Important things you need to know about Ill-Fated Fortune:
Pace: Fast
POV: 1st person (Freya)
Trigger Warnings: A Fate Inked in Blood contains themes that include violence, war, death, blood, gore, death of a parent, fire & fire injury, murder, sexism, injury & injury detail, animal death, grief, bullying, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, infidelity, misogyny, physical abuse, vomit, kidnapping, gaslighting, classism, suicide attempt, bigamy, and toxic relationships.
Series: A Fate Inked in Blood is the first book in the Sage of the Unfated series.
Language: There is moderate swearing in A Fate Inked in Blood. There is also language used that might offend some people.
Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in A Fate Inked in Blood. But, the lead-up to Bjorn and Freya having sex is explicit.
Setting: A Fate Inked in Blood is set in Skaland.
Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):
In an unwanted and abusive marriage, Freya lives to keep her husband, a child of the gods, happy. Freya is also hiding a huge secret, one so big that it could rip apart everything that she knows. And it happens; her secret is discovered the day her husband decides to have her killed by the king so he can marry another woman. What is Freya’s secret? She is also a child of the gods. She is The Shieldmaiden of a prophecy where she is foretold to unite a fractured Skaland.
Brought to the capital of Skaland by a fanatical Snorri (the king), Freya is forced to marry him and then is bound by a blood oath to keep his secrets. Snorri then orders his son, Bjorn, to train and protect Freya. Freya is desperate. She needs to learn to fight and control her magic to appease Snorri and the gods. Meanwhile, she survives attempts on her life and trials given by the gods. Freya is also battling an attraction to Bjorn, which is forbidden since he is technically her stepson. Can Freya live up to what the prophecy said and unite Skaland? Or do the gods have other plans for her?
My Review
I was browsing NetGalley (specifically the Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine page) when I noticed A Fate Inked in Blood and saw it was wish only. I was going to pass (the cover didn’t thrill me then), but when I read the blurb, I knew I needed to read it. This book was based on Norse mythology, and from the blurb, it looked good. So, I took the gamble and wished for it. I was thrilled when I got the email telling me it was granted. Now that I have read the book, I can tell you that it is fantastic. It was a rare five stars for me!!
A Fate Inked in Blood’s main storyline centers around Freya, her magic, and Bjorn. The author took Norse gods and goddesses and interwove them into a violent and bloody storyline that reflected how the way of life was back when people still worshipped the gods. But she put her own spin on things, which made this book so good.
I loved Freya. Her life wasn’t great the entire book. But she kept her wits about her and used her circumstances to better herself. I also liked how she handled being told that she would unite Skaland. Her reaction was something that I could see an ordinary person doing.
Freya’s magic was a huge aspect of the book, but at the same time, so little was known about it. Her training wasn’t excellent (she had to be trained fast), and most of what she knew was instinctive. A massive twist in her origin story took me by surprise. I hope that in book 2, she gets the training to understand and use her magic.
Oh, Bjorn, let me tell you about Bjorn. He was utterly devoted to Freya when his father made him her protector. But, even before that, he looked out for her. His backstory was tragic. It was a little drawn out, and I figured out what was happening before the book’s end. But, it was that drawn-out story, along with his utter devotion to Freya, that made him so amazing to read.
I want to warn you that A Fate Inked in Blood has a lot of gore and violence. But, considering when this book took place, I thought it was weird if there wasn’t any (if that makes sense).
Several secondary storylines involve Snorri and his war. From the threats to kill her family to marrying her to going into battle, it helped flesh out Freya’s storyline and made me better understand what she was going through.
The fantasy angle of A Fate Inked in Blood was terrific. The author did her research when it came to Norse gods and customs of that era. I couldn’t put the book down when Bjorn and Freya battled through the caves or when the gods came to witness her battle.
While I saw how Bjorn’s storyline would end, I did not expect the book to end the way it did. I was utterly floored by what was revealed about Freya and Bjorn. I didn’t see it coming, and I had to reread those chapters several times to understand everything. Events happened so fast that I did get turned around. It also made me very excited to read book 2. Because I can’t wait to see what a pissed-off Freya is capable of!!
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Danielle L. Jensen for allowing me to read and review this ARC of A Fate Inked in Blood. All opinions stated in this review are mine.