This book was phenomenal! Firstly the cover is stunning.
We had great adventure, romance and love interest. Fable was incredibly well written and unpredictable. I really loved our main character, she was adventurous and I can’t wait to read the second book!

Ahhh I actually really liked this! I wasn't the biggest fan of Sky in the Deep, so I went into this hopeful but wary, but I really enjoyed it.

First off, this is a really speedy book, so it was perfect for me right now. I've been having trouble focusing on reading lately, but this book made it so easy to keep on reading! It was full of action (yet was easy to still follow and didn't dominate the whole book), and it was just a perfect balance of characters, plot, and description.

One of my favorite aspects of this book has to be the writing, at least the descriptive aspect of it. The scene that Young was trying to paint was always so clear in my head, and I felt like I was on the ship with Fable, or diving beneath the waves with her. I loved how the ocean was wrapped into every part of this story, and how its beauty (and danger) were described throughout the book. It felt like a perfect summer book for this reason, and was a perfect little getaway to crystal clear skies and endless, blue seas (maybe minus the pirates and scheming, of course).

I also really liked that this book actually went hard on the ocean/ship/trading/pirate stuff too. A lot of times those parts of pirate/sea trading stories are glossed over, and the story might as well take place on land with how much of ship life is actually described. But Young makes a clear distinction between the times they're sailing and when they're docked, and you can feel the difference in how things are described and the things the characters focus on. We get to see crazy boat maneuvers, watch the characters fight their way through deadly storms, and feel the sea breeze in the quiet moments. It was just really well done.

I also was overall quite invested in the story itself, and am curious to see where it goes next. The world was just big enough for it to feel like there's more going on, without feeling like too much for such a short book. There was intrigue, politics (amongst traders and guilds), a lot of plot and secrets, and a bit of romance. And while I didn't necessarily feel like this book needed a romance, it wasn't bad, to be honest. It's just not why I cared for this book at all, and I would've felt the same without it being there.

Anyways, this has made me excited to try more books by Young, and I can't wait to see what happens in Namesake!

<i>Thanks to Netgalley for an e-arc of this book. Full disclosure - I also have the hardcover and Kindle copy as well because I just love the author that much.</i>

Ok. First things out of the way - I love this author. I first read <u>Sky in the Deep</u> and was sucked into that world. Same goes with the kinda sequel and I thought this would be the same. I would be sucked into a world with amazing characters and plot and I would continue loving the author. Sadly, I was not and I DNFed the book. It is not the author's fault. For, in reading this book, I figured out something that is life changing. Well, maybe not life changing, but it will help me trying to figure out if I want to read books or not in the future.

I do not like pirate stories. Or mermaid stories. Or possibly any stories that have sea voyage in them. You think I would have realized this at an early age after being forced to read Moby Dick but I didn't. So, while I will continue to love the author, I won't be attempting to force myself through this book. I can't wait to see where she takes us next!

I didn’t know I needed a pirate book in my life, but this taught me otherwise. I enjoyed this first book more than the others by the author by far. Fable has been left by her father to fend for herself and finally earns enough to pay her way to get off the island. She has so much to prove, until she realizes that the one person she wants to prove herself to will never be concerned with her. So she determines she has nothing to prove to anyone but herself. And oh how the story unfolds. I just can’t wait for the next book. Namesake, here I come.

Another great story from Adrienne Young! Loved the world building, character development, strong heroine, and adventure of this! Excited for the sequel.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC. My views and opinions are my own*

I am ashamed to say this… but Fable was an ARC review from last summer. What is even sadder is that I love this author so why did I wait so long?

It’s called mood reading. Which doesn’t mix well with arcs.

Not going to lie. At first, this book was slowwwww for me. I actually did read a few chapters last year and just couldn’t get into it. Fast forward to this summer and I finally have it another go.

It still was a bit meh for me until about halfway through. After that point, I really didn’t want to stop reading. The characters abs story got my attention.

Fable is a strong MC that we get to see grow into her own with the help of some pirates. Honestly, I love the crew of The Marigold. Willa could be the best of friends. And don’t even get me started with West. SWOON. Blonde broken boy with green eyes and I’m going to fall head over heels.

I think there was a great balance between world-building and character development. Sometimes too much detail can be a bore. I understand why the first of the book was sort of slow. So if you also feel this way just keep pressing through. Unless you don’t.

I do think I will end up loving the second book more even though in the end I rated this one so high.

A fun seafaring adventure story for anyone yearning for life on the high seas! Young has an excellent writing style that breathes life into this world of pirates and port cities teeming with riches. I appreciated the way the characters in this book actually had to be more than a little ruthless to survive, although I didn't quite connect with them as much as I would've liked. I enjoyed the fraught relationship that Fable has with Saint, in particular, although I'm not very compelled by her romance with West.

