Sky in the Deep is exceptional, original, and one of the best YA fantasies I've read in a long, long time. The Viking-inspired setting feels fresh, there's a terrific kick-ass heroine, and the action scenes are well-written and exciting.

What really elevates this book is that Adrienne Young has done a rare thing for this genre - she's given her characters some quiet, a the plot a bit of room to breathe. And this slowness isn't dull - even when the characters are doing something mundane like cooking or gathering herbs, every sentence is crafted in such a way as to deliberately add layers of complexity to the narrative.

Eelyn in particular is so remarkably written that it feels wrong to call her a character - her emotions jump off the page. I could feel the fire of her anger, the sting of her humiliation, the ache of her loss. Eelyn is a warrior, raised to value honor above almost everything else, but even when she's not swinging her sword and axe, she's fighting an equally tough battle between what she has been taught about the world, and what she is now experiencing for herself.

Eelyn's growth, and that of the cast around her, is what makes this book such an exceptional, character-driven narrative on top of being a fantastic adventure. I will be handselling the heck out of this one when it's officially out!

3 stars

Eelyn was raised to be a warrior. Her clan, the Aska, have an ancient rivalry with the Riki clan and Eelyn’s life consists of fighting and surviving. Yet, one day she sees her dead brother fighting with the enemy against her clan.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, Eelyn must survive a winter in the mountains with the Riki after they capture her during battle. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan of legend, Eelyn must find new allies to trust outside of her clan.

One of these is Fiske, her brother’s friend. She and Fiske must unite the clans to fight together or be slaughtered one by one.

Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who shipped Fiske and Iri.

The Eelyn x Fiske dynamic was so bland. Her brother and Fiske had more chemistry than Eelyn and Fiske. Although I admit there was less chemistry between Fiske and Iri than the normal YA couple, it’s more than the dynamic between Eelyn and Fiske.

Seriously, if I hadn’t read the summary before reading, I wouldn’t have expected Eelyn and Fiske to get together until they actually kissed (which I would have passed off as a momentary fluke because Fiske is obviously bi?).

Or maybe this fantasy is just so bland that I had to start inventing some fun, flirty LGBTQ+ romances to make up for the loveless heterosexual ones.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of how unpassionate I am about this book. It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just that it was so…dry? bland? zest-less?

It’s disappointing because I had really high hopes for this. It was supposed to be super fierce and passionate without being misogynistic. This is from the publisher of Wintersong, and although same publisher does not mean same quality, a publishing house’s books typically have similar tastes & literature styles. The books are literally right next to each other on the Wednesday Books website.

I heard so many great things, read so many 5 star reviews, and I just don’t know what happened.

This whole experience was just one big sigh for me.

I think part of this is because neither of the plots felt complete. If you’ve read my review of Turtles All the Way Down, I talked about how it was like there were two half plots rather than one whole plot, and I feel like that’s what happened with Sky in the Deep.

There’s the whole action-plot that’s about the two clans, their rivalry, and how they band together to fight off a mutual enemy, and then there’s the character-plot with Eelyn. But neither plot felt comprehensive enough to hook me into it. Sometimes in books with dual plots, one plot hooks me and the other doesn’t. Yet in Sky in the Deep, neither plot hooked me.

The action-plot felt so simplistic? There was barely any moral dilemma or question behind this plot despite the potential for this in the book. There’s this giant rivalry between the Riki and the Aska because of their gods, and a parallel could be drawn with modern religions and how people fight because of religion.

In Sky in the Deep, the Riki and Aska don’t work out their issues in the way they should be–out of true desire to do so. The Riki and Aska’s hands are forced to work together and find peace between their clans because of their common enemy, and this felt way too…simplistic for me. I feel like if their hands weren’t forced, they wouldn’t have sought peace and this was a big downfall for me because I wanted true peace, not forced peace.

A world forced to peace is not a world at peace. The deep standing issues behind the problem are not solved.

I feel like the action-plot didn’t go nearly as deep as it should have been, and that was a large part of why it felt like a half-plot which didn’t hook me.

The character-plot, on the other hand, was just really dry. I felt like the story between Eelyn and her brother Iri was left very much unresolved and wanted more from this. More angst, more passion, more everything.

I liked how Eelyn developed as a character from hate to acceptance, which was one of the highlights of this novel.

