After finishing the prequel to Namesake, Fable, I immediately wanted to dive in and continue the story, because I couldn't live with that cliffhanger. And man, was I in for a wild ride!

Namesake takes the stoy of Fable into completely different waters, and instead of feeling like a forced sequel, the story was broken wide open. I ended up loving Namesake even more than Fable.

There were just so many plot twists and unexpected turns that I couldn't stop reading. Even while cooking dinner I had the book clutched in my hand because I just needed to know what would happen. So much excitement!

I'm pretty sure this is a duology, but if there would be more books, I would want to read them immediately. I'm also going straight fo all of Adrienne Young's backlist books, because this has definitely left me wanting more.

I really enjoyed this book, WAY more than I liked fable!
There’s a richness to this story, a depth, more action, more romance, more everything that makes this the better half of this duo in my opinion.
Fable is a great female character. She’s strong, but also soft in the parts she needs to be.
West is just... be still my heart! He is strong, protective, loving. He’s perfect.
I love the other cast members in this book too, even if they have much smaller parts than fable.
One thing I would definitely recommend is that you read this immediately after fable. Don’t wing it and think you’ll be okay like I did. Perhaps you have a better memory than me, which wouldn’t be hard, but I struggled at times because I couldn’t remember details.
For me, fable was hit or miss, but this is incredible! Definitely worth chugging through the first book for!

I saved up 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 to read right before picking up 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 by 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 and I am so glad that I did so, this duology was absolutely thrilling with just the right amount of swoon. ⁣
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In 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞, Fable, West and the Marigold crew are finally free of her father, Saint when she is kidnapped by one of most notorious thugs of the high seas. ⁣
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Fable’s sheer endurance and determination to survive was amazing to read. And as in book one, I just loved reading how competent and skilled she is in her chosen profession as well as how protective Fable is over her family- both found and blood. This protectiveness drives the story and I really enjoyed all the machination and intrigue. ⁣
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I also really enjoyed dear, sweet morally-grey West. To me, West is a villain in love and I dig it! I think West is one of the best characters in this duology as I was as uncertain as Fable throughout the books about his motivations and feelings and even his true character. The author kept me on edge the whole time and I loved that sweet, sweet torture! 😂 ⁣
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Overall, this was a fantastic read and I can’t wait to read more from Adrienne Young!⁣
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I am sad that this was just a duology. I want more books in this series. Books about the other characters, books about being a gem-sage, more about this world of diving for gems would be a great addition. Fable remains an interesting character, and there are some fascinating secrets to be found within the pages of this second and final book. I have been transported once again and did not want to leave the pages of this book. Fable and Namesake are beautiful books, and you need to read them together one right after the other to be immersed in this mysterious world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!
So let me get to the point straight! This is the best way to end this duology!!! I read Fable last year and I loved it! I haven't read much books set in sea and this one caught me right from the start!
But Namesake is just amazing! I loved it even more than Fable! It picked up right from where Fable ended with a cliffhanger!!! And omg what a ride it was!!!
I really loved all the characters and their developments! I loved the father daughter relationship between Fable and Saint! And Oh boy I love West! Whatever he's doing he is the best!
The plotline was so fast and I kept on guessing what's going to happen but whenever I think I was right there will be a twist in the plot!! I was not even bored for a single minute when I read this one!!!
Overall,if you're looking for a duology set in sea and gives you more insight about a trading ship and stuffs like that with more action and plot twist then believe me this duology is the one for you and you'll love it! Just pick these up these books and read them!

Namesake was a fun, witty and excellent continuation of Fable's story. I couldn't wait to pick it up and it did not disappoint. It was full of new and exciting challenges while still keeping true to the great pace and sense of adventure.

It was the same awesome swash-buckling story as we saw in Fable with a hint of romance, betrayal and twists you don't expect. We learn more about Fable's family, see her relationships change and grow and we even get introduced to the famous Bastien. There are darker and more mature themes in this book than the first - which was refreshing as it made the character growth more obvious. The plot was well timed and I was completely enthralled for the entire book.

