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.

A good YA read! This book followed Fable’s adventure and what happened when she was kidnapped. The audience gets some of Fable and Saint’s family history throughout the story, while experiencing another high seas adventure. The characters were fun and charming. The general plot and setting were very fun. There is not a lot of pirate adventures for YA fans, However, I did feel like a lot of the storylines were either rushed or underdeveloped. It would have been nice to get more background on certain plot lines, but whatever the plot lacked, the characters made up for.

Fable was such an amazing book and ended in a way that had me wanting more! Namesake is such a fast-paced book with different surprises and twists that I didn't expect. I felt as attached to the characters as I did in the first book. The book ended in a perfect way that left unanswered questions answered and loose ends tied up.

When I finished the first book in this series Fable, I was left on the edge of my seat waiting for Namesake. Namesake does not disappoint. I enjoyed this book even more so than Fable. I love how everything is wrapped up nicely. I love the adventure and my favorite part is the family connections. Some were quite shocking! Fable is tough, brave and will do whatever she has to for those she loves. She wants to stay on the right side of the line. Definitely recommend!!

This was so well-written and fast paced that I was able to finish in two days! Just as the crew gets out of one jam, they fall into trouble again with, what appears, no way out. So many surprises and plot twists that were well-developed and left nothing unfinished.

I’m rating this book 3.5 stars rounding up to 4! I love the characters, all of them! Especially Saint!
The storyline in this book didn’t really appeal to me as much as the first, but that’s not to say it wouldn’t appeal to other people. Just not for me! Overall, after the mid point it got much easier to read and enjoy. I enjoyed it enough that I will still be buying it when it comes out.

Namesake picks up right where Fable left off. Fable is now on the Luna with Zola and his crew, but what happens next? Will Fable find her way back to the family she has found or will she lose everything?

Where Fable was new and exciting, Namesake is familiar but mysterious. This book was beautifully odd as it felt like nothing was happening, but everything was happening all at the same time. I can’t truly describe it in a way that makes perfect sense. I think it is something you will understand when you read the book, but it is one reason that I loved the ebb and flow of the story.

Namesake dove deeper into the hearts of characters both new and old and it felt like I was reading about myself with the familiarity and connection I felt to the characters within this book. This type of feeling and emotional connection is what can take an already good book and make it a fantastic book.

Adrienne Young has definitely written her way onto my list of favorite authors with the Fable duology. I cannot recommend these books enough. I’ve talked about them so much that my phone now recognizes the author’s full name. If you haven’t added Fable and its sequel Namesake to your TBR or wishlist what are you waiting for?

I thought I loved Fable, but this book made that love look puny. It seems that Fable cannot take any easy path and finds herself in all kinds of new traps and adventures in this second volume. I liked that while there are romances this story was about Fable securing her place in the world and trying to get the life she wants instead of what all of the overreaching plotters in her life want. Just when they thought they won Fable is kidnapped and put to work on Zola’s ship. He keeps telling her just one more task until he brings her to the biggest gem trader in Bastian who has more than a few secrets. The writing and adventure had me glued to the pages and while they did get to a good ending I can’t help but hope for more volumes in this universe.

This final book in the Fable duology tied up the loose ends and had some really great elements to result in a satisfying conclusion!

I love the return to the sea, and dredging - that is such an interesting concept to me, and I enjoyed hearing more about Fable's skill. The interactions between Fable and her father, as well as the Bastian gem ruler Holland, are really engrossing and nail-biting at times. It certainly lends a feeling of fast-paced thrill and mystery to the story.

There were a few instances of repetitive and fruitless searching, which was disappointing, even though the ending gave a nod to what was missed. Namesake was also a little lacking in the camaraderie and sense of belonging we found in Fable, since she doesn't spend much time aboard the Marigold. And when she does, it's under stressful conditions. I also didn't love the shift of personality that overtook West, without a fulfilling and permanent-feeling resolution. I guess I would have liked to see him calm back down and deserve Fable.

