3.5 stars
I actually received two copies of this book from subscription boxes the month it came out. I can't lie, I was a little annoyed by that. There are so many different releases each month that I feel like this shouldn't happen, especially when I hadn't even heard of the book before receiving it in the mail. That being said, I put off this book for a couple of months because I was going through a weird slump with fantasy stories and just didn't feel like reading it.
Funny enough, I actually listened to this on audiobook for the most part. I was going to be driving for a couple of hours and needed something to pass the time. I wanted a book that was actually on my shelves and this one was available.
I am so glad that I finally got to this story, because it was really entertaining. Giving it three stars feels like I'm underrating it, but I can't quite give it four stars.

What I liked:

1. Bad-ass lady protagonist. There are so many books and series out there (especially in YA) that tout strong, bad-ass lady protagonists that end up being really underwhelming. Luckily, Eelyn does not fall into that category.
She is a warrior for her people, and we see examples of her physical strength all over the place in this book. There is a torture scene about 2/3 of the way through the book that is pretty shocking. I read some reviews that claim that she is always being saved by the men around her, and honestly, I don't see that at all. If anything, I think the saving is a mutual thing. She is able to fight alongside both men and women and hold her own. She is put into some dire situations (one in particular) where she is helped by a man, but she is also helped by other women.

2. Graphic violence. Now, I'm not necessarily super excited about graphic violence. But in a book about warriors and war, I expect to see the bloodier aspects of war. So many YA fantasy series water down battle scenes. But this book is very descriptive and blunt about fighting and war. I appreciated that.

3. Premise. I love the idea of the warring factions and what would happen if one rescued and adopted a member of the other. It hooked me pretty much right away. I felt so many feels toward Iri in the beginning. I just didn't understand how a person could betray their family and feel so little remorse. I was really angry on Eelyn's behalf, which isn't something that always happens with me.

4. The world. I haven't read many Viking-inspired fantasy books, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked that the culture was so different from the vaguely-European fantasy worlds we see all the time. Learning about the cultural differences and similarities between the Riki and Aska was very interesting.

What I didn't like:

1. I didn't feel like the romance was well-developed. Many critical reviews I read talked about the fact that Eelyn falls in love with her kidnapper and how that's problematic. Honestly, that didn't really bug me. Their people were at war. She was initially taken because she would've died if she'd been left. She and Fiske proceed to learn about the other and the fact that their people's similarities outweigh their differences, and they fall in love. My biggest issue was just that we didn't get enough time with the two of them connecting. Eelyn spends a good part of the first half of the book sulking about Iri's betrayal (which I totally get...I would be furious) and plotting to escape. Once she finally starts opening up to them, the romance happens very quickly and I just didn't quite buy it. I would've preferred if this book didn't have a romantic subplot, and that's coming from someone who is a sucker for romance.
I would've preferred if this book had focused more on Eelyn and Iri's sibling dynamic.

2. I think the book could've been longer, or maybe a duology. I love stand alone fantasy novels. I wish there were more of them. But I do think that this book could've benefited in being longer, if not a 2-book series. I just wanted more build up to the big battle. I wanted to know more about the Herja. Why do they raid and kill these people? Where are they from? What are their villages like? I wanted to learn something about their culture. All we really get is: "We thought they were myth."
I also felt like the romantic subplot could've been more slowly developed with more time. And even though we learned quite a bit about both the Aska and Riki cultures, I wanted more. I also feel like the ending all happens so quickly. It felt a little rushed.

3. The writing wasn't super strong. I know this is a debut novel, so this is a little nitpicky. I just felt like some of the writing was a little simplistic. It wasn't bad. I've read FAR worse by authors who have published multiple series, so I have a lot of hope for the future for this author, especially if she can keep on coming up with interesting settings and story ideas.

While this wasn't a perfect book, I found myself completely engaged and when after I started reading/listening to it I had it done in just a couple days. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fantasy stand alone or a fantasy with a world that isn't cookie cutter to so many others.

Just a note: I know it seems like I'm coming down on YA fantasy in this review. I honestly don't mean to. I usually enjoy this sub-genre of Young Adult quite a bit. That being said, I do find that there are many that are very similar to one another. I felt like this book stood out for me both in setting, world, and character.