Huge thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy. This review remains unaffected and unbiased.

First of all, what drew me to this novel was the beautiful cover. It is absolutely gorgeous! After reading the book, I also agree that the title was a perfect choice. The second I started to read, I could not put it down. Adrienne Young’s debut is causing a lot of excitement, and she did not disappoint.

CHARACTERS
The main character, Eelyn, is a member of the Aska clan. I loved to read about her as she changed throughout the novel after different events occur. The character development was beautiful and flowed well. Eelyn is a strong person— physically and mentally. She is a warrior and deeply devoted/loyal to her family and clan. Throughout her captivity, she dutifully did her chores but remained true to herself by planning and plotting. What I especially appreciated was that she was still human, and therefore experienced times of joy, pain, and sadness. I think authors oftentimes create super-human characters and forget to make them relatable. Young is the exception.
Two other supporting characters are Iri and Fiske. As the summary reads, Iri is Eelyn’s brother that everyone believed to be dead. Well, spoiler, he survived and she later meets him on the battlefield. Because of Eelyn’s deep loyalty to her clan, it was difficult and painful to see her brother’s betrayal. Throughout the story, they are in constant contact and have to address the hurt in order to heal and reunite. The second character, Fiske, helps Eelyn due to her loyalty to Iri. I absolutely loved how the two of them acted like brothers and how that came to be (no spoilers).

PLOT
These clans, the Riki and the Aska, are unlike any you’ve read about. They are enemies, yes, but more than that, there is such deep hatred that they are relentless in fighting each other. They have different gods, who in their legends, are enemies as well and constantly fighting each other. The book opens with Eelyn and her clan right before a battle with the Riki. They charge, many are killed, and then they return to their camps. Only to do it all over again that same night. This is the “norm” for these two clans as they meet in battle every five years.
The Askas are taught from birth that honor is above life (their motto vegr yfir fjor literally means that). So when Eelyn is captured, she has to decide whether to lay down her honor and pride or kill herself. Fortunately for us readers, she never gets the choice. She is forced into becoming a dyr (slave) and put into an iron collar. And then Fiske buys her. So now, Eelyn is a captive of her enemy and reunited with a brother who has betrayed her.
Eelyn is resilient though. She just has to last through the winter as a dyr before she will be returned to her family. In the meantime, she works with Fiske’s mom and Iri’s adopted mother, Inge. She learns how to adapt herself in this situation but constantly looks for an escape. But when faced with captivity by people who did not treat her cruelly despite their hatred, Eelyn was forced to see their humanity and respect them. The Riki weren’t so different from the Aska when it came to daily life. Through this time, Eelyn goes on a kind of self-discovery journey.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS
For me, I though the ‘sky in the deep’ scene was the turning point of the book. She recognized her change, and knows she can’t go back (although that doesn’t mean she won’t struggle with it). it was also a scene with beautiful imagery and dialogue. The end of the book was truly amazing, and wrapped up well. There was a fantastic mix of action with bloody battle scenes and romance.
If I had to do any critiquing, it would be that the romance scenes actually have a lot of crying in them. To explain, Eelyn is struggling with trying to figure out who she is. Her captivity changed her and she’s slowing been falling in love. This creates bigger problems because it’s like she’s betraying her people. Basically, a lot of emotional events are happening. So every time they kiss she ends up crying. Also, the ending was a little confusing to me as it shifted from scenes randomly and the timing was rather off, but it most likely is fixed and smoothed over by publication. The technical details in no way hindered by love for the ending.

Wow this book!!

I can't even remember how this book came about being on my radar but I'm so glad it did because it was awesome! Perfect mix of vikings, strong female characters, amazing fight scenes and love interest. I found myself so enthralled in the book that I literally did not want to put it down.

buuuuuut

Because this novel is YA it does fall into some familiar tropes that pulled me out of the story or made me roll my eyes. Firstly we have a strong female main character who grew up learning how to be a warrior and a strong fighter and while we see a small glimpse of how bad ass she is, when it counts she falls flat and needs to be "saved" by a male.

Trigger warning!

There is a pretty ambiguous scene involving the main character being sexually abused. Which is so stereotypical and unoriginal that I found myself internally screaming at the author because the story and the main character deserved so much better than that.

Overall the story was paced well enough to keep you interested and I think YA audiences will eat this up. It's really great but I just wish it was a little bit better because this book could have been my book of the year.

