A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Title: A Fate Inked in Blood

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Saga of the Unfated # 1

Hardcover, 432 pages 

Publication: February 27, 2024
Source: Personal Library
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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.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve been looking forward to A Fate Inked in Blood since I first heard Jensen was writing it. I read her Bridge Kingdom duology and enjoyed it, so I had high hopes for this brand-new series. I had never read a Viking novel before but had always been intrigued by Norse history and mythology.

A Fate Inked in Blood started off strong as readers were introduced to Freya, who is blessed with the blood of the goddess Hlin and is surrounded by a prophecy that makes her one of the most dangerous and sought-after women in all of the kingdoms. And that’s exactly what happens in the story. We see different men vying for control over Freya’s fate, going as far as destroying lives and villages to get to her.

 At first, I kind of admired Freya’s strength and determination to perhaps change her fate or at least gain a modicum of control over her life. Everything she did was in the hopes of protecting the people she loved. That is an admirable trait, but not when the people she loves treat her poorly or use her to their own advantage. I went from admiring her to despising her. She knew people were using her, was told directly to her face, and yet she kept putting them before herself. By the end of the book, I absolutely hated Freya and could care less about what happened to her. SPOILERS INCOMING.

At the end of the novel, she was so angry that Bjorn was lying to protect her that she was willing to return to the POS Snorri, whom she knew from the beginning was willing to sacrifice everything and everyone, family included, in the hopes of becoming King of Skaland. She knew he saw her as a means to an end, a piece of property to control, someone less than human; despite it all, she was willing to choose the bigger evil of the two. It made no sense. Freya’s actions are mostly led by her angry emotions rather than logic, which is why she did what she did in the story and why everyone feared her.

 I had such high expectations for this novel and am surprised by all the rave reviews. I’m certainly in the minority. Freya is an unlikable and immature heroine who made stupid choices, one after the other. The ending left a lot of unanswered questions, and while I want to know what happens next, I’m not sure I’ll be picking up the sequel.

Where the Dark Stand Still by A.B. Poranek

Title: Where the Dark Stands Still

Author: A.B Poranek

Genre: Fantasy

Series: N/A

Hardcover 336 pages 

Publication: February 27, 2024
Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
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Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood – the Leszy – who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.

Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.

Those who enter the wood do not always return…

MY THOUGHTS

I picked up Where the Dark Stands Still because it was billed as a combination of Howl’s Moving Castle and Beauty and the Beast. While I've never read Howl’s Moving Castle, I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite classic stories. The comparison and parallels to Beauty and the Beast were easy to see. Our main heroine, Liska, sets off in search of a magical flower to rid herself of her magic, but instead, she bargains away a year of her life as a servant to the wood demon, hoping he will remove her power. Anyone familiar with the classic would not be surprised to discover that after spending time with one another, Liska and The Leszy eventually grew closer and closer only to develop feelings for one another.

However, I had a hard time getting into Where the Dark Stands Still. The plot itself was very slow, with long periods of nothing much happening. Even when Liska helps The Leszy on his duties as the warden of the woods, I didn't find myself invested or caring about what was going on or what was happening to the characters. I'm more accustomed to novels with more action, and I didn't think the stakes were high enough here. Despite the surprising ending, I still didn't find myself caring about the outcome. The synopsis promised a romantic fantasy, but Liska and The Leszy lacked chemistry, which made me more and more detached from the story.

I had such high expectations, but unfortunately, the story was a complete letdown. I do not recommend this book at all, and I wish I could get back the time I spent reading it, as it took almost two weeks to slog through.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Bride

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Series: N/A

Paperback, 398 pages 

Publication: February 6, 2024
Source: Personal library 
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Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

MY THOUGHTS

I have never read an Ali Hazelwood novel; her books never sounded like my thing, nor am I big on contemporary romances. But as a paranormal fantasy reader, I knew I had to read Bride. Bride had two of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience and fated mates, with a Were Alpha and a Vampyre Princess Equivalent at its center. I was intrigued!

 Within the first few chapters, I was immediately engrossed with the story and characters. Misery, the FMC, was quirky, and I absolutely loved her dry sense of humor, especially when she was interacting with Lowe’s little sister Ana; the two were a hoot. It was interesting to see Misery’s life before and after marriage, despite the setting being primarily within the pack territory. The hierarchy and different Vampyre and Were dynamics were easy to follow and understand. I also appreciated how each character played a pivotal role in the story; every single character was very well-developed and fleshed out.

 Was Bride the best paranormal urban fantasy out there? Absolutely not, but it was fun and entertaining. I think this is a great introduction for those not familiar with the sub-genre or who are new to reading paranormal urban fantasy. I thought the story and characters were great, and with how the book ended, I would happily pick up the sequel. All in all, a solid read with a light mystery and romance that I enjoyed.