Though I hadn't read anything by Adrienne Young earlier, I was instantly attracted to this book by its absolutely stunning cover and the premise of adventure on sea. Also, can we appreciate how gorgeous a name 'Fable' is?

The book definitely lived up to the expectation of giving me all the sailor feels, but fell flat on the plot and characters front. The plot, though interesting, doesn't have any twists and turns to keep the reader invested. I genuinely feel that there was a potential for more - more tension, more character depth and growth, more plot twists - but unfortunately, none of that happened.

There were a lot of interesting characters; I only wished there could be more layers added to their personality and their relationships. That being said, I really liked the main character. She was different than what I expected - bold, but soft at heart. She cries easy but is insanely resilient. Four years at the brutal, cut-throat island of Jevaal did not take away her trust in humanity, only gave it an added dimension of understanding.

I am a sucker for angsty romances. That is why, it disappointed me so much that the angst between West and Fable wasn't played up. Sure, it is obvious that Fable trusted West in a way she didn't trust anyone else, but the tension was sorely missing. Also, I would have loved knowing more about the other crew members of Marigold. They seemed to be there as mere accessories and I wanted to know them and be invested in them, but sadly it did not happen.

The one thing that came across as an absolute delight while reading this novel was the atmosphere. The sailing terms were quite lost on me, but Young marvelously brings alive the entire feeling of sailing and diving and the love for sea. I could positively smell the salty air and feel the wind in my hair while reading this book. I loved the portions of the book where Fable describes her process of breathing in and out to flex her lungs and finally taking the plunge into cold and crisp waters.

The blurb of the next book sounds more interesting though. The fact that her mother was keeping secrets..I did not see that coming.

So much fun reading this one! I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. Fable is the daughter of a prominent trader from the Narrows. Her mother was killed at sea and then her father dumped Fable on an island filled with thieves where she had to survive for herself. She can tell no one who her father is as she had promised him that. Fable works as a dredger finding gems and ore to trade for coin. She's saving coin to trade for passage off the island.

I enjoyed the characters and the adventures at sea. Fable is a strong female protagonist with a lot of courage and determination. She has good instincts in tough situations. The book is character-driven and I enjoyed the interplay between the characters, especially the group on the ship with Fable. The setup of the world was well done and I liked the sea adventures and the many obstacles in Fable's path.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I expected to like this book, but I didn't expect to love it so much!
Let me start by saying that ships, seas, and sailing stories aren't my favorite thing, but I was drawn into this book by the very first sentence. The whole story had me at the edge of my seat, hoping the characters survive the adventure.
Now, objectively speaking, the plot was average and the characters (the main ones) don't have any development through the book (though they're not flat, they have complexities). I think it is necessary to have at least one of them, but this time it didn't really bother me.
The last 10% of the book was surprisingly anti-climactic. Like, no conflict, just a bad feeling something wrong is going to happen anytime.
The setting, the worldbuilding, and the descriptions were amazing. Five stars to that! I hope you include a lot of maps in the final version, it would be really helpful to the reader.
My favorite thing was definitely the writing style. I totally fell in love with it. It makes the story feel magical.
The romance was really nice, without the usual toxic drama I normally see in YA. It had me smiling a lot.

My rating is 4.6
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc! No doubt I'll be reading the sequel.

Ahhh!!! Is this the high-seas adventure novel I have been waiting my whole life for?? YES!!!! Seriously, I don't know what to do with myself now that I've finished. I don't know what book to even pick up after this. It ends on a cliffhanger so I will just be twiddling my thumbs and waiting anxiously until the next installment.

I adored just about every character in this book. I cared about what was going to happen to each one. I was completely immersed in their story and I was completely immersed in the world. I could taste the salt spray from the sea on my mouth. I could hear the groans of the wooden ship. I had several guesses about Fable's backstory and...I guess I am going to have to wait and see if I am right.

Did I mention I do not know what to do with myself until the sequel? I feel like a spoiled child who wants what she wants NOW. This is a good one, y'all. It is really good. One of my top favs from this year so far.

