I started this book as something to clear my head before bed and could not put it down. I loved the differences between the two peoples and the realization that they were the same. Eelyn and Fiske were fun to watch and see how they fought and snarled. The pace of the entire book was perfect which is difficult for a lot of authors. A quick, interesting read that I recommend. Looking forward to more from this author!

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Adrienne Young for allowing me to read and review this novel. I loved it! I will be recommending it to all of my #bookstagram friends.

Mini review:

I received this E-Arc via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was this book circulating twitter and GR for awhile. I’m not exactly a fan of Viking books but wanted to try this regardless. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it.

For the most part I didn’t care about anything. I wasn’t that invested in any of the characters. I did like how well the MC’s struggle with her brother was written. But after that it became boring.

The fight scenes were well written. And it was nice to see how family oriented the book was. The only character I liked was Halvard (I forgot his name) and the mother.

The romance came out of nowhere. It was obviously going to happen, but I didn’t really feel any build-up. Seeing as Fiske was threatening her half the time. And Eelyn was mostly thinking about escape or killing everyone.

Overall I didn’t really care for this. Still recommend.

I'm really disappointed to say this one did not work for me at all. The tough female heroine spends more time doing household chores and getting rescued than anything else. The battle scenes were vivid but the writing had a middle grade feel to it that didn't match up with the more graphic material. Full review on 5/2/2018!

Well that was different, mostly.
If I were to give a true review it would be 3.5/5. I bumped it up to 4, because I enjoyed more than not.
This is an original story about a warrior Aska girl named Eelyn, fighting for her clan against the vicious Riki. Things change when she sees someone fighting with the Riki, someone who should be dead. What are the Riki really and what happened to this walking dead guy. Together can they change the warring clans?
I enjoyed the originality of the Sky in the Deep. I don't think I have ever read a book exploring the Vikings historically or otherwise, let alone a young adult book and the author does a really good job with world creation.
Young adult books tend to rely heavily on romantic relationships and I really feel like that holds this book back. I enjoyed Eelyn as a character and her relationships within her clan and with the Riki, but Fiske seemed very flat and I couldn't really see their relationship building enough to truly impact the plot. Not to mention how often she "cries" after his introduction. It seemed pretty heavy handed and stereotypical. I would have preferred a bigger emphasis on Iri or Inge instead or even her father.
Really good book, I would definitely recommend it to a certain audience and a wider audience with a disclaimer about the romantic relationship.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

(Review will go live April 4, 2018)

I immediately requested this book when I strayed upon it on NetGalley. For one, I live in Minnesota, so it's almost obligatory that I read any YA novel about Vikings. But that aside, the Viking things alone would be enough regardless of geography simply because it sounded like a breath of fresh air. I mean, I love fairytales and royalty fantasy fiction as much as the next person, but there's been A LOT of those published recently. But a young woman Viking? Sign me up!

Eelyn is a warrior. Her father is a warrior, her brother was a warrior, before dying tragically several years ago, and her entire society is built around a strict rotation of warring and preparing to war with their rival clan, the Riki. But, as the book description above states, things go very wrong when she catches sight of her should-be dead brother battling against her clan alongside a fellow Riki warrior. Now, captured, alone, and surrounded by the enemy, Eelyn struggles to understand a brother she no longer knows and a people who seemingly frighteningly similar to her own.

The first thing I loved about this book was the author's willingness to live in the world she built. Unlike other books, *cough*"The Cruel Prince"*cough*, Eelyn is a warrior and we SEE her fight. She kills people, and she doesn't make apologies for it. This is her world, so why would she question these ways? Again and again, even as the battle lines move and the enemies change, we see Eelyn's skills and why she is respected as a fighter. Further, there is never any mention of her gender playing any role in things. For one thing, she's by no means unique for being a female warrior. Her best friend fights alongside her, and they have a practiced, methodical way of moving across a battlefield that only comes through much repetition and trust. So, too, in the Riki camp, women are just as likely to take up an axe or sword as the men. It was refreshing how free of comment this book was on this premise.

