Sky in the Deep

Warning: Spoilers ahead! Also… This is not a comprehensive review, just a quick spat of my thoughts.

My latest read was Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young. I had started it like… a week ago? Read three chapters then put it down for who knows why. This morning I decided I wanted to read a chapter or two before getting to work… and I read the entire book. All 47 chapters.

Also. I am fresh out of reading it, so my thoughts are a little incoherent. They might form up a little as I write, but we shall see.

“The night sky was reflecting on the ice in crisp shapes and colors, bright strings of stars swirling out around each other and a huge, round, speckled moon staring up at me.

It hung above its reflection, like the sky was folded in on itself. We were standing on it. Like the world was upside down.” (231)

First of all… It took me far too long to understand the title, but there were two (and I might have missed some, so let me know) instances where the title physically came into play: when Eelyn and Fiske were on the frozen lake with the stars reflecting in the ice (beautiful, btw), and when Fiske rescued Eelyn as she held under water by the Herja warrior (also oddly beautiful).

“I was underwater, sunlight breaking through the clouds and lighting the red water like a pink veil around me… There was nothing but wavering sky.” (page 328)

Both instances held more to them than what was written, and I quite liked it. I really did. Along those same lines, I really liked how “Breathe Fire” is inscribed on the cover of the book, and I like what it meant in the story itself.

As for the rest of this book. It was obviously entrancing, as I couldn’t manage to put it down this morning, but it was a bit more… violent than I usually prefer to read. Almost to the point where it was too much? But still, the setting and different customs were incorporated really well, so I think that is what spurred me on to keep reading. Also, Eelyn is a really strong character, and I feel like she makes some important existential discoveries.

One of those discoveries was that the Rikki were like the Aska (no longer de-humanized) which was a good one to make, but then she turned right around to a new enemy, the Herja, which she immediately dehumanized. The Herja are described as more spirit-like than human, possibly sent from an angry god, and that didn’t quite sit right with me. A whole lot of work was done to realize the Rikki and Aska were similar, and both deserved a chance at life, which I found fantastic—I like books that question the moralities of war. However, all that work seemed somewhat cheapened by the battle with the Herja, especially because once we finally got a physical description, they were terrifyingly human… the only supernatural element they had was that they were strong, fast, and quiet. Like, sure, both the Aska and Rikki believe that the Herja sacrifice people from other clans to their gods, but that doesn’t dispel their incredibly humanistic qualities. I don’t know. Did I miss something? I want to hear what you thought about them.

Long story short, this book wasn’t one of my absolute favorites, and the question of the Herjas is weighing heavily on me right now, but it was still a good book. Very masterfully written.

I want to hear your thoughts! Let me know your favorite parts, your least favorite parts, theories, and/or favorite quotes!

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