**I've received this digital copy in advance from #Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

I was curious when I've wished for this book but I didn't expect to enjoy and love it SO much.
I've never read anything from Adrienne Young before this one and I have to say it has been an amazing surprise.. I'm not very into the sea settings stories so I found myself a little bit confused sometimes but I've really liked it. The images that Young pictured were so concrete you can almost feel the salt taste of the ocean and the sound of the waves all around you while you're reading!
The plot seems pretty simple, but not without multiple plot-twist and cliffhangers that you can't totally expect. The timing is always right, the narration fluid but not too fast even if the writing style is not very prolix. The story takes its time to reveal part of itself and leave us with the feeling we've just scratch the surface of it. There still is lots to say about Fable's family's and the other main characters' past and what they will affect the future of this journey.
This is a book where you can see a survivor searching something more for herself: a way to be free but also to find a place to call home and be herself and maybe find the time to take a minute to think what that "be herself" means. In a world where everyone is dangerous and deceitful, gain the trust of the Marigold crew isn't easy, but she truly tries to demostrate herself better than other people. She needs it, of course, but gradually that "need" becomes a "wanting". She starts to like those people and she doesn't want to let them down. You can see this through the book and these slighly changes are the parts that I've loved the most. Fable isn't invincible, she is just human and so are the others. It's true that the things they deal with accelerate a little bit the bonding process but I didn't find a too rush change of behaviour from any of them. That happens with the slow burn romance too. You can feel the increase of the electricity with a delicacy that made me yearn for more.
Favorite character? West. I'm so in love with this complicated guy SO much. Can we have his point of view too, please? But I have also to mention how Saint seems tremendously interesting too. I hope to know more about him in Namesake, but this could be easily said about the majority of the Young's figures! They always leave in you the desire to understand more of them.
I've appreciated the "villains" side too. As I told you before in this book we haven't got a complete picture of the whole situation but Young creates a strong representation of what life looks like in that world: few or none real friends, everyone tries to trick and take advantage of you, and owing something to someone is the first thing to avoid. Having enemies or someone that can destroy you seems as much as easy than dangerous, and our main characters should come to terms with that and maybe survive all, thanks..
One last thing: can we talk about THAT ending?! I'm still recovering, really. I felt it couldn't end too well and then snap! There it goes! I'm so worried and eager to know what has happened next immediately!! How can I wait until March for Namesake??

Thanks again to #netgalley #St.Martin'sPress to give me the possibility to read this book in advance and to #AdrienneYoung for an amazing story I couldn't stop myself reading.

Fable is my first book by Adrienne Young and it won't be my last. I've already wished for the second book. My netgalley wishes never come true, but I'm praying this one does.
Fable is about a girl, Fable, who is a dredger living on the Island of Thieves for the past four years. She hunts Pyre, and trades it to Marigold, a trade ship which comes to the island regularly. The only thing feuling her will to survive is to make enough copper to buy a passage on a ship to Ceros, where her father, Saint, lives.
Things don't go as she plans (duhh), and with a rival out for blood, Fable has no choice but to run for her life, into the Marigold. Understandably, the crew of Marigold don't want her in despite the copper she's offering. How Fable makes her place on Marigold, discovers her crush on West (the crew leader), unfolds her complex relationship with her father; all this is told in the book.
Fable is Book 1 of a duology. It has Found family trope. Fable and West's relationship was an insta-love. I liked their bond, their chemistry (even if it was only for a while). West spend more time ignoring her than talking to her. I hope this is not the case in Book 2.
The author portrays the character's complex emotions in an exceptional way. Fable tells us how emotions such as love and hate can co-exist. You can be inspired and be wary of a person at the same time. That even in a world filled with so much hate, manipulation and untrustiness, love can be found.
I loved the cover. This is the second sea-related book I've read in a month, but while that had more politics, this one was more adventure-ish and more focused on ship-mechanism. There were too many technical terms used, especially in the first part of the book. They didn't make sense and distracted me from the book. I like imagining what the characters are doing in a scene (to make it more real), but I couldn't do that here. Now, after reading the book, I'm more comfortable with these terms, so I think the second book will be better for me (assuming it doesn't contain technical terms for entirely another field *should I start learning about gems?* )
5 out of 5 stars for Fable. Go for this book if you love adventures, daring and strong female leads and magical powers.

