I knew I would be sucked in the moment I saw this stunning cover! So beautiful and so much emotion communicated in just one half of a face. This was my first Adrienne Young novel, and it certainly won’t be my last. Her prose is magical without being overly flowery, with just enough to give you vivid pictures to go along with the story at hand.

I love seafaring books, but this is the first fantasy book I’ve read that deals with diving - and it may have taken over as one of my top plots. As a certified diver and someone who’s been snorkeling and diving my whole life, it was refreshing to see this hobby turned into such a major part of a fantasy plot. While I would NEVER be able to free dive like Fable (and there are very few, if any that can) it was a fantastic element for the story.

We quickly learn that Fable was abandoned by her father on the island of Jeval to survive on her own amidst cutthroats and thieves. She’s been scraping by and biding her time to leave by keeping her head down and squirreling away enough money and pyre to buy her way on a ship. She’s dead set on confronting her father and essentially proving to him that she is worthy of being part of a ship’s crew under his captain. While she is mostly looked down upon by various characters for being a woman (and a dredger) in a man’s world she is determined to prove them all wrong.

In a moment of desperation, she’s able to buy herself passage across the Narrows on the Marigold, Captained by West - a handsome, slightly roguish trader. He’s reluctant to help her and his crew also keep their distance. What transpires on their journey is a life-changing opportunity for all of them - only if they can stay together and learn to trust each other.

As much as I loved the vibrant descriptions I think I loved the characters more. Fable is the ultimate heroine who is strong, determined, and self-reliant despite her less than stellar circumstances. This book isn’t steamy and would be appropriate for a younger audience and I think Fable would be a great role model for many girls. In addition to Fable, the Marigold’s crew is equally dynamic and their backstories captivating.

I’ll be (im)patiently waiting for Namesake to see how all of our seafaring friends navigate the problems they’ve dredged up in Fable!

Another excellent book by Adrienne Young that better be the beginning of a new series because I am very invested in Fable and her crew. Fable is the daughter of Isolde and Saint, a rare and valuable gem mage and one of the most successful traders in the Narrows. One fateful night their ship, the LARK, goes down killing her mother. Fable is stranded on the dangerous island of Jeval by her father who tells her to come find him in four years. Some how Fable is able to survive among cutthroats and thieves by using her own rare talent to find precious gems under the sea and sell them. She only sells to one trader - West - who helms the MARIGOLD. As Fable gets close to saving enough coppers for passage, she's hunted down by the man who has figured out that she's hiding something. She barely makes it aboard the Marigold alive. Labelled a "bad luck charm" by the crew, Fable is determined to work her way to her father and to work alongside him. She has skills and talent she must keep hidden, but the crew of the Marigold are not what they seem and West, especially, rouses feelings Fable never knew she had.

This is a true page-turner, well paced and extremely well written. There is a lot going on, intrigue and adventure and a little romance, all against the back drop of the high seas and the kaleidoscope of trading towns. I read Sky in the Deep and loved it. Fable is an entirely different novel but equally exciting and enchanting. I can't read the next book - the way this one ended will drive me nuts! Fans of Adrienne will devour this as will anyone who enjoys great fantasy adventure. I am eternally thankful for the chance to read the ARC!

Such a great read, I love this author and I find this one fantastic!It was fast paced and I was intrigued and excited while I was reading it!Loved the world build up! Fable is amazing, such a badass and strong heroine!

There is action and I liked the romance a lot!I fall in love with the characters!Such a unique story!

Looking forward for the next book!

Fable, the first book in Adrienne Young’s YA fantasy duology of the same name, is my third read from this author and I swear her writing and storytelling just keeps getting better and better. Seventeen-year-old Fable is the daughter of a powerful sea trader. She hasn’t seen her father in four years, not since he abandoned her on a remote island after their ship sank during a terrible storm and her mother drowned. Since being left on this island to fend for herself, Fable has worked as a dredger, locating gems at the bottom of the sea, and trading them for coin. Her goal is simple: to earn enough coin to purchase passage off the island so that she can then track down and confront her father. Fable’s plans get turned upside down, however, when she runs into unexpected trouble and needs to get off the island sooner than planned. She begs a young man named West, her primary buyer, to take her on as a passenger. Even though no one from his crew wants her on board, West reluctantly agrees to help take her to where she thinks her father is. Fable has no idea what kind of danger she’s getting herself into though, as nothing and no one, including West or her father, is what it seems.

