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soniajoy98's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, War, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, Murder, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Vomit
booksalacarte's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Alcohol, Murder, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, War, Kidnapping, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Death, Incest, and Violence
bookameme's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Death, Sexism, Gore, Grief, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Cursing, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and War
crisania's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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? No
4.0
Fun and fast paced Norse mythology inspired romantasy. The forbidden romance between Bjorn blessed by the God Tyr and Freya blessed by the Goddess Hlin was pretty much insta lust which turned into a slow slow burn. I enjoyed the world building in the book. There is a betrayal and plot twist which leaves this book in a cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide attempt
jackie_recommends's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
This is for the readers who loved the show Vikings (the main mmc is even named Bjorn), but wanted it to have magical powers.
The story was alright, but I personally found the fmc to be grating, and I saw the twist coming from the first time the plotline was introduced. BUT it's a fun deviation for Jensen, and if you want a fantasy-lite read, then go for this!
The story was alright, but I personally found the fmc to be grating, and I saw the twist coming from the first time the plotline was introduced. BUT it's a fun deviation for Jensen, and if you want a fantasy-lite read, then go for this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Domestic abuse
Burnskoistyfishy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 Born-in-Fire Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I’ve had this book approved for a very long time, and I just kind of kept brushing it off. BUT LIKE WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? I seriously wish that I could go back in time and kick some flipping sense into my past self because had I known this would be such an amazing masterpiece that I was just IGNORING, I would have jumped on it sooner!!!
It has been a really long time since I have read anything by Danielle L. Jensen, like November 2022 long, so I basically forgot how much I absolutely love and adore her writing and stories. This is a single-POV that follows Freya, a God-blessed Shield-Maiden in hiding with dreams of being in a Warband. However, she is stuck in a loveless marriage as a fisherman's wife. One day her husband betrays her to her Jarl, who has been spending the last 20 years looking for Freya, believing in a prophecy that says "he who controls her fate shall unite the nation and rule the land". The Jarl forces Freya to do his bidding and orders his son Bjorn to protect and train her. Soon Freya finds herself thrust into the warrior life she has always pined for, but the biggest battle she has to fight is the forbidden attraction between herself and Bjorn.
Freya just doesn’t catch a break. From very early on she is constantly faced with near-death experiences, pain, suffering, and the terrible reality that everyone wants to possess, use her, or kill her. She was a literal rope in a tug-of-war for power, and I am surprised she didn't snap given the weight of the world basically rests on her shoulders. This reinforces how strong her characterization felt as she never gave up, no matter how bad it got. She was tenacious, brave, unselfish and incredibly self-sacrificing to protect her family (even when they treated her like crap).
I also appreciated that Freya felt and acted so mature for her age (and didn't feel like she was only 20 - being in my thirties I like it when I can connect to characters). Her hard life and upbringing in the times of Vikings have shaped and moulded her into a person who can withstand hardships and that made her incredibly admirable. It was interesting to see how the girl with the dream of being in a Warband is faced with the harsh reality that everything she hoped for and dreamt about is skewed and wrong.
I just knew from the very moment that Bjorn was introduced that I was going to love him. He is cocky, mysterious, quick-witted, charming and a total flirt. But is so loyal and protective of Freya that it was just adorable watching the two of them interact. I loved how numerous perceptions Freya had of him were constantly disproven, and I swooned and giggled at the constant witty banter between the two. The chemistry and tension between them were off the charts and just SO. WELL. WRITTEN!!!!
The writing in this is stunning but gritty and raw! It’s captivating but harsh at the same time and feels like the time of the Vikings. If you love anything Norse Mythology, then you are going to love this! I felt like I was there! I could feel the world, feel how the Gods wove themselves into this story, and I could taste and feel the environment. The way that the world-building pulled on the traditional Mythology but wove in an intricate magic system and lore in this is spectacular; I swear I felt the air tingle as I was taken on the journey with Freya. I also appreciated that I didn't need to know much about the Mythology to grasp an understanding of the story. Sometimes when reading a book based on Mythology, a background in the Mythology is needed before jumping in. But not this time as not once did I feel lost, confused or overwhelmed by the lore.
There are two things I believe could have been done better. The first is the timeline pacing. The timeline from when she is taken from her village to the climax of the book happens VERY QUICKLY (Like mental maths - about 2 weeks max). As mentioned earlier, it felt like Freya never actually catches a break and the moment things seem to be calming down things SPIKE UP. Given this, the relationship development between Bjorn and Freya could be seen VERY Instalovie, and she went from not being an "official" warrior to being a warrior...in only a few days. If, like me, you imagine that it's a few weeks, then the story seems a little more believable (especially given the amount of travelling that happens in this story)
The second is the predictability of the plot twists. I was able to see the major shocks pretty early from the start and predict the outcome of a few things VERY EARLY on. This isn't an issue as the way the story progressed and these were revealed was done well.
