Review: The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Title: The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Author: Adrienne Young
Series: Sky in the Deep #2
Genre: Fantasy/YA/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Edition: Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | BAM

Synopsis:

  For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

  For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

Review:

When I first read Sky in the Deep, I thought it was a stand-alone. This book is part sequel, part companion book. The main plot takes place about 10 years after the end of Sky in the Deep. It follows Halvard, Fiske's little brother, now a young man; and a young woman named Tova, who when she was a girl washed up on the beach near a Svell village in a half-burnt boat. It follows their intertwined path.

I wasn't sure at first if I would like this book as much as the first one, as it doesn't follow the same characters, they make cameos, but they aren't really in this book. I really loved Eelyn and Fiske, so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it as much. I did though, not as much but I still really liked this book. The world has expanded a little, and the magic that was eluded to in the previous book is expanded more with Tova and her runes. I love the setting of this world. It feels real and ancient. 

This book is more plot-driven than character-driven in my opinion. Tova and Halvard, while still great characters, just aren't as compelling as Eelyn and Fiske were for me. They weren't in many scenes together, so their chemistry came across a little more forced and less authentic. The pacing wasn't great either, but this is an uncorrected proof. And while I only noticed one type-o, I'm also sure when the novel goes through final edits everything will be smoother.

I can't wait for this book to come out though. I look forward to reading the final copy. And if you enjoyed Sky in the Deep, I hope you like this one too.