Fable is such a fantastic character. I love how strong and resilient she is, and how she refuses to take no for an answer. Most thirteen-year-olds dumped on an island to fend for themselves would probably have died, so the fact that she survived and managed to secure some semblance of a living for herself says a lot about her character. Fable also possesses a rare gift that was fascinating to read about. Somehow she is able to actually hear gems when she’s near them. It’s this gift that made her so successful as a dredger and it’s also something she needs to keep hidden. If any of the other roguish traders out there knew she could do this, it would put a target on her back. Aside from Fable, I also really enjoyed West and his crew. There’s a bit of a ‘found family’ vibe there as they grow to slowly accept Fable’s presence among them.

Aside from great characters, I also thought the worldbuilding was fantastic. I loved the descriptions of the sea, beautiful and serene one moment, dark and deadly the next. Young paints an incredibly vivid and realistic portrait of this dangerous environment Fable’s father has thrust her into. Not only is the sea itself dangerous, but practically everyone around her is a dangerous scoundrel as well.

Fable is a story that is beautifully written on every level. The characters are all so well-drawn and complex, and the story itself is fast-paced and action-packed. I breezed through it in a day and immediately wanted to get my hands on the second book because this one ends with a major surprise and I just have to know what happens next.

If stories about the sea that feature scrappy resilient heroines, found families, and a hint of magic appeal to you, definitely check out Adrienne Young’s latest novel, Fable. You won’t be disappointed. 4.5 STARS

This is my first Adrienne Young book and I absolutely loved it! I loved the characters and the world building!! I already purchased a physical copy for my library. I can’t wait for book 2. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an amazing story!

I've seen a couple of reviews that said this book is flat, and I get that. It's not a deep book. The premise is simple and the plot isn't crazy, but I really enjoyed this! I've read a couple of books this summer that have had either rave reviews or incredibly low DNFs. This is another one of those books. Again, I really liked this. It's got pirates, ships, traders, a fight for survival, a daughter scorned, and a slow romance that doesn't overtake the narrative. Many YA novels out there are so focused on the romance that the rest of the plot falls very flat. This was the opposite, incredible plot development with just enough romance. Honestly, I didn't realize it was happening until something romantic happened.

Loved Fable as a character. She learned from her past, became stronger, and ultimately pursues the thing for which she is destined. Lots of female main characters wallow in pity at their plight, but Fable soldiers on and adapts. The crew of the Marigold were fantastic people with which to go on an adventure. West was probably my favorite character, though just edging ahead of Fable. He was interesting, had enough secrets to keep me guessing, and in my head he is fine as hell. Very good character development in this YA novel.

I was all in on this world. The Unnamed Sea, the Narrows, Ceros, Dern, Javal….all such great place names! I almost wanted more lore about Saint, his shipping operation, and the political structure of the world. This is duology, so that may be forthcoming in the next book, Namesake. I felt the world building, though a bit minimal, was very well done. Not a lot of information dumps and the bits of information the reader learns are tactfully presented through the narrative. It definitely helped that one of the rules was that everything is partly true or at least based on truth. This made me interrogate the information I was learning, just like Fable did in the narrative!

Overall, this is a solid seafaring YA adventure that I would recommend to fans of Adrienne Young (the author), Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, Sabaa Tahir, and others! A great book and I am looking forward to the thrilling conclusion! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was really a delight to discover and read. Fable was a character that held my interest and followed throughout this one. Heart goes out to her knowing what she witnessed. Being too this is the first one in this series. I don't know about that father of her's though. I truly like what this girl is made of though. We also meet West whom she needs his help. This one will truly capture you imagination going with the characters on this adventure. Oh the things that come out of the tale too that weave around us. Yet again though a woman who has to push herself and show herself among men.

Spellbinding, mesmerizing, and absolutely captivating, FABLE immerses the reader into a cutthroat sea adventure with fantastic world building and character development. This is a strong entrance into a new duology.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I was a bit scared I wouldn't like this book since there was so much hype around it. I've found that super hyped up books generally let me down. That was NOT the case with Fable.

I absolutely LOVED this story with it's morally grey characters in a grey world. I quickly became attached to Fable and the crew. I even appreciated Saint.

This was written in such a way that you can smell the sea and feel the sun on your skin. This world was painted in vivid strokes and I cannot wait to go back!

Fable was born and raised on the sea. The daughter of a notorious trader father and a dredger mother—someone who dives for precious gems hidden beneath the water’s surface—Fable was stranded by her father the day after a storm sunk their ship and killed nearly everyone on board.

Now, four years later, Fable wants more than anything to get back to her father. To show him she’s a survivor, and to get what he promised her when he abandoned her. She enlists the help of the Marigold and its helmsman West to get her back to her father, but the journey through the Narrows will prove more difficult than she bargained for. Her father’s business enterprise has grown exponentially since she’s been away, and so has his list of enemies, and Fable begins to questions the secrets West and his crew are determined to keep close to the chest.

