Lovely photo by @cosycoffeereader!
Hey fairies,
I hope you’re all excited for Day 2 of the February Adult Book readalong of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen. Yesterday, we left off with raiders sailing into the settlement on the night of Freya’s wedding.
Today we are reading from chapter 9 to the end of chapter 16. Let’s jump back into the story!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen from Chapter 9 to the end of Chapter 16 . Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
Raiders have arrived at the settlement to kill or take Freya! Things are not looking good for her so far.
Snorri is trying to keep Freya safe and hidden like a prized possession. She is not your possession!
In an attempt to help out, Freya sneaks onto the roof and starts shooting at the raiders. Would anyone else go onto the roof? As much as she tries to help out, she gets noticed by the raiders.
Freya fell into the pigsty and luckily it was Bjorn who discovered her, not the raiders. Bjorn is giving protector vibes but why does he always want her to run away?
Can we talk about how funny it is that Freya noticed that Bjorn smells nice, whilst she does not? There is a battle going on outside Freya! Her priorities need to be checked.
They light the boats on fire and make sure the raiders retreat into them! During these moments, there were many lingering touches, that should not be happening… Freya is married to Bjorn’s father! I love that Bjorn tells Freya that she needed a bath as she smelt like the pigsty to distract and annoy her.
When Freya has to be warmed up by Bjorn’s body heat, she oversteps boundaries by tracing his scar. The tension between these two is so intense! I know he wants to kiss her, but the moment is ruined by the other villagers calling out her name.
Snorri and Bjorn have a weird relationship, as Snorri won’t give him much credit for lighting the ships on fire and saving the village. Snorri only wants Freya to have the glory, but she can share the glory right?
Freya is at the funeral for those who died during the raid. Was it one of the gods she saw? Maybe it was the god Tyr?
Freya and Bjorn both bicker but in the same breath will defend each other, this is the best type of relationship! However, why doesn’t he want to train Freya?
Bjorn being late to training is no surprise, however it is rude. We find out that Bjorn was kidnapped and raised in Nordeland, which is awful! His mother is also dead, which makes sense as we have not seen her yet!
Freya and Bjorn argue over how he decides to train her, which results in them deciding to see how well she can hold the shield against an attack! Did anyone else laugh out loud when they both ended up in the water?
The prophecy that spoke of Freya was told by Bjorn’s mother, who was Snorri’s seer. My heart is broken for Bjorn, as we find out his father only tried to rescue him after he learnt of his fire powers.
It seems that Lief is in awe of Bjorn, which is very sweet and there is no bad blood between them – even though Ylva believes that Lief should be the heir, not Bjorn. Lief seems to distrust Freya as he thinks she’ll be the ruin of the settlement, would you trust Freya if you were Lief?
Bjorn and Freya have to share a horse, which means we have the close proximity trope! This is one of the best tropes, right?
On the journey, Freya is approached by a specter, who states she must go up the mountain and sacrifice something otherwise her thread will be cut. I don’t want her to die, she is so much fun to read about! I wonder if it’s a warning or a threat from the specter?
Bjorn seems to not trust Steinunn at all, I feel like something must have happened between these two.
Freya’s magic seems to be stronger than she thought – her protection magic can shield anything. This gives her so many possibilities! However, Freya doesn’t know when to hold her tongue, as she insults Snorri’s leadership.
The argument that ensues between Ylva and Bjorn is very heated and tense after Bjorn defends Freya to Ylva, I wonder if she played a part in his mother’s death? She seems to be very driven and determined, so I wouldn’t put it past her!
After the argument, Bjorn comes back around to put the salve on Freya’s hand for her burn which is very sweet and intimate. He is now book-boyfriend number one! These two have a lot of tension and chemistry, I wonder when they will kiss?
After being attacked by another Jarl, Freya and Bjorn have to travel up the most dangerous route on the mountain. Rather than being ambushed by the other Jarl’s they’ll risk the draug in the cave!
If I were them, I would not be entering the cave – there are bones everywhere! We learn the draug are the cursed undead, they insulted and stole from the gods, which resulted in this awful punishment! I feel bad for the draug, I’m not the only one right?
The only way to kill the draug is with magic from the gods or goddesses, this means Bjorn’s fire is their only solution.
Bjorn is far smarter than I gave him credit for. Making the draug Jarl fight him one-on-one results in the other draug dying as they are connected to him. Bjorn guessing that Freya would be able to use his fire axe with Hilns protection is very insightful! I love that she picked up the axe even though she was scared!
She is even more powerful, as she can now use Bjorn’s axe and somehow killed all the other draug when she condemns them to Helheim! She’s most definitely favoured by the gods! Unless there’s another reason?
The tension between Freya and Bjorn is through the roof when she traces his tattoo. I need them both to kiss, this slow burn is killing me! They must kiss soon, right?
With Bjorn opening up even more to Freya, we learn that someone killed his mum, but how does he know who it is?
This whole section was very intense with the raiders and Freya being attacked all the time, it’s so action-packed!
How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
Do you trust Steinunn?
What do you think her other tattoo is of?
I’m looking forward to reading more with you all tomorrow, fairies!
Love,
Emily
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What a rollercoaster these chapters were! I still like the pacing of the story and how fast we are moving towards learning more. I absolutely dislike Ylva and I have a feeling that she was involved on Freya’s dad’s death. I don’t know why, but call it instinct. I feel like he witnessed the proper foretelling and then they had to murder him and the Seer, who is actually Bjorn’s mum 😱. Okay, I am okay…
And then the path to Helheim? I loved the action in there. Gave me a lot of Lord of the Rings vibes plus AC Valhalla and God Of War. I LOVED IT!
And let’s talk about how hot they both are? Their s3xual tention is 🥵🥵🥰.
I can’t wait to learn more about the prophecy and their deceased parents! 👀
The tension is truly killing me! 💜
This book is my first viking fantasy I read and so far I’m liking it. The pacing is really great. I’m learning so much as I progress through the chapters.
It was kind of sad learning more and more about Bjorn back story and kind of understand that after going through all that and getting his freedom just to be told that his life is not his own but bound to someone else…
Freya is taking no BS from Bjorn though which made me giggle. They obviously can’t deny their attraction at this point. Ughhhh…
Their path is not easy, but love all the action happening in the meantime. So there’s always something happening. Keeping me on my toes hahaha.
I’m hoping they won’t keep denying their attraction anymore! 💜
I don’t trust Steinnum at all, she has been giving weird vibes all along! And not sure about Yvla, one time I suspect her and the next think she is just mean.. And I wonder about the unfinished tattoo on Freya’s hand 🤔
Steinunn is giving me odd vibes as well! 💜
Ok, first off, love Freya for being a badass and not just staying in the hall but going out and kicking some ass, despite ending up smelling like one! I feel Freya should be uniting the clans through her magic, she’s the shield maiden, but it seems that Snorri is clearly using her as a weapon to forge that alliance. That’s never ended well. I do understand that Vikings were raiders, but she should be trying to unify her people, both Nords and Skalanders, rather than facilitate this war – there are other enemies that could attack them – so I feel they aren’t looking at the bigger picture, but are being stubborn and idiotic about there rivalry. The draug fight was brilliant and I love how Bjorn trusted Freya with his life, literally, to save him. He’s never underestimated her, and it’s nice to see that. As for Steinunn, she’s a very unpredictable character, which makes me distrust her, as there’s nothing much about her background, but instead, she has been spying on all of them. I feel Bjorn is into something. In regards to Freya’s tattoo, my instinct is saying that she’s the child of two God’s and not just Hiln, the imagery during the ceremony where she got her tattoo, was showing her being torn in two by separate pair of hands which would support this theory. I don’t think the Gods were rejecting her, but they were fighting over her, which might lead to her destruction.
I agree! I feel like the gods might be the ones who destroy Freya! 💜
In a world of Vragi, be a Bjorn. 🥹
Could not agree more! 💜
The tensiooooon! 🥵 I do not know how they are resisting each other at this point!
Love that Freya got in on a lot of the action in these chapters. The scenes inside the tunnels were terrifying, but I love that she’s figuring out more of her magic!
Her curse actually working… kinda creepy, and really making me think about this second tattoo! 🤨
I think her second tattoo has to do with it working! 💜
I’m still at a complete loss as to how she’s going to unite the clans, but I’m also not spending much time trying to figure it out myself. I’m just sitting back and enjoying the book.
I definitely think Steinunn has some secrets. Whether she’s trust worthy or not, I’m not sure. I’m assuming only time will tell.
The romantic in me wants to think it’s of Bjorn’s axe, or similar to his own tattoo. Proof that their destinies are intertwined. But, again, I’m assuming only time will reveal the secrets of her second tattoo.
I want to be shocked and surprised, so I’m trying not to think too hard on all the questions that have yet to be answered.
Anyway, like I said yesterday, I’m absolutely loving this! To be honest I’ve read ahead a little simply because I can’t bring myself to put this book down. I only paused in my reading last night because my eyes were no longer able to read the pages! I’m addicted! I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!!
I am absolutely loving this book so far, the tension between Freya and Bjorn is just *chef’s kiss*.
I can’t wait for them to finally get together, and for Freya to finally stand up to Snorri. As I went through these last couple of chapters it feels like Freya is stepping into her power more, becoming the person everyone thinks she can be. Once she reaches that I see her standing up to Snorri, if not offing him in general – because the man sucks.
I think that Freya will eventually step into her power and be more confident, she’ll accomplish things that no one thought she could. Through those stories of her achievements, and just how much she cares, is what is going to draw people to her.
I don’t trust Steinunn, I don’t know what her end goal is, but she is not there to help Freya.
When it comes to Freya’s other tattoo, I wonder if she has the blood of Odin in her. The visions that she has, the figure that follows her around. That is what it feels like to me.
My god the tension! It’s getting so unbereably hot between those two!
I’m also loving the pace and how every chapter advances the plot and gives us new information from the past but at the same time, things happen in the present.
Ylva is giving me bad vibes regarding Bjorn’s mom, she is a jealous type even though she is behind Snorri any time, but she might have influenced Bjorn’s mom death to be read of her (and maybe of him as a rival to her son).
The tension is nearly too much for me! 💜
I am so excited. This book will probably be one of my top reads! I just love the characters and the energy between them! I can’t stop reading!!!🤩
About the first question: I hope Freya will get rid of Snorri and do so in a peaceful manner. The oath applies to Bjorn as well because it was not specifically tied to Snorri but his bloodline. And Bjorn seems to be more reasonable than his father.
I do not trust Steinunn but do not think she is a bad person. Just probably used by others as well as Freya.
I think her tattoo belongs to another god who tried to claim her but than the ritual was disrupted.
Yay! I’m so glad you are loving the story! 🥰
How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
– at best guess so far I think it will be that Bjorn is secretly loyal to the other jarl and has sworn an oath to take vengeance on his moms killer which I believe is Yvla or his dad and therefore become jarl of the dads clan and make allies with the other but only with the help of Freya?
Do you trust Steinunn?
-I’m not sure – I think if she is spying it’s for the other Jarl and not Snorri and maybe her and Bjorns dislike is pretend to cover up Bjorns ulterior goal and she is actually helping him?
What do you think her other tattoo is of?
– I think she is the child / has the blood of two gods but have no idea who the second one is. Perhaps it could be the same as Bjorn and that’s why she can pick his axe up?
Overall I’m loving this book – enjoying the relationship building between Freya and Bjorn and the draug is giving ghostsmith vibes 👻
I like the theory that Bjorn is loyal to another clan! 💜
I think she might be able to unite the clans, but I also think the foretelling is about Bjorn, not Snorri.
Bjorn seems to be planning something, based on the cryptic statement he made about his mother’s killer. I think Ylva and possibly Snorri killed her and Bjorn is plotting to destroy his father’s plans. That would explain his hatred towards Ylva and his reluctance to help Freya.
Steinunn seems a bit shady to me, but I am undecided on my opinion of her.
I think Freya is a child of two gods and the other tattoo is their mark. Perhaps Odin, or Frigg, as Hlin was always mentioned in connection to her in the Edda.
I’m loving this story and the fast pace. But this slow burn is killing me! The tension is palpable between them, I imagine it’s going to get them into trouble.
The slow burn is so good but I need them to kiss already! 🧚♀️
I like this book so much! So much is happening and it is written so well in my opinion. I can’t wait to just keep going with this book.
I don’t think Freya will unite the clans like Snorri wants her to, I think the gods have something else in store for her and she will forge her own path. Or that’s what I hope at least. She seems to be way more powerful than she should so hopefully the end result will be different than the prophecy. Or maybe she will just become a queen herself and everybody shall bow to her… it would be interesting for sure!
I think Steinunn is not trustworthy at all, the way she acts is so sketchy… But maybe she’ll somehow aid Freya in the end… we’ll see.
I have no theories what Freya’s other tattoo may be of, but probably something cool and very unexpected.
I think her drive to fight for her people in the end is what’s going to end up bringing everyone together.
I’m not sure if I trust them yet. I kind of want them to actually become friends with Freya so she has someone fighting for her other than Bjorn.
I’m wondering if the prophecy is actually about Bjorn and not his dad and that him and Freya are going to unite everyone together and maybe the tattoo on her other hand is his axe.
