It's been a while since I've read a book in 24 hrs. I got hooked from the description! Fable is a SURVIVOR with a capital S! Using her wits and sheer will she overcomes so much to get what she wants. Despite it being hard to accept I understand why Saint did what he did. I was fascinated with her ability to free dive. The amazing things she must see as explored the coral reefs. By the end, I felt like Fable had come to terms with it as well. The story is very well written with great characters to support Fable on her journey. I knew as I got closer to the end that I'd be left biting my nails for the next book! I look forward to finding out more about Isolde and where the story will lead for all the crew of the Marigold. I highly recommend this story for lovers of sea adventures.

Mild to moderate violence and adult situations.

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

She was taught just five rules of survival 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.

She lived by those rules...until she didn't.

This is an epic journey of a young woman, Fable, who overcame incredible odds to discover that she preferred to make her own rules to live by. The journey is set against a background involving piracy, scheming, and feuds amongst groups all just looking out for themselves in a world that does not reward kindness or love. In fact, love and family are weapons to be used against you. But for Fable, a sense of family is all she has been searching for since abandoned by her father years before.

The story is masterfully written to draw the reader into the world to the point that the reader can feel all of the emotions of the characters. I found myself on edge many times while reading this...waiting with barely a breath to see how the situations would resolve. With that said - I guess I will be holding my breath quite a while waiting for the next installment of this as the cliffhanger at the end is practically heart stopping.

There were portions of the story that were slower than others, but I found those portions absolutely necessary to paint the full picture of the world in which the story takes place. I did not feel like any parts of the story were needless fluff or wasted words.

I cannot wait to see how Adrienne Young follows this one up and where Fable's story will lead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Fable!!! This book releases on September 1, 2020. Okay first off can we talk about this authors book covers?!? She has the most stunning book covers I’ve ever seen! I am absolutely obsessed!

Second, I’m not gonna lie. I’ve read 1 other book by Adrienne Young and I wasn’t obsessed. So when I saw this one my initial feels were hesitant. But after reading the description and seeing that cover I was beyond excited to read this one y’all!

Third, let’s get to the good stuff now. Honestly, I wasn’t hooked from page one. This book took me a good 40-50% in before becoming hooked. The author had to do a bit of world & character building but once this was established things started to get good (yay!). These characters were giving me total pirate vibes even tho they weren’t called pirates. The world ended up being so fun!! There were ships, open sea, different cities/islands, the different guilds/guild masters, bits of action, back story & love. Everything ended up flowing really well and just over all very well written. I was definitely feeling for Fable throughout the book, she had a rough run at first. And although some bits were predictable I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I can’t wait to read the 2nd book....talk about cliffhanger ending!! Ahh...I have to see how Fables story ends. All in all if the description interest you then I don’t think you can go wrong with this read. 😁

Fable was my first book by Adrienne Young. I had heard about her other two books, but they did not catch my attention as this one did. I love books set on the ocean or the coast, so I decided to give this one a try.
Overall, it was a story that I did enjoy and would recommend. But, at times, it reminded me of why I am sometimes sceptical about YA books. They are fun but rarely satisfying. I adored the setting, and the atmosphere described made you feel like you were at sea. It was fast-paced and action-packed. My main issues were that I found the characters simple, and did not see any build-up tension towards the romance.
Surprisingly, I loved the abrupt ending, and am already looking forward to the sequel.

Warning: cliffhanger.

I am willing to read any book that Adrienne Young puts out and I am not disappointed by this offering except for having to wait for the second book! I enjoyed the story and characters, but felt there was a lack of world building.
I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gah! I loved this even more than the author’s previous books. Which I didn’t think was possible.

Kind of unique, lots of fun, I look forward to the rest of Fable’s tale.

I loved this. Adrienne writes with such immediacy and the world-building was vibrant and atmospheric. I was immediately hooked and devoured this story in a day. It was one of those books that when I wasn't reading it, I was looking forward to reading it. FABLE was quick-moving, vast, and completely immersive, just like the sea itself. Highly recommend this one.

This adventure took off right at the start. It is so fast paced and the pacing maintains throughout. I loved the world, the sea setting, and being able to figure out the little gems of mystery one piece at a time. I can't wait until the finished copy comes out so I can add this beautiful cover to my collection!

I think this book has pulled me out of my emotional reading slump? It’s been months since I’ve truly and wholly loved a book, but I was so invested and so intrigued with this world and these characters. I love Fable as our protagonist, and the way she interacted with the motivations of everyone else.

Sometimes there was too much description of action without much insight into what our main character was thinking, but it wasn’t frequent and I was never confused (once I figured out the vocabulary at least).(But I actually loved that the narration didn’t spell everything out and left the words to implications and context.)

