Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I had majorly anticipated this one. The cover is gorgeous, it's about vikings, what's not to love? Unfortunately, it just fell short for me. For the entirety of the book, it felt like there were details being withheld for the sake of being mysterious, except there was just too much withheld. So much that I didn't engage with the story at all. The story switched between two first person POVs and they seemed like the exact same person. This could have been me...maybe I was tired when reading the book. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. However, there were multiple times that I had to check the chapter heading to see who's head I was in because the characters were just so similar. The book is stated as a standalone, but there were enough nods toward the author's previous book in this world, Sky in the Deep, that I wish I had reread that one before this one, so I could remember the events and in particular, the end of that book. It has been so long that I read it, that I forgot many things and so I spent most of this book trying to remember the context of the references that it took me out of this story. Overall, I'd say 2.5/5 stars, rounding up to 3 for netgalley

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Girl the Sea Gave Back".

This book did top my favorite reads this year, however I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

I found The Girl the Sea Gave Back to be an interesting read. It took me a while to get into but when I did it was enjoyable. I especially liked the world-building and the characters and their interactions with one another. However, this wasn't a memorable read for me. It hasn't stuck with me as some books do and I wish it had because it was incredibly well-written and had everything going for it.

That being said, I can't wait to read more from Adrienne Young and more from this world because it is utterly amazing.

I really enjoyed diving back into the world of The Sky in the Deep. I was not as happy with this one thought. The addition of magic was really cool but the romance was ridiculously insta love. The writing is stunning but the plot pacing is a bit off which was a critique I had of the first book.

Thanks @netgalley loved this book so so much! The plot was very well developed and I really liked the characters it did take me a while to get to this book but after all it’s so good and I’m glad I got to read it

A strong companion novel to Sky In The Deep, which takes the reader back to the Viking world ten years later. While I enjoyed the first novel I found myself liking The Girl the Sea Gave Back more. I greatly enjoyed the duel perspectives of both Tova and Halvard. They have they own stories to tell with their own struggles. They don’t meet until halfway through the book, but I found that worked, since as a reader I got to know the both of them individually. There are characters from the prior book, however, this story could easily be read as a stand-alone. I think the added mystery of who Tova was and her gift with the stones gave this story a mystical feel as well which I thought worked well.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back was a perfect addition to the amazing world of Sky in the Deep. I reread Sky in the Deep just before launching into The Girl the Sea Gave Back, and I loved it even more than the first time I read it. The world is hard and brutal, but so full of natural beauty. The characters are fierce in every way, from the way they fight, live, and love one another.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back wasn’t centered around the main characters from Sky in the Deep, rather, it focused on a side character from that story with alternating points of view from a new character. The book takes place 10 years after Sky in the Deep has ended, and you see how the Riki and Aska people have proceeded after years of brutal war and strife.

The two main characters were so enjoyable to read from. Halvard, the younger brother of Fiske and Iri from Sky in the Deep, is now a grown man and taking on his own role among the people. The second perspective comes from Tova, a girl separated from her people and with little knowledge of her past. She has been taken in by the Svell people, but raised as an outsider and one to be feared.

The way the story unfolded was powerful, and I had my breath held up until the final sentence. I eagerly await to read anything else by this author, as her visual descriptions are so epic and well created that I felt like I was there. The aesthetic (for lack of a better word) of each scene was just breathtaking, and she was able to make me feel connected to these ancient peoples as she imagined them to be. Her writing is powerful and beautiful, and it truly has only gotten better since her first novel.

The reason this installment was not a total five star read from me boils down to a small critique and then an issue of personal preference. The small thing that bothered me that I feel could be improved upon was the way the flashbacks were presented. Between chapters at times, we would read about 12 years ago, or 2 years ago, 10 years ago, and etc. Though I understand these were broken down and arranged to correspond with something that was about to happen next, the way it jumped from year to year in these flashbacks from both povs was a little confusing. It felt a little disorderly, so perhaps finding a different method to show these flashbacks would have packed a bit more of a punch.

The small personal preference had to do with some of the content of the book. I thought that the ritual of initiating the next tribe leader was a little disturbing to read. I don’t know if this was based off of historical ceremonies, but I felt like it warred a little with the beauty of the rest of the book.

Overall, I thought it was absolutely thrilling. I nearly yelled at the end once I realized I had no more left, and truly hope the author continues to spin tales of this amazing world. I will gobble them up greedily.

Both books are totally reread worthy. I highly recommend both Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back to fans of historical fiction/fantasy and anyone looking for a beautifully written book that will blow your mind.

I don't know why I didn't love this as much as the first book in the series. I just did not connect with the characters and I wasn't invested in the plot. That aside the world building was top tier as always and I LOVED seeing the characters from Sky In The Deep. While I had issues with this book it was a solid fantasy and I am glad I picked it up. It was a well written and well paced book, it just did not grip me as fully as I expected. Those issues aside though if you are interested in a viking inspired fantasy I would say to give this one a shot because it is fast paced and filled with viking action.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC for my unbiased opinion.

