AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! A 2018 Most Anticipated Young Adult book from debut author Adrienne Young, Sky in the Deep is part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.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 … 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.
“THIS IS A GRIPPING STORY, RICHLY TOLD.” —Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of Flame in the Mist
“FIERCE, VIVID, AND VIOLENTLY BEAUTIFUL.” —Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval
“A STUNNING DEBUT” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
“BLEAK BEAUTIFUL AND DEADLY” —Traci Chee, New York Times bestselling author of The Reader
“WHOLLY UNIQUE AND INSTANTLY ADDICTIVE” —Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Hunting Prince Dracula
“HEARTRENDING, HEART-MENDING” —Kayla Olson, bestselling author of Sandcastle Empire
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I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining and had lots of action. I loved all of the characters, especially Fiske and Eelyn. Eelyn is a warrior and she is fierce and never gives up. She fights through the pain of her wounds and lives to protect her people and her family. I also really liked how flawed she was and how much she changed by the end of the book. She feels the ultimate betrayal by her brother and she doesn’t hide it. She carries those emotions on her sleeve. I felt her anger and it made her very human. But I liked seeing how she slowly learned how alike the Aska were to the Riki. Fiske is probably one of my favorite characters. He is hardcore and unapologetic about the things he does. Because everything he does is for the people he loves. It was great seeing how Eelyn slowly started to understand him and his motivations.
All around this book was really good. I do wish it was longer because I felt it ended too quickly. Also, I would have liked for the romance in this book to have slowly built up instead of almost coming out of left field. I still really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining and a lot of fun to read.
Wholly unique and instantly addictive.
It has been four years since I’ve read YA Paranormal and I must say I am so happy to return to the genre that birthed my love for reading.
Sky in the Deep begins with an epic battle scene and you’re immediately pulled into the action along side the heroine. Truly an adventure, this was an entertaining story of family and friendship with elements of a slow burn romance!
This book was everything! Sky in the Deep was just what I needed after not finding a book that moved me. I cannot wait to start book two!!
LOVED THIS! I devoured it in one day. I’m a sucker for torn loyalties in a book so if you are too, have a read. 🙂
Is this really a stand alone? Because I’m so thrilled after the ending! Also, can the whole ax thing was freaking awesome, and there was some awesomely brutal scenes. There was family love, friendship, and romance mixed in. And I really want viking hair as of now!! I’m totally okay with a companion novel coming out, though!! Need it!
Wow and wow. The flow of this book is epic and the characterization was incredible. I’m now an Adrianne Young fan!
Gritty and atmospheric, Sky in the Deep is a tale of hereditary hatred, the brutality of old traditions, and the often unyielding mindset of our forefathers.
Set in a fictional realm reminiscent of the age of Vikings, Adrienne Young weaves a tale of two rival clans, both hell bent on murdering one another to honor the will of their gods. Women fight as viciously as men and are equally honored on the battlefield. I applaud the fierce females in Young’s story, but admit that the level of violence in Sky in the Deep will be offsetting to some readers. Such gore and detailed fighting was reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, so I’d advise caution with the younger YA readers.
But I still loved it.
I found the relationship between MC Eelyn and enemy clan member, Fiske, to be a brilliantly done. It’s a slow-burning romance that does not forfeit the reality of who the characters are for the sake of stolen kisses or lustful thoughts.
While this book has many bloody battle scenes, the majority of the book focuses on the day-to-day life and survival of these rough-hewn people – a fact pointed out by other reviewers as a negative, but I found to be an asset in the story. These slow moving scenes, often tipped in ice and moonlight, allow the reader to peel back the layers of prejudice and anger that the MC harbors and how she evolves.
I had some minor issues with the book (which I hope are addressed in the companion novel that I hear is coming in 2019) – mainly that the Herja are never truly explained and what was with the white eyeballs, the animal sacrifices (or rather the detail in those scenes), and the fact that I do NOT consider this fantasy. But none of those issues stole away the simple fact that I inhaled this book in a single day and loved every minute of it. I am proud to have the hardcover edition sitting on my bookshelves.
Go, buy, and OND ELDR.
See my review here:
http://cjrthebrit.com/2018/03/20/cjr-the-brit-review-sky-in-the-deep-by-adrienne-young/
it was fine. If you want to try a new kind of fantasy genre, you can try and read this. it’s about wars and gods.
This book was entertaining. The plot was okay, but I do not understand how it is cataloged as YA. The violent scenes are pretty graphic, and the book also touches on several heavy themes like slavery and sexual assault. I do not have a problem with these types of scenes, but I would have liked to have some trigger warnings at the begging of it. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more romance, and I was a little disappointed because Eelyn and Friske’s relationship seemed insta-love to me. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book.
I am such a huge fan of historical pieces, especially about people who live in communities like the Vikings did. They’re so ancient, they have so many legends that they’re almost myths themselves now. I was weary about this one only because I have a love/hate relationship with YA novels. I love how they’re written usually and the stories they tell, but I am not a fan at all of when they make the female character smitten, lovestruck, and hopeless for a guy, obsessive really. It’s such a huge book turnoff for me. There was a little of that in Fable by this author but then Namesake (the second book in that series) was better about it. When I read this was her first debut novel I had no idea which way it would go.
Right away I got sucked into the Viking world. Eelyn was such a tough, family loyal seventeen year old that I couldn’t help loving her and her little village of friends and family. This story really was more about family dynamics than love. Of course, there was love in it but Eelyn fights it for most of the novel and when it happens I actually wanted it to happen! It wasn’t gushy, it wasn’t forced, it wasn’t the center of the story, it just was meant to happen so I was happy when it did.
