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.

A shield maiden fights to break the shackles of prophecy—and to overcome the betrayal of the man who broke her heart—in this searing conclusion to the Norse\-inspired fantasy romance duology that began with the bestselling A Fate Inked in Blood. The secret of her divine heritage revealed, Freya finds herself on a path that will see thousands of lives lost to the magic in her blood. Desperate to avoid this dark fate, she risks an alliance with Skaland’s greatest enemy to seek answers from the seer who foretold her future—the same seer who sent Bjorn to kill her. While Freya still seethes with rage over Bjorn’s betrayal, the blood oaths that bind her demand that she keep him close as she hunts for a way to avert the looming war. Her magic draws her to the front lines of an old enmity, embroiling her with Nordeland’s Unfated—children of the gods who serve the king she was raised to fear. The same king who, unlike Bjorn, is now willing to fight at her back. For despite the desire that burns hot between Bjorn and Freya, his growing distrust of her chosen path threatens to drag them further apart. As war approaches, gods and mortals must choose their weapons. Yet the fiercest battle will be the one Freya wages within herself. With the magic of two goddesses burning in her veins, she must weave the threads of destiny to decide her own fate: Will she be the shield that protects her people or the curse that destroys them?

Please Note The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown—are included in the Saga of the Unfated Series Collection 2 Books Set By Danielle L. Jensen (A Fate Inked in Blood & A Curse Carved in Bone): 📚 Books in This A Curse Carved in Bone \[Hardcover\] A Fate Inked in Blood \[Paperback\] A Curse Carved in Bone \[Hardcover\]: With the secret of her divine heritage revealed, Freya finds herself on a path that could see thousands of lives lost to the magic in her blood. Desperate to avoid this dark fate, she risks an alliance with Skaland's greatest enemy to seek answers from the seer who foretold her future - the same seer who sent Bjorn to kill her.While Freya still seethes with rage over Bjorn's betrayal, the blood oaths that bind her demand that she keep him close as she hunts for a way to avert the looming war. Her magic draws her to the front lines of an old enmity, embroiling her with Nordeland's Unfated - children of the gods who serve the king she was raised to fear. A Fate Inked in Trapped in an unwanted marriage, Freya dreams of becoming a warrior – and of putting an axe in her controlling husband’s back.But those dreams become a nightmare when he makes a deal with their fanatical ruler, and she’s forced into a fight to the death. To survive, she must reveal her deepest she possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood and magic that will unite their nation beneath the one who controls her fate.Believing he’s destined to be king, the ruler binds Freya with a blood oath and orders his fierce but charming son to train her to fight, to control her magic . . . and to make sure no one lays a hand on her.