Overall, a fun duology! I'd definitely recommend Namesake to everyone!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Adrienne Young's Namesake serves as the conclusion to the story she began in Fable, a swashbuckling high seas adventure about a young girl searching for her pirate father in a literal sea of grifters and cutthroats. And it's an exciting, fast-paced ride that will ultimately satisfy those that stepped on board the Marigold with Fable last year.

There's plenty to love about this sequel: Its relentless pace keeps the story feeling as though something new and dramatic is happening on every page. The introduction of Bastian gem queen Holland, along with her connections to Fable's mother, adds a deeply personal element to proceedings. And our heroine's complicated relationship with her pirate father, Saint, remains as surprising and compelling as ever.

But Namesake is also missing much of the found family appeal that categorized the first novel. Part of the reason for that is that we just don't spend that much time on the Marigold, and there's little for its crew to do elsewhere in the story. But, unfortunately, the biggest problem is West, who becomes a huge, controlling jerk in this book, and the story runs out of pages before the character can properly be rehabilitated into anyone I want around our heroine.

Admittedly, I forgot some of the plot and lingo from Fable, but I was still able to read through this book quite easily. That being said, I was hoping that Namesake could prove me wrong in regards to the duology, but it didn't. Nevertheless, it was better than the first book.

I was starting to like how to story continued but then it just got worse and worse. I couldn't quite click with Fable as a character in the first book and that same feeling translated into this one as well. I couldn't quite click with West either for the same reasons. Watching them run around making incredibly selfish decision with no subsequent growth in personality was disappointing and boiled my emotions (in a bad way). In contrast, the only person I liked was Willa and the rest of West's crew because they had common sense. They took into account everyone's feelings and perspectives, not just their own.

My next point brings me to West and Fable's relationship. It's quite toxic. No communication. Back and forth decision-making . . . Not exactly a good ideal to impose on your general young adult audience.

My last point. Saint and Fable. The second book really did a 180 on how they portrayed Saint. I kind of get where the author's getting at. You have a father who didn't want to put his daughter in danger, and then a daughter who didn't understand why, etc., etc.

All being said, the ending was sweet, and it did end on a good note. The plot does come full circle, and the duology's premise is quite rare. Although execution of the story wasn't as developed enough to my taste, it's still one of the better pirate-themed series out in the young adult fantasy world.

This duology is truly in a league of its own. Namesake is exactly what I needed in order to get my reading frenzy started in the new year. Fable's story and continuation are one for the ages and I truly believe that all ages of people will adore these books. I like that Fable is able to show her vulnerability in Namesake a little more in order to further her family backstory and history. She is definitely a strong female character as well, but being able to connect to her character in a vulnerable way was something special. THANK YOU NETGALLEY!!

I think this book was a satisfying conclusion to the Fable duology series. The beautiful descriptions still made this book as great as the first, There was a magic to it that was kept from book 1 to book 2. The characters still felt true to their motivations and development from the first book. However, this book was a lot more focused on Fable. Which makes sense since the first book was really getting up the rest of the characters, this one was bale to focus more on the protagonist without it feeling like the other characters were left behind.

My only problem with the book was that the plot moved very quickly and it got a little confusing as to what was happening at times. Especially since there were so many moving pieces in the last half of the book. The character of West also got a little bit unlikable in the middle but that was because we don't see much of him other than having him "looking tense" or being moody. It got better towards the end though.

This sequel exceeded my expectations.
Fable is a "prisoner" on Zolo's ship who feels confused on Clove's presence. Zolo and West feud is nothing compared to what is really going on.
We get to see many characters from book 1 return, such as Koy and what his return means for Fable. What is Clove's real purpose on Zolo's ship and how did he get there when Saint insinuated in the first book he died? What will West do to reach Fable? We get a better glimpse at what he really does for Saint even though I had a good idea from the first book.
One thing I really enjoyed was the character development in this book. No one is a hero and many have a dark side as they are trying to survive in a world that will spit them out into the farthest depths of the sea it can find. Fable, West, Saint, Willa, and even Koy as well as the Marigold crew try to make sense of the feelings toward eachother and how to react to the situation they find themselves in. Who can you trust, and who will rip the carpet from underneath you as soon as you think you know what is going on?
I enjoyed the constant plotting and everyone trying to one up the other. Who will survive and who will sell their soul to accomplish their goals or save the one they love?
We do also find out more about Isolde (fables mom) and how her discovery/life could change the trade in the narrows and unnamed sea and how that effects Fable which ends up effecting everyone in the Narrows.

