Fable has a gorgeous cover but, even better, this first part of a duology (yay! I hope this is a YA trend that continues) is flat out fantastic! I can't wait for teens and adult YA readers to connect with this wonderful book!

2.5 stars.

Fable lives on the island of Jeval, working as a dredger--someone who dives into the ocean and finds precious stones to sell for money. Life is hard, especially as one of the few girls on the island, but Fable knows that she can survive. She's been there for four years, after all, and her only obstacle to leaving and finding the person who put her on Jeval, her father Saint, is getting enough money.
Fable makes it off the island fairly early into the novel, at which the book turns into a sea-faring story instead. The ship she joins is full of traders, and most of the novel follows her as she gets to know the crew and uncover the secrets their captain, West, is hiding.
The original reason I took an ARC of this and the highlight of the book is the writing style. It's pretty good, especially for YA, and carries the rather boring plot and characters. I did have trouble figuring out what was going on, notably in the beginning--nothing is described enough to get an idea of what Jeval is like, and I had trouble following the action because it wasn't clear where Fable was going or why she was doing most of what she was doing--but this got much more manageable once Fable leaves Jeval.
As mentioned, the plot is pretty boring. With its premise, you'd think there's some sort of revenge story going on here between Fable and her father, but most of the book is composed of sailing or visiting towns and having mundane things happen. There are a few fantastical elements, but this is mostly historical fiction in a made-up world instead of a fantasy-pirate hybrid story. Even the villains don't get much screen time compared to the crew members, leading to a story that doesn't have much effective tension.
The plot could've been saved by good characters, but most of the characters here are pretty flat. Fable herself is somewhat complex, but the crew members besides Willa and West have zero personality. I liked Willa, and felt like she had good chemistry with Fable, but I quickly grew bored of West, whose gimmick is that he's stoic on the outside and cares a lot for his crew and can't bear the idea of losing them on the inside. What a shocker.
The worldbuilding is pretty mediocre. There's basically no magic, and all the places the crew visits barring Jeval blur together. There's nothing unique or interesting about them. There's not even a map to follow the journey on.

So, it's nothing to write home about. I'm sure many people will enjoy this and let the writing style make up for its shortcomings as a story, but I was just bored by the end. I will not be continuing with this series.

This book is a wonderfully atmospheric pirate-like story about our main character and her fight to survive in a dangerous world and eventually find her way back to the father that abandoned her on this island. Along the way to finding her way back to her father, she finds herself in imminent danger and is taken in by a man she trades gems with. West and his crew are traders who all grew up together, they only trust each other and so they have a hard time trusting Fable, who has to do some dangerous things to prove herself to them. Once she traces down her father, she learns some harsh truth about him and why he abandoned her. This is a perilous world for someone like Fable, and she ends up finding out the hard way just how dangerous it is- especially when you are the daughter of one of the most notorious pirates in the business.

One of the first things I should point out in this book is that it doesn't explicitly state that it's a pirate novel (they are called traders- but many are gang like), but it certainly is, I was getting major Pirates of the Caribbean vibes. The inclusion of the gems and the slight ‘powers’ she has in feeling the vibrations of each gem lends a slight magical element to the story without making it a fantasy.
I really enjoyed Fable as a character and could empathize with her struggles. The relationship she develops with the members of the trading vessel makes everything feel super cozy with there still being drama and action when they make port. West is a very mysterious character and the romance that ends up happening between him and Fable is just so pure and I actually loved their romance (I typically don't like romance in books but this was done very well). I mean, the shipwreck scene!!!! And of course, the ending was a cliffhanger! But also a great segway into the next book in the series.

I'm so looking forward to the next book, I absolutely love this world, the vibe it gave off, the action, the characters, and the romance that was taking place.

4.5 stars, I really loved this book and would highly recommend.

