***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

I did not read Sky in the Deep and while this book doesn't bill itself as a sequel, its not but I would consider it a continuation. You don't have to have read the first book, I was able to fully enjoy this book and the characters, I still think reading the first book would have given you a full background of the world.

The Good

- I really liked Tova and Halvard. The book is told from their POV which is nice because they are on opposite sides. It gives the reader a chance to see the conflict from both sides, glimpses into what drives them, especially the Svell. I liked Tova, a Truthtongue able to read the rune stones. She lives with the Svell in this constant state of unbalance. They turn to her when needed and hate her for what she brings to them, its a really interesting dynamic. The book providers a few small chapters dedicated to the backstory of Tova and Halvard and you get to see level of fear she seemed to exist in while growing up. For me, it helped flesh out the idea as to why an outsider would stay with a group that so clearly dislikes her. Sometimes you get a feeling its a sense of duty without the real why, I appreciate that the author was willing to give the backstory to the why. Halvards parts of the backstory chapters didn't really do as much as Tova.

- The world is amazing, I loved the clans and Norse inspired world. The two clans had different reactions to the runes and the gods fate. The author seems to have done a really nice job in creating her told. I think having read the previous book I might have gotten a fuller view since the Svell felt more fleshed out than the other since we spent more time through Tova's view.

The Not So Good

- For over 300 pages this book felt oddly compressed. It really would have benefited from being two books. The characters are constantly on the move but it felt like they were almost transporting to their destinations. I never got a feel for how large the world is, it feels from the way they talk that it is large but they manage to get places in hours. A large army, over 500 folks, doesn't travel fast it should take them quite a few days even across a short distance. I don't know if this was an attempt to keep the tension high but it didn't work for me. I was just left thinking that a more drawn out build up to the conflict would have had a better pay out.

I will definitely go back and read the first book as I want more of this world.

Synopsis:

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

My Thoughts:

I loved the multiple POVs, between Tova and Halvard. I also liked the Past and Present narrative the author put together to give readers more of their stories, their backgrounds. Ever think you dont belong? This book will have you thinking twice and being confident that you belong everywhere for one reason or another. I loved the little romance, it didn't take over the story and become souly about the two lovers. I loved the magical system of runes!! So closely related to forms of magic from the past that I have learned about that use runes!! I loved this book and cant wait for a physical copy, but a huuuge thank you to the author as well as NetGalley for this opportunity to review and give my honest opinion!! Your gonna love this book, a fave for the year!!!

Wow—what an experience! I was a huge fan of “Sky in the Deep” so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on “The Girl the Sea Gave Back” with the hopes that this story would be just as fantastic (and it is!!). My favorite thing about Adrienne Young is that I never want her stories to end!

“The Girl the Sea Gave Back” starts about 10 years after “Sky in the Deep.” The story focuses on Tova, a Truthtongue from the Kyrr people, who ends up as an unwanted ‘guest’ of the Svell people, and Halvard, the younger brother of Fiske. Tova lives on the outskirts of Svell culture from the time she is 6 years old and is feared and hated because of her mysticism while Halvard is becoming a man under the peaceful existence of the Riki and Aska people, now collectively known as the Nadhir.

The story alternated view points between both characters while also giving us glimpses into their pasts. We get to see the struggles Tova faced with who she was and how she was treated while at the same time seeing Halvard flourish under the guidance of his family. It was sometimes heart-wrenching to read about Tova’s harsh upbringing and then to read about the same timeframe in Halvard’s life because their paths were so different. In the end, they both had a tough journey to face and Ms. Young’s writing style was flawless in guiding us through it. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really liked The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

It is beautifully written tale full of Scandinavian culture, mythology and a bits of rune magic.

The book tells a story of a girl, who thinks her own people didn't want her, so she survives with a different clan and casts the rune stones for them, and a boy/man with a good heart and sharp sword and axe. There are two POVs of the main protagonists plus some flashbacks into their past.

I enjoyed reading this book, the language and writing were soft and almost magical, I couldn't stop reading. The characters felt real and believable, I only wish there was more interaction between them. We got to see some favourites from previous book, which was a nice plus.

And the cover is the most gorgeous thing ever 😍

Tova is the daughter of the Kyrr, a tribe that relies on fortune telling stones to guide their actions. Believed dead by her parents, Tova is adopted by a different tribe the Svell, which fears her fortune telling but seeks to use it for their own ends. As Tova grows older, she meets Harvald, chieftain of a rival tribe, and must decide what the future holds. Coming of age young adult fantasy. Plot was predictable but bits of the mythology were interesting.

Note: This is a companion novel to The Sky in the Deep, which you can find my review here (http://www.happyindulgencebooks.com/2018/04/10/sky-deep-review-dashing-viking-inspired-fantasy-family-front/). It takes place 10 or so years after the first book, and it is not necessary to read The Sky in the Deep to understand the events that take place in this one. This review will not have spoilers!

I really enjoyed The Sky in the Deep when I first read it a couple years back, and while Young’s sophomore novel stays in the same world, it focuses on very different things. Back when reading book 1, I recall the light world-building in contrast to the heavy characterization and family themes. While the familial themes are retained in The Girl the Sea Gave Back, we explore more of the Viking-esque mythology/lore, and get less characterization. It’s an interesting dichotomy that certainly makes for a different novel than book 1. Readers will either really enjoy it, or have a hard time getting used to it. I myself appreciate the unique exposition Young took on this book, but found it less memorable than book 1. Let’s explore a few reasons why.

“I still remembered the first time I heard the word Nādhir. Two clans, one people, who had buried the blood feud that had defined them for generations. It was something no one thought possible.”

The book begins with a funeral ceremony of a girl, Tova, who ends up being picked up by a fortune-teller (or Truthtongue) of a different village. Readers would think that Tova will be raised in a loving household… or, at least I did. However, she is actually hated in the village because of her foreignness (her tattoos mark her as an outcast) and “bad luck” as someone who casts the fate of the village in her stones. Tova’s background as an unliked outcast of the village makes her on the immature side, compared to her ~18 years when the story starts. It’s not exactly ‘immature’ as in she makes rash decisions, but ‘immature’ as in she really isn’t cognizant of what’s happening around her. She’s quite passive in her decisions, and usually leaves her - and others’ - fates in the hands of her fortune-telling stones. While the former makes for good character development, the second is a problem for me. More on that later.

Readers get a first-person POV switch between Tova and Halvard - a familiar name to those who read The Sky in the Deep. Now a grown young man, he’s embarking on his own journey of discovery after he realizes that he’s not ready to become chieftain of a clan that’s on the brink of war… and to the clan that picked up Tova, no less. Through the stones, Tova knows that their lives are intertwined. But how exactly? And for what reason? And here we get to the ambiguity of the story-telling and inconclusiveness of the “fate” that brought them together.

“I’d left the headlands, but the headlands hadn’t left me. What and who I was was marked into my skin in the sacred staves and motifs with meanings that even I didn’t know. It would never leave me.”

Tova’s life is prepared by her fortune-telling stones, which includes the courage she got to step against the village that isolated her. That’s fine. She gets into an interesting conversation with Halvard about her reliance on the stones, but that’s the only time it’s challenged. And this heavy reliability on “fate” and “destiny” continues throughout the book. Halvard’s small mention of not wanting to know his own “fate” in case he doesn’t like the outcome (and thus having an opportunity of going against it) is in the book for about two pages long. Despite everything, we conclude the story with a reliance on the destiny written for one another - which includes the possible romantic relationship that was hinted. There was no romance for the majority of the book, although it was definitely hinted at the last 20%. But… it was not enough. Not enough interactions for this development/attraction, and certainly not enough reasoning. I can SEE the potential, but I cannot see the decision justified in the pages, which further strengthens the argument:

“Well, fate brought us together. So obviously we’ve got to GET together. Right?”

Do you see what I’m saying? It’s unsatisfactory. And if I was a reader who was looking for a light read, I would be fine. I actually was, after getting to the denouement of the story. But the more I sit on it, the more substance I feel like I deserved - and the characters, too.

Quick outro facts: the family aspects were as strong and lovely as ever. I really enjoyed seeing familiar characters. I think there was also potential to explore grief that the characters go through, but the need for the plot to keep moving kept that from happening (sadly). Halvard’s personality was not unique, and while Tova had a lot going for her, she never realizes her full potential. I’d actually prefer a sequel over where things were left off in this story.

Honestly, readers can either go from really enjoying this one to scratching their heads at what they read. I lot of what I wanted from book 1 (i.e. more world-building) got focused on here, but at the expense of what I enjoyed as well (i.e. characterization). Tova’s a unique heroine in which her skills lie somewhere other than fighting, but she has so much unrealized potential - and so did this book.

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, blood, loss of loved ones, death

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy!

LOVED this book! I thoroughly enjoyed the author's last release so I had high hopes for this and it did not disappoint! The only complaint I would have is I wish there was MORE!

DNF at 20% - couldn't get into this one. I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm not in the right mood to read this at the moment so will revisit it in the future

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 stars!

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a companion novel to . Set 10 years in the future, we follow the now united Rikki and Ashka as they face a new threat to the east in the form on the Svell. Halvard, Fiske's younger brother, is on his way to a leadership position in the tribe. Tova washed up on the shore of the Svell's territory when she was only a young child, and uses her scrying power to help determine the course of war for the Svell.

Young's writing is absolutely gorgeous. She sets the atmosphere and tone right off the bat, and you are transported back to the time of the Vikings. It's clear that her books are very thoroughly researched, and peppered with Viking mysticism, beliefs, and culture. She also excels at writing emotional character arcs.

I enjoyed the increased touch of the supernatural in this installment. I would describe Sky in the Deep as a historical fiction, with no fantastical elements whatsoever. However, in The Girl the Sea Gave Back there is a fantasy element introduced with Tova's Truthtongue powers. Through her abilities, we also learn more about the belief systems in all of the different tribes.