The entire concept as a whole was a highlight–I thought it was very interesting to read a Viking-inspired book and thought this was really cool!

The action scenes were well done in my opinion, although there were only really five of them. I’m not like super into action scenes and I usually skim over them versus intensely read them just because nothing really important happens in them, but I could recognize how well they were written.

The whole book was written well, but I just did not end up being super into it, which was just one of the biggest problems. Nothing in it hooked me (except Fiske and Iri).

Overall, I wasn’t very much into this novel despite being super excited for it. I think if this appeals to you, definitely try it out, but if it ends up not working for you by the halfway point, I say it’s not worth your time. There’s not super intense buildup at the end like there is in other books that makes it worth your while (see: Shadow and Bone), and it remains relatively one-tonal.

The links will go live on May 31st and also be shared on Twitter.

This book was so refreshing. It cured my book hangover. It was everything you need, kick ass characters, vikings, violence and fantastic story! I can't wait for other people to enjoy this wonderful book!

This was a great read! I found myself drawn into Eelyn's physical and emotional struggles throughout the story, and I loved the quiet chemistry between her and Fisk. Adrienne Young creates a beautiful world that is both subtle and unique, and the characters feel real and genuine. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good fantasy/Viking read. My only issue with this book was that it took me a few chapters to get used to all the Viking-like terminologies Young was using. I found myself trying to guess if she was talking about a person, place, or thing- but the terminology became a lot clearer the further I got into the story.

Highly recommend! It was worth the read!

Been trying to read it since 2:00am and I just can't get into the story at all , the story just not pulling me into it and I'm already 23% , so I'm going to DNF it 100% , its just not for me. With that said I would like to say thinks to Netgalley forgiving me a change to at least try and read Sky In the Deep

The opening to Sky in the Deep was fantastic and I could not think of a better opening to a story. I am definitely all for a strong first chapter that starts with violence and action. Immediately I was drawn in – ready to dive head first into the story.

Ultimately though, Sky in the Deep fell short for me and I was left feeling disappointed. What felt like a promising start rapidly disolved as the story progressed.

I expected many gripping battles and bloody description but instead I got the complete opposite. During Eelyn’s time with the ‘Riki’, where it seemed as though she was constantly doing housework, I began to lose interest and wondered whether I was going to be able to finish it. The story dragged making it painfully slow. I was confused (and I still am) because the first chapter was so perfect.

I was able to learn a lot about the two different clans and how they lived. Eelyn in particular, being an ‘Aska’, finds herself in a ‘Riki’ village – a clan that she has been taught to kill because they are the enemy and that’s all her people have ever known. The ‘Riki’ think similarly to the ‘Aska’. Slowly over time she learns that they aren’t so different and perhaps there is a way to end the bloodshed.

It went around in a continuous loop, the ‘Riki’ and the ‘Aksa’ hate each other and they want to kill each other. Eelyn is furious at her brother’s betrayal. Understandable, but after the millionth time reading it my patience was wearing thin and I grew extremely frustrated. What I thought was going to be a very action-based book was, in reality, a joyless ride.

There were some pretty cool battle scenes throughout the book which I really enjoyed but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with the story. Another problem I found with the book was getting to the main event – the legendary and mysterious clan. It felt like forever before they made an appearance and when they finally did it was resolved in a short amount of time.
I hated the romance so much. I knew it was going to happen because the plot description just point blank tells you (so annoying) and so I wasn’t at all surprised. It makes me mad just thinking about it.

Eelyn is a phenomenal character and the main reason I continued reading. A skilled and fearless warrior who would probably be able to cut you into two before you could blink, and wouldn’t think twice about it. I loved her burning rage and her desire to kill any ‘Riki’ that she came across. She is 100% ruthless. As much as I admired her angry and dark side, I liked how she gradually began to show a softer side towards the end of the book.

The only other character I liked was Myra who had a similar anger like Eelyn. Unfortunately she wasn’t in the book as much as I would have hoped.
There were too many characters brought into the story. Apart from the family that Eelyn stays with, I had to constantly remind myself who was who. I don’t want to be doing that in a book.
I honestly don’t get the 5* rating and I don’t think I ever will.

Eelyn is an Aska clan member and she fights against the Riki clan with her father and friend. They killed her brother and she intends to kill as many of them as she can. What shocks her is that when they are fighting the current battle, she sees her brother on the Riki side. He was dead, she saw him. How could he be fighting for the enemy?

