The Girl the Sea Gave Back (Sky and Sea, #2)

by Adrienne Young

The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

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.

• ISBN13: 9781789091298
• Publish Date: 3 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Titan Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leigha]

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Tova discovers there is more to her past and magic in this sequel to Sky in the Deep.

Told ten years after the events of the initial book, it follows the story of Tova, a mystic from far away lands held captive by a clan, and Halvard (yes, he’s all grown up!), an emerging leader of the combined clans of Riki and Aska. Chapters alternate between both main characters with prominent flashbacks throughout the story. Narrative focus shifts to new clans not mentioned in the previous book. Other than Halvard, not much time is given to the original cast of characters. All of those pining to see Eelyn and Fiske will most likely be disappointed.

I loved Adrienne Young’s first book, Sky in the Deep. It had it all – excellent world-building, a character-driven story, and an epic (and earned) romance. Everything I loved about the first book is missing in this lackluster sequel. This book is plot-driven instead of character-driven. The romance is rushed without enough (not nearly enough) time spent between the two characters. The culture and ancillary characters introduced in the book are poorly developed. It hurts me to say this, but the story felt half-baked and rushed. I still recommend you give this novel a try, but forgive yourself if this ends up on your DNF shelf.

tl;dr Plot-driven with a rushed romance and alternating points-of-view left me not enjoying this novel.

[nightingalereads]

2.75 stars

My review will be brief, but this book didn't quite hit the high note I was hoping for. I loved Sky in the Deep, and this book follows one of the beloved side characters from the first book. We also follow a girl marked by mysterious runes with the ability to read the will of the Spinners. With new clans and cameos from familiar characters, I thought this one would be a no-brainer. But unfortunately, a few issues kept me from loving The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

First off - and most prominently - was the pacing problem. The first 3/4 of this book dragged by with little-to-no advancement for either the plot or character arcs. It was basically one long introduction to the stakes of the story. The events that did occur could've been condensed considerably, as it feels like the real story began with only a thumbful of pages left.

My other qualms surrounded the lack of dynamic in the characters and their relationships. Halvard, who I loved in Sky in the Deep, felt like a stock character with no personality. Our other protagonist, Tova, was interesting, but a lot of her story revolved around Halvard, and the two only truly meet near the end of the book! Their romance lacked the development and tension that I loved so much in Eelyn and Fiske's story in Sky in the Deep. Instead, Tova and Halvard's "connection" felt very insta-love and star-crossed lovers, minus any of the angst.

Overall, I didn't hate this companion novel, but I wouldn't recommend it as a must-read for fans of Sky in the Deep.