** ARC provided by St. Martins Press & Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars

Oh my… how do I even begin? I did not know what to expect… Essentially Adrienne Young made pirates sexy and left me begging for more. This story is about Fable who, a 17 year old woman who was left on Jeval (harsh land filled with thieves) by her father, Saint after a tragic storm killed her mother and crew of their ship, the Lark. Saint is one of the most powerful traders in the Narrows and everyone fears him. Fable’s test is to survive and find her own way off the island to Ceros. His message was clear: Trust no one, and not to tell anyone she is his daughter for her own protection. Fable eventually finds someone who will take her to Ceros: West, a young helmsman of his own small vessel. She quickly learns who she can trust and who not to… I absolutely fell in love with this book and the characters. The chemistry between West and Fable jumped off the page, and they don’t even speak much. Her relationship with her father brought me to near tears… this poor woman just wants a family! Highly recommended!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out Sept 1 - and I already CANNOT wait for the sequel.

I am a huge fan of Adrienne Young, so when this description was announced, I was all over it! As an educator and librarian, this book has everything. The plot and character development are so well done, creating an immersive, enriching world. Add in the pirate-y feel, and I was 100% there for it! I can’t wait for the next book!

I absolutely and totally loved this book. The storyline was interesting, the characters grabbed you, and the writing was superb. The ending was abrupt and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in the story. Overall I absolutely loved this story.

I have a serious love/hate relationship with this book. It’s fast paced and action filled. The characters are so well written, especially Fable. She’s feisty and strong, yet has a hint of vulnerability to her. Don’t even get me started on West, the handsome, closed off pirate. Fable will hook you from the very first line and leave you hate screaming with that cliffhanger. Young’s best work to date and one of my favorite YA reads of this year, hands down.
I received a arc of Fable in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of Fable in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Adrienne Young's previous books, I was DYING to read Fable from the moment it was announced, and especially once that swoon-worthy cover was revealed.

Those who love Young's richly descriptive writing and powerful characters will not be disappointed. Fable is a take-no-prisoners protagonist, fending for herself after being abandoned by her father on a cutthroat island where the only lucrative form of earning coppers is diving for precious crystals like pyre. Without spoiling too much, her circumstances abruptly change, and she trades her meager savings for passage on the Marigold, a ship helmed by a young man named West and crewed by a suspicious group of traders whose trust Fable must earn if she is to survive the voyage to the Narrows. It's obvious how much research Adrienne did as far as the sailing and diving lingo, but it's still written in such a way that those of us who have never sailed the high seas can still infer details from context clues.

If you want a high-seas adventure worthy of Pirates of the Caribbean with the slow-burn romance of many of our favorite YA novels, don't miss Fable, first in the Fable Duology (the second of which, Namesake, releases in only 6 months)! Fable releases on September 1, 2020 and is available from your usual book retailers! There's still time to enter Adrienne's preorder for special incentives!

3.75/5
Fable was a ride!
I initially will say that Sky in the Deep felt very rushed to me, so I've always been conflicted on whether I wanted to try another one of Adrienne's novels. I'm so excited I did because this book was hypnotic with the lush sea faring background and sarcastic retorts.
I'll forever give credit to Adrienne for her beautiful writing style. I loved this novel because I could picture everything in my mind down to the taste of the air. She's amazing with imagery and description without being too overwhelming and that's all I ever ask for. It's my favorite part of reading.
Now.. I'm always very particular about sea voyage stories, but Fable is definitely my favorite. The characters were dynamic, especially Willa (my fav!), and Fable was a great protagonist vying first for acceptance and then later on her own identity/ independence. She's cutthroat in many ways, but she does still have a heart of gold for those she us loyal too, which isn't many.
The incredibly fast paced ending and weird cut away scenes (I wanted to experience the dredge that happens later in the book!) are my biggest core complaints, but the romance did seem rushed after a certain point. It was fine up until the confession, and then I felt oddly about the two lovers. It went from natural to insta-love.
Overall, I'd recommend this story. I'm intrigued about what's going to happen to Fable, especially after the final line in the eARC. I have more questions than answers, and we cannot have that.

Fable gives me ginger Lila Bard vibes and I’m here for it. The atomsphere of this story is perfection. I swear I could smell the sea air while I was reading. Adrienne Young knows how to set a scene. She also knows how to craft a bad ass woman. Fable is fearless and endearing. I loved watching her fight for her life. I’m a sucker for found families and this crew of misfits is no exception. My only issue with the story is with the chemistry between Fable and West there was something missing. You know they’re going to fall for each other but I just don’t feel it. Maybe the chemistry will improve in the sequel. Regardless, this book is entertaining, thrilling, and beautifully written.

Reading Adrienne’s books are so relaxing. She throws you right into her rich and detailed world but it’s never overly complicated and there are no wasted plot points. Her characters know what they want have to rely on their own grit to get it. If you love ships and sailing and and shady characters and found families then you will love FABLE. It’s the second book of Adrienne’s that I’ve read and I can definitely see her growing stronger as a writer.

“Keep your knife where you can reach it.
Never, ever owe anyone anything.
Always construct a lie from truth.
Never, under any circumstances, reveal
what or who matters to you."

Fable was abandoned to fend for herself on a ruthless island by her father at the wee age of 13. She survives utilizing street savvy resourcefulness, her sharp ability to read people, and a unique skill set passed down from her mother that make her better than most at mining gems and precious stones from the sea. Fable has a lot of grit and is tough as nails, but she still wants to belong somewhere. And that want is constantly at war with what she needs to do and how she needs to think in order to survive. I was completely invested in Fable's s story and how she would navigate and toe that line.

A few other things:

YAY for amazing side characters, and a story that reps a plethora of complex relationships. And I'm a sucker for world building, and I was completely immersed in this gritty world of gem trading, and thievery, and ruthlessness.

So over all:

THIS BOOK YOU ALL. I absolutely loved it. I need it to have an amazing map, I need special editions, I need Fable merch, ALL the things. To placate myself I bought a cute cactus and named her Fable. She lives right next to Lila Bard. She's prickly, but more than anything she's a survivor. She thrives in the harshest of conditions. Needless to say I have a new heroine to join my all time faves.

You can check out my Fable Pinterest Board at: https://www.pinterest.com/BookWithMaps/fable/

I received an eArc of of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, thank you, thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley! This in no way influences my thoughts and opinions.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars.
I really, really loved reading this book! It was so easy to read. Everything flowed really nicely and I found Fable to be such an awesome character. I was rooting for her no matter what happened with the plot.
The plot was easy to follow, but still had enough little twists and turns to keep me fully captivated. Something I really loved was that even when all that was happening was planning, it still felt like there was an undercurrent of excitement throughout the book. The writing style seemed to fit the characters and the story perfectly.
All of the characters worked really well together to create an intriguing group that had differing effects on the plot. I loved West and Willa’s characters. I really liked the relationships between Fable and the other characters. I felt like they evolved naturally. One relationship I really liked was Fable and Saint. The way that the author wrote their relationship left me feeling heartbroken most of the time, but it just felt so right for the characters.
Overall, I’m dying to get my hands on the next book, and I highly recommend everyone check out this super awesome pirate-y adventure book!

Look out for my review on my bookstagram page (alli_the_bookaholic13) next week [the first week of September] :)

The writing is lyrical. As in Sky in the Deep, Adrienne Young's debut novel, Fable's writing style is simply enticing. I was immediately captivated by the beautifully crafted descriptions -- from the navigated lands and seas and underwater landscapes to the spiral of emotions experienced by Fable at every step of her journey.

The poetic sentences wove a sombre and dangerous atmosphere that wrapped me in a whirlwind of sensations and vivid images. Moreover, these luring words built an emotional and epic narrative that I believe will not leave anyone indifferent. I was immersed in this secretive seafaring world from the very first moment.

Perilous and deep seas. Travelling charted waters is not easy as one might think when storms loom in the horizon, promising revolting waves and scintillating thunders. The high sea setting was so perfectly built that you could listen to the melody of the sea and taste the salty water on your lips. Furthermore, it was not only the ocean that was dangerous: the docks and seaside markets were no less menacing with treacherous crews stalking Fable and the Marigold crew.

Fable. My poor Fable. ❤️ She's a survivor! After being abandoned by her father on an island inhabited by ruthless men and thieves, Fable had to learn how to fend for herself. Working as a dredger (she actually has a knack for it 😉), she collected gems and sold them to West, the henchman of Marigold, and saved every coin to pay her passage to return to the man that turned his back on her. Surviving four years among cold-hearted and greedy dredgers and sailors was not an easy task, but Fable never gave up -- even when she found herself scavenging for food, Fable prevailed through her own means. After all, she learned that nothing came free.

