I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as I did Sky in the Deep but it was still an enjoyable read. My main issue was with typos and the fact that it took me way too long to remember who and what everyone and everything was.

Received and ARC from NetGalley for review. Wonderfully told stand-alone tale.....but I could use so much more! Fantastic world building, magic, strategy, friendships, betrayal, and more make this an enjoyable read.

Last week I read A LOT of fantasy YA fiction BUT this was so REFRESHING. It was well written and the author skilfully writes from two points of view and blends both halves of the story perfectly. Reading this was an immersive experience from the very first page, heavily steeped in mythology and conflict this is the best YA fantasy book I've read this year.

The book begins with a funeral and ends with many more, but the middle is a delicate tale woven from the lives of two young protagonists, Tova and Halvard. As a child Tova died. Later in life Tova is told she was cast out by her family and Kyrr clan, she was found as a baby by the Svell's spiritual leader. The markings on her skin leave her as a seer like figure for the clans. Destined to throw the stones and read their destiny yet untrusted and unloved, she seeks for another life.

Halvard has been designated the next leader for his clan. The fate and well being of many lay heavily on his young shoulders. With betrayal and bloodshed on the horizon the Spinners of Fate know how the conflict between Tova and Halvard's clans will end, but little is made clear to them. Will the spinning threads of fate ever lead Tova home? Will the stones lead Halvard or the Svell to victory? Nothing happens by chance any more now the future is seen in the Truthtongue's stones.

This book is furiously fast paced, packed full of emotion, heart and adventure. It's perfect if you enjoyed reading Viper by Bex Hogan or Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean.

https://booksandnuggets.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/weekly-reads-8-0/

<i>Sky In The Deep</i> is one of my favorite books EVER! I was so excited to learn there was going to be another book set in the same world, and <i>The Girl the Sea Gave Back</i> didn't disappoint.

<b>What I Liked:</b> Fast-paced and action packed, the story is told in alternating POVs (Halvard, Fiske's little brother, and Tova) and takes place roughly a decade after <i>Sky In The Deep</i> ends. It was fun to see Halvard all grown up (at the ripe old age of eighteen, but still), and Tova was an interesting character. And of course I loved the cameo's from the first book--I'm looking at you, Fiske.

<b>What Left Me Wanting More:</b> The time jumps, though confusing at times, were a creative way to tell the story and to show how everything pieced together. This lacks the intense romantic element I enjoyed in the first book, and could best be described as a <i>really</i> slow-burn. The ending was more abrupt than I would have liked it to be. <spoiler>Halvard and Tova spend most of the book apart, only catching glimpses of each other, until near the end. And then the book is over. Their romance relies heavily on how their lives have interwoven before they ever meet, but we don't get to see them became a couple or experience life together the way Eelyn and Fiske did in the first book.</spoiler>Maybe that's because there is another book coming? I hope so! I would love to read more about Tova's family.

<b>Final Verdict:</b> Fans of <i>Sky In the Deep</i>, Norse mythology, and readers who prefer action over romance will enjoy this one.

<i>Thank you to the publisher for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

I adored this book. Adrienne Young has such a beautiful writing style and I can't get enough of it. The pacing was great and the plot twists actually surprised me, which is hard to do. I adore Halvard and really felt for Tova. It was nice seeing the characters from Sky in the Deep make an appearance too.
A few complaints would be the ending and how rushed it felt, as well as the "romance". The instalove made sense, to a degree, but that trope will always annoy me. No one ever really felt like they were in danger of dying, which made the stakes a lot lower.
Overall, it's been one of my favorite reads of this year and I definitely recommend it.

I received an ARC copy of this text from St. Maarten's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fantasy, treachery, magic, and alternating narrative view abound in this novel.

What I liked:
This stand-alone YA fantasy novel is like a nice dessert; it’s the perfect reading to end a day. The pacing of the plot begins slowly, but it picks up after a few chapters and maintains the quick pace until the conclusion. The flashbacks within the story allow for space and time for the main characters, Tova and Halvard, to develop more fully.

