My Thoughts: Looking back at all the books I have enjoyed reading in the past, I (or anyone with any comments sense) could easily see that the recipe for my favorite kind of book is one badass lead FEMALE character, a good dosage of adventure, a pinch of magic, and a romance that doesn't take away from the story. While Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is lacking on the magic front (unless you count the preacher-esc people who saw the willing of the gods... which I kinda do) it tackled every other point on the list in stride. Eelyn is a seventeen year old badass Aska (viking clan) warrior who kick ass and takes names like nobody business. Girl gets swept into a crazy adventure, and of course their is the romance in this novel that actually feels real! You can see the charecters develop and grow closer together (it's enemies to lovers... my favorite!).
My Summary: The Aska and Riki clans have been enemies for as long as anyone can remember, and every five years they come together to fight for a season. In the previous season Eelyn's older brother died in the battle by a Riki warrior. Eelyn was not able to get to his body, but she had only thought of revenge for the upcoming season. Finally on the battlefield Eelyn was almost about to be killed by a Riki warrior when her brother came to stop him. She chases after him only to get caught by the Riki and to find out that the Riki soldier who almost killed her brother managed to save him and that her brother had become Riki. Forced into slavery Eelyn can't escape the Riki until winter is over and it is safe for her to go home (the Riki live on this snowy, inescapable mountain) she start to realize that maybe the Aska and Riki aren't that different, and starts to grow to close to those around her.
Overall Rating: 7
Justification: I love the beginning of this book and I love the ending, but the middle just doesn't hit for me. I will say that of course the middle was nessary for the progression of the book. It was in this part that Eelyn started to see the Riki as more than the adversary, but I don't know, all she did was cook, pick herbs, and clean. The entire time I was waiting for her to sweep someone off their feet, stab a few others, and then get the hell off the mountain (don't get me wrong she is 100% badass enough to to all that, but she didn't want to die for her dad). Any who that's just my opinion.
Character Rating:
Justification: 6.7
Eelyn: If I was raised in this fantasy world I would 100% strive to be Eelyn. Right off the bat, she is in the middle of a battle, killing people left and right with her equally badass bff right on her side and lets just say it was love at first sight. But let me tell you not only is she a warrior on outside, but one on the inside as well. She has this whole honor over life thing that keeps on reminding me that this girl will NEVER go down without a fight and I am there for it. Is she too prideful, maybe, but I think that really adds to her character, after all nobody is perfect. But yeah, I love her.
Iri: The brother. I don't like the brother. Okay, don't get me wrong, Iri seems like a really good guy, I mean the way Eeyln describes him he's practically a saint, but I hold grudges (yes even against fictional character I know, it's weird). The fact that I can't seem to get over is that he left his family to believe he was dead for five years and then managed to go into battle to kill the people he was once in a community with! Like fine, go live your life with a new family, but don't go killing the people in your old life! What the hell is wrong with you! It is for those reasons that he will forever be on my shit list. His fiancé also goes only shit list just because my grudges somehow mange to be thrust on those in association. I know it's bad, but I guess that's just me.
Fiske: Our buff viking love interest (swoons)! Okay, so right off the bat Fiske and Eelyn are in battle to the death and I'm reading thinking this is probably a random soldier, well let's just say I was very wrong. Timeline goes Fiske cuts her open, kidnaps her, shoots her with a bloody arrow, and then saves her butt a bunch of times. At first I was like hell no this guy is not the person for a babe like Eelyn, but he's just so sweet with his family and understanding you can't not love him. Another factor that made me easily swayed is my all consuming love for the enemies to lovers trope. (And for those who are thinking, "Why can you forgive Fiske, but not Iri?" I think what Iri did, betray his blood and the community that raised him is 100% than fighting for your own family and people.)
My Favorite Line: "Vegr yfir fjor." (Honor above life)
Spoilers:
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Okay, here we go...
Eelyn start to see that the Aska and Riki are very alike and starts making connections to them as people.
A greater force than the Aska or Riki attacks both the tribes hurting their numbers a lot.
Eelyn and Fiske try to get the clans to work together so they both don't go into extinction.
They win!
Brother stays with then fiancé, now wife with Riki, while Eelyn and Fiske go with Aska and live happily ever after.
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