Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young Review

Title: Sky in the Deep

Author: Adrienne Young

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I just returned from a vacation to Tennessee last week, and after I got some rest from that, I wanted to dive into my book stack again. My husband chose Sky in the Deep as my next book after I was finished with Long Way Down, and I plunged right in, still a little lost after coming back from vacation and trying to find my stride. It wasn’t perfect, but nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. The pacing was breakneck, the prose gorgeous, and I loved the characters, especially Eelyn, whose development was totally captivating. I really enjoyed the way that the plot changed unexpectedly, and I loved the ending. This book was my first by Adrienne Young, and it most definitely won’t be my last. Violent, heartfelt, and fierce, Sky in the Deep was an amazing debut!

Pitched as half Wonder Woman and half Vikings, Sky in the Deep tells the story of Eelyn, an Aska warrior who helps her people every five years to fight an opposing group, The Riki. She hates them, as they took the life of her brother in the last battle. But when she sees Iri fighting to shed the blood of their own people on the side of The Riki, she’s convinced that she can bring him home. But when she is captured in the process of her rescue mission, she discovers that the people who slaughtered her mother, The Herja—a group that was considered stuff of legends to both tribes—have returned, and that she must ally with her brother, his people, and his best friend, Fiske, even as it goes against everything that she has ever believed. Even as she feels her learned hatred beginning to soften. But now the Aska and Riki have a common enemy. But will that be enough to save them all?

As I said, this book was very good! At times it was hard to keep up with the cast of different characters; I wish there had been a reference in the back of the book to help me keep track. But that was really the only problem I had with it. The pacing was breakneck, and Eelyn’s voice was so distinct that I was immediately drawn into her world, of war, sacrifice, and honor. I really liked following her journey, and her character development was really rich and exciting; the way she changed as a person was what sold it for me. I also enjoyed the other characters, especially Myra, Fiske, Eelyn’s father, Iri, Inge, and Runa. My favorite part of it all was how the Aska and Riki put aside their ancient blood feud to please their gods in order to fight a more dangerous enemy. The action and suspense in this book was another big selling point for me; I was holding my breath and frantically flipping pages, desperate to find out what was going to happen. And the romance between Fiske and Eelyn! Talk about slow burn! I laughed, cried, and screamed throughout the narrative; the tension in this book was insane. The ending really wrapped things up, and I was satisfied. I can’t wait for more from Adrienne Young! The bottom line: A gorgeous, fierce and brutal debut, I loved Sky in the Deep! Next on deck: Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno!