This is a solid book. I like the story, I like fable, I like the crew of the marigold.
The imagery is rich and vibrant, and the action keeps the plot moving along.
I do think a little something is missing to really push this into amazing, maybe a bit more backstory to add weight to what’s happening, but it is okay without it.
Give it a go!

3.5/5 stars.

PROS:
~ The setting. I really loved the setting of the sea and of the ships. I read part of this while on vacation right in front of the ocean and I just loved the imagery Adrienne Young painted in my mind.
~ The descriptions. I really loved the descriptions as well. I could always picture what was happening and I really loved the way that Young decided to depict certain things in the story. I loved her descriptions of the sea and of the fish and the smells and the ship. It was truly a full-sensory experience and I was completely immersed.
~ The pacing. The pacing of this novel was really well done in my opinion. I like the way that the story always kept on going. I do think, though, that there wasn't really much direction in the plot so that might have hindered my experience of reading, but overall, it was super fast-paced and pretty addicting to read.
~ The world. The world was super cool. I love the grittiness of it and the ocean feel to it. It was just so so fun to read about.
~ The ending!!!!!!!!!! Where's the sequel?

CONS:
~ Character development. Sometimes I felt as though the character development was a little lacking in this story. Oftentimes I was told was Fable and West and the other characters were like, but not shown much of it. I will include a quote here but as this is an ARC it /is/ subject to change. "But I wasn't stupid. She was trying to get me to owe them something." Personally, I think Fable didn't need to say that she wasn't stupid and instead could have just said the second sentence. It would have shown us how she wasn't stupid instead of just downright saying it.
~ Telling and not showing. Sometimes this story and the author would tell me things about the world and characters instead of showing it. In chapter 3, Fable literally lists the "rules" of the world she lives in. It seemed as though a cheap way for the author to world-build. She told us what the world was like instead of gradually showing it over the course of the story organically. More quotes: "I knew that in the Narrows, nothing was what it seemed. Every truth was twisted", "It was a world poised on the tip of a knife". These two quotes tell me more about the world than showed it.
~ Clunky word choice. Very few times, I came across a sentence that made me pause, put down the book, and think for a second. One example is this: "The reef that encircled the wreck was alive with life". Huh? Alive with life. Uh...yeah.
~ The abrupt romance. I don't have much to say other than that the two love interest I guess you could call them went from seemingly disliking one another to being like "let's kiss and save the day, yay!" Also, the main character seemingly went from loving her father to hating him at break-neck speed and it did nothing but pull me out of the story.

OVERALL:
Fun story and I will read the sequel though

OH MY PYRE! HOLY PIRATES!

A few awesome lines: 👏

“You weren’t made for this world, Fable.”

“It was a love that broke us all.”

Damn this author has slayed every book written and it just gets epic as she writes. This book is 0 - 60 in the first chapter. I love diving and can understand why Fable loves it so much. She’s gonna be my bad luck charm always. I think this is the first genuine book I have read where a character has an epiphany about their life and childhood, and becomes so much worse then the people she loves. This is literally CUT THROAT. Saint is of course the devil in disguise. Punny, right? Anyways, you THINK got this book figured out well you are WRONG! The way the author writes the love story with fable’s parents and her own blossoming love story, will make you swoon for the ages. Thank you thank you for this Netgalley ARC. I highly recommend you check this and her other works like Sky in the Deep (VIKINGS). Also, if I could please get Namesake like yesterday I would love you forever!

My Review: After only two books by Adrienne Young, I have really come to trust her writing to be everything I love, so I jumped at the opportunity to read this one. Fable did not disappoint! I love how rich and vivid this world is, you can completely picture it as you read. I also love how different this book is from her previous two, I loved the brutal, each for themselves pirate world in this book (just as much as I loved the brutal, honor bound viking world). Fable lives and does what must be done to survive but there is one thing she wants, a family. This was quite the adventure in finding and giving trust, overcoming the odds and what is worth the sacrifice. Be forewarned, the ending is quite the cliffhanger! I am dying for Namesake!!


My Rating: This book met all my expectations and more! It was an enthralling read, the pages fly by, you have to know what happens next! I loved the characters and want so much more. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

This book had everything you could ask for in a beautiful, magical, readable and compelling fantasy series. At the start, it was the great plot and the interesting main character and her quest to find the father who had abandoned her that grabbed me, and by the end I was fully invested in all the major characters and super excited to read the sequel. It left off on a small cliffhanger, but the reason I want to read the next book isn't about the cliffhanger - it's just about wanting to spend more time with this motley crew of characters.

Adrienne Young expresses the intricacies of this world so well, and uses it as a device to hold back character information in a way that serves both her plot needs and our enjoyment of the story itself. Every chapter ends in a little cliffhanger, keeping us going and keeping us hooked into the plot. Each chapter is short, and makes you want to gobble up just one more chapter of that beautiful story - just to find out what happens to your intrepid main character and cast. What's more, Young's prose is filled with vivid details, sprinkled through expertly without a trace of getting sidetracked from the action in each scene. It feels like you're looking at a scene from a painting which has come to life. It's this writing style which makes the seafaring setting really come to life. See below some quotes from Fable - examples of Young's beautiful writing.

Overall, I gave this book 4.5 stars because it was just a very good fantasy book at a very high standard. It didn't have anything particularly out-there, but it gets many points for just how compellingly it was written. There's an unexpected romance, structured to peak in an unconventional way, and tons of interesting dynamics between the main characters. I couldn't fault the writing, and the plot and characters were both very well done and executed. I've found myself thinking about these characters every day since I finished reading the book. I can't wait to read more!

I'm very grateful to both NetGalley and Wednesday Books / St Martin's Press for giving me a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I would be absolutely honoured to get to review the sequel!

Quotes:
"But I wasn't the sweet little girl who'd once ridden through these streets perched on his shoulders. I'd been whittled into something else now."
"Never, under any circumstances, reveal who or what matters to you."
"It was a world poised on the tip of a knife."
"I nodded, looking out at the pink and purple clouds, the sun seeming to grow and swell as it began to sink down the sky."
"She was the sun and the sea and the moon in one. She was the north star that pulled us to the shore."

Hands down my favorite book so far in 2020. Gorgeous cover! I even preordered the sequel before I even posted my review. This is that good!! I definitely recommend this to anyone who’s smart intelligent romantic stories! 5 Stars!!

The cover art is stunning and will drawn any reader’s eye .
This story is a slower to start , but even paced and exciting ending.

Fable as a story will sail you away ... and you want to stay there... you want to be fable’s right hand man.

Fable was abandoned on a island by her father , Saint . In this cut throat world , she has has to learn to survive , at any cost. Fable learn the skill of diving for gems and valuables. Hoping and praying to buy her way off this island and confront her father for abandoning her.
Now we encounter the secret filled crew of the marigold. A crew setting sail across the ocean ... This book has high stakes, love loyalty courage and a adventure.
Loved it

Y'all, this book is EVERYTHING 👏 I don't even know where to start because I just loved every single minute of reading this book! The world is so lush and unique. It is truly unlike anything I have ever read before. Pirates, magic, bright blue oceans with treasure buried deep, port cities filled with life where danger lurks around every corner. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The best part about the setting is that we are getting to explore it through the eyes of the new queen of my heart, Fable. She is everything I want out of a female lead. Incredibly complex and filled with fire, I just wanted to get to know her more. I could also write praise about how incredible the whole cast of characters is but you all will just need to pick up a copy of this book so you all can soak them up! ⁣⁣

This was an highly anticipated book of 2020, as I have hear many great reviews on Adrienne Young' other two books, and a great deal of people have been gushing about this one. I have only read Sky in the Deep- which I enjoyed.

I have always enjoyed adventures on the high seas types of fantasy books, and this one did not disappoint!
Fable was left on an island to fend for herself, and has one secret she cannot tell anyone.
She embarks on an wild adventure for her family's lost treasure with a bunch of people she doesn't know.
LOL okay I paraphrase a bit but I am not going to mention all of the secrets of this book.

