A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

Hardcover, 419 pages

Published February 27, 2024

 by Del Rey

4/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Danielle L. Jensen novel.  Yes I was sold on the lovely sprayed edges but captivated by the story - even if I'm really not into mythology.

This was a combo audio and read, I like doing that as it helps me to really get into the story by knowing pronunciations of names and places. Plus when there is an accent involved, well I am hooked.

A Fate Inked in Blood is the story of Freya, forced into a marriage not of her choosing things but then things take a drastic turn.  What follows is a fast paced story of magic, action, family dynamics and some spice. Lots of world building with a mixed cast of characters. All while Freya fights for her place in the world.  

The door has been left open for book 2,  A Curse Carved in Bone which releases in May.

This book was part of my 2024 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge with the audiobook obtained through my local library via CloudLibrary.