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A review by literaryintersections
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
This book blew me away. Good lord was it good. Norse mythology is so fun and Jensen really brought the the gods to life in Skaland.
Freya is a fun character from the jump. Even though she’s 20 she’s not aged up but actually a teenager in actions. She truly feels mature because of all she’s endured. From the first 3% I was invested in the story Jensen created, partially because of Freya. Then you have Bjorn, a tall menacing while smirking mortal touched by the god Tyr and him and his fire axe are HAWT. Freya and Bjorn’s tension and will they won’t they was fab fab fab and I ate it up. Like it was there but the romance didn’t take up the entire story.
There are some great secondary characters, lots of LOTR and Percy Jackson type vibes - one true hero who will unite the land. But Freya and Bjorn, and their secrets, made this more tense. Although most of the twists were predictable, it didn’t take from the joy of that last 10%.
My one annoyance was Freya about 60%-90%. Like her back and forth, her inability to discern what is happening, her devotion to her family. I was over it a little. But again it didn’t take away from my excitement in the story.
Overall, a FAB read. And I can’t wait for book 2.
Freya is a fun character from the jump. Even though she’s 20 she’s not aged up but actually a teenager in actions. She truly feels mature because of all she’s endured. From the first 3% I was invested in the story Jensen created, partially because of Freya. Then you have Bjorn, a tall menacing while smirking mortal touched by the god Tyr and him and his fire axe are HAWT. Freya and Bjorn’s tension and will they won’t they was fab fab fab and I ate it up. Like it was there but the romance didn’t take up the entire story.
There are some great secondary characters, lots of LOTR and Percy Jackson type vibes - one true hero who will unite the land. But Freya and Bjorn, and their secrets, made this more tense. Although most of the twists were predictable, it didn’t take from the joy of that last 10%.
My one annoyance was Freya about 60%-90%. Like her back and forth, her inability to discern what is happening, her devotion to her family. I was over it a little. But again it didn’t take away from my excitement in the story.
Overall, a FAB read. And I can’t wait for book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence