What happened in A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen - Recaptains

The basics

Title: A Fate Inked in Blood

Author: Danielle L Jensen

Series: Saga of the Unfated #1

1. A Fate Inked in Blood (2024)
2. A Curse Carved in Bone (2024)

Add it: Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

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.

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.

Here is a spoiler summary of what happened in A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen to help refresh your memory before you read the sequel. If you need help remembering what happened in A Fate Inked in Blood then you’re in the right place.

What happened in A Fate Inked in Blood?

• Freya lives in Selvegr with her husband, Vragi. Vragi is a child of the gods, meaning he has some minor powers and is good at controlling fish. This makes him really popular with the villagers, even though he’s a terrible person, because he was able to save the village from dying of famine.
• Freya was married to Vragi as a reward because she’s the prettiest woman in the village. Freya’s father, Erik, died the night that Freya married Vragi. It’s a terrible marriage and was doomed from the start.
• At the start of the book, Freya is by the water cleaning fish. Vragi finds her and bullies her about her lack of skills. He uses his power to pull fish from the sea, which is completely unnecessary, so once he leaves Freya spends some time throwing them back in.
• A handsome stranger emerges from the water. He and Freya flirt. The stranger reveals that he arrived in the village with Jarl Snorri.
• Freya wanted to fight for the jarl, but was forbidden from doing so by her family because she could reveal that she is also a child of the gods. Geir, Freya’s brother, fights for Jarl Snorri though.
• Geir and Freya are chatting when the jarl and his men approach. Vragi is with them, as is the man from the beach, who turns out to be Snorri’s son, Bjorn.
• Snorri questions Freya and makes her fight Bjorn to the death. Freya calls on her powers from Hlin to fight Bjorn, as he’s the child of Tyr and has a fire axe. This reveals Freya’s identity as THE shield maiden.
• Turns out that Vragi found out about her powers and sold the information to Snorri, who had been searching for the shield maiden after a seer told him she would unite the people of Skaland. Snorri wants to marry Freya to control her and the prophecy so Snorri can defeat King Harald of Nordeland.
• Geir tries to stick up for Freya, but he is offered gold. Freya agrees to the marriage, but asks that Geir keep his place in the war band. Snorri agrees but breaks Geir’s leg because he spoke out.
• Vragi heads off, and brags about marrying Ingrid now that he’s no longer married to Freya. Freya takes Bjorn’s fire axe and throws it at Vragi, killing him.
• You can’t just touch the axe, so Freya’s hand is burnt almost to the bone. Bjorn gives her a salve and rides her back to Halsar while she sleeps.
• Freya awakes and meets Snorri’s other wife, Ylva. She’s… alright.
• Bjorn returns with a healer, Liv, who helps to heal Freya’s hand. The drugs that Liv uses allow Freya to openly talk about how hot Bjorn is, which is lovely.
• Freya wakes up again and her hand seems better. There’s a massive scar, but she can use it.
• Snorri tests Freya’s magic and tells her that their wedding will be that day. Ylva allows this wedding to go ahead, but is clearly upset about it. Snorri isn’t too happy either but he wants to do anything he can to win.
• Freya recalls the first time she called her powers when she was playing with Geir. Her father, Erik, knew that Snorri was looking for the shield maiden, and made her promise to never reveal herself to anyone.
• Ingrid arrives in time for the wedding. Ylva warns Freya that her friends may become enemies now that the truth is out there. Ingrid thanks Freya for what she did. Ingrid gives Freya Erik’s sword, which Freya should give to Snorri as a wedding gift.
• Freya and Snorri are married. Ylva performs a ritual to tattoo Freya with her lineage. During this ritual, Hlin gets involved and Freya is pulled into the air. Freya’s chest is torn open briefly and then closed up again. A tattoo of a shield appears on Freya’s left hand, and another deformed tattoo appears on Freya’s right. No one can tell which god this is from.
• Snorri declares that Bjorn’s destiny is bound to Freya’s, as he saw the ritual and the vision go down. Snorri instructs Bjorn to protect Freya.
• A skald called Steinunn introduces herself to Freya at the wedding reception. Steinunn is able to show visions of other people’s stories and she wants to tell Freya’s.
• Freya speaks to Bjorn and he tells her to accept her scars.
• Snorri and Freya enter the bedroom to consummate their marriage, but it doesn’t go ahead. Ylva interrupts because she’s upset about Snorri having sex with another woman. Ylva suggests a binding oath instead, which Freya is perfectly happy with. 
• Freya leaves the room to allow Ylva and Snorri some alone time. She walks through the village looking for the seer. She bumps into Bjorn, and they notice raiding ships approaching.
• Bjorn thinks these raiders have come to capture Freya. They serve Jarl Gnut. They run to warn Snorri.
• Snorri tells Freya to stay hidden. Freya escapes from the Great Hall and sees the village burning. She notices warriors approaching the Great Hall from the other side. She climbs down from the roof and bumps into Bjorn.
• Bjorn tells Freya she should run away. Freya asks him to help her burn the ships in the hope that Gnut’s warriors will run back to save them.
• They light three ships on fire and the warriors leave.
• Many people died in the raid, so the villagers aren’t happy with Freya as they believe it to be her fault. Funerals are held.
• Freya spots a hooded figure on the beach, which quickly disappears.
• Ylva believes Freya should be punished for escaping the Great Hall. Snorri refuses to punish her.
• Snorri instructs Bjorn to teach Freya to fight. 
• Liv tells Freya that King Harald kidnapped Bjorn when he was a child and held him hostage. Saga, Bjorn’s mother, was killed at this time. Liv also reveals that Snorri was not married to Saga and he had an affair which resulted in Bjorn.
• Apparently Snorri tried to rescue Bjorn from Harald but was unsuccessful until recently. Once Snorri got Bjorn back, he named him his heir instead of his son, Leif, who he had with Ylva.
• Bjorn seems offended that he has been asked to train Freya because he wants to be winning battles and stuff instead. Bjorn reveals he swore a blood oath to never escape Nordeland. He reveals that his father only rescued him to use the fire axe and find the shield maiden. Bjorn reveals that his mother was the seer who made the prophecy.
• Leif returns from his hunting trip. He and a warrior called Ragnar caught a spy, who is refusing to say anything. They remove the bag covering her face and Bjorn chops her head off immediately. He knows her from Nordeland – she was a woman called Ragnhild who works for King Gardald. She’s able to communicate telepathically with Harald so it’s dangerous to allow her to live. She probably already told Harald that Snorri has his shield maiden.
• Snorri plans to gather the other jarls to fight against Nordeland.
• The crew travels to a temple in Fjalltindr, which is at the top of a mountain. On the journey, Freya spots the hooded figure again. No one else can see it, which means it must be a specter. Freya asks it what it wants, and it tells her to make a sacrifice at the template on the first full moon.
• Steinunn asks Freya questions about the specter and her journey so far. Bjorn doesn’t trust Steinunn but Freya feels sorry for her. 
• Bjorn and Ylva argue. Ylva says she wishes Leif were heir because Bjorn is basically a Nordelander.
• The camp is attacked. Freya uses her shield to make a shield wall with the other warriors. Freya is able to spread her magic to the other shields.
• Snorri instructs Bjorn, Steinunn, and Freya to head a different way up the mountain. It’s a super dangerous route because it goes through tunnels full of draug.
• They reach the opening of the tunnel, and convince Steinunn to stay behind. Freya and Bjorn enter the tunnel. 
• The draug are a jarl and his warriors who stole from the temple. The draug attack. Freya’s sword doesn’t work on them but the fire axe works.
• Bjorn challenges the jarl and defeats him. Once he is killed, all his warriors die too. Freya curses the leftover draug (the ones who weren’t the jarl’s warriors) to Helheim, and tree roots shoot up and destroy them.
• Freya and Bjorn reach the temple. An attendant tells them to enter through a gate, where they find Jarl Sten waiting.
• In order to get part Sten and his warriors, Freya and Bjorn use disguises they steal from two attendants, who they tie up. These attendants free themselves at the last minute and Jarl Sten realises who Freya is.
• There’s a fight and it’s going badly, but Snorri arrives with his warriors to help fend them off. Freya protects Bjorn using her magic.
• Inside the temple, Harald is already there.
• Freya places a coin at each of the god’s statues, asking for their favour.
• A ritual takes place that night so Freya can make her sacrifice. Freya drinks a mushroom tea to get closer to the gods. Freya is about to slit a bull’s throat, but is distracted by a flock of birds. Freya questions what she is doing.
