Wow. This book was incredible. Ferocious and thoughtful and intensely character focused. The strong theme of family and loyalty plus an achy slow building romance that was even sweeter for the wait to get there, all made this a completely addicting read. Eelyn had my heart from beginning to end, and I became totally focused on her complicated emotional and physical journey through this book. Nothing this girl faced was easy but she was fierce through it all.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Stand-alone. More of these gorgeous fantasy standalones, please.

*NOTE: I will write a longer review for my blog http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com and review this title on major retail sites like Amazon*

So, I started reading this last nigh about 10pm. I was done before midnight. It’s a fast and easy read.

I’ll admit that I was a little disappointed that it was so not edgy. The cover is dark and gorgeous. You have a world where almost every character we meet is a warrior. The book is violent, with battles, terrible deaths, and tons of blood.

And no edge.

I’m still not sure how that’s possible, but the book wasn’t very dark at all. It was kind of mix of Romeo & Juliet and a standard historical novel – like a bodice ripper without the bodice ripping.

I did like our characters very much. And I know who would end up with whom and who wouldn’t die and exactly how it would end. It’s kind of…sweet (despite axes and swords and arrows and blood and blood and blood).

The book should have been grim – instead it’s love conquers all.

So an okay read for me. It just didn’t live up to expectations.

I was extremely lucky to receive an e-book ARC of this story and I just have to share with all of you my thoughts and feeling. Because this book made me feel so many things. I cried, laughed and was so stressed for these characters I a not sure how I am going to function now that it is done with for a while. I know I am going to be buying two copies of this book as well as the audiobook if we get one. It is going straight on my favorites shelf.

But let me give you the summary so you know a bit of what I am talking about.

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.



Reading that summary way back in December of last year. I know I was going to love this book. And thank goodness I was right. This book takes place in a world, not like ours but kinda if you go back ages to hen our world had Vikings. Pretty much what I am trying to say is that this world didn't feel forgiven. it felt like home already. I was able to quickly understand everything that was going on, the belief systems of the people and the blood war.

From there I got to really know the characters. And I felt for them. I was in the middle of one of the harder scenes for our MC and I broke down and cried for the loss she experienced and what she was experiencing at that moment. now I have teared up in other books, but this is the first time I have fully broken down and cried for almost a good 20 or more minutes for this character. I didn't want to sleep, I just wanted to keep reading. And unfortunately, I had to make myself stop because I worked the next day. But Every chance I got a moment to read, you know I was back in this world. It brought me to such a raw point that I feel that everyone needs to experience this dark, enchanting book.

So go pre-order the book, trust me you won't regret it. I know I'm never going to.

E.



Ps. A huge thank you goes out to Adrienne agent who set me up with an ebook arc off of NetGalley.

This was such a hyped book for me and I was scared and excited to read it.
I loved the beginning. It grabbed me right away and I could see how so many people have loved it. But then I thought it kind of lost steam up until about the middle. I was sure this was going to be just a 4 star read. I was so angry at Iri along with Eelyn that I just wanted to yell and throw my Kindle at the wall. My heart hurt along with hers and at some parts I didn't even want to keep reading, I was so angry at Iri.
The second half of the book was amazing. There were so many emotions and so much action. The whole book took such a different turn that what I thought it was going to be. All of the anger I had at the beginning started to make sense and I felt myself turning along with Eelyn.
I loved all the characters. They were all so easy to relate to and so well described. They each had such a distinctive personality that it was easy to remember them and tell them apart even when they were first introduced. Sometimes with unfamiliar names, it is hard for me to remember who is who, but that was not the case with this book.
One of my favorite things about this book was that the whole book was focused on fighting and war, but the fighting scenes were only as long as they needed to be. I find fighting scenes very boring and hard to follow, but each fighting scene in this book was the perfect length and description.
I also love the romance of the book. It was so well timed and believable. Actually, the relationships between all of the characters were just so perfect. I'm not sure if I've ever read a book where the characters emotions were so perfectly described. I felt everything along with all of the characters. Anger at Iri for switching clans, but the confusion between betrayal and happiness that he was still alive. All of the characters are fiercely loyal to one another which was my favorite aspect of them all.
The ending was so satisfying and perfect. I love it when books end exactly how I want them to end. I definitely get where all the hype for this book came from and now I will be adding to it!

