I’ve only read one other of Young’s book and that was the sky in the deep and I absolutely loved it. When I saw Fable, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It was certainly a different feel in her writing. It’s obvious to see how much Young is growing as a writer. Fable was an amazing story, it was dark and gritty and filled with these morally gray characters that I loved.

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I <i>massively</i> regret having not read anything by Adrienne Young now that I have had the immense pleasure of reading her newest novel, <em>Fable</em>. Where prior, my knowledge of Adrienne Young came primarily from the fact that an ARC of her second novel was extremely sought after sometime last year, I am now desperately eager to read more of her work. I'm only sorry that it took me so long to pick up one of her novels. Though, I am glad that the first I ever read was this one.

<em>Fable</em> is the story of a young girl, daughter of a man who amounts to what is basically a crime boss trader of the seas, who is left alone on an island to fend for herself by her father the day her mother dies from a shipwreck caused by a storm. He tells her she is too good for his world, tells her if she can get herself off the island, he will give her what she deserves, and leaves her to struggle to survive among a dangerous set of men who are also struggling to survive.

With her skills as a dredger--someone who scours the ocean reefs for precious gems and metals--Fable spends four years fighting desperately to stay save and eventually barter for passage so she can one day join her father.

<b>Fable is slow-burn in every way:</b>

<i>The Writing</i>

I did a lot of screaming when I finished this book. For one that I initially thought started off somewhat slow, <em>Fable </em>very cleverly wove its way into my heart. The slow-burn of the story that I began thinking would make it difficult to get into instead gave it the ability to make me fall in love with it without even realizing.

All the plots and relationships have that same slow-burn feeling to them. Whether it is the relationship Fable has with her father or the friendships she builds along her journey, you regularly see a delicate care taken with how it all grows and develops along the way. The way this story, and each of the subsequent supporting plots, are weaved together is some of the most exquisite storytelling I've had the pleasure of reading in my entire life.

Young also has this <em>utterly fantastic</em> way of having all the twists exists <em>just</em> out of the reader's reach. I'm pretty exceptional at picking out plot points and predicting what will happen within a story, so the fact that I was only able to do so with this book <em>right</em> before the twist was revealed left me <em>immensely </em>impressed.

There are subtleties of the writing that pull you in, like an unsuspecting tide. And once you're caught there's no dragging yourself back--and why would you even want to?

<i>The Plot</i>

At it's core, <em>Fable</em> is a story about the conflicts that power and money create in a world. It's a story about friendship and found families. In many ways, <em>Fable</em> has an interesting way of mirroring life. As someone who is not often a fan of novels like that, I found myself <em>loving</em> the way that it was portrayed in this one.

There is an intricate conflict between those with power and money and those without. And there is an impact to gaining that power, a price, of sorts, to pay.

The relationships are at the forefront of the novel, each impacting the central conflict in multiple small, but impact-filled ways. Conflict comes within the scope of human development, the hardships one must face to survive, and the ways in which those harships are both dealt with and managed both with and without outside support. A deeper conflict, it seems, is also being held for book two.

<i>The Characters</i>

Are amazing. I can't think of a single character I didn't love for one reason or another. Even characters like Fable's mother, dead for years now, were immensely impactful to the novel. I adored them all. Secretive West, hardened Willa, ruthless yet soft Saint, despicable Zola, mysterious Isolde, whimsical Paj, loving Auster, and clever Hamish all slowly found a place in my heart. Best of all, any minor character who we only got to see for a short period of time genuinely felt like a <em>real </em>person rather than a prop.

<b>Where <em>Fable </em>falls short:</b>

<i>Saint</i>

It is unfortunate that I feel this commentary is necessary despite how much I <em>loved</em> this book, but the truth is that there are a couple of things that could have been done better. The first is Saint and his abandonment of his daughter. I think I spent the better part of this novel sort of expecting that the motivations that led Saint to leave his only daughter on an island filled with dangerous men had a little more backing to them. But, as far as book one is concerned, the death of her mother via drowning in a storm turned out to be just that--death by drowning in a storm.

