This was my first Adrienne Young book and it kickstarted my obsession. I've read almost everything she's written since. I just loved this story and this world and could read countless books in it.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

So, I was a little skeptical going into this book since I didn't enjoy Fable as much as I thought I would. But I decided to try it because the synopsis sucked me in and I'm so glad I did because I absolutely loved it. I devoured this book in practically one sitting - I would have if I didn't have to work the next day. I love Eelyn and her pure determination and devotion to her people. When she was forced into another tribe, her faith never waivered for her people and she was bound and determined to get back to them and her ways.

I also loved how she bid her time at the Riki campsite, but she was never too far from a weapon to protect herself. And then when she saved Halvard? My all-time favorite part of this book. That's what really cemented herself into the Riki tribe and I love her determination to save that boy.

Fiske is amazing too. You can tell he's put into a lot of strained situations because of Iri, but I think deep down he was always fascinated with Eelyn. I almost wish this wasn't YA cause I would have loved more details of the spice between them. And I would have loved to get some point of views of Fiske as well, because that man is of very few words!

I am definitely going to be adding this book to my physical library since I loved it so much and I'm so glad I decided to read Adrienne Young's debut novel! Maybe one day I'll try to revisit the Fable series again, but I know for sure I will be thinking of this story for days to come!

I don't have access to the book anymore. I have been using a new email for kindle for the last year. I will focus on new books instead of digging for the old files. I apologize for the inconvenience. It's not my intention to not review like this.

Liked it over all, but felt something was missing. I didn't really feel the love interest bit at all. I would have liked to spend more time with them getting to really know each other, rather than her doing something extreme and him doing one gesture and *boom* we're in love now. Given the situation and the time spent, much more time could have been devoted to a slow burn. I also would have liked a bit more lore woven in. The bones of the story were there, but I feel like making it more fantastical - especially given how predictable it was - would have just pushed it into the territory of greatness.

And while I know it's YA --- I had to really suspend disbelief that a 17 year old is one of the greatest warriors. Even adding 2-3 more years onto her would have made that a bit more believable.

I read this a few years back and just realized that my review was not saved somehow. I apologize for this.

I absolutely loved this story! I read it in a single sitting- absolutely devoured it! I still think about this book even a few years later.
I loved Eylyn's journey through the story as she constantly has to reevaluate what she believes to be true. The world building and Viking inspired setting was lush and well done. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book.

I really enjoy Young's writing style and her ability to really bring the world to life. Since this is viking inspired she was able to weave reality into a really fun story full of adventure. This would be great for someone looking for a light fantasy with a strong female lead.

This book is one of my all time favorite books I have read. I truly could not put it down. I ended up ordering a physical copy after finishing it.

I wanted SO. MUCH. MORE. FROM THIS BOOK!!!!!!! I was so frustrated by this!! I felt like it had so much potential, but it ended up being so predictable.

We start off with an action scene, which is fine, but I didn't understand why the Riki and the Aska were fighting. I also kept thinking that the main character's name was Aska because hardly anyone uses her name...

Then I kept waiting for her to be the bad ass warrior that she's supposed to be! She gets captured by the Riki and her brother and I was like "feel some anger!! kill them all in their beds, who cares if they're nice!! THEY MADE YOU A SLAVE!!!!!!" I kept daydreaming about how I would have made this book better if I had written it.

The love interest in this is just.... so bland. I cannot see them together AT ALL. AND HE WAS HER CAPTOR. THAT'S SKETCH, NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES. I kept daydreaming about the Herda (or whatever the other other tribe is) leader is the MC's fiancee and he's coming to rescue her and they ride off into the sunset laughing with the whole village burned to the ground.

The ending also went by VERY fast. It was like *finger snap* and done. I was just so disappointed by this book because I wanted so much more!!!!!

Even though this book felt a little young (okay, I know, it's YA), I really enjoyed it. Eelyn, an Aska warrior raised to fight her clan's ancient enemy, the Riki. However, on the battlefield, when she finds her brother (who she thought had been dead for the last five years) alive and fighting for the enemy, she follows him and must spend the winter with the Riki. However, there is a powerful enemy coming, and if the Aska and Riki can't learn to put aside their differences, both of their clans could be wiped out.

I liked Eelyn. Watching her learn that the Riki were people - and how she dealt with that - was really interesting. I also really liked Fiske, her brother's friend. Actually, I liked all of the characters. There was a lot of action and a lot of character development, and I actually really enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Okay wow, I did not expect this to be so touching. Seriously, it has an incredible message. It's all warrior stuff for the most part which isn't usually my type of read, but I found myself really caring about the story because it made me feel. It's a beautifully told story about enemies becoming allies and learning that your enemies are more like you than you ever imagined. The romance between Eelyn and Fiske was so touching and sweet and genuine. I really appreciated everything about this. It's like a 3.7 for me.

Wow, Vikings, clan wars, a badass heroine, enemies to lovers trope, a romance that doesn't distract but instead enhances? Come on now.

