From the moment I picked up FABLE, I couldn't put it down. Young's ability to build a world and employ the use of vivid imagery is one of the reasons her stories are so extraordinary.

Fable is a fighter, a survivor. As we slowly learn about her past--how she ended up on that island--and how she aims to get off of it, she becomes the kind of fierce heroine that never truly leaves you, popping into your mind months after you've finished reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and storylines. Young kept me guessing where her romantic and mystery plots were headed. Very excited to see what happens in NAMESAKE. FABLE is truly a one-of-a-kind story, made of all the themes that make a young adult novel great. This is one fantastical world that continues to shimmer on the horizon of my psyche. I want to be in the waters with Fable!

Adrienne Young’s books keep getting better and better. I wish I’d known that this wasn’t a standalone like with the two instalments in her Sky in the Deep duology, because I have a serious book hangover. March 2021 and “Namesake”, the sequel to this book, can’t come fast enough.

Characters

Fable is an amazing protagonist.  The entire book is told from her perspective, which already sets it apart from Young’s other novels.  However, Young’s signature style is still there, and everything she writes is like poetry on the page. I feel like I wrote that same line in my review for The Girl the Sea Gave Back last month, but I don’t care. It’s true. Her writing is one of a kind, and I’m insanely excited that I don’t have to wait an entire year for another book by her.  

As with her other books, Fable has some romance, but it isn’t front and centre. It’s an important part of the story, sure, but Young’s protagonists always have a lot more going on in their lives than simply finding love.  

There are quite a few other fascinating characters, not the least of which is West, the helmsman of the Marigold, who agrees to give Fable passage to Ceros.  He’s an intriguing character, young for a helmsman, and clearly harboring quite a few secrets of his own. The other members of the crew are all just as young as Fable is (maybe a little older), and their dynamic and backstories gave me a definite Six of Crows vibe.  They’re a tight-knit group that would do anything for each other, and I’m already disappointed that this is only expected to be a series with two books.

Plot 

The story is gripping from the very first pages, and there are never any lulls in the plot, any opportunity to put it down for a quick bathroom break.  As with her other books, it’s a fantasy, but there’s only a hint of magic in the storyline, which makes for a magical, yet plausible, world. 

This novel wraps up quite nicely, however there is a huge cliffhanger that’s left me itching for more. I know I’m repeating myself, but I seriously cannot wait for the next book! 

I would give this novel more than 5 stars if I could.

Recommended to anyone who loves young adult fantasy with strong female protagonists and a beautiful, descriptive writing style that doesn’t negatively impact the fast-paced plot.

*This review will be posted to https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ and other platforms on August 18, 2020*

Sky in the Deep was amazing while The Girl The Sea Gave Back was a letdown. I read Fable knowing it wouldn’t grasp my attention like Sky in the Deep but I still had an open mind. Fable was very slow from the beginning until the 50% mark. The second half was faster paced and had a small degree of action. I didn’t like or dislike Fable; there wasn’t anything that made her stand out compared to other female characters in young-adult novels. I didn’t like Willa or West for the majority of the novel since they both were cold towards Fable. After the half mark, Willa’s personality shifted and she wasn’t as annoying and harsh. West, on the other hand, remained the same from start to finish. How he treated Fable fell into the elementary school stereotype of “when boys are mean to you it really means they like you”. They hardly interacted throughout the story since West was always angry at Fable and then suddenly at the end he announced he fell in love with her the moment he saw her two years ago. That was an eye-rolling moment, especially when Fable realized she loved him in return.

I knew exactly how it would end (cliffhanger of course) and since the story was mediocre I will read the next one to see what happens.

Thankyou so much Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book !
4.5
So so so surprised!!! At first I fell in love with the cover then with Fable then with all of the characters. The universe was so good. And the writing, guys, the writing was so poetic, so beautiful. I loved it. The cover of book 2 litreraly KILLS me, it's so gorgeous. Can't wait bc damn I didnt want to leave this world. Really.

