Reading Time: 3 minutes

Spoiler-Free Review

A Fate Inked in Blood is a good time from beginning to end. If you liked Fourth Wing, this one is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

What’s A Fate Inked in Blood about?

After Freya is forced to reveal that she has a drop of Goddess’s blood — marking her as the legendary shield maiden — she must fight to unite a nation while learning to control her magic. At the same time, she must resist her attraction to another of the God-blessed. Otherwise, she risks everything she’s working to achieve.

This makes me want to wield a sword and shield and vow to enter Valhalla.

If you’re looking a fantasy romance with lots of sword fighting, tests from the gods, and plenty of delicious tension that must be resisted, this is the one.

Our main character, Freya, is pragmatic when calm but violent when enraged. She has a drop of blood from the goddess Hlin, which gives her power as the “shield maiden,” an identity she’s hidden since childhood. A foretelling said that the shield maiden would be the one to unite their nation, but only “under the one who controls her.” Which means there are those who wish to own Freya.

Freya centers every decision on what’s good for her people. But at the same time, she’s painfully aware that others are using her for their own gain. She’s a chess piece to them; one that must either be wielded or removed from the board altogether. I was cheering her on to succeed, but also to choose the right path as she wavered between what was right for her people and what was right for her.

I think the writing style matched Freya’s countenance. It was not flowery or overly verbose, so it was easy to get immersed and made for a quicker read. If it had been more eloquent, there would have been a mismatch between voice and character.

I also liked the action sequences in this one. I often end up glossing over action scenes either because I struggle to visualize them or because the writing doesn’t speak to me. But in this one, Freya’s emotions were still at the forefront even in the midst of battle, and I found that more compelling.

I enjoyed the romance, too. Forbidden romance with forced proximity – exquisite. They had great banter throughout, and if you’ve read my reviews before, then you know that’s my absolute favorite. I also enjoy a love interest who will go to bat for the main character.

As a critique, I will say that the twists were predictable. But at the same time, that didn’t make the experience less enjoyable overall.

Should you read A Fate Inked in Blood?

This is for you if you’re a romantasy fan and enjoy stories based on mythology, complete with themes of defying (or creating your own) fate and choosing between right and wrong. You’ll also love this if you like romance subplots that are interwoven with the main plot, with each affecting the other. There is some spice, which I found to be on the mild-to-medium end of the spectrum and was just right. It was about on par with Fourth Wing in that respect.

This may not be for you if you enjoy the kind of high fantasy that puts more emphasis on worldbuilding, or if you prefer slower pacing in general. This plot moves quickly.

Mark your calendars: A Fate Inked in Blood is currently scheduled to release on February 27, 2024.

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