I absolutely adored Fable. Between the real actual pirates that do crime and badass survivor Fable, it hit all the marks for me.

So I was really excited to read the sequel. I can confirm that the series is a duology, Namesake ties up all the loose ends and wraps the story up nicely.

But I didn't enjoy the story nearly as much. I kind of struggled to finish it just to know the ending. There were so many coincidence, our merry band of misfits backstories are all a bit too convenient to make the plot continue. It felt forced. And I lost love for West and was kind of enthralled with Koy instead, who comes back into the story.

All in all it just felt rushed, like it could have been good but the author didn't have enough time to hash the story out.

This book was absolutely phenomenal! It was a perfect finale to the duology and the characters were amazing! I really enjoy Adrienne Young's writing and have yet to be disappointed in her books. Highly recommend, such an atmospheric book!

*ARC provided by Netgalley for honest review*
I really enjoyed Fable so I was excited to get to this sequel but I was a little disappointed..
I really enjoyed learning more about Fable’s mother, the world really expands compared to Book 1 and we get more adventures. But I was mad we didn’t get more of the Marigold’s crew they were just there but not really developed. Also some plots were just resolved by miracle by the end without real reasons.. I just wanted more !
Also the dynamic between Fable and West felt off to me, comparing him to a father or him being extra possessive was too much.
I also would have enjoyed knowing what Fable’s story will become after all of that.
This was still a good YA fantasy book , I really liked Fable as a character and loved the setting of the story. It was fast paced and an enjoyable story so I would recommend giving this duology a shot !

3.75 ⭐️

Fable’s life is in danger. With secrets of the past being revealed, she’ll do all she can, even if it means giving up everything she only just gained, to keep those she loves safe.

I really loved Fable. That book gave us so many wonderful things: with it’s beautiful and atmospheric world building, the difficult relationships between Fable & Saint and West & Willa, and the exciting life of sea traders, dredgers and gem sages. Namesake picks up right where Fable left off, and is very plot driven. This isn’t a terrible thing, but to me the two books would have flowed better as one. I feel splitting it into 2 stories hinders the book’s strengths.

I really enjoyed Saint’s character arc throughout this book. I wish the other characters -especially, West-would have had the same great character development (which seemed to fall by the wayside along with the world building).

Don’t take my negative comments to mean I didn’t enjoy Namesake. I thought it was great. I love the found family theme that is woven throughout, and feel this exciting and adventurous tale wrapped up nicely.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

Namesake picked up right where Fable left off. Fable wakes up on the Luna after having been captured by Zola and her old friend Clove.She learned that she is being taken to the Unnamed Sea to buy back Zolas freedom to trade there. But of course nothing goes to plan and Fable is set on a course to dredge for a mysterious, and never before seen gem to save her father.

I liked this book just as much as the first book, it’s exciting, emotional and suspenseful. Both books together are a great story. I liked that in Namesake we got to learn more about Fables past, we meet her Grandmother who isn’t as grandmotherly as she would have hoped. We learned more about who her mother was and why her mother chose to leave her well off life for a life with Saint.

What I liked the most was the relationship with her father. That even though she thought that Saint was cruel, and that he left her on the island to fend for herself. Fable still loved him, she still wanted to do everything that she could to protect him, and to keep him alive and that Saint would do the same for her. His reveal that he’s always cared about her at the end was very heartfelt and touching.

Of course there is Fables relationship with the crew and West. I love the crew of the Marigold and their love for each other. Each one of them is willing to sacrifice their dreams to help the others. Even when they don’t want to. Fable and West are two sides of the same coin and that they figure out how to love each other and work together is something I really enjoyed.

My only complaint about this book was that a lot needed to happen to finish the story so I thought that it jumped around a lot and at times was hard to know where they were and how they got there. I felt as though there were parts that were missing. All in all I loved this book and Fable and I hope that Adrinnee Young writes more books on the sea in the future because she has a knack for telling these types of stories.

One thing I'd like to add, is about the covers of these books. I tend to be a "Judge a book by it's cover" person. These covers are absolutely beautiful. If I had never heard of the author before and had seen these on the books store shelves I would have picked them up. Two of the most beautiful covers I've ever come across. I probably would have bought Fable and Namesake even if I didn't enjoy the book just to have both covers together.

This is an excellent companion to Fable. The story continues where Fable left off.

And I just now figured out what this title refers to. Wow. How smart am I? Not that I was really thinking about it before.

Without giving away any spoilers to this or Fable, let me just say that this is a fun adventure story with bit of danger and some love scenarios. It would have been hard to meet the level of awesomeness that is Fable, but this definitely stands up as a great follow-up.

I really loved Fable. Did that message come through clearly?

This is a great follow up to the first in this series, Fable. I really enjoyed getting to know the main character, Fable. She is tough, smart and comes through when all the odds are against her.

“ I knew the song of the gem like I knew the rhythm of my own heartbeat.”

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. I can’t think of one thing I didn’t enjoy. The conflict was fabulous and we got more romance in it. We even had a little surprise in there as well as a resolution with her father. This is a must read duology!!

If you enjoyed Fable (#1 in this series) then you will absolutely LOVE Namesake. Adrienne Young is able to transport you into the lives of the characters, making you feel as if you are on the journey alongside them. I am already counting the days until #3 is released.

Really enjoyed this series. Great writing and character building! I love the world and the female lead she’s strong and smart. I was so lucky to have received both books to review! I also had to add them to my library at home because the covers are just gorgeous! Would definitely recommend!

I finished Fable and immediately began this ARC of Namesake. IT WAS AMAZING! Thank you so much for allowing me to review this! It's been so fun chatting about it with Bookstagram world and friends in real life, praising Young's writing and this addictive story line. The characters are so well-developed, the setting and scenery and imagery is fantastic, and I'm thrilled the sea isn't evil towards humans (ie, no sharks are eating humans....my biggest fear).

Thank you thank you for allowing me to read this! I cannot wait until the 3rd book!

Rating: 5/5

THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD CONCLUSION!!!

What is it about books set around the water that make me love them? I absolutely love this world and the characters, and Adrienne Young's writing is just flawless to me! I'm not sure what it is about her writing, but every book that she writes is just so perfectly matched to what I enjoy in books, which is just so wild!

If you loved the first book Fable, then you will NOT be disappointed in how Namesake wraps up the series! And if you haven't started this series, give it a try! It has pirates, slow-burn romance, found-family, and I repeat it is set on the water!

(Yes, I love books set on the water and I will read any of them that I come across!)

Anyways, I'll stop rambling on about how much I loved this book, ONLY IF, you read this duology!

Thank You So Much To NetGalley And St. Martin's Press For Providing Me With An eARC In Exchange For An Honest Review!!

Fans of Adrienne Young will know that this duology is close to her heart and it is evident having read them that she has poured nothing less than her whole heart into this story. It is impossible not to fall in love with the ocean the way Adrienne writes it. The passion, freedom and joy in her writing lifts off the page to bring an astounding close to this beautiful and magical duology.

After Fable is kidnapped and forced to dive for an enemy ship and captain we see her drawn into a world bigger than the first book and gain far more insight than we thought possible about her mother and Fable herself. We continue to watch as her friends and enemies surround her and issue challenges, support the impossible and provide her with the family she was so desperately lacking.

Namesake, in my opinion, was my favourite of the two but I do love an ending and the way that Adrienne ties it all up with revelations, reunions and remembrance just gives it an edge over Fable. Lovers of fantasy novels epic and YA will love this story and I will continue to follow Adrienne Young, excited for any of her new releases.

My full review will be available on twwbookclub.co.uk closer to date of publication.

"Namesake" by Adrienne Young is the sequel to "Fable" and lives up to the excitement of the first novel! Readers will delight in the second installation as the story returns to the cast of characters from the Marigold and the plot thickens! The story is adventurous, fast paced and will keep readers furiously turning pages well into the night to see what happens to these characters that we have now become so attached to. As a reader, I enjoyed the lush writing style of Adrienne Young. While easy to read and relaxing, the imagery will transport you into the scene and is escapism at its finest. This series has made me a Adrienne Young fan for life and I will be sure to pick up her entire backlist of books!
*Thank you to the publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Namesake is the second book in Adrienne Young's duology about Fable, a gem sage and daughter of a notorious trader. She finds herself being used as a pawn in a larger game full of betrayal and secrets. Fable and the crew of the Marigold must search for a treasure before time runs out that will save not just their crew but the Narrows as well.

Where Fable focused on world-building and character introductions, Namesake focuses on plot. There is little to no introduction before you're back in the thick of the action, which I really enjoyed! The duology as a whole is very fun, and I would not be surprised if it is sold as a boxed set in the future since one is not as enjoyable without the other. Young's storytelling is captivating, and I couldn't put this book down until I had finished it.

I highly recommend this duology to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy and Action/Adventure. It's full of pirates and treasure hunting with a dash of romance and family drama.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Namesake features a determined heroine, pirates, politics and intrigue. It picks up right where the cliffhanger ending of the first installment (Fable) left readers wanting more. For the first 40% of the novel, I found myself more enthralled in Fable's story than in the first novel. Action-packed, filled with more questions Fable must find the answers to, and both new and old characters, the author does not let readers down.

And then West, Fable's love interest and captain of their found family, enters the scene, stage right. I'm not left wanting more, I'm left wanting somebody else. West's character (and subsequently the romance arc in this and the first book) just don't work for me. There's more chemistry between Fable and the Jevali diver who tried to kill her at the start of the first book. Am I the only one who feels like he should have been written 10-15 years younger so that they could get together?

There was great familial dynamic between Fable and her father, but as with the first book, I also would have love love loved to see more development of the relationships/characters within the found family aboard the Marigold. There was more than in the first, but please don't hold back those found family feels!

Overall, I still recommend this one if it's caught your eye. The world-building is fantastic, and Fable herself is a strong female character. Most everyone around me seems to love the romance between Fable and West, so chances are it might work for you too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Namesake by Adrienne Young was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021! With Fable being in my top reads of 2020 Namesake had some big shoes to fill.

Adrienne's insanely beautiful and lyrical way of writing instantly immersed me back into The Narrows and I spent the first handful of chapters hanging on her every word. The beginning of this book was just SO EXCITING! We pick up right where Fable lets off and let me tell you, I was on the edge of my seat!

Much like Fable, I promise you won't be let down by Namesake. We are given the details we so painfully craved in book one. I was thrilled to see a slow unravelling of Paj and Auster's background/story with their tale quickly becoming one of my favorite pieces to this book (*cue heart eyes).

Along this adventure-filled journey we visit new places, meet new characters, search for new gems and overcome all kinds of obstacles! The dynamic between each person is so intricate that just watching all the threads weave together in this complex world was beyond satisfying. If you were a fan of book one I would definitely recommend hoping aboard the Marigold and joining the in on the excitement for round 2!

My main critiques for Namesake were that I found Fables inner monologue to be painfully repetitive at times and my interest waned toward to middle as I found there was a lack of pull toward any particular plot line. I had my fingers crossed for more gripping reunions and I was looking for more when it came to the return of certain sentimental pieces but overall I was not let down.

I definitely feel like I need to give a 'hats off' to the design team for once again knocking it out of the park with this stunning cover. It is just beyond beautiful. Big thank you to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to get this book! I loved Fable and couldn't wait to see how the story progressed.
The artwork for the cover is stunning and makes you want to be a part of Fable's world. Namesake had some twists to the story that I expected and some of them I didn't see coming. Readers will enjoy the camaraderie of the crew of the Marigold and the developing relationship between Fable and West. It would have been nice to have a little more dialogue between West and Fable to exhibit the depth of their feelings. The story flowed well and smoothly for me. I didn't feel there was a lag in the movement of the book. I will definitely read this series again.

I loved this book! It was the perfect ending to the Duology. Adrienne Young is great at pulling the reader in and getting you to root for the main character. I love all the action and grittiness of her books. Namesake is definitely on our list for purchase to add to the library!

Adrienne Young is steadily becoming one of my top YA authors, and an insta-read for me. I love that she keeps her series relatively short, and ties everything up to satisfy the reader. The Fable and Namesake duology was no exception - after loving Fable, with its amazing worldbuilding and captivating pirate setting, I could hardly wait for the release of Namesake. It picked up right where Fable left off, with our titular character finally coming to terms with her (lack of) relationship with her father. But she has to fight for the other relationships in her life - namely, Holland, who is still making poor decisions when it comes to both captaining the Marigold and his feelings for Fable. I am nothing if not an optimist, though, and I hoped everything would work out in the end.

We get to meet another charismatic member of Fable's family, and learn even more about her mother and her own abilities. This book was definitely a page-turner, I think I read it in one sitting. I loved the twists and turns, and I loved how immersed I became in the story. I could almost feel the spray of the salty sea as the Marigold hit another big wave. This was a great duology.