As far as sequels or companion novels go, The Girl the Sea Gave Back is not the best or worst one I have read. I had many issues with this book. The main one being the pacing, I felt like it took forever for anything to happen. Once it did it was over as quick as it started. The majority of the book is spent getting from point A to B. With most of it happening on the “road”. I really enjoyed the introduction of Tova , the Svell , and the Kyrr. I just wish there would have been more expansion into the characters. I honestly feel like there was no growth at all. The story was interesting however. I enjoyed the cultures and their perspective mythologies. I look forward to more from Adrienne in the future.

I absolutely loved Sky in the Deep. It was probably one of the best YA I've read last year and one of the best Viking inspired books I've ever read in my entire existence because somehow it reminded me of Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters, the nostalgia it evoked, the beautiful prose, the suffering, strong-willed heroine and the harsh but soft hero and the amazing action and adventure scenes plus the almost perfect romance. The problem is probably mine because in SitD I instantly was able to connect with the heroine in the very first chapter and here I wasn't, but at the same time, I'm glad that the author is able to craft different heroines and not stick to the same pattern.
However, TGtSGB although written beautifully, it just wasn't enough to keep my attention. When romance overwhelms a plot it's bad, but so is otherwise, and unfortunately, this was the case.
Nevertheless, I really loved to go back to Sky in the Deep world and I'm really looking forward to reading more novels from the author because her writing is lovely and I hope next time I'm able to feel again the strong connection with the characters I felt in Sky in the Deep. This book... It was enjoyable but just not...amazing like SitD. Maybe if I had read this one first I would have rated it higher, but after reading SitD, my expectations were very high.
Those who love Viking inspired stories, nordic mythology and strong heroines should enjoy this!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
All opinions are my own.

Tova was set to sea in her peoples funeral boat and was found washed ashore among the Svell. Tova was only six and knows little about her past or who she is, other than she is a Truthtongue. She casts the stones for the people of Svell but has never been one of them. The ink symbols on her skin make her stand out, and she doesn't even know what they mean. Soon, the Svell and another clan to the east going together as one and Tova's world is about to collapse. When the Cheiftan looks to Tova to cast the stones, a series of events get put into motion and will not only change everything she knows, but possibly finally give her something she can believe in, and possibly a home.

The first 6 chapters I felt like I was missing something. The background story was not there and I did not fully understand what was going on. Finally It started to click about a quarter through and I found myself actually enjoying it! The book is told from Tova's POV as well as Halvard, who is with the opposite clan. Their fates have been woven together by the "Spinners". Towards the end of this novel, there was the most EPIC war scene I think I've ever read. Iw as hanging onto the words of every page. I really liked Halvard's character and I was rooting for him the whole time! The only issue I really had was the beginning where I felt a little bit more backstory is needed to help readers really understand the world/beliefs the timing is set in. I understand that Tova knows nothing of her past, which is probably part of the lacking back story, but something a little more would have been a lot more helpful in understanding everything! Towards the end I felt like most of my questions had been answered but it ended so abruptly! Makes me wonder if there is going to be a sequel to this??

I went into The Girl the Sea Gave Back fully expecting to love it since I enjoyed Sky in the Deep so much. Sadly, however, The Girl the Sea Gave Back ended up being just an okay read for me. While Halvard and Tova's stories were interesting enough to keep me reading and the battle scenes were well written and exciting, I just didn't feel nearly as emotionally invested in the characters of this book or in the survival of their clans as I felt for Eelyn and Fiske and their people in the first novel. And in fact, since this was kind of a companion novel for the first one and I knew Halvard was family to Eelyn and Fiske, I spent most of my time wishing Eelyn and Fiske would make an appearance. I did finally get what I wanted there, but I would have liked more of them and really would have liked it to happen sooner than it did.

I am so ridiculously glad that we got another book in this world. This is all ever wanted since I finished Sky in the Deep.

This book takes places 10 years after the events of Sky in the Deep and follows Halvard, who is the younger brother of Fiske and Iri. The Aska and Riki clan have found peace and formed a new clan called, Nadhir. I adore that this isn’t a direct sequel and does stand-alone. If you’re not interested in reading the first book you don’t necessarily have to — but also do read it because it’s all kinds of awesome.

The story is told in dual perspectives from, Tova and Halvard, which means that you get to see the events from both sides. It’s told in both the present day with a few flashback chapters. I adore the addition of these flashbacks. They provided extra context — how Tova, a Kyrr girl, ends up casting runes for the Svell and how Nadhir people have come together. They are only introduced when it's relevant to the narrative.

Adrienne Young has this stunning way of bringing the Viking culture to life. Their belief and gods are effortlessly woven into every aspect of this story. There is an atmospheric quality to the writing and I can’t help feeling like I’m living it. The battle scenes had my heart racing. They are messy, chaotic and, much like I imagine a real battle would be like, quickly become just a matter of survival.

Through Tova, we see more of the religious side of the Viking culture. She is a truthtongue, a kind of seer, from the Kyrr clan and uses runes to forecast the future. Tova’s history is heartbreaking. She’s lead to believe she was abandoned and is used by the Svell’s religious leader to help cement his power. She is hated by them and is often under threat, but she wants desperately to fit in. She fights tooth and nail to stay alive and is conflicted about where her loyalties should lie. Is it with the people she’s known her whole life? Or those the Spinners of fate are drawing her towards?

I am thrilled that we get to see more from Halvard. He was one of my favourite characters in Sky in the Deep. He's now all grown up and heir to the Nadhir clan. He’s struggling with the weight of ruling with the huge fallouts of his decisions and how they affect the people he’s responsible for protecting. There is the relatable fear in him — the fear of not being good enough ¬— which hit me in the chest.

I will say that I felt like the story wrapped up quickly, especially in comparison to the pacing of the rest of the book. I would’ve loved a few more chapters, but that might just be me being selfish because I didn’t want to leave this world.

Overall, I love how this world expanded and shows other facets of Viking history. I loved the addition of the Kyrr and their magic and hope that we see more of them. I think Young has become one of my auto-buy authors. I love her atmospheric writing, the way she crafts characters, her world and just everything reallt. I cannot wait to read her next book.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a companion/sequel novel to Sky in the Deep, it is a Viking inspired novel. This one follows Tova who was found by the Svells, they took her in but are scared of her because she is a Kyrr and can see the future in runes. We also follow the POV of Halvard, a chieftain in training. Soon war is brewing…

I personally found Sky in the Deep totally average, and the same goes for The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I’m not the biggest fan of Vikings, and the whole war story was very boring. It felt most of the time that the story didn’t really go anywhere, or if it did it was never shocking or surprising. The main characters are pretty bland, but I liked how the author connected this book to Sky in the Deep. If you liked Sky in the Deep, I’m sure you will enjoy this one though. 3/5 stars.

Stunning, inspired, and completely unique. Adrienne Young just knows how to write the details to really set the mood/scene. You find yourself completely immersed in this world that almost plays out like an epic fantasy movie in your mind. There is truly beauty in the details of this novel and they all play out for a very satisfying ending!

I loved Adrienne Young’s first book Sky in the Deep so when I heard she was writing a new book and it was going to be a in the same world, I was excited! The Girl the Sea Gave Back is one I couldn’t wait to open up and dive into and I wasn’t disappointed.

This story introduces us to Tova who, as a child is found floating on the shore, and taken in by the Svell only because of the things they think she can do for them. Unfortunately for Tova, she is led to believe that her family didn’t want her, and she figures out a way to survive among the Svell even though they fear and hate her.