Adrienne Young has now done for the swashbuckling pirate story what she did for Vikings in her debut Sky in the Deep. She has a penchant for writing solitary characters who find themselves in precarious situations, often fighting for their lives, but injects so much heart and perseverance into the story that I cannot help but compulsively read.

Fable is another such heroine. I loved her characterization, all the characterizations really. This is a world where you look out for yourself and any and all connections, relationships, loyalties are dangerous because they show vulnerability to any and all that would expose such. Fable herself would use someone else’s vulnerability if it meant saving her life or the lives of the people she cares about, but you also know that she’s not unnecessarily cruel. It’s an interesting dynamic.

One that is especially highlighted in the interactions between Fable and Saint—her father whom she’s discouraged from claiming. Typically, I would find a father who abandons his young daughter to fend for herself or die trying rather abhorrent. But in Adrienne Young’s hands he becomes a man who has lived too long in his role and has lost so much along the way. Their relationship is so rocky, yet I cannot help but see glimpses of love that are overshadowed by fear of losing again. It’s something I hope we see develop more in the sequel.

Not to be outdone of course is the tentative alliance between West and his crew of the Marigold. I loved this small group of traders each with their own story who have grown into this quasi-family due to the fact that they rely upon each other to pull their weight and do their job on the ship. Fable kind of thrusts herself into their orbit by enlisting their help, and as much as she tries, she can’t keep herself from being curious about this crew. But in the Narrows it’s a curiosity that could cost someone their life. So proceed with caution.

I’m just going to say it: Fable ends on a pretty major cliffhanger. I was just thinking how it’s been awhile since a book has ended in such a way where I felt that gut punch, but I felt it here. Luckily, its sequel Namesake will be out in March with plenty of mysteries left to unravel. Not too long to wait. Right?

Never, under any circumstances, reveal who or what matters to you.




In the land of ever-changing Young Adult Fantasy, the newest (as far as I know) trend is Pirates and the like. Anything to do with the sea, really-and I can’t believe how deeply it resonates with me. This is only the third or fourth story set at sea (exclusively) that I’ve read, but it easily catapulted to the top of the pile with grace.



I don’t need much to make me happy-a tortured-or loyal (or both)-hero, a feisty or fierce or witty heroine, and a fantasy that takes me away. That has a deeply rooted foundation capable of carrying a story even when things are slow, or only day to day fillers. They don’t need to be action packed from beginning to end. And, as a seasoned reader and reviewer, I’ve learned I don’t even like that. Back when I was a little less sure of what worked for me, I always thought that action meant good and the more there was, surely the better the book would be.


This crew had already been in trouble when I stepped onto their ship, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I was going to be the storm that finally sank them.




After countless series crashing and burning (in my humble opinion) because of this exact reason, I learned that action does not equal plot, and action does not equal a story that resonates deeply in your soul-it can’t possibly reside there, because what really was there to grasp onto? What did the characters say or do that stuck with you? The answer is convoluted and a whole lot of nothing. But, with master storytellers such as Young? There’s something special there that can’t be won with flash and flare-it’s won with quiet, fierce storytelling and a few perilous battles here and there. THAT is how a good fantasy is told, and it’s how it becomes a permanent resident in my heart.

I was standing in the breezeway with my heart in my throat, trying to figure out how to say goodbye, and West couldn’t wait to be rid of me.




Character driven stories are really the bread and butter of my all-time favorite books in my most recent, wiser years, and this story-while there was plenty of action for my taste-is no exception. Fable is an AMAZING heroine, one that I rarely see anymore. I don’t get to read like I used to, but I still know a good heroine when I see one. I have always been about the book boys, but I have a soft spot in my heart when a fierce female comes along and steals the show.

Fable is made of tougher skin having been raised under the Narrows trade leader, Saint, and after being left on an unforgivable island where she had to fight for her life every single day, she’s not one to be messed with. One goal in mind, she dredged day after day, morning to night, to make coin when the Marigold came every couple weeks looking for what only she could deliver. She’d trade what she had dredged, and she was finally close enough to get off the life-threatening island she was left on four years prior…until she attracted the attention of every other dredger trying to find the same HEA fate as she, and instead it became about fighting for her life not silently and intently as before, but kicking and screaming, striking a deal with the only trader she could halfway trust-West.