5/5

Wow I absolutely loved this. You don’t often find stories about Vikings and this was just amazing.
This appears to be a standalone and I wish it were either longer or a duology or a series. I’m so not ready to let go of these characters and the world.

This story is filled with action, intrigue, strong characters and a bit of romance.

As this is a Viking inspired novel there are lots of fighting scenes in the book but between the battle scenes we get a look at the day to day life the Viking clans. The two clans that are at war with each other might not be so different after all as our main character Eelyn comes to learn.

The MC Eelyn is a 17 year old Viking part of the Aska Clan and a complete badass. She’s incredibly strong physically and mentally and you’ll fall in love with her without a doubt.

Fiske is part of Riki Clan the clan Aska is at war with. He’s a big brooding Viking who rarely shows his emotions but he’s extremely compassionate. He is such a wonderful character.
I really enjoyed these two characters and the bond and relationship they came to share.

This story is about being able to grow as a person and being able to come together with those you don’t get along with for the greater good. It’s about seeing that the things you thought you knew and believed might not be true. It’s about finding yourself in dark times and pulling through and becoming a stronger person.

I loved everything about this novel and highly recommend it.

Holy moly Batman, was this book an adventure! As much as I loved all the action sequence and the badass women of the story, I did not expect this to be so violent. It didn’t have a huge impact on me I was just very surprised. This book is not for squeamish at heart. Eelyn, the main character was hard to like at first because she was so close minded to kill all her enemies. Once she opened up her heart I loved her all the more. She was so courageous and brave. I would so want her as my fighting partner. This book really felt like I was in the Amazon with these strong and deadly women. Oh yeah, the men were good too but Eelyn and Myra were better haha. It was a perfect ending to this standalone and I’m glad I gave this book a chance.

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.- Goodreads

Jumping right into this, Eelyn can fight. She can completely hold her own and just destroy those around her. For a majority of the book, she was injured, so if what I read was at her weakest, you can only imagine what she is like at her strongest. I love how badass she is when she is on the battlefield.

As much as I liked her, the story was predictable. Predictable in the sense that the author set the entire book up, where there was only one way to go. There could have been many different ways to go but you see the road very clearly and that was my issue with the book. Nope, I lied. I wish Fiske has more depth and the author gave him more personality because I liked him and wanted more of him.

That is pretty much my only issue with the book. Even the romance, which was non traditional in the YA genre was really good. It wasn't stars exploding around them nor was love found on the perfect day, in the perfect moment, in the perfect weather. Shoot the love wasn't even found on the battlefield. It was just there and the author was really subtle about it and if you didn't catch the signs building (or the obvious) then you would have thought it was instant.

I liked that fact that other than the emotional struggle of finding out her brother is alive and now being help captive in a different tribe, Eelyn was sure about herself in the sense that she knew what she didn't want and she knew what she was willing to sacrifice. Even after everything was said and done, she held on to her faith and her beliefs and I admire that. 

There isn't a whole lot of physical fight going on. There are 3 maybe 4 breakout scenes that you can visibility see a battlefield. I want to say think of when the Romans fought hand to hand but with a lot more dirt, muscles, blood and darkness. 

I liked this book and I wasn't expecting to. There is a lot of hype behind this and normally I am not for that. But this meets the hype and the ending is just right. I want more from this universe but not necessarily from Eelyn and Fiske.

4 Pickles

Compelling, gripping, beautiful novel that I already see myself rereading for many years to come. I feel rent open by the love and loyalty Eelyn feels and how it shifts throughout the story in response to the things she discovers. This is an amazing telling of one girl going through many hardships to find out that her clan really isn't all that different from the one she's been raised to hate, and they have the same basic needs and desires as herself and her clansmen. How do you continue to hate a culture when they become more human to you? She feels betrayed by her brother's choice, but, as much as she fights it, slowly comes to accept it and his newly claimed family. When the Herja attack, she realises more about herself and her life than she expected.

Eelyn's journey drew me in from the first page and I absolutely loved every minute of it. This girl is a strong Vinking badass who takes shit from no one and will cut your balls off for your trouble. I think I've developed a girl-crush! Of course, the protagonist wouldn't be so interesting without some flaws, right? Well, hers are very relatable, as she's grown up in a culture who's told her that the Riki are the blood enemy due to some god's clash ages ago. She's stubborn and believes in the tradition of her people...until she doesn't. How can she continue to believe that these are the enemy after all she's seen? Still, trust is hard won and it takes time to change thoughts you've been entrenched in from the time you're young.