The action scenes in particular stood out. They are sprinkled throughout the story, successfully picking back up the pace just when things were on the verge of becoming a bit slow. The battles were also given a good amount of page time, with many details about the use of the land in strategy and the actual fights taking place. I was all over this, but it does mean you have to be a fan of battle scenes and sword/axe fighting to enjoy this book.

The storyline itself was fairly predictable. We all know going in that it's going to be a pretty tried and true version of a main character learning that those she's always hated might not be all that bad and oh look, here's a convenient OTHER that they can both band up with against and she will be the point of connection between them. However, for all of that, I feel like the story was managed well and saved from too much predictability by the honest and challenging inner struggles that Eelyn goes through, particularly with her feelings towards a brother who she mourned but now finds alive and well, living with her enemy.

Eelyn is not a perfect person, and it is her imperfections that save what could have been a pretty typical story. Her anger, resentment, and prejudices do not go quickly or easily away. Even by the end of the book, it is still clear that she struggles to accept what her brother chose, and she is quick to understand and sympathize with her people's distrust when she proposes banding together.

I did enjoy the romance as well, though it did progress a bit quickly for my taste. The book is fairly short, however, so this was maybe a bit unavoidable. What really made it was how free this plotline was from any grand romantic gestures or flowery, angsty prose. Fiske was an example of one of my more favorite romantic heroes: silent and steady. Between his solid presence, and the fact that most of the emotional stakes of the book were still tied up between Eelyn and her feelings towards her brother, the romantic plotline served as an understated but sweet portion of the book.

Again, given the shortness of the book, things did progress quite quickly throughout the entire story. I could have done with several more chapters of Eelyn's time in the Riki village and a slower arc for her coming to understand these people. However, the writing was beautiful, particularly the descriptions of winter in the deep forest. And the action is appropriately violent and exciting. If you're a fan of historical fiction and are looking for a quick, standalone read, I definitely recommend checking out "Sky in the Deep!"

Rating 7: A breath of fresh air in YA fiction, where the female warrior is appropriately badass and the action carries readers through what could be a slightly predictable story.

This was fun and action packed! The protagonist was super badass and likeable.

Wow. When I started reading Sky in the Deep I couldn’t stop, I raced through the pages. The combo of the unique story as well as the characters had me riveted. Even when I finished reading, I did one of those. What was that awesome movie I watched, oh wait it was a book I read. I loved loved this book so much!

I loved Eelyn. She is this badass warrior and is fiercely loyal to her clan the Aska. It’s interesting to see her change and grow as she finds that things aren’t always what they seem. That hatred that she was taught isn’t necessarily right. I loved watching her develop as she struggled with the things she is supposed to hate but also the things she love and how could they be the same thing at times. Through Eelyn’s eyes we see her own traditions and how they differ from the Riki but are also very similar. She is just such a great character.

All the other characters are great two from Iri, who I had my own complicated feelings about. I could understand the conflict between the siblings. I have older brothers myself so I always think, how would I feel. Then of course Inge, Runa, Halvard and Fiske. (I love Fiske). They all have their special things about them that really just compliment the story.

What are great storyteller Adrienne Young is! The plot is fast moving, I never felt any lag. The fighting scenes were filled with action but not too overwhelming. It was the right amount for the story. You can’t have a book about warring clans without some blood. I actually like that the main characters are not exempt from getting harmed. The fighting season is a brutal time for these clans and it was definitely shown from both sides. I kept the Herja looking like the White Walkers from GOT. I honestly don’t even think they were described that way but it’s what my brain decided and could be swayed. In general though I could vividly picture all the settings and things happening. I really did feel like I had watched a movie.

Hate to love relationships are kind of my favorite type. I’m hoping there is lots of fanart for this book, because I would love to see art from this book.

I could rave all day how this a great read. I really did love it and I can not wait to see what Adrienne Young comes up with next.

