"Vegr yfir fjor"
"Honour above life"

4.5 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5

Sky in the Deep was a moving tale based on family- the one we're born with and the one we find along the way- set in a Viking-inspired world. It was a beautiful story. Beautiful in a messy and imperfect yet real way and I really loved it.

There were two clans, the Aska and the Riki, bound together by a blood feud as old as time. Every five years they met on the battle field and they fought for their people and their honour. The main character, an Aska woman called Eelyn, thought her brother, Iri, had died years ago but one day she sees him alive in the midst of battle but fighting for the opposing side. This triggers a series of events that causes Eelyn to question everything she ever thought she knew and she realised that the two clans would be stronger together than apart.

It was ironic how the Aska and the Riki had been fighting mindlessly for years and years when in reality, they were more similar than different. Once they put their prejudices aside they realised that they could co-exist peacefully. I thought this was a very important message because I think that if people focused more on how we are alike as opposed to how we are different we wouldn't have so many conflicts and issues in our world today.

I really liked Eelyn's character because although she was resilient and brave she also had an emotional, sensitive side and I think that recently lots of authors have been making their female main characters appear almost emotionless in an attempt to make them seem fierce and strong. In general, the relationships between the various characters were perfect and Eelyn's bonds with her father, her best friend, her brother, Fiske and his family were all profoundly crafted. At first, I wasn't feeling the connection between Eelyn and Fiske but I warmed up to them by the end and I liked how they slowly grew to trust each other.

I loved learning about the various customs and religious beliefs that formed the groundwork for the novel. Furthermore, the writing style was very intense, grounded and at times dramatic resulting in almost cinematic fight scenes and heart-rending emotional scenes.

This novel told a touching story and is a breath of fresh air in the young adult fantasy genre.

"Qnd eldr
"Breathe fire"