Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young | Young Adult Fantasy Fiction | Book Review
Title: Sky in the Deep
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publishing Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Pages: 352
Main Theme: Viking lore, family loyalty and strong, independent women.
I must say, that as a debut novel from an author, this is one to be extremely proud of. Not only did I not want to put it down, but Young made me feel so much for these characters that I got emotional (around chapters 34/35) and am holding out hope for a sequel. I have already taken a look at her follow up novel and it appears to be a time piece as well so I think we can see some great period pieces from her in the future. After reading her bio, I let out a little snicker because she is a Texan turned Cali Girl who just wrote a mildly brutal novel. I feel that most who call themselves a “Cali Girl” tend to lean more towards rainbows and sunny days rather than some intense and pretty explicit action filed with gore and oppression. But then, knowing she’s a Texan at heart, makes it far more understandable in the best way. She was most likely bred to be a very strong and independent woman and that is why her lead character is so strong willed, again, in the best way.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Eelyn is everything a little girl should dream to be: strong, independent, loyal and cunning. She is the epitome of what women want in a protagonist of a fantasy fiction novel like this one. The book opens on the battlefield and after only a few pages, the reader is hooked by the “ghost” of Eelyn’s brother appearing. Soon enough, we learn how we came to see him in the woods during that battle. But it isn’t a happy reunion for Eelyn since it is clear that he has betrayed her and her people. The rest of the story is slow to build, just as it should be, because the torment and struggle she endures throughout cannot be rushed. Young put so much detail into her characters and their world that it deserves the longevity of Eelyn’s misfortunes.
My one complaint about this beautiful book was that the ending was rushed. After the detail and fullness of the journey we go on, we deserve to see more of Eelyn’s happiness at the end. Each character has been developed so unbelievably well that all I wanted was a few extra chapters to see them living out their best days after decades of pain. I wanted to see Fiske bond with her father and ask for his blessing to wed his daughter. I dreamed of what ten years into the future would look like for them. I yearned for more of this love story that was built up so slowly and beautifully. THIS is why I feel the need for a follow up to this novel because I didn’t get the fullness I needed out of it. Even so, I am still giving this a full five stars because of the well-rounded characters, lack of repetitiveness and nearly perfect world building. All of that and the fact I literally spent my weekend ignoring my husband to continue turning the pages. It was that good, friends.