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wildflowercrypt's review against another edition
1.0
i DNF’d this book because i couldn’t get past the fact that the protagonist snared a couple rabbits for dinner and then gUTTED them before skinning them. listen, i know this is a wildly dumb detail to get hung up on (tbh, its an even dumber detail to somehow get wrong) but i just couldn’t take the character, or the book, seriously after that. every time i’d come back to it, all i’d think about were those dang rabbits. i’m really supposed to believe this FMC knows what she’s doing when she can’t even prep a rabbit for dinner correctly?? c’mon.
candyb0x's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed this more then the first book. The pacing was better, unfortunately it was also wrapped up very quickly and neatly at the end. The conclusion was just a bit too convenient for me. I wanted there to be some loss. And a greater exploration of themes. But I enjoyed Tova's character and seeing the motivation and beliefs that formed her choices
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Emotional abuse
bookish_mrs_w's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to. The pacing felt a little off for me and I felt like the relationship between the main characters felt a little rushed.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved Sky in the Deep, Adrienne Young's debut novel, so I was excited to read the companion novel, The Girl the Sea Gave Back. It's not a direct sequel, but it's set in the same world as Sky in the Deep and the main characters appear in supporting roles.
Set 10 years after the events of Sky in the Deep, the Nadhir have experienced an unprecedented stretch of peace, but the neighboring tribe of the Svell are growing in strength and may be a threat to the Nadhir, who are still rebuilding after the events of the first book. Halvard is 18 and has been chosen as the heir to the chief of the Nadhir. He wrestles with whether he is truly the right choice for the job.
One of the Svell's advantages is a young woman named Tova. She is a Truthtongue, someone who can see the future. She is also a member of another tribe, the mysterious Kyrr. She washed up on a beach and was found by Jorrund, the Svell's spiritual leader. Her life with the Svell has been hard. Although they need her, they also fear her, and the only person who shows her any kindness is Jorrund, but Tova always wonders if it's because he needs her abilities to maintain his power. She lives in constant fear of outliving her usefulness to the tribe.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Tova and Halvard's points of view. It's effective because the characters have very distinct voices. Tova's lonely life contrasts with Halvard's much more secure position. She's an outsider with no memories of her past, while he is a favored son of his tribe, with a supporting and loving family. The two have little in common, but when Tova casts the rune stones, a connection between them is forged.
The book has a fast moving plot, and most of the action takes place over just a few days. Young's spare prose works well for the story. The bleakness and beauty of this world really come through in her writing. It's a gripping story, and I hope Young writes more books set in this world.
Although this is sort of a sequel, it's possible to read it without having read Sky in the Deep. But the two books go so well together, I would recommend that you read the first one before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
Set 10 years after the events of Sky in the Deep, the Nadhir have experienced an unprecedented stretch of peace, but the neighboring tribe of the Svell are growing in strength and may be a threat to the Nadhir, who are still rebuilding after the events of the first book. Halvard is 18 and has been chosen as the heir to the chief of the Nadhir. He wrestles with whether he is truly the right choice for the job.
One of the Svell's advantages is a young woman named Tova. She is a Truthtongue, someone who can see the future. She is also a member of another tribe, the mysterious Kyrr. She washed up on a beach and was found by Jorrund, the Svell's spiritual leader. Her life with the Svell has been hard. Although they need her, they also fear her, and the only person who shows her any kindness is Jorrund, but Tova always wonders if it's because he needs her abilities to maintain his power. She lives in constant fear of outliving her usefulness to the tribe.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Tova and Halvard's points of view. It's effective because the characters have very distinct voices. Tova's lonely life contrasts with Halvard's much more secure position. She's an outsider with no memories of her past, while he is a favored son of his tribe, with a supporting and loving family. The two have little in common, but when Tova casts the rune stones, a connection between them is forged.
The book has a fast moving plot, and most of the action takes place over just a few days. Young's spare prose works well for the story. The bleakness and beauty of this world really come through in her writing. It's a gripping story, and I hope Young writes more books set in this world.
