Hello and welcome to the SKY IN THE DEEP blog tour! How excited are you for this book?! I know I am super excited! Feminist book about a girl warrior? Sign me right up! Read on for an excerpt and for the praise this book has already received!!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Summary (from 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.
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EXCERPT
“I saw him. I saw Iri.”
He wrapped the torn cloth around my arm, tying it tight. “What are you talking about?”
I pushed his hands from me, crying. “Listen to me! Iri was
here! I saw him!”
His hands finally stilled, confusion lighting in his eyes. “I was fighting a man. He was about to . . .” I shuddered,
remembering how close to death I’d come—closer than I’d ever been. “Iri came out of the fog and saved me. He was with the Riki.” I stood, taking his hand and pulling him toward the tree line. “We have to find him!”
But my father stood like a stone tucked into the earth. His face turned up toward the sky, his eyes blinking against the sunlight.
“Do you hear me? Iri’s alive!” I shouted, holding my arm against my body to calm the violent throbbing around the gash.
His eyes landed on me again, tears gathered at the cor- ners like little white flames. “Sigr. He sent Iri’s soul to save you, Eelyn.”
“What? No.”
“Iri’s made it to Sólbjǫrg.” His words were frightening and delicate, betraying a tenderness my father never showed. He stepped forward, looking down into my eyes with a smile. “Sigr has favored you, Eelyn.”
Mýra stood behind him, her green eyes wide beneath her unraveling auburn braids.
“But—” I choked. “I saw him.”
“You did.” A single tear rolled down my father’s rough cheek and disappeared into his beard. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, and I closed my eyes, the pain in my arm so great now that I could hardly feel my hand.
I blinked, trying to understand. I had seen him. He was
there.
“We will make a sacrifice tonight.” He let me go before he pressed his hands to my face again. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you scream for me like that. You scared me, sváss.” A laugh was buried deep in his chest.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I just . . . I thought . . .”
He waited for me to meet his eyes again. “His soul is at peace. Your brother saved your life today. Be happy.” He clapped a hand against my good arm, nearly knocking me down.
I wiped at my wet cheeks with the palm of my hand, turn- ing from the faces that were still watching me. There were very few times I’d cried in front of my clansmen. It made me feel small. Weak, like the early winter grass beneath our boots.
I sniffed back the tears, piecing my face back together as my father nodded in approval. It was what he had taught me—to be strong. To steel myself. He turned back to the field, getting to work, and I followed with Mýra, trying to smooth my ragged breath. To hush the waves crashing in my head. We walked toward our camp, collecting the weapons of fallen Aska warriors along the way. I watched my father
from the corner of my eye, still unable to shake Iri’s face from my mind.
My feet stopped at the edge of a puddle and I looked at my reflection. Dirt spattered across my angled face and neck. Blood dried in long, golden braids. Eyes a frozen blue, like Iri’s. I sucked in a breath, looking up to the thin white clouds brushed across the sky to keep another tear from falling.
“Here,” Mýra called to me from where she was crouched over an Aska woman. She was lying on her side, eyes open and arms extended like she was reaching for us.
I carefully unbuckled her belt and scabbard, piling them with the others before I started on the armor vest. “Did you know her?”
“A little.” Mýra reached down to close the woman’s eyes with her fingertips. She gently brushed the hair back from her face before she began, the words coming softly. “Aska, you have reached your journey’s end.”
In the next breath, I joined with her, saying the ritual words we knew by heart. “We ask Sigr to accept your soul into Sólbjǫrg, where the long line of our people hold torches on the shadowed path.”
My voice faded, letting Mýra speak first. “Take my love to my father and my sister. Ask them to keep watch for me. Tell them my soul follows behind you.”
I closed my eyes as the prayer found a familiar place on my tongue. “Take my love to my mother and my brother. Ask them to keep watch for me. Tell them my soul follows behind you.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat before I opened my eyes and looked down into the woman’s peaceful face one more time. I hadn’t been able to say the words over Iri’s body the way I had when my mother died, but Sigr had taken him anyway.
“Have you ever seen something like that before?” I whis- pered. “Something that wasn’t real?”
Mýra blinked. “It was real. Iri’s soul is real.”
“But he was older—a man. He spoke to me. He touched
me, Mýra.”
She stood, shifting an armful of axes up onto her shoul- der. “I was there that day, Eelyn. Iri died. I saw it with my own eyes. That was real.” It was the same battle that took Mýra’s sister. We’d been friends before that day, but we hadn’t really needed each other until then.
