Eelyn is a warrior alongside her fellow Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Life is brutally simple: fight and survive until the next battle. Then Eelyn sees something impossible - her brother alive and fighting on the side of the enemy, the same brother she watched die five years before. Faced with his betrayal, Eelyn has no choice but to outlast the winter in the mountains with the Riki. She is surrounded by the mortal enemy of her people, where every scar could be one she delivered in the heat of battle. Then, the Riki village is raided by another ruthless clan thought to be legend, Eelyn is more desperate than ever to get back to her family. Now she has no choice but to trust her brother's new Riki friend, Fiske, who sees her as a threat. The three will have to do the impossible and unite the Aska and Riki clans if they all want to survive this new danger.

Wow! Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young was exactly what I needed! It's one of the most hyped up books out there right now and it totally delivers. As soon as I heard YA fantasy with Vikings, I was in. Looking back on it, though, this new release definitely outclassed my expectations. The best part is that this is Adrienne Young's debut - how impressive is that - I mean, after that I'm dying to know what she's going to do next. Thank you so much to NetGalley for granting my review request!

Like I said, this story is features Vikings and there are a ton of well-executed fight scenes with a real take no prisoners kind of heroine. It's incredibly action-packed and it's also perfectly paced for that as well as some of the calmer moments. I never felt like the story was moving too fast or dragging. The author does a fantastic job of introducing us to the world of the Aska and the Riki. Although the world-building is a little more limited and narrow than what I prefer, it doesn't hinder the story as it's very tightly defined, controlled, and clearly set up from the beginning.

As fantastic as all of these elements are, though, the cast of characters is what really sets this story off. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how character-driven such an action-packed novel turned out to be. Eelyn has easily become one of my new favorite YA characters and I honestly wouldn't say no to seeing more like her in the future. I love her conviction, honor, loyalty, strength of body and mind, and the realistic relationships she builds with her family and friends. She also has a brilliantly done character arc and we get to see her grow and change on the page - we get to see her at the top of her game, vulnerable, doing what was thought to be impossible, and more. There's also a bit of hate-to-love romance between Eelyn and Fiske and I found myself rather enjoying that much more than I expected to as well. I don't know about you, but aside from Lagertha in Vikings, Okoye from Black Panther came to mind when considering Eelyn's character and values.

Overall, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is an amazing YA debut that easily lives up to the hype. It's a brilliant standalone fantasy, but I can honestly say I wish I could be spending more time with Eelyn in the future. I can't recommend this story highly enough. There's so much to love about this incredible new release, but you shouldn't just take my world for it. I will definitely be keeping my eyes on Adrienne Young's upcoming projects.

I wanted to live inside this book forever; I never wanted it to end. I fell in love with the characters, the world, the language, and the story.

The cover of Sky in the Deep initially drew me in, and from there, I was hooked. A Viking-inspired story featuring a warrior girl? Count me in.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this debut novel, but I wasn't disappointed. The story itself fluctuates between action and introspection. Relatively graphic battle scenes between enemy clans are followed by the quieter activities of daily living, and for me, this really worked.

Eelyn, a Viking warrior of the Aska clan, discovers the brother and best friend she thought to be dead for the past five years actually lives a new life as part of the rival Riki clan, of which she has become prisoner. She is angry, bitter and heartbroken, and her time spent in the presence of her brother Iri's new family tests her beliefs.

Without meaning to, Eelyn builds relationships with the Rikis she so hates. I especially enjoyed the bond that developed between Eelyn and Halvard. Then there's the slow burn romance between Eelyn and Fiske, which I found to be extremely subtle yet perfect.

Another aspect that thrilled me is that Sky in the Deep is a standalone. Thank you.

I look forward to what comes next from Adrienne Young.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Eelyn is an unflinching warrior raised on the viciousness of a never-ending war, and she takes the fierce YA heroine game to a whole new level. Her fury at her brother's betrayal is raw and pervasive, and you can palpably feel her anger toward him and everyone in the rival tribe he's abandoned his blood family for. Her inner conflict as she starts to realize the Riki aren't as "other" as she'd always believed created crackling tension, and she harbors deep fears about going against her tribe's god, which could cost her the afterlife. Loyalty was such a pervasive theme here - how we bestow it, who deserves it, and the incredible cost when it begins to shift.