Fiske, her captor, is not all he seems from the beginning. I love his part in her story and I thoroughly enjoyed that even though he 'owns' her, he's still fair and just. He protects her time after time when he really doesn't have to do anything and I love him for it. He's a phenomenal character who just gets better as their journey progresses.

I am glad I did not read the summary before reading the book. I was warned that it gave away too much of the story and now that I have finished the book and read the summary, I agree. I throughly enjoyed this Viking inspired tale about a fierce warrior who also happens to be a girl. I did wish for a map, or even a little historical briefing as to the time in which the story was based. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Any slight to moderate criticisms I may have noted while reading this are completely overpowered by the fact that I decided to start casually reading something in between boring parts of the Winter Olympics (Ice Dancing is my jam) only to ignore the competition and everything else in my household altogether (including my laundry, the dishes, and hygiene) and stay up until 2 AM to finish this, and then had problems sleeping despite the late hour because apparently, the book was that much of a rush.

<b>tl;dr</b>: So, vikings. Can I have more, please? (Especially BAMF female ones, please.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

I love reading about Vikings and I've never read a YA book before that has to do with them so I was immediately drawn in by the synopsis.

I loved the characters and the bonds and relationships that they had with one another, not just the romantic relationships but the fact that it was expressed that your family doesn't have to be blood. Eelyn was a really great main character and while at some points it was hard to relate, other times I could see myself in her and her struggles that she was having felt real.

It took a little while for me to get into and then once that happened I felt like the scenes were happening so fast, like as soon as you got a grasp of what was happening in a chapter, a new chapter began and we moved on to something else. I just wanted some scenes to be longer and more fleshed out rather than adding a whole bunch of little things. The ending also just kind of came out of no where. It felt like everything was leading up to this climax in the book and it just ended within a few chapters and then the book ended shortly after that. I just found myself wanting more time with the world and the characters. Maybe thats just me?

The other thing is that my review copy only had 229 pages and on Goodreads it says that there is 352 pages so maybe the scenes are fleshed out more in the finished copy than they are in the ARC or maybe its just the formatting of the eARC.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story, I just wish there was more time allotted to certain points of the book instead of trying to get in as many little things as possible. However, I would still recommend Sky In The Deep if you like reading about Vikings.

This book was amazing. This is the first book I've read about vikings and I'm blown away. The beginning was an uncertain start for me, I had no idea how I was going to feel about the rest of the book, but it shut me up quickly. The atmosphere, the complex relationships between the characters, the characters themselves were all so vivid and I rooted for all of them. The slow burn hate-to-love romance was also a nice touch as it was barely there, but when it was there, I rooted for it hard. I wouldn't mind a sequel or a spin off... or both.

This book has been so hyped that I came in not really sure what to expect. YA isn't usually my favorite genre - it's full of the same overdone tropes and at times, it can feel like we're being offered the same story over and over. And yet I kept hearing how amazing this book was. Additionally, a trustworthy friend highly recommended the book. With all of this in my head, I did my best to go in without expectations.

Enter Sky in the Deep. This book's main selling point is that it's different. It's so so different! It didn't feel like any other book, any other story. And in this day and age, that's an incredible feat.

The book is fairly short. I don't know how many pages the physical copy has, but I was surprised to find that kindle estimated 1 hour 17 minutes to finish the book. I thought, how can a book this short be so beloved?

And thus comes the second incredible thing about Sky in the Deep. It's concise; it's to the point. There's very little dialogue; every word spoken by a character counts. And Young really makes sure it count. The best comparison I can come up with is Mad Max: Fury Road. If you've seen the movie, you know that they managed to tell so much in so few words.

The novel is short and yet it feels deep and complete. It's a story about family: it addresses the question of what is a family? It's a story about feuds, about learning to make the choice between love and hate, about learning that there is an actual choice to make. It's a story about survival. It's a story about love - not just romance, but love of all different kinds. It's a story about belonging, about acceptance, about betrayal, about forgiveness.

And it all centers around Eelyn, a warrior girl. She's powerful, she's competent, she's emotional but not in a frustrating way (says the INTJ... who usually finds overly emotional people draining). She's stubborn, but she's stubborn out of strength and not knowing there is any other way. Or at least she begins the book not knowing there is any other way.