There were so many things I loved about this book and one of them was the main character Eelyn. The book opens with Eelyn headed into battle with her clan, the Aska, against their rival clan, the Riki, who they fight every 5 years. The book instantly grabbed my attention and I really became invested in Eelyn's story. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but something stops Eelyn on the battlefield and she ends up being taken by the Riki clan. I loved the Viking feel of this book and world building was fantastic. I could picture the villages, characters and all their ax wielding glory easily in my mind. I was a bit weary about this book because in young adult fantasy books, I prefer a mix of elements, such as fighting and romance. This book did a very good job at balancing out many different elements.

There are many great battle scenes involving many different characters and the Viking clans in themselves were just so interesting to me. The workings of their village and just how they are going about their everyday lives. I also really liked this book because it put a lot of emphasis on not only the importance of family, but how people who aren't blood relatives often become our family as well. I really liked all of the characters in the book and enjoyed watching as their interactions and relationships with one another change. And there is some romance in the book, which I of course love, but it never takes the story away from the main plot line. And I really liked the way the author ended the book. I do believe right now that this book is meant to be a stand alone, but I'm am so hoping that the author continues this story and either writes a sequel or that this book is the beginning to a series because I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC of this book.

This story is exactly what the summary says. And it does it really well.

SKY IN THE DEEP is a warrior-girl story done in a way I love: fierce characters fighting for something real in their hearts, who fully live the way of their bloody world, but their true stories lie in human connections between them and within contradictions with no single answer. It's hard to find YA fantasy like this, where characters can be so passionate and conflicted, but the narration is rendered with a subtle care. Where meaning and growth lies in-between the lines and thoughts, in the unspoken dialogue, and not drawn out in grandiose statements or manipulative setups. The story reminds me of older YA fantasies, where the pacing is slower, but the characters must be that much more compelling to make up for it. It's not a book of plot twists, and that's what makes Eelyn's story great.

I don't want to say much about the story, because I think the summary does it well enough. Ultimately, it's a book about gradual growth in our heroine, and about family. It's about the conflicting ways of the heart and balancing all the different strings that pull us. The general consistency of the story is a huge strength - I was never taken out of the world, I never rolled my eyes at a needless decision or conflict, and I cared about what happened to Eelyn always. The language is practical but not plodding, and a fitting voice; I found many poignant moments especially toward the end, and I love how emotion is presented in unpretentious ways. I think some people who come in expecting a bloodthirsty book will find it slow; it's more of a village-esque story. The pacing is slow in the first half and too fast in the last quarter, but Eelyn's journey's all there and it hits all the right points. The worldbuilding is simple but works; I can feel in the characters' bones that they're warriors, and it completely paints their small societies and their conflicts. And the romance is just right; I rarely see a pairing like this anymore and I think it'll end up being different from what people expect.

What a story! Loved the atmosphere of this. I especially loved the bear totem, Viking gods and the special language shared between families. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Let me preface this review by saying that I think a lot of people will like this book. In fact, a lot of people have already liked this book. It's by no means a book with no merits. For me, it wasn't a bad book so much as it was an underdeveloped one.

More than anything, Sky in the Deep felt like the scaffolding of a much better book. The bare-bones of the story are actually pretty compelling: a warrior from a fierce clan runs into her supposedly dead brother while she's in battle. In a turn of events she finds herself living behind enemy lines, trying to reconnect with said brother—and the story goes from there. This, in addition to the mythology promised by the synopsis and that (BEAUTIFUL) cover are what initially drew me to the book.

For all its potential, though, the story ended up falling flat. It was just very...mediocre. The characters were okay (if a little bland), but there was so little dialogue between them that their dynamics became something you were told as opposed to shown. And because of that, the meager character interactions we did get rang false; they ended up feeling like they were pressuring me into feeling emotion that I just didn't feel. That's not to say that this book's characters were emotionless. You read from Eelyn's POV for the whole book, so you do get a lot of what she's feeling. And yet, a lot of her feelings felt superficial, or at least simplistically described. More than that though, you're in her head for the whole book, yet still there wasn't a sense of true introspection to me.

As for the world-building and plot, they were much like the characters: I could tell that there was an effort to flesh them out, to make them substantial, but still they lacked that *oomph* factor I wanted to see. The plot in particular I found to be very elementary. I won't go into spoilers, but I wish the author had opted for something less typical.

