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Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

65 reviews

soniajoy98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

booksalacarte's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A Fate Inked in Blood

4.75⭐️ 3.25🌶️

Fantasy Romance

Viking Fantasy

Forbidden Romance

Gods

Magic

Secrets

War

Slow burn

Forced proximity

I really enjoyed this book so much! You could really tell that DLJ has grown as an author since her Bridge Kingdom series started. I am so excited to see where this series goes, I still have so many questions!

The magic system was interesting and the idea that everyone is fated, except the children of gods is an interesting way to approach the system.

The FMC was torn between her selfish nature and wanting to protect others. It’s such a real struggle that I was rooting for her and frustrated by her at the same time.

The plot was fairly steady. I didn’t feel like there were many lulls in the action, even when there was a break from fighting. The twists and turns were foreshadowed well and left just enough for me to still be surprised by the nature of the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for a eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

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bookameme's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Intense and Heartbreaking with all the Viking Battles You Could Ask For

“I am yours and you are mine, even if we’re the only ones that know it.”

Thoughts:💡

Children of the Gods are unfated, yet it doesn’t seem like they get to make many choices. Freya least of all. Her love for her family and clan are continually used against her. She’s furious, bold, and occasionally brash, but still young enough to be manipulated while being a true warrior at heart.

Vikings are notoriously violent and bloodthirsty, especially in this book, which is why it’s no surprise the entire plot is built around that idea. Even the magic system, which was admittedly unique and interesting, was based on the premise of helping the characters achieve glory and spread their fame with acts of violence or response to it.

Dreams of battle glory and Valhalla are utmost on most of the characters' minds, even after their stomachs turn from the effects of war. It’s a main focus of the book from start to finish. The characters' fervor for it irked me at times just as Freya’s naïveté and soft heart frustrated me. Overall, I genuinely liked her character and Bjorn’s, especially their relationship. However, their characters have a lot of room to develop in the next volume, and I for one can’t wait for it.

Audio & Narrator:🎧

The audiobook for this added a fun and immersive feel to the story. The narrator had a norse accent that sounded believable and interesting. The volume and pace remained steady and easy to follow along with, and the perfect amount of excitement and inflection was used for each scene.

Fun Bits:

⚜️ Action packed and full of adventure

⚜️ Really cool magic system

⚜️ Lots of Norse Mythology

⚜️ An interesting romance

⚜️ Extremely fierce FMC

✨Beware the cliffy

⚠️: Violence, Death, Blood, Gore, War, Graphic Injuries, Slavery

Stats:📊

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Characters: 💙💙💙💙

Audio: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

Narrators: 🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️

Historical Fantasy: Vikings, Norse Legends, Magic, Fighting Fate, Warring Clans, Hidden Secrets📘

First Person, Past Tense, Single POV

Content Warnings

hheartbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Bleh. I honestly forced myself to finish. The plot felt like it was repeating itself, Freya was annoying, Bjorn's story was predictable, the 'romance' just felt lustful, and I ended not really desiring to pick up the next in the series. This one obviously wasn't for me.

Content Warnings

ceruleanshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

“They say being given the blood of a god is a gift,” I whispered. “But it’s a curse.”

It was not lost on me that I’d once dreamed of greatness, and now, presented with it, it felt like the last thing I wanted.

this was an enjoyable fantasy romance. the nordic setting with viking/norse mythology inspiration was a refreshing change from the typical anglican medieval settings we often see in this genre. there are some commonly used fantasy tropes and admittedly this was a bit predictable for me, but the chemistry between freya and bjorn was sizzling and delicious and made it enjoyable to read. the writing paints a vivid picture as we follow the story, with norse rituals and action-packed scenes.

while i enjoyed bridge kingdom, this was definitely an improvement for me. i'm intrigued enough by the end to continue the series with the next book. i might never look at the lemons the same again tho lolllll

“You’ve never been alone,” Bjorn said, his voice so soft that no one but me would hear over the wind and my weeping. “I will be at your back until I cross the threshold to Valhalla, Born-in-Fire, whether you want me there or not.”

“Your looks aren’t good enough to compensate for your tongue.”
In the faint light, I saw him smirk. “Don’t underestimate my tongue, Freya. Especially in the dark.”

“I don’t want to rule,” he answered. “I want you.”

“You are mine, Born-in-Fire. Even if only the two of us know it.”

Content Warnings

downtown_kb's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"I’ll let the past burn to ash, Freya, because you are my present, my future, my destiny.”

Freya is just a fishwife with a secret who dreams of being a warrior. When the local jarl comes and forces her to fight his son in battle to save her family she must reveal that she has a drop of the god’s blood. She is long prophesied shield maiden who will make a king of whoever binds themselves to her.