I really felt for Tova. She struggles with feelings of abandonment and not having any place to truly belong. She wants to do what's right, beyond loyalty to the tribe that has taken her in. Halvard, on the other hand, struggles with the brunt of leadership and his confidence in being a just and fair ruler. Where this book lacked for me is the relationship between these two characters. We just scratch the surface of what their relationship could be. This novel almost felt like a pretense to the real development between them. I just wish that the book continued so that we could see what happened between them. The ending left me feeling pretty unsatisfied.

Overall, this story is gripping and emotional, and the lush yet brutal Vikings time period is he perfect setting for this tale. If you liked Sky in the Deep, you will probably like this one as well!


Link to goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2722370796?book_show_action=false

I received a advanced readers copy of this from the publisher for an honest review.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. Ten years ago the clans of Riki and Aska put aside their differences to become a single clan, the Nadhir. The leaders of the Svell wish to go against the Nadhir and conquer them.
Among the Nadhir Halvard prepares to become one of the next clan leaders. Their paths collide when an attack brings the two clans into war.



First of all I absolutely freaked out when I received a copy of this, it was one of my most anticipated books of the year after loving Sky in the Deep last year. I loved being back in this world full of Vikings and it took me right into the woods and the fjords. I loved seeing these characters again. Tova was a great new character. I loved that there were flashbacks for each character, they really added to the story. My only thing is that there was barely any romance in this book.
I do think I need to read it again to take it all in. I can't wait for my physical copy to arrive on my shelf.

This book is stunning! Norse mythology loosely based. Beautiful prose throughout the book! This sequel, I feel was better than Sky in the Deep! I loved it! Everyone should pick this up for a gripping, stunning read!

I loved this book so much! Adrienne is such a talented storyteller; her descriptions are incredibly vivid and I always feel transported when reading her words. This companion novel definitely feels different than Sky in the Deep, and is less character-focused and more plot-focused, but I really enjoyed exploring more of the world, the different clans, and more of the mythology. The one thing that I felt was a little jarring were the flashbacks to the past in third person, but they were still interesting to read and provided insight into Tova and Halvard's characters. It was also fun seeing some of the characters from Sky again.

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.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for proving me an eArc of this book for review.

Halvard is the youngest brother of Fiske, who we met in Sky In The Deep. Tova is a brand new character whom we begin to learn about along with her. The marks on her skin tell a story, one she doesn’t understand because her people, the Kyyr, casted her out a long time ago. 10 years after the Aska and the Riki went to war, Halvard crosses paths with Tova and have to find a way to prevent war again with the Svell of fight against the odds to win.

I went into this book completely excited. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t go in anticipating what was of Eelyn and Fiske 10 years later, because that ship is still holding strong. I am content with what was shown, but at the same time I wanted a story not like theirs but as memorable and impactful. Early on I began to get confused with all the names and who is related to who. I was 60% into the book and I had no idea what journey this book was taking me on. I understood the conflict, but it wasn’t anything major.
There are time lapses between the past and the present and I understand that not even Halvard and Tova know what’s going on, but I’m done reading the book and I still don’t understand what’s going on. The second part of the book had more dialogue but I wish we would have gotten character backgrounds and explanations from the beginning.
I know Romance is a hot topic of discussion, but for me personally the romance aspect of books is what helps me connect to the characters. In this book it fell flat, I know that there is a pull between the characters but I don’t know what that is. Again, even after finishing the book I still have so many questions. Nonetheless, this is a arc and maybe things will change for the final published version which I am definitely picking up because the cover is gorgeous. I want to get to know these characters more and learn to love them like the ones from Sky In The Deep, I highly hope we get the opportunity.

I was so excited to get my hands on Adrienne Young’s The Girl the Sea Gave Back because I had absolutely loved Sky in the Deep. While I did like getting a glimpse into the lives of those characters after ten years, the story itself was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t that I disliked it - I enjoyed it while I was reading and thought the premise was interesting. My issues was with the pacing. Despite an abundance of intrigue and betrayals, as well as some battle scenes, it felt like nothing was happening. The main characters never even interacted until the final third of the book and the constant flashbacks took me out of the story. I don’t regret reading it, but it wasn’t the follow up I was hoping for.

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!

After I finished Sky in the Deep. I didn’t want to leave Eelyn and Fisk’s world. And it’s like the author heard my silent pleas by giving us The girl the Sea gave back. I was reunited with my long lost friends and introduced to new ones. This story evolves around Tova and Halvard. As you might remember Halvard is Fiske’s younger brother. But now he is grown up. And has been chosen by the elders to become their next chief when the time comes.Tova is the girl no one wants. She lives with the Svell where she is seen as a curse. But is tolerated because she is a truth tongue. Meaning she can predict outcomes of the future with her stones. Both of them are in roles neither wants. Their lives are intertwined by the spinners. Who have weaved 2 enemies paths together. That will either cause destruction or rebirth. I loved the build up of the story. In a world that is as beautiful as it is brutal. It did have me longing with the way it ended. But left me hope that Tova and Harvard’s story isn’t over. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. And want to thank netgalley for giving me a copy of this book. And to Adrienne Young for hearing my pleas.