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adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have feminine rage fatigue. I wanted to root for all the injustices heaped on Freya but after over 5 hours of her claiming to be the victim, I was ready to slap her on the back of the head. After she finally changed her tune the book took off and was really good. The plot and twists were fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood
Moderate: War
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War
Minor: Child death, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the duology. And on that note, I'm impressed that Danielle Jensen manages to craft such rich worlds, characters, and stories and wrap it all up in two books. That's not to say I wouldn't mind more time here, but not every story needs to drag on forever.
This second book seemed like it was going to follow a predictable path of heroine discovers the true villain...but there were twists upon twists. I loved learning about more Unfated and their magic as well as a bit more about the non-Viking lands. Just a taste though, because we wind down with mainly Skaland and Nordeland at the center.
We get to learn more about the pantheon of gods AND the underworld. Just like in book 1, I had some serious RotK Paths of the Dead flashbacks, which was very cool.
Yes, our lovers reunite in a very Viking way (once or twice) once Freya gets past her stubbornness. Though to be fair, Bjorn has more than enough for them both. He manages to be truly devoted while still having his own personality, and their banter remains top-notch.
Plenty of fighting and trekking through wilderness, a few rituals, but overall is moves well and loose ends are tied up nicely. Eventually.
This second book seemed like it was going to follow a predictable path of heroine discovers the true villain...but there were twists upon twists. I loved learning about more Unfated and their magic as well as a bit more about the non-Viking lands. Just a taste though, because we wind down with mainly Skaland and Nordeland at the center.
We get to learn more about the pantheon of gods AND the underworld. Just like in book 1, I had some serious RotK Paths of the Dead flashbacks, which was very cool.
Yes, our lovers reunite in a very Viking way (once or twice) once Freya gets past her stubbornness. Though to be fair, Bjorn has more than enough for them both. He manages to be truly devoted while still having his own personality, and their banter remains top-notch.
Plenty of fighting and trekking through wilderness, a few rituals, but overall is moves well and loose ends are tied up nicely. Eventually.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 stars for the conclusion of the Saga of the Unfated duology. I’m reading purely for the vibes with this series and the vibes are fierce. I’ll be honest, some of the mythology and characters were a bit hard for me to follow at times, but it was a good ride. Freya is a badass protagonist with some strong feminine rage. I really liked some of the twists and was happy to pick up after the gasp I gasped at the end of A Fate Inked in Blood. Although I also purchased this in hardcover, it really is a lovely audiobook. The narrator is good and it’s nice to hear someone else pronounce some of the names. Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and think it is great for all of the fantasy girlies and it’s a great intro for anyone who is new to the genre as well. Strong main characters an an amazing cover that I just had to have on my bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of my all-time favourite authors. I absolutely loved A Fate Inked in Blood, the first book in this duology. I ended my review of Fate Inked in Blood wondering how the heck I’d wait for the next book – that was 2023. Time flies, so needless to say, I was very eager and excited to pick this up.
Even though it had been two years since I read the first book (and I have a horrible memory), Danielle does a really good job in the second book of triggering your memory about what happened last time. However, I still stand by the belief that all book series need to have a “what happened last time” page at the beginning.
I will admit, the beginning dragged a bit. It was giving “second book syndrome,” even though it’s the finale. But then… there came a point in the book that absolutely exploded my brain and I was up until 4am reading it. Oh my gosh, Danielle did it again. I could not predict almost anything that happened in this book.
First, the characters.
Freya’s stubbornness and emotional inflexibility frustrated me, especially in how she handled Bjorn’s betrayal. I spoke slightly negatively about her character in my review of the first book, and I felt like I got a lot of that again in the beginning here. It felt like she kept going in circles anytime she discussed his betrayal. Then, the shift from these negative emotions to more positive ones felt a little abrupt, considering how upset she was.
I loved the addition of Bjorn’s POV and honestly just wanted more! Even though at times he sounded a little too much like a lovesick puppy, it was still so enjoyable to get into his head.
The side characters and villain were just as exciting as our main duo. I enjoyed all the interactions with both old and new characters, and they really popped off the page without taking over the story. Very few books make me remember so many side characters, but this one was different.
One of the strongest elements of this duology has been the rich Norse mythology woven seamlessly into the world-building. Danielle is clearly purposeful with her research, and it truly reflects in her writing. From the gods to rituals and cultural nuances, it all feels authentic and enhances the Viking atmosphere she has created.
The plot, the adventure, the action, the romance – it was all so enjoyable and unpredictable.
Regarding the audiobook narration, I didn’t absolutely love the narrators’ voices, but I think they did an excellent job overall – especially with using the proper accents when saying certain names. I will admit it threw me off at the beginning, because I didn’t listen to the audiobook for the first one, and the way I said the characters’ or gods’ names in my head (the English way) is very different from the Scandinavian pronunciations used in the narration.
Even though it’s not a perfect book, I absolutely devoured and loved it, which is why I’m still giving it a five star. This duology is so well-written and thoroughly enjoyable, and I’m actually glad it was a duology instead of a trilogy. However, I wouldn’t mind reading more books from this world with other characters – for example, I would love a prequel focusing on Bjorn’s mom.
This duology has shown Danielle’s diversity in fantasy writing, and I am so eager and excited to see what her next series will be about.
Even though it had been two years since I read the first book (and I have a horrible memory), Danielle does a really good job in the second book of triggering your memory about what happened last time. However, I still stand by the belief that all book series need to have a “what happened last time” page at the beginning.
I will admit, the beginning dragged a bit. It was giving “second book syndrome,” even though it’s the finale. But then… there came a point in the book that absolutely exploded my brain and I was up until 4am reading it. Oh my gosh, Danielle did it again. I could not predict almost anything that happened in this book.
First, the characters.
Freya’s stubbornness and emotional inflexibility frustrated me, especially in how she handled Bjorn’s betrayal. I spoke slightly negatively about her character in my review of the first book, and I felt like I got a lot of that again in the beginning here. It felt like she kept going in circles anytime she discussed his betrayal. Then, the shift from these negative emotions to more positive ones felt a little abrupt, considering how upset she was.
I loved the addition of Bjorn’s POV and honestly just wanted more! Even though at times he sounded a little too much like a lovesick puppy, it was still so enjoyable to get into his head.
The side characters and villain were just as exciting as our main duo. I enjoyed all the interactions with both old and new characters, and they really popped off the page without taking over the story. Very few books make me remember so many side characters, but this one was different.
One of the strongest elements of this duology has been the rich Norse mythology woven seamlessly into the world-building. Danielle is clearly purposeful with her research, and it truly reflects in her writing. From the gods to rituals and cultural nuances, it all feels authentic and enhances the Viking atmosphere she has created.
The plot, the adventure, the action, the romance – it was all so enjoyable and unpredictable.
Regarding the audiobook narration, I didn’t absolutely love the narrators’ voices, but I think they did an excellent job overall – especially with using the proper accents when saying certain names. I will admit it threw me off at the beginning, because I didn’t listen to the audiobook for the first one, and the way I said the characters’ or gods’ names in my head (the English way) is very different from the Scandinavian pronunciations used in the narration.
Even though it’s not a perfect book, I absolutely devoured and loved it, which is why I’m still giving it a five star. This duology is so well-written and thoroughly enjoyable, and I’m actually glad it was a duology instead of a trilogy. However, I wouldn’t mind reading more books from this world with other characters – for example, I would love a prequel focusing on Bjorn’s mom.
This duology has shown Danielle’s diversity in fantasy writing, and I am so eager and excited to see what her next series will be about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Blood
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
Minor: Child death, Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, War