I think the prophecy is about Bjorn and not Snorri as well! 👀
Sadly, I feel a Bjorn betrayal coming. It’s interesting how he blames Ylva for his mother’s death and we know that Ylva is a powerful witch.
I think Ylva wants to use Snorri and then seize control once he’s invited the clans.
I think Bjorn might have loyalties to Nordeland still…but caring for Freya makes this complicated.
I think Steinnum is only doing what she has to to survive. I feel like her and Freya could become friends.
I cannot put this book down! The tension between Freya and Bjorn is KILLING ME but I know it’s going to be such a worth while slow burn when we hopefully finally see them together!
I cannot STAND Ylva and I suspect she had something to do with Bjorn being captured and his mother being killed!
Also, I’m super curious about Bjorn’s time being captured now!!! I really hope this is expanded on
I agree, let us know more about when he was captured! 💜
So far loving this book. The tension. Freya being a badass. It’s all brilliantly done.
1. How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
I’ve got no clue haha, but I believe the second god that marked her will play a part in that. I somehow also believe they would follow her and not the Jarl
2. Do you trust Steinunn?
Yes and no. I believe her story, but I also believes she’ll do whatever to keep the little freedom she has at the moment, since she knows it could be worse. If she had to chose, she would go for whatever benefited her best, even if that meant spying/telling on Freya
3. What do you think her other tattoo is of?
I’m kinda thinking it may be one of a death god
MAN THE TENSION IS INSANE!! I am loving how Freya and Bjorn interact with each other. I’m kinda happy that we had this moment of them going off on their own.
I ADORE the setting of this book. It gives me all wintery mountain village vibes and I’m SO here for it.
The path to Helheim was so cool too, the Draug felt very similar to Lord of the Rings in a good way. I was digging it.
I feel like Freya and Bjorn are going to be the ones to unite the clans somehow?! I’m really excited to see that.
Also, I don’t trust Steinunn at ALL. like WOW. She feels sad, and maybe she’ll like switch to being on Freya’s side, but right now, definitely not.
As for the other tattoo… I’m wondering if shes blessed by two gods? Or something? Im intrigued by it though.
I agree, I think it will be Freya and Bjorn uniting them! 💜
Alright so I thought this earlier but this quote of Bjorn’s really makes me think so …
“No matter how I feel about the [Nordeland] people, vengeance must be had against the one who hurt my mother. I’ve sworn an oath to take everything from him, and anyone who stands in the way is nothing more than a casualty of war”
… I think Bjorn thinks he’s responsible for the death of his mother.
Like he didn’t have control of his powers when he was kidnapped and accidentally hurt his mom when trying to stop from being kidnapped?
And I think this is why he acts like he doesn’t deserve anything good in life??
The tension is thick & banter witty. She’s been naked before him twice in just a day or 2, & he seems happy enough to be shirtless, at least, before her. Lol. I had wondered if he shield, in a shield wall, would let her magic spread since the shield wall (as a whole) could be considered 1 item. “Corpses that couldn’t be killed with mortal weapons” shouldn’t include weapons blessed by the gods, right? Say, a shield of Hlin or an axe of Tyr? 😏 Yes! That + Bjorn’s strategic genius = victory (so far). I’m waiting for her to just spoil the beans to him already though, so they can finally break this tension. Lol.
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
2.) Do you trust Steinunn?
3.) What do you think her other tattoo is of?
A:
1.) With Bjorn… beyond that, I’m just waiting to see.
2.) Not really. I can see where Freya could sympathize with her situation, but Bjorn has seen more of her behavior over the 3 years he’s been back & has a point about her making the perfect spy.
3.) I’m not exactly sure, but between her using Bjorn’s Tyr fire axe twice already & the burning spector, I’d say it’s something linking her to Bjorn/Tyr?
I am so behind hahaaaa. Still loving it though.
Before I get to questions, it’s setting it up to make us think the enemy king had a part to play in Bjorn’s father’s death, but I also got an impression in earlier chapters that Bjorn thinks Ylva, his stepmother, is also involved.
1) How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
I think it’ll be uniting to face a common enemy, but not with Bjorn’s father at the helm. Maybe there’ll be a Ragnarok scenario or something bigger than the opposing clans and king?
2) Do you trust Steinunn?
Not entirely – Bjorn is right when he says she’d be an excellent spy. But I do feel kind of sorry for her. She’s been forced to serve in this position. I’d love to learn more about her background and how her power first manifested.
