This sequel to “Fable “ did not disappoint. It picked up right where the cliffhanger left off (they easily could have bee one book) and the action didn’t stop. I enjoyed book 2 a bit more, probably because there was no slow set up of setting the scene or meeting the cast of characters. The reader is thrown into the action and from the start things are fast-paced and white-knuckled. I enjoyed this swashbuckling conclusion to the duet. Even though it was a bit predictable, this book had more of a pirate/action thrill to it and I honestly had a lot of fun reading it.

The last instalment in the series Fable is a wild ride. Everything is turned on it’s head as we race towards the end. Fable has bombs dropped on her about her family history, she has to question whether someone she loves is someone she can trust and judt how far she’ll go to find out. I loved this book and almost wish books one and two were combined so that we could have another. It felt like there could have been more detail, more development between characters. Everything happened so fast it was hard to accept the series was suddenly over. The covers are both stunning and I’ll be running to purchase this as soon as it’s released

I LOVED Fable so I was so excited to get the chance to read the sequel and it lived up to my expectations and more. Great characters and a smart plot that kept me guessing until the end. This was a very satisfying ending to Fable and the crew of the Marigold stories and I will happily recommend this to my customers, both teens and adults alike.

Rating 5

After reading "Fable" I was so excited to read the sequel "Namesake". I read this book within two days and it was amazing, just wow. I'm always hesitant to read sequels because I don't want it to ruin my love for the story but this one did the opposite. Reading the sequel just made me love this story even more. Like the first book, I would go into this book knowing little about it that way you have the most enjoyment. In "Namesake" we see Fable's character come alive and continue to grow as a strong woman. I will admit for the first few chapters I did not like her character and I was thinking "oh, no what happened?". But how wrong I was, how her character acted made more sense the further into the book you get. So, even though it did annoy me I totally understand how it fit into the overall storyline. The crew was still awesome in this book and it was nice to see each of their characters come alive. I loved learning more about them individually. The author Adrienne Young does such a phenomenal job of making the reader feel as though they are in the story. Even though I have never been to the Ocean she makes you feel as though you are experiencing what Fable is. This is a series I don't want to end but I am so happy she left it at two books. She knew exactly where to end the story without dragging it out.

Should you read "Namesake"?
Heck yes! If you loved Fable then this book will just continue your love for the story. While you might find some things problematic overall, it is such an enjoyable read. The journey you take reading this book is one you wish will never end.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Namesake is a pretty good book to follow up on what we got last time with Ms. Young. I rated this three stars because although it was a good storyline and plot, sometimes I found myself skipping pages because golly gee, it can get really slow and boring at times. I don't hate it but I think it's just too slow for my preferences and because of that, I recommend this book for people who liked the slow pacing of the first book.

Where to even begin...... I LOVE IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED READING IT! Namesake is the sequel to Fable and my god, I was crying over how much it touched me. Namesake picks up right where Fable left off with Fable being taken by Zola and forced onto his ship. The story follows her as she navigates surviving Zola, meeting Holland, and going on a quest to find a rare stone that only her mother found, all the while trying to keep the Marigold crew from being taken by Holland and trying to free not only herself but Saint. The real heart of this book was the growing relationship between Saint and Fable, that beautiful kind of family love, that they would do anything and love each other no matter what because thats what family does. I adored their connection and the unraveling of what truly happened to Fable when Saint left her on the island. The reasons for the complicated decisions they both made and I just... there really are no words for the beautiful relationship. I did love seeing the Marigold crew again and I loved the relationship between West and Fable. West and Fable are two people who will do anything for those that mean something to them, they will shoulder all the costs and go to the ends of the earth, and seeing them trying to protect each other was a wonderful thing to see. Yes, they’re in love, but the beautiful thing is that, they found a family in each other and that was what was so beautiful in their relationship. I just adored everything about this book and thought it was a wonderful way to end the duology. ( Honestly, I wouldn’t mind more books... I so badly want to know more about Saint). This book had so much, from family love, friendships, love, adventure, deceptions, and above all, what it means to be part of a crew.

*Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc of this in exchange for an honest review*

Namesake is the sequel to Fable, which I read and loved earlier this year. Since my only complaint with that book was that I needed the sequel, I’m glad this was released on Netgalley so quickly! That being said, while I did enjoy this book, it did not quite capture the magic of the first one.

Namesake picks up right where Fable left off, with our main character Fable captured aboard a rival traders ship. I loved this part of the book, it was tense and intriguing as Fable tries to figure out why Zola wants her on board and why her fathers old navigator, now Zola’s navigator, would have betrayed her. Koy, with whom Fable did not part on good terms when she left Jeval, is also on the ship. I really enjoyed seeing his character again, he and Fable have a good dynamic as they are both survivors.

After this part of the book, we meet the renowned trader Holland, who wants Fable to work for her, and get to reunite with the crew of the Marigold. The crew are all angry at both Fable and West, for what are honestly completely justifiable reasons, but still it made for rather more stressful reading than when they were unified against a common foe, or even when they didn’t trust Fable because they didn’t know her. I had really been hoping to get to see more of the crew as a whole, and was definitely a bit disappointed not to really get that. But there are still adventures, and thrilling diving excursions, so while the almost found family feeling the first book left me with wasn’t really there in this one, it was still a good read. And the ending was very satisfying!

Probably one of my favorite reads from this year. It’s like Adrienne Young knew what I wanted and gave it to me.

“Revenge is a powerful motivator.”

Okay, let’s get something out of the way. This is a pirate book and the amount of back stabbing is ridiculous. It’s also delicious. DELICIOUS. Like the best back stabbing soap opera schemes out there. And Saint, whose name I’m still not sure is his birth name, but why would he choose that pirate name? Also, we have West, Fable, and Holland. All the names are super eccentric. All of them. So I guess Saint could be his actual name. ANYWAYS, (sorry, I’m tired and can’t focus) Saint is a bastard. But like Fable said.

“Saint was a bastard, but he was mine. He belonged to me.”

So nothing new there. Saint continued to be Saint. Because let’s be honest he was awful to Fable. Just awful. Parent of the year he was not. I mean her mother died a horrible death and he automatically dumps her in the worst Island he can find full of the worst type of men. A child. She was a child!! By the way this is not a spoiler it happened in Fable, book one. Honestly, I needed more than just words. I needed so many actions to forgive the adults in Fable’s life. I know love makes you do dumb things and forgiving the actions of ADULTS who are suppose to take care of you but leave you to fend for yourself NEEDED MORE! Much, much more, but I hold grudges so...in my opinion Fable deserved more than what she got but again, grudges. I had so many feels about this.

A new character is introduced and even though I wanted more of Isolde, Fable’s mom’s backstory, Holland (new character, mentioned in book one) brought some major drama. Like MAJOR. I also don’t know why I keep capitalizing everything but if a book deserves, no earns, capitalized words it’s this book.

“I should have known the moment I saw him that Saint was up to something. Now I was entangled in whatever scheme they’d hatched and it wasn’t likely that I’d come out unscathed.”

Poor Fable, this has bugged me since book one. She somehow inherited all of her parents problems. And she keeps having to deal with her parents problems in book two. If this bugs you in book one it gets worse in this book.

“Our bad luck charm is back!”

What I LOVED!! The crew and the ship, The Marigold, were everything to me. Fable found her home and I wanted her to have her happily ever after. The crew saw her. Like really saw her and accepted her with all her family drama. They cared for her.

West. Ugh. I don’t know how I feel about him. I’m just glad he’s at least consistent. I didn’t know how to feel about him in book one and I don’t know how to feel about him in book two.

For the most part it was a satisfying ending. There was even more sailing and traveling. The amount of danger went up a notch. There were pirates doing pirate things. I was left with one big question though, Henrik... I’m pretty sure West said he didn’t know his father only his name. Wasn’t it Henrik, he said his name in book one. Maybe it was cut. Or maybe I’m so tired I’m making things up. I loved this series. Like I said before it was everything I didn’t know I needed.

I don’t know how she does it — Adriennes writing is stunning. Like I said with Fable, she sets the tone perfectly, allowing you to truly feel as though you are THERE. The details in her writing truly let you imagine as though you are experiencing it with all of your senses — you can see the water on the horizon, hear the waves crash into the Marigold, and feel the current when it’s pulling you deeper. You can smell the salt in the air and taste it in your mouth. I will absolutely look forward to any book she writes.

I really tried to savor this one. I read FABLE too quickly and was so happy to see this one available on NetGalley so early. However, trying to make this book last proved harder than I had hoped. Here’s to hoping there’s more stories set in the Narrows or the Unnamed Sea in the future!

I was so excited to see both books available so that I didn't need to wait to continue this fabulous story. Diving into warm waters rather than the icy fjords of Adrienne Young's normal stories was still just as captivating. Her pirates and smugglers are as compelling as viking warriors. I love a female protagonist that can save herself.

I absolutely loved this follow up to Fable. There were so many values throughout both books of friendship, loyalty and trust. I adore books focused on found family and trusting new bonds. This series is as atmospheric as Young’s other books and is definitely setting a theme for her writing. She has quickly become an auto-purchase author for me!

Absolutely LOVED this book from start to finish!! The only criticism I have is that I am not ready for Fable's story to be over.

My heart is happy and shattered at the same time. Namesake was just as amazing as Fable (book 1) and I am so sad that the story is over. I would definitely read more books set in this world, from any of the other secondary characters. You get to know them, as if they are real friends.
Namesake, had some great twists, some I saw coming and a couple I didn't. Though this took me longer to read than Fable, it was not from lack of interest, I just did NOT want it to end! My co-worker actually picked on me because I told her just that, I don't want it to end.

The story is so beautifully written. I could see everything so vividly. and at times I felt like I could smell and taste the salty air. I was transported to a new world and I loved every second I was traveling the Narrows with Fable, West, and the Marigold crew.

The love story is so sweet.

The father-daughter bond goes deeper than what is originally seen.

If you want to be transported into a cut throat world that leaves you needing more.... this duology is going to give you everything you need for a high seas adventure with a gratifying ending.

Adrienne Young continues to impress with her ability to not only capture the high stakes adventures of sea traders but also create characters who truly feel at home on the waves. Her description of the world and it's everyday life creates a unique landscape. This is an outstanding duology that does not suffer from sophomore slump, but adequately raises the risk in Namesake while also resolving conflicts from the first book.

At the conclusion of Fable, our main heroine found herself kidnapped by Zola and shocked by an encounter with an old friend. Clove, the man who used to be the right hand of her father, now works for Zola. Enraged at this turn of events, Fable is forced to work as a dredger for Zola until his ultimate plans for her are revealed. Zola hires a number of dredgers including Fable's enemy, Koy, to undertake a huge dive and deliver an impossible amount of gems. As Fable works for Zola, she delves further into the cutthroat politicals between the Narrows traders and Holland, who wants to take over. She also soon discovers secrets about her mother that could threaten everything she holds dear, including West and the Marigold.

Duologies are not easy to write as authors have a shorter span of work to not only introduce a world, characters, and conflicts but to resolve the story in a satisfying way and show the character's progression. Fable started out as a naive girl trapped on an island, who only wanted her father's approval, as well as, a place by his side. By the end of the first book, Fable discovered she could survive without Saint and build her own life. The second book expands upon Fable's relationship with her father and explores how her mother's past comes to haunt her. Fable, using the skills she acquired on Jeval and Marigold, eventually overcomes these obstacles and finally stands on her own. Overall, Young is successful in transforming Fable from a girl trapped on an island and weighed down by her parents' pasts to a powerful contender in Narrows and Unnamed Sea.

Young was also successful in creating a plot that raised the stakes and built upon the established story from the first book. In Namesake, Young expands beyond the Narrows and ventures out beyond the geography of the first book. This includes introducing powerful players, such as Holland, who wants nothing more than to take over trade in the Narrows and establish a crippling monopoly that would wipe out local traders. This was hinted at in the first book, but now this conflict comes into the forefront as Fable is forced to outwit Holland to preserve her homeland and her father's name. It was ingenious of Young to establish common ground with Saint by adding a shared foe, who threatened everything. This raised the risks and the story went right into the next conflict instead of just meandering around for a while, i.e. Fable sailing around on the Marigold until trouble found her, as I originally feared.

The only downfall to this duology is that it sacrificed the development of other characters to make room for the conflict with Holland. Mainly, this can be seen with the crew of the Marigold, who were relegated to the background. As a result of the story, the crew did not appear until halfway through the book when West came to Fable's rescue. When Fable decides to appease Holland, the crew are upset with her decision and West's support, which also meant they were kinda mad in the background for most of the book. This is most evident with Willa, who's interactions with Fable are limited and just show her as annoyed. Therefore, the beloved crew do not get the same development as Fable or even West, but exist in the background of the conflict with Holland.

Wow, what a great sequel! Fable was one of the best books I've read so far this year and Namesake turned out to be just as satisfying. A thrilling adventure duology with compelling and well developed characters. I'm sad to see them go. One of my favorite relationships was between Fable and Saint. I was pleased we got a deeper look into that with this book. Needless to say, I loved these books from start to finish! Hi9hly recommend!!

This was the perfect follow-up to Fable! I loved the character development and the twists that were added in. It is the first series in a long time that I actually enjoyed the ending to! I will be highly recommending it to others.

This was such a strong ending for these characters and all the secrets and heartache and adventure was wonderful. The descriptions were beautiful and I loved how do the characters stories wove together to make this magical tale. I enjoyed Namesake more than Fable for sure. This book was so beautifully done and I absolutely adored it. I wish there was more for this world but it was wrapped up perfectly for a duology. Readers who loved Fable will be blown away by Namesake.

Namesake is the stunning conclusion to the Fable duology. I could not wait to return to Fable’s world and continue her journey! As Fable retraces her parents’ steps in a desperate race to pay off a steep debt, Fable and West are tested like never before. When family secrets are revealed, the stakes rise, and Fable must make difficult choices about her family and future. I found myself completely spellbound, unable to put the book down until it reached its enthralling conclusion.

One of my favorite things about Adrienne Young’s writing is how vivid and clear each scene is that she paints. You can taste the salt from the ocean, feel the sway of the boat as it cuts over the waves, and bask in the warmth of the sun. Her characters feel real and complex, with deeply compelling motivations. As a reader, an instinctive connection is formed with them, which makes the story that much more captivating.

Namesake is an immersive story, which pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the very last page. It is the gripping story of a strong heroine determined to save her family, friends, and outwit a host of shadowy enemies. The world-building is exquisite and I didn’t want the story to end. If you haven’t read Fable, you should read it first before diving into Namesake. This is one of my favorite duologies and I’m so glad that I had the chance to experience Fable’s story! Namesake releases March 16, 2021. Thank you so very much to Adrienne Young, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trader. Fighter. Legend -- the cover art's mantra to Namesake is no joke! Adrienne Young's conclusion to Fable is a thrilling and powerful ride. Seamlessly blending action, relationships and mystery, Namesake creates a "can't put the book down" narrative. In terms of world-building, Namesake expands the boundaries of Fable's world, offering up rich detail that immediately transports the reader and helps depict the dichotomy between the world Fable knows and the world that could be hers. Namesake is a must read conclusion that both satisfies and leaves you looking to the horizon for more.

Namesake drops readers right back into a high-seas adventure, where Fable is fighting for more than just her life. Caught between the ghosts of her past and drive to see her crew again, Fable grabs onto her destiny and will do whatever it takes to win.

Adrienne Young has become an auto buy author for me. This duology was so good, and I was so happy to get to devour it up, one after another. Thank you NetGalley, and thank you to the publisher for that! This was such a fantastic closing piece, and I adored every second of it. The twists and turns, the characters, the emotions... all of it was truly amazing. I cannot wait to get a final copy of this to go on my shelf with my final copy of Fable! They’re going to look so pretty next to each other, and this will be a series I pick to reread sooner rather than later!!