Which…this brings me to the crux of everything, doesn’t it? West was a beyond amazing character, for me. I love when the heroes (and the heroines) are morally gray and you can’t quite pinpoint who they are, what their intentions may be, and how they want the pieces to fall. West was just that. He is a perfect example of the heroes I continually fall hard for, because he keeps his emotions close to his chest-He doesn’t betray what he’s really thinking. But, his actions continually speak louder than his words (or lack thereof) and he is always waiting in the wings, rushing to help Fable even when he can’t trust her.

And though West had said again and again that he didn’t do favors and that he didn’t take chances, he’d done both. Over and over.
For me.




This was the slowest of slow burn romances and it was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. I don’t need book long, flashy romances. I need that build, that something to look forward to-the hoping, the praying, the what-if of how it will-or won’t-happen. And, ultimately, I love waiting for that horrible end we just know is coming. I’m sorry, but it gets my perilistic, masochistic heart pumping and my blood buzzing. It simmers under my skin just WAITING to see what obstacles the hero and heroine will face and…I’m done sounding [exactly like who I am] psycho.



Fable honestly took me by surprise. I knew I wanted to read it; I was excited about it. But, it wasn’t until I started the book that I felt my soul leave my body and my heart begin pounding, butterflies erupt in my stomach, and a giddiness erupt that is unparalleled since having my little boy. It was an escape, a world to look forward to after a long day with two small children, a sickness that just now seems to be finally going away, and a reprieve from my ‘I must always be on’ duties. I haven’t felt like that in over a year. For that, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Fable.

I’m not sure what’s prompted the rash of young adult pirate books lately, but yes, please give me more, thanks. This one is a dark and gritty fantasy filled with found family and adventure on the high seas. Also, I apologize ahead of time for the boatload of nautical puns in this review.

“I’m on the Marigold to crew.”
“No, you’re not.” She sighed, getting to her feet. “You’re on the Marigold to find a family.”


This is basically a “found family” story in two senses. First, Fable is hunting down her father Saint, head of a massive shipping conglomerate with both legal and illegal arms. Four years ago, he left her on the island of Jeval after her mother drowned in a shipwreck, and promised her to help her out if she managed to escape the island and find him. After years of using her gem sense, a sort of magical ability to find and appraise gems, she’s almost made enough to buy passage when events conspire against her again. The end result is that she lands on the Marigold, a ship crewed by an unlikely group of young people who aren’t exactly happy to have her there. They think she’s trouble and they’re right, but eventually she grows on them like, well, a barnacle.

“It doesn’t matter why we’re here, West. We’re here. I need someone to trust with my life.”


Fable’s tenacious and a survivor, and you certainly can’t fault her bravery. She’s not afraid of hard work and she’s tough as a result of having to survive on her own amongst a group of people who’d kill her for the change in her pocket. She doesn’t necessarily always make the right decisions – she tends to act a bit rashly – but it’s all in character. The part where the book ran aground for me was the side characters. West, captain of the Marigold and Fable’s blindingly obvious love interest, has some depth, but the rest of the crew felt more underdeveloped to me. I can give you the basic facts about each of them, and I thought the m/m relationship between two of the crew was sweet, but it’s more snapshots than full personalities. One of Fable’s guiding tenets is to never reveal what matters to you to anyone so they can’t use it against you, so everyone, including her, has secrets. Between that and the crew spending a chunk of the book suspicious of her, it takes a while before each crew member’s personality and interconnections are explored, and it didn’t quite feel like enough to me.

The world building is enjoyable if not particularly inventive and the plot is well-paced but slow, much like an ocean voyage. Fable’s voice – the book is told in her first person POV – really worked for me, and the writing captured my attention. It’s gritty and sometimes brutal, basically grimdark fantasy turned down a notch for a YA audience. And like most grimdark, every time something good happens for Fable, I kept searching the horizon for the next storm to come in and set her even further off course.

Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, and due to a cliffhanger ending that is absolutely heinous, I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was given this copy in an exchange for my honest opinion thanks to Wednesday Book, St Martin & Netgalley. From Adrianne Young who brought to us Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea gave back once more she has us prisoners of a new Duology and has us on a countdown waiting for the next book.
This is the story of Fable a dredger is trying to survive by digging gems from the reef and trading them trying to get out of this island where she was left behind by her father after her mom had drowned. We meet so many great characters West & his crew who are not exactly who we think they are... there are many layers to this story no spoilers this is a must read cant wait to read the 2nd book Namesake... AY please dont make me wait too long. And you reading this Make sure to get your copy trust me you will fall in love with Fable and would be just like me wondering what comes next in her adventure

Adrienne Young is one of those authors whose work I gravitate towards. From the moment I opened the pages of "Sky In The Deep" and slipped into the story, I was hooked. So when Young announces a new book, I immediately add it to my tbr. It’s no surprise, then, that "Fable" has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2020, and it did not disappoint.

