For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell. The Svell found her washed ashore, and ever since, they have used her for her gift as a Truthtongue. She has no memory of her past, but the markings on her skin tell a story and mark her as one who can cast rune stones to read the future. The Svell people fear her because of her gifts, and her place among them is fragile. When two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, everything is at the risk of collapse. When Tova cast the runes to predict the future, she sets into motion a series of events that will change everything.

I really loved Sky in the Deep when I read it – it was epic, exciting, and adventurous with characters I adored and a swoon-worthy romance. Unfortunately The Girl The Sea Gave Back just didn’t manage to beat the expectations the first novel set. I didn’t enjoy the characters or their dynamics as much, and it wasn’t as epic as I was hoping.

There is so much culture and history to explore in this world – such as the Kyrr who were SO interesting and I really would have loved to explore them a little bit more – but I felt The Girl The Sea Gave Back fell short exploring this world. The worldbuilding is definitely lacking.

The shifting perspectives was very jarring sometimes. I really do love multiple POV books BUT in this one a scene would play out in one characters perspective then the exact same scene would then be in the follow up chapter from the other characters perspective and while this is an interesting narrative style, it just didn’t work and most of the time, it made it a very repetitive read.

Unfortunately, the lack of interesting character dynamics, lack of tension, lack of world-building, and shifting perspectives made this a disappointing read. Her debut novel Sky in the Deep is definitely the stronger of the two.

This was okay, but definitely not a favorite read nor a book I will probably pick up again. Honestly, I found the romance a bit predictable and it lacked action. I do love the cover and think Adrienne Young is really talented. Oh! And I really enjoyed revisiting characters from the first book; it always makes me happy when see old favorites in new book.

I did not finish this book. I gave it a try and read a few chapters but just couldn't get into it. The concept seemed interesting and I would recommend it to readers who are into mythology but it didn't work for me.

I received a free copy of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one after it ended, as in I really liked the ending the best. I spent a good majority of the book wishing for more, or that I had spent time reviewing the events and clans from Sky in the Deep. By the end, I realized I didn't really need to go back. I would say I was a solid 3.5 star range but then the end turned it for me. I would recommend it. It's a pretty quick read, and while it is emotional and brutal, it wasn't a super deep or heavy feeling book to me.

-Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.-

Where do I begin? I haven’t written a review in so very long so I am pretty rusty.

So The Girl the Sea Gave Back was easily going to be a five-star rating for me, or so I thought. Sky in the Deep was probably my favorite fantasy from last year so I had high hopes for this one.

This story follows Tova and Halvard. Tova is new to the Viking story we love but Halvard is somewhat familiar because we hear of him in Sky in the Deep. I was expecting a lot of the same storyline from Tova and Halvard as we had from Fiske and Eelyn. But it wasn’t quite so.

There was a lot, a lot, a lot of war. That consumes 95% of the book. While it had a lot of detail my interest in the story kept getting pulled back. Hence why it has taken me two months to finish this. I still love the Vikings, their world, and history. It is very intriguing. But war, not so much.

I am a sucker for romance. While Sky in the Deep wasn’t a big romance book it had a lot of love hints here or there. Kind of a love to hate story. Actually that is exactly how it was. I am a sucker for that trope. Well, Tova and Halvard were more of the insta-love trope. That can be okay at times. In this story, it works but I was disappointed at the lack of romance. Very disappointed.

The world-building was great. The characters felt like home because of Sky in the Deep. That is why I am giving this a little higher of a rating than what my interest in the story actually was. Will, I read more of Adrienne’s Viking stories if there is anymore? Absolutely. She is a fabulous writer and knows how to write a good book.

This was such an enchanting read. SKY IN THE DEEP was one of my favorite reads of 2018 so when I heard the author was coming out with a companion I was more than thrilled! The author has a way of carving out a world for the reader. I went through the book fairly quickly just because I couldn't put the book down. I fell in love with the character of Halvard, he was definitely my favorite. I loved his kindness but also, his absolute dedication to his family. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. I loved how the author was able to wrap me in this atmosphere that she created, and make me care about the characters. I wanted to know what would happen in the end. The pacing was done well, and the reader could tell the writer was hitting all of the beats, it kept the story sharp and flowing. The stakes as well were high, the character development was so smooth. The writing fantastic. The author is doing a craft she was meant to do. The way she paints a scene and keeps the tension going is good.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was a bit difficult to get into in the beginning but once I got into the flow, the writing was lush and had good pace. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book. It had a good mix between action and plotting amongst the characters for what is to come.

I will say that this book was way too short. The ending felt abrupt and some other points in the novel needed some expansion. However, I do look forward to reading more from this author!

I really disliked reading this book. I was extremely disappointed with it because I loved the first book in this series, Sky in the Deep, and rated it 5 stars on Goodreads. But I had a very hard time getting through this book; I thought that the characters were less developed than in Sky in the Deep, even the characters who made a reappearance in this book. I had very high expectations for The Girl the Sea Gave Back, and it didn't meet any of them. However, I might try to reread it at a later time, and I'll definitely still read anything else the author writes.

I included THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK in a piece on Hypable titled: "10 badass female characters we loved in 2019's fantasy releases"

Here is the excerpt about THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK:
Adrienne Young’s sophomore novel The Girl the Sea Gave Back follows Tova, a girl who was thought to be dead, but was found by an enemy to her own people. She has the power to read runes and see into the future, but the men around her don’t listen. The epitome of what every woman has to go through almost daily: People around her discount what she sees, despite them knowing she’s proficient in her craft because she doesn’t lie and tell them what they want to hear.