This kicks off pretty brutal and fast paced and I really liked the first half of this story. The Norse myth and magic system was really fascinating to learn about. Loved having a Viking story. This story is a story of war, betrayal and vengeance.

This dragged a bit in the middle but mostly I think because I started to find Freya borderline insufferable? She became less and less likable as the story went on. She is really a bit pompous and her bravado is frustrating because she’s often proven wrong. Jumping to so many conclusions. And while it’s explained, she gets angry about everything and it just comes across sometimes - oftentimes- like a teenager throwing a fit. Furthermore, she is willing to sacrifice herself and her happiness for her very shitty family over and over. Usually this is a DNF thing for me but I was invested enough in the rest of the story to overlook my annoyances with her. This says a lot, trust me, because Freya just was a perfect storm of things that irk me. I enjoyed Bjorn fine, he is flirty, protective and a true friend to Freya. I liked the bodyguard trope and the secret aspect of their relationship. They had some good banter.

Honestly, I’m not that invested in this story. I liked the direction it was going but after the twist and the cliffhanger I don’t think I’ll continue this series. This plot twist is tired and I can guarantee we will just have to deal with the fmc being butt hurt and mean to the mmc the entire 2nd book. No thanks. Definitely not a fan of all that.

Recommend on audio for sure Nina Yndis does a great job especially with pronunciations.

Content Warnings

krystlethegreat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Great story! Love the Viking vibes. Love the distinctive personalities of our main characters; they felt very authentic to each of their situations. Freya is a little wishy-washy and that can be annoying. I'm hoping for a ton of character growth for her as we move on in the series.

My only real complaint lies with the author using "f*ck" and "bullsh*t" in this otherwise high fantasy world. To me, these few instances of modern languange just felt so out of place in this world, and it would pull me out of the story when they were used. (Handful of times.)

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blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to get this ARC, and I was finally able to sit down and really read it this week. I was immediately gripped by how much of a powerful FMC Freya is. She cares for others and will do anything for the sake of those she loves. When she grabbed the ax in the beginning of the story??? That was such an insane move and I am rooting for her all the way. I enjoyed getting her POV and slowly learning all of the truth about her and the situation she’s been put in. She is constantly having to see who she can and can’t trust.

This story does slow down a bit in the middle, but it was still enough to keep me interested. I needed to know what happened in the last 50% of the book. It’s based on Norse Mythology which I love, and I feel like there will definitely be more of the gods at work in the next book. All of the battle and fighting scenes were great, and I was stressed several times trying to figure out how Jensen would end the story.

The relationship between her and Bjorn was good. It immediately starts off with fun banter, and they are always bickering even though there is obviously tension and attraction between the two of them. There is forced proximity between the two of them when he is tasked with keeping her safe. As this forces them to befriend one another, they slowly begin to see their love for each other. I felt like I highlighted so much of their conversations, especially towards the end.

It ended on a big cliffhanger, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes!

Content Warnings

ccouey's review

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

sarrie's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

TL;DR: If you enjoy Romantasy you’ll probably enjoy this, if you want nuance or depth maybe go elsewhere.

A Fate Inked in Blood is the newest Romantasy release from Danielle L Jenson, whose Bridge Kingdom is one of the most recommended in the genre. This one is Norse in inspiration about a young woman with the power to make a King after a spoken prophecy.

I can see this doing fantastic - I really can. This is going to be a hit for a lot of readers, especially of Romantasy. Unfortunately for me this was just okay? I found the writing easy, bingable, and quick. And there were moments that I really enjoyed! However I had a huge issue with the characters and what I felt like was very lazy writing in the characterization.

For the most part these characters filled roles, 2 dimensions at most. Our main character is treated as and used as a tool which led to my biggest issue in this. The only characters that weren’t outright sexist for most, if not all of the book, were… well all of them. Even our main love interest in this cracks sexist jokes constantly. Our primary ‘villain’ of the piece is interesting until he starts talking to or about our main character then he looses everything and it’s just sexism and neglect. Most the women in this were cold, or outright bad to our main character, an annoying trope in a lot of romance. All of this could be used well, but it felt like it wasn’t nuanced in any way or had a purpose besides riling up the reader.

As I stated, I enjoyed parts of this, but lack of depth and nuance to these characters just left me annoyed. As an aside, I also felt like the amount of work done to actual capture anything besides the ‘vibe’ of a Norse series was lacking as well. If you’re going in for the ‘fantasy’ or actual character depth, perhaps this is a skip. But if you want just a fast and emotional read, this could be a winner.

3 out of 5 flaming axes

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