Fable

by Adrienne Young

Fable‘s release is right around the corner, and I managed to get my hands on an early [electronic] copy.

Fable established Adrienne Young, for me, as an author I enjoy reading books by. She isn’t, however, as high on my list as Jay Kristoff, Shelby Mahurin, or the handful of other authors I enjoy, hands-down. I haven’t read Sky In The Deep yet, but I’ve read The Girl The Sea Gave Back and now Fable. I’m invested enough, post-Fable, to want the next book in that series – and I’m excited to see what Adrienne Young does within the bounds of a series.

To me, standalone books and series are different creatures. So far, I’ve seen Adrienne Young only in a standalone sense, but Fable has me interested in how she handles telling a story throughout a series.

There seem to be quite a few books on the market at the moment surrounding the sea/ocean/sailing, and Fable is no different, though it does show a different side of that world that other books I’ve read, like All The Stars And Teeth. It’s hard for me to say which book I prefer between those two, but they’re definitely different reads by far.

Alright, enough maundering. Fable‘s main character is Fable, a girl left to survive on her own on a cut-throat island, trying to get herself off that island and back to her father to claim what’s hers. She has a unique skill that’s as incredibly valuable as it is dangerous to her safety. Throughout this story, you get to see Fable struggle with trusting no one while trying to establish herself as a trustworthy worker to prove herself as worthy for a spot on a crew. While Fable isn’t a terribly complex character, she battles with discoveries she didn’t realize awaited her, along with learning more about who her father is – and his current situation.

Fable’s backstory is a sad one, but she refuses to let that drag her down – too far, anyway. She’s a tough worker, skilled and aware of her worth in her role. While she’s had to make sacrifices and decisions she’s not proud of, she constantly and relentlessly pushes towards her goal – wherever that ends up taking her.

Recommendation: If you’re interested in the rougher, more cutthroat side of the sea and sailing, Fable might just be the book for you. It’s not too dark, but also not a light read, teaching and showing you the rougher, darker, grittier side of the usually romanticized life at sea while also giving you a glimpse at what happens to families who try to live in that lifestyle.

**SPOILER LINE, TURN BACK NOW! UNLESS YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT SURPRISES BEING RUINED AND DETAILS SHARED, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED! DON’T DO IT!**

Alright, so, I understand Saint enough to get why he is the way he is. I don’t completely agree with his decisions or his life rules, but I do understand why he chooses to live by them, why he rarely ever deters from them.

I also understand Fable is a teenager/young adult. I also understand that she spent 4 years completely and utterly alone, the only “exception” being West’s visits to buy from her to give her the money she needs to survive. Somehow, though, Fable still trusts people with very little to go on. I get she has to make gambles at times without really knowing what’s going to happen, but I felt like she clicked into the crew and trusted them almost instantly, and that just doesn’t fit with someone who has been unable to trust other people – at the cost of her life! – for four years. I mean, right before she gets on the Mayflower, she’s running away from someone who is trying to kill her! And she almost immediately trusts the crew, just because West takes her on and has been buying from only her since he started stopping by? I don’t know, maybe I’m being too aggressive, but she just seems to trust way too easily and quickly for someone with her background.

I also like West as a character, but I’m not crazy about him and Fable as a couple. I don’t know what’s falling flat for me, but there just doesn’t seem to be much – or maybe enough – going on there to justify West’s [or her] feelings, especially in the world they live in where those feelings are dangerous things. It just seemed to go from “West is the captain, he’ll protect me from the crew to some extent” to making-out under the water and confessing feelings for each other that “can’t go further” and whatnot. I don’t know, it fell a little forced/expected to me, I guess. I do love the crew and how they work together, everything, it’s just the “relationship” between West and Fable that doesn’t hit right.

Otherwise, though, I enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to Namesake, the sequel to Fable, expected March 16th, 2021!