To read "Fable" is to immerse yourself in a sea-swept tale of family, loss, and love. I could almost smell the salt water, could almost feel the breeze on my skin, could almost hear the crashing of the waves. The writing is so visceral, so immersive, that you get pulled into the tide of the book. Young’s books are always so rooted in the setting, so celebratory of nature. But "Fable" felt even more special. It connected me to the story like the characters are connected to the seas.

The pacing of the plot ebbs and flows like the waters it so often refers to. The plot is a journey, which means it isn’t necessarily fast paced like some fantasy can be. However, I think it suited the tone and characters of the book, so it didn’t bother me. It’s actually a pretty quick read that I felt was balanced well between emotional moments, quiet moments, and action-packed moments.

The fantasy element felt like an almost subtle addition to the book. I liked it, but I almost wish the world building with regards to the fantasy element was perhaps a little more fleshed out as it felt like it isn’t fully explained to the reader.

Fable is a captivating character who you can’t help but feel for and root for as she fights to find her way back to family, and back to the sea. It took me awhile to become invested in Saint, but the way his character is slowly revealed to us with subtle but important details made it more emotional somehow. Willa is also an awesome character, and I love her interactions with Fable.

The romance in "Fable" is very much a slow burn, so if you like that you’ll be so into this. I almost wish there had been a little more on the page build up, but I appreciate their story. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds in the next book.

"Fable" is exactly the kind of novel I was hoping it would be, with a rush of emotion tied to family, grief, and yearning for a place to call home. The setting is described so well as to be atmospheric and easy to fall into. I was just captivated. And the ending left me needing the sequel, "Namesake", asap.

Helloo! I hope you’re all doing well. Things have been…chaotic for me recently so I took a bit of a mental health break and a mini vacation last week. Hopefully things will slow down soon-ish maybe later this month after my move. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you.

Recently I received an e-ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fable by Adrienne Young is the story of a teenage girl trying to reclaim her birthright after being abandoned by her father on a “legendary island filled with thieves.” This adventure includes finding a way off of this island with all her limbs in tact and finding her father, whom she hasn’t seen in four years. What she finds during her travels to find her father is that his trading business has grown not just in size, but also in rivalries.

Adrienne Young is a bit of a hit or miss for me. I loved her debut novel Sky in the Deep, but the second one was hard for me to get into. This one….was beautiful. I went into this story thinking it was going to be more fantasy than anything (i.e. magic, witches, etc.), but that’s not the story I got and….I was okay with it. This story was raw and emotional and made me feel things I usually don’t feel when I read. The author has mentioned on several occasions on Instagram that this was a hard book for her to write emotionally and you can definitely tell, as a reader, that there was a lot of love and care put into the characters.

Fable is… Well, Fable is a person I wouldn’t mind being friends with. She’s smart and loyal and overall looking for a place to belong and people to care for like most people are. This story, is in my opinion, the story of Fable finding a place for herself and discovering her people. I could understand the way she looked at the world, especially considering her mother died and her father essentially abandoned her. I connected with Fable because I too lost my parents in one way or another and I searched for years to find my people. Granted, I wasn’t wholly abandoned on an island full of people wanting to kill me, but that’s what it felt like to me. The author created this character with so much…love and it really shows once you deep dive into this world. Now, Fable isn’t the only character we meet. Along with her we find the rag tag crew of the Marigold, led by West. West is…well he’s a typical YA romantic interest, in my opinion, broody, aloof, trying to ignore his feelings, etc. Along with West we get Willa…who is…like my girl crush in this story honestly. She is like….Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean. She is full of anger and grief and dreams (I can’t describe it any other way haha). You would definitely have to read it to understand. There’s also LGBTQIA representation in this crew with Auster and Paj. They are fantastic and adorable together.

The whole crew is fantastic, honestly…but the other key player in this story is Fable’s father, Saint. I feel like many people would see him as the quintessential bad father of the story. I don’t want to go into too much detail because that would be very spoiler, but once you meet Saint and hear his side of things, the story becomes so much more….raw. Maybe I’m looking at it that way because I understand the loss Fable had to go through, but I don’t know. This book just hit different, guys.

On top of the overall tone of the story, Adrienne Young’s writing is just…beautiful. She has a way of describing and having her characters express emotion not just through dialogue, but through their actions and the tension created between characters, especially Fable and West. At the start of the story we see Fable dealing with other traders on the island she lives on and the vibe they give off while you read the scenes really encompasses how rough they are as people.

