Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Wow, this book. I got this in an Owlcrate box (the only Owlcrate I've ever gotten) and it was signed and proceeded to sit on my bookshelf for a full year! I kept seeing different reviews for it that were positive but I still never picked it up! Truth be told, I was burnt out on fantasy books after a few bad ones. Even after reading Six of Crows, I still wasn't ready to hop onto the fantasy bandwagon again. But alas, I entered into another book slump. Where nothing piqued my interest to read, and nothing was getting anywhere near 5 stars. I decided to reach for this book one night. 24 hours later I was finished with it and singing its praises. Without further ado, here is my review of Sky In The Deep!
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.
A Viking warrior is captured by the last person whom she expected to take her. She is willing to do anything to escape and go home. And I mean anything. (Graphic violence depicted).
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This book is REQUIRED READING FOR FANTASY LOVERS. I'm not joking when I say, as soon as I finished this book, I called my sister and told her to stop whatever she was doing and read it! I did the same thing for my husband. They both loved it.If I was ever going to write a novel, this is what I want to write. This book is just so empowering to read about a female badass heroine! This girl is not waiting for someone to come save her, she's going to maim, kill and destroy to free herself from her bondage. This book features fierce men and women fighting side by side! A lot of readers might read it and not even think about that aspect (which is fine!) but they'll be subconsciously getting that message and it is SO COOL!Young wrote complicated and loving families. Seriously, I know these characters and I am still with them. They are my fictional friends and family! (Am I obsessed? Okay maybe slightly. But I dare you to read this and not be obsessed!)I shipped this couple hard. What does that mean? It means I was rooting for the duo in this book. I was hollering for them (I mean...silently in my head, but still...) and craving their scenes!When the book was finished- it ended perfectly. It left me wanting more but still completely satisfied with the ending. It was AMAZING!I also wanted to note that the characters have names that didn't come easily for me to pronounce. You know that I hate that. But it was so fitting for this world and culture that Young built. I think it all aided in the world building. I mentioned that I was pretty sure I was pronouncing them wrong in my head (Ginny Weasley anybody?) but I was committed to the pronunciation after finishing the book (I may have done roughly 200 instagram stories about this book already). Anyways, Adrienne Young herself responded and said she has a pronunciation guide on her website! I've linked it so you don't have the same issues I had. (While you're there, check out these other fun things she links- like her pinterest board of inspiration for Sky In The Deep, and her Spotify playlist!)I loved this book SO much that I read the acknowledgments. Not just that, but I finished this book and had to be somewhere. When I got back home, I picked the book back up to read the acknowledgments. That is how much I loved Adrienne Young's writing. Also, just as a shout out to her amazing acknowledgments - it definitely made me want to figure out an acknowledgement day where everyone does that for their own personal lives. I mean, wouldn't it be great if we could just casually give our Oscar's speech without ever winning an Oscar? I know... what a dream. Don't worry I'm working on it.I'm sure you're already feeling pretty confident that this book is for you, but if you're not I have some tips for you. If you liked Nina and Matthais from the Six of Crows duology, you'll like this book. If you liked Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, you'll like this book. If you liked the Carve The Mark duology by Veronica Roth, you'll like this book. If you like fantasy books, you'll like this book. If you like books, you'll like this book. (Did I take it one too far there? I tend to do that...)Also wanted to note that a NEW paperback version of this book JUST came out and it has a bonus chapter from Fiske's point of view. (Yes I am accepting this book donation to my personal library). And if that wasn't enough to get you amped up, a SECOND book in this same universe is coming out soon! It's called The Girl The Sea Gave Back and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
Eat: Fish... that you caught yourself. (I went too far with that one again didn't I?)Do: Take a self-defense class and feel inspired!Listen: To the Spotify playlist that the author created