The world of the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea became a fast favourite when I read Fable, it continued into Namesake, Saint and The Last Legacy and I’m so thrilled these novellas now exist too! I can’t get enough of this world and these characters.

Adrienne Young’s writing style is one of my favourites but this particular series evokes such vivid imagery for me, I feel like I can picture everything perfectly which is something I usually struggle with.

These novellas were such a perfect addition to the world of Fable, I’ll happily reread all of these books multiple times in future. A firm fave!

Headlines:
Two packed stories
Unlikely pairings
Dodgy dealings and risk

My favourite kinds of novellas are those set in a world I already have love for. The Fable world is just that and these two pairs of characters held the stage.

Tides took us back into the Roth family with Aus. He was born into the family, controlled and unwilling but resigned to his lot. This mafia-like family remained fascinating and unlikeable. The unlikely connection of Aus to Paj was quite lovely and we saw a slow and tangible build between these two. There was so much to love about this story and it totally got me in the feels.

Drift took us to a fledgling harbour and Willa working with Koy to build a new place for ships to come. There was a fair hand of crime, drama and killing with a tentative romance underpinning. I really liked Willa as a character, her independance and also her care for Ailee was good reading. This one finished in a place where I wanted more but thoroughly enjoyable all the same.

Thank you Titan Books for the eARC.

Tides & Drift is the collection of the two novellas, Tides and Drift, set in the author's Fable universe. Now I love the Fable universe, and I have read (or plans to read) all of the books within it. So when I got the chance to read more from this world, I jumped at the opportunity.

Tides is set before Fable and tells the story of how Auster and Paj meet and fall in love. Meanwhile Drift is set after Nameless and focuses on Willa and her budding relationship with Koy. While Adrienne Young’s writing is as good as always, and the story contains all the things you can expect from the Fable world. But the big problem is that I realized that I never got invested in any of these characters in the original books, so I didn’t end up enjoying the stories as much as I had hoped.

But with that said, if you really liked these characters in the first books - then this is worth a read.

I love everything Adrienne writes; and this stunning novella is no exception. Tides and Drift is a wonderful companion to the Fable universe. I loved getting drawn back into the universe, and revisiting favourite characters once again. It's a beautiful snapshot of the characters lives, and a truly enjoyable read.

These were like a before and after of Fable/Namesake and I loved it!

Paj and Auster, well we know what happens, but this is how it happens. And I was here for every moment!

Before I get started on Willa and Koy, let me just say that Koy was one of my fave characters in Namesake and he can absolutely can do no wrong in my eyes! I love him!!!!! We see where their travels take them next!

These added to my obsession of the series and makes me wonder if there will be more?!

I think its safe to say at this point that anything Adrienne Young publishes i will love.

She makes the reading experience magical, and this book is no exception!

I love the two stories and learning more about their past!

Drift:

Drift is certainly the weaker of the two. The story is fairly straightforward, and the characters—while interesting—aren’t the strongest. Koy is the strong, silent type. Willa is a the headstrong, outgoing type. Together, while I’m not saying their love won’t work, they’re not the strongest cast. Story-wise, it’s interesting, if not terribly immersive. Adventure-wise, it’s a bit boring; we already know about Jeval. Sure, I was curious about what happened to Willa following her departure, and legitimizing Jeval is all well and good—it’s never going to deliver anywhere near the same sort of adventure found in the rest of the series. Romance-wise, it’s a bit of a dud. Altogether, it’s not a bad story, just fails to impress.

5.5 / 10 ✪

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Tides:

Even I like a good love story every now and then.

My favorite of the two, Tides got me from page one. Auster is a bit of the strong silent type as well, though nowhere near as stoic as Koy. Paj, on the other hand, is exactly the same. Between the two of them… well, the love story just kinda ignites. If you’ve read the full Narrows stock, you know how bad the Roth family can be, and how one has to work to get under their skin. Or not, as the case may be. Don’t make waves, don’t displease Henrik. And yet, somehow Auster and Paj work. Finding out how is the entire point. And it’s a great tale.

9 / 10 ✪

Only managed 30% of this and sadly it wasnt for me. I loved Fable and Namesake but all of the others in this world weren't up to that standard.

I loved the world of The Narrows and this book was no exception.

We have two stories, one with Paj and Auster and the other with Willa and Koy. If you've read the Fable books, you'll know the parts these characters play in the future so it was so much fun to spend some time in the past with them, and gey to know them more in this world we love!

So glad these are being released in physical format and I can wait to have a copy on my shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the early copy for review, out 01 February