Received a digital ARC from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason this author's books just don't work for me. I find the stories to be way too slow and the characters to be boring and one dimensional.

Unfortunately this was a disappointing read for me. I love the title of the book and the cover, but not really anything else.

I can see this being a good read for a younger audience.

I had to skim the majority of this book because I just found the plot to be way too slow.

I don't know about anyone else, but I dislike books that take the first ninety pages to get to the main plot of a book. This was not one of them. The book begins with Fable having to get off the island in order to earn her spot on her father's ship. The action pretty much doesn't stop.

Something else I liked was that the author didn't turn to sexual harassment of the main character or any of the female characters for that matter. Serious props here cause books nowadays jump to that quickly as a means for the female character to either need a hero or for her to become badass. Fable is plenty badass without that in her story.

A young adult adventure tale of trust, friendship, teamwork, and love, Fable will pull you along in its wake. Living life at sea with a longing to belong, Fable is on a course for disaster that she keeps at bay. It took me a bit to get into the storyline but once I did I was glad I persevered. Just when things seemed to be falling into place, Fable is met with another hurdle, one that we won’t know the solution to until a sequel, which I do hope is coming.

Be prepared heartache and determination; loss and betrayal.
I feel in love with this author after reading "The GirlThe Sea Gave Back" so I was excited to read another story set on the high seas. This is a world of cutthroats, though - a world full of thieves and liars who would like nothing more than to exploit your greatest weakness -love. Your love for your family, your love for your friends, even a significant other. It's all knowledge used to barter with your enemies. That's why Fable knows that she can't ever trust anyone with her secrets, can't ever get closer. When her father abandoned her, it has been her mission to find a way to return to him. She just needs the trader, West's help to get off the cursed island to make it happen. But not all is as it seems. Some secrets lie on the surface whole others are buried deep.
As Fable and the crew of the Marigold make their way across the Narrows secrets come to light that will change things forever for the crew and Fable. Things will never be the same in Fable's eyes again. And as the story ends we are left wondering what is in store for her next.
It's a wonderfully told story about the strength of one girl - her grit and determination in the midst of her survival. The complexity of how she chooses to see the world is interesting because she chooses to let her mother 'guide' her and not be the cold, hard person her father is. I really enjoyed the many aspects of not only Fable's character but the other crew's characters. I really am looking forward to where this story is going. I finished it in a couple hours, I was just so invested in the story. I couldn't believe it was over. Hope the next one comes out soon.

** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. **

Fable is the story of a girl who is trying to find her place in life. After being forced to leave the island she was abandoned on, she ends up on a journey with a really interesting crew of characters. The story completely blew me away. It is so well written that I literally could feel the coral burns as I was reading. The characters are all really well done and the setting is perfect. I loved everything about this book and I look forward to the next.

An exciting action-packed adventure that was nothing like I expected. I loved Adrienne Young's first two novels, but "Fable" is something completely different and unlike almost anything out there in the world of YA today. From a twisty story - with pirates and high seas treasure hunts - to great characters, I couldn't put this book down once I started. Looking forward to writing a full review for Culturess.com.

OKAY.... so I absolutely loved this book! I have read books from Adrienne Young in the past and have loved her work, so I knew that I would most likely enjoy Fable as well. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed, Young really brought the heat in this new duology. I think that books that are mainly surrounded by a life on the sea make a really fun setting and story to tell. While I was reading I got some real Pirates of the Carribean vibes and as a lover of the movies I can say that this made me very happy. I really liked how this book set up everything very well to the point where it is going to dive right back in with the second book. Plus, it ends with a real cliffhanger, so believe me when I say that I need this next book pronto! Another thing that I liked about it is the characters. Fable is a very strong female character, who is more than capable of doing things on her own. Believe me when I say that she is no damsle in distress. Plus the Wests' crew aboard the Marigold (his ship) have such a great family dynamic, which is something that I really love in a good book.

Also, if you were a fan of To Kill a Kingdom, House of Salt and Sorrow, or just anything that Young has written, then I think that you will really enjoy this book.

