A richly woven story of vikings, war, and Gods of old. Tova as a child, is saved by a Svell clansman when the boat she was in came ashore through the fog. Marked as a rune caster with tattoos of the Kyrr tribe, she lives with the hatred of the foster tribe. Halvard and Tova's lives have been thrown together as war descends on the surrounding clans. Although a little slow, the story was gripping and emotional. I would recommend this to all ages. Having not read the first novel by Ms. Young, this read as a great standalone in this world. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young is poignant and beautiful.. I loved every moment.

Some pieces of this story tugged me down into dreamland when I read it at night, which I'd never thought would be a compliment about a book, but it's not that it was boring, (it wasn't), but Adrienne's cadence as she's writing. There are places where the sentences are so lovely, so smooth-edged, that they were like a lullaby.

Of course, the story isn't a gentle one. It's a tale of warriors and bloodshed, but there's also a strand of tenderness woven through it that was lovely, and even comforting . It's a different story than Sky In the Deep (a favorite of mine, by the way) but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to fans of Adrienne's heart-tugging, emotionally-gripping writing.

Also parts of the book gave me intense Muse of Nightmares vibes, and I feel like fans of that duology would enjoy this. It was absolutely a five star read.

(Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this ebook.)



{ St. Martin’s Press -- Per your stated preferences post your review no earlier than 30 days before the book goes on sale, I will post this review on my blog and Goodreads, and share in my caption with a styled image on Instagram on August 4th. Thank you for the opportunity to read it. }

Ooh this was so good! I loved the first book and this was a great sequel. The back and forth between Tova and Halvard, plus the flashbacks really moved the story along and made it easy to read this all in one sitting. The way the relationship between Tova and Halvard unfolded was unique, just these small moments that meant so much. I enjoyed the mystical aspects of the truth tongue, casting the stones, and fate. We also got some glimpses of the characters from Sky in the Deep which made me happy!
Great book!

The Girl The Sea Gave back is a great edition to the Sky in the Deep world.

I loved Sky in the Deep and was happy that this novel revisited many of the same characters years later while it did well to developed a new story, characters and kept things interesting. I especially loved that this book focused on Halvard since he was one of my favorites. Tova and the Svell were an intriguing addition to the world and I wanted to keep learning more about them. The action in this book was just as great as the first novel. There was treachery, fighting, and a fast paced and entertaining storyline. However, the romantic relationship in this book didn’t work as well for me as the one in the first novel. I just couldn’t connect with the characters as a couple but I did love them as individuals so overall found this to be a great read.

After falling in love with Sky in the Deep, I went into this book expecting to love it, and I’m so happy that I did!

I’m not going to lie, it took me a bit to get into it but after the 20% mark, I flew through it. Everything got so intense and there were several parts that hit me right in the feels.

Definitely pick this book up when it releases!

I don't know if I should have read Sky in the Deep before attempting to read The Girl the Sea Gave Back or not. I was under the impression that it was a companion novel that I could read alone. I dnfed very early in the book so I don't know if it gets better or not. To be honest, I had forgotten I *wished* for this book because it's been awhile but thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read it.

I absolutely loved a Sky in the Deep and was super excited for a Girl the Sea Gave Back. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I would categorize this as not something I liked, or disliked.

I love Adrienne's writing style, and her world building in this viking world is wonderful. I felt that this book lacked in a few areas that kept this from being more than a three star book for me taste. I felt like there need to be more backstory in regards to the cultures of the people rather than in Tova and Hallavard's lives (the all seer? the spinners? more more more).. I found T & H's flashbacks to be unnecessary as the information had already been given to the reader. I also don't know why I didn't find the main conflict pushing the plot forward to be believable. The layout of the plot was very similar to a Sky in the Deep, and I found myself not being very invested in what happened next.I felt that this book had a stronger beginning than it did an ending. For so much drama leading up to the final battle, everything ended smoothly and the resolution to the major mystery, to me, didn't match the severity of the stakes that Tova held during her journey. I was happy she was able to get her happy ending when her family showed up and all was made clear. I just don't know if that plot line was integrated well enough into the full plot of the story. Honestly, I think I need to read this again when it's in print for a better experience.

Also. The romance? Very forced. It was almost like it was thrown in at the end to satisfy a check box. It didn't need to be there at all, or it could have been a more focused on part in the plot. But I didn't feel the connection between them that the author was trying to express. I do see what she was trying to accomplish, but I don't know if this romance was successful.

I did enjoy reading this book (mostly for Tova she's a bad ass) but in many ways I feel like this story still needs some more work. And while I loved hearing about the characters from A Sky in the Deep, they didn't have the dimension they had in the last book.

This book is absolutely incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed this! I was thrilled to be able to dive back into the world that the author has created and I highly recommend this book to everyone!