I loved it! This was a very interesting book and the author did an amazing job writing it.

When I started this, I found it immediately engaging. High action, a Viking-esque setting -- unique for fantasy novels -- and a YA heroine fighter. It was high action and enjoyable. And then the main character gets captured by the enemy, and the pacing suddenly slammed on the brakes. That would've been fine, but I sensed my least favorite YA trope coming into play: dude try to kill you? Hit you a few times, stabbed you, given you some literal scars? You should definitely fall in love with him.

Ugh.

There was also a sentence along the lines of, "Little did I know at the time...," which should only be used in 19th century novels.

But if the abusive-love-interest-who-is-really-a-great-guy trope doesn't bother you, you'll find high-action fantasy here that you'll probably enjoy. But I abandoned it halfway through.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Since I didn't finish the book, I didn't rate it on Goodreads]

I really wanted this to be a 5 star read, because it definitely started off as one! That opening chapter hooked me in immediately, and I was super excited to read it!

I loved Eelyn's character - right off the bat, you can tell she's fierce and determined, yet at the same time so loving and family-oriented. The story is told from her perspective, and there's pretty much never a dull moment. It's action-packed and fast-paced the whole way through, which makes the perfect YA fantasy novel for me. The fact that it was a standalone too made this so much better - it's quite rare nowadays to find good fantasy novels that don't belong to a 6 book series. This is also a debut novel; taking that into consideration, what a way to introduce yourself to the literary world. The plot was great, the world-building was really well done and the characters were well thought out.

I only have one negative thing to say about it, though: I personally think that the story could've survived without the romance. It just felt warped and unnecessary, like some distorted version of Stockholm Syndrome. The storyline between Eelyn and Iri was enough, I think, for the book to stand on; I don't think it needed the romance to be exceptional. If anything, it's the romance which meant I couldn't give this a 5 star review. It felt forced, like you have to have a romance in a YA fantasy, or it wouldn't work.

Regardless of that, I thought this was a great debut novel! It was super emotional, all about betrayal, love and trust, but with the perfect balance of action and emotion!

My thoughts right after I finished Sky in the Deep went along the lines of shoving this book in everybody’s face. I did literally open my goodreads review with the following: “Go-read-this-book-NOW. Pre-order it, perform a dance for the bookish gods or just do whatever you need to, but seriously.” So I’ll just say it again, in case my words haven’t really sunk in yet. Add this book to your tbr asap.

t’s been a long a*s time since I pick up a book that captures my attention this quickly. Around chapter one, to be more exact, I was so unfreakingbelievably enthralled by the narrative that I could already tell this was going to be an easy 5 stars rating. And guys, that doesn’t happen too often (the easy 5 stars, obviously, my gut is usually spot on, thank you very much).

This is one of those books that starts with a boom right off the bat. A boom and a bang and a swish and swords and axes and badass female vikings kicking some serious a*s, all that wrapped up in a seriously good narrative. Honestly, if this is Adrienne Young’s debut, I can’t freaking wait to see what else she has in store for us – more vikings please, let it be more vikings.

I can think of a tone of reasons why you should preorder, anticipate, wait impatiently and finally read this book. As for one, VIKINGS AND ALL THINGS NORSE. Why aren’t there more norse-inspired books?. Then, there’s the fact that this book is seriously action-packed, not in a tension-is-built-throughout-the-book-in-preparation-for-a-battle kind of action, but far better. The story is strongly character driven and at the same time it’s gloriously dynamic. As I said, it starts right away with a battle and from there, chapter bleeds into chapter so smoothly the book does feel like a breeze. A bloody, savage, glorious breeze.

