Book Review: Fable

Fable by Adrienne Young ~ 368 pages ~ to be published 9/1/2020 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

I love a good pirate story! I was so excited when I found out that Adrienne Young had started on a new fantasy series with historical overtones, as I was a giant fan of her Sky in the Deep duology. (You can read my review of Sky in the Deep here!) I’ll be honest, I had very high hopes for Fable, and I was not disappointed.

Let me start by saying that I have a giant girl crush on Fable! She was so strong and spunky, while still having a soft side. Her biggest goal in this book was to go back to her father (although it was partly to get what she thought she was owed, but partly because she just wanted him to love her! *love her soft little heart*). I loved that she was talented and smart and was able to hold her own on an island filled with thieves and murderers for four years. She is an icon, and I cannot wait to see how she continues to evolve in the second book.

Fable and West are my favorite. So much tension, so much angst. I loved it. West was a great character. He was mysterious, but not so much that you were frustrated by the lack of info. It was doled out slowly enough to keep him intriguing, which I really enjoyed. I loved the banter that Fable had with the other crew members on the Marigold, especially Willa and Auster. It made me want to go on this journey with them. I love when the friendships are just as important as the romance.

This fantasy reads almost more as historical fiction. I really enjoy this about Young’s books. There is always just the slightest hint of fantastical elements to her stories. I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so this is incredibly interesting for me.

The only thing that knocks this book down half a star for me is that I felt like sometimes Young over-explained things. If she had kept things simple, just telling us that Fable climbed the mast of the ship, rather than which direction and what rope she grabbed and with which hand and where she placed her foot…you get the idea. If these parts had been simplified it wouldn’t have taken me out of the story as much trying to figure out exactly what she was talking about. There is something to say for allowing the reader a little bit of license to use their imagination. Apart from this though, I absolutely loved this story, these characters, and this world.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book in this duology, Namesake – and luckily we only have to wait until March!!

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I gave Fable 4.5 STARS! Fantastic story, world-building, and characters.

Are you interested in learning more about this book? Check out the links below!

Adrienne Young’s Website

Adrienne Young’s Twitter

Fable on Goodreads

Pre-order Fable on BN.com

Are you a fan of pirate stories? Have you read the Sky in the Deep duology? What other historical fantasy books do you enjoy? Let’s chat in the comments!

Love and happy reading,