Like I said before, I don't think this was a disaster of a book—it really wasn't. The characters, the world-building, the plot progression—they were all developed, but not enough. And because of that, Sky in the Deep ended up feeling like a really promising story in theory but a rather disappointing one in execution. Nonetheless, I'd still recommend trying it. If all the rest of the reviews for it are any indication, you'll probably like it.

I did not really know that I wanted to read this book until a few days ago, when I finally truly read the summary for it. I requested it on Netgalley, and was approved yesterday. And I simply could not resist reading it right away. And eee, I'm thrilled that I did so. Because this book was all kinds of awesome. And I loved it lots.

I'm very unsure where to begin with describing it, though. I would say that it is a viking book. Which I loved a whole lot. I have not really watched any viking shows lately though, but I want to. And now I really wish to do so soon. The writing in this book was very good, and I never had any issues with that. Which was so great.

This book is told from the point of view of Eelyn. Whom is such a fierce warrior girl. She has killed so many in the fights against a different clan. Everyone in this book is a killer. And I loved that a whole lot. It was interesting to read about, though brutal as well, which I always enjoy. Eelyn was such a fierce girl to read about, and oh, how I loved her. Getting to know her was the very best. I loved her relationship with her father; it was sweet and so good to read about. Her mother is dead, and her brother has been dead for five years now too. At least that is what she thinks. Until she sees him on the battlefield in the beginning of this book. Fighting for the other side. And everything she thinks she knows get turned around. There is so much happening in this book.

And I loved every moment of it. Eee. I'm giving Sky in the Deep five stars, because I simply couldn't stop reading this book. Every scene was awesome. It's a bit heartbreaking and a little romantic and really full of violence too. I loved it all so much. I do wish that there could have been a bit more romance, because I adored this pair so much. Sigh. The romance was perfect, but I wanted more, of course. This is also very much a standalone, I think. But gosh, how I would want another book. With same characters, same world.

I'm not going to talk too much about the plot of this stunning thing, I don't think. But there are some things that I must mention. The story is about Eelyn finding out that her brother is not dead, that he has made a new life for himself, along with her enemies. She is not happy with learning this. At the same moment she learns it, they kidnap her. And so much happens to this girl. It broke my heart. And yet she was so strong, always. And I loved reading about it all so much. Not going to say more about it, just, such a good story.

There is a little bit of romance in this book too. Eee. And I loved that so much. Sigh. Eelyn and Fiske do not start the book liking each other at all. They almost kill each other. And they have so many things that make them hate each other. I enjoyed reading that a lot too. But oh, when they finally started to become friends, and then more than that, it was the sweetest thing and I loved it so much. Shipped them so much. And eee, Fiske was an incredible character. I loved getting to know this boy so much. Fierce and loving.

There are so many characters in this book. And I'm not going to mention most of them. I adored Eelyn. And her father. She also has a best friend, whom I adored too. She made me a bit angry at some points, but I also understood her. Somewhat. But ah, Eelyn's brother. Who wasn't really dead. I was angry with him. So angry. But I kind of liked him too, but I did not love him. Hmph. Such an amazing story, though. There was also this little boy that was all kinds of adorable and sweet to read about. And so many more.

I think one of the biggest reasons for why I loved this book was because of how much Eelyn changed in it. She is always fierce and amazing. But she grows to be more understanding as the book goes on. And I loved that. She has lived her whole life fighting with her people, and she has loved doing that. But in this book she spends some time with the enemy clan, and she starts feeling different about all the fighting. It takes some time, of course, but I loved how much she grew. Was interesting and amazing to read about.

There is so much that I could say about this book. I could probably just write forever and ever saying that I loved it, haha. But I'm not going to do that. There is still so much I haven't shared about everything that happens in this book. I have seen that there will be a companion book out next year, and I cannot wait for that. Hoping these characters might be in it too. Fingers crossed. Either way, I'm going to read and love it. I'm so happy with how much I loved this book. And I think that all of you will love it too. You must read it.

This book reminded me a lot of Beyond a Darkened Shore, which was also a book that I enjoyed a whole lot. But though they were similar, they were also really different. Which I'm happy about. Also just happy to love them both, so yay for that. Both are books worth reading. And oh, how I am glad that I read Sky in the Deep. It was all I had hoped that it would be and so much more. Such a stunning story and amazing characters. I couldn't get enough of this story. Huge thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley approval.