I'm sad to say this book fell into the overhyped category for me. I was so excited to get the ARC, but as I read it I was more and more disappointed. With so may five stars, how could I fid it so dry - I'm having that "I read a completely different book" feeling.

Meet Eelyn. She's a badass warrior, fierce and unafraid to fight or say what she means. Then she's thrust into a story that has her spending half the book crushing garlic or whining about her injuries. After the first chapter of total brilliance, ending on a cliffhanger in which we don't know if she saw the ghost of her brother, she's thrown into a world of servitude for so, so long. And this is where we discover how shallow her character is, along with everyone else.

The book suffers from poor pacing and lack of depth. There were many dry parts at the beginning that were difficult to get through. I don't want to give too much away, but there was so much that was hyped only to be given away too easily. The final battle starts so late in the book, I was sure the book would end on a cliffhanger, but no, it just ended way too fast.

I was so excited about the Viking lore, but honestly, that was the only part that kept me reading. The world and fictional language feel and sound like old real Viking warfare. But it is all action and no substance, and the tropes are the same ones we've seen in a thousand YA fantasy novels. It's like a shadow puppet story, only 2D the entire way through.

Eely might have been fierce, but she read like any other YA heroine. She's not bringing anything new to the table, even with her will to fight. There were too many typical YA fantasy tropes, and even though the writing wasn’t bad, I couldn’t imagine anything. Too much telling. Not to mention she's thrust into an opportunity for real growth, and all she really does is fall in love with a guy ad that counts as all the growing she's going to do today.

I would still recommend this to people who strictly read or enjoy YA fantasy because I think Vikings are awesome and other YA readers would love this unique setting, but everyone just felt super flat.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

My goodness. This book was action packed. I loved every single thing about it. The main character was badass. I wish there was more!

I have not had the best of luck with my recent review books, many have not worked out for me. So, I was cautious going into this one. My caution was unwarranted. This was a great book. It's not often that you get to read a viking young adult book. The story starts out strong and you quickly get to know Eelyn and see her in battle. The book just takes off from there. Eelyn is confident, headstrong, and set in her ways. But. over the course of the story you get to see how events and the people around her change her attitude. I liked Eelyn a lot. She reminded me a lot of Caelana from the Throne of Glass books. I also liked the side characters and would love to learn more about them. I am rating it a 5 stars but if I could, I would probably bump it down to 4.5. While I liked Fiske, out of all of the side characters, I felt that he was the least developed of them. Excellent book overall. I am excited to see what else this author has. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I think of the word Viking, I imagine big, burley men on a battlefield swinging axes and swords and fighting for their lives. I never really thought about children having to fight, until now that is.

Adrienne Young's debut novel Sky in the Deep is an amazing debut that you will not be able to put down. I love books that start right with the meat of the story from page one and while the story jumps off to a fast pace, it remains that way while also building characters and the world around them. This is a great family orientented fantasy novel and I cannot wait for more from this author! My full review will be posted on my website www.bookofcons.com closer to release date.

Sky in the Deep was a nice debut from author Adrienne Young. She creates a strong and beautiful landscape and intriguing characters. The fictional world of the vikings makes you want to keep reading, and overall it was an enjoyable read.

Sky in the Deep has a beautiful cover and had I not received this copy I would buy it in a bookshop based on the cover and synopsis. I had heard so much about this book online and the marketing for it was quite strong so I jumped at the chance to review it before release. Overall I found the book to be good. Plain and average, to put things simply. It didn't stand out above all the other young adult releases and sadly it had one too many cliches and because of this it was quite predictable.

I enjoyed reading about the landscape and the characters, but I thought the plot left something to be desired. The story seems to drag in the first half of the book, it is quite slow to get started and once it does it doesn't surprise you, it goes exactly where you think it will. I enjoyed reading about Eelyn, Fiske and Iri, and my favourite character was Halvard. I loved the ideals and beliefs about family in this book, and enjoyed reading the character interactions and character growth throughout the story. I liked the fact that violence is mentioned, because it was such a prominent part of Viking culture and the story is a suitable representation of the culture that is appropriate for young adult readers.