This is my first experience with Young’s writing, and I found the plot engaging. It took me about 8 chapters to keep all the characters organized in my head, but eventually they all head clear narrative voices.

What was a struggle:
I did not read the Sky in the Deep, so I was completely unfamiliar with the world and characters, but as this was marketed as a stand-alone novel, it shouldn’t have been necessary for me to read the original text. Having said that, I enjoyed the style of writing and the universe, so I am adding The Sky In the Deep novel to my “to-read” list.

I found the ending of the text a little unsatisfying in that it resolves the conflict, and abruptly ends (it seems as it might be setting itself up for a sequel?), which is why I compare it to dessert rather than a 5-course meal. The plot and characters are strong, but there are times, especially with the ending and the connection between the two narrators, where I would have liked more development.

Overall thoughts:
Would I recommend this to my students? Yes.

Do I want to read more by Adrienne Young? Yes – The world building is excellent, and I enjoyed the characters.

I will post this review on August 03 (30 days prior to the release of the novel on September 03) via Goodreads.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was really interesting with a modern spin that throughout the book I could not help to think, modern Little Mermaid but what I loved about The Girl The Sea Gave Back is the theme associated with this book in how important it is to not only have a physical place call home but a family and a sense of belonging. Also, from the rivalry and the separation of class this book invoked, I got a sense of Red Queen which made my interest more invested than when I started reading this book.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars..

This is considered a standalone but I don't think it should be. There are characters from Sky in the Deep and the main conflict revolves around what took place in that novel. One of the things that I loved about Sky in the Deep was Eeyln's character development. I found that while I liked Tova, I wanted a little more development from her. Overall though, it was a great read!

This was a somewhat satisfying sequel to Sky in the Deep. We get to check in with where some of my favorite characters were. I was very invested in the main characters from Sky in the Deep but was disappointed the story deviated from them and focused on Halvard and newer characters 12 years after the Sky in the Deep concluded. I wasn't as invested with Tova. I couldn't connect with the character and it just seemed like a foregone conclusion that she and Halvard would end up together. The plot and action could be anticipated and I like a little surprise in stories. Something that keeps me guessing and that was lacking here. Still an enjoyable read and would recommend to YA readers.

Definitely one of the best written and crafted stories I've read so far this year. Unfortunately, the grim tone just couldn't keep my attention. I need a little more heart in my stories. Probably a me thing so if you were a fan of Young's earlier work, this should make your soul sing.

Overall, this was a really strong story. The writing was solid and enjoyable. The dual POVs serve the story well, especially as that helps us get to know the characters individually before we see them together. I will say I would have preferred a bit more of our characters from the first story, but I do understand that this is more of a companion story than a straight sequel. If you like the first book, you'll enjoy this one too.

Adrienne Young spins a colourful, action packed tale, set in the land of the Vikings, about the uncompromising nature of fate, the grimness and brutality of war, and finding one’s place in a land that’s not your own. Fans of Veronica Roth’s The Fates Divide will love The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I would have liked to see more character development, especially for Tova, which is why I’m giving it only four stars.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a companion novel to Sky in the Deep. And while the story focuses on different characters, I think you need to have read Sky in the Deep to understand the story.
The Girl the Sea Gave Back is told from 2 different points of view. Tova, a truthtongue, who can see the future in rune stones. She has been living with the Svell, whose religious leader found her washed up on the shore more than 10 years before. Though none of the clansmen trust her, and she feels like an outcast not sure where she belongs.
Halvard has spent his childhood with peace. Ever since the end of the blood feud (as explained in Sky in the Deep) he has been able to see a new clan form from the Aska and Riki. But tensions are rising between clans another blood feud seems imminent.
The Girl the Sea Gave Back is told from both points of view, and even goes back to retell another event through the eyes of the other. The timeline also moves around, which was a bit of a drawback.
I really loved the story, and would definitely recommend both novels.

Great book with a great story line. I read the other book by the author in this "series" and feel like this book was ok to read as a stand alone. Tova is a strong female main character and her character develops beautifully over time. There were intense moments that Ms. Young did a fantastic job of keeping you eager for more.