The chieftain of the Svell is not interested in war but when his brother goes against his wishes and attacks, they end up face to face with the leaders of the Nadhir, including the man who will take over leadership if/when something happens, Halvard. If you recall, the name, that is because Halvard is the younger brother to Fiske. Ten years later he has grown into someone the Nadhir have nominated to lead them and now that war imminent, he has some difficult decisions to make.

As Tova is tasked with finding Halvard or facing her own death, she has to make some decisions. When she and Halvard eventually come face to face, she chooses to another path. I thought the interactions between the two were interesting, but I didn’t really feel a connection between or with them.

Young writes this story beautifully, but it was a bit slow in the beginning. If you haven’t read Sky in the Deep, you don’t really have to in order to enjoy this book. In the end, I do think I enjoyed the first book more as I was more connected to Eelyn and Fiske. With that said, I did love that we got a glimpse of what the future held for them.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a story that has some mystery, plenty of action, and beautiful writing, consider picking this one up. Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a final copy.

I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately it was pretty "meh" for me. War just isn't that interesting of a topic for me, and most of this book felt like it revolved around battles--the lead up, the fighting, the ramifications. While I thought Tova's personal storyline was really interesting, I found the politics she was caught up in really boring, and I skipped over a lot of that. I also thought the story's structure, which frequently used flashback to build characterization, was distracting. Finally, while I liked the final few chapters and the connection between Tova and Halvard, I didn't think there was actually enough build-up in the beginning of the story to merit that kind of payoff. Why would these two characters, who've known each other two(?) days, get a HEA? It doesn't really make much sense. Ultimately, this book was disappointing. 2.5 stars.

“War is faithful to come looking for us time and again.”

Unpopular opinion coming in again everyone!

Imagine getting a beautifully wrapped gift, pretty ribbon, fabulous wrapping paper. Just oh so lovely. And then imagine your disappointment when you open the box only to find it completely empty.

That is this book.

Gorgeous cover. Plenty of lovely, descriptive prose. But sadly it’s narrative falls flat. Somehow, despite its best intentions, it is empty. Without heart. Without soul.

Coming away from this book, I felt little to no connection to anything or anyone. There is just a sort of nothingness.

It’s been so long so I don’t remember if Sky in the Deep was anything like this, but I don’t think it was because looking at my previous review I seemed to have rather enjoyed that book.

I found little enjoyment in this one. So either that book was superior or my taste has just change between now and then.

This book was all about destiny. If things didn’t make sense, it’s okay it is was destined to be that way. Unlikely coincidences or encounters? Fate! Two people who never met feeling connected to each other? Fate! Destiny!

There’s very little romance, but I can’t even be mad because the constant reminder of their entwined destinies was annoying enough without adding full-on insta-love into the mix. There were definitely unexplained feelings there, which I think I was supposed to be rooting for but I did not. Halvard literally almost strangles her to death. That killed any sort of positives vibes I could or might have had for them. And it’s not like it was a just an empty threat and she knew for certain he wouldn’t hurt her. No, when she reflected on it she literally wonders if he would’ve killed her had Kjelda not interrupted in time. Like girl, if you have question if a man might’ve killed you he is not the one for you!

Even the rather epic battle scenes toward the end couldn’t save this book. Also that ending? What?

This was my first read by Adrienne Young and I was informed by a few that it stands alone as a book and reading book one wasn’t vital. I made the mistake of jumping straight into THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK and I think that I missed out on some world building that would have helped me so much with this read. There wasn’t much space given to any world-building in this book and felt like I was playing catch up with the different tribes, their names, their belief systems and allegiences.

After about 20% of the book I felt that I had some context to understand the story that was playing out with two characters having alternate POVs – Tova and Halvard. These were two characters that were mystically connected but geographically separated. Halvard was a reluctant heir to leading his people and Tova was a virtual prisoner of her adopted people. This story is told over just a number of days with battle, strategy and mysticism at the core.