I know that many people have loved and will love this book when it releases but it wasn't a great read for me. That being said I would recommend it to young adult readers as I enjoyed it overall. If you love young adult books, vikings, forbidden romances and familial love and relationships then this book is for you.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read Sky in the Deep. All opinions and thoughts are my own and do not represent the publisher or author.

AMAZING!!! I absolutely love this book!! It was emotional, violent, impacting and totally badass! This is a must-read for sure!

Sky in the Deep is a beautifully written novel about a young girl who is every bit as fierce and strong as she is kick butt, brave and completely bad a$%. Truly, she makes you want to be her, fighting, death, and brutality and all.

She is a warrior in every sense of the word and set in a very much Viking-esque atmosphere, this novel is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat eagerly turning the pages wanting more.

Romance, struggles, and fights to the bloody death, this is a novel that will stick with you. It grabs hold of your emotions and keeps them front and center while it mercilessly plays with them as the story progresses and moves at a fast pace that will leave your heart pounding and your lungs gasping for breath.

Truly a stand out YA stand alone novel that is sure to grab your attention and leave you wishing there was more to come.

Confession time.  I didn't really expect to like this book.  I saw a few good reviews from others in a book group and decided to "wish for it" on netgalley.  When I got my wish, I was a bit worried, but decided to give it a chance.  I am so glad that I was wrong.  I ended up loving everything about this book!



Sky in the Deep has so much to love.  The writing and world building was great and it pulled me in right away.  It's a bit violent at times and there are some gross moments (the eye, OMG), but they really added to the story.  There is a lot of fighting and a little romance.  It's a hate to love romance that worked so well for me.



Eelyn is an Aska.  She fights with her father, best friend, and the rest of her clan.  She watched her brother, Iri, die in battle five years earlier and it still haunts her.  She wants revenge against the Riki for killing him.  

The clans worship different gods.  The Riki god, Thora, erupted from the mountain in fire.  The Aska god, Sigr, rose from the sea.  Every five years, the Aska went to battle against the Riki to defend Sigr's honor, bound by a blood feud.  The Aska wore armor of red leather with bronze metal.  The Riki wore brown.

There is another clan, the Herja, that killed Eelyn's mother.  The Herja were thought to be a myth.  Not everyone had ever seen them, but they were brutal and dangerous.

One day during battle, Eelyn believes she sees her dead brother, Iri.  She sees him again and decides to follow him.  Iri is fighting with the Riki.  Eelyn is taken by Iri and his best friend, Fiske.  It's mostly for her safety.  Iri feels it would be better to capture her than to have the clan kill her.  Eelyn is taken to their home and finds that the Riki are very much like her.  Iri has a family there that love him.  It doesn't matter that they aren't blood related.  They took him in and healed him.  Iri believes that Thora healed him when Sigr left him for dead, when his clan left him for dead.  He owes his life to Fiske and his family.  

The Herja attack the Riki villages and Eelyn starts to believe that the Aska and Riki must join forces to defeat the Herja.  But that comes with many complications and possible betrayals.  Not everyone can see past their hatred to defeat a common enemy.



I really don't want to get into much more and ruin the story for everyone.  I will say that I loved Eelyn's growth as a person during this book.  It had such a good message that people can change and you can love and respect people who are different from you.  Fiske was another favorite of mine.  I really loved his whole family.



I gave this book 5 stars and will definitely read the next book that Adrienne Young writes.  I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.  I already pre-ordered a final copy.

My request on Netgalley was approved by the publisher, so thank you St. Martin's Press!

Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young

My Rating: 4 / 5 🌟

When I heard that this book was about Vikings, I had some assumptions of how the book was going to be. But it was definitely not what I expected.

The story follows Eelyn who had thought that her brother had died 5 years ago but then found out that he was actually still alive and living with the enemy. Later on, she somehow ended up into the hands of the enemy and now had to deal with her brother's betrayal.