If you loved pirate books, adventures, strong heroines and slow burn love interests this book and series is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Namesake is the sequel to Fable (which I reviewed here). I really loved Fable, so I was very excited to get approved to read its sequel. Namesake did not disappoint. I’m just going to say right now that there will be spoilers for Fable, so stop reading now if you haven’t read the first book.
Namesake follows Fable after the cliffhanger ending. Fable has been kidnapped and once again separated from her crew. I missed seeing the crew together, but I loved all of the secrets that we learned and getting to see more of this captivating world. We get to see more outside of the Narrows that we learned about in Fable. The mysterious Bastian is finally revieled. We also get to meet the infamous Holland. I really enjoyed seeing this world open up. Young’s writing is so great. It’s detailed enough to give a clear picture of the story and the characters, but not so flowery that it danced around.
Fable is the same badass, intelligent, fierce main character that she was in the first book. She’s faced with a lot of revelations about the past that she’s forced to deal with in her present. I thought these secrets and twists were well done. I didn’t see any of them coming and they really did great things for the overall story.
Now, I’m sad to say that I didn’t love the romance between Fable and West as much in this book. I still liked it and was invested in their happy ending, but there was something about it that I just didn’t like in this book. I think the conflict that was introduced, specifically for the romance, wasn’t needed at all. I didn’t care for the comparisons to Fable’s father and the doubt that it caused for Fable. Especially since I don’t feel like any of that was really worked through.
Overall, this was another action packed, high stakes story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved Fable. I loved seeing her faced with challenges and working through her choices. I liked seeing her try to solve problems and figure out the next steps. I loved seeing more of this world. I especially loved the writing. I will definitely be looking into Young’s backlist soon.

Namesake is the second book in the Fable series by Adrienne Young. It is a story full of action and adventure that is sure to pull you in and hold your attention until the very end. Namesake picks up where the last book leaves off, making it easy to get lost in.

“We were salt and sand and sea and storm. We were made in the Narrows.”

Aaah, what a perfect ending to this spectacular duology! Namesake begins right where Fable ends and doesn’t waste any time jumping in to the thick of things. Zola has kidnapped Fable, she’s on the Luna and she’s shocked to find a familiar face there among his crew. Forced to dredge for Zola, Fable heads in to the Unnamed Sea and finds there is much more to her family and past than she could have ever imagined.

I loved Fable but I really loved where Ms. Young took Namesake! The characters all gained depth and I felt like things were brought around full circle, complete with the character growth I so longed for. The plot moves at a quick pace full of adventure both at sea and on land all while continuing to build a fascinating world that I loved learning more about. Ms. Youngs writing easily transported me in to Fable’s world and I loved reading every daring adventure! There are twists I didn’t see coming and some character arcs that I had hoped for.

There’s so much to love in this duology, but the found family trope is strong and I’m here for it. Namesake had all the swashbuckling adventure, romance, intrigue and twisty reveals I could possibly dream of and then some! Five humongous stars to this gem of a book.

Narration: Emma Lysy is spectacular! I listened to her narration of Fable and was excited to see Emma was narrating Namesake, too! Her voice is so distinctive; rich with depth and emotion, and moves flawlessly from character to character in perfect rhythm and pitch. She is an absolute joy to listen to!

My thanks to MacMillan Audio for gifting me an ALC and to Wednesday Books for gifting me a DRC.

I loved Fable, the story of a resilient young woman who escapes an island of thieves and cutthroats by booking passage on the Marigold to get to the island where her father resides so that she can join one of his crews, when I read it last year. It was an exciting adventure that gave me total Pirates of the Caribbean vibes (which is a franchise I thoroughly enjoy, mind you)! And after the way it ended, I was so eager to dive into Namesake. The sequel explores the consequences of the choices made in the first book, including a brand-new series of obstacles and challenges that Fable will need to find her way around (or through) if she wants to keep the people she cares for safe. Namesake was an enthralling adventure that had me hooked right from the start! I was happy to be reunited with Fable, to see the ways she’d grown from her experiences, to discover how she still had a lot to learn, and to witness her extraordinary (and stressful) adventures as she tries to make sure things all turn out okay. This, in tandem with learning more about the world and other characters, made this such a satisfying read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages once I’d started reading it, and I really enjoyed how Young chose to wrap up Fable’s tale. If you’ve yet to read Fable, consider this my endorsement for the full duology and encouragement to pick it up! And, if you’ve read Fable and are excited for Namesake, I can confidently say that you’re in for a treat. (P.S. I’d recommend reading them back to back for the full immersive story experience, which is what I ended up doing!)