I definitely recommend this one if you love pirate or ship stories. Or stories that appreciate the ocean. I cannot wait for the next book!

I cannot get enough of this book. I have been a fan of the author since Sky in the Deep released. This is a close second. The master storytelling and weaving of so many elements was just well done. If has such a long drawn romance that isn't the center of the story instead you can just know it. I cannot wait to see what happens in the second book. It cannot come soon enough!

My feelings on this book took more twists and turns than the poor main characters life. The first line had me ready for drama and then I slowly started to get discouraged with all the sailing terminology. World building is important though and as everyone in this world so far is dependent on sea trade it’s just something to work through. I had pondered just stopping at the 25% mark but pushed through because I know from Adrienne’s other books she likes to flesh the world out before you really get into the thick of things. There was representation and none of it was used to push the story so that was really nice. I had a small fear halfway through insta-love was going to happen and I always cringe when that happens but it’s so typical in ya you just have to brace for impact like you’re about to hit a reef. I was pleasantly surprised that wasn’t the case. As the book drew to a close knowing that it’s a duology there was going to be a cliff hanger so I mentally tried to prepare myself. I did not prepare myself to the point I should have. Equal parts predictable and out of nowhere shocking. I was a little disappointed about the predictable part just because there are a lot of characters that a true blind side could have happened but I’m excited to see how Fable’s story ends. I will be adding a physical copy to my shelves when this is released and will now count the days until book 2.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

My oh my! Now this is a story that dug itself into me and wouldn’t let go!

This has been a book I’ve been anticipating all year! It was even better than I hoped! It’s got action, adventure, love, lost, feelings of hopelessness, but most of all it has hope. The story hooks you from the very beginning with the world building, characters and writing.

Adrienne held nothing back in this one. Fable is our MC abandoned by her father on a cut throat island at a young age. Fable is told if she makes it off the island and back to her father she will be given what’s hers. Along the way she meets a small crew who are not at all what they seem. But they’ve saved her life so who really cares right?

This epic adventure had me feeling every emotion. I haven’t cried reading a book since Allegiant...it’s been a while. But with everything Fable comes to face she always has hope. She’s a strong written female character that we can all look up too. It’s so hard in YA not to have a MC be whiny in some way, Fable finally broke this mold for YA female characters. She never once annoyed me by whinnying, she dealt with every blow that came at her. She had her big girl panties on and pulled up. But every emotion she went through and dealt with in this story, it was so easy to get lost and feel everything she did.

Adrienne wove a beautiful adventure I’m so glad to have read, the adventure was amazing and I CANT wait for Namesake!

Fable is a Jevali dredger, a diver off the coast of Jeval, the island of thieves on the edges of The Narrows, a dangerous stretch of sea rife with traders and privateers alike. Fables’ secret gift for sensing the presence of gemstones has been a boon to her profession in a world where it’s every person for themselves and she’s so close to being able to buy her way off of this hellish island that’s she’s been stuck on since she was 12 years old. She can practically feel what it will be like to confront the man who dropped her there in the first place, the infamous trader, Saint, and take her place amongst his crew where she belongs–after all, he is her father.

However, on day while on a dive things quickly go awry and with death close on her heels, she flees toward the very trader whose gold has filled her cache with coins. After giving him everything she has in exchange for passage, Helmsman West of the Marigold reluctantly agrees to take her to her destination. However, once they are out to sea, the very place she feels like she belongs, Fable starts to note some strange things about the crew itself. What did she get herself into?
Fable is jam-packed with action, high-seas adventure, and a healthy dose of romance. Every character is well-written, the scenes are well-set, and everything comes together so beautifully. I had a very hard time putting this book down once I got started and I loved every second of it. It never slowed down for me. I have always loved stories of privateers and pirates, especially those set in a Caribbean-type space and this checked all of my boxes. Young is an amazing author and I cannot wait for the sequel. I really hope we get closer to the gem-trading city of Bastian and learn more about Fable’s mother’s past and about Fable’s gift. What really happened when the Lark wrecked when she was a child? I feel like there is way more to this tale and I will wait with baited breath.

Oh wow. This book was so good. I just flew through it and finished it in less than twenty-four hours. It did take me a few chapters to really get into the story, but once the plot was really moving and I became more familiar with Fable, the main character, I could not stop reading.

The world-building is done very well and I loved the overall mood of this book; I appreciated that Young obviously put a lot of effort into researching ships and sailing. I really liked Fable. She was definitely my favorite character and I felt very sympathetic towards her throughout the entire story. I found Saint to be a super interesting character as well, because he was super complex. I did not really feel attached to the other members of the crew, however. I liked them, though not as much as I did Fable, and I wish their pasts were explored further.