• Freya cuts the bull’s throat and the birds disappear.
• Hooded figures who are seemingly the gods show up and acknowledge Freya. Snorri is pleased and thinks this means he can defeat Nordeland. He goes off to recruit the other jarls.
• That night, Freya sneaks out and overhears someone speaking to Harald. Freya thinks it’s Ylva plotting to get rid of Bjorn.
• Bjorn grabs Freya and takes her into the forest. Harald’s army is searching for Freya. To hide from them, Bjorn kisses Freya.
• Jarl Bodil arrives with her female warriors. She is the only female Jarl. Bodil says that Ylva was trying to promote an alliance between them, which she accepts, but her allegiance is to Freya and not Snorri.
• Bjorn tells Snorri that a seer has told him that Halser is going to be attacked while Snorri is away. Snorri thinks the gods are testing him to make him choose between Halsar and becoming King of Skaland. Snorri decides that the right move is to defeat Harald.
• Freya doesn’t like this plan and wants to save the families who are in Halsar. The warriors agree, and Snorri is forced to head back.
• They camp at the base of the mountain for the night. Freya tells Steinunn about the draug.
• Freya questions Bjorn about the seer. He tells her that he asked whether he’s on the correct path.
• They reach Halsar, which has been burnt down by Jarl Gnut. Ylva presumes Leif is dead, but a group of survivors approaches and he is with them. Liv has been killed.
• Bodil offers to help them rebuild but Snorri doesn’t want to. He thinks rebuilding will just distract them from retaliating. Snorri gives a speech and plans to attack Gnut’s warriors.
• Bodil explains her magic to Freya. Bodil is able to detect lies, and her experience allows her to tell the difference between malice and fear.
• Bjorn tells Freya that Snorri’s warriors plan to starve Gnut’s people. Freya wants to be the one to take over the stronghold so she can prove herself and Snorri’s plan to the people. 
• Bodil offers to train Freya.
• Steinunn sings the draug part of the ballad to Freya and Freya passes out. Bjorn carries her to her tent.
• Freya admits that she thinks she deserves the pain in her hand for killing Vragi and not feeling guilty about it.
• Freya spots the specter on the beach again. She follows it to a hill, from which she can see someone carving something into a tree on an island. Freya heads down there and finds runes on the tree. Freya touches it and sees a vision of Snorri making the speech from earlier about attacking Grindill.
• Freya thinks Ylva carved the rune as she knows rune magic.
• Bjorn shows up and Freya tries to show him the runes, but they have disappeared. 
• Bjorn thinks Freya has been avoiding him. She has. They kiss. A noise interrupts them and they consider what could happen if they get caught. Freya tells Bjorn to stay away from her.
• Freya returns to Snorri and tells him about the runes. Snorri thinks the specter is Saga, and the specter is burning because Saga was burnt alive.
• Freya draws the runes for Ylva to read. Ylva sees the same vision that Freya saw. Apparently the runes are super simple and don’t require an expert.
• Bodil plans to question everyone to find out who drew the runes. Ylva says she is innocent, and Bodil agrees that she’s telling the truth.
• They head through the mountains. When they make camp, Snorri doesn’t want to make fire in case it draws Gnut’s scouts in. Freya nearly freezes and Bjorn has to warm her up. Bjorn tells her he’ll protect her for the rest of his life.
• Freya and Bjorn get it on.
• Freya is suffering from slight frostbite on her toes and can’t walk very well. The war band finish traveling to Grindill and break down the gate. 
• Freya uses her shield power to protect the warriors. It fails when she trips over a corpse, and Snorri is forced to retreat.
• Freya tries to save Bodil but is unsuccessful. Freya finds Gnut’s child of Thor – Tora – and deflects his lightning strike towards a gate, which destroys it. Snorri changes his mind about the retreat and the warriors attack again.
• Freya goes looking for Gnut. Bjorn follows and cuts off Gnut’s head. Freya is angry with Bjorn for stealing her kill, but Bjorn explains that Gnut was luring her into a trap.
• Freya is upset after the battle. Steinunn asks her about the battle for the ballad but Freya just wants her to go away. Steinunn tells Freya that Geir and Ingrid are in Grindill.
• Freya notices that Bjorn has been sleeping outside her room.
• Geir has asked to be allowed back into the war band. Snorri agrees to this because Freya did so well in the battle.
• Freya goes to speak to Geir and tells him that Snorri is using him as leverage. Geir and Freya argue, and Bjorn hits Geir when he insults Freya.