I remembered it so clearly—the picture of him like a re- flection on ice. Iri’s lifeless body at the bottom of the trench. Lying across the perfect white snow, blood seeping out around him in a melted pool. I could still see his blond hair fanned out around his head, his empty eyes wide open and staring into nothing.
“I know.”
Mýra reached up, squeezing my shoulder. “Then you know it wasn’t Iri—not his flesh.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. I prayed for Iri’s soul every day. If Sigr had sent him to protect me, he really was in Sólbjǫrg—our people’s final sunset. “I knew he would make it.” I breathed through the tightness in my throat.
“We all did.” A small smile lifted on her lips.
I looked back down to the woman lying between us. We would leave her as she was—as she died—with honor. Like we did with all our fallen warriors.
Like we’d left Iri.
“Was he as handsome as he was before?” Mýra’s smile turned wry as her eyes flickered back up to meet mine.
“He was beautiful,” I whispered.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrienne Young is a born and bred Texan turned California girl. She is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, scouring antique fairs for old books, sipping wine over long dinners, or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings beneath the West Coast sun.
For information on release, appearances, ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content, sign up for the newsletter at https://adrienneyoungbooks.com/
Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks
Twitter: @adriennebooks
PRESS RELEASE
*Named “One of the Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2018” by
Bustle, BookBub, Justine Magazine, EpicReads and Bookish*
"Unlike the slew of lethal (but tormented) young ladies populating young adult literature, Eelyn is an unapologetic warrior, mercifully neither anachronistic nor modern-minded... Young’s staccato prose matches her fierce fighters, but the raw emotions and rapid pacing belie a well-honed voice and taut narrative. A rousing saga and moving coming-of- age tale, perfect for those who appreciate the wild and the wildlings, strong female protagonists, and cinematic battles." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
"Young has woven a Viking tale of blood, gore, and love that keeps the pages turning. The author has taken Norse mythology and made it accessible to young adults. The characters are all fully developed, and teens will be rooting for them to succeed. With a little bit of a love story, there is enough action, blood, and gore to engage reluctant readers. A refreshing tale where life is tested and people have to overcome their differences to fight a bigger foe to survive. A fast-paced, action-filled fantasy for all YA collections." —School Library Journal
"Young’s brutal, emotional debut is set in a land that is as unforgiving as its people. The strongest aspect of Young’s work is the world building; she packs it with details that viscerally pull the reader into Eelyn’s world. Young has also populated this world with complicated characters who evolve as readers get to know them. Even better, the theme at the core of the story—overcoming prejudice and unifying to fight a greater threat—resonates with current real-world issues. With its gorgeous prose and epic battle scenes, fantasy lovers will be easily satisfied." —Booklist
"Drawing on Viking history and lore, debut author Young crafts an exciting, at times heart-wrenching story centered around 17-year-old Eelyn, her Aska clan, and their centuries-old war with the Riki...Young’s often poetic writing forms a stark juxtaposition with her vivid descriptions of battle and bloodshed, creating a clear picture of the brutality of war." —Publishers Weekly
"Eelyn is a relentlessly fierce warrior, and even her romance with a Riki fighter doesn’t quite soften her; indeed, the two find that their lust for blood is almost as strong as their lust for each other... The action on the battlefield and the rising political tensions between the clans will easily keep readers involved through the final page."
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
SKY IN THE DEEP
By Adrienne Young
As the news cycle broadcasts a new era of fierce feminists, Adrienne Young’s young adult debut novel SKY IN THE DEEP (April 24, 2018; Wednesday Books) dives right into this feminine power with a ferocious young girl warrior at the forefront. Drawing from the hugely popular YA fantasy genre, Young takes Eelyn, a young girl driven by family loyalty, and puts her among the ranks of Wonder Woman as a fearless leader in an action packed Viking adventure.
