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.

Damn, that cliffhanger was CRUEL. It's really taking everything in me not to pick up my ARC of Namesake since it doesn't come out until March...

Thanks to Wednesday Books-Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC!

Quick easy fun read. Who would've thought that a high seas novel would be so entertaining?! That being said, I wanted this book to be more than it was. I wanted there to be more depth to the story and the characters.

I devoured Fable. I love YA fantasy, but also want YA fantasy done well. This is that. The story built in a way that the twists and turns in the plot were unexpected. It was fast paced. I loved the characters more and more with each chapter. I always want MORE romance, but the way that the story built and then gradually led to romance and intrigue and a giant cliffhanger was masterful. I am very excited for Namesake and have already told my hubs and bestie to read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of Fable by Adrienne Young.
Fable is a young adult fantasy novel about a teen girl (Fable) who has been left on an island of thieves and cutthroats by her father, the ship captain Saint. For years she makes her way by scavenging for gems in the reef saving up her money to prove to Saint that she’s a survivor. When she is forced to leave the island and join up with the crew of Marigold she finds herself heading toward her father earlier than originally planned.
I loved Young’s debut novel Sky in the Deep so I knew this was going to be an amazing read. There is nothing sappy or forced about her writing and even though the world of the Narrows is completely different than our own there isn’t a giant boring info dump at the beginning. She allows us to learn as we go along who Fable is and how life in the Narrows works. And of course the stunning cover and slow burn love romance with mysterious ship helmsman West didn’t hurt.
The last chapter alone has me dying to read the sequel and I look forward to seeing what is in store for Fable and the crew of the Marigold in March 2021.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads

This was a great, light adventure read. It was perfect for a week at the beach! I fell in love with the characters and their lives. The sign of a good story for me is when it leaves me wanting more of that world and those people. This book did that for me! My only complaint is that I wanted more details. Some things I was just left to assume about, and some events I thought I was going to get to “see” happen were breezed over. That was a small disappointment overall though. I am absolutely looking forward to the next book in the series!

I loved this book so much. I literally read this book in a day! I have two young kids.. so that's not easy! But I could not put it down!

This book is all about Fable. It starts with her being 14 and abandoned by her father on a criminal island with nothing more than slash on her arm. She spends the next couple of years learning to survive on her own. Working her way to buy passage off the island so she can go find her father. She does eventually bribe her way onto the Marigold. Where she is not welcomed by the crew. I loved watching Fable slowly earn the respect of the crew. I loved that she was confident but knew that respect isn't just given.

When Fable finally sees her father again it isn't at all what she expected. Her inheritance is a ship! Just not the one she thought she was going to get. She now has something to help the Marigold and their crew. She joins back up with them and that's where things get really interesting. The crew is now starting to like her and West ( the headmaster) is starting to show his real feelings.

The books ends on a cliffhanger and it makes you want the next book for sure! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Fable comes out September 1st and it's not one you're going to want to miss!

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book. Holy crap was it freaking amazing! I didn’t know what to expect going in, only that I knew I lover Adrienne Young’s ‘Sky in the Deep’ so I was hoping to like this one as well.
In this story we follow Fable who has learned to survive on her own after being abandoned by her heartbroken father. She comes across some trouble and escapes the island with the help of the ragtag team on the Marigold.
Each character we met had their flaws from facing incredible hardships, but their arcs made them lovable. Willa was a badass girl who took no shit from anyone, who loves unconditionally and will do anything to protect her crew. Paj and Auster were so adorable with their quirks and humour. Hamish was a neat character to see interact with the other, but I wish we got to see a little more of him. West is my new cinnamon roll. He is strong, and will do anything to protect his crew and the girl he loves. Fable was an interesting character to see grow from her mistakes and her life of survival. I really liked her “power” of reading the gems. It was a nice and subtle element of fantasy.
The slow burn romance between Fable and West fit perfectly into the story and how it was built up was great. It wasn’t rushed and it fell into place at the right time.
The villains were written really well and were flawed and believable as well. I like the timing of when they showed up.
I had a feeling someone Fable knew and lost would come back in the end, which makes me want to read the second book now!
This book definitely gave me ‘Daughter of the Pirate King’ vibes and I absolutely loved it!
Do yourself a favour and pick up this book when it comes out, and if you haven’t already, check out this author’s other books as well! You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 5 stars

I have been on a pirate kick lately anything ocean based, so this pleasantly hit the spot. I am so excited for book two now.

