Title: A Fate Inked In Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Genre: Romantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: February 2024
Format: Hardcover
Length:  419 pages

Read if you like: Norse mythology, Viking-inspired setting, spicy romantasy, slow burn romance, betrayal, cliffhanger endings

Rating: 

I’ve been feeling a little burned out on romantasy lately. I’ve read a lot of good stories over the past few years, but for whatever reason, the last few fantasy’s featuring a heavy romance component that I’ve picked up have left me feeling very lukewarm, to the degree that I’d begun to wonder if the genre was still for me. 

That is, until I picked up A Fate Inked In Blood.

This book has single-handedly renewed my faith and love for this area. The Norse, Viking-inspired fantasy had so many interesting and unique magical elements, weaved into a truly fascinating story and a slow burn romance that was executed perfectly. There was so much to love about how well this story was told that I couldn’t stop turning pages.

This was the most wonderful surprise of a book. I can’t wait to pick up the final book in the duology as soon as I can.

The Book Synopsis: A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

The Review

Oh my goodness I loved every second of this, what a truly excellent romantasy.

First, the Norse mythology was endlessly interesting and felt like a unique take in a genre where tropes often feel quite familiar. I loved how intricate the Norse-inspired magic got as time wore on, the world-building was straight-forward and understandable, and the story pulled me in immediately with its explosive beginning, really setting the stage for what’s to come throughout the book. 

The characters were engaging, though admittedly, the main character, Freya, felt stubbornly blind through much of it, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine among heroines. I did feel like she began to evolve towards the end though, and knowing that this is a duology, I assume we’ll see a lot more from her as that growth continues to evolve in the next book. 

I did predict some of the foreshadowing around Bjorn, but there was a lot surrounding him that I had been blind to and that had me turning pages quickly to understand better. It doesn’t typically bother me if I see some of the twists and turns coming in a novel so long as the journey still feels interesting and has some surprises, and that’s exactly how I felt while reading this one.

The pacing of the story was excellent, and I loved how meaty the plot was alongside the robust character work. This book was a little spicier than I tend to prefer, but the amount of action and intrigue offset that for me (which is just a personal preference anyway). 

This was such an engaging read and I genuinely can’t wait to read the sequel.