Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Synopsis (via Goodreads): OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

It was what we’d been taught our entire lives—vegr yfir fjor—honor above life.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, but I am quoting from what I received.

Sky in the Deep was pretty violent at times, so this might not be a good book for the faint of heart. The two clans within the story have been warring with each other for generations, and they prepare their children for battle when they are still incredibly young and innocent. That innocence doesn't last very long when they are forced to kill other people to appease their gods.

Eelyn was a very interesting and complex character. She knew what she believed in, or at least she thought she did, and she held on to those beliefs despite the hell she went through. Family and honor were more important to her than her own life, so she didn't hesitate to put them before everything else. It caused her to act recklessly at times, and occasionally the consequences were severe, but she never let that stop her from doing what she believed was right. Her childhood and the lessons she was taught defined her, and it took a long time for her to view the world with a different perspective.

Fiske was undoubtedly a good person. He was always putting others before himself and saving people he shouldn't. Life was precious to him, but so was protecting his family and honoring his god. I could feel how conflicted he was during certain situations, but I never knew what he would do or how he would handle them. He was a constant surprise. I also adored his family, especially his younger brother. I think Halvard played a large role in helping Eelyn, even though he was just being a sweet kid.

I believe Sky in the Deep delivers an important message. The two clans have been fighting for too long, and it's just expected that their children will do the same. They fight, they die, and then their families want revenge. It's a never-ending cycle that gets passed down over the years. We should never want that to be the world our children live in. We should always strive to be better.

I thought the story started off strong and in-your-face, but the middle felt a little sluggish at times. It took awhile for certain things to happen, and while the information was interesting, I wish it had been condensed just a little. Other than that I really have no complaints (except for all of the animal sacrifices, because I could have definitely done without those). It was an interesting concept that was beautifully executed.