It’s hard to tell you all I really loved about the book without giving huge spoilers away. I’ll just say I was very surprised this was her first book (after reading her latests first) because it was so well written and engaging. The descriptions were beautiful and put you in Eelyn’s Viking world. The dialogue was natural and oftentimes I got teary-eyed, especially at reunions.
If you haven’t read Adrienne Young I would start with this one! It was so enjoyable and I’ll definitely be picking up the next one, which I hear takes place a decade after Sky in the Deep.
Bleak, beautiful, and deadly.
Brutal and beautiful.
“Vegr yfir fjor. Honor above life.”
Anyone familiar with Young’s writing will instantly recognize the iconic lyricism that threads throughout Sky in the Deep. Beautifully written, the immersive worldbuilding of this viking-esque fantasy setting reels you in and refuses to let go. The characters too were powerful and flawed and incredibly intriguing. I felt like I knew Eelyn deeply, and absolutely empathized with her loyalty to family and clan.
Plot wise, the story sets out at a gallop and then settles in for an overall slow burn plot before the final race to the finish. But what kept me pulled in throughout were the complex relationships and Eelyn’s struggle with her own changing identity. Her relationship with her brother Iri was particularly resonant and Young’s depiction of the emotionally wrought struggle with a beloved sibling who chooses a different path was beautifully done. The story’s slow burn romance honestly came as distant second for me when compared to the deeply complex familial relationships that Young masterfully weaves.
5
Spanish & English Opinion
ESP ::
Esta es la segunda ocasión que leo este libro y lo disfruto demasiado.
Aquí un brief de todo lo que me parece top:
El título. Me encantó, me intrigó y al leer el libro, me hizo todo el sentido.
La portada. Describe perfecto de lo que trata sin revelar más. Es la historia de una mujer, guerrera. Aplausos.
Fiske. Mi novio de libro Me encanta. Su personalidad, su forma de querer, cómo vive su amor en todos los planos.
Eelyn. Es una fregona. Es guerrera, su forma de vivir la contrariedad de amar al enemigo, de descubrir que no todo es blanco y negro, de cómo quiere a Fiske.
La pareja. Son un encanto. Me encantan. No necesitan pasión desbordada o sexual porque su convivencia grita amor en muchos otros tratos. Es una maravilla leer la evolución de su relación.
Los personajes y el mundo. Iri, Halvard, Myra. La descripción de la rivalidad entre Riki y Aska. Todo es maravilloso. También la cultura aguerrida, la lucha, la guerra.
Conclusión: todo acerca del libro me encanta y es un MUST leerlo.
ENG ::
This is the second time I read this book and I enjoyed it immensely.
Important points that make this book awesome:
The title. It’s intriguing, it’s different, it’s attractive. And actually, reading the book you can place the origin.
The cover. A warrior girl. Someone brave, fierce, amazing. And with the title, it becomes impossible to ignore.
Fiske. Definitely, one of my todo book boyfriends. Everything about him is lovable. How he protects the ones he love, how he feels too much, how he falls in love.
Eelyn. She’s one of my favorite female characters. I felt her conflict, how difficult it was for her to understand that life is not black and white, especially when talking about humans.
The couple. They are cute and I love them. There is no need of sexual interaction for feeling the tension, the love evolution, the way they fall in love.
The characters and the setting. Iri, Halvard and Myra were my favorites. Also, the Aska and Riki culture. How they live, fight, love.
Bottom line: everything about this book calls me and it’s a MUST read.
This was the perfect way to start the new year – a wonderful book I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. It was so worth it. You get right into the action and intrigue, and the love story got me all giddy. Not to mention, it’s a beautifully written story. <3
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is truly amazing! I didn’t know it was a Viking type book when I started it. I don’t read those kind normally. I am probably the only one who DIDN’T watch GoT! It is not my thing. I tried reading GoT and didn’t like the writing style. But this book, wow! It drew me in and held me right away! The characters were so well developed that at the end of the book the reader could understand what they were thinking. The plot was excellent! Lots of suspense, tension, and then there was the touch of romance. World build, I was cold just reading it! I wish this was a movie! I don’t even need a book two, it ended perfectly! Why mess it up? I am so glad I came across this. In a Goodreads group was a buddy read for a debut writer and I found this! She writes like a super pro!
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is drew my attention due to its Nordic influence. Based on the concept of feuding clans, the story follows the events that occur around Eelyn, a seventeen-year-old, female warrior who is captured by her enemies and discovers a live altering truth. Her older brother did not actually die five years prior. This easy read does have its share of dark, gritty moments and gut-wrenching scenes. It is a fun read though not as complex as I would have liked. Regardless, Eelyn’s story about the hate against a people different than her own can be viewed as a commentary to various prejudices that still exist today.
I have read the sky in the deep book 2, The girl the sea gave back, before reading this one. Since both of the books are standalone its not a problem.
Eelyn was raise to be a warrior with her Aska clanmen. The rivalery between her clan and Riki clan make her life brutal but simple, fight and survive. One day while battleling the Riki she sees her brother fighting alonside her rival clan. Brother who she tought died five years ago.
Capture by the Riki, she desparatly want to go home. She meet her brother’s friend Fiske, This one sees her as a threat but still he save her life and bought her and bring her to his home where he lives with his mother and young brother. Eelyn will have to wait to go back home and gain her honor back.
But another threat is coming that will force Aska and Riki to let go of the rivalery and hatred of each other and unite if they don’t want to be decimated.
Really loved the character Eelyn. As she is a strong woman figure who doesn’t rely on a guy to save her.
I love the immediate action at the start of the book! A slow burn romance that I didn’t see at the start but was rooting for about halfway into the book. I couldn’t put it down! The action kept me on the edge of my seat as to what was going to happen next. Great read!!