A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

“It is hard to keep one’s wits when faced with a woman as beautiful as the sight of shore to a man who has been lost at sea.”

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.

Fantastic novel! I loved the world building, it was easy to fall into and understand, especially for someone who doesn’t read much Norse mythology or Viking romances. Basically my knowledge about these things was minimal to non-existent and the author did a brilliant job in writing it in a simplistic yet impactful manner. I was totally captivated from start to finish!! This entire book was a thrilling adventure, with exceptional pacing, that barely gave me a moment to catch my breath. 

Huge 5 stars for this one. Everything went right with this one. The plot, the action, the romance and the character arcs, all perfection. I got no complaints at all. The fact that I could not stop reading it, tells you enough. I just wish I did not have to wait too long for the next book! That ending!!!!! I found one aspect of it predictable. The other one, not so much- my jaw was on the floor.