When I read Fable in December, it quickly became one of my favourite books of the year. And I enjoyed Namesake just as much!

Namesake is a great read and a wonderful end to the duology. I loved the writing, the characters, the plot and the adventure. I think everything wrapped up in a really satisfying way and it leaves me excited for Adrienne Young's future books!

My only wish for the book is that we got a bit more on the romance level between Fable and West. While I think what does occur between them is satisfying for the overall direction of the book, I wish the romance was a bit stronger - especially when compared to the feeling of the first book.

Overall, a great read and I'm so excited for Adrienne Young's future books!

Fable was an exciting, fun book full of adventure. You fell in love with Fable and her crew and a love of the sea permeated the pages. If book one was about Fable pursuing her father, book two was about her pursuing the history of her mother. It made for a fitting duology and Namesake exceeded my expectations. Adrienne Young took the challenges and swashbuckling to a whole new level in the second book and I think Fable and her friends got the ending they deserved.

Was... That it? Everyone talks around in circles, lying and manipulating. There's some diving. There's no threat of death, there's no anticipation, there's just the threat of wealth but working for someone they don't like. Plus, there's almost no character development? Like, in Fable we spent all that time with the other characters from The Marigold and here we saw them briefly as "we're mad!" and... That's it. There was just no substance to any of it.

With the way that Fable ended, I was expecting a mad dash or at least the threat of death. But we got none of that. Suddenly West appears again without him or Fable having to really do anything interesting and everyone's mad but that doesn't stop Fable or West from getting everything they wanted? It all just felt... Convenient, incidental.

Also... Pretty sure Young's favorite word is "lowly" - it's used so often I started flinching every time I heard it.

Headlines:
Cover win-inside goodness
Full & satisfying
Trousers over dresses

"Helmsman. Dredger. Trader. Orphan. Father. Daughter."

This second piece in the duology did not let me down. I can't tell you how relieved that makes me when I loved book one, there's always that trepidation over the next one. This story, this crew, Fable and West really captured my book-loving heart and being able to follow the story to completion was everything.

Interestingly, Fable was a little less tough and a little more weepy in Namesake, showing a vulnerability I didn't expect. Talking of expectations, family continued to be a key theme in this instalment and it was hard to trust anyone related to Fable.

One of the things that captivated me in Fable was the diving and dredging; I loved for those moments in this book too and there were plenty. I just found that element so interesting, vivid, dangerous and wild.

"Even from above, I could feel them - the soft songs of the gemstones hidden in the reef below."

West really struck me with the faith he had in Fable. She pulled some tough decisions, some gut feelings that weren't based in much and he made things happen as a consequence. West was morally grey but 100% committed. I loved how their power dynamic played out, push and pull but one more in control than the other.

I am all satisfaction at the story, pacing and characterisation of this duology. This will sit happily on my shelves as a favourite.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the early review copy.

This was everything I was hoping for as a wrap up to this series! Fable was an amazing main character and her story evolved so much over the course of the two books...as did she! I loved how we got to learn more about the cast of characters around her (and her relationship to them). Of course, I will never say no to more of Fable and West.

If you haven't picked up this series, you definitely should fix that right now. I loved every second of these books and couldn't put them down. If you're looking for a YA Fantasy that will keep you turning the pages, this book / series should be next up on your list!

I love Adrienne Young's writing and FABLE blew me away, so when I had the chance to read NAMESAKE, I jumped. Here's what I really love about this book: the characterization, the story arc, the reality of the human relationships that we're presented with. I love the pirate elements because I think those are really unique in the YA world, but honestly the characters are what draw me.

It's easy in YA books to skip over difficult things or smooth things over quickly because they're naturally faster paced, but Young does a really great job of showing the vulnerability and difficulty within human relationships in NAMESAKE. She addresses the fact that not everything is black and white; sometimes, things are morally grey and those are the only options we have.

I love the complexity of this story; I love the tense situations we find Fable in and how she navigates them while staying true to herself. I love her and West and their story. I love her love for her father, even though he has flaws and faults. I think the story arc of this is perfectly paced and easily devoured. A really really great read!