Honestly, I could go on and on about how beautiful and dangerous the Narrows sound, or how the romance takes a backseat ride for most of the story in favor of Fable finding her father and hashing out those emotions, but you guys should read this book and find out. Experiencing it is 10x better than hearing me gush about it. Adrienne Young did an outstanding job with this novel and it shows that it was a personal story for her. I honestly cannot wait for Namesake.

Fable is a strong, independent female making her way in a harsh world at a very young age. It was very easy to care about what happens to her character. Abandoned by her father, she is courageous and doesn’t let the world define her. While strong, she is still just a girl searching for belonging.

The world-building, while simple, was unique. I rarely read books set primarily on the sea. The writing was descriptive and beautiful. Imagining life on the Marigold with the salt air and crashing waves was easy. I would have loved to see a map of the world that Adrienne Young created.

If you are looking to dive into a new world with a gorgeous setting, a strong main character, and an engaging plot, don’t miss this one! This one will capture your heart. I am beyond excited for Namesake.

Note for more sensitive readers: there are some descriptions of violence, and the romance is fade to black.

4.67 out of 5 Stars
Fable was a such a sweet little surprise joy this week. I hadn't planned on reading it quite yet, but I am so glad I picked it up! I had a high suspicion that I would really like this book because I really liked Adrienne Young's other book, A Sky in the Deep, but wow! I really had a great time reading this book and I borderline love it! This is the start of a fantasy duology involving: pirates, ocean exploration, lots of gems, and some power struggles. I know that doesn't seem like actually too many pieces in play, but just hold up for a second, I'll talk about that later.

Fable was left on an island by her father to fend for herself when she was thirteen years old. He told her that if and when she made her way back to him, he would give her what she was due. Very vague, very cryptic, but it's all that Fable has to hold on to while on the island because everyone is out for their own survival. Four years later is when the book starts and Fable finds a way (barely) off the island and constantly is facing new secrets about the people around her, trying to figure out where she can call home, and struggling to remember that the only person she can rely on is herself.

For me, I think I really enjoyed this book because it is such a fascinating environment and, consequently, character study. It isn't a basic 'no one can trust each other' setup. Truly, every character keeps everything to themselves. No one reveals what or who they care about. The only information spread around is the bare minimum needed to achieve an end goal. And the second any sort of personal or valuable information is known by an adverse party, it is exploited. So all the secrecy and isolation is validated because the communal environment really is that hostile. For the characters then, especially Fable having been abandoned, it means they can never actually have an intimate relationship. No romance. No family. No close friends. Nothing. And we get to see Fable grapple with that because all she wants is to work for her father. Not even have him recognize her as his daughter -- 'cause she knows that's never going to happen -- but just work for him. To have a job where she sees him from a distance. She wants that intimacy with someone. She wants a home, but this isn't the kind of world where you can have one.

SPOILERS BELOW

PLOT:
The way I see it, there are two main plots in this book, one right after the other. The first plot is when Fable is making her way back to her dad. This bleeds into the second plot of dredging the Lark and becoming a part of the Marigold's crew. And they're split like, 60/40 respectively, and I liked that balance.

In the first half of the book, my favorite scene is when the Marigold hits the horrible storm on its way to Ceros. Maybe that's a weird moment to pick, but I could just see it all so clearly. The waves were huge, the crew were literally clinging onto the ship and getting tossed off it. Paj has a fantastic rescue of Auster. And we get a wonderful, striking image from Fable's perspective of holding onto the mast of the ship, and suddenly it has tilted so much she is dangling over pitch black water. Part of the reason why I like this scene is because Fable begins to become part of the crew and works with them to secure the ship as much as possible. Another little plus is that there is a teeny tiny West/Fable interaction where West forces Fable to go down into the hull of the ship. I could be reading too much into that moment, but to me, it is a West/Fable ship one. :)

The entire second half of the book, I was waiting for some sort of shoe to drop. Things didn't go the way Fable wanted with her father, but she lived. She found a crew. They got the gems from the Lark. And this whole time, I was just waiting for the big oh sh-- where we knew what would happen in the next book. Because there needed to be one. The one that we got with Zola at the end was good, I'm definitely hooked, but I don't think the tension of the book was released the way it needed to be. That big oh sh-- moment could have been bigger. I wanted high drama to finish us off, not just in physical events, but emotional, larger picture, detailed connection to Isolde drama. And it would have been fine too because that's the end of the book. It's a cliffhanger anyway so a small concrete nugget of dramatic background info would have wrapped it all up perfectly.