I binge read this book late at night. Started reading and didn't stop until I ran out of words to read. Eelyn's story is riveting! Unputdownable! (Insert more made up synonyms here!) And I continued to be amazed by how much Young said in so few words.

I wouldn't really classify this as fantasy in the way that most people think of fantasy. There's no otherworldly magic involved: all of the magic exists in the interaction between characters. The story is based on a Viking civilization. As far as I know it's about completely invented societies, but it reads more like reimagined, incredibly vivid history.

This was an amazing debut novel!

Following my usual procrastination habits, I'm writing this a month after reading the book. And I'm already itching to reread it. Honestly, the rating is still up for grabs. I think a book this hyped will always have a tough time living up to the hype. And no matter how much I say I tried not to let that affect my view on the story, I'm sure it did. So I'm giving it a conservative four stars for now, with the caveat that I may change the rating upon reread.

Thank you to NetGalley and Young's publicist for providing an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review via NetGalley.

I was really looking forward to this book so I was extremely happy and eager when I received an ARC of it. And what a story it was, OH BOY. It left me with such a book hangover that I still felt the high after a week finishing. This is a phenomenal story but not at all what I executed. Although I had a really hard time writing a review without saying to much thus spoiling the story but I certainly tried. However I caution everybody who wants to continue that there might be a couple of really minor spoilers in there.

The story started out in the middle of a battle and while it’s exciting and exhilarating, it’s also a bit hectic and if I want to be completely honest not the best written fight sequence I ever encountered in a book. While the writing is really vivid and electric overall, this first and later the final battle scenes would have place for improvement and a bit of fine tuning here and there. That aside back to the beginning, while it’s not the best, it still gives a perfect picture about the mindset of the main character. And anyway the focus of the plot is so not the fighting, but rather self discovery and looking at things in a different light alas breaking the mold in a time when customs, rules are the way of life.

I loved how the story generated such conflicting emotions in me from the very beginning. First with understanding the reasoning behind Iri actions but also with reading the events form Eelyn point of view seeing side of the story as well. After that the whole plot revolves around these conflicting emotional reactions regarding clans, beliefs, family and everything in between. The root of the problem in here is that the main character experiences and sees things from different angles and start to doubt what she thought her way of life should be. It causes a lot of trouble for her but I loved how she handled herself.
Okay, so maybe I think if there was a bit more focus on the ‘personal’ betrayal aspect of things rather than the betrayal towards the clan/deity it would have given an extra edge to the book but it was an amazing story as it was as well.

The story is narrated by Eelyn, the main character and before I started reading I kind of built up a picture about her character in my head just based on the synopsis and the cover and that one was about a badass, fierce warrior woman and whiles she was that and more her strength in this book wasn’t that. She is a daughter, a son, a warrior, a woman, a friend and more at the same time. She has so many obligations to fulfill that I feel she kind of got lost in there. By following the rules of her clan and her father she thrives to be the best she can but she is not infallible and when something shocking happens to her, her world crumbles and her vulnerabilities get front row seat. And basically the plot is about her building herself up from the ashes in a new light. She sees behind the façade of the enemy and gains a new understanding. All of this propelled by fragile love and family. She is one amazing main character on a beautiful journey.
There are a couple of other characters whom play an important role in the line of events but they still somewhat stay on the background and represent a guideline for Eelyn. I loved Fiske, with his brooding and seemingly cold demeanor but his soft, caring inner self. I also think that Halvard’s eager, open personally wasn’t just cute but a necessary element for Eelyn transformation as well.

The storyline has a steady pace but it still felt like it flew by in minutes. This is one of the stories that I could read endlessly and it’s a shame that it ended. However around 80% I started to worry, if there is going to be a big conflict they been gearing up to. It was a bit strange and disorienting how late certain events played out in the grand scheme of things but it worked in this case.
I just loved every minute of this story and I’m amazed by the atmosphere the author created for her book. It was a surprising read for me and I hope Adrienne Young keeps up this level and produces some more similarly magical tales.

While I enjoyed the book and I’m sad that it ended it’s kind of refreshing encountering a standalone YA fantasy, since nowadays trilogies and duologues became a thing. It was the right choice on the author part.

Have you watched the TV shows Vikings? Well, this is it, but in a book. And with Lagertha as the main character all along. Except she is named Eelyn and is 17. She is fierce and has fire in her veins and she has been fighting her enemies, the Riki, for years. Except, one day, they stop being simply enemies and they become humans, just like her. And from then on, her life is about to change. 
Among them, she will learn and love, and she will fight. Because that's who she is! And because a bigger enemy is coming to take all she cares about away..