There wasn't some overarching plot behind her death that really solidified Saint's take on leaving behind those he cared about in order to cement his position and prevent anyone from using his love against him. He's not protecting her from a threat that has been made by denouncing her. He just decides that one loss--though at the hands of a storm--is enough and therefore nips it in the bud.

I dunno, I just feel as though his denouncement of Fable would have had much more of an impact had it all been because there was a genuine threat. It would have worked incredibly well had Saint truly needed to distance himself from her in order to prevent someone from using her against him. But there was no genuine moment in which this would have been realized for him. Her mother wasn't murdered, she died in a storm.

So, unless Saint murdered her mother so he could get rid of them both and cut ties with the only potential weaknesses he had--which I very much doubt--this just fell really flat for me.

Granted, maybe book two will clear this up?

<i>Fable</i>

Honestly, I don't have many problems with Fable as a character. What did throw me for a loop, though, was that I never truly felt as though I had a genuine sense of her age. Supposedly, she is 18 and was abandoned on the island by her father when she was 14. That said, at times she comes across as much younger than that. It almost feels as though she was abandoned at the age of 11 or 12 and is now 15 or 16.

It's not a major issue, but it did derail me several times while reading since I could never determine what really matched.

<i>West</i>

We did not get enough time with West. I never truly felt that I got to know him or understand a lot of his motivations. He's so shrouded in mystery, largely because he keeps so many secrets, that I can't help feeling a massive disconnect. We get little snippets throughout the book and only the ones that Fable, herself, becomes privy to. It wasn't enough. And this is horribly depressing because I <em>loved</em> West.

West's love of Fable also feels deeply underdeveloped. I can't really figure out <em>when</em> he fell in love with her or why. It's not that I don't see her as someone he should or could care about, but rather that Young never really spent any time building up the fact that he did, in fact, love her. Instead, we get some sort of cop out answer that puts all of his moments of falling in love in a portion of the story that we, as readers, never got to see.

And the story hurts for this.

I'm not saying that the romance has to be at the forefront of the story. But there should be a little something more than a brief comment to events that occurred before the story even began. While this can sometimes work, in this instance it feels like lazy writing. It feels like Young either didn't know how to show him fall in love with her or didn't want to put in the effort.

<b>Fable is my favorite book from 2020.</b>

Despite these pieces, though, I do genuinely consider this to be an exceptional novel. Young has an exceptional ability to pull readers into her story, to build connections between us and the characters she's created. By all accounts, it seems somewhat surprising to me that I feel as I do about all of them.

And yet, somehow, it's not surprising at all.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will be live on the Reader Fox Blog on 6/9/2020.

Oh my gosh. This is the BEST book I have read this year, hands down. Adrienne Young weaves secrets, darkness, haunting moments, dangerous seas, and essentially glorified pirates all in one. Fable is fast-paced and vicious and I lived for every second.

The world that Fable is set in is just so gritty. There’s really no other word for it. It is definitely a eat or get eaten type of world. I adored the islands, the sea, the trading, and everything in between. Yet at the same time, you have so much hope for Fable and our characters throughout the whole book.

Adrienne Young also has the perfect way of weaving sexy tension without there being any action. There are so many read between the lines moments that just made my blood boil in the best way. I adored each and every character we meet, even the ones that you’re supposed to hate. They’re all developed so perfectly and meticulously into the story.

I had a feeling the ending would be something like we got. I’m super curious, slightly devastated, and way too excited for Namesake. Adrienne crushed this novel and everyone should be pre-ordering this yesterday!

Adrienne Young is a fun and interesting writer, and this book proves that she's continuously changing. I liked this book a lot, but that appreciation came more at the end than during my time reading it. Young has stuck to more of stand along like books, while this one is kicking off a series. I loved Fable. As a heroine, she's so strong--something that all of Young's heroine's are and a very great characteristic they share. It's easy to forget how young in age Fable is actually, especially since she goes through so much and yet remains resilient and strong. The book was a little slow for me in terms of really getting to the heart of where this story was going--that I found out was because the book is the first in a series. It's setting up the stage for a much more complex and I believe a more interesting showcase in the next book(s). I am excited to continue this story in the books to come.

