Sky in the Deep

            Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is a story of a young female warrior from the Aska clan that is captured by the rival Riki clan and placed with a family to help them over the winter. Though she is a prisoner, Eelyn starts to understand the similarities that exist between the Aska and the Riki and question the deeply entrenched rivalry between the two clans.

            When I read this novel, I realized it came before The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I don’t believe that I needed to read them in order, but I can see why it would make more sense.

            Young immediately pulled me into the heat of battle, hooking me effortlessly. The characters were easy to visualize and connect to, so it felt abrupt when they captured Eelyn, and the story took off with none of the other characters I’d met. One positive of Young’s writing is most definitely her descriptions of battle scenes. They are some of the best battle scenes I’ve read. They are so easy to visualize and follow, even as the pacing of those scenes speed up and demand more focused attention. I wholly enjoy reading all the beautifully scripted battles.

            My only criticism of Sky in the Deep is that Eelyn would seem to make strides forward in her character development, but then go back to how she was at the beginning. I felt her track forward could have been smoother, but perhaps that wouldn’t have made the story as good as it was. However, it meant some moments confused me about how loyal she was to her own people versus the Riki. I don’t believe this is a spoiler, so don’t worry!

            Just like with The Girl the Sea Gave Back, I found Young’s writing to be beautiful. It was fluid and simple while carrying an elegance that conveyed the character’s feelings so perfectly. By the end of the novel, I felt satisfied that Eelyn and the other main characters had climbed their climaxes and found themselves where they belong on the other side. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves Norse mythology, young adult novels, and novels with strong female characters. I recommend reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back afterwards to continue the story. It adds more depth to the world that Adrienne Young has created and makes more sense to read in that order.

            Thank you for reading! Tune in on Saturday, May 15th to write some Haikus with me, right here on Lit&Leta!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5