Review: A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

I will be honest – I was kinda scared of picking up A Fate Inked in Blood, the first book in the new Saga of the Unfated duology by Danielle L. Jensen. I tried to get into The Bridge Kingdom series when it first came out, but found myself unable to really connect with the story. Granted, at the time I was firmly rooted in my sugary sweet YA era, so it is a very distinct possibility my lack of connection with the story was just me not being used to reading adult fantasy fiction. A reread is probably in order. But I digress. Like I said at the beginning I was a somewhat afraid I wouldn’t like the writing or the story, but the premise of a Nordic/viking inspired fantasy featuring a shield maiden, magic and a forbidden romance was to tempting to pass up.

And boy am I glad I didn’t! I absolutely loved everything about this book!

The book follows a young woman named Freya, who lives in the fictional land of Skaland (clearly heavily influenced by viking age Scandinavia). In this world the gods sometimes interfere with mortals by granting children a drop of godly blood at their conception. These children will manifest some kind of power when they grow older. Freya is one of these children, although she has kept this a secret her entire life at her parents behest. When her secret is discovered by jarl (the equivalent of a chieftain) Snorri, she soon learns why her parents insisted on the secrecy – Freya is the shield maiden prophesied to be a kingmaker, and the jarl has looked for her for years.

In a bid to control the shield maiden and the future of the kingless land of Skaland, the jarl makes her an offer: Become his second wife, and her family will be protected and cared for. Refuse, and they will be left to face shame and poverty. Freya is not exactly keen on marrying a man old enough to be her father, but she will do whatever it takes to protect those she cares about. As she reluctantly becomes the figurehead of jarl Snorri’s bid for power, she also has to fight a forbidden attraction to her new husband’s son and heir, Bjorn. And it turns out jarl Snorri is not the only one who wants the shield maiden – and plenty of people would rather see her dead than in his possession.

Well, this was certainly a fun read! Being Norwegian, vikings and Norse mythology are both something I’m quite familiar with, so I was excited to see how it would all play out. I think the author did a wonderful job balancing traditional viking customs and Norse mythology with the more fantastical elements of the story. I really love the magic system, and how the magic itself is directly influenced by which god’s blood runs through the different character’s veins. It’s such a simple and easy to understand concept, and it works really well!

The characters are all very well-written, and have their own goals and motivations. My favorite duo is of course Freya and Bjorn. The chemistry between the two characters just jumps right off the page, and it really makes me believe in their connection. Yes, there is an instant attraction between the two of them the first time they meet, but their actual love story turns out to be slow burn at its finest. Theirs is a relationship built on mutual trust and respect, and I love the fact that this big-ass, macho viking warrior is basically a walking green flag. Side note: I think this is the first time I’ve wanted a stepmother to just get it on with her stepson already – and yes, writing that out kinda gives me the ick, but trust me there’s nothing icky whatsoever about Freya and Bjorn.

I also really liked Ylva, and found myself sympathetic to her situation. She’s not exactly Freya’s biggest fan, but I mean... if my husband had brought a second wife into my home I probably wouldn’t be that thrilled either. She obviously well-liked in the community, and cares a lot for her family and her people. Suffice to say she’s handling things with way more grace than I would if I had been in her shoes. And her lovey-dovey relationship with jarl Snorri is the one redeeming quality to his character, so there’s that. Enough said.

The story itself is fast-paced and exciting, with all the action, mythology and power struggles you would expect from a viking inspired fantasy book. There are a couple of twist in the latter half of the book that I could definitely see coming, but that did not put a damper on my enjoyment of the story itself. It actually only made me more exited of what’s to come in the final book of this duology. I can’t wait!