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!

Fable is a story about a young woman who, abandoned by her father after a shipwreck, does whatever it takes to survive and reclaim her legacy. The titular Fable grew up on the sea, sailing with her parents on a trading vessel and generally living a pretty rough life for a small child. After a catastrophic storm sinks the vessel, taking her mother's life, Fable's jerky dad decides that this isn't the life for Fable and drops her on land with hardly a sea-ya later (sea what I did there?). After four horrible years, Fable finally departs with a motley young crew to find her father and raise some hell.

Fable feels like a very tight story, and the book is a quick read. I really liked the focus on the sea and sailing and there were some great details that helped to build this particular world. Fable was interesting, as were her fellow crew members. It would have been fun to get more some details about their lives but it seems like there's an intentional mystery that will further unravel in following books. That being said, I'm not sure that I fully bought some of the plot developments. Particularly, Fable's father's characterization was a bit all over the place and very unpredictable and (without spoiling certain points) some of the things he agreed to seemed strange.

Overall, Fable is an engaging, fast paced story with a unique setting and an interesting cast of characters. I'll be picking up subsequent books to see how Fable's story ends.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was so descriptive I felt like I could see, hear, and smell everything that was happening. In my head, I imagined the islands as a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Descendant's Isle of the Lost.

There were a few things I wasn't fond of, like some of the underwater scenes. I don't think the author knew how deep it is to safely free dive. And the timing of how long was spent underwater dredging (and doing another thing later in the book that I won't spoil) was not very realistic. But...it didn't stop me from enjoying the read overall.

I didn't love the end. I know this book is set up for a sequel, and I will definitely be on the lookout for it. However, it didn't really wrap up anything, so you almost HAVE to wait for the sequel to see what happens to everyone.

4.5

I think this is my favorite Adrienne Young book yet.

The seafaring backdrop is probably the thing that really makes this story. And I really loved Fable as a main character.

This is really more of a character-driven story. The plot doesn’t actually do a whole lot, but I found that that part didn’t bother me so much because I enjoyed watching everything happen to Fable more.

I love Fable’s backstory and her very complicated relationship with her father. Her last scene with him was pretty final, but I’m hoping he makes a reappearance in the sequel.

West was a great secondary character/love interest, too. I mean, he was a little generic? I guess? But there’s a reason I love them. I’m really intrigued to see how their relationship plays out in the sequel, too.

The world was pretty interesting It was fairly straight forward and not too surprising, but it got the job done and I enjoyed it.

The subtle magic was probably my favorite part. It was similar to “magic realism,” but not. For one, Fable more than once held her breath for an incredibly long time and it was cool (albeit a little anxiety-inducing for someone who breathes extra heavy every time someone in a movie goes underwater for a bit longer than what’s realistic). But particularly, Fable’s affinity for gems was fascinating. I loved that it had a point, but was not at the forefront of the story. Again, it’s something I’m looking forward to seeing more of in the future.

Okay, while I immensely enjoyed this, there were some short comings.

Like I mentioned, the plot definitely took a backseat in this one. It didn’t bother me too much, but still, it’s a factor.

The side characters also were a little underwhelming. Saint was solid. And I liked West and Willa. But the rest of the crew, while I liked them all, weren’t particularly out-standing. Hamish, for example, kept kind of blending in with Auster for me. And the antagonist wasn’t really a part of it? I mean, he didn’t seem like the main antagonist for this one anyway, but that was also a problem.

Overall, a very fun read and I’m really looking forward to the sequel.

Fable follows Fable that has been surviving on a brutal island these last few years, she is ready to take a ship out of there and claim what is rightfully hers from her father, who is the most powerful trader in the Narrows. She pays for passage on Mariogld, where West is the captain.

I have figured that I love found-family and friend group trope! Which is probably why I enjoy ship stories so much, since a group a people are forced together to work together, with different personalities and skills. I did enjoy the crew and what Fable found with them, even though I really didn’t fall for any of the characters. The world & plot was also just okay, but I still had a lot of fun with this. Will read the sequel because I want to see the story play out, and the book in general had a lot of fun aspects I enjoyed. 3.5/5 stars.

This cover is by far one of my favorite covers that I have ever seen.
It’s simple and stunning. It raises your interest by not giving literally anything away.

Okay, now that I’m done swooning over the cover...let’s go over the story.

I have never read an Adrienne Young book (Sky in the Deep is on my TBR!), so I went into this one with no real expectations. The opening line is a hook, line, sinker. I got a great vibe just from that first line.

Fable is a stunner. Her character is written so in depth that you WANT to know her. The readers understands a lot of what Fable feels and goes through during the entire book. It is incredible how well Young wrote out the emotional turmoil that Fable has gone through and continues to go through. Her bravery and the rules she lives by are phenomenal and yet she has this fragility about her that she tries to fight and hide.

The entire crew of The Marigold is remarkable and I love them each in their own way. Just hang in there because at first you may not like them much, but they each do something that shows you WHY they are the way they are. When the reader gets to have these individual moments with the crew and Fable, it really allows that emotional attachment to them (I have a weird feeling I will pay for that in the sequel).

West...oh dear please. You know what? Sign me up for a rugged man with secrets any day. The more he broads the better to be honest. Just when you think he is sealed off from the world...SLAP TO THE FACE. You are not ready for the things you learn about West. Fable is a bold and brilliant character, but West is the one that rips your heart out.


With all that being said, the only reason I did not give 5 stars is simply because I felt there was A LOT of time spent discussing scenery and the ocean. I love the ocean, but there was so much more time spent reading about the surroundings and less actual plot. This did change about 2/3 of the way through the book and that made a lot of things better.

HOLY SMOKES THE CLIFF HANGER!! I NEVER EVER EVER SAW IT COMING!

Thank you NetGalley and Adrienne Young for the ARC in return for my honest review.

-Stone.