I absolutely loved Sky in the Deep - it was one of my favorite books of 2018. The Girl the Sea Gave Back, however, was a bit of a letdown. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I still believe this book wasn’t on par with her debut novel. Young has an amazing talent for beautiful detail and world building, and while she did build upon her first book, the biggest difference I saw was in the depth of the characters and unfortunately, the story as well. The characters were not as developed, and so the plot just didn’t captive me. I didn’t find the two main chapters interesting or relatable, and I’m just not a fan of instalove which is what this felt like because they barely even spoke. The story almost read as a novella due to the pacing and length of the story. Even so, I will still be reading Young’s future book releases because I believe she has a unique talent, and I look forward to discussing The Girl the Sea Gave Back with other readers.

With emotional vulnerability and an epic worthy of the Viking world it's based on, The Girl the Sea Gave Back follows Tova, a Truthtongue who forsees the unraveling of everything she holds dear and Halvard, the young new chief of a rival clan who feels the pressure of survival. The second book in a loosely connected series, the author paints such an exquisite and vivid picture that it feels as if the reader is transported to the world she paints. With sympathetic characters and an intriguing storyline, this book is a real gem!

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

I really loved this book. I hope the author puts out more books based in this world in the future. Can I say again how much I really enjoyed this book.

Another beautifully written book set in the same world as Adrienne Young's first novel, Sky in the Deep. This one missed the mark for me a bit, but overall still worth the read. I am all for the descriptive settings and overall ambiance of this story.

This book was not what I was expecting. It was slow going and was a little bit boring with all the rituals with little explanation for them. Maybe if I read the first book in the series, then I would understand it all.

My second book by Andrienne Young and I need to keep reading. I loved Sky in the Deep, absolutely loved it, it was so well written with an amazing world and when I saw a sequel I nearly passed out. Unfortunately The Girl the Sea Gave Back is set almond a decade later and it follows a now grown up Halvard from the first book. That emotional connection helped but this one didn't give the reader enough time to fully get to know the knew characters before jumping into action (the first one started with a huge action scene but it follow a long character build). I enjoy being back into this world and whatever book comes next I'll be looked forward to reading it as well!

This novel had me hooked within the first paragraph! I enjoyed the story line although it was slightly predictable. However, before I even finished I made sure to preorder a copy so I could display the amazing cover on my bookshelf!

DNF....



After the first book, I decided to give this one a chance.



However, after a few chapters, I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. The first few chapters were slow and didn't really give enough of a back story and as the book progressed, I just couldn't get into it.

THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK is told in alternating points of view from Tova, a Truthtongue living with the Svell as an outcast, and Halvard, a young warrior destined to become leader of his tribe. I liked both characters immediately. Halvard is so eager to do the right thing and has a fierceness and yet this endearing core of self-doubt. Tova has this insatiable curiosity about her past and an unshakeable faith in the Spinners, who weave the fate of everyone.

I found it a little difficult to follow some of the story world and keep track of the broad cast of characters. I didn’t realize at first that THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK is from the same story world as Young’s debut, SKY IN THE DEEP. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have tried to read SKY IN THE DEEP first so that I had a better understanding and more familiarity with the background, the tribes, and Halvard’s huge family.

The story has a very rich feel to it in terms of its history and culture. Each tribe has its own lore, its own gods and traditions, and its own way of doing things. The clash in those traditions created a lot of tension, too. That and the emphasis on the Spinners and their role in weaving together everyone’s fates created a sort of global feel in THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK that I really enjoyed.

It does also have a lot of battles and battle violence. A couple chapters are mostly descriptions of one critical battle. It was a little much for me, but you probably know by now that I’m a sensitive reader, so factor that in and check out my content notes below for more specific details.

If you enjoyed SEA WITCH by Sarah Henning or CROWN OF CORAL AND PEARL by Mara Rutherford then you should check out THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK.

Let me start off by saying that Sky in the Deep is one of my most favorite books, so when I saw this book I was SO excited. This book didn't quite live up to Sky in the Deep's potential, but it may be because I think so highly of it. There is no doubt in my mind that this author knows what she is doing. Her writing is amazing. She gets you hooked instantly which is not a quality of most authors. My main issue with this book was just that I didn't connect as well with characters as I did with the characters from the first book. I think I just wanted more from this book than what I got, nevertheless, it was still a good book and Adrienne Young is a great author.

I was so happy to read this book, I really enjoyed Adrienne's first book (it was one of my favorite book of 2018), but I have to admit I'm disappointed. I don't really know what happened here but I couldn't connect with the characters and the story was confusing. I didn't understand where we were going and it annoyed me. I tried several times to read the book, but I finally abandoned. I'm really sad that I didn't connect with the book despite Adrienne's beautiful writing style.
However, I will continue to support the author and read her next books!