Clace 's Reviews > A Fate Inked in Blood

4.50!

"You are mine, Born-in-Fire. And I am yours, even if only the two of us know it."

Now many people may not agree with me or love it as much as I did because this is heavily influenced by Norse Mythology and I as an avid fan of it was so engrossed in this, It was like watching your favorite show because the way Danielle write it was nothing short of exceptional. You can always count on Danielle Jensen to write the best books. She just has a way with words that'll make you an addict and there is no therapy or cure that could get you out of it. Believe me I'm a victim of it.

Despite only having read the dark shores series, Danielle L. Jensen has been an auto-buy author for me not just because of her writing style but because of the way she crafts her worlds, characters and fits in the plot sprinkling it with politics and icing it with a unique magic system. This was also another fresh take on the genre 'Romantasy' and I was very impressed by how well she managed it because I found myself loving the romance (or it's just the fact that I am a sucker for romance)

Now this might not be my favorite or the best DLJ book but it was still pretty damn good and worth reading.

"I will be at your back until I cross the threshold to Vallhalla, Born-in-Fire, whether you want me there or not."

Moving on, we had our main characters:

Freya , a shield maiden. She honestly was the best FMC to pick in a Norse inspired world because she reflected that era so well, her actions were, the decisions and her way of thinking really eluded that vibe. She was caring and suffered negligence from her family was sold off to marry so that her family can survive and then again so her husband can marry another woman. Like, she had a lot of patience and control which isn't seen in many characters. However, I did find myself to be very frustrated with her by the second half because what the hell was she thinking, truth be told, I would be as well. If you put yourself in her shoes you would be but that still did not quite help me not be frustrated with her.

Bjorn , was the man 🫡 like so fucking hot and not only that, he was also very passionate about a lot of stuff *cough* Freya *cough*. He was strong and had a sense of mortality plagued by revenge. His backstory is not any less traumatizing. Captured by the Nordelander under the care of the person that murdered his own mother 😬 only to go back and find his father had remarried, yeah so he had a lot to deal with as well and oh my god the twists surrounding them were amazing.

Danielle has the ability to write the best characters because she so skillfully portrayed Freya's inner monologue and her battles until she finally created a both relatable and an inspiring character. Bjorn's charisma and energy is also unmatched and their sizzling dynamic kept me on the edge of my seat.

"Her fate is inked in her blood."

As the plot, Danielle crafted this immensely beautiful story bonded by the threads of Norse mythology, blending in magical fantasy elements with intricate and gripping twists to create a world that feels both familiar and refreshing. The pacing is a tad bit slow, but as we move forward it picks up along the book as the plot progresses and with each twist and turn moving the story forward, the climax that came before was so thrilling but still it is something that is unresolved , left for the next book to pick up it pieces and carve a potential masterpiece of a sequel.

"No oath is worth your life. No amount of vengeance is worth your happiness, I'll let the past burn to ash, Freya, because you are my present. My future. My destiny. He lifted his other hand to cup my face. 'I love you.'"

The Romance, was swoon-worthy, between Freya who was betrothed to Snorri (a man thrice her age without her will) and Bjorn (Snorri's son). Not really taboo or anything because just believe me as you read you will understand. The way Danielle does it makes sense but coming from someone who hates tropes like these, I loved this one. The fiery passion between the two, the dirty talking, flirting and the overall banter was top-notch. It was also so well balanced with the heartfelt tender moments between them, the tension was literally radiating off the pages and I kid you not when i say this: It was Danielle's best.

“Not all scars we earn are skin-deep, Freya Born-in-Fire.”

The magic system and world building, the magic system was perfect, It was very well researched and done, we got enough information on it to understand the world and its elements but it was also not too heavy, and it was pretty cool to see a world in the reminiscent to Norse cosmology so I'd say it was on point and so was the world building but we can have more, It makes sense because there is another books to come!

All in all, it was a solid start and I believe everyone should try it at least once!!

First read: 4.40
Reread#1: 4.50
Reread #2: 4.50