And my personal favourite reason why I will shove this book in your face for the months to come: the heroine. OH, THE BADASSERY. Eelyn is a 17 year old Aska trained for fighting. Her life has been and is meant to be spent in the battle field. Once a year, and due to an ancient rivalry that involves some epic norse gods, her clan goes to battle against the Riki. They fight, they kill, they survive or they die. Both the Aska and the Riki have strong beliefs in what honor, family, their purpose in life and the afterlife are and should be. The hatred between them lies in centuries of war, lost lives, blood and tradition. Which makes the personal and family relationships in this novel deliciously complex. When Eelyn discovers that the brother she thought dead is now living and fighting beside the Riki, her world implodes. Furthermore, when she is captured and taken by the Riki and forced to live in a Riki village as a servant for her brother’s “new” family, her world crumbles. She is betrayed by the one person she loved the most, loses her honor as an Aska, and has to live serving the Riki. But what I absolutely adored about all this was that Eelyn, this female warrior, never lost sight of what she truly was and what she wanted. And while a very important element in this novel is the action and the badassery, the representation of family values is as important.

And dang, it was just freaking entertaining. For me, that’s a very important factor in a YA fantasy novel.

Last but not least, the SHIPS. For those like me that need a love story to make things all the better, well, you are in for a treat. In this case, it’s a delicious slow burn mashed with a from hate to love romance. And trust me, even if it was subtle and completely secondary to everything else in the book, it made my little heart do some nasty cartwheels.

So, I’ll just say it one more time: Sky in the Deep is a 2018 must-read. It checks all the badassery boxes, it’s fantasy perfectly wrapped up in a mystical norse-inspired setting, delivered with an awesome narrative and action packed from beginning to end. What else can we ask from a YA debut?

The Sky in the Deep...is a story. It's hard to talk about, because I didn't actively dislike this book, but I didn't love it. It has all the elements of a good story, but it was bogged down by the lack of character depth.

There's nothing to make the reader attached to Eelyn, because all she feels is anger and it keeps her at a distance from all the other characters. There's development that happens, but I don't know how it happened, because there was never a change in the characters' thoughts. There's a romance that buds that I kind of wish never happened, because there was literally nothing showing me that it would (Except for it being a YA novel and a trope). It was just bizarre. I read all 350 pages, but I feel like nothing substantial happened.

Overall, this book was all right. Nothing to keep you up late at night reading, but nothing too dull. I am just indifferent at this point.

Sky in the Deep was pretty violent at times, so this might not be a good book for the faint of heart. The two clans within the story have been warring with each other for generations, and they prepare their children for battle when they are still incredibly young and innocent. That innocence doesn't last very long when they are forced to kill other people to appease their gods.

Eelyn was a very interesting and complex character. She knew what she believed in, or at least she thought she did, and she held on to those beliefs despite the hell she went through. Family and honor were more important to her than her own life, so she didn't hesitate to put them before everything else. It caused her to act recklessly at times, and occasionally the consequences were severe, but she never let that stop her from doing what she believed was right. Her childhood and the lessons she was taught defined her, and it took a long time for her to view the world with a different perspective.

Fiske was undoubtedly a good person. He was always putting others before himself and saving people he shouldn't. Life was precious to him, but so was protecting his family and honoring his god. I could feel how conflicted he was during certain situations, but I never knew what he would do or how he would handle them. He was a constant surprise. I also adored his family, especially his younger brother. I think Halvard played a large role in helping Eelyn, even though he was just being a sweet kid.

I believe Sky in the Deep delivers an important message. The two clans have been fighting for too long, and it's just expected that their children will do the same. They fight, they die, and then their families want revenge. It's a never-ending cycle that gets passed down over the years. We should never want that to be the world our children live in. We should always strive to be better.

I thought the story started off strong and in-your-face, but the middle felt a little sluggish at times. It took awhile for certain things to happen, and while the information was interesting, I wish it had been condensed just a little. Other than that I really have no complaints (except for all of the animal sacrifices, because I could have definitely done without those). It was an interesting concept that was beautifully executed.

*will post this review on Amazon on the release date

This book has me hooked, I read it in one sitting and couldn't put it down. With amazing writing, an interesting plot and a badass main character this book is well worth the read I would highly recommend!