Although the story is set in a Viking fantasy world, it focuses a lot more on the family aspect in the book. And it was raw and emotional and heart wrenching to read about.

I'll be honest, when I first started reading the book, I couldn't really get into the story or connect with the characters. So, I decided to put myself fully in Eelyn's shoes and OH MY GOSH, it was truly an emotional rollercoaster ride.

The relationship between the characters basically drives the whole book. And the family aspect being focused in the book goes beyond the line "blood is thicker than water." Personally, it was really hard to read because it just really hit home for me, but at the same time, I think Adrienne did an amazing job with it.

Although I really did enjoy the book, the execution of the plot still felt a bit flat for me but nevertheless it was still a complex yet enjoyable read.

I wanted to give a 3.75 🌟 at first but then I still can't seem to get the story out of my head and I really feel like I can reread this book and learn something new each time, so I decided to round it up to 4 🌟.

And if you think of picking up something different than your usual YA fantasy, then you should definitely give Sky In The Deep a go.

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I got the chance to ask Adrienne Young, the author of the book, a few questions regarding about "Sky In The Deep".

This interview is SPOILER FREE.
[ ] Added by me.

Here's the questions:

1. "Sky In The Deep" has been getting a lot of major buzz lately, it was featured on Bustle's '27 Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Books Hitting Shelves In 2018' list and the early reviews have been great so far. So, what has been your reaction to all of this?
A: I’m excited and honestly, still trying to believe it. The reception to Sky [In The Deep] has been so much more than I could have hoped for. I actually don’t read my reviews because as an author... it’s just hard. But I have friends who send me snippets of the best ones so I’ve gotten to see a little bit. It makes me so happy that people are understanding this book.

2. "Sky In The Deep" focuses a lot about family that goes beyond the line 'blood is thicker than water'. Was it something you knew you wanted to focus on before writing the book or did the idea came to you slowly while writing the book?
A: That thread kind of started surfacing as I got further into the book. I didn’t really plan on exploring that but I try not to plan much at all before I start writing. I usually just start with the inciting incident (Eelyn seeing her dead brother in battle) and see where it takes me. I really love how the family stuff unfolded in this book.

3. Eelyn is a very complex and layered character, was it hard to write the book in her point of view?
A: No, it felt really natural. I was really deep in her head and I tried to just follow her lead. I enjoyed it but it was emotionally taxing. I wrote a lot of myself into her character.

4. Although "Sky In The Deep" is a Viking story which you don't see very often in YA, were there any other YA books that inspired certain aspect in your book?
A: I can’t really think of one. But Laini Taylor is one of my all time favorite authors and her writing has been a major inspiration and influence for me. So I definitely think my admiration of her work infuses into my stories.

5. For the readers who are still hesitating about picking up "Sky In The Deep", why do you think they should give it a go?
A: I’m asking a lot of questions in this book, many if which have very real reflections in our current world. No book is for everyone. But the story is all about questioning what you’ve always been told is true and choosing for yourself how you will live and who you will be. For that reason alone, I think it’s worth a try.

I blew threw this book. Like in one day blew threw. I was just in the mood for something a little bloody and a little violent so I knew this was just what I needed to pick up. The blood and the violence did NOT disappoint. While I did find the story lacking in some areas, it was a well overall told story. I would definitely recommend this to a friend who is in the mood for some violence....

Eelyn is a Viking and a member of the Aska clan. The Aska clan absolutely hates the Riki clan and vice-versa because of a dispute between their two Gods, Sigr and Thora, respectively. The Riki and the Aska hate each other so much they meet up every five years, on the dot, to violently kill one another. 17-year-old Eelyn is a true Viking warrior, so she is so there for a battle against the Riki. Only something weird happens: during the battle, she sees her brother, Iri. Except Iri died in a battle five years ago. Eelyn saw him die. And why the hell is her somehow-still-alive brother fighting with the Riki against his own clan?