Full of swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, diving for treasure and some rather morally grey characters for teen fantasy fiction. It starts off with quite a grim tone, and you do wonder how the main character has survived so long abandoned on such a nasty island. I've read a fair few nautically inspired fantasy novels of late, and I felt this one glossed over some details (I'm no expert and it is commented on but only 5 crew members on that ship with no second watch felt a bit unrealistic!)
I did really enjoy it, although I could have done without that cliff-hanger ending... I'll definitely be reading the next one.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book ! All opinions and thoughts are mine. *All quotes are from the arc and may change.*

YA fiction + outstanding cover + beautiful writing + feminism +adventure
I could not put down this book. I lost many hours of sleep to this wonderful book which is a good thing. This book has a great take on with sailing , ships , and seafaring. I cannot wait till the next book.

“ Keep your knife where you can reach it. Never, ever owe anyone anything. Nothing is free. Always construct a lie from a truth. Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you.”

-Synopsis-
Fable is a young girl who has been left alone to survive by herself in a world where she doesn’t belong. She is abandoned by her wealthy father who is a trader. Subsequently after a appallingly lost of the ship she grew up in and her dear loving mother . She desires to prove her self worthy and be a dredger.

“You weren’t made for this world, fable “

-Setting-
The world building in Fable was outstanding. Adrienne painted a picture beautifully in my mind. The ocean and The marigold were vivid images in my mind. From the ports , Jeval , Ceros , The boats , and under the water were so amazingly written.

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

-Characters -
Fable is a strong , leader , persevering girl. She is a badass character and I love her she is such a gripping character. West and his crew were some pretty cool people the mysterious and fun to read about. I loved West and Willa. Willa is probably one if my favorite characters in the book . West was a character I was fond of. Paj and Auster didn’t get much time in the book as I would like but they share a intimacy I favor.

“ I can’t decide if i like you or if I think you’re stupid.” She laughed.


-Conclusion-
This book was so good I could not put it down. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a YA adventure , fantasy novel, this book is for you.

"It was a love that broke us all."

Adrienne Young creates a fantastic nautical world in Fable. This is an excellent tale of secrets, treasure, loyalty and love. The characters are diverse, and exciting. The descriptions are solid, I could see the story play out vividly like a movie in my mind! The end is a wonderful cliff hanger and I cannot wait for book 2!

"Down here, we were only two mortals in an upside-down world."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC of Fable in exchange for my honest review.

Fable is the best kind of adventure story. Complete with action, mystery and a bit of romance to boot. Fable was stranded on an island for criminals as a teenager and her only goal is to get back to her father, but everything is not as it seems. I really enjoyed this story. There were points where I didn't want to put it down, cause I just had to know what happened next. Young is very good at weaving a story with different story lines together to make one beautiful tapestry. The characters were fully fleshed out where needed and the bit players were just quirky enough to be a little more then cardboard cut outs. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the characters backstories. My only issue was, "OMG you ended on such a cliffhanger. I need the next book right now." This was such a fun read.

This was absolutely amazing! Every cheater and every page was so gripping, the whole book practically flew by. I was pulled into the story from the very start and couldn't stop thinking about it until I read the whole book, and even now, I want more. I can't wait for book number two. It's definitely one of my favorite reads of this year!
5/5 stars

(posted on goodreads)

4 stars! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I’m so excited for Namesake! Here’s my spoiler-free review 💛

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I came for Sea Demons. I stayed for Fable.

*chokes* Wait, what? Me? Rooting for a female main character who is not Inej Ghafa? UNHEARD OF. But Fable is a whole lot of badassery hidden beneath the surface of a brilliant sea (i was trying a thing here,,) my girl Fable is strong, so strong, but not in a brutish, fighting, murdery kinda way. She has her own kind of strength, she has DRIVE and she’s pretty damn awesome with gems (no spoilers here, but it’s all about the GEMS GUYS!)