That being said, this story ends on quite the cliffhanger. I do look forward to reading book 2.

Loved it, this is my 3rd book by Adrienne Young and as always her novels are so good. The writing is spectacular and her female characters are so well written especially for the genre.

I absolutely love Adrienne Young’s work! This story was amazing! The book was hard to put down. Loved the world building and the character development. Badass heroine for sure, the pace of the story was written perfectly. I am so excited for future titles by her!

Young’s books are just not for me! I’m not a fan of the writing style but I can also acknowledge that I’m not the target audience.

“He looked at me with a hundred stories lit behind his eyes.”

Summary
Fable has done what she can to survive after being abandoned by her famous trader father on the ruthless island of thieves, Jeval. She is determined to find her way back to him to claim what's hers. She enlists the reluctant help of the crew of the Marigold, a trading outfit that stops by Jeval on occasion. From there she becomes entangled back into the world of ruthless traders and the unpredictable sea.


Review
This was such a gripping, fast-paced beautiful novel. This story was everything I wanted out of a pirate book. Young balances a fast paced, sea-faring adventure perfectly with the emotions of the characters.

I fell in love with Fable and the crew of the Marigold. The seas are a precarious place, but this crew really gives such strong found family vibes and I am here for it. I loved how cut throat and ruthless every one is in this world, and it adds so much tension to the story line. Even though Fable is the one narrating, there were a few times I was seriously worried she wasn't going to make it. This was such a strong adventure novel and I had a great time being along for the ride.

I've read Young's previous two works and one thing that is definitely her strength is family dynamics! I've always loved the way that she has portrayed the complicated relationships that can occur between family members. Her descriptions of the way Fable feels about her mother and father were definitely pulled at the heart strings. Not only that, but the way the relationship between West and Fable bloomed was absolutely beautiful. The build up to that particular underwater scene at the end was worth every second of pining. I really feel like she was able to build up their relationship in such a subtle yet rewarding way.

If you are in the mood for a sea-faring adventure, definitely pick this one up!!! Literally I have been in such a pirate mood and this absolutely checked that box. It's been awesome following Young's work since Sky in the Deep and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Enjoyable sea voyage romp, with a fun cast of characters. I'm invested in the relationships between the characters both as a found family and the romantic pairings. Excited to see more from the sequel.

Shortly after I was approved for this book I got in in a bookish subscription box. I absolutely loved this book, the characters were written so well and I loved the storytelling. I was really sad when I realised I only had a few chapters left, but I knew there was a sequel coming very soon, so I wasn't too worried.

This was such a fun story! This is the first book in a fantasy series set at sea. If you love pirates or sea settings this is definitely the book for you!
I loved the characters and the world building. I feel like the author did both of these aspects very well. I will definitely be reading the next book.

This was a phenomenal read and I’m so grateful to be able to read it early. I can’t wait to read more by this author!!

I loved the world building and strong female lead. It was beautifully written, I can't wait to handsell this title and read the sequel!

I knew before even reading Fable that this book would be a favorite. Mainly for the simple fact that I am already a huge fan of Adrienne Young, but also because I am a sucker for books like this one.

Fable is the daughter of a very successful trader in the Narrows who was abandoned on a legendary island by her father the day after watching her mother drown. All she has known is life at sea, and all she wants is to leave the island and find her father. After four years, she ends up getting off the island thanks to West. The journey they embark on is full of adventure and romance.

I absolutely love the world building and the character development throughout this book. I couldn't read this book fast enough as I dived head first into this story and did not put it down until I was finished with it. I can not wait to read Namesake and see what happens next for Fable and West and their crew.

I loved this first book in Adrienne Young’s new duology. She thrusts you into the story with a shove, but the incredible world building and character voice pull you through page after page.

Fable’s arc from abandoned girl to independent woman is sensational and I loved her journey. The plot was steady amd I enjoyed the final twist! Can’t wait to read Book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

I always love a good found family story, and this one was no different. The main thing that could sell a book for me are the characters, and each character in this book was amazing. I loved reading about the crew of the ship Fable joins so much and I loved their dynamics. Definitely a recommendation if you love found family stories and your favourite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean.

Fable was an adventurous story set out at sea with a smart, capable heroine and a group of pirates with a leader that she may or may not end up falling for.

Fable was a fun read! I really liked how atmospheric the writing and the settings were. I felt like that really was at sea with these characters, delving below the water for hidden treasures.

I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something relatively simple but still full of some action and romantic tension!

3/5 ⭐️

TW: death of a parent, blood, violence, death, drowning.