Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The synopsis can be read from the the book description.

Overall this book wasn't bad.

The story was interesting enough to keep me going but not really enough to grip me either. It also just took me so long to get through because it wasn't incredibly compelling. It had the elements of a great con artist fantasy that I would love, but never fully got my attention. I could easily chalk it up to being a mood reader.

I think some people will really like it. Others like me will find it middle of the road. I donthink it's worth giving a try!

Thank you to Random house publishing for sending me a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley! All the opinions in this review are my own.

I picked up this book because it was compared to Six of Crows which I loved.

In a similar fashion, there is a group called The Dark Fable. They are made up of people with different abilities that manifested from an earlier moment in their life where they were truly scared. Evie has the ability to turn invisible. In the beginning, Evie is attempting to steal a necklace from an extravagant event when she catches the eye of the leader of The Dark Fable. When they recruit her, Evie is enthralled with the idea of being a part of something as well as stealing artifacts in return for rewards. In addition to The Dark Fable, there are other groups of people also trying to steal artifacts and gain favor with the Mother and Father who are in charge. Evie is intrigued by the Mother and Father and their motives behind collecting all the artifacts. I liked that Evie had her secrets, as well as some of the other members of the group. It added to the storyline and made the reader more invested in the motivations behind and between characters. In my opinion, while I think the book didn't live up to it's complete potential, I found the layering storylines compelling and made me want to find out what ultimately happens to Evie and the rest of The Dark Fable.

If you like....
- heists
- found family
- powers/abilities
- betrayal
- a little mystery

...then you will enjoy this book!

"The Dark Fable" captivates with its mysterious and intriguing narrative, drawing readers into a world filled with enigmatic characters and hidden secrets. While the pacing occasionally feels uneven, the overall story remains engaging, keeping readers invested in uncovering the tale's mysteries. With its captivating premise and intriguing characters, "The Dark Fable" is a compelling read for those who enjoy delving into the unknown.

Evie Wilder is an orphan who usually feels invisible. When she’s caught in a heist to steal a necklace, she catches the attention of The Dark Fable. They are a group of thieves, who ask Evie to join them because she has a special ability to turn invisible. Evie joins them so that she can finally feel like she has a family and she belongs. However, there are many secrets in the Dark Fable’s past, which may be connected to Evie’s own history. She must decide where her loyalty lies, so she can find answers to questions she’s had for years.

This was a fast paced heist story. Evie was an unreliable character with lots of secrets in her past. The Dark Fable was a mysterious group of thieves with magic powers. Even though the story is called The Dark Fable, the group in the story was referred to by their French name La Fable Sombre. It sounded more mysterious, but I wish it was consistent with the name of the book. There were some great unexpected twists at the end of the story, but they were explained quite quickly. I would have liked to see them revealed a bit earlier so there was more time to see the fallout of these twists.

The Dark Fable is a great YA fantasy!

Thank you Bloomsbury YA for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: death of parents, death of siblings, gun violence, stabbing

This was a gripping and interesting storyline! The only problem I had for this was the pacing of the story at times as well as some of the confusion as to how storylines connected to the overall plot. Definitely a great read for adventure!

Evie Wilder, an orphan, has walked through life unnoticed after losing her family. One night changes everything. In a moment of panic, she learns of her ability to become invisible and attracts the attention of a legendary group of thieves, led by a ruthless leader. Discovering a place in a newfound family, she is drawn into the magical and dangerous world of the Dark Fable. But there are secrets and skeletons in the Dark Fable's cryptic history that are waiting to be uncovered. As Evie finds her place in this new world, she has to learn who she can trust and be prepared for what betrayals are hiding in the shadows.

This book was intriguing and rife with misdirection. The world-building was stunning, and I could truly picture the locations though at times the detail (mostly focused on the wardrobe of the characters) was a little distracting. It was interesting to feel pulled between time periods, which helped to separate the modern world and the world of the Dark Fable. As we follow the group through different heists, the plot jumps a bit, which does make it feel disjointed at times, but given some of the twists I can see why it was structured this way. There are still a few points I am uncertain about, so I would be interested in rereading if there was a sequel or a book that dives deeper into the other characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for an ARC copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Dark Fable" by Katherine Harbour is a fun book that takes you on a journey into a world of magic and heists, all centered around the found-family troupe. Set against the backdrop of a hauntingly dark and mysterious group known as La Fable Sombre, the story follows Evie, a girl struggling to make ends meet while working multiple jobs and squatting in an attic. When she crosses paths with the enigmatic members of La Fable Sombre at an auction, her life takes a dangerous and exhilarating turn. If you’re looking for a book with a pretty fast-paced plot and a lot of plot twists (though sometimes too many to keep track), then you will definitely enjoy this book.

