Sky in the Deep
by: Adrienne Young
Published: April 24th, 2018
Page count: 352
Genre: Fantasy
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Kobo, Indie Bound
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
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.
This cover drew my attention right away! The glint of light on the ax head and the woman’s (Eelyn’s) face draw you away from the darkened cover. It shows that this is a Viking tale, without any doubt. It was as if Eelyn herself were peaking from behind the pages of the book, begging me to read her story, learn of her honor.
I was pulled into this book right away…sadness coursing through me when I had to put it down. I mean, who can resist reading about a Viking battle scene from the start of the book?! I will mention that the action quickly fades and does not return until the end of the story. However, do not let that fool you…this book is far from a bore. Eelyn is an incredibly strong Viking woman who holds honor and family above all else. I love the show Vikings and Lagertha is who I imagine when thinking of Eelyn. Psst…Lagertha is the best! She has always been my favorite character.
“Vegr yfir fjor.
Honor above life.”
It is not only Eelyn but every character that shows continued strength and bravery throughout. I love a book filled with such honorable and strong individuals. Young truly embraced the spirit of the Vikings in her novel. The two clans presented are enemies, due to beliefs in different Gods. Vikings feel very strongly about their Gods. This was accurately presented in this novel. There does not need to be some disgruntled elders fighting over an argument long ago…simply not believing in the same Gods can be enough to become enemies. It is apparent that Young did her research prior to writing this novel. I will say, some may not like the fact that she does not adhere strictly to Viking history, but it is a fictional novel…she used her creativity to put her own twist on it.
I was expecting this to be a story packed to the brim and bursting with action. I was wrong, but not disappointed. This book is more character driven. I love seeing the different levels on which the characters form bonds with one another. Eelyn goes through a lot of pain but soon realizes that she may have been thinking wrong the entire time. Maybe things were not exactly as they seemed. Though romance develops between characters, I do not feel it is needed here. For the amount of blood and gore discussed, the romance scenes were lacking, which I am ok with. I appreciate a novel that does not revolve around the romance of characters, but a larger, more complex story.
There is not much world building throughout this great Viking tale. I can picture the villages and people within, the forest, mountains, battles…other than that there is not much to tell. I was originally told this was a standalone book. I am happy to find there will be a companion novel released in 2019. I would very much like to know how the clans proceed after this novel ends…no it does not end on a cliffhanger. It is a relief…it seems like so many books lately have ended on cliffhangers. I hate moving on to something new when I am still distraught from the book I finished…craving more.
Remember this fantastic Viking fantasy is released April 24th! Pre-order now…or wait until you can get immediate satisfaction by buying it after publication. Either way, do not miss this book.
Have you read this novel? Does it sound like something you would enjoy? Let me know what you think below.