I want to thank Net Galley and St.Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this. Finished in a day , it was that enjoyable.

✨Namesake✨

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press (Wednesday Books) and Adrienne Young for an advanced copy.

Summary: picking up immediately where Fable left off, 17 year old dredger Fable and her crew are finally out from under her fathers thumb... only to find herself in the hands of another tyrant. Fable is forced to join forces with notorious Gem trader Holland, and there’s more to her than meets the eye. Lies unfold and truths are discovered in this captivating sea tale.
✨
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
I am so glad i was able to read an advanced copy of this book immediately after finishing book one as that cliffhanger would’ve ended me.

Namesake is the stunning conclusion to the Fable duology. I really enjoyed this book, the development and exploration of characters, particularly Saint, was captivating. The writing so good the book was unputdownable. And now i just want a book about Saint please. I love him.

The romance was definitely stronger in this book and I enjoyed the development of it. I enjoyed getting glimpses into some of the side characters pasts. The adventure in this book was at the forefront and was strongly written.

I didn’t want this book to end and now I’m craving books set at sea! This book is sure to be a huge hit!

I read Fable in a day. After a slow start, I zipped through it and was ready to start the sequel immediately. The cliffhanger at the end had me freaking out and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen.

Namesake was beautifully written in some ways. The mythical nature of the sea, of Saint, of Isolde, of Fable herself was intriguing and colorful in ways I wanted so much more of. I wanted a whole book just exploring the family dynamic of these three and their love for the sea.

Unfortunately, Namesake seemed to rely more on the relationship between West and Fable, but even that dynamic stayed shallow and confusing. All the characters were mad at each other for almost the entirety of the book and the found family of the crew never fully takes its shape. I would have loved a deeper exploration of Paj and Auster, Willa and West, Hamish, Clove, Holland! These books are stuffed full of intriguing characters that I just couldn’t and didn’t get enough of.

The plot also felt like it moved oddly in starts and stops that didn’t always make sense to me and seemed to keep a lot of the characters without any real agency. Maybe very sea metaphor-like lol.

I did love many things about this book even so. It’s fast-paced, interesting, full of emotion. The author works to ensure characters are diverse and describes each of them pointedly so readers aren’t left wondering if the book is just filled with tan, dark-haired white people.

I would recommend this book to people looking for a YA coming-of-age tale, family drama, or books about sea-faring because I think the author did an amazing job depicting all the boatwork!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

Fantastic Sequel. The whole duology is just perfect. I will it reread often and do highly recommend it. It has everything for a perfect adventure.

I love this book so much more than I did Fable. There’s more action, more character development, just more everything. My heart just breaks for Fable, like jeez give sis a break and West 💔, Westttttt ( if you’ve watch Nailed it, then you know 😂😩).
.
If you’ve read Fable then you know it ended with a major cliff hanger , and this book picks up directly where it left off. Someone’s from Fables past has betrayed her , and to get back her freedom she’ll do anything , even if it means making a pact with her enemy .
.
This book has a much happier ending , and I’m glad that fables found the family she was looking for .

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book, the second book in the Fable duology right after I finished Fable and it did not disappoint! The writing was just as good and I loved being back in the world of Fable and her new friends. I love West and her together as well. Overall a great conclusion to a fun fantasy series.

Namesake was the perfect conclusion to Fable. The world building was lovely, pleasant, and well done! I hadn't expected a book about gem trade to become one of my favorite duologies, but here we are! Adrienne Young create such a wonderful atmosphere and a unique story unlike anything I had ever read.
Fable and Wes were both explored more thoroughly through out Namesake and seeing their characters grow and shift was exactly what I was searching for in the sequel. Even the other characters I'm the story were developed through the plot and all of it wrapped up perfectly.
I had never read Adrienne Young prior to this and I know I will forever be a fan now!