The book begins with a promising premise, introducing you to a captivating cast of characters and an intriguing world filled with dark secrets and hidden powers. Evie's journey from struggling waitress to integral member of the group is compelling, and the dynamics between the characters add depth and complexity to the narrative. I really enjoyed the creativity and the world-building throughout the book; it felt really unique, and I’ve never read about a world quite like what Harbour created before. However, as the story progresses, I did find myself losing track of the plot amidst a flurry of action, backstabbing, and unexpected twists. I would sometimes have to re-read certain scenes to figure out what exactly was going on. Because I’m a pretty fast reader, I did find myself becoming confused with all the different plot points coming together towards the end of the book, and I had to force myself to slow down to properly digest and understand everything. The large cast of characters and some of their undeveloped characters were a bit of a challenge as well, especially since I’m absolutely horrible with names.

I think if the plot were simplified a bit, I would have really enjoyed the book! There were moments of excitement and intrigue, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of supernatural heist stories will find much to enjoy in this novel, and the author's approachable writing style makes it an engaging read overall.

Without a doubt, The Dark Fable succeeded as an interesting, mysterious ride from start to finish. While the pacing was sometimes a little rushed or a little too sparse, I found myself riveted and eager to learn more, about the characters as well as the world readers were invited into. Absolutely recommended!

Magical heists, gifted individuals, and a secret society. Evie Wilder is an orphan who uses her jobs as a cover to rob wealthy individuals. Yet during one of her jobs she gets caught up in someone else's heists... the legendary Dark Fable. They are a crew of extremely talented individuals all gifted with magical abilities who have stolen artifacts all throughout history. The current members of this society have chosen her as the newest member for their society as Evie has the ability to turn invisible. Her powers make her the perfect addition for a group of thieves. Evie has always wanted more and she thinks this is the perfect opportunity for her. Yet this secret group has its own skeletons... which might connect to her own tragic past. Evie will have to sort out who she can trust in a group of thieves and how far she'll go to uncover the truth. In the Dark Fable group includes Cirian, a mysterious leader, Mads, a gifted flyer, Dev who can open a door yo any place, and Quuenie, an alchemist. This is the first book in a series and unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations at all. I was hoping for something along the lines of Six of Crows or a unique heists group with found family elements, yet this book kind of fell flat for me. I found myself getting bored while reading it and not really caring at all about the characters. I forced myself to finish it until the end and honestly, it just felt like the story constantly dragged on and I really don't see myself continuing on the series. Rather than a focus on the plot and creating a story that would entice you, the story just felt lackluster and boring, If you want to read a book about magical heists and found family, give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I can see how this would be appealing to certain students which is why I will recommend it to them, but I was not enthralled with this and it was a definite struggle to get through.

Having recently finished “The Dark Fable” by Katherine Harbour, I am happy to have had the chance for the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books.

This YA fantasy was a story of another place and time, but the where and when of this story was too scattered and confusing to be entertaining. Some books contain so much filler that the plot gets lost in the excessive word count. Knowing which cars were being driven, what outfits were being worn, and each and every exotic drink being sipped became a constant distraction from this fantastical fable.

“The Dark Fable” is a heist fantasy in which Evie, who uses her waitressing job to rob patrons, inadvertently gets caught up with a group that steals magical and historic artifacts. While I like the overall idea, the book just didn’t really do a good job of catching my attention, and I didn’t really feel connected to the characters. It was also very hard to pinpoint the setting, since characters were texting but it very weirdly felt like the 1920s. Also, if a book’s outfit descriptions-to-plot ratio is 50/50, I might as well pick up a magazine.

This book is everything you could ask for and more. I quite enjoyed the journey. Evie is a fabulous character who one never quite knows what to expect from. Joining the Dark Fable, she is forced to come to terms with her powers in a way that she had never previously tried. Watching the group as a whole and trying to figure out who could be trusted is just so much fun. This book not only has beautiful characters for readers to escape into but twist and turns along the way. It is just the perfect set up book for readers looking for adventure and intrigue.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I really wanted to loooove this, but overall, it seemed like I was rereading amalgamations of other books I've loved. You'd think that would make me obsessed with this one, but instead it was confusing. I liked the writing style a lot and think I would definitely read more by Katherine Harbour, but overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted too. There were definitely characters and parts of the plot I enjoyed immensely, but there were also a few times I questioned if this should be YA and how morally gray is too morally gray.

Wow. I was not expecting to feel this way about this book. First off it was not exactly what I was expecting and though the beginning was a little slow by the end I couldn't put it down. It took a twist I was totally not expecting. This is a fantasy but also a lot of mystery involved which is the piece I guess I wasn't expecting so much. I ended up liking it a lot though and would recommend it to anyone who likes heist type literature with just a little fantasy mixed in.

This was a fast paced story with a found family-style cast of characters and an enthralling heist plotline. I really enjoyed how the characters interacted not only with each other but the world around them. The worldbuilding is also really solid and helps to make this story come to life. While this wasn't anything super new, I do think this was a solid found family heist story with a well done world and a fun and largely unique magic system. With themes of love, acceptance and the power of connection, this is a story that I think many will enjoy!

The Dark Fable by Katherine Harbour is a fast-paced and captivating novel. This young adult fantasy is a must-read for those who enjoy enchanting heists and heartwarming stories of found families. With its clever dialogue, immersive world-building, unique magic systems, and deeply relatable characters, this tale beautifully explores the power of connection and acceptance.

Twists left and right (that I probably should have seen coming), with a great found family. Fun read!