• Freya listens to Steinunn perform Freya’s ballad. She sees the other warriors’ points of view, and sees herself become a different person during the battle. She’s upset with herself.
• Bjorn tells Freya she should choose another path. He wants to take her away. They can’t be together while they’re with Snorri.
• Freya wants to learn more about Hlin so goes to ask her mother.
• Ylva and Freya talk about Snorri’s ambition and Freya realises they think alike. Ylva lets Freya go and visit her mother and promises not to tell Snorri. Bjorn goes along with Freya of course.
• Freya’s mother, Kelda, tells Freya that when Geir was a baby he was very sickly and Kelda prayed to the gods. A goddess appeared and offered to cure Geir in exchange for laying with Kelda and Erik. Geir disappeared the next day, and Kelda worried that the goddess was Loki and he stole the baby.
• Hlin then showed up, and told Kelda that she will return Geir if Kelda allows the newly conceived baby to be Hlin’s vessel. Kelda doesn’t know it’s Hlin at this point though, and thinks it could be Freyja.
• Kelda realises that Freya and Bjorn are into each other and she’s not a fan. She tells Freya to break up with him. Freya realises that her mother has never put her needs first. Kelda calls Freya a whore.
• Bjorn tells Freya that his mother made another prophecy, about a shield maiden who would unite Skaland but leave thousands dead. Bjorn believed that after seeing Freya fight, which is why he wants her to choose a different path for herself.
• Freya still wants to protect her family and explains this to Bjorn. This is why she doesn’t want to run away.
• A warrior called Skade shoots Kelda with an arrow. Kelda apologises to Freya before she dies. Freya sets off for revenge.
• Freya arrives back in Grindill. Bjorn stops her from killing Ylva. Freya is still convinced that Ylva is the traitor and is working with Harald. Snorri is half-convinced but won’t convict Ylva without a trial.
• Nordeland attacks the fortress. Bjorn thinks they should retreat. Snorri threatens Bjorn, and says he knows he’s disloyal and lusts after Freya.
• Freya considers killing Snorri but she can’t due to the blood oath.
• Freya tells Snorri she will no longer fight for him, and plans to leave.
• Ragnar threatens to kill Geir. They’ve also taken Ingrid, who is pregnant. Freya agrees to fight for her brother and tells Bjorn to flee instead but he won’t leave her.
• Tora has joined up with Harald.
• Harald wants Freya to surrender to him. Freya refuses, and protects the fortress with her magic.
• Harald announces Snorri lied about Saga’s death. Harald didn’t kill her. Freya briefly wonders whether Bjorn accidentally killed his mother in a fire.
• Tora starts killing refugees.
• Freya plans to throw herself off a cliff. The specter signals for her to stop and Bjorn reaches her in time to get her away from the edge. They both jump in the river together.
• Freya uses the shield to protect them from the rocks and rushing water.
• Bjorn tells Freya that his mother told him never to say Tyr’s name. Bjorn called for his fire axe when a stranger hurt Saga, and this set the cabin on fire. Bjorn woke up a captive in Nordeland.
• Bjorn and Freya reach a cave. They have sex.
• Bjorn suggests they leave Skaland. He wants to live on a farm with her in peace.
• Freya worries about her family and isn’t sure she wants to go ahead with the plan to flee. She asks Bjorn to tell her the truth about his past. Bjorn says he’ll tell her but they need to leave right away.
• Freya refuses to leave. King Harald arrives.
• Harald says Bjorn has been working with him the whole time. Bjorn admits that he’s loyal to Nordeland, and Freya realises that he’s the traitor. Bjorn calls Harald father, and he wants to destroy Snorri.
• Freya curses everyone to Helheim. Roots shoot out of the ground and drag the warriors’ souls away, leaving only Bjorn, Harald, and Tora alive.
• Harald tells Freya that she’s also a child of Hel.
• Freya tries to run but trips.
• Steinunn shows up and Freya realises that she’s a Nordelander. She knocks Freya out.
• Freya wakes up on a ship. She realises that her Hel powers don’t work on other children of gods.
• Freya jumps over the side of the ship in an attempt to escape. Bjorn catches her before she can drown. He explains that he lied to protect his family, as Saga is still alive. Snorri tried to kill her when Ylva told him to, but Saga escaped to Nordeland with Bjorn.
• Freya realises she overheard Bjorn talking to his mother. He was trying to convince Saga that Freya was able to change her fate.
• Bjorn asks Freya to talk to Saga. They sail to Nordeland.

 That’s what happened in A Fate Inked in Blood! Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!