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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's hoping for more from this author!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I enjoyed Sky in the Deep, but it wasn’t my favorite book ever. I do however, love Norse Mythology and the history of Vikings, so I was exciting to give Adrianne Young’s second book a chance.

The book follows Tova, a Truthtongue living among the Svell. She can cast the rune stones to read the future. When the Svell leaders become divided, Tova’s Chieftain asks her to use the stones, but then ends up setting into motion a a set of events that would change the world she knows.

Just like Sky in the Deep, the writing was great. I did find the beginning of the book slow, but I enjoyed the pulls from history and the magical touches. I also enjoyed the switch in POVs throughout the book. The new characters we see in this story, I loved more as well. I felt more connected to them and enjoyed following them through this tale.

Ohhhhh boy that ending. Of all of the books to have an open ending WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS ONE?!?! Even though it actually makes perfect sense with how the rest of the book was set up, that doesn’t mean I have to like it!!!

Okay, soooo I only recently, and yes, finally, got around to reading Sky in the Deep. I obviously LOVED it and immediately ran to request this ARC. The cover is SO gorgeous and I was so excited to read anything else that this woman had to offer, especially if I was able to get any kind of glimpse at my other babies. I was a little skeptical when I saw quite a few so/so reviews and wondered how that could be. Now that I’ve finished, I get it.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a very solid 4 stars for me. Like a few of the other reviewers out there, the actual story didn’t grab me like the previous one did. As I mentioned in that review, I waited to read SITD so for long because Viking stuff makes me nervous. I do NOT like reading about excessive, gory violence at all. When that story was more about two groups forming a peace and two people from each side slowly falling in love, I couldn’t have been happier. This on the other hand, had allllll kinds of blood, violence, and gore. It hurt. It was hard to read. And while you could tell that the story would probably end with Tova and Halvard getting together, it was not a main thread of this story.

No, this story, even though it had viewpoints from both Tova and Halvard, was about Tova. It was about fate, and her past, and their future. I thought that the way Young set up Tova’s Truthtongue heritage and abilities was super interesting and well done. I have always loved reading about Fate and how different people thing it rules their life. Look at this quote:

“Why did you help me?” I asked, my voice softening.
She looked surprised at the question, studying my face before she answered.
“Because you’re not supposed to die.”
“If I’m not supposed to die, then I won’t.”
She searched my eyes, making me feel unsteady on my feet again. “That’s not how fate works.”

I love that in Tova’s world, even if something is supposed to happen, or fated to happen, there are a million different forces at work based on people’s decisions that could change how a certain event could take place or change a person’s life. It’s delicious to wrap your mind around.

Other than kind of being bummed about the romance and also being kind of emotionally burned out by the violence and the way in which Tova was treated by the Svell I was a little…thrown off by the flashbacks. I really felt like I was missing something when I was reading them. I get that Tova’s set up her past and showed some big events but I felt like I was confused about why we also got a glimpse into Halvard’s past at that same point in time. I couldn’t make any connections, personally. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention? But I really just felt like I was missing something big.

Either way, even though I was a tad disappointed by the plot of this book, it was still GOOD. Young’s writing is phenomenal and I will continue to read anything she puts out.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.♥

This book was really hard to get into. I found that I had to force myself to pick this up. The characters fell flat to me and there was so much information at the beginning that it was hard to keep track of and nothing was really happening. I'm really sad to have to put this down... it was one of my most anticipated books this year but I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters. DNF

"From Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep, comes her new gut-wrenching epic The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again - a home."

Tattoos and runes? Yes please!

This story wraps fingers of fate around your heart and pulls you down a path so fast and with so much emotion that it’s as if you become a character in the book yourself. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend! Reminiscent of the Vikings of history but with a whole new spin.

Tova is a Truthtongue, she can read into pieces of the future by using rune stones. She is of the Kyrr people, but through a twist of fate, ends up a captive among the cruel Svell people and is forced to read the rune stones for them. Enter Halvard, next in line as Chieftan of the Nadhir, a new clan of two combined clans that had been warring for decades. The Svell and Nadhir are neighbors and tensions are rising. Fast-paced, vivid imagery, great action, strong emotions. Battle. Love. Family. Loyalty.

There is something so whimsical about Adrienne Young's writing that lures you in and before you know it, the spells been cast, and you're head over heels in love!

Not to mention you get so swept up, two days have passed and you are finished with the book! I crave more with every book she writes. The Girl the Sea Gave Back was lyrical, magical, and adventurous and extremely unputdownable!!

Bring on the viking lore, love, battle, and the stories told, all of which took my breath away!!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for granting my wish and allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

This was an interesting follow up to Sky in the Deep, although it did have a completely different feel.

I had a difficult time getting into it and was confused by all the names and flashbacks until I was about 25% of the way in. Once the story got going, however, I really enjoyed it. There was a good twist during the climax. I do wish the ending was a bit more developed as it feels like I'm missing the last chapter.

I wasn't quite as connected with this book as I was with SitD. I'm not sure if it was the changing between 1st person and 3rd person? The main characters do a lot of "wondering" which I think pulled me out of the story a bit. I did appreciate the flashbacks once I understood what was happening and I remembered all the names. I really liked the way the author sprinkled Tova's backstory throughout.

A solid read for anyone who is a big SitD fan but know that it is a different read, going into it, so don't have specific expectations.

This was an interesting follow up to Sky in the Deep. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I still found myself drawn into the story

I was lost when I first began the book, I hadn't realized it was 10 years later.

I love that it's the same community with growing characters, I would have loved to see more of their growth through out the years.

The characters are well developed and I am hoping we will see a future with Halvard and Tova! I would love to see where thwir future leads.

I received an advanced copy of The Girl the Sea Gave Back from Netgalley, so that I could share my thoughts with all you lovely people!

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is told in dual perspectives, from the points of view of Tova and Halvard. Tova, the titular character, is a girl separated from her nation and from any knowledge of who she used to be. She was taken in at a young age by a neighboring tribe, The Svell, after being found seemingly abandoned on the shore. However, her ability to use magic to see the future prevents her from getting too close to any of her fellow tribe members. Halvard has been chosen to be the future chieftain of his tribe, The Nādhir, an honor which he feels unsuited for. When tensions begin to rise between the two groups Halvard and Tova find their destinies intertwined as both fight to find who they are and where they belong.

Author Adrienne Young creates a fascinating world in The Girl the Sea Gave Back, and fills it with interesting characters you will love rooting for! The cover of this book is also so stunning (I mean just look at the water!) that it will definitely be a must-own for your collection of beautiful books!

You can get your copy of The Girl the Sea Gave Back on September 3rd!

My Recommendation
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy high fantasy, particularly stories with a lot of imagery. The tribes of this book and it’s watery scenery are described beautifully, and will entrance any reader.

Beautifully rendered and rich in descriptive text. Shades of Young's previous work and the same style of writing makes The Girl the Sea Gave Back a familiar tale while providing enough new material to make the novel stand out on its own. I would definitely recommend this novel to my teen and adult readers at the library!