Reviewed by Leigha on
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.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 9 May, 2019: Finished reading
- 9 May, 2019: Reviewed