I really enjoyed the dredging aspect of this world- I think that would be the best skill to have if you had to live on an ship.
The pacing was fast, and exciting because it seemed that everyone had an secret.
I did like the world building, I think I wanted more of it and that is mainly reason why I gave it four star rating. I hope that when I read the second book, I will have gotten my fill of it :)

Fable was a wonderful, sea-faring escapism book for anyone.

I loved this book! I have read all of Adrienne Young's other books and while I have enjoyed them they didn’t have the same impact as Fable did. I loved this world from the very beginning and I cannot wait to get my hands on Namesake. Umm that cliffhanger? Come on!

Fable is about a young girl who is stranded on an island and forced to survive on her own by being a Dreger, a person who dives into the sea for gems. She is determined to get off the island and confront her father who was the one who abandoned her there. To escape the dangerous island and its people, she gets passage aboard a ship that has more secrets than crew.

I love how Adrienne always incorporates the sea into her writing. No matter what she is writing about the ocean always has a large part of it. It is clear how much she loves being on the water and her characters are no different. This world is based around sailing and trading in The Narrows, a dangerous part of the sea that is known for its storms. The sea is as much of a character in this book as the human characters.

The world building is fantastic. The dangers, the people, the descriptions of the jobs on a sailboat. All of it is so well put together, I can’t get enough of it. There is so many more things that I want to learn about the world and I really hope in the next book we get to learn more about it.

I think my favorite thing about the whole book was the characters. I’m a sucker for the found family and each of the members of the crew of The Marigold are exactly what I would want in a crew that has to take me across the ocean. They love each other, they protect each other, and they trust each other. West is the perfect boy with a tragic past trope. He has his secrets, and is dangerous but he is impossible not to care about.. I love how Adrienne revealed small parts here and there about who West was and where he grew up and what he did to survive in a very cruel and harsh world. Fable is a lovely heroine for this story, she is strong and tough. She's a survivor. She is determined to survive no matter what. But at the same time she is also a caring person. She is lonely, she misses her mother who died 4 years before the story, she has been alone on the Island fighting for her life. She is looking for friendship and companionship, even if it makes her vulnerable, and the crew of The Marigold is exactly what she is looking for.

This book is a great Young Adult novel that has all the things that make books great. Strong Heroine, found family, romance, revenge, and danger. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves those things, and has loved Adrienne Young's other books. My suggestion is to read it slow because the cliffhanger at the end is a killer and the less time you have to wait for the next book the better!

I was so excited to have been approved for Fable on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love me a good story that takes place on the seas. This one did not disappoint. When Fable finally gets a chance to escape from the island her father abandoned her on four years earlier she does everything in her power to do so. The first few chapters of the book include her falling into the water on multiple occasions but in the end she finds herself on the decks of the Marigold captained by a man named West.

Now it's up to her to prove herself to the captain and his crew in order to retain passage across the narrows to confront her father. Secrets will be revealed along her journey and she finds herself falling in love with West. Fable also has a secret of her own that if found out could lead unsavory characters looking to use the powers she possesses to gain control of the seas.

I enjoyed the adventures Fable and the crew are faced with. She does everything she can to show she can pull her own weight and that she can be trusted. She endures the pain of losing her mother and abandonment by her father but it doesn't stop her from overcoming whatever gets thrown her way until betrayal strikes close to home. The pacing is a bit slow at first but once Fable finds herself on the Marigold things really pick up and the ending will surprise you!

I definitely recommend this YA Fantasy to any lover of pirate books!

| TOP REC |

Fable is the character-driven and compelling narrative that Young made herself known for in Sky, and she again captured it with the first book in this duology. With a heroine forced to reshape, discover, and rebuild herself after a life-changing event, Fable’s journey became as quietly addictive as it was painful. The world provided her no favors and she wasn’t searching for one, showcasing the exact reason why this author is one of the best in her genre.