This had such potential to be good. A different premise. Badass female fighters without focusing too much on their genders. Familial love. Vikings-esque setting.

But what it was lacking? Depth. Character development. Suspense. Complexity.

I will be completely honest-- I started to skim near the end. I went back forth between skimming and reading. I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it.

2 1/2 stars

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC to read and review!</i>

I loved Sky in the Deep from page one. I love Viking stories but I feel they hard to pull off because they're either too gruesome and harsh or not authentic enough to really show what life was like back then. But Sky in the Deep nails it (not that I <i>know</i> how the Vikings lived but ... you know what I mean).

Eelyn would be difficult to sympathize with if her motivations weren't so unequivocally rooted in her culture, her clan, her family. She's bordering on ruthless when it comes to battles with her rival clan but the emotions driving her are the purest sort of love and loyalty to her family and clan. This is only more emphasized when the discovery of what her brother has done leaves her torn and when she grows attached, despite herself, to the people who enslave her. Just thinking about the choices she had to make left <i>me</i> feeling torn. Except about Fiske. That's one choice I had no trouble with. ;-)

I cannot recommend this book enough. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and it'll make you hold your breath until the end.

I was really excited to receive Sky in the Deep through NetGalley and I've finished it just in time for the publication date.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I had a hard time getting into the world or connecting with the MC, because there is no introduction whatsoever. With all the words, names and terms that were thrown around like Riki, Aska, Tala, Aghi and so on, it took me a while to figure it all out and it made the reading pace really slow. However, I liked the action, the fighting scenes and the family/tribe bond. The writing style is decent as well and let's be honest - who doesn't love vikings? The setting and overall fight-or-die atmosphere was my favorite elements and I will definitely be purchasing this book, once it's out, for a better experience the second time around with less confusion and a different format.

SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young is a well-written and well-constructed viking adventure-romance and that builds upon the very well-loved genre trope of friends to enemies. Set in the world of Vikings, women are given incredible responsibility and freedom, and our main character, Eelyn, is no different. She is a strong, badass warrior, and she lives and breaths the rivalry between her clan, the Aska, and their rival, the Riki. Each year, both clans meet on the battlefield to continue a feud believed to be started by almighty Gods.

The book takes a turn when Eelyn sees her brother, believed to be dead from a previous fighting season, the battlefield. He is fighting for the Riki -- a complete shock to Eelyn, who sees it as a traitorous move against her family and their clan on the whole. When she tells her father that she saw her brother on the field, he believes his spirit visited Eelyn to give her good luck on the battlefield. But when Eelyn sees her brother again -- and follows him, she is brought deep into the world of her enemy, and all her notions of what the Riki represent are challenged.

Throughout the book, I was drawn to Eelyn’s strong character, and her resilience in the face of oppression and hardship. Young writes a character that is very realistic, and reacts in a way that any woman might in her given situation. Eelyn is unapologetic about her decision making, and is always authentic. It was refreshing to have a main character that was so confident and fully-formed. She is made even more likable in her exchanges with one Riki warrior, Fiske, that has taken her in at the request of her brother. Exchanges between the two warriors are tense and complicated, but also sweet and intricately done.

All-in-all, SKY IN THE DEEP is a must-read for anyone looking for a fast-paced adventure full of badass women and sweet romance. While short, it is a quick read that keeps you hooked until the end as the Riki and Aska find that there are other enemies in the world that demand their attention. Slow in the beginning, SKY IN THE DEEP is a wonderful debut by an author that has a great grasp on history and creating compelling characters.

I received this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. I haven't really read many viking novels before, but I thought this one was just beautiful. I thought the main character was very likable and the romance was so cute. I think the only thing I would have changed was the final battle; It felt like there was so much build-up to the end, but then everything finished so quickly!

I would definitely recommend this book and I am giving it 4.5/5 stars.

