Sky In The Deep
by Adrienne Young
4.5/5
“We find things, just as we lose things.
If you’ve lost your honor, you’ll find it again.”
Let me start off by saying I listened to this as an audiobook, and I’m not sure if the narrator was just so good or if it was the book all on its own, but either way this was a book you need to experience. Yes, experience. Adrienne Young did a wonderful job with this book, and you’re literally captivated from the very first sentence until the last. I don’t know why but I just got so attached to this story and these characters. Like I said before I think part of it was that the audiobook was so enthralling and the narrator just does a wonderful job giving life to this story.
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen year old Eelyn fights along her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield, her brother fighting with the enemy, the brother she watched die five years ago. She must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, where every neighbor is an enemy. But when the Riki are raided by a clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her clan. She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brothers friend, who sees her as a threat, and they must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together.
I was a few chapters in when I discovered this was a standalone novel. I was a little disappointed and curious at how the author was going to wrap up this story in just 300 something pages, especially at the pace the book was written. However the author does a wonderful job at wrapping up every plot line and concluding the book. What initially captured my attention with this book was the tidbit at the end about the romance that was clearly going to happen between Eelyn and Fiske, and oh the romance was good, great even, but it’s not what I loved most about this book. Yes you heard me right! I just couldn’t get enough of the battle scenes and the rivalries between the two clans. Chapter one you’re thrown right into battle and the story only gets better as you go. The violence in this book is gruesome and so much more then I thought would be in a YA book so forewarning that some scenes are just a little graphic. Okay maybe a lot graphic! I mean Eelyn is one badass warrior babe who cuts down men three times her size sooooo!
It was so refreshing getting a YA book with a Viking heroine, literally makes all other heroines seem... what’s the word? Less cool? no. Tame? yes, tame! She literally kicks butt and we see her get so broken down throughout the story, but then we also get to see her rebuild herself and if that isn’t a strong freaking heroine, I don’t know what is.
When I was leaving my review on goodreads I saw that a lot of the reviews complained about how much Eeyln cried and how weak she was and I’m just like- The girl literally found out her brother is alive and fighting with their enemy, and then she’s captured and turned into a slave, knocked around a little while she’s defenseless, and then while rebuilding herself she opens herself up raw to all these new ideas and beliefs and people, so yeah I’d be crying to!
Now the relationships in this book were written so beautifully, especially Fiske and Eelyn. They start off as literal enemies to lovers, I mean they try and kill each other multiple times in this book, but we get to see Fiske doing so much for her and getting her to open up and a see the world differently and they just blend together so nicely that you can’t help but get attached to them. I felt like their relationship happened so naturally that you didn’t even see it coming until it did, and even then you’re just like, yeah this works and feels right! But like I said before the romance between the two wasn’t my favorite part of the book, it wasn’t even my favorite relationship in the book! I loved the relationship between Eelyn and Fiske’s mother and brother, and of course her own brother. So I guess I’m trying to say that the familial relationships were one of my favorite parts. I loved Fiske’s mother and how even though both Iri and Eeyln were Aska, it didn’t matter to her and she let them in. I mean she wasn’t foolish and didn’t trust Eeyln from day one, but the relationship they build shows you that she was able to look past the differences their clans had and not pass judgment and accept Eeyln as just Eeyln and not Eyeln the Aska. Also the relationships with Eeyln’s own clan- her father and Myra. The scene where Myra breaks down just really got to me and I felt the love that Eeyln had for her friend and it just reminds me that just because someone isn’t blood doesn’t mean they’re not family. Seriously, this is such an emotional page turner and you’ll be captivated by every little aspect. I felt like every character was written perfectly and there wasn’t one that I didn’t like. From Fiske’s younger brother to Iri, the characters were the best part of this book hands down. This whole book just felt right, and it was emotional. Not cry your eyes out emotional but like a strong deep connection type emotion. I don’t even know if that makes sense but once you read this you’ll understand! So if you’re looking for an action packed book with gruesome battle scenes and a female heroine who rips out mens eyeballs then this is your book! If you have read this book and want another badass female character you should check out Angelfall by Susan Ee! Not about Vikings but has some awesome battle scenes, good romance, and a female character that doesn’t take crap from anyone! Also it’s free if you have kindle unlimited, and if you have scribd definitely check out the audiobook version of Sky In The Deep!