I enjoyed the mystical part of this story, the fate ruled by runes, spinners and the All Seer. I liked the concept of Tova and her race. There were however, a lot of characters to dislike in this book. So many prejudiced people with cruelty being part of life. The back and forth of past and present was written a little confusingly to me.

Ultimately, I felt unsatisfied with the story overall and this was just an okay read for me. I felt that the connection between Tova and Halvard was pointless in the end but I appreciated the how the different races were at war or peace at different times.

First, the cover is stunning! And never let it be said that Adrienne Young's books lack in glorious battle scenes. If that's what a reader is looking for in their YA fantasy/adventure, this may be the book for them.

What falls short for me is almost everything else. Characters, plot, pacing - they're all okay. But nothing especially memorable. Even though it's a quick read, it felt like it dragged on a bit until the end.

Tova, marked as a Truthtongue who can read the stones and see the future, is taken in by the Svell when she is found washed ashore as a child. She remembers nothing of her past life. Feared among the Svell for her abilities, Tova's ability proves to be a driving force that could lead the world to either destruction or peace.

While this story plays out exactly how you might expect, there is no denying that it is thoroughly entertaining. I found myself invested in the characters and their conflicts. I found the world to be interesting despite the predictability. I realized only after reading that it is part of the same world as the author's previous novel, although not a sequel. I hadn't read the first book and didn't need to in order to figure out what was going on.

Some elements felt a little too good to be true and I felt it pulled away from its own rules more than a few times. Still, worth the read and highly enjoyable.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

For me, I think I should have gone into this book not wanting something like the first to continue. I knew it was Halvard’s story arc but I guess I kept wanting a continuation of Sky in the Deep. The way Adrienne writes is imaginative and graps the readers. I still loved the world she built and the clans that fight to keep their homes. So all I can say is don’t expect it to be anything like the first book.

The story follows two perspectives
— Tova, a young girl from the mythic tribe of people called the Kyrr, who was found as a child on a burned boat in the ocean 

— and Halavard, a young man who has seen many generations before him face war, who will soon have to face war himself while grappling with the fact that one day he will become chief.

Once Tova is rescued from the sea she is taken in by the Svell’s Tala, Jorrund.
 Tova is what’s called a TruthTongue, she casts these stones that can show the future fate of that person or peoples.  Jorrund raises Tova, although the Svell thinks Tova to be a front to their gods, 
and so she faces a lot of hatred from the villagers. 
The Svell is currently on shaky ground, they want to take over more land, it's made even more shaky by the two brothers who rule- Bekan, the chief, and Vigdis, the overseer of sorts for the other parts of the land they have control over. One wants war and the other wants peace. 
Vigdis goes against his brother wishes by killing some of the neighboring Nadhir tribe. 
The Nadhir is comprised of two tribes who previously had a blood feud (which was the basis of the last book.) 

The Nadhir don’t want another war and try to make peace. Tova casts her stones and the fate of the Svell is shown. The two tribes meet, and war breaks out.  The Svell try to hunt down Halavard, and Tova tells them that she can find him.  
  Tova is beginning to have some questions about who she really is after she encounters another person from her mythic tribe. 
Tova and Halavard have a magnetic connection. The Spinners- the entities that decide the fate of the future are guiding her to him and also showing her visions of her past.
Soon, an even bigger war between the Svell and Nadhir break out, Halavard is now chief and leads the attack.


What I loved most about this book is the atmosphere. We are thrust into a world full of gods, ritual, and war. The beginning of the novel is a bit slow but really lays the groundwork for an intriguing story. Even though this was the second book in a series, you are able to read it as a stand-alone. I had no confusion in regards to the events that took place in the last book, it’s well explained.
In amongst the battle scenes and rituals, we have a slight romance happening. Tova and Halavard share a strong connection and through much of the novel, they both are intrigued by the other's presence. Once they meet, sparks fly- but this doesn't happen until the end of the novel, cutting the romance a bit short.
The ending of the book is action-packed with plenty of bloody battle scenes, betrayal and valiant effort to win the war.

