Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young ~ 340 pages ~ published 4/24/18 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.

 

What I Thought:

I don’t know why I put off reading Sky in the Deep for so long. I got in in an OwlCrate box when it came out last year, and I remember thinking it sounded really cool. But then I stuck it on my TBR shelf and never read it, until now! I absolutely flew through this book!

Since my childhood, I have always adored a strong, warrior heroine, and Eelyn certainly fits that bill. The book starts off following Eelyn into a battle where she fights fiercely, which is not something you see in very many books. I adored her immediately. She is determined and strong, but also a little stubborn and prejudiced. I loved how complex she was, and how much she grew as the novel moved forward. She has become one of my new favorite characters.

The setting was absolutely dreamy. I loved feeling immersed in the world of the vikings, and getting to see the different landscapes these rival clans, the Aska and the Riki, lived in. Young does a beautiful job with world building. It was descriptive without feeling like too much. I could visualize myself there, which I always love in a novel.

I loved Eelyn’s relationships with the other characters, especially Fiske, her brother Iri, and Fiske’s brother Halvard. Seeing her grow in relation to these men was truly a joy to see. And I loved how her romance with Fiske was gradual. I have to say, I am all about a good enemies to lovers trope 😉

If you are at all into historical fiction, with a little dose of fantasy, warrior ladies and romance thrown in, then this is the book for you! And, you are in luck, because the sequel just came out! Go and grab The Girl the Sea Gave Back when you are finished with Sky in the Deep! I can’t wait to read it!

 

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave Sky in the Deep 5 STARS!

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Are you interested in learning more about this book/series? Check out the links below!

Adrienne Young’s Website

Adrienne Young’s Twitter

Sky in the Deep on Goodreads

Purchase Sky in the Deep at Barnes & Noble

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Have you read Sky in the Deep yet? Are you planning to pick up the new sequel, The Girl the Sea Gave Back? Are there any other Viking-centered fantasies that I should know about? Let’s talk down in the comments! 

Love and happy reading,