This novel continues after the first novel, but it is several years later with a new threat. Things have changed since two enemy tribes set aside their hatred and fought together against a worse enemy. Some old characters reappear along with new faces. The story is told from the points of view of Tova and Halvard, both finding themselves in positions they do not want. To a does not understand why she was abandoned by her family, but the Svell use her for her Truthtongue abilities even though they fear her. Tova reads the stones, to which those interpret her words differently than what their true meaning is. Halvard needs to lead his people, and feels deeply, believing he is not worthy. Yet he fights to the end and tries to understand why he keeps seeing Tova. Tova and Halvard’s destinies are intertwined with each other, both playing a critical role in the war that is just beginning. Tova will learn the truth of who she is and what she needs to do for the future is not written in stone.

When Tova is saved by the Svell's Tala, Jorrund, she becomes their key to peek at the future. Tora is a Truthtongue and has the marks on her body to prove it. As a Truthtongue, she spins the stones and reads the runes to see what fate has planned. With conflicting feelings among the leaders of the Svell, Tova feels more and more out of place. Should they start a war with the Nadhir or come together in peace?

Halvard, a warrior for the Nadhir, has known peace for the last ten years. His brother Fiske hopes the best for their future, but war is easy. The Aska and Riki clans have come together as one, but the Svell push against their borders, just as the Herjas did before them. When Halvard first meets Tova, it's in the worst way possible, but a connection burns to life between them. Fate has a strange way of weaving its threads and Tova has a huge decision to make when push comes to shove.

It was hard to write this review without giving any spoilers because it is so amazing. I was so happy to see that Adrienne Young was adding on to the SKY IN THE DEEP world and she didn't disappoint. I love the alternating point of views between Halvard and Tova and love how everything that's led up to the end comes together. Fiske, Iri, and Eelyn's appearances in it had me even more excited. This was a book that I couldn't put down and I'm so thankful to have received an ARC for it. Just like with SKY IN THE DEEP, THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK is a story that stays with you even after you've finished.


Final Verdict: Fans of Sky in the Deep won't want to miss this spin-off. I would recommend it to fans of fantasy, fate's design, vikings, action, discovering who you are, and mythology.

I was truly excited when I received this ebook to read through netgalley! However it unfortunately didn't turn out at all as I had anticipated sadly. I felt that the first 5 chapters were jumbled the characters ran together I had to keep rereading and going over paragraphs or chapters just to put pieces together! it felt like more work trying to figure out characters or what was going on rather than it being a smooth read that I usually like! The book just felt disorganized and I had to DNF by chapter 6! the point of the book sounds great but it needs a lot of work and the cover was awesome I would tell the author defiantly never change the cover!

Sky in the Deep, was a book I liked, but had a problem connecting with in the beginning. This was not the case with The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back, is set in the same world as Sky in the Deep, 10 years in the future. It follows the story, of Halvard, a young man that grew up in peace, and Tova, a girl blessed by the gods, raised in fear. From the moment, I read the first chapter/ prologue, I was hooked. It's not a sequel to the first book, but If you have read Sky in the Deep, you can appreciate more the development of the world, mythology and characters. I loved that we meet new clans with different customs, practices, morals and approach to religion. Furthermore, the fact that we meet again some old characters and the new dynamics between them, was very interesting.

The writing was beautiful, with dark mystical vibes, and I love how Adrienne Young make me picture the world and the characters, so clearly in my mind. The end, was one of the best parts, especially the final battle and the events after it. My only problem was the romance between our main characters. Even though it feels very strong, I can't help wishing more scenes between them, and honestly, the book was quick and easy to read and a few more scenes with Tova and Halvard, couldn't hurt it.

In general, I love this world and I think I would like one more book, maybe set in the past and with new characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-arc, in exchange for my honest review.

Not having read Sky in the Deep, I came to The Girl the Sea Gave Back with no expectations. However, the book really didn't work for me. I read all the way through, but I was bored from start to finish. The concept of the story sounded good in the blurb, but the world building was underwhelming, the timeline felt disjointed, and I didn't connect with any of the characters enough to care about what was happening to them. The romance element, too, felt lacklustre and devoid of depth. There was nothing wrong with the prose per se; the book simply failed to grab me in any meaningful way. I imagine this is going to be a tale that really divides readers, with people either loving it or hating it, with little middle ground. I wish I could have liked it more, as it contained many elements that appealed. They just didn't come together for me as a reader.

(My review will go live on 13 August at the blog link provided.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, was so very excited to read this!

Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me I found myself struggling to keep up with who was who.

I wasn't fully invested in any character until 30% thru the book, and then somewhere about 80% of the way thru I realized I was nearing the end and just then clear on who was who and why I should care.

Loved the concept, but sadly didn't end up loving the book (and I so badly wanted to).

A few highlights:
-women kicking butt with all sorts of weaponry
-mythology galore, the world building was solid
-The cover is fantastic love the artwork for this!

I wish I loved it!

Washed ashore in a half-burned boat, Tova was adopted (enslaved?) into the Svell tribe as a young child. She knows next to nothing about her birth tribe, the Kyrr, or the mysterious black symbols tattooed across her white skin. What she does know, however, is that she has the gift of casting the stones, and her role as TruthTongue is to inform the increasingly hostile Svell chieftain what future the Spinners have ordained. When the Svell make a raid on a neighboring tribe, the Nadhir, Tova feels the guilt of having caused this slaughter and searches desperately for a way to atone.

