A Fate Inked in Blood

A Fate Inked in Blood is set in a fictional world that is inspired by Norse culture and mythology. While the setting is imbued with historical elements from medieval Scandinavia, the plot draws significantly from Norse mythology. The word Norse refers to ancient Scandinavia—a region including Sweden, Norway, Denmark—and the language of its inhabitants. Norse mythic traditions persisted in Scandinavia through the Viking era—from approximately 750 to 1050 CE. Although Norse literature often depicts heroic warriors, kings, and other memorable figures, Norse myths rarely feature humans. Instead, they portray gods and giants battling among themselves, and this ongoing conflict eventually results in the inevitable, fated destruction of the universe.

Medieval Icelandic texts, which were written by descendants of Norse colonists, provide a great deal of insight into the nuances of Norse mythology. The two most prominent examples are the Poetic Edda, or Elder Edda, which was written around 1270 CE by an unknown author, and the Prose Edda, or Younger Edda, which was written around 1222 CE by an Icelandic poet named Snorri Sturluson. One of the heroic poems in the Poetic Edda, the Voluspa, offers an overview of Norse mythology, spanning the creation of the universe to its destruction in a final battle called Ragnarok.