Saga of the Unfated, Book One
by Danielle L Jensen. Pub Date 2/27/2024
FIVE. GLOWING. STARS. Best enjoyed when you want high adventure and a broken heart.
Publisher’s Synopsis
“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.”
REVIEW:
One chapter into this book and I knew it was going to break my heart. The writing was absolutely fantastic, the settings incredible, and the emotion seeped into every word. I can’t tell you how much it pains me that I have to wait more than a year for the next one and I can only pray I get a Galley for it, because there is a distinct broken feeling in my chest when I think about it, and I think about it often. It both broke my reading slump and caused another one that could only be served by lighthearted romance, which feels like the exact opposite of this.
This book has mystery, adventure, romance, angst, war. I’m a sucker for a good Viking fantasy, and this was top tier. From the mundane to the magical, it was all described in such great ways. I fell into it so easily and coming up for air was like entering into a completely different world, familiar yet altered in some way. That’s the best part about a really good book.
Freya’s feelings of being trapped and finding her powers, exploring her honor and duty while in fear of assassination and always being a prisoner of her own making were palpable. The relationships she develops feel so very real as does the moments of love and betrayal both in turn. Of course, with as deeply expressed as the other emotions are, the romance and spice was also top tier. The spicy scenes throughout were incredibly hot.
Bjorn is also an awesome character and the will they won’t they continually reached a frantic pitch throughout the book, amping up the tension and the stakes continuously. Honestly, the way he’s described? I don’t know how anyone could resist a warrior Viking with a touch-her-and-die vibe. It was pretty hot—and I’m not just talking about his fire magic.
The end of this story left a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that had a ton of promise for the next book. So excited to see what happens!
Thank you to Netgalley, Danielle L Jensen, and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.
Always Lost in Words 