Adrienne Young is able to create wonderful worlds that are easy to read. I’ve become a fan of her work over the last year or so and Fable was a book that was able to get me out of a reading slump.

I loved this book! You get to hear and see Fable's (main character's) thoughts, surroundings and plans. The story is engaging, moving and the characters are completely relatable. I loved it and can't wait to read the sequel.

A fast-paced, original story with captivating characters and gorgeous prose! My expectations were a bit too high for this one but I still loved it!

This arc was provided by St. Martin's Press, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: mutilation, parental abandonment, vomiting, off-page death of a parent, murder, drowning.

2.5

There is no doubt in my mind that many have and will find Fable to be an incredibly thrilling and quick read.

The premise is about Fable, a seventeen-year-old who, after the death of her murder by the sinking of their ship, was abandoned in Jeval by her father. Jeval is a small island with a rich pyre node, but as it is mostly a trading island, there is little to go around. Fable was dropped there as a thirteen-year-old to fend for herself and to get out of there on her own. An island filled with thieves and murderers, she has always been on her own barely surviving.

This is where we meet her for the first time and it was a strong beginning for me. One thing I truly enjoyed about this is how unapologetic the author is with the circumstances she puts Fable under, and I immediately was rooting for her.

My main issue with this is how predictable and boring the story was overall. It read very quickly, which was what kept me going but there were no interesting events happening. I didn't feel connected to the new characters Fable meets or her romance. In fact, I just don't see it. There's no chemistry between them and there weren't any outstanding moments that made me think, "Oh they are going to end up together!"

Since the beginning was so strong and intriguing, I expected it to continue but it fell a bit flat for me. It's a fine book and I understand why people like it. Additionally, if you enjoy sea and pirate stories this one is definitely for you!

I knew I would love Fable, yet I put off reading it for months – maybe out of fear it wouldn’t live up to my expectations?
Well, that was a stupid thing to do because I absolutely loved Fable.
The short and sweet summary: Fable is trying to prove to her father that she’s capable of living the trader life and the ship is where she’s meant to be – she just has to get herself off an island and find her way to him.
Sea adventures, a touch of magic, found family, and romance-but-not-too-forced romance? Check. Well-written characters that develop throughout the story? Check. Frustrating cliffhanger that makes me a little glad I put off reading the book because I only had to wait a few weeks for the second book? Check!
Fable had everything I love in a book. It might be too slow-paced for some, but I thought the action to plot ratio was perfect. I’ll absolutely be rereading in the future!

Fable is the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows. Now seventeen, she has spent the last four years on Jeval -- an island notorious for thieves and little food -- doing everything she can to scrape together enough money to return to her father and get what she has earned: a place on his crew. She enlists help from West, a young trader who she has been trading pyre with for the last two years. But she soon finds West is not who he seems, and her father's enemies have grown more numerous in the last few years. To survive, she must learn to trust West and his crew.

This was my third Adrienne Young book I have read (after Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back), and it was my favorite of the three. This book was really good, and so much darker than I anticipated. Fable is a tough character, and I really liked her. She was a little naive, but also tough and strong after her time on Jeval. The plot was really well-told, the other characters were really fleshed out, and the story itself was exciting. The only thing I didn't quite like was the romance -- it did feel a little sudden (though it was obvious that's where it was going) -- but overall it made sense, and I like those two characters together.

The ending left on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to dive into the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Really enjoyed this one. I love a good book with a sea setting and this definitely delivered on that! I also love a strong female character and Fable was excellent as an MC. The relationship between her and her father was really complex and interesting.

I do adore Adrienne Young’s writing style and the way she crafts her worlds and makes them so immersive that I feel like I can picture everything.

The story was also so captivating I found I couldn’t put it down and so I’m really excited to pick up the next one 👍🏻

DNF at 20%

***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

I started reading this one last summer and I just know that I won't pick it up again. It sounded very promising but the start of it was just too slow and confusing. I was also very unfair to the book and put expectations on it that I knew it would never live up to.

As of right now I am honestly not enjoying this book. I'm not sure if it's the timing or what but I got about 41% of the way through and had no idea what was going on because I just didn't care.

I am keeping this feedback for now because I think I'm going to try again later on and then will update this review.

Was so excited to receive an arc of Fable as Adrienne is one of my favourite authors. This is another solid book for book for.
I really enjoyed Fable. It was a quick fun book. Also Pirates!!! Who doesn't love pirates.

Fable was amazing! Very engaging story that kept me hooked until the very end. Cant wait for book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I read and enjoyed both of Young's earlier novels, so I was really excited for this pirate duology set on the high seas! The titular character, Fable, scavenges an existence on a remote island, having been abandoned there four years earlier. Scrabbling together what she can, she is ready to finally get a passage back to civilization to claim what is owed to her.

Full of action, this start to the series immediately immerses the reader in this world of violent ocean storms, traders on the high seas, bartering and honor. There's a bit of a love story, too, along with plenty of secrets and it's all tinged with magic. The cliffhanger of an ending makes me ecstatic that I am able to dive right into the next book! The only downside of the book is that some of the action scenes cross into feeling a bit garbled at times which makes them a little confusing - but, for the most part, this is a fast-paced and fun read! Plus, I am super excited to see what will happen next!

This was such a fun time for a read. I really loved the sea fearing elements. I thought the changing of settings were also super fun and made this exciting and fast pace read. I also really liked the crew that fable meet in this story. I liked how this book also tackled what beings strong means. For a book that had no real magic system, I was super invested. I also liked the romance in this book and enjoyed how it did not over power the story. It was such a quick read and I am excited for book 2!

Abandoned by her father after her mother drowned, Fable had to fend for herself in an island full of traders. In a quest to get off this island to find her father, she’ll have to survive the dangers of the trade.

After seeing the cover of this book, I could not resist but give it a go. The author or pub did a great job picking this cover. It said it all and represented Fable to the core. You can see right through her hardships but her eyes show determination and fierceness to survive. I loved Fable for what she represents. She is the epitome of “I am woman, hear me roar!”.

As for the story as a whole, yes, it was just as captivating as Fable herself. I was excited and intrigued the whole time, though some scenes were predictable. I enjoyed the pirate life story Young created. The backdrop descriptions made me feel as if I was there. This is my first Adrienne Young novel and it will not be my last. She’s made a follower out of me.

This one is going on my classroom shelves! Fable is an engaging story that kept me into it until the very last page! West and Fable make this story what it is, and who doesn't love a good adventure at sea! This is one to add to your TBR pile!

Thanks, NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

#BookAllies

Couldn't put this one down! An incredibly addicting tale, with its brilliant pacing and twists and turns. A great group cast with a main character that is strong and inspiring.

This is such as amazing novel! I will definitely be putting a copy in my classroom library. My students will love this.

Fable is a super fun read! I couldn’t put it down. It’s full of adventure, life on the seas, and a little bit of romance. Fable is a girl just trying to survive and the things she has to go through and do in order to make it are harrowing. The plot was good and fun if not predictable, the characters were decently fledged out. I’m hoping to learn more about them and see even more development in the next book. This is my second Adrienne Young book I’ve read and I have to say, I’m a fan. She knows how to tell a captivating story.

Ultimately, this was a fun read that has similar vibes to Daughter of the Pirate King by Trisha Levenseller. This book did feel more like a typical YA fantasy and didn't have much to stand out from other titles in the category. This narrative overall was compelling enough to keep me reading, though I"m worried this won't be overly memorable in the long run. Though, the cliffhanger was compelling enough to have me want to continue on with the concluding book.

AY took a fascination i had with pirates and turned it into a full-blown obsession. this story is EVERYTHING i need to feel like im living a stolen life on the open seas with the salty wind in my hair and a map in my hand.

this book holds masterfully built worlds and perfectly crafted characters. there is such a great balance between who the story is about and the places they navigate. i was constantly enamored by each character and their motivations, as well as where each scene was set. i just really cant get over how great this kind of storytelling is.

its the kind of storytelling that made me panic when i realized i only had a couple of chapters left because i didn't want it to end. so praise the book gods that theres a sequel coming!

a huge, heart-felt thanks to netgalley for the ARC! <3


•Character development- 4☆
• Story Plot- 4☆
• Side characters- 3.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 4☆