All in all, I am not going to let my issues detract from the fact that I adored this! This is an exciting start to the Saga of the Unfated, and I am almost annoyed after THAT ENDING that we have to wait so long now for the next book because I NEED MY HANDS ON IT NOW!
Your Trope Summary:
▶ Norse Mythology/Viking Inspired
▶ Forbidden Romance (Fathers "Wife")
▶ One Horse
▶ Touch Her/Him You Die
▶ Bodyguard/Charge Vibes
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Slow Burn but INSTANT TENSION
So do yourself a favour and read this- don't be stupid like me and wait. DO. NOT. SIT. ON. THIS. BOOK! RUN! Don't walk....SPRINT EVEN and pick it up because it's so so so so so so good!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for my gifted ARC copy.
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I’ve had this book approved for a very long time, and I just kind of kept brushing it off. BUT LIKE WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? I seriously wish that I could go back in time and kick some flipping sense into my past self because had I known this would be such an amazing masterpiece that I was just IGNORING, I would have jumped on it sooner!!!
It has been a really long time since I have read anything by Danielle L. Jensen, like November 2022 long, so I basically forgot how much I absolutely love and adore her writing and stories. This is a single-POV that follows Freya, a God-blessed Shield-Maiden in hiding with dreams of being in a Warband. However, she is stuck in a loveless marriage as a fisherman's wife. One day her husband betrays her to her Jarl, who has been spending the last 20 years looking for Freya, believing in a prophecy that says "he who controls her fate shall unite the nation and rule the land". The Jarl forces Freya to do his bidding and orders his son Bjorn to protect and train her. Soon Freya finds herself thrust into the warrior life she has always pined for, but the biggest battle she has to fight is the forbidden attraction between herself and Bjorn.
Freya just doesn’t catch a break. From very early on she is constantly faced with near-death experiences, pain, suffering, and the terrible reality that everyone wants to possess, use her, or kill her. She was a literal rope in a tug-of-war for power, and I am surprised she didn't snap given the weight of the world basically rests on her shoulders. This reinforces how strong her characterization felt as she never gave up, no matter how bad it got. She was tenacious, brave, unselfish and incredibly self-sacrificing to protect her family (even when they treated her like crap).
I also appreciated that Freya felt and acted so mature for her age (and didn't feel like she was only 20 - being in my thirties I like it when I can connect to characters). Her hard life and upbringing in the times of Vikings have shaped and moulded her into a person who can withstand hardships and that made her incredibly admirable. It was interesting to see how the girl with the dream of being in a Warband is faced with the harsh reality that everything she hoped for and dreamt about is skewed and wrong.
I just knew from the very moment that Bjorn was introduced that I was going to love him. He is cocky, mysterious, quick-witted, charming and a total flirt. But is so loyal and protective of Freya that it was just adorable watching the two of them interact. I loved how numerous perceptions Freya had of him were constantly disproven, and I swooned and giggled at the constant witty banter between the two. The chemistry and tension between them were off the charts and just SO. WELL. WRITTEN!!!!
The writing in this is stunning but gritty and raw! It’s captivating but harsh at the same time and feels like the time of the Vikings. If you love anything Norse Mythology, then you are going to love this! I felt like I was there! I could feel the world, feel how the Gods wove themselves into this story, and I could taste and feel the environment. The way that the world-building pulled on the traditional Mythology but wove in an intricate magic system and lore in this is spectacular; I swear I felt the air tingle as I was taken on the journey with Freya. I also appreciated that I didn't need to know much about the Mythology to grasp an understanding of the story. Sometimes when reading a book based on Mythology, a background in the Mythology is needed before jumping in. But not this time as not once did I feel lost, confused or overwhelmed by the lore.
There are two things I believe could have been done better. The first is the timeline pacing. The timeline from when she is taken from her village to the climax of the book happens VERY QUICKLY (Like mental maths - about 2 weeks max). As mentioned earlier, it felt like Freya never actually catches a break and the moment things seem to be calming down things SPIKE UP. Given this, the relationship development between Bjorn and Freya could be seen VERY Instalovie, and she went from not being an "official" warrior to being a warrior...in only a few days. If, like me, you imagine that it's a few weeks, then the story seems a little more believable (especially given the amount of travelling that happens in this story)
The second is the predictability of the plot twists. I was able to see the major shocks pretty early from the start and predict the outcome of a few things VERY EARLY on. This isn't an issue as the way the story progressed and these were revealed was done well.
All in all, I am not going to let my issues detract from the fact that I adored this! This is an exciting start to the Saga of the Unfated, and I am almost annoyed after THAT ENDING that we have to wait so long now for the next book because I NEED MY HANDS ON IT NOW!
Your Trope Summary:
▶ Norse Mythology/Viking Inspired
▶ Forbidden Romance (Fathers "Wife")
▶ One Horse
▶ Touch Her/Him You Die
▶ Bodyguard/Charge Vibes
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Slow Burn but INSTANT TENSION
So do yourself a favour and read this- don't be stupid like me and wait. DO. NOT. SIT. ON. THIS. BOOK! RUN! Don't walk....SPRINT EVEN and pick it up because it's so so so so so so good!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for my gifted ARC copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit
Minor: Rape
thecanadianbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early.
