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A review by dr_steph
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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

2.25

I really liked the opening premise of this story and was initially excited by the main characters. But I almost DNF’ed this book several times. The main character Freya was frustrating to me in that she often was irrationally angry, she didn’t really have a backbone or any agency, she knew people were lying to her and that she was being manipulated but she just let it happen, and she complained about having no choices but also did nothing to change that and shied away from any opportunity to change her fate. Freya came off as naïve to me, but not in an acceptable/forgivable way. It was almost like she chose to be ignorant at times and didn’t take the opportunity to learn or hear other perspectives. 

I was also frustrated that in this novel there were no real friendships and we didn’t get to see the characters bond with other people
when Bodi died. I didn’t believe Freya‘s grief as we hadn’t had enough time to bond with this character or learn anything about them.
although there were many female characters they were generally side characters who were somewhat unimportant and served a singular purpose. They were there for only a single scene and then gone and the women who existed for longer did not feel fleshed out. 

The book was very fast paced and my interpretation was that everything happened over two weeks. There was a lack of detail and clarity in the writing which bothersome to me. The movements of the characters were opaque and scenes felt rushed. For example: they were talking next to a river and then suddenly they’re in the but it’s unclear when or how they fell into the river. I wanted more details so that I could better understand and visualise everything.  

I didn’t mind a Bjorn but I couldn’t see why
he was instantly in love with Freya. Their connection felt somewhat shallow.


The end of this book
felt very similar to From Blood and Ash (Armentrout).
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