INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Following the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick Fable, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, a captivating conclusion to the duology, filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing. Trader. Fighter. Survivor. With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when … father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems.
As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception, she learns that the secrets her mother took to her grave are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.
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I loved Fable for so many reasons, but especially for its atmospheric, sea-faring adventure and wonderful ensemble cast. I liked Fable’s tenacity and fierce fight, and I loved the way she smoothed her edges to find her place on the Marigold.
I felt like Namesake lost so many of the elements that made the first book special. There is much less time spent at sea or with the crew of the Marigold, and Fable (and basically everyone else around her) seemed to spend most of the book making terrible decisions. The first half dragged for me because of this, and it wasn’t until the Marigold made port that I felt the pace pick up. Young’s writing is still brilliantly gorgeous, and if she decided to write a third book with West and Fable at sea, I would 100% read it, but Namesake wasn’t my favorite.
Alas, so this is it. Every time I read one of Ms. Young’s books I get a bittersweet feeling. The girls in her books, though flawed and broken, are so human in their realness that it is hard to knowing when I turn that final page that their story will end and I will say goodbye.
Like in most of Ms. Young’sbooks, you will find a strong female character that has been faced with many hardships and survived. She h is a character that comes out on the other side a little more flawed or broken, but she is stronger for the battles she faced.
Fable was introduced in the last book and she went through a lot, but overcame even more. She is a resilient young character that continues to grow even through this book. She makes choices that I hate and ones that I admire, but through it all she remains steady in her determination. She is a person who lives her life by rules in order to survive. Yet this book reminds me that there will always be something more important than anything else that you break your ‘rules’ for.
Fable is one of those types of people who will do anything for her family. They are her foundation. Her father, her family on the Marigold, West. She is reckless when it comes to protecting them. No one comes between her and them. When ghosts of the past try to treat apart her future, she will do everything on her power to try to protect those on the Marigold, West, and her father; even if it means her freedom.
I went in to this book expecting the story to go in a different direction, if I’m being honest. But . . . But the direction it did go in was satisfying, though wildly unexpected with its twists and turns. So hold your breathe and prepare to drive deep, to find the true treasure the lies within.
** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to leave an honest review in exchange of a copy of this book **
This was the perfect sequel to Fable. I loved the cliffhanger that Fable ended with, and Namesake picked up immediately and kept my attention the entire time. While I didn’t love Fable, because I felt like I had to search a lot of things about sailing & there was a lot of detail, it paid off in Namesake.
My favourite part of Fable was the characters, but in Namesake I actually was really drawn in by the story. I actually wish we had seen even more of the characters (specifically the Marigold crew) in this book. While they were there, seeing them more would have been nice before they were such great characters. If you had told me while I read Fable that I would fall in love with Saint and Koy, I never would have believed you. And Clove? Such a great addition to the story! I really would have liked to have seen more about Ezra as well. If Adrienne Young was to write a book with the past story of the boys from Bastian, I would pre-order it in a heartbeat.
While Namesake did have more romance than Fable (as expected, Fable had the build up and now it was more developed), it wasn’t what really shined to me. It was lovely, and as a romance reader I really thought that’s what I would love the most, but it wasn’t the focus and I actually really enjoyed that. Fables development through the two books was so nice to read. I always love the ‘found family’ trope and this duology had that plus actual family, and showed both the struggles and rewards that come from both.
This was so, so good! 4/5 instead of 5/5 just because I really just wanted to see more of the Marigold crew. They were so strong in the first book, but seemed to sit on the back burner quite a bit in this book. But Namesake had such a great ending, and I definitely recommend reading the series.
It has a strong female character who isn’t afraid of doing the hard stuff, pirates, bad guys and girls, and treason. It kept me reading, but I wasn’t blown away. Still, it was an amazing read and I love the cover!
Namesake starts where book one left off. Fable’s dream of belonging to a crew falls prey to powerful people and their plots to control the world of shipping and gems. She has a solution, but it also puts her new companions in jeopardy. A chance at love makes her vulnerable to manipulation, and when things go wrong, she’ll give up everything to save her crew.
The pace picks up as the stakes increase, and the plot becomes more complex and twisty-turny than in the first book. A lot of surprising secrets, as well as hidden agendas, come to light as the story progresses. Fable has to take plenty of risks and not all of them work out in her favor or to the benefit of her crew. Nothing’s easy.
The action is non-stop, but character-driven readers will enjoy the distinct, emotionally rich personalities, the warmth and genuineness of Fable’s allies, and the impersonal avarice of those willing to use her to achieve their goals. A highly satisfying conclusion comes after a highly satisfying read. Definitely recommended.
This was solid. Answered questions from the first book and set up a new plot for maybe a third book.
Still think West is swoon-worthy and Fable is a solid, independent female heroine. Yet, I felt like there was something missing in this book. I can’t quite put a name to it I just felt it.
If you enjoyed Fable, you’re going to really like Namesake as well! This book is full of great description, adventure, and crazy family drama!!