This book will make you travel to Eelyn's world of blood and honor. There you will see her discover the value of love and of an open mind. She will have to challenge herself and to learn to open her heart. We will discover with her the life of the Aska and the Riki, their way of living, and I found that super interesting. It is a simple life, but with a real community spirit. It was quite inspiring. This book is also rough sometimes, as life is, and has its moments of violence (sometimes too much for me), that also enlighten the strength and fierce soul of Eelyn. 

In a few words, if you love Vikings, epic fights and historical books, go for it!

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars

If I could give this book a million stars, I most certainly would. Sky in the Deep immediately grabbed my attention and did not let go. The writing was beautiful and made me feel as if I was inside the book. And I think we can all agree that is one of the best feelings in the world.

The main character Eelyn is ruthless and bold. She was so strong and smart, exactly what you want to see in the main character. There are only a few select characters I would want as my fighting mate and Eelyn is definitely one of them.

This novel takes you on such a journey dealing with battles, loss, pain, and love. All of which made for a beautiful story with an important message. I would encourage anyone to read this, it's seriously that good. Sky in the Deep is definitely going to be one of my favorite reads of 2018.

I loved these characters fiercely and loved the writing....effortless to follow and easy to relate to. I'm looking forward to more by her! My only frustration? I wish I hadn't read the summary. It told too much and didn't leave enough for my imagination to grab onto. That being said, I still adored reading it!

I don't know if I can even put into words how much I loved this book. This is exactly everything I want in a story. I read the entire thing in one sitting because it was that amazing and I couldn't put it down; this is is the kind of book that reminds me of why I love reading. 

Sky in the Deep is a stunning debut by Adrienne Young, whose talented writing and gorgeous storytelling is showcased clearly. She has done a fantastic job creating a wonderful world full of complex characters. The dynamic relationships between the characters is one of the best features of the book; they were capable of evoking emotions in a meaningful and achingly real way. The relationship between Eelyn and her brother, Iri, is one of the most poignant and best written portrayals that I've ever read. I felt all of her anger, love, confusion, heartbreak, and betrayal alongside her. Eelyn was such a strong, brave, determined heroine and it was very easy to empathize with her. The characters and their personal stories and struggles are what truly captivated me. 

From the very beginning, the story is full of action and adventure. The Viking-inspired setting and descriptions are written so vividly that I could easily feel myself immersed in the story. Sky in the Deep is a outstanding book by a debut author. Everything was executed perfectly to created a breathtaking, emotional story full of grit and heart. Please do yourselves a favor and add this book to your TBR. You will not be disappointed.

“Ond Eldr. Breath Fire.”

I have likely never been as excited to be approved for an ARC as I was for this one. Not that that should come as a surprise, since it’s billed as a mix of Wonder Woman and Vikings, so pretty much fierce fighting females, which is directly up my alley. Plus, this also seemed like the unicorn of YA books: a fantasy standalone. I have a soft spot for those, for lots of personal reasons that I won’t get all into here (and don’t get me wrong, I love series too). And what a gorgeous cover and title! But anyways, without further ado, here’s my review for this savage debut.

Eelyn, like every Aska clansman, if raised a warrior from childhood, in preparation to fight in the ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Pain and death are a normal part of her life, but everything changes when she sees her brother one the battlefield…fighting with the Riki, after she had watched him die 5 years earlier. Without giving too much detail (no spoilers), Eelyn ends up in her brother’s Riki village for the winter, struggling to come to terms with her brother’s betrayal and the breaking down of the barriers she always had between her own people and the Riki. When a ruthless clan attacks the village, the same clan that years ago took her own mother’s life, things kick into high gear. And Eelyn’s burgeoning relationships with her brother’s adoptive family, and particularly his ‘brother’ Fiske, she faces her greatest battle yet: attempting to unite the Aska and Riki or face distinction in the face of this new enemy.

