A Fate Inked in Blood has been on my radar since it was announced and I was so excited when I received an eARC. I always have issues reading things on time for some reason, but I’m actually mad at myself for taking so long to read this one. I finally did though, so keep on reading to find our more about this book and what I thought!
A big thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for my eARC to read and review. This doesn’t change my opinion in any way.
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.
Review
“You are mine, Born-of-Fire. Even if only the two of us know it”
A Fate of Inked in Blood is everything I wanted in more. We enter such an interesting world and get to know this world gradually. There is interesting magic, characters, politics, and more. Danielle’s writing pulled me in from the start and just wouldn’t let me go!
Freya is an interesting character. Her father told her to always hide her magic, but during a blink of an eye she’s forced to use it. This turns her world upside down and forces her into another marriage she doesn’t want. She’s a feisty one though and even starts to realize her family is using her more than she should let happen. While I loved her growth in this book, she annoyed me quite a lot. Especially near the end, because some of her decisions just didn’t make sense.
Then we have Bjorn. The only thing that could’ve made this book better would be Bjorn’s POV. I really think that it would’ve added something special to this story. We think he’s a bit of a grump, but he’s so protective and has his reasoning for things. I predicted some of the things that would happen with Bjorn or that would come to light, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
We also have to talk about the romance! The tension and chemistry between Freya and Bjorn is there from the start and I just couldn’t get enough. Their romance is definitely slow burn, but it’s worth every moment, because the banter is just amazing. A Fate Inked in Blood isn’t a very spicy book, but there are a few spicy scenes that were very well done.
The cast of characters, plot twists, and politics were all amazing. I didn’t know who to trust and to be honest I still don’t. I have a feeling A Fate Inked in Blood is going to be in my top 10 books of 2024 and I want the sequel ASAP!
A Fate Inked in Blood was a great start to this series and I’ll be anxiously awaiting the sequel. I don’t see any information about the sequel yet, but hopefully we hear more about it soon. Have you read this? Or did you discover any new fantasy romances you loved? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
