While still sitting at 4 stars (rounded up from about a 3.75), I thought I would like this book more than I did.

The premise was great! I loved Freya's introduction: someone who knows she's worth more but is sticking with a horrible man for the sake of her family. This doesn't keep her from speaking her mind at times... which leads to the trouble that sends her careening on the main journey for the rest of the book. What other story starts off with the main female character (SPOILERS) throwing an axe into the back of her husband's head?

However, from there it felt like the rest of the book just didn't keep the pace I needed to stay engaged. There were a lot of good aspects and interesting plot points, but a lot felt like they were added and then just kind of tossed to the side or resolved very half-heartedly. I didn't really care for Freya's relationship with Bjorn after she's taken by his father to start the quest to rule Skaland. Their first interaction had me squealing, and then the rest just felt blah (probably a bit too insta-lovey for my taste).

Overall, I was expecting a romantic fantasy, but instead I got a fantasy romance (although there IS enough plot to keep you engaged rather than just romance!). I'll still probably pick up the second book because it was decent, just not what I was hoping.

Hmm, obviously the first in a series though at this point in the book it seems all wrapped up. I'm very close to the end of the book and I know that the complacency is about to be broken in order to continue the story in the next book-I really hate cliffhangers, so I hope it isn't that.

There it is-blowing things up on purpose, but the twist isn't too surprising if you picked up the clues the author left. The cliffhanger isn't terrible so I'll likely read the sequel when it's published.

A spicy surprise but not too much, though if you don't care for explicit content this isn't for you.

Freya is a complex character, who thinks she knows what she wants, and changes her mind once she gets it. She struggles with her destiny caught between gods, and jarls. She is a frustrating character too, because she fights with herself so, and many times chooses that which is harmful to her. Her family is frustrating.

If Norse mythology was real, magic is real, the gods rule over the lives of those in Skaland, and god's blood is found in its people creating heroes on par with Greek demi-gods. The reality of war is harsh, and the god's children are being wielded like weapons by jarls in raids for territory and power. There is a fair bit of heroine worship by the love interest on par with a romance novel. (Of course, only now do I realize this is Romantasy).

This book will be reviewed and featured on my instagram account : @emily_reads_everything. In addition, my goodreads account will have a starred rating, as well as one here. My GR account is linked in the profile of my instagram.

My goodness. What to say about this book. It was definitely a wild ride, I can say that for sure. So many unexpected twists and turns, I didn't know what was coming next! I absolutely loved the main character Freya. She had to go through so much, but she kept fighting the whole time. I'm excited to learn more about Bjorn in the next book. I found myself wanting to know more about him thought the whole book, but after finishing it I understand why his history was so scant. I just absolutely loved everything about this book. You know a book is great when youre able to escape reality for a little while every time you read it. 5 stars.

I absolutely devoured this slow-burn fantasy romance based on Norse mythology! All Freya wants is to be a warrior, but she is stuck in a boring marriage to a man she despises. When her husband betrays her to the local jarl, she must fight to the death with the jarl’s son. To escape sure death, Freya prays to the goddess Lin, and it is revealed Freya is a shieldmaiden foretold to unite Skaland under the one who controls her fate. I loved Freya’s feistiness despite the controlling men around her, and the slow-burn romance with the jarl’s son, Bjorn, was fantastic! Looking forward to the next book in this series.

excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

Freya is absolutely the strong feminist hero we need right now.

Even when she is trapped in a brutal loveless marriage (one which she argued against), she finds inner strength to continue. Even when forced into brutal contest by the powers that be, she continues to persevere and overcome.

Freya teaches herself and learns from others. Even when her own heart is in jeopardy. And her skills as a warrior are unparalleled. Think berserker.

"My eyes filled with crimson and smoke, my skull throbbing with such ferocity that I couldn'tthink. There was only wrath."

Fans of Iron Widow should definitely pick up this book.

I can already tell that this will be one of the top books I’ve read in 2024. What a masterpiece.

A Fate Inked in Blood gave so much adventure, action, stakes, storytelling, romance with the perfect amount of spice. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. The best part was that every time I picked the book back up, there was another crazy action scene that kept me sucked in. I never felt bored, I was always zoned in on the story. The writing was gorgeous and very mature which is always a win in my book.

The ending was *chefs kiss* and the perfect cliff hanger for the second book. Looking forward to finishing this duology next year!

I love Danielle Jensen and I will recommend this book until the end of time. In a Viking inspired romance, it was such a fun read.

I unfortunately DNF'd this book. It was long and slow and I was invested in the characters or the relationship.

This is the first Viking fantasy book I’ve read and I loved it. This was so fun. The story was great and the characters were lovable. If you like fantasy romance, you need to pick this up.

YES YES YES so amazing! Danielle L. Jensen is masterful at world building and character development. All the girlies need to read this!

This was an incredible experience from start to finish. The writing was beautiful, some of the prose was downright stunning, the plot pacing was perfect, the world-building was fantastic. The set up for book two was well done and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

I read the Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jenson, but this title is on another level.

The pace of the plot is moderate to start and once it takes off it never stops. Being forced to read Freya's perspective when you as the reader knows there is more to what she is seeing and believing is quite frustrating. She lives as too extremes tending to think she is right about everything or she is worthless. The two cliffhangers we are left with will leave any reading anxiously waiting for the next book. The romance started right at the beginning, but readers will have to contend with a lot of "we can't be together".

A typical romantasy formula with a new setting.

Perfect for fans of Vikings (TV Show), Norse mythology, and historical magical realism.

I was hesitant to try Jensen again after not loving the Bridge Kingdom, but the cover drew me in. And dang, am I glad that it did! I'm a sucker for Norse inspired stories, and I feel like this was so much stronger than BK!

Fate Inked in Blood is a great story steeped in Norse mythology. Set in the time of the Vikings, it tells the story of battles fought by clans assisted by men and women gifted with a drop of blood from the gods. Those that control these men and women reach for great heights and control over the whole of the Viking world. Freya and Bjorn fight together against Bjorn’s enemies, and fight against their growing attraction, in this first installment of the duology. The reader is left on a great cliffhanger, and I can’t wait to read the next book and find out how the story ends.

I really loved this world! It was exciting and adventurous. I am hoping in the next book we get to know more details on the individual gods and their children.
I wasn’t particularly shocked by the ending. I think Danielle did a lot of foreshadowing and gave us plenty of details to hint at what she wanted us to see. However, I am excited to see how things develop and resolve in the next book.
Bjorn was everything I wanted in a MMC. Feyra is strong and determine, albeit a bit frustrating (rightfully so) as she tries to settle into her new role and what that means to those around her.
Definitely a series I will continue reading.

DNFed at 35%, repetitiveness and writing style unfortunately didn’t work out for me. But I am glad to see how a lot of people enjoy this book. Thank you so much for chance to read it.

This was an okay read tbh. I didn't hate it but I didn't fully love it. Maybe it was a mix of the writing, the development pace, and the way some things happened, that made me not fully be inmersed into the story. Still, I have friends that really did enjoy it so this might be a personal opinion and other readers might love it a lot more than I did!

I love the world and the mythology this has but I felt like it didn't live up to what I imagined it would be? Overall, everything fell short for me and I wish that that wasn't the case because it definitely had all the elements that could make it soooo great.

I absolutely love the author's author series, The Bridge Kingdom. This book lived up to her previous work and more! An addictive, immersive read with great characters.