"Unlike the slew of lethal (but tormented) young ladies populating young adult literature, Eelyn is an unapologetic warrior, mercifully neither anachronistic nor modern-minded... Young’s staccato prose matches her fierce fighters, but the raw emotions and rapid pacing belie a well-honed voice and taut narrative. A rousing saga and moving coming-of- age tale, perfect for those who appreciate the wild and the wildlings, strong female protagonists, and cinematic battles." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
"Young has woven a Viking tale of blood, gore, and love that keeps the pages turning. The author has taken Norse mythology and made it accessible to young adults. The characters are all fully developed, and teens will be rooting for them to succeed. With a little bit of a love story, there is enough action, blood, and gore to engage reluctant readers. A refreshing tale where life is tested and people have to overcome their differences to fight a bigger foe to survive. A fast-paced, action-filled fantasy for all YA collections." —School Library Journal
"Young’s brutal, emotional debut is set in a land that is as unforgiving as its people. The strongest aspect of Young’s work is the world building; she packs it with details that viscerally pull the reader into Eelyn’s world. Young has also populated this world with complicated characters who evolve as readers get to know them. Even better, the theme at the core of the story—overcoming prejudice and unifying to fight a greater threat—resonates with current real-world issues. With its gorgeous prose and epic battle scenes, fantasy lovers will be easily satisfied." —Booklist
"Drawing on Viking history and lore, debut author Young crafts an exciting, at times heart-wrenching story centered around 17-year-old Eelyn, her Aska clan, and their centuries-old war with the Riki...Young’s often poetic writing forms a stark juxtaposition with her vivid descriptions of battle and bloodshed, creating a clear picture of the brutality of war." —Publishers Weekly
"Eelyn is a relentlessly fierce warrior, and even her romance with a Riki fighter doesn’t quite soften her; indeed, the two find that their lust for blood is almost as strong as their lust for each other... The action on the battlefield and the rising political tensions between the clans will easily keep readers involved through the final page."
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
SKY IN THE DEEP
By Adrienne Young
As the news cycle broadcasts a new era of fierce feminists, Adrienne Young’s young adult debut novel SKY IN THE DEEP (April 24, 2018; Wednesday Books) dives right into this feminine power with a ferocious young girl warrior at the forefront. Drawing from the hugely popular YA fantasy genre, Young takes Eelyn, a young girl driven by family loyalty, and puts her among the ranks of Wonder Woman as a fearless leader in an action packed Viking adventure.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brittani Hilles, Publicist, St. Martin’s Press
Brittani.Hilles@stmartins.com | 646-307-5558
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, god-decreed rivalry
against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: train to fight and fight to 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.
Eelyn loses her focus and is captured. Now, 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 settling in the valley, 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 tried to kill her the day she was captured. 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 find a way to forgive her brother while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.
Reading SKY IN THE DEEP will make you want to pick up your own battle axe and run straight into battle with Young’s heroine. A must read for any fantasy addict, action lover, or fan of addicting stories, this debut embodies “Ond Eldr” or “breathe fire” as Eelyn inspires the reader to attack problems with courage and power.
SKY IN THE DEEP
By Adrienne Young
Published by Wednesday Books
**On Sale April 24, 2018**
Hardcover | $17.99
ISBN: 9781250168450| Ebook ISBN: 9781250168474
For more information or to set up an interview with the author, contact: Brittani Hilles at brittani.hilles@stmartins.com or 646-307-5558
Eelyn loses her focus and is captured. Now, 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 settling in the valley, 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 tried to kill her the day she was captured. 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 find a way to forgive her brother while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.
Reading SKY IN THE DEEP will make you want to pick up your own battle axe and run straight into battle with Young’s heroine. A must read for any fantasy addict, action lover, or fan of addicting stories, this debut embodies “Ond Eldr” or “breathe fire” as Eelyn inspires the reader to attack problems with courage and power.
SKY IN THE DEEP
By Adrienne Young
Published by Wednesday Books
**On Sale April 24, 2018**
Hardcover | $17.99
ISBN: 9781250168450| Ebook ISBN: 9781250168474
For more information or to set up an interview with the author, contact: Brittani Hilles at brittani.hilles@stmartins.com or 646-307-5558
More early praise for SKY IN THE DEEP:
“Young has built a detailed culture into in which her characters thrive. This intensely authentic story will appeal to adult
readers as well as teens.”
–Romantic Times, 4 1⁄2 Stars Top Pick!
"Young's SKY IN THE DEEP is full of bloody action and eternal feuds but it is Eelyn's halting, painful transformation and the tender depictions of loving human bonds in all their iterations that make this novel truly ond eldr: 'breathe fire.'" – Shelf Awareness
“A brutal new viking inspired fantasy, SKY IN THE DEEP brings us one of the most badass new main characters we’ve ever read...She knows what she believes in—just like how we believe that you need to read this book!”
– EpicReads, “The 12 Most Exciting Books Coming in Spring 2018”
“Readers looking for a fierce heroine who isn’t afraid to be ruthless will fall head over heels for Eelyn.”
