Review Detail

If you’re looking for an action-packed novel with a fierce female main character who is multifaceted, and the text is filled with historical accuracy that doesn’t show violence against women, then look no further than Sky in the Deep.

Adrienne Young’s YA debut is definitely something every book lover should read. The novel draws you in from the very first page with its intense fighting scene, and the story never dulls due to Young’s first-rate writing.

I absolutely adored Eelyn. You know how this this trend in the media of having powerful women who are heartless and unloving because they have to be a “strong, independent woman” and nothing else? Yeah, Eelyn’s not like that. She’s strong, absolutely, but she’s also vulnerable and she cries when she’s stressed but then a day later, she’s pulling a man’s eye out with her bare hands, and then is in shock that she was able to do such a thing. She’s a complex character and I loved reading her amazing journey from honourable warrior to angry, frightened slave to clan hero.

Also, the romance was i n c r e d i b l e. At the beginning of the book, I was concerned about the person Eelyn would fall for as Fiske had a greater position of power over her, but there’s no need to be concered. The romance is so soft and subtle and sneaks up on you: it comes through in the tiniest and sweetest of ways, and you can’t help but ship them together.

I also loved Eelyn’s relationship with her brother, Iri. Eelyn is understandably devastated and angry when she learns the truth about her brother – that he has been alive all these years, living with their enemies – and she struggles with balancing the love she has for him and coming to terms with his betrayal. Their relationship is very different from when they were children and I enjoyed reading about Eelyn learning about Iri’s life and coming to new realisations about the people she once thought were her enemies and how they were not so different from her people after all.

Sky in the Deep is an incredible, emotional story about one woman’s extraordinary journey to unite to warring clans and finding love along the way. It’s a must read!