I received an e-arc from a publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A YA fantasy about Vikings? Yes, please! This tale of two rival Viking tribes completely consumed me. The story focuses on two quarreling tribes, the Aska and the Riki, who basically slaughter each other during the thaw over a lengthy feud. This cast contains a badass crew of characters, and is told through Eelyn’s point of view. While this book subtlety reminded of me of a bloody and violent Romeo and Juliet, it was also completely refreshing. I loved reading a YA fantasy, about Vikings, especially strong, powerful, independent female Vikings who aren’t afraid to show vulnerability. I think Young masterfully created a fascinating new world, with relatable characters, and plot that will keep you up late at night. My only complaint is that I have the worst book hangover after reading this! I need more books from Adrianne Young!!!

New Release Tuesday! Eelyn is a Viking warrior from the Aska tribe. Their mortal enemies, as decreed by the gods, are the Riki. Every five years the two clans must meet each other in battle to honor their gods.

Five years ago in battle, Eelyn saw her brother Iri fall in battle, rolling down an unreachable ravine. So when she sees her brother fighting with the Riki five years later, she assumes she’s seeing his spirit. The battle rages on, and Eelyn is shot through the he shoulder and taken hostage—by her brother and his new Riki family. There’s Fiske’s curious little brother, Inge, the village healer, and Fiske. The rude, bull-headed young man who shot Eelyn.

Eelyn must learn to survive while she waits out her escape once winter ends. Along the way, she makes new friends, new enemies, and realizes the Riki are much more alike the Aska than they are different. What follows is a great political and savage story where it seems like it may be hopeless—where everyone Eelyn knows might perish.

Another great thing about this story is that it is a standalone story. Everything is wrapped up at the end and you don’t have to wait tortuously for the sequel. If you like badass warrior women, Viking fierceness, and a fast-paced story, Sky in the Deep is definitely for you.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Links in post are affiliate links whose proceeds go toward the maintenance of this blog.

4.5 stars.

This was a very engaging and unique story. I appreciated the strong female protagonist in Eelyn, and her journey in self discovery. There was a good amount of action that kept the book flowing and entertaining, but I was fully invested in the other characters lives as well. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the relationships within. It could have been easy for certain characters to remain antagonistic towards Eelyn or vise versa, but they were allowed to grow and have their perspectives changed. It made for a more realistic and rounded characterizations.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more of Fiske and Iri. It's hard because this is told from Eelyn's point of view, but I would have liked to have seen more time spent with her and those two, especially Iri. The whole book started off with her running towards her thought-to-be-dead brother, but we never saw their relationship fully heal at the end (at least on her side). It was hinted that they had time to likely mend it, but it would have been more optimistic if they at least lived in the same place. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel.

I received this book on NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review.
This book has been on my TBR for soo many months, so when I saw I was approved for the book and when I read the reviews I was so pysched to read the novel. It’s safe to say that when I read this book I was letdown.

Worldbuilding
The world in this book was not very well built. The author seemed to build the book as the plot developed. I didn’t really get a full picture of the setting of the novel, and the mythology behind different deities.

Character Development-
The character development in this book was very weak. The author would mention a character and then would explain how this character was instead of letting us figure that out by exploring the actions, mannerisms, and traits of individual characters. Because of this, I found myself having no emotional attachment to any of the characters. I was not a fan of the protagonist, she was described to be a fierce warrior, but mostly all she did was sulk or she needed to be saved so I didn’t really see her fierce side coming through.

Relationship-
My absolute least favorite part in this book was the relationship. Eelyn fell in love with this character overnight. They hated each other all the way until all of a sudden they were making bold proclamations of love. The two characters barely interacted all the way up until their relationship, and they had no chemistry. I saw no reason why the two characters were put together and I felt like the book would have greatly benefited without a relationship.

Plot-
The plot of this novel was very convoluted and didn’t really seem to have a direction. The main conflict in the book happened towards the last 20 pages and was resolved in less than 5 pages so it was a major letdown.

Overall-
The plot in this novel was very poorly written, the characters were severely underdeveloped, and it seemed as if the author threw in a relationship just to spice things up. However, I enjoyed how we got to see how over time the protagonist overcame her prejudices and grew to love the people she was raised to heat. I found myself enjoying the book, so that is why I gave it a 3 star rating.