This was a fun, unique concept and a super quick read for me! I have been meaning to get to Sky in the Deep for a while now and I’m happy to have finally devoured it.

I found the premise of deep-seated Viking clan rivalries to be a super fun jumping-off point. Having read a lot of stories with the enemies-to-lovers trope, I thought the plot arc was *a bit* predictable at times, but that didn’t take away from the well-developed characters and intriguing details that illuminated this world.

I also thought the ending read suuuper fast (which can be a plus or negative, depending on your reading preferences). I wish that part was fleshed out a little more. But then again, I am also totally the type of reader who loves suspenseful build-ups to big battles where you get to know all of the characters motivations and fears (which this book did a great job of showing), but not a super big fan of the actual action sequence of the battle itself.

Basically, my main takeaway was that I really enjoyed Young’s writing style and characterization, so I’m very excited to read more of her works!

Comparable titles:
Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Nemesis by Anna Banks

***I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

honestly,,,, you had me at vikings. the concept for this was so cool and i love that it lived up to my expectations! i thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to whatever this author has in store next

Eelyn is a warrior for her Aska community. She fights alongside her father in their rivalry against the Riki. When she is almost killed in a battle, she sees her dead brother among the enemies. Her father assures her that he couldn’t have been there, but when she meets her brother again on the battlefield, he takes her as a prisoner. Eelyn has to figure out how to get back to her father and how to deal with the betrayal of her brother.

This story had a Nordic setting. They were like a viking community. I’ve never read a book like this, but I learned about vikings in school, so I found it really interesting. I really liked that the women were considered warriors alongside the men in this community. In many stories set in ancient times, the women have to stay home while the men fight, leading the main female character to figure out a way to fight. However, Eelyn was able to focus on other issues, since she was already a warrior.

The story started out quite fast paced. The moments where Eelyn saw her brother on the battlefield to when she was captured happened very quickly. The story slowed down a bit once she got to her brother’s new community. However, I was pleased with the ending. I thought the next book in the series would be a continuation of this story, but it has a new plot. I’m looking forward to reading it because I loved this setting.

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good Viking story! I loved seeing the siblings reunited and the slow romance and the action and fighting. A lot of fun!

4.5*

Wow. I loved that so much. I don’t like knowing too much about a book before I dive into it and I was completely taken off guard. Essentially, it follows a girl, Eelyn, who, all her life, has only known war– the Aska and Riki go to war every five years to avenge their gods. One day, Eelyn sees her brother on the battlefield with the Riki and she ends up getting captured by them. Day by day, her world gets turned on its hinges as she must decide what to do and how to get back.

I was so surprised by this novel. It completely blew me away. When it first came out and I heard about it, I instantly bought it and knew that I was going to love it. However, I hadn’t gotten a chance to read it until now. From the first chapter, I was hooked and already knew that I was going to love it.

Adrienne Young’s writing is so captivating. It’s fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat, unsure of what’s going to happen next. From the first chapter, the reader is instantly dropped into the world. However, I think that the author did a fantastic job of introducing the Aska and Riki and what was happening. It was fast-paced, but it wasn’t to the point where I had no idea what was going on.

Not only was the writing captivating, but the characters were even better. I loved them all so much and seeing their own complexities as well as Eelyn’s own realizations was completely gripping. As we see both sides of this century-long hatred between the Riki and the Aska, I think that it shone light on even some of the prejudices in our world today that may blind us.

As she is thrown into a strikingly similar, yet different world, the tension between Eelyn and the Riki that she is surrounded with when she is captured is like a tangible thing and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re looking for something fast paced, full of tension as well as a strange sense of beauty– that maybe there is something deeper to our own perceived ‘enemies,’ something that makes them just as human as us.

I can’t wait to reread this :)

I really really enjoyed this one and reviewed in my good reads. I have attached the link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34726469

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

If you have any curiosity or fascination with Vikings then this fantasy should be right up your alley. Eelyn is a very well written character and has that notorious Viking mentality which makes this book both a fun read and one with a good amount of action. As an older sister, I also enjoyed the relationships with siblings, making this book relatable in a sense.

I don't think I can properly put into words what a phenomenal story this is.

Every sentence, every single word of this book, is so deliberate and intentional that it is mind blowing. It has been a long time since I've read a book that was so expertly crafted as Sky in the Deep.
Vikings and blood feuds, rival gods and an enemy so powerful that to breath their name incites fear. These are some of the things that make Sky in the Deep a breathtaking novel.
I would give this book a thousand stars if possible. This is definitely one that I could read again and again.
Highly recommend for fans of historical, especially Vikings.

This book was absolutely breath taking. I quickly became submerged into the VIking-esque world and didn't want to leave! I read the book in one sitting; I honestly couldn't put it down. I did want more developed of the relationship between Eevlyn and Fiske .. but that might have been just selfish wishful thinking. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA. It hits all the classic tropes, but with a fresh setting and world