Right off the bat: wow. I was so taken in by this world and these characters. Such a strong start, and the momentum keeps up!
Freya has spent her life longing for the glory of battle, while being forced to hide her God given magic. But, of course, nothing can stay hidden forever.
After her magic is forcefully revealed, she is whisked away from her small fishing village to join the side of Snorri, the Jarl who believes he is to control Freya's fate.
Children with God's blood are believed to create their own fate, free of the threads that bind mortals. But Freya finds herself bound by a Seer's visions of her rise to glory, and her own desperation to save her family from the Jarl's wrath.
Honestly, I thought I knew where this book was headed.. and many times I was wrong. Which is truly the best part!
I have also come to *love* Jensen's ability to write a slow burn. *THE TENSION* 👌👌
I cannot wait to see where this series goes!
Right off the bat: wow. I was so taken in by this world and these characters. Such a strong start, and the momentum keeps up!
Freya has spent her life longing for the glory of battle, while being forced to hide her God given magic. But, of course, nothing can stay hidden forever.
After her magic is forcefully revealed, she is whisked away from her small fishing village to join the side of Snorri, the Jarl who believes he is to control Freya's fate.
Children with God's blood are believed to create their own fate, free of the threads that bind mortals. But Freya finds herself bound by a Seer's visions of her rise to glory, and her own desperation to save her family from the Jarl's wrath.
Honestly, I thought I knew where this book was headed.. and many times I was wrong. Which is truly the best part!
I have also come to *love* Jensen's ability to write a slow burn. *THE TENSION* 👌👌
I cannot wait to see where this series goes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, War, Gore, Death of parent, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Misogyny
Minor: Vomit and Kidnapping
ksophialydia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, War, Gore, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Death of parent
nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Danielle L. Jensen has done it again. After experiencing the full range of human emotion reading the Bridge Kingdom series, I was eager to see what she would do with a new world and new cast of characters. Add in a touch of Norse mythology, and I'm a goner. Completely obsessed with Freya and Bjorn already.
In this Norse-inspired setting, the gods bestow their favor on certain children before they are born, granting them a drop of their divine blood. Only these god-touched children are free to control their own destiny; for all mere humans, their fates are fixed, woven in the textiles of the Norns.
Freya was one such child, but her parents made her hide her power. When she is forced to reveal it, she is thrown directly into the violent political posturing of the local jarl, Snorri. Years ago, an Odin-touched seer gave a Snorri a prophecy. A child touched by the protector-goddess Hlin would be born, and this shield maiden would have the power to unite Skaland under the one who controls her fate. Snorri takes Freya as his wife in order to assert that control.
Meanwhile, Freya finds herself powerfully drawn to the jarl's handsome son, the Tyr-touched warrior Bjorn, who becomes her protector, even as he seems less than enthusiastic about her barreling toward her destiny.
The banter between these two is sexy, witty, and off-the-charts adorable, hiding their affection under barbs and taunts. He is pure swagger, apparently allergic to shirts, with a reputation as an absolute rake, but his affection for Freya is immediate, obvious, and all-consuming. I adore him.
Freya's implausible "chosen one" strength and ability comes in fits and starts. Her gods-given powers are clearly strong, but her skills as a warrior are rusty and she is otherwise very human.
Be forewarned that this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS that I hope to see answered in the next book in the series. That said, I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, or who would have enjoyed Skyrim more if it had more sexual tension in it.
In this Norse-inspired setting, the gods bestow their favor on certain children before they are born, granting them a drop of their divine blood. Only these god-touched children are free to control their own destiny; for all mere humans, their fates are fixed, woven in the textiles of the Norns.
Freya was one such child, but her parents made her hide her power. When she is forced to reveal it, she is thrown directly into the violent political posturing of the local jarl, Snorri. Years ago, an Odin-touched seer gave a Snorri a prophecy. A child touched by the protector-goddess Hlin would be born, and this shield maiden would have the power to unite Skaland under the one who controls her fate. Snorri takes Freya as his wife in order to assert that control.
Meanwhile, Freya finds herself powerfully drawn to the jarl's handsome son, the Tyr-touched warrior Bjorn, who becomes her protector, even as he seems less than enthusiastic about her barreling toward her destiny.
The banter between these two is sexy, witty, and off-the-charts adorable, hiding their affection under barbs and taunts. He is pure swagger, apparently allergic to shirts, with a reputation as an absolute rake, but his affection for Freya is immediate, obvious, and all-consuming. I adore him.
Freya's implausible "chosen one" strength and ability comes in fits and starts. Her gods-given powers are clearly strong, but her skills as a warrior are rusty and she is otherwise very human.
Be forewarned that this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS that I hope to see answered in the next book in the series. That said, I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, or who would have enjoyed Skyrim more if it had more sexual tension in it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
malisac16's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
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