Throughout the story, Fable is so brave and determined. She is so strong and resilient, always beating the odds. Fable goes through a powerful emotional journey, every moment searing her soul and every step taking her closer to discover whom she wishes to be and her place in a harsh and vicious world.

The Marigold crew & their stories. The young crew of the Marigold has a mysterious past that haunts them every day, and yet they keep surpassing the challenges thrown their way. This bunch of misfits was able to build a family from the ashes of a hurtful past. I must confess I was charmed by these characters -- even though not every single one of them had the opportunity to reveal a piece of their soul. (Hopefully, we will learn more about them in Namesake.) Also, it pierced my heart all the pain they hid. I would have hugged every single one of them (plus Fable) if I didn't fear they would stab or drown me.

A slow-burn romance that does not overshadow the story. Will they or won't they? ❤️

Like stories about mermaids, I've struggled to find a book about pirates that I have connected with. While Fable isn't exactly a pirate book, it is as close to one as I've read that I enjoyed. Adrienne Young has created a world that is unique and intriguing.

Fable grew up on her father's trading ship, the Lark. Her mother was a dredger and started teaching Fable the skill since she was 6 years old. When the Lark sinks killing Fable's mother, Saint leaves her on the island of Jeval and tells her to survive. If she finds her way off the island then he will give her what is rightfully hers. On Jeval Fable uses her dredging skills to mine for gems underwater. But competition is fierce. And she's completely alone. Everyone on the island is out for themselves and surviving is difficult. West has become a repeat customer trading coppers for the jewels Fable dredges. His consistent business has kept her alive. But as Fable's copper stash grows in hopes of buying her passage off the island and back to her father, enemies begin closing in and Fable finds herself desperate for escape sooner rather than later.

West is the helmsman of the Marigold. When Fable comes flying down the dock fleeing for her life, he makes the decision to allow her passage on his ship. His crew isn't happy because their agreement is to vote on decisions like that. Plus the last dredger they had on their ship stole from them. They're not feeling particularly welcoming of Fable. But Fable has a way of finding her way under their armor.

The entire world Adrienne Young created is a hard place. Not just Jeval. Fable has 5 rules that she's lived by, taught to her by her father. 1) Keep your knife where you can reach it. 2) Never, ever owe anyone anything. 3) Nothing is free. 4) Always construct a lie from a truth. 5) Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you. These rules make it difficult to make connections with others. And until Fable meets the crew of the Marigold, she's been without family or friends or...anyone she could depend on since the night the Lark sank. And regardless of how much we might try to go through life alone, each of us craves connection with other human beings.

Of course for me, the drive behind my favorite books focus around the relationships. It was easy to see that West and Fable have a connection they, he especially, are trying to ignore. But this is a harsh world, and one of Fable's main rules is to never reveal who matters to you. It's dangerous to care about others. Doing so can get you killed much faster than anything else. And the Marigold crew has enough enemies as it is.

Favorite quotes:
-It was unnerving to see the sea asleep when I’d seen how bloodthirsty she could be.

-Nothing is free. He wasn’t just talking about food or passage or the clothes on your back. He was talking about respect. Safety. Protection. They were things no one owed you. And one way or another, you always paid.

-Anything given freely was probably a lie.

-“I’m not saying I don’t want you to love him. I’m only saying that if you get him killed, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep myself from cutting your throat.”

Of course, my favorite quote would spoil too much. So I left it out.

Truly, I have barely touched the surface of the events of Fable. I got sucked into this book and these characters from the opening line of this book. I basically read it in 24 hours which is so rare these days. The copy I read did have a few typos that I imagine will be ironed out by the time the book is published. Things end in a cliffhanger that wasn't entirely unexpected but certainly did its job having me dying to get my hands on Namesake. Fable easily gets 4 Stars. Have you read Fable? What did you think? Let me know!

Fable is my first introduction to Adrienne Young's writing and have to say the author does have a way with words. The setting she built came to life with her descriptions and story telling.

Fable tells the story of a young woman going against the odds and proving her father and those who doubt her wrong. Yet in the end I was left a bit underwhelmed. The characters while entertaining were predictable and unmemorable for me. I can also say the same thing about the actual plot line. I always felt like I was one step ahead of the story in my head and knew what would happen before it unfolded.