Wednesday Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 24th.

The next time she sees him, she follows him. He won't acknowledge her and his friend takes her prisoner. She fought with him but he's bigger than she is and she ends up back in the Riki camp. It's winter, she can't escape. As she learns about the people she hates, she begins to realize they are not as different as she wanted to think. Many of them don't like her but they don't know her either. The time in their camp changes her mind about many things.

The two tribes have a common enemy and when they attack the Riki village, she fights with them. Then she wants to visit her tribe and see if anyone is still alive. Her brother's friend goes with her. Some are still alive but they want to kill the Riki she's with. She won't let them.

I like the message in this story. People have many things in common. In this case it was not only personal attributes but a common enemy. Working together you can conquer many things. You just have to get over the hump of prejudice and mistrust.

This was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a great fantasy novel.

For the most part I enjoyed this. It was action-packed, fast paced and refreshing to read about vikings. On the other hand it was a little boring. Half of the time the main character was doing chores or getting into situations where she needed rescuing and I never really fully connected with anyone. I wasn't wholly invested in the romance either, it seemed a little stretched and rushed.
There were a couple instances of animal sacrifice that I wasn't a fan of and I felt that the ending wrapped up far too quickly, but on the whole it was a decent read.

Really enjoyed this one! It’s refrshing to read a high fantasy book based on Viking culture. I also appreciate how dark and gritty the story was. I love it when authors don’t shy away from it and some parts are pretty gruesome but it added to the atmosphere in this setting. I liked the characters so much, and loved seeing how they changed and grew. The thing I loved the most though was the relationships that formed from loss and turned into something beautiful. That message was great and was my favorite part about Sky in the Deep. I will recommend this to teens in my store however only the higher level and older ones. It is a brutal story so I feel caution should be there for some young readers

I love the cover of Sky in the Deep and I enjoyed the premise because I do love a good story inspired by Vikings and Norse mythology, but overall Sky in the Deep was just an OK book for me. I found myself bored despite the fact that there is a lot of action and fighting, as you would expect from any "Viking" book. Because I didn't find the characters particularly interesting, I wasn't invested in their stories. There was very little dialogue and whatever dialogue was there, it felt stilted and forced. The romance between Eelyn and Fiske was tepid at best, it lacked any tension that would make it swoony. Other relationships weren't very developed either.

Sky in the Deep is not a bad book by any means, but there are a number of much better Viking inspired books out there. Also, it seems that I am in the minority, everyone else loved this book, so what do I know!

Sky in the Deep was one of my most anticipated releases of 2018, but I was afraid it would let me down. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time that I'm disappointed by a book everyone seems to be raving about. Fortunately, I'm glad to say that I fairly enjoyed this vikings book.

The story begins when Eelyn, an Aska warrior, is fighting against the Riki on the battlefield and sees her brother. But how can it be possible if she watched Ari die five years ago? And why is he fighting alongside the Riki? She wants answers and following her brother she gets captured by the Riki, her mortal enemies. Now, she is trapped with the Riki while looking for a way to escape.

This is the first book about vikings I've ever read. Adrienne Young has created a fascinated world with two clans that hate each other. It seems that both Aska and Riki clans were a product of the author's imagination, but I couldn't help but feel that they were very real because of the way Young described them. Precisely, one of my favorite aspects on books are the descriptions of scenarios, cultures and fighting scenes and I think Young did a really good job with that.

I have also been fascinated by the characters. Eelyn is an amazing protagonist, a warrior who fights using an ax and a sword at the same time and who is willing to do everything for the people she cares about. I loved how she was so badass and how she was so conflicted about her brother, loving him and hating him at the same time. And overall, I think her character development was really amazing.

And what to say about the rest of the characters. I fell in love with Inge, Halvard, Ari, Mýra and specially Fiske. I loved the different dynamics between all the characters: the complex family bonds, the friendships and the romance.

I also enjoyed the writing. I think Adrienne Young has a fascinating way to tell the readers a story. As I said before, she is really good with descriptions but I have to point out that I'm also very impressed with her writing style in general, especially because Sky in the Deep is her debut novel.

If I had to say a negative point, it would be that the last battle was a bit rushed. But overall, I fell in love with the story. And it seems that Adrienne Young is working in a companion novel, so I can't wait to read more about this world.