When Young strips her characters of their identities, the true potential of her writing shines through in the journey of rediscovery. Fable was an incredibly unassuming character, but full of a heart and compassion that presented itself in her soul-deep gumption and fight for family. The supporting players created the world; their personalities and motives shaping the environment to conform around them. She was nothing without their contention and aggression to her imposition to their lives, but she was everything to where their stories were headed. The romanticism to her finding where she belonged was a constant, pulsating beat that stuck in your gut as it twisted—for there was never a give without a take. The slow, unobtrusive love story was breathtaking and I will always admire the effortless and subtle way Young manages to capture romance.

The high hopes and expectations for this novel were either surpassed or matched as it consistently crafted a story—one full of action and silently heavy moments—worth falling into. I fell deeply for how easy Young’s characters are to find yourself in, as if she finds the essence of a person and crafts a character around it. And I’m absolutely bereft at knowing I have to wait for what’s to come.

I have no words, other than OMFG!! That was such a great read and I devoured it and I really really need Namesake now!! This was the perfect book and Adrienne has a way with her words that just suck you in an immerse you into the characters.

Fable is alone! For four years now, ever since her mother died in a sinking ship and her father dumped off on the island of Javel, she’s had to fend for herself. She’s a dreadger, who dig in the ocean for pyre that is bought and sold in merchant shops. Four years she’s kept her father words to heart of finding her own way off and that opportunity happens when she barters for passage on The Marigold, a ship run by a rag tag group and one handsome captain named West. There’s mottos pirates live by and one is to never trust anyone, even with those you love the most. But as events happen and the group start to lean on one another, Fable and West break that rule of falling for each other.

This story is so woven in magic and love and so many emotions, I just didn’t want it to end. Of course it ends with a gasp of a cliffhanger. And I love the dynamic of Fable and her struggle to prove she belongs in a world that she really doesn’t belong in. And the complexity of the characters and all they’ve been through to make them who they are... gahhhh seriously Adrienne is a word wizard! And I love West!! #swoon He’s strong but super faulty and it makes him so perfect in ways.

All else I have to say is... I need NAMESAKE right now!!!

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fable got off the island her father marooned her on years before with the help of West, helmsman of the ship the Marigold. Now she is in search of the inheritance her father promised her.

I just have to say the cover is gorgeous. It would make me stop and want to pick up that book and take a peek at what it was about.

The entire time I was reading this book I kept getting Pirates of the Caribbean meets Waterworld vibes. I loved it so much. The world building was exquisite. It was like stepping into another time and setting sail before diving deep into the ocean and watching the fish swim by as I dredged for gemstones.

I did not buy the romance. Maybe if the two characters had interacted more in front of the reader it would have been believable. Instead was instalove. I think they would be cute together, they just need time to grow and form an actual, more believable relationship.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I highly recommend Fable. I can’t wait for book two.

Over all, I give this book a 4.5/5

Fable's father, Saint, abandoned her on the island of Jeval, home to pirates and thieves, leaving a scar and an explanation: Fable does not belong in his world; prove him wrong by getting off the island. Over the course of her years hoofing it on her own, set on finding her father again, Fable becomes self-sufficient and strong, earning a place aboard "The Marigold" with the young helmsman, West. She travels with his small crew to find her father, encountering baddies and conflict along the way.

This story, while not altogether unique, is one that I haven't read often. Sure there were your fair share of tropes (especially surrounding the romantic subplots), but the overall plot line seemed fresh for me (although admittedly, the "pirate" genre is not one I often seek out). Fable herself is a well-developed character with clear motivations and goals. However, the other characters (until the last 10% of the book) fell a little flat for me. In the beginning, I struggled to maintain interest in the book because of this, combined with the world building. As I said, I'm definitely not well-versed in boat, nor pirate, terminology, so following the action and conflict in the opening scenes was difficult for me. Since most of the world building relies on that, I found that I wasn't wholly into the story until we were safely aboard a boat (and even then the more action-packed scenes fell on deaf ears because I couldn't imagine what was happening).

Despite having barely a clue what was happening in some scenes, I found this book enjoyable and a speedy read. I enjoyed these characters and their complexities, and I'm hoping that more of book two will be spent on developing them. The outlines are definitely there, but Young has only just begun uncovering them in this first book of the series. I can predict what road the series will take in future novels (I think), and I think this book will nicely prepare readers for an even better, more complex book two.

