Star rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Series: Saga of the Unfated - Book #1
Tropes: Norse mythology, Spicy Viking romantasy, Forbidden romance, Forced proximity, One horse

Thoughts:
THIS NEEDS TO BE ON YOUR TBR!

This was my first Norse inspired book AND the first Danielle L. Jensen that I have read, and I have to say I was super impressed. A Fate Inked in Blood is an amazing fantasy book to recommend to your friends who are new into fantasy. This book was a perfect mix of fantasy and romance. The world building, characters and magic system is easy to grasp. It's full of action, betrayals, magic, love, battles and so much more.
Freya and Bjorn are seriously EVERYTHING, they have such undeniable chemistry. The romance aspect was a perfect slow burn in my opinion. The banter and the ANGST between those two had me at the edge of my seat. It was so enjoyable to read. Everything Bjorn says and does is just sexy to me.

THE ENDING?! WE NEED BOOK TWO NOW. I can't wait to see where this series goes next!

If you are thinking about reading this book, DO IT. You will not be dissapointed.

All thoughts and opinions are my own. *ARC provided to me via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I found the pacing and world building to be extremely interesting and captivating. I knew from the first 3 chapters that this was going to be a fantastic read. The banter between Freya and Bjorn was amazing and completely unexpected right off the bat. I really enjoyed reading the forbidden love that began to unravel between the two. I loved that there was depth to Norse history, rather than just skimming it or very briefly explaining things. This was my first Norse mythology book that I've read and I will for sure keep an eye out for these styles of books in the future! Danielle L Jensen is for sure going to be an auto buy author for me in the future.

A Fate Inked in Blood is pure fun, a viking-ish fantasy full of romance, fight scenes, Norse-inspired mythology, magical weapons, cloaked spirits creeping around sharing prophecies, and major betrayals.

Freya is a young woman married to a man she hates, who wants desperately to become a warrior. She’s also hiding a secret: she’s been marked by the gods with a magical shield power. When she’s taken by a tribe leader to become his wife and fulfill a prophecy, she needs to figure out her true place in the world and her growing attraction to his son, Bjorn.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  It’s being marketed as romantasy, which isn’t normally my genre, but fortunately the fantasy aspect isn’t an afterthought. 

The magic and mystery of this world is very fun, with tasks Freya and Bjorn need to fulfill, like climbing up the inside of a mountain full of dead thieves trying to kill them.

The romance is also well-developed.  I liked that while Freya and Bjorn were initially attracted to each other, they also became friends first, and clearly respected each other as people and warriors.  

Also, Bjorn has an axe made from flame.  This is my favourite thing in the book.

I will absolutely be reading the rest of this series.  

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for my review copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Right off the bat: wow. I was so taken in by this world and these characters. Such a strong start, and the momentum keeps up!

Freya has spent her life longing for the glory of battle, while being forced to hide her God given magic. But, of course, nothing can stay hidden forever.

After her magic is forcefully revealed, she is whisked away from her small fishing village to join the side of Snorri, the Jarl who believes he is to control Freya's fate.

Children with God's blood are believed to create their own fate, free of the threads that bind mortals. But Freya finds herself bound by a Seer's visions of her rise to glory, and her own desperation to save her family from the Jarl's wrath.

Honestly, I thought I knew where this book was headed.. and many times I was wrong. Which is truly the best part!

I have also come to *love* Jensen's ability to write a slow burn. *THE TENSION* 👌👌

A solid four stars, I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

"I’m yours, even if only the two of us know it."

LOVED this book! Cannot wait to read the rest of this series when it comes out. This book totally lived up to the hype. I love Danielle L. Jensen's writing style and the development of her characters and the world building is so perfect.

I thought the pacing of this book was fantastic and kept me interested the whole time, I could not put it down.

This was my first viking romantasy read and I'm hooked now.