First of all, this book DESTROYED me!
Like Fable is the absolute best and a pirates themed book?! YES!!
Also name one that is more badass and brave than Fable after all the things she‘s been through.
Like how is she still alive?! Because I‘m not. This story takes place in some beautiful fiktional sees and Adrienne writes a fucking beautiful setting. I felt all the time that I was right there with Fable and the crew on the ship. I also adore the character dynamics and the different representation. They feel like real people with real problems so I found myself feeling everything with them.


Do I even need to say that I need Namesake RIGHT KNOW?!? Like pls give it to me so my heart can go on (lol).

I finished this novel in one day, it was that interesting. Fable was extremely likable. Even the romance in the book was a slow build that felt organic. There are quite a few named characters in this one. but, for once i didnt have any problems remembering who was who. The author introduced each one slowly into the story and made sure they were memorable. It really helped keep the flow of the book going. Fable and the Marigolds story is one that i replayed over and over in my mind while I was attempting to fall asleep that night. you just can help but see the story in your minds eye.
My only complaint was that fact i didnt know it was the first in a series and now can't get the second book.

A creative story with a lovely cover. I enjoyed the female leads. There was a Pirates of the Caribbean-feel to the book, which I liked. The cast of characters was varied and fun to follow. and the worldbuilding was well done. Not overly crazy about the romance angle, and the ending was predictable, but this was a fun read overall.

This hit that specific "the sea is important here are some ships and merchants and sabotage" niche that's always satisfying, which I enjoyed. The worldbuilding, while simple, was well-articulated and intriguing.

I liked the exploration of the relationship between Fable and her father. It was also very easy to read and the writing style was something I was very impressed by (it sounded sophisticated/professional but still moved smoothly and evenly) even if it wasn't flashy.

However, the plot was,,, eh, the romance was,,, eh (and largely unnecessary), Fable was,,, eh (I thought she was a bit bland), and the climax was MAJORLY anticlimactic (which you really generally don't want). I also felt that ending also relied on a cliffhanger for shock value, trying to overcorrect the mildness of the climax.

Adrienne Young had done it again! This is probably my favorite book of hers! This book is set around ruthless pirates, survival, finding family and love. The beginning has our Heroine Fable struggling to get off a dangerous island where her father dumped her to make her own way. He tells her if she gets off and comes to find him, she'll get what's hers. She needs to try to get out before getting murdered by competitor dredgers and to start her story.

This was such a great read! I love Adrienne Young’s writing and the worlds she creates, and I think Fable might be my favorite of all.
Fable is determined, strong, and not afraid to do whatever she has to to survive. I loved her as a character (and I love her name, too), and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The relationship between Fable and her father was devastatingly complex, and while I was initially disappointed at the outcome, I think it was perfect for furthering the plot. (I would love a prequel about Saint and Isolde).
I also loved the crew of the Marigold. Willa was another of my favorite characters, and I’m really looking forward to more scenes with her in the sequel. The relationship between West and Fable was absolutely perfect as well, interesting and sometimes heartbreaking without overshadowing the plot.
I’m so excited for the sequel; Fable has definitely joined the ranks of my favorite books of all time

Fable, the latest YA novel by Adrienne Young, starts off with the story of another abandoned daughter. While in The Girl the Sea Gave Back, the daughter was presumed dead, in Fable, the title character is left alone on a beach by a grieving father with the parting words of “come find me.” Fable is left to care, feed and fend for herself from a young age and is understandably wary of kindness from anyone-although there’s scant little to be had on the island she has called home for the last several years.

A self-hidden gem affinity makes Fable a better scavenger than most in the trade that keeps her fed, and a rival tries to take advantage of her bounty, forcing Fable to flee onto a shipping boat and off to adventure and self discovery.

Once aboard the ship, Fable finds much the same wariness towards her from the crew that she encountered on land, but through acts of service and rising to baited challenges, shows herself to be trustworthy and reliable. The crew soon warms to her, providing Fable with the first real friendships she’s encountered in her young lifetime.

Conflict arises again when the ship makes landfall and a rival ship captain looks to take revenge on Fable’s new crew mates. They band together to resolve their problems, and set out to recover a lost treasure haul that could change the fortunes of all of them.

Young’s story builds slowly, but as the action picks up you become more invested in the story and start to care for the characters as they reveal more of themselves. A jarring cliffhanger will have fans of this duology clamoring for the sequel due out next spring.