I loved Sky in the Deep and this beautiful novel reminded me what I loved about Adrienne Young's writing in her first novel. Her style of writing in this story is lyrical and smooth. Her word choices and the slow revelations of secrets through Fable's adventures are a delight to read and I didn't want this story to end. Mystery, adventure and a hint of romance on the seas, this was a wonderful read and I need more of the story as soon as possible! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"That bastard was leaving me again." And with that, I was hooked in this book. I cared about Fable from the first page when everyone was against her and she is constantly scrounging for food, safety and life.

Fable is strong, so strong, but also have a soft side that makes her relatable. Her determination and persistence is mind-blowing, and she's pretty funny. The plot of this novel had so many twists and changes, with antagonist abounding, but also supporting characters that endeared themselves to me, like a barnacle on a boat.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes strong female leads, pirates, or a book full of adventure!

There’s something about the sea that calls to my reader mind. I personally, in real life, have always been wary of being on boats and get nervous when there is even any small bit of waves to make the trip anything less than calm and steady. For some reason though, for as long as I can remember, I have read just about any kind of young adult book with pirates or set on the water. I love learning the terms for the different parts of the boat and hearing about how the water looks in the dead of a clear night—all of it.

There were several reasons why I wanted to read this book immediately when it came out. Adrienne Young has not steered me wrong so far with her gorgeous writing, THE FREAKING COVER, and the mention of the sea being Fable’s only home and bam, I clicked the request button on NetGalley so fast.

Just as I suspected, I was not in any way let down. We are introduced to Fable, a girl whose father is one of the most infamous traders around and who left her to fend for herself on an island of hardened dredgers with the promise that if she were to find her way back to him, she would have a spot with him on his ship.

One thing I selfishly appreciated as an adult who loves reading YA, is that it is never mentioned what any of their ages are. I obviously made them a little older in my mind than they probably were but that’s fine! It just made it easier for me reading about these young people having to do these horrible things (because when isn’t there death and treachery out on the seas) in order to survive if I was able to picture them a little older, even though let’s face it, it isn’t really it works.
I loved the crew of the Marigold, especially West for obvious reasons, and loved that even though they wanted nothing to do with Fable at first, that they eventually ended up becoming the family she always had wanted.

There’s quite the little cliffhanger at the end which has me dying for more, too. Basically, if you are in any way interested in a GOOD FUCKING BOOK, pick this one up. Lol, sorry this is my first almost full review in months and I am just really excited about it.

Um also, I added this to my "I will go down with ship" shelf and I'm wondering if that's bad luck for our characters in more than one way, lol, oops.

Quotes come from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve only read one other of Young’s book and that was the sky in the deep and I absolutely loved it. When I saw Fable, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It was certainly a different feel in her writing. It’s obvious to see how much Young is growing as a writer. Fable was an amazing story, it was dark and gritty and filled with these morally gray characters that I loved.

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I <i>massively</i> regret having not read anything by Adrienne Young now that I have had the immense pleasure of reading her newest novel, <em>Fable</em>. Where prior, my knowledge of Adrienne Young came primarily from the fact that an ARC of her second novel was extremely sought after sometime last year, I am now desperately eager to read more of her work. I'm only sorry that it took me so long to pick up one of her novels. Though, I am glad that the first I ever read was this one.

<em>Fable</em> is the story of a young girl, daughter of a man who amounts to what is basically a crime boss trader of the seas, who is left alone on an island to fend for herself by her father the day her mother dies from a shipwreck caused by a storm. He tells her she is too good for his world, tells her if she can get herself off the island, he will give her what she deserves, and leaves her to struggle to survive among a dangerous set of men who are also struggling to survive.

With her skills as a dredger--someone who scours the ocean reefs for precious gems and metals--Fable spends four years fighting desperately to stay save and eventually barter for passage so she can one day join her father.

<b>Fable is slow-burn in every way:</b>

<i>The Writing</i>

I did a lot of screaming when I finished this book. For one that I initially thought started off somewhat slow, <em>Fable </em>very cleverly wove its way into my heart. The slow-burn of the story that I began thinking would make it difficult to get into instead gave it the ability to make me fall in love with it without even realizing.

All the plots and relationships have that same slow-burn feeling to them. Whether it is the relationship Fable has with her father or the friendships she builds along her journey, you regularly see a delicate care taken with how it all grows and develops along the way. The way this story, and each of the subsequent supporting plots, are weaved together is some of the most exquisite storytelling I've had the pleasure of reading in my entire life.