These are so many things to love about this book. First, it’s ruthless. No punches are pulled in the gore and death that Eelyn sees every day (though rest assured, it is definitely not quite to a Game of Thrones level) and I appreciate that “reality” being fully acknowledged, within the boundaries of this storyline. The old school Nordic/Viking feeling is rock solid – I love it. In fact, I actually question, genre-wise, whether this is really a fantasy at all. I can see why it would be called that, it has that feel to it, but it is, in reality, more historical fiction than anything else. Not that that matters, really. I loved the atmosphere of the book either way – the bleak, cold and wild feel was written to perfection. And the thawing over time, of Eelyn’s heart, of the enmity between the clans, and even of the weather, with the emergence of spring on the other side of winter, is thematically solid and smoothly developed. To expand on that just a little, the slow burn romance was the perfect style for this story, and was well executed – I really did ship Eelyn and Fiske.

As expected/hoped, I got my awesome lady power. It was everything I wanted. Plus, the added and unexpected bonus of great emotional allowance. Eelyn was a very full developed character in that she was written to be strong, but also, when faced with her brothers “return from the dead” and the upheaval of things she’d believed her entire life, she was realistically upset and confused and angry and just generally super emotional. I SO appreciate this portrayal…that being strong and fierce does not mean that you are unemotional or coldhearted. Lovely. Plus, along with that, I felt that the emotional turmoil back and forth was written realistically; meaning I liked not just that it was present, but the way it was composed. Worth mentioning also, for me, is that I thought the themes of family and home, and what makes or defines that, as well as the difficulties in forgiveness, were nicely explored here. And finally, the standalone aspect: I think the author nailed it. First, it’s refreshing for this genre, and second, it is capably accomplished. I was left wanting a little more (always better leave us wanting more than to be overdo it), but with a fully realized and wrapped up ending – the perfect combination and a great emotional ride.

Now, for all that good, there was a little left slightly missing for me. It wasn’t much, and I cannot put my finger on it necessarily, but somewhere, the depth of feeling or development that would have made this a 5 star read just wasn’t there. However, I say that mostly as a cover my own ass sort of thing. I want to make sure it’s out there, that I’m not recommending this as one of my fav books of all time (because there was so much good to say that I think without this caveat my review would make it look like that). But that’s all it is, that feeling that some small spark was not fully there. Because otherwise, this is an upcoming release that you should keep your eye out for – a ferocious ride that I definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first found out about this book and how it involved a lady viking, I knew I had to read it. Thanks to Netgalley I was given that chance and honestly I am so grateful!

It was everything I could have imagined while reading it. It had a lore of its own that wasn't too deep but enough details that you wouldn't be overwhelmed with a lot of it. The beginning was very fast paced starting off in the midst of a battle and it was so spectacular getting to read just how the main protagonist - Eelyn - fights. Reading how she handles herself in battle had my own adrenaline rushing. From beginning to end I was hooked and didn't want it to end.

Eelyn and her father both belong to a clan called the Aska and their enemy for the past thousand years or so has been the Riki. (No one really knows why they've been fighting for so long. It had a lot to do with their Gods.) Every five years they fight in a known battlefield and once the fight is over and each clan has returned to their homes, They tend to the wounded, find their dead, pray for them and then burn their bodies - as is the tradition. Eelyn and her father both believed her brother to bed dead, turns out he's alive and fighting for the Riki.

Confused and heartbroken, Eelyn tries to follow him only to get captured by Fiske and from there the story takes off. She is taken to the Riki's home and is made a dýr (pronounced like dear) it's type of prisoner - I want to say. She is bought by Fiske in order to save her and because of her brother Iri - which is the reason she got caught in the first place. From then on, Eelyn has to help around and help Inge - Fiske's mother and Iri's mother. Things slow down a bit around here until an attack by the Herja takes place an enemy that people think are myth. Chain of events just go down from their and lead to the both clans uniting to fight the Herja.

I fell in love with Eelyn and just how fiesty and strong she is. She's also a kick-ass fighter and I loved reading all her fight scenes. Seeing the relationship between Fiske and Iri was also so heartwarming to read about. They have this amazing brotherly bond and I was surprised by just how much they each would have done for each other.

The only downsides I will say is that I would have liked to see a longer procession between Fiske and Eelyn and how their relationship turns. I LOVE enemies to lovers trope so much!! I just wanted more time to figure out their feelings for each over the period of several more months instead of under a couple of weeks. I also would have liked a pronunciation guide either at the beginning of the book or at the end. I had tough time pronouncing some of the names and phrases they would say.

My overall rating is a 4 1/2 over 5 stars. Will definitely be buying this book in its finished glory!