Pros:

+ WOW
+ I did not expect to love this THIS MUCH
+ Every aspect was PHENOMENAL
+ The family relationship was so authentic and beautiful
+ It was a really personal subject to me and I loved the way it was handled here
+ Let’s not forget THE ROMANCE
+ Because it was fabulous
+ Eelyn is a great main character
+ VIKINGS
+ It’s wonderful


Cons:

- Nothing
- Seriously, nothing
- Believe it bitches


I knew one day all my NetGalley requests would pay off. I knew that, statistically speaking, there had to be one book of the lot that I adored beyond reason. I just new it.

This is that book.

Sky in the Deep follows the story of Eelyn, a daughter of the Aska clan. She and her clansmen are bone-deep rivals with the Riki clan, and every battle between them is a bloodbath.

But when Eelyn sees her dead brother battling alongside the Riki--and he saves her life from one of them who seems to know him--she is forced to question everything. Her father asserts that her brother materialized as a vision to save her, and his reappearance confirmed that his spirit made it to Valhalla. Eelyn’s father finds this to be a comfort. But Eelyn is not so sure.

Okay, so, I loved this book. I loved it so much. I started reading at 2 AM on a very bored night, expecting a book that was just so-so. I reluctantly went to bed an hour later (VERY reluctantly) and woke up in the morning DESPERATE for more. I immediately finished the rest. In one go.

It was awesome.

I went in basically blind (I didn’t even read the synop before requesting, just the positive reviews, because VIKINGS) and it was a REALLY GOOD blind read so I suggest reading as little as possible about the book before going in. It’s seriously that good.

Eelyn is such a fantastic main character. She is put through a lot of shit, and she’s angry, and she’s struggling, but she’s fierce as hell and it’s not just “Look At Me I’m A COOL YA Heroine!”. It’s not posturing. She really is a fucking badass. Move over, Katniss. (Katniss is fine pre-Mockingjay but she’s held up as the pinnacle of badassery among YA heroines so I’m only saying)

But as much as a motherfucker as she is, Eelyn is made SO much more real through her internal struggles. She finds it impossible to forgive; she can only see her own pain, and that pain is real and cutting. The feelings she experience in this book are so authentic and raw, I cried multiple times. The relationship between Eelyn and her older brother is painfully real--I know, because I know exactly what she’s going through and how she feels. It may be portrayed through Vikings and war, but everything about their relationship is as relatable as it gets.

Let’s talk about the romance!

Ohhhhh honey was that a good romance. I’m grinning like a fool just thinking about it. It’s my favorite kind. I don’t want to talk too much about because YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF. Yes, it is that good. Ugh, and the ending! I can’t deal with the ending! It was wonderful, it was everything I wanted!

Sky in the Deep is unforgiving and brutal but also full of heart and love and forgiveness. it’s a beautiful story about family, love, and how deep those bonds go. It was a story about those bonds, yes, and the things that sever them. It was truly one of the best books of this year, and I say that with full confidence despite only reading this in January.

A free copy was provided by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you!

WE ARE FAMILY!

This book was great! I absolutely enjoyed the Vikings aspect and thought it was a truly unique approach.

There was a big focus on family and blood above all. It was different then the usual way of focusing on solely the love aspect of it. BUT NOT TO PUT THAT DOWN because "SWOON". I love Fiske.

I love that it wasn't love at first sight, there was a bitter angst that was so deeply rooted it took a bit for Eelyn's heart to warm up. This allowed a progression in the book for both characters.

Eeyln really comes to know who she is. She loses herself and finds that fire within to gain it back before the final battle descends. Thanks to her family, and her new-found family they're able to reach peace.

Also, that cover is GORGEOUS.

I kept hearing about this book from my book club and the cover pulled me in as well. It's an amazing story about a powerful and strong woman with whom I connected with. I loved the world building and the history in it as well. Will definitely be buying a copy of this when it releases.

Vikings! And so much more than that. I haven't read YA Fantasy in a beat, but this this book took my hand and yanked me into myths, legends, and a new world in the most wonderful way. There's a lot to love about this book, from the authors beautiful (albeit at times violent) writing to the growth of Eelyn's character. The latter may be my favorite part, as the author executed Eelyn's movements, emotions, decisions, thoughts, missteps in such a way that it made complete sense. I also loved the themes of 'fate' and 'hope' that emerged. I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy, but also historical.