What's the overarching plot into the second book? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. The second book has definitely been set up. I mean, that cliffhanger with Fable's kidnapping. . . **cries a tear internally**. . . that was a rough ending. But we know where we'll be picking up in Namesake. What I can't pin down right now though is what the larger issue will be. I have small hunches based on things that weren't really explained: (1) why did Isolde have to leave Bastian; (2) are the gem sages the only zing of magic in this fantasy; (3) what exactly happened between Zola and Isolde; (4) are we going to see Bastian take control of the Narrows; and (5) what the $&*# did Saint mean when he warned Fable she was making the same mistake as Isolde?

So I'm very confused as to what could be in the next book, and not necessarily in a good way. I'd be okay with not knowing for certain what could happen in the sequel, but these questions that I have were all such small fragments that I don't have anything I can build a theory on. Not a reliable one at least. The crackpot theory currently spinning in my head is that Isolde was the daughter of some Bastian merchant or political figure and she ran away. This would make Fable then hella important to the Bastian people and somehow Zola knows she's a gem sage and wants to use her for her abilities. I don't know.

What I do know is that I would love to see Saint help rescue her. Yes, it would be super romantic for West to do it and for West to confront Saint about how he treated Fable, but really, I want to see Saint put everything on the line for his daughter and pull it off with style. That'd be great.

CHARACTERS:
Fable:
Fable to me is easily the most interesting character of the book, and not just because she was the main character. Like I mentioned in the non-spoilery part above, this is a harsh and hostile world where no one can have any sort of relationship with another living person. But Fable had love from her mom, Isolde. She knew what it was like to be loved and be able to express her love in return. And then in one fell swoop, her mother dies and she is dropped off on a random scraggly island by her father. So it isn't just that Fable is looking for human connection, she is filling in an ache because she has felt it before. And there are times that we see that tug, not just in direction of her father, but in the direction of West and the Marigold crew. All she wants is a home, and that is literally the one thing that is the most dangerous to have. And this is all just her development and personality, not including her role in the trader world as Saint's daughter or the unknown connection to Bastian as Isolde's daughter. So yeah, super interesting character.

West:
Dudes, West killed me. I had a super small inkling that he would be the romantic interest in the first meeting of him, but holy cow I could not have guessed how intense he would be. I absolutely loved how he stuck to his guns of being the helmsman of the ship and keeping his crew safe and making the side profits. That was great. What was even better about his character was learning about the knife's edge he was walking on with working for Saint and taking on Fable at the same time. And then there's the romance. Holy moley, this quote killed me (from th
e ARC, may be different in published version):

"And I think I've loved you since the first time we anchored in Jeval. . . . I have thought about you every single day since that day. Maybe every hour. I've counted down the days to go back to the island, and I pushed us into storms I shouldn't have because I didn't want to not be there when you woke up. I didn't want you to wait for me. Ever. Or to think I wasn't coming back."

Willa (and crew):
I'm pulling Willa out to represent the whole Marigold crew. She's important because of her familial ties, and she's one of the stronger connections Fable has on the ship (imo), but she really embodies how the crew operates. They don' know nearly everything about each other or even what they're doing, but there's such a strong bond of trust between them. And I know the whole area is crap and untrustworthy, but seeing how small this crew is and how much they care for each other, there is a small hope in my chest that they are different from other crews and they can grow to be closer to each other and more trusting of each other.

Saint:
I don't hate Saint, but I don't like him either. After seeing how awful this environment, I get his actions, but only to an extent. If he had kept a child on his crew, there would be a s**t ton of questions that would make Fable extremely vulnerable and threatened. I can buy that it really was the safest thing for Fable for him to leave her on the island to fend for herself. But at some point during the four years Fable was on the island, Saint became the most powerful trader of the Narrows. And in the back of my head, I can't help but think, really? The most powerful trader of the Narrows couldn't find a creative way to get his daughter off Jeval? And I know Saint was the one to send West and essentially pay Fable, but still. Get her off the island. And now, after Fable has found him, how far is he willing to go to keep her safe? When he finds out Zola has her, he better go after her in some way, shape, or form.

Zola:
Zola was a sleezeball I didn't really fully know the sleeziness of until he goes to set the Marigold on fire. But because he is such an awful character, I want to know more about his background because it would be strange for Adrienne to include a flat, greed-based-only character among all these other complex characters. There's definitely something there with how Zola was able to recognize Fable as Isolde's daughter, but I want to know what. I don't think we'll get any sort of sympathy for him, and I'm 100% fine with that, but I want a more complex yuck factor for him.