Although this is sort of a sequel, it's possible to read it without having read Sky in the Deep. But the two books go so well together, I would recommend that you read the first one before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
distant_ships's review against another edition
2.0
I had high hopes because I adored the first book. This one was a bit of a let down. I just never fully connected to the characters nor felt their connection to each other.
amiascah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a continuation of the story from Sky in the Deep, you wouldn't know it from reading the blurb which only mentions a new character Tova, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that half the book is from Harvard's point of view, the younger brother to Fiske, from the first book. As always it seems with a book from Adrienne Young I found it very compelling and enchanting. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Eelyn's story, which was more of a strait forward tale of two viking clans in a generational blood feud that was slowly wiping out both groups of people. This second instalment is less gritty, less blood thirsty but much more mystical and mysterious. A lot of Tova is unsure and her origins are as much a mystery to her as they are to the reader. I actually found seeing the snippets of how to two feeding clans have merged to be the most interesting parts, most of the bits with the Svell brothers didn't hold my interest.
lanimartinez's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure where this series would go, but I found myself compelled by Adrienne Young's writing and I was glad to be swept up in a new adventure with familiar and new faces. The mythology and lore of the series was explored in greater detail, and a hint of magic was introduced. It led to some surprises and twists, and was definitely a darker instalment of the previous book. That wasn't to say there wasn't plenty of action to go around. These people are Vikings after all.
I really enjoyed the characters. Halvard is always welcome and it was interesting to see what he became after so many years and the danger he experienced as a child. Tova was also quite interesting and I sympathized with what she was going through, not belonging anywhere and being used.
The time shifts were a little disarming and the plot seemed to drag in the middle a bit, but I was quite compelled by the characters and the places it led. I had a great time reading this and would recommend it to anyone who loves Viking lore, complex and flawed characters, and a dose of drama-filled action!
I really enjoyed the characters. Halvard is always welcome and it was interesting to see what he became after so many years and the danger he experienced as a child. Tova was also quite interesting and I sympathized with what she was going through, not belonging anywhere and being used.
The time shifts were a little disarming and the plot seemed to drag in the middle a bit, but I was quite compelled by the characters and the places it led. I had a great time reading this and would recommend it to anyone who loves Viking lore, complex and flawed characters, and a dose of drama-filled action!
billies_not_so_secret_diary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Girl the Sea Gave Back
by Adrienne Young
Sky and Sea #2
YA Norse Mythology
Scribd (Everand) Audio
Ages 16+
Found as a young child by a tribesman of the Svell, Tova grew up in fear for her life because the symbols tattooed on her skin marked her as a member of a warrior tribe who lived far in the north. The only thing keeping her alive is one mark that proclaims her as a Truthtongue, gifted with the power to use the Runes to see into the future.
With a cast of those stones, Tova's custodian twists what she said the Runes say, and he gives their chieftain's brother the excuse to go to war with the newly 'allied clans' who dwell both on the fjord and the mountains.
Don't be like me and expect this to start where the first left off.
Taking place about ten years after the previous book, this story centers mostly on Tova and the tribe that took her in as a child, the Svell. The other MC is Halvard, a minor character from the first book.
The main plot in this story is a war against tribes in order to take what the other has, and to have more power. Other subplots have to do with family, fate, and romance. This book does not spend a lot of time deep diving into the characters, but there's enough for the reader to feel some connection with them, but I wish there were more about the reasons why Halvard was selected for (spoiler). I get the one reason, but that can't be the only one, there are missing details.
And Tova's real tribe I'm curious about and there could be another story here.
Overall, a great listen/read, but I wish it was a little bit longer to get more story about the 'allied tribe' and their struggles to get where they were. That information would give readers, especially those who didn't read the first book or did years before, a deeper connection with them so to feel the importance of what they were fighting for.
Those details would have given this book one more star...
3 Stars
pinkpeach's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75