A Fate Inked in Blood

Danielle L. Jensen is the<i> USA Today</i> bestselling author of the Malediction series the Dark Shores series and the Bridge Kingdom series as well as the forthcoming <i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i>. She lives in Calgary Alberta with her family and guinea pigs. <p><b>A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king - while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son - in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.</b><br><br>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.<br><br>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. To survive Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: she possesses a drop of a goddess's blood which gives her magic capable of repelling any attack. A magic that was foretold would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath a king-the one who controls the shield maiden's fate.<br><br>Believing he's destined to rule Skaland the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders his son Bjorn to protect Freya 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. Except the greatest test of all 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.</p> A dazzling start to a series. I used every excuse to sneak away from life to spend another chapter with Freya and Bjorn.