Spoiler Free Book Review: A Fate Inked In Blood By Danielle L. Jensen

Title: A Fate Inked In Blood (Saga Of The Unfated #1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Pub. Date: February 27th 2024

Genre: Romantasy/Mythology

Format: eARC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 419

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | LIBROFM | AMAZON

☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

╰☆☆ “𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐈 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚, 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧-𝐢𝐧-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭.” ☆☆╮

We first meet our FMC Freya as a disgruntled fisherman’s wife who is trying her hardest to not have a child by her husband. A husband who has been blessed by the Gods and has allowed it to get to his ego. Freya never saw herself as a housewife but was forced to marry for wealth and is just trying to endure each day while wishing this man death. A husband who is not kind to Freya, making no secret of how he views her as worthless because she has yet to give him a child. Freya however only has ambitions of one day joining the Jarl’s war band in raids against their rivals. She’s had a hunger for battle ever since she was a little girl but unfortunately life didn’t quite pan out the way she dreamed. Freya’s husband in a fit to terminate his marriage and get permission to find another wife, betrays Freya to the regions Jarl. Freya finds herself having to battle to defend herself against the Jarl’s son Bjorn. It isn’t her first run in with Bjorn, their run in by the river earlier that day was filled with attraction and flirting. Nonetheless, she accepts the challenge knowing she will most likely be killed. She does have a secret weapon, knowledge that she possesses a drop of the goddess Hlin’s blood. She’s banking on protection even though she’s had no training in wielding her magic. When the Jarl realizes she’s capable of repelling all attacks, he remembers the prophesy that foretold of this magic that would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate. Ambitions of becoming the King of Skaland he makes a blood oath to Freya and places his son Bjorn as her protector.

A Fate Inked In Blood was a strange ride for this reader with a mixture of feelings that ultimately ended in an EXCUSE ME?!?! No Sir. No Mam moment. We cannot just end this right here right now haha! The Pacing of this story is where I struggled a bit and I didn’t think I would since the opening chapter had me laughing at Freya’s inner thoughts and smiling at all the ways she interfered with her entitled husband. It does slow down as most traveling stories do which is the majority of how this story is spent, on foot. Freya in the mean time is charged with learning how to wield and expand the range of her protective magic for battle. Since Freya’s magic is more of the human shield type, other than range and calling on the Goddesses’ powers of protection there isn’t a ton of training outside of battle. This being a Romantasy, we see a lot more of Freya entertaining steamy thoughts of Bjorn all of the time. I won’t even lie, this did have me a bit frustrated because it really felt like unbalanced interest and hindered her on page growth. Eventually her advances are returned but it takes a minute, I think its a matter of preference. I like my MMC’s pining or pursuing as much if not more than the FMC, jussayin haha!

Character development didn’t really kick off until we see a pick up of the pace which is right about the 60% mark. This is when we’re hit with plot twists and vivid battle scenes where the powers bestowed by the Norse Gods are on full display. The last 40% delivers some interesting revelations that truly piqued my interest while also taking a darker turn. I’m hoping this means when we next meet with Freya, she is empowered and ready to be in the drivers seat of her fate. Bjorn on the other hand does have some pretty cool character development and magic I’d like to see more of. I also have questions about Bjorn’s time with the King of Nordeland as a ward, his mother and his purpose as it pertains to his father the Jarl of Skaland. I’m calling it early, A Curse Carved in Bone has five star potential! May 13th 2025 is when we’ll meet these characters again on the page.

FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS