Namesake is the second book in the Fable series by Adrienne Young. It is a story full of action and adventure that is sure to pull you in and hold your attention until the very end. Namesake picks up where the last book leaves off, making it easy to get lost in.

“We were salt and sand and sea and storm. We were made in the Narrows.”

Aaah, what a perfect ending to this spectacular duology! Namesake begins right where Fable ends and doesn’t waste any time jumping in to the thick of things. Zola has kidnapped Fable, she’s on the Luna and she’s shocked to find a familiar face there among his crew. Forced to dredge for Zola, Fable heads in to the Unnamed Sea and finds there is much more to her family and past than she could have ever imagined.

I loved Fable but I really loved where Ms. Young took Namesake! The characters all gained depth and I felt like things were brought around full circle, complete with the character growth I so longed for. The plot moves at a quick pace full of adventure both at sea and on land all while continuing to build a fascinating world that I loved learning more about. Ms. Youngs writing easily transported me in to Fable’s world and I loved reading every daring adventure! There are twists I didn’t see coming and some character arcs that I had hoped for.

There’s so much to love in this duology, but the found family trope is strong and I’m here for it. Namesake had all the swashbuckling adventure, romance, intrigue and twisty reveals I could possibly dream of and then some! Five humongous stars to this gem of a book.

Narration: Emma Lysy is spectacular! I listened to her narration of Fable and was excited to see Emma was narrating Namesake, too! Her voice is so distinctive; rich with depth and emotion, and moves flawlessly from character to character in perfect rhythm and pitch. She is an absolute joy to listen to!

My thanks to MacMillan Audio for gifting me an ALC and to Wednesday Books for gifting me a DRC.

I loved Fable, the story of a resilient young woman who escapes an island of thieves and cutthroats by booking passage on the Marigold to get to the island where her father resides so that she can join one of his crews, when I read it last year. It was an exciting adventure that gave me total Pirates of the Caribbean vibes (which is a franchise I thoroughly enjoy, mind you)! And after the way it ended, I was so eager to dive into Namesake. The sequel explores the consequences of the choices made in the first book, including a brand-new series of obstacles and challenges that Fable will need to find her way around (or through) if she wants to keep the people she cares for safe. Namesake was an enthralling adventure that had me hooked right from the start! I was happy to be reunited with Fable, to see the ways she’d grown from her experiences, to discover how she still had a lot to learn, and to witness her extraordinary (and stressful) adventures as she tries to make sure things all turn out okay. This, in tandem with learning more about the world and other characters, made this such a satisfying read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages once I’d started reading it, and I really enjoyed how Young chose to wrap up Fable’s tale. If you’ve yet to read Fable, consider this my endorsement for the full duology and encouragement to pick it up! And, if you’ve read Fable and are excited for Namesake, I can confidently say that you’re in for a treat. (P.S. I’d recommend reading them back to back for the full immersive story experience, which is what I ended up doing!)

When I read Fable in December, it quickly became one of my favourite books of the year. And I enjoyed Namesake just as much!

Namesake is a great read and a wonderful end to the duology. I loved the writing, the characters, the plot and the adventure. I think everything wrapped up in a really satisfying way and it leaves me excited for Adrienne Young's future books!

My only wish for the book is that we got a bit more on the romance level between Fable and West. While I think what does occur between them is satisfying for the overall direction of the book, I wish the romance was a bit stronger - especially when compared to the feeling of the first book.

Overall, a great read and I'm so excited for Adrienne Young's future books!

Fable was an exciting, fun book full of adventure. You fell in love with Fable and her crew and a love of the sea permeated the pages. If book one was about Fable pursuing her father, book two was about her pursuing the history of her mother. It made for a fitting duology and Namesake exceeded my expectations. Adrienne Young took the challenges and swashbuckling to a whole new level in the second book and I think Fable and her friends got the ending they deserved.

Was... That it? Everyone talks around in circles, lying and manipulating. There's some diving. There's no threat of death, there's no anticipation, there's just the threat of wealth but working for someone they don't like. Plus, there's almost no character development? Like, in Fable we spent all that time with the other characters from The Marigold and here we saw them briefly as "we're mad!" and... That's it. There was just no substance to any of it.

With the way that Fable ended, I was expecting a mad dash or at least the threat of death. But we got none of that. Suddenly West appears again without him or Fable having to really do anything interesting and everyone's mad but that doesn't stop Fable or West from getting everything they wanted? It all just felt... Convenient, incidental.

Also... Pretty sure Young's favorite word is "lowly" - it's used so often I started flinching every time I heard it.

Headlines:
Cover win-inside goodness
Full & satisfying
Trousers over dresses

"Helmsman. Dredger. Trader. Orphan. Father. Daughter."

This second piece in the duology did not let me down. I can't tell you how relieved that makes me when I loved book one, there's always that trepidation over the next one. This story, this crew, Fable and West really captured my book-loving heart and being able to follow the story to completion was everything.

Interestingly, Fable was a little less tough and a little more weepy in Namesake, showing a vulnerability I didn't expect. Talking of expectations, family continued to be a key theme in this instalment and it was hard to trust anyone related to Fable.

One of the things that captivated me in Fable was the diving and dredging; I loved for those moments in this book too and there were plenty. I just found that element so interesting, vivid, dangerous and wild.

"Even from above, I could feel them - the soft songs of the gemstones hidden in the reef below."

West really struck me with the faith he had in Fable. She pulled some tough decisions, some gut feelings that weren't based in much and he made things happen as a consequence. West was morally grey but 100% committed. I loved how their power dynamic played out, push and pull but one more in control than the other.

I am all satisfaction at the story, pacing and characterisation of this duology. This will sit happily on my shelves as a favourite.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the early review copy.

This was everything I was hoping for as a wrap up to this series! Fable was an amazing main character and her story evolved so much over the course of the two books...as did she! I loved how we got to learn more about the cast of characters around her (and her relationship to them). Of course, I will never say no to more of Fable and West.

If you haven't picked up this series, you definitely should fix that right now. I loved every second of these books and couldn't put them down. If you're looking for a YA Fantasy that will keep you turning the pages, this book / series should be next up on your list!

I love Adrienne Young's writing and FABLE blew me away, so when I had the chance to read NAMESAKE, I jumped. Here's what I really love about this book: the characterization, the story arc, the reality of the human relationships that we're presented with. I love the pirate elements because I think those are really unique in the YA world, but honestly the characters are what draw me.

It's easy in YA books to skip over difficult things or smooth things over quickly because they're naturally faster paced, but Young does a really great job of showing the vulnerability and difficulty within human relationships in NAMESAKE. She addresses the fact that not everything is black and white; sometimes, things are morally grey and those are the only options we have.

I love the complexity of this story; I love the tense situations we find Fable in and how she navigates them while staying true to herself. I love her and West and their story. I love her love for her father, even though he has flaws and faults. I think the story arc of this is perfectly paced and easily devoured. A really really great read!

Namesake is the second and final installment in author Adrienne Young's Fable duology. The story picks up a little bit after the ending of Fable. If you've read Fable, you know that our heroine, Fable, was blindsided by a notorious foe of her fathers in an attempt to use her as a pawn in a complex power game. Her desperation to escape is only hardened by the perceived betrayal she feels at realizing the ship's Navigator is none other than her father's second-hand from her childhood.

Onboard in the Luna, Fable doesn't have a friend. The crew wants to kill her and the man she thought was a friend has betrayed her and Saint. Worse, she has no clue if West knows what happened to her. Fable is given an ultimatum by Zola. She must dredge for her freedom or die. Then, things get worse when her own nemesis, Koy, is brought about on Jevali to help dredge for gems. Fable remembers very well the last time the time of them met face to face. Can Fable survive against someone eager to kill her?

In between leaving Jeval, where Fable spent 4 years begging and scraping in order to survive, and arriving in Bastian, Fable has a few incidents that will leave her reeling and eager to find a way out from under Zola and his crew. After a stopover in Sagsay Holm, Fable hears a rumor that someone is going port to port setting fires to ships looking for Fable. This news gives Fable hopes that either West or Saint has finally figured out who stole her away, and that they are on the way to help her.

Once she's in Bastian though, everything changes when she begins to understand that her mother had plenty of secrets that she kept to herself. Including, Holland, the grandmother she never knew about who is a shark just like her father. There are some twists and surprises that happen in Bastian and with Holland, Fable, West, and Saint that I'll skip over since they contain spoilers and will ruin the surprise for those who will one day read this final installment.

I think the most interesting dynamics of this story ends up being the relationship between Saint and Fable. Saint is conniving bastard at times and his past decisions regarding Fable were atrocious and apparently calculating. Everything he does in these two installments is perfectly tailored to play the long game of increasing his power. Saint, however, more than makes up for his past with some remarkable gamesmanship putting his adversaries in difficult situation.

There are some curious similarities between Isolde and Fable. Both were was stubborn, beautiful and a talented gem mages. West is bloody brilliant. He's such a harsh character, one who seems certain of the worst at every turn, but he adores Fable and goes to great lengths to save her. West's crew members have become family to Fable. They don't see her as Saint's daughter or just another dredger, but part of a family unit that has it's ups and downs and everything else in between.

Overall, it is very rare that we get a sequel released so soon after the first book by a major publisher. I have to say thank you to the author and the publisher for thinking ahead with everything going on in this world.

How far will the Marigold go to get home?

Our girl Fable just can’t get away from trouble. Namesake continues our story from the first book, which was a great set up for this book. The first book Fable was good, Namesake was amazing. We continue our story with Fable being pulled into another scheme, with all new rules.
Namesake took pieces from the first story that was left open and wrapped it all up.
I absolutely loved the character and plot development and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. This book I read in 3 sittings, and it moved so well I didn’t even realize how far I was in the book, because I was so engrossed.
Fable, West and the rest of the crew with the help of other characters (new and old) had to go and continue into an action pact story all trying to survive.
I feel like Namesake moved better than the first in the duology (Fable having a lot of plot to set up) and I enjoyed this even more. I am sad to say goodbye to the story and characters, but I won’t be saying goodbye to Adrienne Young. This was a strong five out five for me, and maybe on my top ten books of the year when we end 2021.

Well it's official, I loved Namesake just as much as I loved Fable! And I am so incredibly sad my time with these fantastic characters has come to an end.

Friends! This can absolutely NOT be read as a standalone ... don't do it! You've been warned :) And... just in case you haven't read Fable and you're checking out this review ... I'm not going to say a whole lot, because spoilers aren't cool. What I will say is Namesake picks up right where Fable left off and it's EXCELLENT!! 👏

Once again Adrienne Young delivers an atmospheric, captivating and beautifully written seafaring adventure! And once again I couldn't put it down. All of my favorite characters from the previous book. We are also introduced to some new characters. One in particular that did not make my favorites list, haha ...

The duology wraps up nicely! I will admit I shed a tear or two near the end.

Huge thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my ecopy!

This whole series is a work of art in its truest form. From the very beginning, Fable has fought her way to get to where she’s at & in this story, you really see her shine. she works hard to show people who she is, how hard she works, & how nothing should be handed to her. it’s truly, TRULY the coming age story of the year.

this series is the easiest 5 stars i’ve given all year!

thanks to the pub for the arc. all thoughts are my own.

It is time. Adrienne Young's duology, Fable, is about to conclude in Namesake. It is time to see how Fable's story wraps up, don't you think?

Last we saw, Fable has been ripped away from her hopes, and her home, all of which could be found on the Marigold. Now she's been sent off on another adventure – this one she is much less willing to take part in.

Yet it all ties back to her past. And her family. It always does. In some ways, it feels like she will never be free of the world that she was born from. But Fable is a driven woman, and she will fight to the end to have a choice for her path in life.

“I was the Saint's daughter. And before I left the Luna, every bastard on this crew was going to know it.”

I'm not entirely certain what I expected, when thinking about how this duology would end. I can tell you that no matter what I was thinking, Namesake surpassed any hopes I had on the matter. It did justice to the tale that Fable started, and kept me reading right up until the end.

No really, I read Namesake all in one go. I couldn't bring myself to put it down, not even for a snack break. The new antagonists, revelations, and emotional turmoils kept me fully invested, and even left me just a little bit sad, when it was time to say goodbye to it all.

That's the sign of a good story though, so I won't complain about it ending. Not much, at least. I promise. All good things must come to an end, and that includes our time in this world that Young has created.

On that note, I really did enjoy the world itself. The concept of living on the ocean, of diving for treasures. All of it, even (perhaps especially) the less glamorous parts. It all felt so alive here, especially when Fable's story got brought into the fold.

Namesake did a fantastic job of wrapping up all of the plot arcs already started, while creating a few more to make us all the more invested. It brought Fable's conclusion to the perfect point, and really did justice for all of those fans out there. Of which I know that there are many.

