Usually going into the second book in a trilogy, I'm prepared to enjoy it much less than the first. However, with Namesake, it just made me love Fable even more!

Snatched from West and the rest of the Marigold crew, Fable finds herself caught in the middle of a scheme headed by one of her greatest enemies. Forced to dredge for him in order to gain enough gold to secure an alliance with Holland, notorious leader and gem trader in the Unnamed Sea, Fable finds herself surrounded by some faces she hoped she'd never see again, and some she thought were long since dead. She must trust her instincts in order to come out of this alive, and return to West and the crew that had started to become family.

It's really difficult to review this without spoiling anything. I'll just say, if you liked the first book, you'll love the second! I'm so thankful to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this one pre-release! Fable continues to grow into a strong, independent young woman, who knows what she wants and trusts in her heart to lead her in the right direction. I'm excited to see where her journey takes her next!

This was a great continuation of the previous book. As usual for Adrienne Young, the writing is well done and beautiful and the character is a strong female and I really appreciate seeing that in books. The plot was well done and I enjoyed reading all the events that took place.

While I enjoyed it, I wouldn't say its a new favorite, though I'm not quite sure why.

Namesake is a decent sequel and does its job of wrapping up the loose ends, but that’s all it does. It pains me to admit I found this dull and underwhelming compared to Fable. A lot of the elements that made the predecessor so magical were missing and it really affected my enjoyment.

Namesake picks up almost immediately after the end of Fable. It’s very rare that we get a sequel released so soon after the first book, which was not only really appreciated by necessary in this case. Unfortunately, it took me quite a while to get back into the story and I failed to feel as engaged as early on as I did with Fable.

My biggest issue with Namesake was that it felt flat and tedious. Many of the aspects that made Fable sparkle were missing or subdued. This book is more focused on Fable and her personal growth/relationships, and so the crew of the Marigold are sadly absent for a majority of the time. Most of the story felt very contrived. While it did an excellent job of wrapping up loose ends introduced at the end of Fable, I couldn’t help but wonder if the story would have been better served by simply adding another 100 pages to the first and keeping it a standalone instead.

As a self-proclaimed Adrienne Young stan, nothing made me sadder than realizing Namesake simply does not stand up to Fable. The magic of the first book failed to translate into this sequel thus was underwhelming.

Admittedly, my expectations for Namesake were sky-high after being blown away by Fable, and while I think this was a good read unfortunately it fell short of everything I had hoped for. I think some key things that I loved so much about Fable, the camaraderie of the Marigold crew was a HUGE one and it was severely lacking in this one. I really missed that. I think I was also a bit disappointed with some of the unanswered questions still lingering by the end. What really drove Isode away from her home and made it something not worthy of mention to her daughter? The full who/what/why of gem sagery in general would have been nice to be explored as well. And ultimately the Fable West love story just fell flat to me in this one. They felt disconnected so much in Namesake and to me I really felt like maybe their story was just a retelling of Saint and Isode's in a lot of ways which gave it a bittersweet taste. I get it but I can't say I ended up thrilled about it. I think one thing that really helped Fable feel so magical was even in the face of danger and the unknown, there was still a sense of wonder and joy throughout, whether it was from finding your chosen family or the exquisite beauty of the sea and Fable's gift. The mood was so dour in Namesake, we only really got glimpses of that here and it took the wind out of my sails a bit.

That all being said, I did like how the end addressed the relationship between Fable and Saint. It felt fitting. I loved the visceral feelings of connection Fable had with Isode. You really felt her presence along with Fable at times and that brought back the wondrous feelings missed in other parts. I was glad to get some of Auster and Paj's backstory. All in all I enjoyed this story and I am happy to have read the conclusion, I wish I would have managed my expectations a bit going in though.