Only, these are Vikings who are hellbent on killing their enemies. To them, it doesn’t matter how accurate her predictions are, or what the runes say is going to happen. Sometimes there’s nothing to do but watch the world burn around you, but other times… you have to fight for what you know is right, and that’s exactly what Tova does.

A quick YA novel set in the Viking world. I love the different clans and how they each have their own culture and gods that they worship. I think Young does a phenomenal job at creating an authentic atmosphere that allows the reader to feel immersed within the forest alongside her characters. One of my favorite things that Adrienne Young does in her novels, is activate all senses of the reader. She’s an expert at describing the senses. The smell of the villages, the feeling of the ocean, the vision of Halvard’s eyes. Her writing style is lovely & the characters are lovable. Gunther was definitely a favorite 🖤

It is always a win when the cover attracts you and makes you want to read it, and the text that is inside is just as well written/designed as the cover. It is often so hard to find a book with quality writing inside that coincides with quality artwork on the outside. I am SO excited to say this has become one of my favorite books that I have thus far read from NetGalley.

The writing that Young provides here in this book is exquisite and makes you want to cuddle the book to bed. She writes in a way that will attract even the most “bored” reader into the story, she provides you with sweet and tasty writing that throws you for a loop when you get into it. She doesn’t make history boring and brings it into the story in a way that doesn’t lead on that you ARE LEARNING. This is one of the toughest things that students go through with reading, when they know they’re learning they’ll often choose not to, when they don’t know… it’s even better. It’s like feeding a baby some blended broccoli in mac and cheese!

Something however that I think could be worked on would be the pacing of the book, the pacing of the book leaves something to be desired. I recently reviewed another book which had the same issue. The author cops out in the end and instead of writing many more pages with detail and love—they finish the book JUSTLIKETHISOMGIMDONE. They give you the climactic ending… and leave you wanting more. They do not put a lot of thought into the last couple of pages and instead rush through it. This could have ended in such a better way that I am a bit disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Girl the Sea Gave Back" by Adrienne Young. Honestly, this book was just not for me. I found it hard to keep reading. I was not able to relate to any of the characters on any level. I have not read any books from this universe. Maybe reading Adrienne's other book would have given me more insight into the world building for this book. Sadly, I DNF this book.

I have never read a book like this. The plot was very orginal. I was hanging onto every word. 4 stars

I could not get into this one like the first. I think I wanted more of the years leading up to her becoming an adult. You get the backstory but then it fast forwards and the gap seems like it needed more filling in.

DNF 30%

I really enjoyed Young's debut novel, however, I just didn't care about any character in The Girl the Sea Gave Back which is interesting considering the writing and story are so similar to Sky in the Deep. If you liked her previous novel, I would still recommend this one. Hopefully you'll have a better time with it than me.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I didn’t like this one as much as Sky in the Deep but it was fun to be able to travel back into that world.

Sadly this didn't work for me. I wanted to love this, since the cover is gorgeous and the plot sounds great. I will say that not having read Sky in the Deep, I was able to follow the plot of this one very well without having read the other one. The beginning has a good start with a promise of a mystery of Tova's past and the fighting to come. But despite the beginning having promise, this fell flat for me for several reasons. I never understood why the clans were fighting each other: was it different religious beliefs or something else? I never got a concrete answer on why. I also felt like a lot of the same information was repeated through dialogue and exposition and it felt like the plot never went anywhere. I also really didn't get the romance that's supposed to be between Tova and Halvard. They only meet twice and yet, she has to save him because of fate and nothing else. I couldn't see the romance that was supposed to be there; there wasn't enough for me to believe it. While I do like the author's writing style and the atmosphere was good, this was way too short to pack any punch. I will read Sky in the Deep eventually, but I don't recommend people to start with this one. A real bummer.

I read Sky in the Deep last year and absolutely loved it, so I definitely couldn't wait for this book to continue the story of Halvard and his family. This book is best read after Sky in the Deep, but it can also be read as a standalone.
Tova came from the sea in a boat that washed up on the shore of the Svell lands. When Jorrund, a respected leader of the Svell, finds out that she can cast rune stones and predict the future, he brings her back to the village and takes care of her so the village can use her ability to their advantage. When the stone casting spells certain death for the Svell, they decide to attack the combined villages of Riki and Aska, now called the Nadhir, in the largest village of Hylli to steal away their land. Tova disagrees, but feels powerless to stop the Svell until she meets Halvard, the heir apparent chieftain to the Nadhir people. Somehow, they feel like their fates are intertwined, and they may have to work together in order to prevent more bloodshed.
Being able to return to this unique, sharply atmospheric world was a pleasure. The writing was so realistic and the descriptions were so detailed that I could almost smell the salt air and the moist earth, feel the cold wind on my face, hear the clang of axes, and see the events unfolding before me. Adrienne Young's books have now become an insta-buy for me because her writing has taken on a life of its own. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys gritty, realistic fantasy. I cannot wait to read Adrienne's next book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and I purchased a beautiful hardcover from Amazon. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I had such high expectations but unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. In the end, I decided that I didn’t even want to finish it. I didn’t feel connected to the characters and the world was really confusing.

I really enjoyed this book, when I was about 50% into the plot. At first, I am not gonna lie, it took me a few seconds to get into the plot and it didn't help that the people and clans had hard to pronounce names. I definitely had to rely on my previous knowledge of the clans from Sky in the Deep. I loved Tova but wish she had more time to really grow and be independent. I would have also loved to see Halvard and her relationship develop more but in the end, I was happy with it. I definitely wouldn't read this book before Sky in the Deep but it was a nice companion novel. I had fun reading it!