Honestly, I feel like duologies are underrated these days. I love book series, don't get me wrong. However, I do enjoy a shorter series that knows exactly what it wants to do. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I loved Fable so much. Adrienne Young set out to tell us a story, and she did exactly that. I know that this is one that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Loved this sequel! I so enjoyed being back in Fable's world and seeing old and new(er) characters. I definitely love the family aspect that the crew has and I wish there was more books in this duology. I won't say too much to avoid spoilers, but if you enjoyed the first book and love pirates, I highly recommend picking this one up!

I love when authors not only expand on the characters during a sequel but also expands on the world they have built. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed the first. Fable is a well-liked, strong female protagonist who has struggled, but found her way in the world-- I root for her!

This was the perfect conclusion!

Can I say that I love Saint? I won't give you more, I don't want to spoil it for you.

Before you read this book you have to know this is a duology and you must read Fable to understand Namesake.

At the end of Fable, our heroine was in dire straits, Wasn't she?

Onboard in the Luna, Fable doesn't have a friend. The crew wants to kill her and the man she thought was a friend has betrayed her and Saint. Worse, she has no clue if West knows what happened to her.

Fable is given an ultimatum. She must dredge for her freedom. Then, things get worse, Koy is in the same boat and the last time they parted ways, he promised to kill her 🗡.

Worse, a new adversary will give them all a run for their money.

~~

I'm really glad about how the story developed. I loved how the narrative just flowed. Fable remains an interesting character throughout, same with West and the rest of the crew. Koy was an unexpected addition but one that was welcome.

I'm sad this story is over. It was an interesting world. Cutthroat to say the least. Would I join them? Hmm, not sure if I can live in a boat despite the hammock sounding very appealing.

Lastly, I want to say how lucky is Adrienne Young with her covers. This one is gorgeous!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Wednesday Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was even better than book 1, Fable! There's more reveals and deals, as Fable has to navigate new challenges.

This novel starts right after the cliffhanger of book one and is full of suspense and danger (it almost felt like a heist novel). And there's a lot of plots and secrets about (some of which involve Fable's deceased mother). Will Fable be able to outsmart these news plots or will betrayal cause her to lose her freedom?

My only complaint is that I wanted more of the side characters! (Some of them almost felt a little on the flat side at parts, but overall I enjoyed them and their character arcs.)

All in all, this was a great end to a solid duology. Adrienne Young's prose and storytelling makes this definitely worth the read!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for this e-ARC. I really appreciated the opportunity to read this wonderful finale!

I can't believe I'm done with this breathtaking, YA Fantasy. The world building was phenomenal, the plot was fast-paced and exciting, and while the romance did take a backseat, it fit the story.

To me, West and Fable had a deep love but it wasn't romantic because they both would (and did) do whatever they could for the other. That meant throughout both books, but especially this one, they didn't tell each other things and made decisions apart. That grew tiresome, but I understand that was just the way life was for them.

But the heart of this story, the plot, was what made this a 5 freaking star duet. Everything from dredging, to ship life, to betrayals, adventures...it was so beautifully and carefully written. It felt like an epic rollercoaster and while fantasy usually drags a bit for me, I devoured this book (both books lol). I'm so happy I took a chance with this story and it gave me back the deep desire to devour more ya-ish fantasy romances.

Through so many actions and consequences, lies and truths, and finally a revelation that made me SO happy, I enjoyed every second of Fable's journey. She went through so much. I always viewed her as a silent strength with just enough love and vulnerability to make her trustworthy to even the least trusting people. She demonstrated that over and over and we were just along for the wildly addicting ride.

4.5 stars

Perseverance. Sacrifice. Vengeance.
The stakes are higher than ever for Fable, in book two of this duet, as she fight for herself, for West and his crew, and for her dad, Saint.

As much as I loved book one, this release, in my opinion, was even better. The direction of the story was clearer, and I was more invested in the characters. Fable, as the sole narrator, remains the star of the show, and she is manipulated throughout by others for their personal goals. This manipulation doesn't make her weak, in fact, it highlights her strength, meeting each challenge head on and knowing that her time will come for payback. I applauded her tenacity under the toughest of conditions.

What surprised me in this installment was the alliances formed along the way. It is obvious that West still cares a great deal about her, but some unexpected players in the game stepped up as well. Up against some worthy opponents, I liked Fable and West's dedication to saving one another, and their clever approach to turning the odds in their favor (yes, I'm trying to be vague here to avoid spoilers).

If you enjoyed the adventure on the high seas in book one, then this follow up is sure to entertain you.