I admit that I was not particularly into the romance—I thought they were cute and I liked them but they didn’t have as much chemistry as I would have liked.

But nonetheless, I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel—the ending just left me on the edge of my chair. I will most definitely be picking up a final copy of this book.

This seriously is Adrienne Young's best work. I fell in love with her storytelling in Sky in the Deep, and watched her characters grow in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. But now with Fable, she has effortlessly pieced together what's great about her first works to write a beautiful story.

Young is able to paint a beautiful backdrop for the lives of these sailors, and you can't help but be pulled under in the tide of her writing. With a diverse cast of characters, and a slow burn romance that will make anyone swoon, Fable will be sure to leave your lungs burning, waiting for the next breath of salty air that is Namesake.

I daresay 5 stars!
I read this book today. The entire book, more or less in ONE sitting.

Fable by Adrienne Young, is the first book in a new series that begins with a girl , Fable, who was abandoned on an island at the age of 14. Everything she has (which isn’t much at all) she has worked hard for, diving deep into the sea. When she’s attacked she defends herself and has to barter passage to another island, with the trader who buys her merch when he’s in port she has to give him everything she has. But there is something about the ship, and it’s crew that they’re hiding. And they aren’t the only ones.

This book captured my attention from the first line and didn’t let go. It is apparent that sailing was well researched. Beyond that the storyline is beautifully paced. The characters are rich and so well developed, and the world building is phenomenal. I was captivated.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC. (My enthusiasm is 100% my own!)

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Y’all should know by now that I love to start a review by gushing over the cover, so what comes next shouldn’t be a surprise, right? THIS. FREAKING. COVER! Can we just all agree that Wednesday Books is killing the cover game right now? One slow clap from me, keep up the good work. (If you need further proof that Wednesday Books has gorgeous covers this year, I will put some of my favorites at the bottom of this post for you to drool over.

While Sky in the Deep was an unequivocal five star read for me, I had a harder time with The Girl the Sea Gave Back. While that one was a one sitting read for me, it didn’t quite have the pull of Adrienne Young’s debut. The moment I saw the cover and read the synopsis for Fable, I knew it was a book I NEEDED to pick up. I am beyond happy to report that Fable absolutely blew me away.

Fable as a character is likable, fierce, tough and just someone I constantly found myself rooting for. She never gave up and showed an incredible determination to see her goals completed. Even in the face of rejection and failure, she maintained a strong will and persevered.

One of my favorite things about Sky in the Deep was the cast of side characters and the connection that I formed with them as a reader. The supporting cast in Fable is just as wonderful and likable, if not more so. Fable’s entire friendship with them was a kind of slow burn and I enjoyed watching that develop slowly.

There is romance and while it is ridiculously swoon worthy and actually brought tears to my eyes, it did not overtake the plot. Fable was the start to an incredible story about a girl finding her family and her place in the world, and I can’t wait to see where the stories goes in the sequel. Definitely preorder these gorgeous books – I already have!

This book takes off running from beginning to end and I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages in between. I love the strength of Fable. As a protagonist she’s resilient and gritty with just enough of a conscience to allow her to be slightly vulnerable without being weak. Please tell me there’s a sequel because Im totally left hanging and it’s frustrating. A special thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion which is you should read it. 😊

You know when you are eating a good piece of cake and you don't want to finish the last bite because you know nothing will ever be as wonderful as that last bite until you have more next time? That's how I felt while reading Fable by Adrienne Young, I did not want to finish this story at all.

Fable, the main character, is someone who had to adapt to her new surroundings, in four years she learned to survive, trade, and outsmart others, all with a goal of one day having enough coins to secure passage off the island. Things escalate faster than Fable had planned but she doesn't waste any time in getting things done. One of the things that stood out about Fable was her resilience, her mother died and her father left her there; life threw her curveballs and knocked her down but she still kept going.

I enjoy stories about crews so when Fable left the island with West and his crew I was beyond excited to see how the relationship dynamics between them all would be and I was not disappointed. Also have to mention that learning about the side characters and their stories was just as important as Fable's.

Adrienne Young is a pirate, there I said it, she captured the pirate life flawlessy, it never felt forced or fake, it was smooth sailing while I was reading. Fable is her best book and definitely my favorite, I couldn't get enough of the characters, the high stakes, and the sea.

Even though, the last page has a cliffhanger, I was left with a huge smile on my face, I really loved this story and hope that this year moves faster so I can get my grabby hands on the sequel, Namesake.

(Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an E-Galley)

I adore Adrienne Youngs writing, and after reading her last book, The Girl The Sea Gave Back, I knew she would be an auto buy author for me.
When I saw she was coming out with another book, I screamed! That cover is gorgeous, and the synopsis sounds even better!
This was such a great read and I loved the world building and characters.