Namesake is the second and final installment in author Adrienne Young's Fable duology. The story picks up a little bit after the ending of Fable. If you've read Fable, you know that our heroine, Fable, was blindsided by a notorious foe of her fathers in an attempt to use her as a pawn in a complex power game. Her desperation to escape is only hardened by the perceived betrayal she feels at realizing the ship's Navigator is none other than her father's second-hand from her childhood.

Onboard in the Luna, Fable doesn't have a friend. The crew wants to kill her and the man she thought was a friend has betrayed her and Saint. Worse, she has no clue if West knows what happened to her. Fable is given an ultimatum by Zola. She must dredge for her freedom or die. Then, things get worse when her own nemesis, Koy, is brought about on Jevali to help dredge for gems. Fable remembers very well the last time the time of them met face to face. Can Fable survive against someone eager to kill her?

In between leaving Jeval, where Fable spent 4 years begging and scraping in order to survive, and arriving in Bastian, Fable has a few incidents that will leave her reeling and eager to find a way out from under Zola and his crew. After a stopover in Sagsay Holm, Fable hears a rumor that someone is going port to port setting fires to ships looking for Fable. This news gives Fable hopes that either West or Saint has finally figured out who stole her away, and that they are on the way to help her.

Once she's in Bastian though, everything changes when she begins to understand that her mother had plenty of secrets that she kept to herself. Including, Holland, the grandmother she never knew about who is a shark just like her father. There are some twists and surprises that happen in Bastian and with Holland, Fable, West, and Saint that I'll skip over since they contain spoilers and will ruin the surprise for those who will one day read this final installment.

I think the most interesting dynamics of this story ends up being the relationship between Saint and Fable. Saint is conniving bastard at times and his past decisions regarding Fable were atrocious and apparently calculating. Everything he does in these two installments is perfectly tailored to play the long game of increasing his power. Saint, however, more than makes up for his past with some remarkable gamesmanship putting his adversaries in difficult situation.

There are some curious similarities between Isolde and Fable. Both were was stubborn, beautiful and a talented gem mages. West is bloody brilliant. He's such a harsh character, one who seems certain of the worst at every turn, but he adores Fable and goes to great lengths to save her. West's crew members have become family to Fable. They don't see her as Saint's daughter or just another dredger, but part of a family unit that has it's ups and downs and everything else in between.

Overall, it is very rare that we get a sequel released so soon after the first book by a major publisher. I have to say thank you to the author and the publisher for thinking ahead with everything going on in this world.

How far will the Marigold go to get home?

Our girl Fable just can’t get away from trouble. Namesake continues our story from the first book, which was a great set up for this book. The first book Fable was good, Namesake was amazing. We continue our story with Fable being pulled into another scheme, with all new rules.
Namesake took pieces from the first story that was left open and wrapped it all up.
I absolutely loved the character and plot development and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. This book I read in 3 sittings, and it moved so well I didn’t even realize how far I was in the book, because I was so engrossed.
Fable, West and the rest of the crew with the help of other characters (new and old) had to go and continue into an action pact story all trying to survive.
I feel like Namesake moved better than the first in the duology (Fable having a lot of plot to set up) and I enjoyed this even more. I am sad to say goodbye to the story and characters, but I won’t be saying goodbye to Adrienne Young. This was a strong five out five for me, and maybe on my top ten books of the year when we end 2021.

Well it's official, I loved Namesake just as much as I loved Fable! And I am so incredibly sad my time with these fantastic characters has come to an end.

Friends! This can absolutely NOT be read as a standalone ... don't do it! You've been warned :) And... just in case you haven't read Fable and you're checking out this review ... I'm not going to say a whole lot, because spoilers aren't cool. What I will say is Namesake picks up right where Fable left off and it's EXCELLENT!! 👏

Once again Adrienne Young delivers an atmospheric, captivating and beautifully written seafaring adventure! And once again I couldn't put it down. All of my favorite characters from the previous book. We are also introduced to some new characters. One in particular that did not make my favorites list, haha ...

The duology wraps up nicely! I will admit I shed a tear or two near the end.

Huge thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my ecopy!

This whole series is a work of art in its truest form. From the very beginning, Fable has fought her way to get to where she’s at & in this story, you really see her shine. she works hard to show people who she is, how hard she works, & how nothing should be handed to her. it’s truly, TRULY the coming age story of the year.

this series is the easiest 5 stars i’ve given all year!

thanks to the pub for the arc. all thoughts are my own.