Namesake is the second book in a duology. The books should be read in order to fully enjoy the story. The writing is lyrical, the descriptions are lush and vivid. Fable wakes up disoriented on a strange ship, in enemy hands. The ensuing events completely change her perceptions, From her place in her father's life and heart to her trust in her friends, both old and new, all of her beliefs are challenged and upended. Along the way, Fable must find the strength to become her own person and choose the life that suits her best. Fable is exceptionally relatable and the way the challenges she faces reshape her view of herself and her world felt authentic. I would recommend this series to readers young and old.

After that cliffhanger from the first book FABLE, I couldn't wait to read the sequel. I savored the first book, but I devoured this one. And yes, it was even better (if that's possible) than the first book.

NAMESAKE begins right where FABLE leaves off - with Fable being kidnapped by Zola in search of a rare gem. As they sail into the Unnamed Sea, Fable's history and family secrets unfold and make me love the characters even more.

I swear I could smell the salt air as I was reading about Fable & West on the Marigold. The characters, the imagery, the mystery, and the romance - I was hooked from the first page all the way to the last. I wasn't sure how AY was going to reconcile Fable's complicated relationship with her father, Saint, but it couldn't have ended any better (except not to end at all).

eARC provided by Netgalley. Some spoilers ahead.

I'm SO happy that I read Fable immediately before this, because the plot twist at the end of Fable made me immediately dive into Namesake, which is a credit to the overall plot. Overall, I enjoyed Namesake even more than Fable, but I do feel like there were still some parts where the plot moved a bit too slowly and was clouded in extensive descriptions of boat mechanizations that weren't always relevant to the plot. The narrative was definitely far stronger in Namesake, but I still felt like the duology was essentially a book and a half stretched over two books with a slow start. I still really enjoyed the duology overall and plan to buy the books, though!

I received an arc of this book by the publisher, via netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are truthful and my own.
I first read Fable as a physical arc many months ago, so I was ecstatic to be offered an e-arc of Namesake, the conclusion to this duology by author Adrienne Young.
Having never read any of Ms. Young’s previous books, I was surprised with how quickly her writing style appealed to me. She’s able to tell her stories in a minimal and simplistic way, while still being able to engage and keep the readers interest. An impressive feat indeed!
With Fable, and now with Namesake, I was quickly pulled into the story. Since Fable ended on a cliffhanger, Namesake picks up right at that point. We’re introduced to new characters like Saint’s (Fable’s Father) former crew mate and best friend Clove, and Holland, the most powerful trader in the Unnamed Sea. We also get to finally understand what Zola wants from Fable and get a brief glimpse of the kind of man he is.
I enjoyed revisiting beloved characters like Saint, and the crew of the Marigold, of course. But what really surprised me, was seeing Koy again! He’s another Jevali dredger and Fable’s arch nemesis (sorta speak), from the first book, Fable.
Namesake was definitely more of an intense book than Fable was - filled with sabotage, betrayals, scheming and treasure hunting.
And let’s not forget about the romantic relationships aboard the Marigold, which adds an emotional depth to these well loved characters. But it was the relationship between Fable and Saint that gave me what I was looking for....the final piece of the puzzle that answers the obvious question of ”why?”, that satisfied my need for understanding.
All in all, Namesake is a beautifully written conclusion, to a story of characters I’ve come to love getting to know. I enjoyed this book so much that my hope is that the Author will revisit this World and one day take us all back to the Narrows for more adventures and mayhem!

This was amazing!
It was everything I had hoped for!❤️
I’m so so satisfied with the ending as well and loved all the characters growth.
I can’t wait for it to be released so I can have both of them in my bookshelf! These covers are just so so Amazing!👌🔥

Fable, the first book in this duology, was one of my favorite reads last year, and I kept my fingers crossed that Namesake wouldn’t let me down. It didn’t.

