Fable (Fable #1)

 Synopsis

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.

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she 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.

Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.

Loved

• The writing. Adrienne Young has never let me down in regards to her gorgeous writing. Her writing is lyrical, filled with beautiful imagery and descriptions, while still propelling us to turn pages as fast as we can. She immerses us in the world she has created, so that we are not just reading about this world- we are experiencing it. Her writing is so engaging that we can feel the spray of the ocean on our faces, smell the salty sea, and hear the cry of the gulls above us as we sail onward. I will read anything this author writes because I've fallen in love with her writing style and it hasn't failed me yet!

• Fable. I'll admit- I'm a little tired of fierce and feisty heroines in YA novels. Initially I thought Fable would fall cleanly into that category. However, I judged her too quickly. She is strong and bold, but naturally compassionate and empathetic. She steals, lies and keeps secrets because she has been forced to in order to survive, but her nature is kind and quite tender. She is perceptive to the emotions of those around her and understanding to those who give her chance to care about them. I loved this heroine and I can't wait to see her story unfold in Namesake.

• The crew. I was a little wary of the crew throughout the beginning of the story because they were so rude and cold to Fable. But they quickly grew on me as I started to understand their stories and the reason for their coldness. By the end of the story I loved them all and they felt like the family Fable had been searching for. I loved getting to unravel their secrets little bits at a time- through sideways glances, tightening of lips, and tiny hints in their comments. This crew takes a lot of warming up to, but once they decide they trust you, they will do anything for you.

• West. Wow, this was such a slow-burn romance that I wasn't even positive we'd get a romance out of this story until about 3/4 of the way through the book! But I love romance to be that way- so frustratingly slow that it's almost painful. West is quite the stoic wall, but once he lets emotion show, it's worth all the coldness. His secrets only add to his deeply-hidden compassionate character and his romance with Fable is pretty dreamy :)

• The mysteries. I love putting together clues, especially in regards to the pasts of characters and how that affects their attitudes and actions in the present. In this harsh world, knowledge is everything, so no one freely gives information about themselves. I loved the mysteries surrounding the crew, Fable's past, Saint, West, and the whole trading world in general. I also loved that we get clear answers to all these mysteries as the story unfolds, which is always refreshing. 

Didn't Love

• The beginning of this story (about the first 70 pages) were a little rough for me just because the world was so harsh and everyone was so terrible to Fable. I don't love harsh worlds unless we have awesome characters to soften it up. We do get those awesome characters, but they don't open up until quite late into the book. So the first fourth (maybe third?) of the book is a little painful and frustrating because no one trusts Fable and everyone is so cold to her. But it's worth this coldness, secrets, and harshness to get to the friendships, respect, and open communication at the end of the book.

Content

• Language:
• Frequent use of "bastard." Occasional use of "as*."

• Sexual content:
• A kiss underwater- described as him holding her face in his hands and her pulling his belt loops to get him closer.
• An implied sex scene- nothing described in detail. Steamy kiss described as he lays on top of her on a bed and she takes her shirt off. They wake up the next morning in bed and neither of them are wearing clothes. She remembers the next morning how their bare skin felt against each other.

• Violence:
• This is a harsh world with violence and threats everywhere.
• Many references to throat slashings, stabbings, and being tied to a rock and thrown in the ocean.
• Main character watches the crew nail a man into a wooden box and throw him off the ship.
• A main character is beaten badly, another burned on the face.
• Bodies are found stabbed and drowned.

• Other themes:
• We get some LGBTQ+ representation: two male secondary characters are in a relationship. They hold hands, sleep by each other, and are affectionate with each other.

Overall Thoughts

This is a daring adventure set in a harsh world where every secret is valuable and your life depends on your cunning and strength. While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Sky in the Deep, I still fell head over heels for Adrienne Young's gorgeous prose, clever world building, and engaging plot. I loved discovering these characters as we slowly peel away their stoic facades and understand their backgrounds, fears, and personalities. I definitely recommend this story if you are looking for a bold adventure, a diverse crew of characters, a swoony slow-burn romance, and a harsh world where nothing is free and mysteries tingle in the air around you.