4.5 stars for Sky in the Deep

A thoroughly entertaining, young adult book! Like many readers, I was able to read this in one sitting because the action was nonstop.

Set in a world not unlike our own Scandinavia, the plot follows Aska warrior, Eelyn, as she and her clan battle the Riki, an enemy as a result of a centuries old blood feud. Eelyn's world is turned upside down when she discovers her long-dead brother fighting alongside the Riki. In her pursuit of the truth, she is captured and enslaved by the people she has been brought up to despise.

Eelyn begrudgingly accepts her plight until the snow thaws but she doesn't expect to find love, family and forgiveness for her brother. Effectively melting her frozen, battle-hardened heart. And in the end the two warring clans must make peace or be slaughtered by a greater enemy.

There is never a dull moment in this book and while romance is a part of the narrative it does not dominate. So if you are in the mood for badass Viking women, battlefields and a bit of romance, don't hesitate!

Nothing I say to start his review will stand up against the beginning of this novel because wow there was no room for introductions or anything else that usually leads a book, instead we are thrown right into battle and shown exactly what kind of story this was was, one filled with love, loyalty, loss and what happens when enemies have to join together to defeat someone far worse than the history between each other.

‘Sky in the Deep’ is one of those books that plays both sides really well where on one hand you understand the fierceness of the Aska, their god and the motivations behind what they do, and like our main character we are shown over the course of this book that things really aren’t all that different with her people and their traditions, struggles and pain match that of the Riki and it’s what you choose to do with that knowledge and understanding that determines who you are.

I loved Eelyn she was badass from start to finish and she’s one of those rare heroines where they are take no shit fighters from the start instead of being thrown into a world or conflict where they have to rise to the occasion over the course of the novel. She’s smart and scrappy and determined to honor her people and watching her go through this journey where she often battered and bruised she never had a moment where it was beneath her to show emotion as it was love more than anything drove her to fight.

The one thing that didn’t really work for me and I’m sure I’m in the minority but I just didn’t care for the romance aspect. I don’t know if it’s because it’s almost too background to be something memorable, or if I just felt a stronger connection to her trying to worth through and rebuild a relationship with her brother. I feel like that dynamic alone would have been strong enough to play on the idea of seeing something more within the enemy than just bloodshed but again the critique is probably just held by me so it’s not too big of a deal.

This is a strong book that I’m sad isn’t a series because I would have liked to explore more aspects of the world and the characters more, but as it stands it’s definitely one worth remembering.

**thank you to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

This... this... WOW. This was SO good. I saw so many great reviews before I dove into this, so I couldn't wait longer than ... 2 minutes? before starting to read my digital ARC after learning I'd been accepted for one. I blew through this. I was reading it every second I could. And now that it's over, I am so sad that there isn't a planned sequel. Pleaaaaaaase?

I received an advanced ebook copy of SKY IN THE DEEP from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

MY THREE FAVORITE THINGS
• The romance is a slow build, but a good build. This is how enemies-to-lovers is supposed to go. I loved Fiske's character in general – he was very stiff, quiet, reserved, but the way he slowly opened himself to Eelyn was beautiful and well-done by Adrienne Young.
• Eelyn is SO fierce. I usually take serious issue with characters like Eelyn because they seem a little soulless, but she very much has a soul, and her conflict within herself as she tries to decide if her honor is more important than her life throughout the beginning of the book is SO good. She is unlike any other "badass character" I have ever read.
• The worldbuilding and storyline is SO unique from what I have read in the young adult genre. I have never read a Viking YA story, to begin with, and the blend of historical fiction and fantasy was perfect.

Usually, I go into the things I didn't like next... but nothing comes to mind. I wish there had been MORE romance between Eelyn and Fiske, and I hope there is a sequel? Do those count as complaints?

THIS WAS GREAT. Eelyn was an amazing character! I loved her, Iri, Myra, Fiske, I just loved all of them. There was lots of action and it was so well written. My favorite book so far this year!

100% pure Viking awesomeness and a crapload of feels. SO GOOD.

I'll be honest. When I first saw the cover, I was a little worried about connecting to the heroine. I LOVE badass girls, don't get me wrong, but it seems every book is throwing us a hard heroine who wants to cut down a bunch of people and not apologize for it. Great - those stories can be fun, but often I find myself having a hard time rooting for them unless their character arc is extremely compelling. I'm particularly drawn to characters who find other means of strength and power that isn't in the form of slicing people up and being super mean, lol.