WRITING:
I originally gave this a higher rating, but as I went along, I lowered it because I have too much to say on the plot and the pacing to give it something higher. I think what really swayed me closer to the five star rating in this book though were the descriptions. Oh my God it was beautiful, so beautiful. I think I could smell the salt and brine while I was reading. I could see the wavy shadows of the sunlight on the ocean floor. Every action moment was perfectly described where I knew movement at the pace of the movement. It was really phenomenal descriptive work.

But while there was so much descriptive work, I wish there was a stronger thread of plot between this book and the next one. Fable was very sequential, but there wasn't much else getting laid as groundwork for where the characters are moving toward as a whole. The stakes could be high, but they came in quick and were resolved quick. The greater tension still hasn't really settled on one distinct focal point and that makes it hard to be urged to read the next book. If it weren't for my emotional investment in Fable's well-being, I don't know how strongly I'd be inclined to read the next one. There are a couple of other small things that make me very interested in the next book, but I can't say the plot is one of them because there is no path in front of us to be excited about entering.

There's a good chance I have a bias toward this book as well because I love the whole pirate/ship life, swimming through the ocean, living off the sea thing. Honest to God, on my bucket list, I want to take a voyage (for lack of a better word) on an old ship with no electricity or battery/gas operated equipment. It was so much fun finding images for this review and getting to imagine living at open sea and diving down to the bottom of the floor.

I want a map. I feel like I say this whenever there's any sort of fantasy novel without a map in place, but I want a map because I want to be able to chart the paths of the ships along with West and Fable. How much fun would that be??? To see the actual path the Marigold was charted for. I would love that. Maybe I'll even do that on my own just for the fun of it! I also want to know more about the relationship between the Narrows and Bastian because it was hinted at in this book that the political tensions are shifting and will be important in Namesake.

Okay, I feel like I could keep going, but I'm going to stop because I think I've hit all my main points and this review is already HUGE. In the end, I would definitely recommend this to a friend and I think I may even buy a copy for one. Personally, I want to see some of the cold barriers break down between the characters, especially between West/Fable and Saint/Fable. And I want more tension building! There's so much potential there for Isolde's history and the political tensions between Bastian and the Narrows, and I really hope those things get played up in the next one. I'm definitely going to be reading Namesake, that's for sure!

Thanks for reading!

It took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I did I found it was quite interesting. Some interesting twists that I didn't see coming and a cliffhanger ending that makes me want to read the second book now! Loved the descriptions, I could picture it in my head clearly as I was reading.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

*4.5 Stars*

I haven't read Fantasy in a long time but this book quickly reminded me that I need to read more of it. I enjoyed this story so much and I'm dying to get my hands on the second half of this duet! I can't believe I have to wait until March to find out what happens!

I loved Fable, our main character, so dang much! She is strong, fierce, and it took me no time at all to root for her. The rest of the characters are just as great and just as likable as Fable. The friendships she makes were slowly made but it made them so believable and strong. I love romance in fantasy stories and there is definitely some swoony romance in this book. However, it by no means takes away from the main plot of the book and only adds a joyful layer to the story!

This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be going back and reading her previous work. I can't believe I've waited so long to read her. Her writing style meshes perfectly with my reading style. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

Fable had me hooked from page one! Once again, Adrienne Young has blown me away with an incredible book that has amazing characters! I started this book on a Friday night, finished it on Saturday, started Namesake on Saturday and finished it on Sunday.

World-building: I would classify this as a YA low fantasy. The world is hard and dangerous with just the barest hint of magic in it. There wasn’t a map in the e-arc I read but I assume there will be one in the final copy and think that will be helpful.

Characters: Fable is fierce, strong and a total badass! Her survival on Jevali is nothing short of impressive and to say her escape off of the island was stressful is an understatement. West and the rest of the Marigold crew are just delightful in their “gang of outcasts” type of way. Because of the cutthroat world they live in, everyone is very guarded and are loathe to part with their secrets. The Marigold crew does what they have to in order to survive and make no apologies for it. I loved the moral greyness pretty much every character had but especially West. Willa made for an excellent secondary female character as well.

Plot: The plot had great pacing and even in the “slow” parts, I still couldn’t put it down. There’s almost a mob feel to the different Guilds and the power they hold over everyone. Throughout everything is this undercurrent of desperation for power and all conflicts stem from who has it and who wants it.

Tropes: Found family, enemies to lovers & slow burn romance.

Other notable things: I’m happy to report that this book definitely passes the Bechdel Test! There’s also LGBTQ representation and characters of color!

Overall rating: 5 STARS!!! I love, love LOVE this book! If you loved this, I definitely recommend Sky in the Deep also by Adrienne Young and Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-arc!