Adrienne Young knows how to tell a story. After being abandoned by her father, Fable tries to seek him out and prove to herself that he loves her, but she learns that sometimes family can be found in unlikely places.
I absolutely loved all of the characters of this story (except Zola). Saint pretty much breaks my heart every time he comes into the scene, and I just want to give him a tight hug (SPOILER can we just all agree that we exclaimed amens and shed tears when Fable actually does give him the hug we all want to give him?). Each character has a backstory and stands out among the others, which is something I really appreciate. I do hope Paj and Auster are delved into a bit more in Namesake since they sometimes felt a little in the background because each person on the Marigold is someone I want to get to know more of.
The worldbuilding in this story was perfect. I felt like I could clearly picture each place Fable was at. I felt like I was submerged in water with her whenever she was dredging. Adrienne Young just does such an excellent job at description and truly submerging her readers into the story. I'd definitely recommend this for fellow YA fantasy lovers. You won't be disappointed!

Adrienne Young is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors what with the excellent two novels Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back already under her belt. Her newest series opener Fable is a great new addition. Young's world-building is as usual outstanding. I could practically feel the sea spray on my face and the deck of the ship beneath my feet. The characters are also quite intriguing, particularly Fable herself. My only complaint is that at times I felt a little too far removed from some of the cast when I really shouldn't have. Either way, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the characters and their world in the upcoming sequel, Namesake.

**Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

“We both know that surviving means sometimes doing things that haunt you.”

I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous going into Fable because I loved Sky in the Deep, but I loathed The Girl the Sea Gave back. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Fable drew me in! The way Adrienne structured this novel made me feel like there was a big secret that I needed to be a part of. It held my attention and kept me reading! The only thing I wasn’t a big fan of was the romance. It felt too rushed. It wasn’t there one minute and the next it was. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I can’t wait to see what Adrienne has in store for us in Namesake!!

I think I might have overhyped this book for myself. It was a good read. I finished it in two sittings, so the fluidity of Young's writing was present, but the scenes just didn't mesh well together. Separately, they were okay, but together, it seemed a little choppy. A possibly remedy would be to elaborate the scenes a little further and incorporate suspense between each development. Furthermore, the writing was very predictable, and I'm guessing this book falls under the younger end of the YA spectrum despite the somewhat gore and murder associated with the book. (Edit: Jokes on me, wrote this as I was reading, maybe mid-spectrum based on Chapter 40?)

As for relationships, the connections between Fable and her father and then with the crew were rushed and, as said earlier, choppy. They didn't progress as naturally as I had expected and seemed somewhat forced, especially in regards to Fable and her father.

That being said, Fable had good premise. A young adult novel illustrating a female character at sea amongst pirates is rare, and Fable is a decent example of one. I'm excited to see what will happen in the next installment, especially with the inclusion of Clove.

"Fable" tells the story of this girl called Fable, who's stuck in Jeval until she can have enough money to get out of there. Four years ago, her father left her behind in this island, and now Fable is determined to go to Ceros and prove herself to her father. When she's attacked by Koy, she sees herself without a choice but to embark on West's ship and finally flee that island. Well, if the Marigold's crew will take her in.

I think "Fable" can be considered a great adventure of this girl through the seas, gaining knowledge and making new friends, but the adventure part, to me, was kind of plain. A lot of things happened in this book, but they feel like a repetition of one another, it felt like nothing was really happening, the whole time I was expecting the story to really get interesting, what doesn't happen. However, I still enjoyed reading it for most part, Fable is an interesting and well developed character; West was good as well, but I need to say that the secondary characters felt kind of plain to me (except Willa, maybe, because I liked her).

For most of the book we follow Fable and the ship's crew going after things to trade for coins, but basically that's all that happens. The fantasy bit of the story is kind of important, but it's so small that it felt irrelevant. I missed more action and higher stakes in this book, but the ending promises a more exciting sequel.