Again, I have to mention both stunning covers in this series. The designer deserves a commendation. As with Fable, much of this book is also spent on the high seas, and I’m wondering why I haven’t read more books with that setting. I could just imagine the smell of the salt air and feel the wind in my face along with Fable. During the course of this story she’s proven herself a cunning, resourceful survivor several times over, but I have to admit she started to annoy me a bit in this book. The stakes are high, she learns a shocking secret about her family, and is forced into some difficult situations, but comes across as selfish at times and forgets about how her actions affect others. She’s not the only one with something to lose. I was happy to see a couple of characters call her on it and get her to see the bigger picture. West surprised me. He holds his cards close to the vest and has a dark side he’s not proud of, but he has some profound moments of honesty that didn’t come easy for him. Made me like him even more. Saint also has some unanticipated but much needed moments.

I adore Fable’s found family of the crew of the Marigold and was happy to learn more about Paj’s and Auster’s backstory. I also liked the way the author clevered weaved it into the story and turned it into an important part of the plot. A character I didn’t expect to see again makes it back for a quasi-redemption story and turns out to be a nice addition to the crew.

The final scenes are nailbiters and tension-filled. Intricately layered plans are built upon the word of pirates – but can you really trust them? With several surprises that blindsided me, I was worried about how things would play out until the very end. When all was said and done, Namesake is a fitting end for these characters that I’m sad to say goodbye to.

High seas adventure, gem mages, pirates, secrets, backstabbing – this is a thrilling YA fantasy series and one of my favorites I’ve come across recently. I’m now a confirmed pirate fan.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It became apparent to me while reading this book just how difficult it must be for an author to immerse his/her reader in a world the reader has never been in and likely never will be. @adrienneyoungbooks achieves this beautifully in this book just as well as she did in Fable.

While I read I could feel everything. I could smell the salty air, hear the wooden boards of the trade ship creak as the waves crashed and the wind howled. I felt the intensity of each moment and could imagine Fable digging her fingernails into her palms every time she faced a challenge. I was afraid for her, I encouraged her and was empathetic to the complex feelings she had toward her parents. The dynamic between father and daughter in this book is both heartbreaking and redemptive. The love story between Fable and West is one of shared strength and leadership. Though all the characters are flawed they’re also deeply genuine.

Fable became very real to me as I read and reading Namesake was an incredible adventure.

Bravo.
•
4.5/5 ⭐️ - I loved it! Pick this one up March 16!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

At the end of Fable, the title character thought she had finally gotten what she wanted. She had a boat, a crew that was beginning to become family and growing feelings for West.

But of course Saint’s daughter wasn’t going to go free so easily. Fable quickly finds herself kidnapped and caught up in a plot with new and powerful forces fighting for control of the Narrows. And Fable’s bloodline becomes more important than she ever dreamed.

Oh, Fable. She’s headstrong, tough and willing to take risks and wheel and deal to get the future she wants. She refuses to be the pawn in anyone’s game, even though everyone tries to use her in theirs. She’s willing to risk love - both familial love with Saint and romantic love with West - even knowing how much it can hurt. She’s a character you love to cheer on through the twists and turns of her story.

And then there’s West, who wants to love Fable with his whole heart, even as he struggles with the darkness within and without. He’s the perfect fantasy bad boy turning good again. And his crew finds their bonds tested throughout this book.

The sequel to Fable is thrilling and action-packed, with the twists and turns coming so fast that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Each new reveal surprised me, and nothing about this book was what I’d thought it would be going in. My only complaint is that I want a third book so I can spend more time with Fable and West.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Namesake brings the duology to a beautiful finish, going into this book you start right where you left of from Fable. Questions were answered, loose ends were tied and yet it still held a few twists along the journey that blew me away. If you enjoyed Fabled or any of Adrienne Young's work, you will definitely enjoy this.

Nakesame was a beautiful finish to a fantastic duology. Not sure where the ending of Fable is leading so the world building and expansion of characters in Namesake is shocking and mesmerizing. The twists and turns that Young folds into the story kept me going until the end.