Eelyn is desperate to find out, so, during the next battle, she abandons the fight to chase after her brother. And is promptly captured by the Riki and taken up to their village in the mountains, where Eelyn must somehow survive the harsh winter as a slave/prisoner of war. Iri is perfectly happy among the Riki, which pisses Eelyn off – how could he abandon his family and his clan? But Iri is determined to stay, and he and his Riki best bud Fiske hatch a plan to help Eelyn escape after the first thaw.

Oh, except there’s this creepy weird third clan called the Herja. There’s a ton of them and they’re out to get both the Riki and the Aska. But can the Riki and the Aska set aside their differences long enough to prevent their total annihilation?

Sky in the Deep is a fun book – if you like YA and Viking stories, you will find a lot to enjoy here. The weird thing is, I couldn’t tell where this book fell. Is it straight-up historical fiction that’s supposed to take place in pre-Christianity Norway? Or Iceland before all the trees got chopped down? (There are very few trees in Iceland. The trees they do have are better classified as “shrubs.” As a Pacific Northwestern Tree Dweller, I found it very unsettling. There’s nothing to block the wind, damn it!). I got the sense that Sky in the Deep was supposed to be fantasy, but there are not many fantastical elements to it. No magic, no creepy pale zombies, nothing like that. Perhaps it was just straight-up historical fiction? Perhaps I’ve become so used to expecting magic in every YA book I read that I just assumed there would be fantasy elements? Probably. Good job, biased me.
My thing with historical fiction like this is I like to know just where the story is taking place. Young does use a smattering of Scandinavian words throughout the book, which made it harder for me to pin down exactly where this was supposed to be. Sváss is an Icelandic word for something like “sweetheart” or “dear one”, the Aska afterlife, Sólbjǫrg, is Old Norse for Sunset. Dýr is Old Norse for “wild Beast” or “animal” but in Sky in the Deep’s context, means something more like “servant” or “slave.” “Ond Eldr” in Sky in the Deep means “breathe fire” which I’m going to guess is close, because eldur is the modern Icelandic word for fire. Not sure where the ond comes from, but the modern words for “breathe” in modern Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish, respectively, are andaðu, puste and andas, so…maybe at one point it was close to the word ond? I’m sure it doesn’t mean “evil older” as Google Translate told me… The Aska clan’s words, vegr yfir fjor (Honor Above Life), when put into Google Translate for Icelandic comes back with “road over last year.” Google Translate also really wants to add a U to vegr, making it into the modern Icelandic word vegur, which is the word for “way.” For example, Laugavegur is a street in Reykjavik – its name translate to “wash way” because the street led to the hot springs in Laugardalur where women would do their laundry. It’s also the name of a trekking route between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk which, you guessed it, leads to some hot springs. Fun fact: I did a small bit of the Laugavegur trail. I didn’t last long. There’s this part of the trail called The Cat’s Spine that isn’t super fun if you’re terrified of heights. As I am.

Anyway, it looks rather a lot like Young just went to the Vikings of Bjornstad’s website for her Old Norse. Which means the story could take place anywhere where they spoke Old Norse, but I’m going to go with Norway or Sweden simply because Iceland doesn’t have that many trees (even when they did have trees, I’m willing to bet you there weren’t that many) and Finland is home to an insane language that has nothing in common with its neighbors. Seriously, Finnish, what is up with you? What is up with the entire Finno-Ugric language family?
Moving away from the book’s location (I could go on and on forever and ever about word origins and Old Norse) to the plot. The central story arc is basically Eelyn learning that the Riki are not so different from her own people, not the monsters she was always taught that they were. Though it doesn’t make much sense that Eelyn would spend so much time learning how the Riki are just like her, only to then have her and her new friends immediately turn and redirect their hate onto a convenient third group. What’s so bad about the Herja anyway? Well, they killed her mom, they’re pale, they have a weird religion, they do human sacrifices, whereas the Riki and the Aska do the honorable thing and just sacrifice poor animals instead…The Herja really didn’t seem too different from the Aska and the Riki. I mean, if Eelyn spent any time with the Herja, maybe she would’ve found “hey, they’re just like us!” also? Is it weird I kind of wished that the Herja were actually, I dunno, zombies or something? What does that say about me when I want the “bad guy” in a story to be less than human so I can have more of a reason to dislike them? Yikes.