This was a solid read for sure. I spent the first 3/4s of the book loving it more than the first, but the last quarter makes Sky in the Deep still my favorite. This is a companion novel, yes, but it is also a sequel. I don't think there is a way to read this without having read SitD first.

What I liked:
- Tova and Halvard's character were distinctly different from Eelyn and Fiske. Tova and Halvard both believed themselves to be failures to their people or some higher calling. Watching them work through that and, even in the end, hold some of those doubts felt very raw and natural to how people really are.
- Halvard's character from the first book to this was well-developed. You get flashbacks of Halvard throughout the story from prior to the events in SitD, during the previous novel, and after. He's still a mega squish, but he's a fighter. He understands how blood feuds and war works--he saw the repercussions within his family and village. He's never faced the kind of full-scale fighting that the older Riki and Aska faced. I liked that he was a child of both worlds and seamlessly fit into the new Nadhir life.
- I liked that the Riki and Aska came together and that while it seems like two tribes merging would create an enormous font of power, the Nadhir were truly weak. It makes sense, considering the effects of the previous book.
- Tova's character was phenomenal. I loved getting to see the spiritual aspects of the SitD world. Tova was a mystic/soothsayer for her people, and it was a burden to her. Her character grew from accepting that things were as they were to actually wanting to have an active role in events. <spoiler>I did think it was interesting how Halvard didn't want her to cast the stones for him--his mindset was very much more that the Nadhir would win or lose based not on the Spinners or gods but on the Nadhir taking action into their own hands.</spoiler>


What I didn't like:
- Certain events felt contrived near the end. The story tied up too cleanly for this type of world. (More on that in a spoilery section below.)
- The cast in this, while very large, was very tiny as there were few named characters that we actually cared about. There was a Svell woman in particular that seemed to be important near the beginning of the book, and she vanished in the pages later on. I still don't know if she lived or died.
- This book had depth. It talked about what it means to have a duty to your tribe, what happens if your tribe abandons you and another claims you, and more. While everything it discussed was good, there were definitely areas that felt lacking, such as in the beginning when the Svell were arguing whether to attack the Nadhir or not--there was little discussion by any Svell characters other than the brothers and Jorrund. There were named Svell characters who were mentioned to agree with a specific side, but instead of exploring what that meant for the Svell, it was left. The whole situation with Jorrund and Tova was never fully fleshed out. It never felt like it had a good resolution or conclusion. <spoiler>I still don't even know what the heck happened to Jorrund.
Did he die? Did he survive?</spoiler>

More information below, but these were some of the main reasons I felt like this book wasn't a full five star read. It had the potential, it had a lot of strengths, but it felt a little too YA to be great. Sky in the Deep was phenomenal for how unique it was in the YA genre. It had a fierce female who wasn't an oddity but just one of many. The characters developed throughout the book and struggled with a lot of deep issues--such as the meaning of family and loyalty. The worldbuilding made it feel real in a way this book missed. I would say the worldbuilding in TGTSGB was its strongest point, the characetr development next, and the plot and keeping up with characters last.


Final thoughts:
<spoiler>I didn't like the lack of information on Halvard's neices. It took me nearly the entire book to figure out whose children they were. The mention of them is weirdly vague, and there names weren't even given until right before the big battle.

The battle itself was great, but it felt a bit too contrived. None of the main characters died at all, and with a fight like they had, I would have expected at least one of them to fall. Eelyn's wound never felt life-threatening.

Both Halvard and Tova's perspective when they fought felt very weird. It seems unreasonable that they were able to so easily kill as many people as they did.

The Kyrr showing up at the end was weird. I don't know how I felt about it, and I definitely didn't like the weird open ending.</spoiler>

An extremely satisfying follow up to Sky in the Deep. Beginning ten years later, The Girl the Sea Gave Back follows a new tribe of people, set to fight against the newly united clans from Sky in the Deep. A new main character emerges as well, along with a character from Sky in the Deep, all grown up. Young does an admirable job of twining the new and old together, all the while telling a fresh tale filled with heartbreak, triumph and magic.

I was not able to read the digital copy provided because the print was so small and there was no way to enlarge the font. I am still looking forward to the books release.