Scan barcode
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
On a cold night, a young child washed ashore in a charred boat. Tattoos covering her from head to toe, she is clearly not from the Svell land she now finds herself in. Thirteen years later, Tova serves her captors by helping them divine the future, which many Svell clansman hope includes conquering nearby tribes. Not far away, Halvard lives and works amongst his people, knowing that one day he will lead the tribe that once met every five years in battle. When war once again comes to them, Halvard finds himself fighting not only to preserve his future, but that of his family, tribe, and the mysterious marked woman on the other side of the battlefield.
It was fun to return to the characters I loved in Sky in the Deep and to be introduced to new characters as well. I enjoyed seeing how Halvard and the others continued the work of unifying their people - even to the point where he calls Aghi "father." Tova's story was sad - sacrificed by her own people and raised amongst those who hated her. But she was tender where she could have been bitter. I loved how the two characters were brought together throughout the story. My one complaint is that you don't actually see them together often enough. But other than that, Adrienne Young delivers another solid story!
It was fun to return to the characters I loved in Sky in the Deep and to be introduced to new characters as well. I enjoyed seeing how Halvard and the others continued the work of unifying their people - even to the point where he calls Aghi "father." Tova's story was sad - sacrificed by her own people and raised amongst those who hated her. But she was tender where she could have been bitter. I loved how the two characters were brought together throughout the story. My one complaint is that you don't actually see them together often enough. But other than that, Adrienne Young delivers another solid story!
spark_of_madness's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
riri_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2 ⭐️
I'm a surprised but not in the good way ... this book was not what I expected. I loved the first one so much so my expectations were high but this one feels more like a debut comparing to her actual debut novel.
The world building was minimal, the characters development was lacking I feel like I didn't know them at all which made me not care about the story. Also the plot was predictable and felt lacking in purpose. I think the idea had potential but the execution was poorly done in my opinion. Unfortunately this one just fell flat for me. It was a meh read.
I'm a surprised but not in the good way ... this book was not what I expected. I loved the first one so much so my expectations were high but this one feels more like a debut comparing to her actual debut novel.
The world building was minimal, the characters development was lacking I feel like I didn't know them at all which made me not care about the story. Also the plot was predictable and felt lacking in purpose. I think the idea had potential but the execution was poorly done in my opinion. Unfortunately this one just fell flat for me. It was a meh read.
curlymariareads's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this, I have been reading books by Adrienne Young lately and have enjoyed them. Sky In The Deep was SO good, this is a sequel of sorts. And it was a let down. The first 2/3 of the book felt jumbled, I struggled to get into the story honestly. The last 1/3, until the ending, was really good. Came to a fight scene with all the clans and learning Tova's true background. Then it ends.
chloeamcmahon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
skcobb's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Adrienne Young and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I gave this book 3 stars. I really really REALLY wanted to give it more, but unfortunately many areas of The Girl the Sea Gave Back fell flat for me. I loved Sky In the Deep, and because of that, I had really high expectations for TGTSGB. I've consistently listed it as one of my most anticipated releases for the fall, so I think part of my issue may have been unfounded expectations.
There are some things I really DID enjoy about this book: Young's writing style is gorgeous and she does a beautiful job of describing situations. She is also masterful at fight scenes and these epic battles she likes to incorporate. I also enjoyed the cameos we see from Eelyn, Fiske, Iri and other characters from Sky In the Deep.
Unfortunately these items didn't completely make up for the fact that I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters. There was very little differentiation between Tova's voice and Halvard's voice, which made the flow difficult to follow, since chapters alternated between the two. There was also surprisingly little action throughout the book, with only one or two big scenes throughout to draw you in. We spend a large portion of the book wondering about Tova's origins, and while we do get some answers, many items are just glossed over, or dumped on the reader at once. There was very little interaction between Tova and Halvard. Their relationship could be great be we get very few scenes with both characters on the page.
Overall, I do think that this is a good novel as a companion to Sky in the Deep, but just did not connect with it the way I hoped to. If you are a fan of character driven books, mystic characters, or books with a historical or viking vibe, this may be a good book for you to pick up.
Overall, I gave this book 3 stars. I really really REALLY wanted to give it more, but unfortunately many areas of The Girl the Sea Gave Back fell flat for me. I loved Sky In the Deep, and because of that, I had really high expectations for TGTSGB. I've consistently listed it as one of my most anticipated releases for the fall, so I think part of my issue may have been unfounded expectations.
There are some things I really DID enjoy about this book: Young's writing style is gorgeous and she does a beautiful job of describing situations. She is also masterful at fight scenes and these epic battles she likes to incorporate. I also enjoyed the cameos we see from Eelyn, Fiske, Iri and other characters from Sky In the Deep.
Unfortunately these items didn't completely make up for the fact that I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters. There was very little differentiation between Tova's voice and Halvard's voice, which made the flow difficult to follow, since chapters alternated between the two. There was also surprisingly little action throughout the book, with only one or two big scenes throughout to draw you in. We spend a large portion of the book wondering about Tova's origins, and while we do get some answers, many items are just glossed over, or dumped on the reader at once. There was very little interaction between Tova and Halvard. Their relationship could be great be we get very few scenes with both characters on the page.
Overall, I do think that this is a good novel as a companion to Sky in the Deep, but just did not connect with it the way I hoped to. If you are a fan of character driven books, mystic characters, or books with a historical or viking vibe, this may be a good book for you to pick up.
zellti's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I was having a difficult time getting into this book. It was a slow start, and I was having trouble connecting to the characters. I didn't realize this was a companion book to Sky in the Deep, which I haven't read. I'm sure if I read it and was familiar with the world, it would have been a much easier read. With that said, about halfway through the book, I was hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Both main characters brought something real and authentic to the story. Although the story wrapped up nicely, I would have liked an epilogue to provide more closure. I'm hoping this means there will be another book :)
c_harb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
3.5