In the end, Fable was a good to story to me but not great. I'm not chomping at the bit for book two. I think my expectations going into Fable might have been too high and I just wasn't Wow'd by it.

This was definitely a page turner, I flew through this book! From the start I felt like I was hooked, and next thing I knew I was chapters deep without realizing it. It's been awhile since that happened.

If you're looking for world building, this isn't it. This book is all about Fable and her journey to get what is owed to her by her father. It's got a lot of sailing, and every port town they stop in might as well be a set piece you've read about before. Yet I didn't mind a bit. I was so focused on Fable and her quest that I really didn't notice until I took the time to think about the book when I was finished.

I loved Fable as a character. Her attitude, confidence, and willing to face trials without overthinking or constant fear of failing is what I like to see. She just goes for it, sometimes not to her benefit or almost at risk of her life period. Now the characters surrounding Fable on this journey are varied from archetypes to funny and interesting. I found Willa to be my favorite amongst them, with her father to be rather generic for his position as a key character. West is a decent enough love interest, but there really wasn't much build up for the romance in this first part of the duology, as it kind of moves along super fast.

The story is one of deceipt, misunderstandings, and adventure. It's not fairly original, but its well written, fast paced, and fun. Sometimes that is all I'm asking for. I don't need every book to be deep. Sometimes I want to just enjoy the ride, and Fable provided that for me. While having said that, I do believe the book could have benefited from being a little longer, which could have built up some relationships and story elements a bit more. A dangerous section of their journey was over so fast, I was kind of taken aback that it was just over.

I look forward to reading the second and final part to see how this ends, and while I'm pretty sure I already know, I'm okay with that. I just want to read more of Fable's adventure and get to experience more of her in action. I put this book around a 4.25/5

This book got better the more I read of it. At first it subtlety pulled me in and I wondered what direction it would end up going in and if I would want to continue reading it.

Young did it again though, as soon as I got past the 20% I found myself being swept away by the narrative world she has created. It’s full of mystery and intrigue and just as you think you are getting some answers you get one and five new questions pop up in its place.

The characters are extremely well done and I found myself warming up to nearly all of them by the time the book concluded. It wasn’t an easy love in some cases but finding out who they were and what they’d done to get to where they were just pulled me in hook line and sinker.

That cliffhanger at the end too, how am I meant to wait after that. I need to know what is going to happen so badly.

This is the story about Fable, daughter of the most powerful trader of the Narrows. She has only known the sea as her home. It has been four years since her mother died, and four years since she watched her father leave her on the legendary island of Jeval, full of thieves and little food. Here she struggles to make a life for herself with only herself and the skills her mother taught her when she was still alive. Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

I wasn’t a HUGE fan of this one at first. I struggled to get into it and to care at all about the characters. I found Fable to be naive and ignorant about the ways of the world, especially seeing as she had literally been relying on her and only herself to survive. She was an annoying perspective to read from and I felt like the side characters were more enjoyable to hear about. That being said, they weren’t really fleshed out at first and felt rather flat. This definitely changed as the story went on and as we learned more about them. I feel like part of it was that the characters were unwilling to open up to Fable, so we only learned as much as she did. I liked how there was that found family aspect as well. The romance came a little bit out of nowhere and I don’t feel like there was much development in that regard either. I’m interested to see how this will develop later on in the series.

That being said, about 75% into the book I really started to care for the characters and for Fable. She really grew into her role as the protagonist. The ending really had me curious for the next book and I plan on reading the rest of the series. I also really appreciated the pirate stories. Also, the cover is gorgeous. This book should be released on September 1st, and I highly recommend you check it out if you love found family and pirate stories!

Places to Buy: Amazon

I'm usually not a fan of high seas adventure books, but I was pleasantly surprised by Fable! Fable as a character was strong, bold and brave. I was on her side 100% throughout the story. Character development is so important to me as a reader and Fable was fleshed out and so easy to root for.
This book feels like a darker, grittier Pirates of the Caribbean (think "Black Sails"). It was fast-paced, high-stakes, and atmospheric.. The cliffhanger at the end had me immediately looking around for book two's release date. I think this is going to be a hit in September.