The Girl the Sea Gave Back

As a child, Tova, a seer tattooed ankles to throat with the “twisting, knotted symbols” of the Kyrr, was found in the sea and taken in by the Svell. Now 18, she serves the clan as a Truthtongue, gleaning the future in her runestones, but since the death of the Svell chieftain’s daughter, which Tova foretold, it’s clear that her days are numbered. After the Svell’s unsanctioned attack on a Nādhir village prompts a tragic confrontation, an all-out war breaks out, and Halvard, next in line to be the Nādhir chieftain, fears that he’s not up to the leadership challenge. Set in the same Viking-influenced world as Young’s Sky in the Deep, the novel weaves intricate battle scenes with narratives that alternate between Halvard and Tova, who seeks the truth about her past. But while Tova and Halvard are compelling and their fates are inexorably entwined, their bond isn’t fully explored. Still, lyrical prose (“The fjord changed the land, rivers weaving like roots down the mountain on the way to the sea”) and an evocative atmosphere elevate Young’s tale of war, identity, and fate. Ages 12–18. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary. [em](Sept.) [/em]