Young also has this <em>utterly fantastic</em> way of having all the twists exists <em>just</em> out of the reader's reach. I'm pretty exceptional at picking out plot points and predicting what will happen within a story, so the fact that I was only able to do so with this book <em>right</em> before the twist was revealed left me <em>immensely </em>impressed.

There are subtleties of the writing that pull you in, like an unsuspecting tide. And once you're caught there's no dragging yourself back--and why would you even want to?

<i>The Plot</i>

At it's core, <em>Fable</em> is a story about the conflicts that power and money create in a world. It's a story about friendship and found families. In many ways, <em>Fable</em> has an interesting way of mirroring life. As someone who is not often a fan of novels like that, I found myself <em>loving</em> the way that it was portrayed in this one.

There is an intricate conflict between those with power and money and those without. And there is an impact to gaining that power, a price, of sorts, to pay.

The relationships are at the forefront of the novel, each impacting the central conflict in multiple small, but impact-filled ways. Conflict comes within the scope of human development, the hardships one must face to survive, and the ways in which those harships are both dealt with and managed both with and without outside support. A deeper conflict, it seems, is also being held for book two.

<i>The Characters</i>

Are amazing. I can't think of a single character I didn't love for one reason or another. Even characters like Fable's mother, dead for years now, were immensely impactful to the novel. I adored them all. Secretive West, hardened Willa, ruthless yet soft Saint, despicable Zola, mysterious Isolde, whimsical Paj, loving Auster, and clever Hamish all slowly found a place in my heart. Best of all, any minor character who we only got to see for a short period of time genuinely felt like a <em>real </em>person rather than a prop.

<b>Where <em>Fable </em>falls short:</b>

<i>Saint</i>

It is unfortunate that I feel this commentary is necessary despite how much I <em>loved</em> this book, but the truth is that there are a couple of things that could have been done better. The first is Saint and his abandonment of his daughter. I think I spent the better part of this novel sort of expecting that the motivations that led Saint to leave his only daughter on an island filled with dangerous men had a little more backing to them. But, as far as book one is concerned, the death of her mother via drowning in a storm turned out to be just that--death by drowning in a storm.

There wasn't some overarching plot behind her death that really solidified Saint's take on leaving behind those he cared about in order to cement his position and prevent anyone from using his love against him. He's not protecting her from a threat that has been made by denouncing her. He just decides that one loss--though at the hands of a storm--is enough and therefore nips it in the bud.

I dunno, I just feel as though his denouncement of Fable would have had much more of an impact had it all been because there was a genuine threat. It would have worked incredibly well had Saint truly needed to distance himself from her in order to prevent someone from using her against him. But there was no genuine moment in which this would have been realized for him. Her mother wasn't murdered, she died in a storm.

So, unless Saint murdered her mother so he could get rid of them both and cut ties with the only potential weaknesses he had--which I very much doubt--this just fell really flat for me.

Granted, maybe book two will clear this up?

<i>Fable</i>

Honestly, I don't have many problems with Fable as a character. What did throw me for a loop, though, was that I never truly felt as though I had a genuine sense of her age. Supposedly, she is 18 and was abandoned on the island by her father when she was 14. That said, at times she comes across as much younger than that. It almost feels as though she was abandoned at the age of 11 or 12 and is now 15 or 16.

It's not a major issue, but it did derail me several times while reading since I could never determine what really matched.

<i>West</i>

We did not get enough time with West. I never truly felt that I got to know him or understand a lot of his motivations. He's so shrouded in mystery, largely because he keeps so many secrets, that I can't help feeling a massive disconnect. We get little snippets throughout the book and only the ones that Fable, herself, becomes privy to. It wasn't enough. And this is horribly depressing because I <em>loved</em> West.

West's love of Fable also feels deeply underdeveloped. I can't really figure out <em>when</em> he fell in love with her or why. It's not that I don't see her as someone he should or could care about, but rather that Young never really spent any time building up the fact that he did, in fact, love her. Instead, we get some sort of cop out answer that puts all of his moments of falling in love in a portion of the story that we, as readers, never got to see.

And the story hurts for this.