3) What do you think her other tattoo is of?
I HAVE NO IDEA! I thought maybe during the fight against the drug a second power might manifest and give a clue, but it didn’t!! I still think it’s of a tattoo from a second god, but who I have NO idea (Loki? Someone else associated with frost giants or Helheim? I have a feeling it will be a traitorous/ contentious god because of how the other gods don’t always help Freya at first, e.g. the healing with the moss almost didn’t work).
I love the idea that there is a bigger threat to unite them! 💜
I read this back in January, so my memory isn’t the best on details, but I just absolutely love the tension between Freya and Bjorn.
The tension and pacing so far is so good!
I have a feeling that Bjorn is truly loyal to nordeland as snorri and ylva may have actually had a role in the death of his mother?
I think Freya herself will be the one to unite the people but that it will involve snorris death.
I don’t trust steinunn and I think Freya is blessed by a second god but I’m not sure who yet!
I don’t trust Steinunn either! 💜
Loving this book so much! This second part was very action packed.
I like that Freya doesn’t stay hidden but actually tries to do something to help during the fight against the raiders. She is a badass character.
I found the interactions between Freya and Bjorn the best, all that tension and banter. I loved the scene where Bjorn was very reluctant to train her and they both ended up in the water.
I don’t trust Steinunn, and I get a bad vibe, especially because Bjorn doesn’t seem to like her or trust her and I wonder why. I also don’t trust Ylva, I also think she might have had a hand in Bjorn’s mum’s death.
I also don’t know how is Freya going to unite the clans, but I keep thinking that there must be something in the wording of the prophecy that has been misinterpreted. They said something about the one that controls the shield maid and Snorri thinks that’s him because he has control over her by being her husband, plus the blood oath and the blackmail/threats against her family if she doesn’t obey him, but… if somehow Freya realises that ultimately she is the one in control of herself, then she would be the one with the power to unite the clans without having to follow any of the jarls. That’s my theory.
I also loved the part with the battle inside the mountain against the draug. It was very reminiscent of some of the battles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The way she managed to kill the rest of the draug was very eye opening, and suspicious. I am starting to think it is related to her other tattoo and I like what someone above said that the imagery during the ritual could actually mean that two gods were fighting over her and therefore she has two tattoos. But, my other question is why was Bjorn able to see Freya was getting ripped apart besides Ylva when no one else could?
How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
– probably a lean towards respect
Do you trust Steinunn?
– not really, though I do sympathize as Freya does with her sadness
What do you think her other tattoo is of?
– maybe a weapon!
I was so happy with the bard left. Finally some alone time for them again!! The way he didn’t sleep just so he could keep her warm with his axe 🥺
The chemistry between Freja and Bjorn is fantastic!
I actually have no clue about how Freya will unite the clans. I just really hope she won’t be too passive and follow everything that comes up in Snorri’s mind – I really dislike him!
Steinunn definitely looks suspicious – here is another character I don’t really like 😂
The chemistry between them in my favourite! 💜
I love the banter between Freya and Bjorn and I really really really like him. Even though I think that Bjorn is plotting to kill Snorri (or Ylga) because he (or she) is behind the murder of his mother!
I think that Freya is the one who control her fate and so she will become the queen, but I don’t know exactly how she will manage that.
I think that Steinunn will have an interesting story to tell and she will gang with Freya to fight patriarchy!
I believed that the tattoo is from another god!
The banter between them is so fun to read! 💜
They need to hurry up and kiss already! The tension is thick! I’m loving the slow burn though. I also worry what kind of repercussions there will be when they do? I love how fast paced and action packed this book is. So much happened! As for the questions:
1. How do you think Freya will unite the clans?
I think she will prove herself to be very powerful (she already is) and will be a natural born leader.
Do you trust Steinunn? Absolutely not.
What do you think her other tattoo is of? I’m not sure! I feel like it must be something related to being “Freya Born in Fire”.
1) Honestly, with prophecies, there’s always so much wiggle room and vague/open language, that I’m interested to see how it comes out. And her being “unfated” but having a prophecy is definitely going to get interesting!
2) I think Steinnun is constantly stuck between a rock and a hard place and that’s not always the easiest thing, and it’s rarely easy to judge someone in that position. I don’t envy her position at all.
3) Something having to do with a part of her we don’t know yet. Maybe something tying her to Bjorn, maybe something tying her to her fate, maybe something tying her to anther God (like Tyr, which is technically a tie to Bjorn). It’s definitely important, though!