– Bookish, “Spring 2018’s Most-Anticipated Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy”
“Adrienne Young's SKY IN THE DEEP is a YA Viking fantasy like nothing you've seen before.”
– Bustle
"Fearless in its exploration of family, forgiveness, loyalty, and love, THE SKY IN THE DEEP is fierce, vivid, and violently beautiful. This book will wage a war with your heart as brutal and as bold as the battles inked in its pages."
– Stephanie Garber, New York Times Bestselling author of Caraval
"Bleak, beautiful, and deadly, SKY IN THE DEEP is both a gritty, gut-wrenching tale of war and a thoughtful meditation on identity, family, and faith--a story with the ferocity of its main character as well as her raw and tender heart."
– Traci Chee, New York Times Bestselling author of The Reader
"SKY IN THE DEEP is a delicious tale filled with fierce battles, shocking betrayal, and a slow-burn romance that's as hard fought as the wars raging between the two clans. Readers will welcome this vivid gift to the fantasy genre, as will fans of darkly lush historical settings. Wholly unique and instantly addictive, I was captivated from its opening lines."
– Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Hunting Prince Dracula
"Brutal and beautiful, with breakneck pacing and starring a heroine that will make you want to run into battle with her, SKY IN THE DEEP is a stunning debut that will leave readers enchanted and breathless all at once."
– Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
"With SKY IN THE DEEP, Adrienne Young has brought to life fascinating, multi-dimensional characters in a starkly beautiful world. Everything is rich and evocative. The ice melts against your skin at the same time the adrenaline takes hold of your heart. This is a gripping story, richly told."
– Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn
"Heartrending, heart-mending: this book broke my heart into a thousand pieces, then put it back together even stronger than before."
– Kayla Olsen, Bestselling author of Sandcastle Empire
Have you read Sky in the Deep yet? What did you think of it?
–Romantic Times, 4 1⁄2 Stars Top Pick!
"Young's SKY IN THE DEEP is full of bloody action and eternal feuds but it is Eelyn's halting, painful transformation and the tender depictions of loving human bonds in all their iterations that make this novel truly ond eldr: 'breathe fire.'" – Shelf Awareness
“A brutal new viking inspired fantasy, SKY IN THE DEEP brings us one of the most badass new main characters we’ve ever read...She knows what she believes in—just like how we believe that you need to read this book!”
– EpicReads, “The 12 Most Exciting Books Coming in Spring 2018”
“Readers looking for a fierce heroine who isn’t afraid to be ruthless will fall head over heels for Eelyn.”
– Bookish, “Spring 2018’s Most-Anticipated Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy”
“Adrienne Young's SKY IN THE DEEP is a YA Viking fantasy like nothing you've seen before.”
– Bustle
"Fearless in its exploration of family, forgiveness, loyalty, and love, THE SKY IN THE DEEP is fierce, vivid, and violently beautiful. This book will wage a war with your heart as brutal and as bold as the battles inked in its pages."
– Stephanie Garber, New York Times Bestselling author of Caraval
"Bleak, beautiful, and deadly, SKY IN THE DEEP is both a gritty, gut-wrenching tale of war and a thoughtful meditation on identity, family, and faith--a story with the ferocity of its main character as well as her raw and tender heart."
– Traci Chee, New York Times Bestselling author of The Reader
"SKY IN THE DEEP is a delicious tale filled with fierce battles, shocking betrayal, and a slow-burn romance that's as hard fought as the wars raging between the two clans. Readers will welcome this vivid gift to the fantasy genre, as will fans of darkly lush historical settings. Wholly unique and instantly addictive, I was captivated from its opening lines."
– Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Hunting Prince Dracula
"Brutal and beautiful, with breakneck pacing and starring a heroine that will make you want to run into battle with her, SKY IN THE DEEP is a stunning debut that will leave readers enchanted and breathless all at once."
– Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
"With SKY IN THE DEEP, Adrienne Young has brought to life fascinating, multi-dimensional characters in a starkly beautiful world. Everything is rich and evocative. The ice melts against your skin at the same time the adrenaline takes hold of your heart. This is a gripping story, richly told."
– Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn
"Heartrending, heart-mending: this book broke my heart into a thousand pieces, then put it back together even stronger than before."
– Kayla Olsen, Bestselling author of Sandcastle Empire
Have you read Sky in the Deep yet? What did you think of it?
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