The Girl the Sea Gave Back

The Girl the Sea Gave Back picks up about 10 years after the events of Sky In The Deep. Halvard has grown up in a time of peace in his new combined clan, the Nadhir. Meanwhile, a girl named Tova has grown up an outsider among the Svell after being discovered by their holy man in a funeral boat washed up on the shore as a young child. The tattoos covering her body mark her as coming from a mysterious northern clan and as being a Truthtongue, someone who can see the future by casting rune stones. The Svell fear her, and when one day the stones bear an ominous message, a cascade of violence begins and Tova begins to question her powers and her past.

I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as Sky In the Deep. It was a bit confusing and choppy due to alternating perspectives and timelines, and the characters were not as well developed. I didn't feel as drawn into the story and I did not get invested in Tova, the new character. The connection between Halvard and Tova felt somewhat arbitrary and forced as well. I did enjoy getting a glimpse of how the characters from the first book were doing 10 years later!