I try not to judge ARCs too harshly, because you never know what relationship they will have to the finished product. I seldom have time to read the finished version of the ARCs I get. Plus I’m lazy like that. Also, I wouldn’t want anyone judging my uncorrected proofs too harshly, either, because honestly, I’m not great with spelling. I’m a bit of a disaster when it comes to words that are spelled differently than they’re pronounced. Anyway! I did enjoy reading this book. The writing is good and I like Viking stories and YA, so I had fun while reading it. The battle scenes are action packed and exciting and Eelyn is a relatable and sympathetic protagonist. She’s also a badass who at one point gouges out a dude’s eye with her bare hands. So if you want a YA Viking tale, then you will like this book. However, if you think too hard about the implications of two groups uniting only to do the same thing they did to each other forever and ever to a third group, then you might end up with a headache.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Fans of YA historical fiction, Viking fans, fans of badass female protagonists, Old Norse aficionados.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who immediately starts a deeper analysis of the Riki and Aska’s hatred of the Herja, non YA fans, people who dislike lots of violence, people who really need to know exactly when and where their historical fiction takes place.

Back when I first heard of Adrienne Young's debut, I was already very much excited for it's release since it's pitched as a YA fantasy novel that's part Wonder Woman and part Vikings. (It literally says that on the back cover of my review copy!) With that said, I totally expected for it to be thrilling, filled with all kinds of action, adventure, and emotion, and I'm so, so satisfied that that's exactly what I got while reading Sky In The Deep. Read on for a more detailed review of this exciting Spring 2018 release from Wednesday Books.

If I were to be completely honest about this, then I'd have to confess that I didn't really click with this book instantly. It took me a while to get used to the writing, the world building, and the characters, but that doesn't necessarily entail bad things. I understood the idea of the story enough to know that there are a lot to establish about the tribes, about the world, before things started moving forward. The first hundred pages might have been a little hard for me to go through but towards the ending, I love how every single detail made the story well-connected and well-written. Some of the terms and names used by the author were also very unique and so I would very much love for the finished copy to come with pronunciation guides of some sort. Nonetheless, everything still managed to keep my interests afloat.

As for the aspects that impressed me, I was very much intrigued by Eelyn, and I loved her as an empowering, feminist for a main character. I loved her development from start to finish, and in the end, I grew fond of being in her head space. I enjoyed seeing her grow as a strong warrior, and her journey towards survival, to me, was very engaging. I also liked how she always seemed to value her family before anything else, making her a mature, sagacious heroine. As a result of her being family-oriented, I also adored the family dynamics featured in this book. Each familial relationship felt genuine, and I love how loyal everyone were to their families, and this further made me love the characters, major or minor, overall.

The last thing that I believe is worth highlighting is the subtle bit of romance that the author was able to incorporate into the story. Most of my friends know that I'm almost always on board when it comes to love stories. Unfortunately, that's not always the case for fantasy novels. I usually like my action-packed stories served with less romance or swoon and that's exactly what I got in Sky In The Deep. The romance between Eelyn and her love interest (don't want to spoil anything for 'ya!) wasn't excessive and I think it was just the right amount, not at all obscuring the limelight from the actual plot and story. On the contrary, I think it actually complemented it even more, and it just adds up to the overall feel-good vibe of Eelyn's journey.

"Filled with luxuriant world building, heart-stopping battle scenes, and well-developed characters that are extremely easy to root for, Adrienne Young's debut will no doubt give it's readers the thrill and exhilaration that comes in reading an impressively written book. Albeit being a fantasy story that's completely action-packed, it still manages to focus on relevant topics like great family dynamics, faith, loyalty, betrayal and even love, so rest-assured that readers are in for a well-rounded reading experience that's equal parts unique and engaging."