I honestly didn’t expect freediving and coral reefs ✨ to be this fascinating and did not expect AT ALL to love the romance as much as I do, but GUYS! THE ROMANCE?! I haven’t been this invested in a ship since Kaz/Inej 💙💙💙💙💙 THIS SAYS A LOTTTT

live-footage of me for the 3/4 of the book: please let my ship sail, pleeeease let my ship sail *

This book is filled with intrigue, old family secrets, betrayal and the coolest crew of unlikely friends! The writing is rich, beautiful and breathtaking (even above the surface *coughs*) I loved it! Loved it! Loved it! 😍

any last words?

Y E S

READ THIS BOOK!

*no puns intended

First and foremost I would like to thank Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for early access to this title to read and review. This in no way sways my opinion as all thoughts are my own. A more detailed review will be posted/updated closer to the actual date of release.

Fable is a story about a girl abandoned on a mysterious island, trying to survive. I love the intensity of this book. I was so stressed while reading but in a good way. Fable's survival was crucial to my mental health (lol!). I think that this book hits differently because we aren't reading a story grounded in fantasy and magic. It's more about the corrupt people who continue to oppress others. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and this does not dissapoint. It has some LGBT rep, and a strong female/feminist lead.

I was not super impressed by The Girl the Sea Gave Back, I enjoyed it, but I felt like there wasn't much MEAT to the story - I 100% believe that Adrienne Young listened to her readers, editors, reviewers and made one hell of a story! Fable was amazing and I need book 2!

This book absolutely blew me away! It is going straight to the top as one of my all-time favorites! It was perfectly paced with tension that had me on the edge of my seat, romance that felt real and made me want more, characters that you couldn't help but love, the perfect amount of pirate scheming, and a story line that lacked nothing!

I am dying to get my hand on the next book, and you need to put this story on your To-Read Shelf NOW! This is a story that I will be telling everyone about, and I can't wait for my students' to get their hands on it! They are sure to love it as much as I did!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

WOW. This book is intense, but in a good way. Fable is immediately interesting and you're hooked on following her journey and hoping she gets where she needs to be.

I'm not sure if pirates are going to be the next thing in YA, but it'll be a fun ride! Who needs vampires when you have this much adventure?

This is a stellar introduction to a series!

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review - thank you! Oh my heart! I LOVED this book. The only downfall for me was the "quick" ending. I do realize that it leaves on a cliffhanger for good reason though as there is another in the series - so I will not so patiently wait for that one! I am so excited that this series is coming out! I have already recommended it to a few people just based on my progress of reading as I read it. It is beautifully written - the description of characters, places, and the settings, were figurative gold! There are so many passages that I could quote from this book. The cover is also a work of art too. I will be buying this book when it comes out! Congratulations to the Author on a great work of literary composition. Proper review coming soon on my book blog site! :-)

Absolutely stunner of a book. I dig the protagonist and her name itself is a load of fun. Adrienne Young shelled out another fantastic read! Read her other titles and enjoyed this one just as thoroughly. Can't wait for another!

I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy of Fable in exchange for an honest review… and whoa. Buckle up folks, because this was one heck of a ride!

Fable was on my radar for two reasons. Firstly, Adrienne Young wrote it. Have you READ Sky in the Deep? (If not what are you even doing, go read it RIGHT NOW!) Secondly, that cover. My bookcase needs that cover, okay? But here’s the thing. I was slightly less interested when I realized it was set on a ship. With the single exception of Lila Bard and the Night Spire, the whole boats and ships and merchants and pirates deal has never been my thing. But let me tell you what…FABLE MADE IT MY THING! It was so different from other things in the genre I have read. This story is SO character driven that I felt as desperate as Fable herself to discover the secret motivations behind each of them.

Here is why you need to read this book ASAP:
Strong female lead who manages to still be human and vulnerable
Found family dynamic done WELL (and you guys I am such a sucker for a found family done right)
Hot guys (often shirtless and wet….did I mention she made boats my thing?)
Sloooooooooow Burn
Fantastic world building with slight elements of fantasy so expertly woven in they feel real
Diversity that felt genuine and important rather than just a few token diverse characters
Hot guys often shirtless and wet (this seemed worth repeating)
Villains that you will love to hate
Villains that maybe aren’t villains after all? (to be determined)
And lastly, an intriguing exploration of that delicious moral grey area that Adrienne did so well in Sky in the Deep.

