Sky in the Deep

This book was a great story of determination, strength, and family. While there was romance, I did not feel that it completely took over the book. There was still the focus on family and what it means to grow up in a divided world. This book did have the cliche warring societies where your main character is forced to live among the “enemy”. However, I felt like it was done in a unique way with this viking-like aspect. I really liked seeing aspects of Riki life through Eelyn's Askan viewpoint. I wish we would have been able to see more Askan life.

I also felt like the ending of the book was rushed with the major climax and battle being quickly resolved and minimal closure. I do however appreciate that this is a standalone novel. So many books lately have been series and I liked that Adrienne Young gave us a standalone where the story is complete. That being said, I think 20 or so more pages would have allowed for less of the feeling of rushing and allow for complete resolution.

This book is for the person who pours hot sauce on all their food without bothering to season the rest of the meal.

The story starts in the midst of a gripping battle. Slicing down this enemy tribe. Death comes face to face with our heroine, when suddenly... her brother that died 5 years earlier appears in the mists and saved her. But no. it's just a dream, or was it? Sounds exciting right? Well, it's all downhill from here.

Rather than giving us substance, character insight, or world building, the author continues the route of shock jock, blinding us with action (aka hot sauce), without focusing on the rest of the meal. Eventually, I gave up trying to care who was who and just envisioned characters from another book going rogue and playing out this storyline. Eventually, even that got boring. Since life is too short to waste on bad books, this is being hung up on the DNF shelf.

Sky in the Deep came out in April to a LOT of hype. It's mostly deserved. The plot is a little odd; the two clans come together every five years to fight in a blood feud between their gods. But they only fight every five years in a designated place - if you really hated each other, why wouldn't you try to wipe out the other tribe all the time, instead of letting them rebuild their strength for five years? And then this third, mysterious tribe shows up and is enough for you to set aside all your anger at each other? I don't know. It's a little weird.

That oddness aside, I loved this story! I loved Eelyn's fierceness, and also her willingness to see the Riki as people too. Eventually, of course. In Eelyn we have the definition of a strong female character. (She's not the only one, either!) She is admired for her fierceness and strength, but not seen as any less female. Women are warriors in her culture too.

It's a pretty straightforward book, with a few graphic scenes of violence in the fights. Everything happened pretty much as I expected it to, but I still enjoyed seeing Eelyn grow and change throughout the book. It's also very atmospheric; I could almost hear the snow crunching beneath boots, the rushing roar of the mountain river, the quiet creaking of the frozen lake. Young's writing style pulls you right into the book and doesn't let you go.

Set aside your questions about the plot's logic and just enjoy this book. It's wonderful.

You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.