I'm not saying that the romance has to be at the forefront of the story. But there should be a little something more than a brief comment to events that occurred before the story even began. While this can sometimes work, in this instance it feels like lazy writing. It feels like Young either didn't know how to show him fall in love with her or didn't want to put in the effort.

<b>Fable is my favorite book from 2020.</b>

Despite these pieces, though, I do genuinely consider this to be an exceptional novel. Young has an exceptional ability to pull readers into her story, to build connections between us and the characters she's created. By all accounts, it seems somewhat surprising to me that I feel as I do about all of them.

And yet, somehow, it's not surprising at all.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will be live on the Reader Fox Blog on 6/9/2020.

Oh my gosh. This is the BEST book I have read this year, hands down. Adrienne Young weaves secrets, darkness, haunting moments, dangerous seas, and essentially glorified pirates all in one. Fable is fast-paced and vicious and I lived for every second.

The world that Fable is set in is just so gritty. There’s really no other word for it. It is definitely a eat or get eaten type of world. I adored the islands, the sea, the trading, and everything in between. Yet at the same time, you have so much hope for Fable and our characters throughout the whole book.

Adrienne Young also has the perfect way of weaving sexy tension without there being any action. There are so many read between the lines moments that just made my blood boil in the best way. I adored each and every character we meet, even the ones that you’re supposed to hate. They’re all developed so perfectly and meticulously into the story.

I had a feeling the ending would be something like we got. I’m super curious, slightly devastated, and way too excited for Namesake. Adrienne crushed this novel and everyone should be pre-ordering this yesterday!

Adrienne Young is a fun and interesting writer, and this book proves that she's continuously changing. I liked this book a lot, but that appreciation came more at the end than during my time reading it. Young has stuck to more of stand along like books, while this one is kicking off a series. I loved Fable. As a heroine, she's so strong--something that all of Young's heroine's are and a very great characteristic they share. It's easy to forget how young in age Fable is actually, especially since she goes through so much and yet remains resilient and strong. The book was a little slow for me in terms of really getting to the heart of where this story was going--that I found out was because the book is the first in a series. It's setting up the stage for a much more complex and I believe a more interesting showcase in the next book(s). I am excited to continue this story in the books to come.

Full of swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, diving for treasure and some rather morally grey characters for teen fantasy fiction. It starts off with quite a grim tone, and you do wonder how the main character has survived so long abandoned on such a nasty island. I've read a fair few nautically inspired fantasy novels of late, and I felt this one glossed over some details (I'm no expert and it is commented on but only 5 crew members on that ship with no second watch felt a bit unrealistic!)
I did really enjoy it, although I could have done without that cliff-hanger ending... I'll definitely be reading the next one.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book ! All opinions and thoughts are mine. *All quotes are from the arc and may change.*

YA fiction + outstanding cover + beautiful writing + feminism +adventure
I could not put down this book. I lost many hours of sleep to this wonderful book which is a good thing. This book has a great take on with sailing , ships , and seafaring. I cannot wait till the next book.

“ Keep your knife where you can reach it. Never, ever owe anyone anything. Nothing is free. Always construct a lie from a truth. Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you.”

-Synopsis-
Fable is a young girl who has been left alone to survive by herself in a world where she doesn’t belong. She is abandoned by her wealthy father who is a trader. Subsequently after a appallingly lost of the ship she grew up in and her dear loving mother . She desires to prove her self worthy and be a dredger.

“You weren’t made for this world, fable “

-Setting-
The world building in Fable was outstanding. Adrienne painted a picture beautifully in my mind. The ocean and The marigold were vivid images in my mind. From the ports , Jeval , Ceros , The boats , and under the water were so amazingly written.

“We both know that surviving means sometimes doing things that haunt you.”

-Characters -
Fable is a strong , leader , persevering girl. She is a badass character and I love her she is such a gripping character. West and his crew were some pretty cool people the mysterious and fun to read about. I loved West and Willa. Willa is probably one if my favorite characters in the book . West was a character I was fond of. Paj and Auster didn’t get much time in the book as I would like but they share a intimacy I favor.

“ I can’t decide if i like you or if I think you’re stupid.” She laughed.


-Conclusion-
This book was so good I could not put it down. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a YA adventure , fantasy novel, this book is for you.

"It was a love that broke us all."

Adrienne Young creates a fantastic nautical world in Fable. This is an excellent tale of secrets, treasure, loyalty and love. The characters are diverse, and exciting. The descriptions are solid, I could see the story play out vividly like a movie in my mind! The end is a wonderful cliff hanger and I cannot wait for book 2!

"Down here, we were only two mortals in an upside-down world."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC of Fable in exchange for my honest review.

Fable is the best kind of adventure story. Complete with action, mystery and a bit of romance to boot. Fable was stranded on an island for criminals as a teenager and her only goal is to get back to her father, but everything is not as it seems. I really enjoyed this story. There were points where I didn't want to put it down, cause I just had to know what happened next. Young is very good at weaving a story with different story lines together to make one beautiful tapestry. The characters were fully fleshed out where needed and the bit players were just quirky enough to be a little more then cardboard cut outs. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the characters backstories. My only issue was, "OMG you ended on such a cliffhanger. I need the next book right now." This was such a fun read.

This was absolutely amazing! Every cheater and every page was so gripping, the whole book practically flew by. I was pulled into the story from the very start and couldn't stop thinking about it until I read the whole book, and even now, I want more. I can't wait for book number two. It's definitely one of my favorite reads of this year!
5/5 stars

(posted on goodreads)

4 stars! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I’m so excited for Namesake! Here’s my spoiler-free review 💛

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I came for Sea Demons. I stayed for Fable.

*chokes* Wait, what? Me? Rooting for a female main character who is not Inej Ghafa? UNHEARD OF. But Fable is a whole lot of badassery hidden beneath the surface of a brilliant sea (i was trying a thing here,,) my girl Fable is strong, so strong, but not in a brutish, fighting, murdery kinda way. She has her own kind of strength, she has DRIVE and she’s pretty damn awesome with gems (no spoilers here, but it’s all about the GEMS GUYS!)

I honestly didn’t expect freediving and coral reefs ✨ to be this fascinating and did not expect AT ALL to love the romance as much as I do, but GUYS! THE ROMANCE?! I haven’t been this invested in a ship since Kaz/Inej 💙💙💙💙💙 THIS SAYS A LOTTTT

live-footage of me for the 3/4 of the book: please let my ship sail, pleeeease let my ship sail *

This book is filled with intrigue, old family secrets, betrayal and the coolest crew of unlikely friends! The writing is rich, beautiful and breathtaking (even above the surface *coughs*) I loved it! Loved it! Loved it! 😍

any last words?

Y E S

READ THIS BOOK!

*no puns intended

First and foremost I would like to thank Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for early access to this title to read and review. This in no way sways my opinion as all thoughts are my own. A more detailed review will be posted/updated closer to the actual date of release.

Fable is a story about a girl abandoned on a mysterious island, trying to survive. I love the intensity of this book. I was so stressed while reading but in a good way. Fable's survival was crucial to my mental health (lol!). I think that this book hits differently because we aren't reading a story grounded in fantasy and magic. It's more about the corrupt people who continue to oppress others. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and this does not dissapoint. It has some LGBT rep, and a strong female/feminist lead.

I was not super impressed by The Girl the Sea Gave Back, I enjoyed it, but I felt like there wasn't much MEAT to the story - I 100% believe that Adrienne Young listened to her readers, editors, reviewers and made one hell of a story! Fable was amazing and I need book 2!

This book absolutely blew me away! It is going straight to the top as one of my all-time favorites! It was perfectly paced with tension that had me on the edge of my seat, romance that felt real and made me want more, characters that you couldn't help but love, the perfect amount of pirate scheming, and a story line that lacked nothing!

I am dying to get my hand on the next book, and you need to put this story on your To-Read Shelf NOW! This is a story that I will be telling everyone about, and I can't wait for my students' to get their hands on it! They are sure to love it as much as I did!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

WOW. This book is intense, but in a good way. Fable is immediately interesting and you're hooked on following her journey and hoping she gets where she needs to be.

I'm not sure if pirates are going to be the next thing in YA, but it'll be a fun ride! Who needs vampires when you have this much adventure?

This is a stellar introduction to a series!