I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young Published by Wednesday Books on April 24 2018
Genres: Young adult, Fantasy
Pages: 340
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Brutal, emotional and beautifully written, this stand-out YA story based on Viking and Norse mythology will leave you breathless.
I love finding books that surprise me, and wow did this one deliver! I’m so happy I had the chance to read Sky in the Deep, and if you’re looking for a YA novel that isn’t like the rest, then you need to read this. I believe this is Adrienne Young’s debut, which is astonishing considering how beautifully written and perfectly paced it is.
Eelyn is a young girl from the Aska clan, a fierce fighter who joins her clanmates in a brutal battle every five years against the Aska’s rivals, the Riki. When the story begins, it is the time of the fighting season, and the Aska and the Riki have met on the battlefield at Aurvanger, where they will attempt to kill as many of the other side as they can. Five years ago, Eelyn watched her brother Iri die in battle, but now she is horrified to see a man fighting with the Riki who looks exactly like him. When she follows him into the forest, she discovers that it is indeed her brother, somehow alive and now on the Riki’s side. But then the unthinkable happens: Eelyn is captured by the Riki, taken back to their village, and made into a dýr (slave). The man who now owns her is Fiske, the same man who saved her brother all those years ago.
When a common enemy threatens both clans, they may have to set aside their differences in order to survive. And that won’t be easy, since clan loyalty runs thicker than blood.
After a thrilling opening sequence, which dumps the reader right in the middle of some exciting battle action, I was surprised to find that Sky in the Deep is actually more of an emotional drama than anything else, which is probably why I ended up loving this so much. Now I love a good fight scene with axes and swords as much as the next person–and believe me, I was riveted by Young’s graphic descriptions of battle–but what makes this story so special are the emotional connections between the characters: fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters, husband and wife, even the connections between enemies. Eelyn is devastated by the fact that her brother has switched sides and is now part of the Riki clan, the Aska’s sworn enemies. Eelyn’s instinct is to kill any Riki she sees first and ask questions later. There is no debate about whether to spare the life of the enemy. And yet, as she spends more and more time with the Riki, she begins to realize that they aren’t that much different than she is. Her anger with Iri slowly turns to understanding, and I loved seeing that transition.
The characters are all beautifully done, and you can’t have an emotional story without creating a multi-layered cast, each with individual past experiences that drive them. In the Riki camp, Eelyn meets Fiske, the man who saved Iri’s life; Inge, a mother figure to both Fiske and Iri; Halvard, a young boy who isn’t quite old enough to fight; and Runa, the Riki woman who Iri has fallen in love with. Each of these characters makes an impression on Eelyn and forces her to evaluate why exactly the Aska hate the Riki so much.
There is a slow-burn romance in this story, but it was perfectly done, in my opinion. With such a violent and brutal background, romantic love takes a back seat to trying to survive such a harsh environment, and so you won’t hear the words “I love you” uttered by any of the characters. Instead, the author describes their growing affection with subtleties like lingering glances and brief touches, and believe me, the tension is palpable. These are complex relationships made more difficult by the fact that these people are supposed to hate each other on a very deep level, and changing that mindset isn’t something that will come easily.
The driving theme throughout is that of family, both the kind you are born to and the kind you discover on your own. There are all sorts of wonderful examples of “found” families in this story. Iri finds a brother and mother in Fiske and Inge, Halvard bonds with Eelyn despite her attempts to keep him at arm’s length, and eventually Eelyn herself comes to care for her captors.
And because there is an axe on the cover, you must know by now that Sky in the Deep is viciously violent, so reader beware if you’re disturbed by graphic violence. While the fight scenes don’t take over the story, you have to remember that these people are raised as warriors, even the females, trained to fight with axes and swords and knives from childhood.
But there are also magical moments in this story, moments that made me catch my breath in awe. One of these takes place near the river when Fiske and Eelyn are fishing, when a bear wanders over to check out their fish. What could have turned into another bloody scene became something quite different, and this was probably my favorite scene in the book.