Ultimately I ended up really loving this novel. I haven’t picked up Sky In The Deep yet but plan to.
4 stars, I’m excited to see more from this author.

The review will appear on aGirlWithBookss Goodreads and YouTube Channel. Links will be provided.

Everything in the synopsis yelled this book was perfect for me and here comes the but...

But I struggled with finding a connection to the story. Don't get me wrong it is vividly described but the vacillation between the narrative from the warring clans didn't work for me. I kind of felt like I was being spoken at and not taken along for the journey. I also want to know what the heck is a Spinner, really??? Its mentioned over and over but I felt like I was seriously missing something that I should know..

I'm sure there will be plenty of fantasy fans that will love this book, it just wasn't for me.

I received this ARC copy of The Girl the Sea Gave Back from St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Girl the Sea Gave Back is set for publication September 03, 2019.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I have to say is that I am in love with this cover.

This book is a continuation from Sky in the Deep set ten years in the future. It can definitely be read as a stand alone, even though it does bring us back to characters and flashbacks from the previous book. If you were a fan of Sky in the Deep you'll want to pick up this book for sure.

So, yeah, Vikings!!! One thing I really like about this author is how she does not spare on the brutal battle scenes. The scenes are so detailed that you feel like you are watching it unfold before you. It definitely makes you want to keep reading and holds your attention.

The two main characters/love interests are Halvard and Tova. Just by one look at each other they know their fates are intertwined. I love how the author has them make decisions based on this knowledge. I also liked how Halvard had a vulnerable side to him. When he was next in line to be chief and just unsure of himself was quite endearing. Tova, you just had to feel sorry for her. She was in a tribe that really didn't accept her and lives in fear as a fate reader that if she makes the wrong prediction that she will lose her life. Her choosing Halvards tribe and to leave hers was a pretty stand out moment where you were rooting for her to make right what she had wronged.

I would have liked to see a little more romance between the two. Maybe "little more" is too strong. I would liked to have seen romance between the two. It was tread upon lightly and was not a big focus to the book. It left me wanted to know what happens next. Their romance is pretty much destined by fate instead of interest and interactions which really left you wanting.

Here's hoping for more from this author!!

I don’t have much to say, but this is my honest review... this book was messy. I was confused start to finish and had no idea what the plot was. It’s dual perspective and I could never remember who’s perspective it was. The amount of info dumping, yet no info given was the worst part. I couldn’t grasp the world and the history with the clans. I still don’t know why they hated each other 🙃
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Anyways, I’m really disappointed in this book. I was super pumped to read it and it was just a huge let down.

When I heard about this book coming out I was super excited because while I didn't love her first novel, Sky In The Deep, I felt that there would be some improvement story wise in this one given that it wasn't her debut but honestly, I felt the same way towards this one that I did her first novel. Its not that the writing isn't enjoyable its just that for me throughout both books it feels like theres this key element missing from the story that has the opportunity to change it from a 3 star read to a 4 or higher but she just hasn't quite nailed it yet.

I would still recommend this one because the problems might just be for me, but at the moment I think I'm going to be taking a step back from Adrienne Young's writing.

It does not happen often that I finish a book feeling confused. But it happened now. And I cannot even describe how confused I feel right now. I went into this book expecting it to be epic. To be fully exciting and romantic. To be just as amazing as Sky in the Deep, if not better. That's not what I got. At all. I'm beyond disappointed.

I just. I do not understand. I do not understand how I could have disliked this book so much. Why it was so bad for me. Even the cover tricked me. It made me think this one would be fierce. That the girl would be. That it would be about the sea. It was neither of those things. I wanted much more from this book. I'm left wanting.