I shouldn't have been worried. This book blew my every expectation out of the water.

In fact, I connected so deeply with Eelyn - even within the first few pages. For me, that's rare. I loved everything about her.

Eelyn is a warrior who has lost her mother and her brother due to wars with rival clans. In fact, her clan (Aska) has a standing battle with the opposing Riki clan every five years - and it was that battle that claimed her brother's life. At the beginning of the book, we're thrown right into that battle five years after she lost him. And despite kicking major ass, she finds herself face to face with a Riki warrior who injures her - except, something stops her from killing him, and she could have sworn it was her brother.

Yep, she actually sees him, despite thinking he was dead for the past five years. And he was fighting against Aska, her clan - which he would NEVER do. It leaves her wondering whether or not she hallucinated him.

I won't spoil anything else, so I'll just say what happens next results in Eelyn ending up in the hands of the rival clan. Go in blind if you can. I didn't even read the blurb before I dove in, and it made every page a mystery as to what would happen next.

I really can't rave enough. The prose was gorgeous, and Adrienne Young has a way of taking hold of your heart with her use of language. I'm just in awe.

As usual, I'll leave you with a list of reasons you should snag this book:

-Epic battle scenes
-Vikings. Are. So. Cool. I mean, cmon. Clan wars? Yes, please.
-You'll find yourself attached to EVERY CHARACTER
-Emotional friendships
-Fantastic worldbuilding & perfect pacing
-All the feels.
-Yes, there's a perfect smidge of romance that doesn't detract from the story - it enhances it.
-And that romance may or may not be enemies-to-lovers - the best trope ever.
-Eelyn is the type of heroine we need more of in literature

So, my point is - read this book, and help me to convince Adrienne to write us another thousand books!

***A special thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with a gorgeous physical copy in exchange for an honest review!

Let me just say... I LOVE THIS BOOK! I was immediately drawn in by the fact that it was about the equivalent of a female Viking but it is so much more than that!

Eeyln's clan, the Aska, must battle a neighboring clan, the Riki, every 5 years because their gods are enemies. Eeyln sees something on the battlefield that haunts her and makes her wonder just what exactly happened to her brother, who she saw die five years ago. This story has so many layers to unfold and I loved every minute of it. Eeyln does not fall victim to the general "badass female protagonist" pitfalls. She balances physical strength, and mental strength, without ever forgetting love or forgiveness. This story deals with loss, family relationships, female friendship, found families, war, casualties of war, and love. I will say there are a few graphic descriptions of violence so if you can stomach that and think this book might appeal to you, please give it a read!! I cannot wait to buy it once it comes out in stores!!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I definitely agree with this 4.71 rating for Sky in the Deep. It was SO good. I loved the female warriors and the clans Adrienne Young created. Such greats lessons about enemies becoming friends and finding the good in people. Definitely give it a try when it comes in April! You won’t be disappointed.

Wow.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Sky in the Deep, I immediately knew I needed to read as soon as possible. I’m not much for standalone novels, mostly because I feel like there could be more, and I grow really attached to characters and love to see what they getbup to after the book.

This was the case, unsurprisingly, when I finished Sky in the Deep about 30 minutes ago. The ending, although perfect, did leave me wondering if there would be a sequel or spinoff – I would love to know more about other characters lives either set during or after the book.

I loved the authenticity of war and battle and the descriptions of it had a very lifelike quality to them, with vivid imagery that had me enthralled from the get-go. Young describes battle in such a way that it’s just as intense as the more relationship focused scenes. The exploration of relationships throughout this book had me clutching my phone with emotion – Evelyn is, of course, the main character with relationships with other characters but I definitely enjoyed the relationship between Inge and the boys, and Fiske and Iri.

I did get to points in the story where I saw how much left I had to read and knew so much more needed to happen, but wondered how it would all happen. I thought it would feel rushed, with unfinished characters arcs and loosely tied ends but it did nothing of that sort at all. In fact, as I read the last few pages, I took note that the entire book had been balanced in such a way that held the building of bonds and importance of culture stood out more than the revenge and feuds of history.

Adrienne Young, for a debut novel, you hit it out of the park!

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for new honest review.

I received an ARC of Sky in the Deep from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not change my review in any way.

Sky in the Deep follows Eelyn a warrior girl that has lost her brother Iri in a past battle. He's been gone for years and she has come to terms with life without him. Then her Aska clansmen meet the Riki on the battlefield and life as Eelyn knows it.