The world building, scene imaging, characters to adore. all of it.
I couldn't put it down. I lost sleep over staying up to read more and more and more.
Love the slow burn romance, emotional, high tension, a strong female protagonist who didn't depend on others. she was a complete bad ass.

What an epic adventure.

Hey St Martins can I get an arc of book two pleaaase?

I received this complimentary ARC , in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was not familiar with this author or title before coming across Fable on Netgalley. I assumed by the title that it would be a YA modern retelling of a fairy tale or fable. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I quite enjoyed the read. The book is about a young girl named Fable who was abandoned on an island by her pirating father after the death of her mother who had taught her to listen to gems. Fable is left to fend for herself in a quest to find her way back to her father and claim what is hers. Enjoyable, creative story with likable characters. I could see this be really appealing to young adult readers, but also enjoyable for adults.

Another amazing book by Adrienne Young, it did not disappoint. The cover is absolutely stunning and drew me to the book. Fable is a character you just want to root for and find out her story. Can’t wait for the second book.

Fable is a spunky and determined girl trying to make it in the cutthroat world she lives in. She is just trying to make her way off of the island her father abandoned her on after her mother died.

This is a great tale for those who like pirate stories and stories that take place on the sea. I enjoyed Fable as a main character because she is very strong but you can still see her vulnerabilities. She ends up on a crew who is not fond of her and takes a while to trust her. She knows more than she should for a nobody they picked up on an island and some of these underlying secrets keep you going and wanting to know more. I’m looking forward to another in the series!

Thank you to Wednesday Books & NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

I REALLY wanted to love this book, but it turned out to be a very disappointing read for me. When I first starting reading this, I will admit that I was very much interested. However, the more I read, the more I found myself just simply not caring. Even though this book has pirates, lost treasure, secrets, and romance (all of the things that I love!), I found the book to be very slow for my taste, and I skimmed most of it.

The characters were interesting, but, I just really wasn’t all that connected with them. I really didn’t care about them or what they were doing.

I love the title of the book and the cover, but not really anything else.

Wow. Just wow. Every book that I’ve read from Adrienne Young has been truly spectacular, and this book is no different. This particular story is right up my alley, following a young dredger named Fable. She was abandoned on the island of Jeval by her father and had to compete to survive, doing the only thing she could: diving. By trading what she finds below the water, Fable manages to sneak her way off the island of thieves, where she is then caught up in a whirlwind of secrets aboard the Marigold. Similarly to this author’s other books, the writing is lyrical in a very particular way. The sentences flow beautifully into one another, but there are no over the top descriptions. You can feel the weight of each carefully chosen word, and it’s frankly beautiful. I also particularly loved Fable’s connection to the water. Through it, you can feel and understand her thoughts and emotions, and it added beautifully to the story. I am greatly anticipating the sequel to this book, Namesake, and I will definitely pick up every other book that Adrienne Young writes. I would highly recommend picking up this book if you’re looking for a little thievery and intrigue atop the waves of the sea.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I absolutely would have picked up this book anyways.

Wow, what a fantastic story! Full of adventure and fabulous characters. Young has such a gift with her ability to write such beautiful lines that transport you right in to the storyline. I read the FAST, I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

If you are someone who is sold on a book by the cover alone, COME ON. This is gorgeous. And book two beside it?? ***swoon*** I already have 2 preordered copies of this book coming my way. In honesty, I am not much of a re-reader, but I can guarantee you I will be reading this one again. Loved it and I can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Thank you netgalley for the e-ARC of this fabulous book!

If it is written by Adrienne Young do yourself a favor and buy it now. I have loved every single book by her and this one is even better because there will be a sequel! Pirates, strong female characters, magic....enough said!