I did crave more to some of the scenes and backstory, especially at the end. I wanted more to the hunt for midnight and more to the backstory of Holland & Isolde. Overall, I enjoyed Fable’s story and I loved seeing how it all turned out for her and the Marigold crew.
this book. i don’t even have any words. this is definitely a new comfort read for me, while reading this i feel like i’m actually there, the characters just feel so real. and the plot is just amazing?? it’s so easy to follow but still so unpredictable. FABLE AND WEST?? they’re insane actually, and seeing them go through so much and in the end finally be able to be together with nothing in the way was so nice. i also really loved the marigold crew, they just felt so real and i wish i could just read another book of them all just sailing the narrows. the development of the relationships throughout these two books was executed so well, and i loved being able to see fable finally at peace in the end.
i definitely recommend this please go read it
To say that this is one of my favourite fantasy duet ever is not overstated because if you know me, I rarely read fantasy books but I fallen in love with Fable and had to continue her journey through the ups and downs of her young life.
I loved the mystery and suspenseful moments, and I loved how much she grows on all planes. Oh, and the romance side of the story was my favourite because I’m always looking forward to that in any book.
A must read duet for all book lovers.
4.3
MUCH better than the first one, it was a great deal easier to get into and entertaining throughout. I enjoyed the character development and the adventures.
I love Young’s writing! She definitely takes me to a new world with her descriptions and emotions. I did feel like it was a little rushed though… The ending was kind of anticlimactic to me. Maybe it’s because I was devouring the book in a day, but I wish there’d been more!
4.5
The second installment in this series was just as wonderful as the first. Adrienne Young writes for readers like me! I loved how Fable’s story unfolded. The discovery of her family and in the end, the sacrifices true family makes for their members.
Give me more! I’ll definitely highly recommend.
I have to be honest when I say I only bought Fable #1 because the cover was too beautiful to not own and #2 everyone on my Instagram was buzzing about it. I’m a sucker for all things redheads and this cover spoke to me. When I saw the sequel fit together with the first book I decided I had to have it. I liked Namesake so much more than Fable. The first book was a good introduction to the Fantasy pirate world and the characters but I’m not big on the overly obsessive crushes and romances YA fiction often has. Namesake had way less of this and way more thrilling adventures. I loved that a lot of the second book also unraveled Fable’s family history. Now that’s the kind of stuff I can get into. This is the first time I’ve read an Adrienne Young book and I do really like her writing style. She’s descriptive in a unique and almost poetic way. Throughout reading I felt the book was an escape from reality. I could picture Jeval and the other pirate ports and the water and the ship and the gems. It’s a really creative world Young has built. I cannot tell if the story will continue or not, it could go either way. If she does come out with more I will read more for sure!
The conclusion to the Fable duology is delightful! Luckily, I had a friend jog my memory on some details of Fable so I was able to jump in without too much hardship.
Fable ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, lots of questions, and a betrayal. In order to avoid spoilers, I’ll just say that Fable’s resilience and attitude are amazing and I was glad to see more of West. All the pieces come together in the best of ways.
Adrienne is such a thoughtful author and completely reliable. I’ve read and equally enjoyed several books by her so far and will continue to keep an eye out for more reads from her.
I listened to the audiobook and have to mention my love for the narrator, Emma Lysy. I enjoy her voice when it comes to this genre.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
What a great ending!!! Fable is such a strong character, she’s super smart and witty, and she doesn’t take no for an answer. I absolutely love all of the characters in the world! West is amazing and will do anything for Fable, and Saint has so many tricks up his sleeve! Definitely recommend both of these books!
Well, colour me disappointed. Even getting halfway through this was a struggle. You’d think at this point something would have actually happened, but it hasn’t. It’s just dragging. There’s been a few instances of something semi-cool happening for half a page, and then it hops back aboard the boring train.
Considering how fun and exciting I thought Fable was, this is a huge letdown.
I haven’t read a book hat was this perfect in a long while. I read a good dose of YA but this one was like anew world for me. I was completely enamored with the characters from start to finish and this second book was a complete wild ride.
Fable was such strength and I truly can say that I hope my daughter grows up with female characters more like her in books. She was her own hero as much as other tried to save her and I loved every second of it. I hope that more books feature women like her because girl holds her own.
ALSO.
Namesake is just everything. It brings all the plot lines from Fable to a close and wraps it all up for you. I can’t wait to see what Adrienne brings for us next and I can only hope it is as amazing as Fable and Namesake are.
I loved Fable so when this book was announced I preordered it immediately and of course Adrienne Young didn’t let me down! This book was so much better than Fable and there was a lot of action and a lot of twists and turns. The characters in these books are so amazing and the ending was terrific! Congratulations to Adrienne Young on creating such a beautiful world and such amazing characters! This was such a great duology to read!
Young kept up the pace in book 2 of this series, taking us deeper with the characters and intrigue and plot development in ways I never saw coming. Can’t wait for book #3!
Namesake
Adrienne Young
Namesake is the conclusion of the Fable duology, a young adult fantasy book I just really enjoyed reading. It is a continuation from the cliffhanger that was left from the first book Fable and I would recommend to read this in sequence order. The worldbuilding is fantastic and the characters are a joy to read. Lots of secrets and plot twists to this beautifully crafted atmospheric story that will captivate you and lose you into this world that the fantastic Adrienne Young has beautifully crafted.
The grip on my heart was so tight I was so emotional for the end. This is a really fun read I recommend.