Stars ⭐️ 5
Spice 🌶️ 2.5
Tropes: Slow burn romance, hidden magic, forced proximity, banter, badass FMC, touch her and die, tending to wounds.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I squealed when I saw that I got approved for the ARC. Danielle has become one of my favourite authors and I was so excited to dive into this one. She did NOT disappoint. This was my first Norse mythology book and now I really want to watch the show Vikings and find more books with Norse Mythology.

Danielle always grabs me by the first page and instantly I’m hooked. The banter between Freya and Bjorn started immediately and had me laughing out loud. Their banter was so good and Bjorn 🫠🫠🫠 SIR! The melting emoji accurately describes how I felt most of time.

This book had it all: adventure, action, betrayal, tension, spice, twists and turns plus so much more that I can’t say because you should just go read it and find out for yourself😉😏

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a good fantasy book and this was great! It has been on my most anticipated list and it seems like it was for good reason. I loved the Norse mythology and Viking aspects, I haven't read a lot of fantasy in this vein so it was so intriguing! The world building and magic were phenomenal which to me are the most important aspects of a good fantasy. I also really enjoyed the romance! The dynamics between the MC's and the progression of their relationship felt sweet and natural.

So anticipated and really hit the mark. Love Danielle and her work. Reading books about or related to mythology is sometimes a big miss for me but this was exactly what I wanted!

Absolutely stunning!! The first book I’ve read by this author, and I am SO glad I gave in to the hype.

The characters are brilliant, especially the FMC who is strong and nuanced. The visuals that the author creates are stunning, and the story will keep you hooked from start to finish!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I very much enjoyed previous books by this author and was very excited for this one. This story had so much potential but unfortunately the writing and characters just fell flat for me. If you enjoy fantasy novels that are very romance heavy with very minimal word building this one may be for you.

2.5 stars.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen.

4.75/5 stars

Having loved the Bridge kingdom series, I could not tell you how honored and delighted I was to be accepted for this ARC. It felt like a big moment for me as a beta reader.

Hooked from the very first page, this was one of my favorite books of the year (so far).

Although I began the book through my Netgalley app, I held out for my absolutely stunning pre-ordered hardcover copy to finish reading it. The blue, glittery edges alone sold me!

Pros:
The magic systems were creative and I loved the woven threads of the influence of the gods. Freya was enigmatic, yet strong, and Bjorn is a top tier book boyfriend by a long shot. The banter was delicious, the adventure was gripping, and in a true Bridge Kingdom-esque ending of betrayal, I cannot wait to finish this saga. The spice did not disappoint!
I like how the history of the single story of Prose Edda by Snorri was nodded to through the incorporation of the character.

Cons:
Freya's stubborness was her pitfall and a little frustrating, yet I see how it was necessary to progress certain elements of the plot.
Some of the foreshadowing was a little too gratuitous, but that may just be my tendency for careful reading whilst reading books of the fantasy genre.


As the Vikings Title Song says, "If I Had A Heart" says, "Give me more, give me more, give me more." I will eagerly anticipate any of Jensen's works.

I have a feeling this is a series to watch ignite like Týr's axe. Perfect for fans of romantasy and the show Vikings.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Del Rey for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. Words cannot articulate my gratitude enough.

This Viking read has it all- magic, battles and romance. It starts off in a very unexpected/surprising way which certainly grabs one’s attention immediately. I very much enjoyed how the main characters banter and all the drama and tension it adds to the romance. Also, I found it very intriguing how the lore and gods played into the plot lines. It definitely left me wanting to know what happens in the next book.

Thanks NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Del Rey for this arc!

3.5/5 stars rounded up

This is a solid 3.5 stars. I liked the setting, the magic system and lore was cool, but so many if the characters were aggravating to me, including Freya. I wanted to like her more, but she was just headstrong to the point of being super annoying sometimes. Which I get, I know why it happened, but still lol. The twists were interesting and I'll definitely continue the series, I'd like to see where it goes from the cliffhanger ending.