A Fate Inked in Blood: Book One of the Saga of the Unfated
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in the first book of a Norse-inspired fantasy romance duology from the author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
“THE must-read fantasy of 2024!”—Jennifer L. Armentrout, author of From Blood and Ash
AN ELLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
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. And it’s been foretold that such magic will 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 has sworn to protect.
“THE must-read fantasy of 2024!”—Jennifer L. Armentrout, author of From Blood and Ash
AN ELLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
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. And it’s been foretold that such magic will 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 has sworn to protect.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
A Fate Inked in Blood is my introduction to Danielle Jensen, the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series. And while I enjoyed the novel and am excited for the sequel, some bits were rocky.
Characterization
A Fate Inked in Blood is a story that just takes off. We’re introduced to Freya and her husband, a prick of a man who abuses the gods’ blood that runs in his veins. We see the fortitude and strength of her character and the power she holds as the prophesied shield maiden. Born with a drop of Hild’s power, she has the power of protection.
Freya’s characterization was well done, allowing the reader to get to know her inside and out. However, after her power is revealed, it seems like her characterization takes a bit of a hit. Freya wants to protect her family and her people, and the inner turmoil she faces with sacrificing control over her fate over letting others control her is compelling.
Freya is a compelling character, but the times when her character takes a hit are when she’s “lusting” over Bjorn. Don’t get me wrong, the sexual tension between the two characters was well done, especially since Jensen really focused on creating some witty banter between them, but after a point, it started to feel repetitive.
Now, for the plot, it made sense. Freya is married to his father, lusting after him and then acting on it could get everyone she loves killed, considering she is indispensable. But much of it could have been more concise, and if it had been, it probably would not have felt so repetitive.
Now, another issue I had here, I will admit, is a personal pet peeve of mine. Every time Jensen used the word “sex” in reference to her genitalia, it was cringy. There are better ways to write the sentence than by using that word. I just wanted to laugh every time I read it because it felt forced. It’s clear Jensen is trying to make the story feel medieval, but I think she accomplishes that well enough with the strong world-building. The added word made it feel forced and took me out of the story.
Final Thoughts
Overall, A Fate Inked in Blood was an excellent read. The pacing remains consistent, there is good character development as well as excellent plot development, and I was sucked in by the story and the Norse mythology. My only real hiccup is how it felt like Freya, an overall fierce and relatable woman, was denigrated at times as a woman horny for some dude.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
A Norse-inspired fantasy, A Fate Inked in Blood gives readers a fierce shield maiden who must challenge her destiny or be the doom of all.
A Fate Inked in Blood is my introduction to Danielle Jensen, the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series. And while I enjoyed the novel and am excited for the sequel, some bits were rocky.
Characterization
A Fate Inked in Blood is a story that just takes off. We’re introduced to Freya and her husband, a prick of a man who abuses the gods’ blood that runs in his veins. We see the fortitude and strength of her character and the power she holds as the prophesied shield maiden. Born with a drop of Hild’s power, she has the power of protection.
Freya’s characterization was well done, allowing the reader to get to know her inside and out. However, after her power is revealed, it seems like her characterization takes a bit of a hit. Freya wants to protect her family and her people, and the inner turmoil she faces with sacrificing control over her fate over letting others control her is compelling.
Freya is a compelling character, but the times when her character takes a hit are when she’s “lusting” over Bjorn. Don’t get me wrong, the sexual tension between the two characters was well done, especially since Jensen really focused on creating some witty banter between them, but after a point, it started to feel repetitive.
Now, for the plot, it made sense. Freya is married to his father, lusting after him and then acting on it could get everyone she loves killed, considering she is indispensable. But much of it could have been more concise, and if it had been, it probably would not have felt so repetitive.
Now, another issue I had here, I will admit, is a personal pet peeve of mine. Every time Jensen used the word “sex” in reference to her genitalia, it was cringy. There are better ways to write the sentence than by using that word. I just wanted to laugh every time I read it because it felt forced. It’s clear Jensen is trying to make the story feel medieval, but I think she accomplishes that well enough with the strong world-building. The added word made it feel forced and took me out of the story.
Final Thoughts
Overall, A Fate Inked in Blood was an excellent read. The pacing remains consistent, there is good character development as well as excellent plot development, and I was sucked in by the story and the Norse mythology. My only real hiccup is how it felt like Freya, an overall fierce and relatable woman, was denigrated at times as a woman horny for some dude.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
I love the FMC and the fact that she’s not a maiden nor is she without fault, and the story is more complex than you think.
I’m not one to swear, so once again I’ll spare you..
but I’m SO F-ING FRUSTRATED!!!!! GIVE ME BOOK 2 NOW!!
Also if you liked Vikings, for the love of Odin read this.
but I’m SO F-ING FRUSTRATED!!!!! GIVE ME BOOK 2 NOW!!
Also if you liked Vikings, for the love of Odin read this.
I've seen a lot of people talk about how they disliked this book but I can't see why. I love some Vikings, badass FMC, chef kiss banter, Norse mythology, romance, deception, lies and truth. I really loved this the first time I read it and enjoyed it just as much the second time. My first read I really was shocked at the deception and the second time I can't believe I didn't pick up on those moments earlier. The only thing I didn't like about this book was towards the end it almost felt like the Freya became a different people. I love her as a character, her witty remarks, her intellect, her magic and her rage. Somehow her remarks and her thoughts just sort of did a 360 for a moment and I didn't enjoy her as much, it really threw me off but as you keep going she evens out.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.