Another plus, this is only book 1 in a series, so there is more of Fable and company to look forward to.
And I’m going to need book 2 to hurry up and get into my hands because that ending was….

Fable is gutsy, brave, impulsive and driven. That's makes her equally fun and annoying to read about. I enjoyed the world she inhabited and the story was well paced. It was fairly easy to see how things were going to unfold but it didn't spoil the read for me.

I loved how the end stopped so abruptly and look forward to the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Let’s get this part out of the way before I start raving about this book. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Wednesday Books through NetGalley. This was the first time I’ve had a wish granted on NetGalley and I am so, so happy it was for this book.

“As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home Fable has ever known...But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him.”

I had such a good time reading this book. It’s fully of pirate-y adventure and treasure and the open sea. It felt like Young knew a lot about this world and time so the reader feels grounded in the story. Also, there’s this found family aspect that warms your heart like nothing else. It takes a while for it to happen so when it finally does it feels like it was earned. Young is a master in the art of crafting realistic and believable characters. Not to mention that you feel so attached to them so quickly.

The only real downside for me was feeling like I could predict where a plot point or two was headed. I’m not a huge fan of predictability in stories so when that happened that did put me off a little. But I enjoyed reading this book so much between the setting, the characters, and the general pirate-iness of it all that I could overlook it.

This was such a fast read for me--75% in one sitting--and the plot really drives the story forward. I cannot believe I have to wait so long before the second book in the duology! This first book comes out on September 1st of this year.

Rating 5

Loved. Loved. Loved this book. “Fable” by Adrienne Young is a must read. I recommend going into this book with little information as it will keep you guessing even more. From the first few pages I became obsessed with this story. I needed more and could not put it down. This book consumed me. Whenever I wasn’t reading “Fable” I was thinking about it. My problem was not wanting it to be over but craving to know what was going to happen. The main character Fable was perfect. She was forced to grow up early due to the situation she was dropped into and it made her independent. What I liked was she was independent but still showed she was vulnerable by the way she expressed herself. I found her emotions to be realistic and not once did she ever whine or complain which I liked. The character relationships felt easy and not forced. The characters who came across standoffish or uninterested added to the story and made you wonder why they were that way. Overall, this book was amazing. Truly one of my favorites and a book I will definitely reread when the next one gets released. This book was a first from this author for me but I have already ordered two other books she has written and am looking forward to reading those as well!

Should you read “Fable”?
Heck yes! This book was action packed, fast paced, and had phenomenal world building. The reader feels as though they are right beside Fable and every decision she makes will affect them too.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I was SUPER excited when I was approved for this ebook. Because PIRATES (sort of)! I have NOT read Adrienne Young's first two books yet, because... ~never-ending tbr problems~

Fable was, in one word, dull. Nothing happens in this book... like, quite literally, nothing. There are a handful of moments that I assume are meant to be heart-pounding but the stakes never seem high enough. The characters are flat as a board. Fable is the only character with any depth, but she's also the POV character.

The other main characters are members of a ship crew. There are two that are from the slums... but that's most of what we learn about them. There are two that are from a distant (more financially secure land). The only other detail we know about them is that they are an interracial gay couple. Which is VERY COOL but... tell me more? There's also another dude... don't even remember his name. We know nothing about him except he likes to count supplies (both his job and his ~passion~). I can't help but feel like he's set for imminent death in book two, but I digress.

This book is for you if you love to read tedious passages about sailing. I can't remember the last time I had to use my kindle dictionary so many times... There is a LOT about the mechanics of sailing, the parts of the ship, the roles of various crew members, etc. I'm sure that's someones cup of tea, but I found it dull.

I can't help but feel like I just read a Part One of a book... There was basically no action and basically no romance until the very end. And I mean, the END. We are talking 90% finished with the book, people. I wasn't even intrigued by the dimensionless characters and flat dialogue. (I can get through ANYTHING if there's witty dialogue or I have a ~ship~)

The only reason I am giving this book 3 stars versus 2 is BECAUSE, I suspect book two might salvage this. Nothing happened in this book, so it's all going to happen in book two, right? RIGHT??