Namesake not only lived up to my expectations, but blew them out of the water. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the characters we met in Fable, and also loved the addition of new characters as well. My opinion about some past characters even changed significantly in unexpected ways. Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was the continued focus on family whether it’s your blood family or your chosen family. There was definitely a good amount of suspense built up throughout the story, and plenty of adventure and high stakes. If you loved Fable you definitely will not be disappointed by the conclusion to this duology. I even cried some while reading this, but you’ll have to read it yourself to find out whether it was happy or sad tears.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a digital ARC to review.

After the first book, Fable, this sequel throws you right back in the story after last books' cliffhanger. Although I do prefer the first book, this was still a very good read with a satisfying ending.

With the writing of Adrienne Young it's easy to slip into the adventurous story of Fable, and it was a quick and fun read for me. In this book we also get further introduced to new characters and more relationships to explore. I wish we got a bit more on the relationship development part, and I felt the plot getting a little slower towards the middle of the book, which is why I end up rating this a solid 4 star book. I would definitely read more from this author!

This book was a great sequel to the first. It left me wanting to know more about the other characters in the book and their backstories. Young does a magnificent job at maintaining energy throughout the book while continuing the plot. This second book has everything you want out of a sequel!

Namesake could have benefited from some more pages and I'm not just saying that because I didn't want Fables story to end. In this book we get to dive deeper in Fables family history and her relationship between the crew on board the Marigold and Saint but the bonds didn't feel as strong as they did in the first book. We got introduced to some new characters that really tied the plot together. Fable really came out as a major player in the trading game. As always Young managed to bring the ocean to life and at times made my heart stop with the stakes being raised with every character having their own personal motivations. Not much more was added about Fable being a gem sage but we get to know more about her mother through her relationship between saint and her mother. I am pretty satisfied with the conclusion of this duology. 4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pleasantly surprised by this YA book. I enjoyed it very much and would definitely recommend it for young readers.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

I am sad to say that I really didn't care for it all that much. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger, and this book picks right up from that point. <i>Fable</i> was a fascinating book, driven by survival. <i>Namesake</i>, sadly, doesn't have the same drive. Instead, it's focused on solving mysteries. Some of them were very easy to solve for anyone with a careful eye for what they read. What was more frustrating though, for a long-time reader of fantasy fiction, was the absolute failure of world-building.

The entire story takes place in a relatively small area--the Unnamed Sea, the trading city Bastian, and the Narrows (a loosely governed waterway). This must be a small portion of the world that Young created, but that's never addressed. Instead, we're left with seeing a small portion of a world that has no interior logic and doesn't attempt to create interior logic. The idea that the sea is called the "Unnamed Sea" indicates that other seas do have names, but we never hear of them. Traders are focused on the gem trade, and movement of staples like grain are rarely addressed. Gems are retrieved from coral reefs. (In reality, gems are mined from earthen mines.) The divers that retrieve these gems are called "delvers," and they can apparently hold their breath for an unrealistic amount of time. (Admittedly, real pearl divers train themselves to do something similar, but that's never mentioned here.) There is magic in this world, but only a little. A small group of people are considered "gem sages"--they can sense and identify the nature of various stones and gems.

I'm happy to read fantasy fiction. I've been reading it for longer than the target audience of this book has been alive. (I'm 44 as of writing this review.) As a long-time reader of fantasy fiction, I expect some kind of internal consistency in the world-building. We readers don't have to see everything. For instance, we don't have to have a detour of an oat farm to recognize that oats exist. But the world that Young presents is so unrealistic that I would have really liked to take a tour of an oat farm if only to recognize that agriculture actually occurred in this world.

I don't think I would have minded these problems so much if this had been packaged as one book. I didn't care all that much about the inconsistent worldbuilding in book 1, in part because I knew there was a book 2, and the story was not complete. The pace of book 1 was so fast that I didn't really question anything. However, having months off between books gave me a chance to think, and this book was not helped by that.

Some readers may enjoy this book, but I don't recommend it for anyone familiar with fantasy worldbuilding.