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen year old Eelyn fights along her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield, her brother fighting with the enemy, the brother she watched die five years ago. She must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, where every neighbor is an enemy. But when the Riki are raided by a clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her clan. She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brothers friend, who sees her as a threat, and they must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together.
I was a few chapters in when I discovered this was a standalone novel. I was a little disappointed and curious at how the author was going to wrap up this story in just 300 something pages, especially at the pace the book was written. However the author does a wonderful job at wrapping up every plot line and concluding the book. What initially captured my attention with this book was the tidbit at the end about the romance that was clearly going to happen between Eelyn and Fiske, and oh the romance was good, great even, but it’s not what I loved most about this book. Yes you heard me right! I just couldn’t get enough of the battle scenes and the rivalries between the two clans. Chapter one you’re thrown right into battle and the story only gets better as you go. The violence in this book is gruesome and so much more then I thought would be in a YA book so forewarning that some scenes are just a little graphic. Okay maybe a lot graphic! I mean Eelyn is one badass warrior babe who cuts down men three times her size sooooo!
It was so refreshing getting a YA book with a Viking heroine, literally makes all other heroines seem... what’s the word? Less cool? no. Tame? yes, tame! She literally kicks butt and we see her get so broken down throughout the story, but then we also get to see her rebuild herself and if that isn’t a strong freaking heroine, I don’t know what is.
When I was leaving my review on goodreads I saw that a lot of the reviews complained about how much Eeyln cried and how weak she was and I’m just like- The girl literally found out her brother is alive and fighting with their enemy, and then she’s captured and turned into a slave, knocked around a little while she’s defenseless, and then while rebuilding herself she opens herself up raw to all these new ideas and beliefs and people, so yeah I’d be crying to!
Now the relationships in this book were written so beautifully, especially Fiske and Eelyn. They start off as literal enemies to lovers, I mean they try and kill each other multiple times in this book, but we get to see Fiske doing so much for her and getting her to open up and a see the world differently and they just blend together so nicely that you can’t help but get attached to them. I felt like their relationship happened so naturally that you didn’t even see it coming until it did, and even then you’re just like, yeah this works and feels right! But like I said before the romance between the two wasn’t my favorite part of the book, it wasn’t even my favorite relationship in the book! I loved the relationship between Eelyn and Fiske’s mother and brother, and of course her own brother. So I guess I’m trying to say that the familial relationships were one of my favorite parts. I loved Fiske’s mother and how even though both Iri and Eeyln were Aska, it didn’t matter to her and she let them in. I mean she wasn’t foolish and didn’t trust Eeyln from day one, but the relationship they build shows you that she was able to look past the differences their clans had and not pass judgment and accept Eeyln as just Eeyln and not Eyeln the Aska. Also the relationships with Eeyln’s own clan- her father and Myra. The scene where Myra breaks down just really got to me and I felt the love that Eeyln had for her friend and it just reminds me that just because someone isn’t blood doesn’t mean they’re not family. Seriously, this is such an emotional page turner and you’ll be captivated by every little aspect. I felt like every character was written perfectly and there wasn’t one that I didn’t like. From Fiske’s younger brother to Iri, the characters were the best part of this book hands down. This whole book just felt right, and it was emotional. Not cry your eyes out emotional but like a strong deep connection type emotion. I don’t even know if that makes sense but once you read this you’ll understand! So if you’re looking for an action packed book with gruesome battle scenes and a female heroine who rips out mens eyeballs then this is your book! If you have read this book and want another badass female character you should check out Angelfall by Susan Ee! Not about Vikings but has some awesome battle scenes, good romance, and a female character that doesn’t take crap from anyone! Also it’s free if you have kindle unlimited, and if you have scribd definitely check out the audiobook version of Sky In The Deep!
No comments:
Post a Comment