First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read and review this book: To Kill a Kingdom, pre-release. As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.

I give this story 4 stars.

Synopsis:

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.
Character:
When I picked up this story, I was expecting a YA fantasy novel. I was wrong. It is a YA historical fiction adventure, and it's wonderful.

The best thing about it is that, being historical fiction, it felt authentic. It felt real. I was worried, as were some other reviewers, that the main character Eelyn would be dificult to connect with. She was not difficult to connect with-- in fact, I believed in her all the way. She's realistic, and she feels like she just stepped out of the mists on a fjord. She's fanastic.

Despite being a warrior, Eelyn doesn't feel too bloodthirsty to me. She fights for her life and her family's lives, but she doesn't feel evil in any way, another of my fears. I mean, guys, the main character is a VIKING who is a warrior and the whole point is battle. But Eelyn is the perfect MC for this book and she's 100% believable throughout.

Plot + Worldbuilding:
Again, this is a very realistic book, and I felt like I'd stepped into the age of the Vikings. I felt as if these people and their struggles were my people (they are, as I'm descended from Vikings, as are most caucasian people) and their struggles meant something to me.

Why 4 stars?
Even though I really loved this book, the plot, the characters, the smidgen of adorable romance . . . it still felt just a little lacking. I'm not even sure why. The ending felt a little rushed, and the story does move slowly in some places.

Bottom line, I liked it, I will probably buy it, and I think you should too.

5/5 stars!

[This review is based on an ARC edition provided by the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest opinions.]

“Honor above life.”

The Aska motto above signifies what a large role honor plays in Eelyn’s Viking culture. I love how Adrienne Young also plays with several meanings of family and how those interpretations tie in with the theme of honor. The author really digs multiple layers deep into these ideas, and her thoroughness contributes to a touching story complete with rounded characters.

Young’s prose is lovely, her descriptions utterly vivid. The world felt so authentic because of the cultural details included about the Riki and Aska ways of life. Yet, the information was presented in a skillful way, not at all info-dumping on the reader. The story was well-paced, and I flew through it in just a few days.

Eelyn’s character drew me in immediately, and I became emotionally attached in the first chapter. It is quite an accomplishment when a debut author can achieve this effect! I rooted for Eelyn through the entire story, and there were so many layers of tension that contributed to her character growth. She faced plenty of internal and external conflict throughout. By the end of the book, I’d grown fond of all the main characters – with the exception of the Riki Tala, who seriously got on my nerves. But Eelyn, Fiske, Inge, Iri, and Halvard truly felt like a genuine family at the book’s conclusion.

I also thought the slow-burn romance was effective. Your opinion on the enemies-to-lover trope could impact your enjoyment of the romance in this book. However, I thought the romance was well-paced, and it was in no way insta-love. It took the two characters quite a while to build up trust and develop understanding for each other’s way of life. The tender moments between them were so touching and filled with chemistry. 

This book also had plenty of battle action and violence since war is an essential part of Viking culture. I would caution readers who are sensitive to this type of violence, because it included things like eye-gouging. Furthermore, some of the things that happened to Eelyn during her period of capture were quite brutal. As a member of the Aska clan, she often got attacked and was in constant danger from the men in the Riki village. So, it may not be the best book for the youngest of readers.

But another thing I loved about this story is that the moments of vulnerability were balanced by many other scenes of awe-inspiring strength and endurance. Eelyn displayed so much spirit, and I can’t wait to see what characters Young will create in her forthcoming publications!

Everything about this book felt so carefully thought-out. Once I reached the end, I even realized how beautifully the title ties in with the book’s theme. You should definitely give it a try!

Full review found at [a cup of tea and an armful of books]!

This is an awesome story full of fighting clans, an immersive world, and characters with their own unique personalities. Although it uses a lot of familiar YA tropes, I found myself devouring this book in a little over a day. I really enjoyed this Viking inspired fantasy!

I was happy to be reading a standalone YA fantasy novel, as those are fairly rare, but now that I finished it and loved it, I want more.

This book showed a lot of promise but I felt it was lacking in good plot or character development. I didn't really get to know the characters too well so I didn't really grow to care what happens to them. The plot seemed to lack the tension I think it needed.