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.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. It's such a great read.

Eelyn is an Aska, and her clan is in a feud with the Riki. Five years ago she witnesses her brother's death during a battle with the Riki...or so she thought. During a fight against the Riki Eelyn spots her brother wearing Riki armor, and follows him though the battlefield. Eelyn is taken captive by the Riki and made a dyr. She also has to wait until Winter to try to make her escape.

This book was brutal. Eelyn is such a badass MC. The relationships between the characters are well developed and I loved how the romance was quietly simmering in background throughout the book.

The writing was beautiful. The setting and descriptions captivated me. I also appreciated that this was a stand-alone book. I find myself dreading to start a new series because then I have to finish all of the books in the series before reading a different one.

Overall, this is definitely a must-read!

SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ok, I had some trouble rating this book. I wasn't sure if I wanted to give it 3 or 4 stars. I mean, I loved the book. Absolutely loved it. It's dark and heart wrenching and brutal and magnificent. I guess maybe a high 3.5 then?
See- there is a major plot hole that I am having some trouble with.
So, long story short, our MC is a member of a clan that goes to battle with another clan every 5 years. And 5 years ago she saw her brother die in front of her eyes. But then as we start the story, the brother she thought died is actually on the battlefield fighting for the other side.
Well, as it turns out- her brother didn't die and was actually saved by the other clan, which then took him in and he found a new family there so he decided to stay.
Okay- I can accept this.
However, what I am having trouble believing is the notion that then he would return to kill members form his former clan. His friends and family members that he grew up with. I mean, his whole point that he makes clear throughout the book is "they're just like us, we're the same." He's supposedly not holding any huge grudge or hatred towards his former clan. And I understand that they are a fighting people, but I simply don't see any of this as a strong enough reason for him to turn around and 5 years later kill the people he grew up with.
I thought this was a major hole in the story and I would have liked to see this addressed in some way. Perhaps he went to defend his new soul brother, but didn't actually kill anyone? Maybe he's really just enraged at his former clan for leaving him to die? Maybe he was on the field as a healer and he has retired from fighting (although i doubt that's allowed as he's able to fight)?
In any case, I thought this was a significant plot hole and I struggled with this book at first because of that. However, once I let that kind of sit on the back burner, I found myself really enjoying this book. There's a lot more happening under the surface and the emotional turmoil the characters (all of them) go through is excruciating, in the best possible way.
This easily would have been a 5 star read had it not been for the above issue I had.

I was all about the freaking axes! I thought this book was really good! The action was great, romance was good, and the ending was perfect. I really hope this is a stand alone!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is about a young warrior who finds out that her dead brother is alive and living with the enemy. When she is captured by him and his friend, they take her to their village and make her a a slave, in order to protect her identity.
This was my first book by this author,  I enjoyed it, It was fast paced for the most part but at times it felt slow and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 4.5 star rating!

4.5 Stars

I will begin this review by saying that I read this book in one sitting, no dinner cooked, no homework done, no sleep gotten. So, be prepared when you open this novel up to be completely useless for 4 – 5 hours. Sky in the Deep completely blew me away.

Sky in the Deep is a novel about a young warrior who finds out that her dead brother is alive and living with the enemy. When she is captured by him and his friend, they take her to their village and make her a dyr (a slave), in order to protect her identity. It is a book of self discovery, understanding, love, family and conflict. Young is clearly a very talented writer who can delve deep into the human psyche in what seems like a very simple, clear way. Her writing is not complex, it is fast paced, to the point and concise. However, every word carries a meaning, every glance a deeper thought, ever action means something.

I absolutely adored the book. If you are looking for a good read, full of emotions, self discovery, strong female characters, love and fights – read this book! You will love it!

This book is YA Vikings.

It is brutal.

It is violent.

It is unflinching.

And I loved every second of it.

From the very first pages, you get a very clear understanding that there will be no holding back in terms of the warring families.

”Vegr Yfir Fjor.”

Honor Before Life is the Aska way and Eelyn is part of the Aska clan. Her father is leader and she stands alongside him and the other clan members each fighting season when the Aska and Riki find themselves at war.

Five years ago she watched her brother die during the battles, but she sees the impossible…. Iri fighting against his own people wearing the battle colors of the Riki. It can’t be true and her father is sure it’s just his spirit blessing her with his presence, but when she sees him again at the next battle, she can’t resist following to make sure.

Eelyn finds herself trapped though and taken captive by the Riki who is fighting with her brother, Fiske and made a dyr… and with winter forcing her to endure the season in the Riki village and the betrayal of her brother, as a slave, she’s determined to get back to her father and forget the brother who has forgotten her and the family he should be fighting for.

I absolutely love complicated characters and this book has them in spades. From Eelyn to Fiske, from Iri to Inge and Myra I just loved getting to know them all and see their growth from beginning to end. Seeing the hate and anger between the warring clans at the beginning and fighting a fight that almost seems to be happening just because it always has, to the point when they realize they finally have a common enemy and the realizations along the way that though they may pray to different gods, they actually have very few differences was just amazing. Eelyn is fierce and strong and clever and Fiske is … Fiske comes across as the strong silent type. He watches, he learns… and he kicks ass when he needs to.

I loved Young’s writing style. With intense action scenes and lush, beautiful prose, she had me turning pages until I was forced to stop. The romance will sneak up on you in the best of ways and it is lovely, and sweet and just perfection.

Ultimately this is a story about family and loyalty and forgiveness and you will be knocked off your feet at how incredibly Adrienne Young tells it.

I can’t wait to see what she writes next!