A young boy during the feud of the Riki and the Aska, Halvard has grown to manhood with the two clans united under their new name, the Nadhir. Doubtful of his own abilities, Halvard finds himself forced by circumstance to take up the mantle of chieftain to lead his people against the huge army of Svell determined to exterminate their villages. When a mysterious Kyrr girl offers her help, Halvard must decide whether to trust her and her gift.

This book is a sequel of sorts to Sky in the Deep, and the events occur ten years after. I truly enjoyed the first book, but this book was really difficult for me to get into. At the beginning, there were so many names and characters introduced all in a clump that I had trouble orienting myself. Throughout the book, Tova's beliefs seemed to shift back and forth--are the revelations of the Spinners inalterable, or are we the masters of our fate?--which made it difficult to empathize with her guilt over the events that followed the casting of the stones. After all, if fate can be changed, why stress about your predictions causing anything? Halvard's selection as chieftain of the Nadhir was a little confusing as well--I found myself agreeing with his own assessment of his abilities and bewildered as to why he would have been chosen. 

The structure of the book was interesting, with many flashback sections to gradually reveal the history of Tova and Halvard's lives. While the prose did have some truly luminous sections, there were also portions that dragged interminably, and towards the last third of the book, I found myself skimming portions (which I rarely do). The constant descriptions of violence did little to advance the plot and became fairly wearisome. The cover is this book is absolutely gorgeous, but the book itself didn't quite live up to my expectations. 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will be spoiler-free and remain unaffected by the free copy.

As I mentioned, I heard this was a continuation of Sky in the Deep. While it does reference things that happened in the other book, I don't think it's a necessity to read it in order to understand what's going on. The narrators and the subtext explain everything pretty well. I did end up liking this better than the other book, mainly because this one felt like it always had forward momentum. In Sky, there was a lot of nothing happening while Eelyn was in the Riki camp; in this book, Tova and Halvard are always moving forward with their stories. With actual literal movement as they go from one location to another. They're growing as people, suffering losses, questioning things, stuff like that.

Yet even with having a more forward momentum for the characters, I feel like this book has a lot of wasted potential. There's a lot of emphasis on fate and destiny that could've been explored a lot more than it was. The characters talk about fates being written on a tree (like Yggdrasil) and the Spinners (the Fates) and Tova sees the future, but it's not really analyzed that much-- it's basically just accepted. The gods and the Spinners are portrayed as real entities that have actual control over people. And sure that's probably just because of the culture, but I still wish more was done because it would've made Tova's side of the story much more interesting.

Halvard's side of the story was a nice coming-of-age, but again, I feel like more could've been done with him. I don't want to go into much detail and spoil things, but one decision about him didn't make much sense. This could be another culture thing that I can't relate with, but him being very inexperienced and untrained when the decision is made just strikes me as very odd. I would've loved to see him learn how to be in the role his people wanted to give him-- or at least have to work for it. I would've also loved seeing more of him with his family.

One criticism I have is more on the technical side of things. Every now and then the story gives us a flashback. I hope that the published book gives more of a divide between Tova and Halvard's sections, because the way it happened in the ARC is not very clear and I had to go back and read sentences again. It would start out with Tova, for example, and then switch to Halvard. There was a heading giving a location change that clues the reader in, but it needs to have more space between the characters and maybe even put the locations in bold to better distinguish one from the other.

I'm so glad that there really is no romance in this book. The narrative suggests a connection between them, and honestly the excuse for why Tova is fascinated by Halvard is both sad and stupid, but "romance" doesn't really play a part in things. Honestly, the book could've played the same and would've even been better without that connection added in. The fight scenes were great and there was brutality in the world; it just managed to not be too graphic about it.

The ending is pretty open-ended, which I don't personally mind as it leaves it up to the readers to decide what happens next. But I can imagine some people being upset and expecting a third book to tie up loose ends. Overall, though, I liked it. It was a lot of character growth, which suits my personal taste, but still has a lot of wasted potential that could've made it even better.

DNFed at 32%, I think this book series is just not for me. I'm really into the concept but not the execution

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is really great as I expected it to be. I loved returning to the world of "Sky in the Deep", in order to meet again some characters and discover their future. Even more, I loved to meet new characters.
The story of Tova is touching, her path is important and I liked her very much as the main protagonist.
Halvard is also a great character, I was so happy to see him again and e ead about him!
Their stories will unite in a very original way, joining also the northern mythology and the history of the north.
If you love norse mythology and history, this is the book for you!
Beautifully written, it makes you live every battle and war. The reader sees what the protagonists see, feels e hat they feel. It’s just really beautiful!

I really loved Sky in the Deep, but had a very hard time finding a connection in this book. The writing style is almost lyrical, but there was zero connection to the characters and it just didn't hold my attention.

This book is a stand alone novel although it does invite a character from the authors debut novel. It was a pretty medium paced read, the plot was simple and the characters are mostly likable. I would recommend you read this book as well as the authors previous one.