Wow, this review is so overdue, and I’m so sorry for that—I think I honestly completely forgot that I hadn’t reviewed it yet, but it’s been a full two months since I read this book! That said, it was enjoyable enough that it stuck with me pretty well, so… let’s do the thing!

“Vegr yfir fjor. Honor above life.”

First of all, let me say that I went into this book feeling cautiously optimistic; the synopsis didn’t completely sell me, and I was a little bit worried that it would be one of those super hyped releases that let me down. Thankfully, that was not the issue at all, because this book sucked me in so fast!

I was the ice on the river. The snow clinging onto the mountainside.

I love stories involving icy tundras and characters that fit this Viking-esque vibe, and Sky in the Deep definitely supplies a version of that. From the first page, there is so much action and bloodshed, and unlike many YA authors I’ve read, Adrienne Young doesn’t shy away from showing you a little gore and devastation! Obviously we’re not talking adult grimdark levels here, but if you’re very sensitive, well, don’t say nobody warned you!

I hadn’t lost her. I hadn’t buried her. I’d only let her change into something new.

More than anything, I loved Eelyn’s character and how capable and intelligent she is. Despite the fact that she’s been raised to believe certain things about her enemy tribe, she’s not so set in her ways that she can’t grow to recognize when things don’t quite line up with her upbringing. She’s got this fantastic fighter’s spirit, and I truly enjoyed watching the world go by through her eyes.

The writhing, bleeding hole inside of me closed up. I let him erase it. I let him make it go away.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the romance, which is a bit slow to build, and never overpowers the main storyline. That said, it’s swoon-worthy in its own way, and I’m such a sucker for these characters that look like big, scary tough guys on the outside but end up being gushy teddy bears inside, so if you feel me on that, you’ll probably appreciate Eelyn’s love interest just as much as I did.

“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I don’t want to fight anymore.”

Overall, I so thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the fighting, the romance, the depictions of faith, the mysticism in certain scenes, and the atmosphere. I felt like I should’ve been surrounded by icy fjords while reading this book, and it’s the type of story I can happily recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy, and that I will happily come back to again and again.

You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!

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Buddy read with Taylor! ♥♥♥