Which is not a good feeling to have after finishing a book. But oh. There is nothing I can do about it. I did not love this book. I barely liked it. I thought I would give it three stars. But it never got good for me. Not once. And so two stars it is. Which is so breaking my heart. Because I honestly thought I would love this book the very most. Considering that I've now read Sky in the Deep twice and loved it beyond words. And I adore this author. But. Well. The Girl the Sea Gave Back was simply not a good book for me. I wish I could say that I think I'm the only one that will have issues with it. But I don't think so, not really. Because, for me, this book had so many faults. And because I cannot stop myself from being honest, I will share all my thoughts about it. Well, most of them.

There is so much that I need to share about this book. And so much that I am not going to share about it too. I wish I could only say good things. But, honestly, I do not have any good things to say. The cover is gorgeous. I love this author. And that is all the positive things I have to share. Sigh. It was supposed to be such an epic companion novel, set ten years after Sky in the Deep. But it was not. I was supposed to love Halvard. I did not. Was supposed to love the small peeks into the lives of Fiske and Eelyn. I did not. Sigh.

This book tells the story of Halvard and Tova. It is told from both point of views. And there are several flashbacks included into their past. I wish I could say I loved it. But I really did not. I did not care at all for the things that happened in the past. I did not connect with Halvard or Tova. They were truly not strong characters. They were not interesting. They were not soft or broken or exciting to read about. There was not even a romance between them. Sure, one almost kiss at the end, which was beyond awkward. Ugh.

There is so much I want to share about this one. But I'm going to control myself. Ha. I really wanted to love Halvard in this one. I adored him as a child in Sky. But I could not find it in myself to care for him at all in this story. Which breaks my heart. There was just nothing to care about. I felt like I never really got to know this boy. Only that he did not really want to be the next chief, which he was going to be. We see so little of his family. And what we see was bad. He has a few friends, and even that was awkward to me.

Then there was Tova. A girl I was expecting to love. And I did not like her one bit. I did not hate her, I just did not feel anything for her at all. The book begins with her being dead as a child, her clan sending her out to the sea. And then a man from another clan finding her, and her not being dead any longer. He lies to her, yet raises her. She spends her life in this village telling these people their future. They are scared of her. She knows nothing about her past. Well, that is all there is to know about her. Sigh. Wanted more.

This whole book felt unfinished to me. The ending was kind of silly. It was way too rushed. There were not any answers at all. This book felt like half a story. And not the good half. There were things that I wanted to know that were never answered. I'm disappointed. This whole book was about one war. That lasted for, what, half an hour at most. Haha. Yeah. It took place within a few days. Nothing really happened. I did not feel anything for these characters. And I'm so sad about it. I really truly wanted much more from this one.

I went into this expecting it to be as amazing as Sky was to me. I ended up being way too disappointed. The writing was different. I wish I could say it was as great as the first book, but it really truly wasn't. I was not able to focus. There were a bunch of mistakes, which I hope are fixed in the finished copies. But even without those, the writing did nothing at all for me. And in Sky I loved it so very much. I am just confused. So confused. This didn't feel like the same type of book at all. Nothing was the same. I'm so sad about it.

As it was not only the writing that was different from the first book. This book did not have any exciting moments. It did not have a broken character, like Eelyn was. It did not have the same type of strength at all. I even felt like the world was different. In Sky I fell in love with the Viking setting. In this book I didn't even notice it at all, because it was barely there. I just. I have already said too much. I wish this book was different, better. It was simply not for me. It might be perfect for others, but it was so not perfect for me.

Huge thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for approving my request to read this book early. I'm glad I had the chance to. Despite not liking this book much, I am still going to try my hardest to collect all the editions, as I have managed to do with Sky. Because that cover truly is gorgeous. And I need to own it. And I am still going to read the next books by this author. And hoping they will end up being better for me. Crossing all my fingers. I'm curious to know what everyone else will think of this book. Let me know.

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(I got this book via Edelweiss long before I was approved on Netgalley, and so I read this book back in May.)