There were so many things in this book I enjoyed. Eelyn our main character goes through so much in this book. She gets torn down only to build herself back up again. She loses everything and survives. Everything she knows changes. And she has so much strength in her. I felt so much in this book, I cried, I became furious for Eelyn, I was happy when Eelyn was happy. The author did such a great job making me feel for the characters and fall in love with every single main character. I loved the relationships that were built between characters and how much each individual character grew throughout the book.

The battles we read in this book are full of action and blood. The author wasn't afraid to cause some gruesome wounds and describe injuries in detail (without being too descriptive of course). There are multiple different fighting style since each character has their own preferred methods. So often I feel like authors just choose one weapon or fighting style but we have fighting with swords, dualwielding and etc.

I'm not 100% how historically accurate any of this would have been compared to the Viking era, but you can tell the author put her research in.

Upon finishing Sky in the Deep I tried to pick it apart since I feel like I rate too generously. The problem was there was not much that I could pick apart. There was one thing and it was just a teeny tiny itty bitty annoyance. My tiny grievance was that I wasn't 100% sure on the amount of time that passed during this book. How long Eelyn's wounds suggested days to MAYBE weeks, but the story begins before the freeze bit at one point we read that the weather is starting to get warmer already. That is the ONLY thing that bugged me and I really had to think to come up with it!

After finishing Sky in the Deep the only other grievance I could think of was that it was over and I already missed the characters.

If you were on the fence about reading this or adding it to your TBRs please just add it. And if you have a chance at an early copy, take it.

I literally don’t even know what to say right now. Sky in the Deep just absolutely blew me away! I had heard from some trusted friends how amazing it was but I still wasn’t expecting to fall in love with it the way I did.
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Eelyn, our MC, was the most badass character in the history of badass characters! I’m in awe of her strength! It seemed like no matter how many times or how hard she got knocked down, she came back up swinging. She had ironclad loyalty for her clan and a will of steel. She didn’t back down, she could look death in the eye without blinking and I loved that about her.
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Fiske, oh how I loved Fiske. Like Eelyn, he is also a complete badass! It took me a while to warm up to him, but in the end he had my heart. He was just so strong, loyal and completely unwavering in his belief of doing what’s right.
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Sky in the Deep is an action packed, gory Viking story that I imagine will be very widely loved! I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with these characters.

Link to blog that will be active on 04/10/2018 below!

Synopsis:

A lush, Viking-age inspired fantasy about loyalty, forgiveness, and the definition of family.

Seventeen-year-old Eelyn’s world is war. Raised to fight alongside her Aska clansmen in a generations-old blood feud against the Riki, 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 if she wants to make it back to the fjord after the thaw. But when she begins to see herself in the people she's been taught to hate, the world Eelyn once knew begins to crumble. And after the village is raided by a ruthless clan many believe to be a myth, Eelyn is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend who has tried more than once to kill her. Together, they must end the blood feud between their clans or watch their people be slaughtered.

Review:

I was luckily given an eARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review. So, as it will always be, this review is 100% my honest opinion. 

In general, I found this book to be very insightful. Now, here me out... It's about finding out that someone who you think is very different is actually not that different from you. And then with this new revolution, finding a way to work together and live in peace. Doesn't that sound like something that everyone could apply to their life... especially in today's world??! I think so, and I found it so refreshing.

I also, got MAJOR grounder vibes from the 100 (that may also be due to the fact that I restarted watching the show haha)!!! That isn't a bad thing though!!! I absolutely love the viking/warrior vibe.

Let's start by talking about the overall plot!

I love the whole concept of vikings and clans and how the religions of both the clans control how they see each other. I thought the religious aspect was very interesting. I don't want to give away too much, but here is the basic structure of the clans and their religion. The Aska (which is the clan that the main character, Eelyn, is from) follow and worship the god Sigr. The Riki (the Aska's opposing clan) follow and worship the goddess Thora. Every five years these opposing clans find themselves at war in honor of their deity.

The main driving force for this book is the hatred that the Aska and the Riki have for one another. I was so addicted and found myself wanting more of the Aska and Riki way of life, specifically more about the myths regarding their god and goddess.

And I could NOT get enough of badass warrior/viking women (Myra, Eelyn, Riki warriors, the Tala, etc). I loved it all.