I loved the ending, especially since I was worried about how things would wrap up. I was invested in these characters long before the end of the book and was frantic with worry for them! Although this isn’t a series, I was thrilled to see a “companion novel” listed on Goodreads, which means another chance to revisit this fascinating world. Adrienne Young has a terrific future ahead of her if this book is anything to judge by, so I suggest jumping on the bandwagon now, you won’t regret it!
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
I really want to read this one! Sounds fantastic!
Lisa @TenaciousReader recently posted…The Sunday Share – April 29, 2018
It is fantastic, definitely one to read “someday when I have time” lol.
Excellent review! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it too, Tammy!
Lauren @ Always Me recently posted…Sunday Funday: Weekend Update, Book Haul, & Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
I’m always happy when I love books that other bloggers love, so yeah, big win for this one!
I hope I can get to this one soon, it’s pretty high on my want to read list! I don’t think I’ve read about Vikings in YA before.
Vee @ Under The Mountain
I think this was my first Viking story as well (that I can remember). Now I want to read more!
Great, intriguing review!
A YA story that “isn’t like the rest” is indeed one not to be missed because it’s a rare find: from your description there is a great deal of character growth as the journey moves forward, and considering the important emotional issues involved it promises to be very interesting. Another one for the ever-growing “wanted” list 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Review: GUNPOWDER MOON, by David Pedreira
This was such a well rounded book, which I think is the element most YA misses the mark on. Lots of great action, but it goes so much deeper. I can’t wait to read her next book:-)
I’ve been hearing conflicting things about this one but I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!
I haven’t heard any negatives yet about this, but now I’m curious to hear what others think!
Awesome you liked it! I’m reading it now and am slowly getting into it. So far, I just like that the protagonist is a badass. Love that she fights with a sword and axe! 😀
It changes so much from the first part, as I’m sure you know by now. I was worried the whole story would be bloody battle scenes (not my favorite) so I was happy when the story shifted to a more emotional tale.
Wow. I… think I will need to borrow this from the library soon. This was an awesomely convincing and enthusiastic review, Tammy. 😀
It really surprised me, and especially if you love emotional connections between characters, that alone is a reason to read this:-)
ARGGH Tammy! Now I want to read this one and it’s all your fault 😛 I literally had to force myself to not request the audio when the opportunity was offered and now you have me regretting that decision. Sigh, maybe I’ll pick it up later this year if I have more time. I’m glad to hear it’s a stand alone though, which means I won’t have to scramble to catch up before the companion novel comes out 😀
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…“Can’t Wait” Books of Mid-2018
Sorry!!! (not sorry) I love when a YA surprises me, because it doesn’t happen that often. I’d love to hear your opinion if you do read it:-)
Ahhhh, I loved this book so much. What a fantastic debut novel. The slow-burn romance was so lovely – I think it surprised exactly no one that I loved it so much. Eelyn and Fiske are I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Tammy! Wonderful review!
Have a great week. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Alyssa Susanna (The Eater of Books!) recently posted…Review: Beauty and the Barbarian by Amy Jarecki
I know you are the “slow burn romance Queen” Alyssa! Such an unexpectedly wonderful story!
Glad you enjoyed this one. I’ll be checking it our for sure eventually. Also, I finally started Outpost and am about 200 pages in. You are right, it’s great and I’m really enjoying it!
Barb (boxermommyreads) recently posted…April Spring Into Horror – It’s a Wrap!
Oh good! I wish more people would discover Outpost, I seriously loved it.
Drat. Now I want this book in my life. Drat. And double drat. I’m so greedy but I can’t help it when I read such a glowing review. I’m just going to go and push a few book piles over in a tantrum.- and then I won’t be able to see as many stacks so I won’t feel as guilty going a buying a copy.
Lynn 😀
Ha ha I know how you feel! I really did love it, so one day when you have NOTHING to read (lol) you can pick this up!
This book sounds amazing! Your review has convinced me to read this book ASAP.
Adding it to my TBR list.