NetGalley Review: A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen
Hey all, Sam here.
It’s been a fun few days trying to get everything planned out for the month of April. Considering that I have a good number of books I want to read, plus my April Writing goal of adding 30k to my current WIP, I wanted to have as much of this month’s blogging planned out as possible, so I wouldn’t need to stress out about what post to prep up for each day.
Honestly, I’m hoping to take it a step beyond that, and take a day or two each week and write up a few posts, so I can have them finished and scheduled and not worry about them. Because I have a lot of books from this year, and some leftovers from the end of last year to talk about. I’m still working on my goal of catching up on my NetGalley reviews.
There are only three days of this month that I don’t have planned out just yet, but I’m sure those will be filled with other book reviews very soon. I’m trying my best to balance my older reviews with some newer ones. Today is one of the newer reads/reviews, so let’s not waste any more time. It’s review time.
My Thoughts
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.
Rating: 5 stars
I have been reading Danielle L Jensen since 2016, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. There’s still a few I need to read, but they are on my TBR.
So yes, I was interested in this book because of the author, but also because I do enjoy a good Norse/Viking inspired story. I’m also a sucker for intriguing fantasy stories, and lately I’ve really been a fan of books that deal with gods and those connected to them (what can I say? I’m a cleric main in most TTRPGs).
I read this book so quickly. Freya’s unhappy marriage ends very early on in the story, which is great, because from the beginning I knew that she deserved so much better. Enter Bjorn, and the banter and attraction between our two main characters is pretty evident from the beginning.
But it can’t be that easy for the duo, and there are circumstances that keep them apart, which only increases that romantic tension between them. At the same time, Freya has to try and navigate her new position and figure out how to fight and how to use her goddess-blessed abilities. There’s bids for power, plans for conquest, and definitely some secrets to protect and also secrets to bring to light.
I was certainly intrigued. And okay, there were a few plot points that seemed a bit obvious to me…but let me be completely honest here…I read A LOT of books, and since certain tropes and certain twists/revelations are basically expected, so having some moments of predictability don’t detract from my enjoyment of a story.
There was some action, some romance, some magic and lore, some mystery, and an intriguing cast of characters that I couldn’t help but want to know more about.
So yeah, I loved this book. I own the US edition, the UK edition, and the FairyLoot edition, and I’m definitely excited for the sequel, which I assume will be out next year.
All right. That is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