Let's talk about the characters:

I think every single one of the characters were set up so beautifully. Each were dynamic, complicated, and easy to love.

My favorite character(s) by far had to be either Halvard or Eelyn.

Eelyn is loyal, fierce, clever, and determined. She is loyal to her family, her clan, and her friends. She overcomes beating after beating after beating in the first couple of chapters, yet is still ferocious and is able to grow as a character. I mean seriously... talk about CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

Speaking of character development, let's talk about Fiske. Fiske is the definition of an enemy when the book begins, but after you're thrust into his world and you get to see him interact with his family (Inge, Halvard, Iri, Runa, etc) you can't help but love him. He is honorable and empathetic towards others which I find admirable in a character. Especially one that is supposed to be ruthless and cruel. (He reminds me a lot of Lincoln from the 100.... I know!! Another the 100 reference haha)

Also, I want Myra to be my best friend.

Overall:

Young's writing style draws you into the story and makes you feel as though you are in the story. The intense action scenes, surprising passionate romance, and beautiful characters made this book hard to put down. Sometimes the fighting scenes were difficult to keep track of, but I didn't mind rereading a couple paragraphs because I loved the book so much anyways.

As I was reading the book I was hoping that Young would continue this story or at least this world through multiple books, however, the ending wrapped everything up BEAUTIFULLY for the characters and the world that the book is set in. I don't want anyone to touch this book because the characters got exactly what they deserved/wanted/needed and I COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE!!!

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars and nothing less!!

It has been several days since I read Sky in the Deep and I'm still wandering around in a smoky fog trying to gather my thoughts. This novel is the first ARC I have ever requested from a publisher and I was blessed/lucky enough to receive an e-ARC from Brittani at St. Martin's Press. Thank you SO much for trusting me!
This was my first read for 2018 and let me be completely honest when I say, Sky in the Deep is an amazing/brilliant/gorgeous debut novel from Adrienne Young. (Hey! We share a first name! This may have been partly what drew me to request this book, but there's no telling.) Young is a talented writer and this is not said lightly. I am incredibly picky when it comes to the books I read and own, but I could not put this down. Her writing slides oh so comfortably into the lyrical, despite the gruesome topics of war and bloodshed rife in her novel. I hungrily devoured it in a few hours after receiving it, determined to know Eelyn's fate despite my early morning alarm. I found myself rereading passages wanting to relish the beautiful and brutal prose of this Viking world Young has created. I never do this. (As in never ever.)

Sky in the Deep is not your typical YA fantasy read and honestly, I probably wouldn't read it if it was. Our main character is fierce, loyal, calculating, and smart! (Oh gosh, I love her so much.) She is broken, but inherently strong, always evolving with her circumstances. There isn't the tried and tired love triangle trope, no excessive vulgar scenes, and it's worth noting, no cursing. (This is a rant for another day, but just know, I am SO excited there's not random curse words ruining this novel.) This is not a pretty princess story, instead it's violent, heart-rending, and full of sorrow.

Sky in the Deep is not just a novel about Vikings, but rather, a poignant and prolific narrative on how we are connected.

Friendship. Sibling. Mother. Enemy. Brother. Father. Child. Sister.

I honestly don't know if I can put down in words how I feel about this novel with its rich descriptive war scenes that give way to tender heart break, tempting me to shave the side of my head and learn to throw an ax, while also reminding me of the time when my hatred turned to love. I do however, know this is one of my favourite novels I've ever read and I plan to reread it time and time again. (Fun fact, I almost started it over again right after I finished it.) I implore everyone to read this come April 2018 because I honestly need someone to obsess with. PLEASE.

(This is not given haphazardly. I have rated literally only three other books 5/5 on Goodreads. I am in LOVE.)

Adrienne Young is brilliant and I cannot wait to have the physical book IN my hands and I look forward to reading so much more from her!

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.

Young's tale of a fierce Viking girl named Eelyn who faces the challenge of her only brother's betrayal, really got to me. The reader follows the headstrong and skilled Eelyn as she grapples with the reality of a brother who she swore was dead, and the reality of years of separation. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of this story, and the care Young took in exploring their grief and transitions through life after losing (or believing they've lost) a member of their family, and emotional ramifications of learning that the things you believed to be true, aren't always.

I'm not sure if this story is a standalone or the beginning of a series. Either way, I'm excited to see what Ms. Young has in store for YA readers in the next few years.