Namesake

✨Namesake✨

Thank you to Netgalley, Titan Books and Adrienne Young for an advanced copy.

Summary: picking up immediately where Fable left off, 17 year old dredger Fable and her crew are finally out from under her fathers thumb... only to find herself in the hands of another tyrant. Fable is forced to join forces with notorious Gem trader Holland, and there’s more to her than meets the eye. Lies unfold and truths are discovered in this captivating sea tale.
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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
I am so glad I was able to read an advanced copy of this book immediately after finishing book one as that cliffhanger would’ve ended me.

Namesake is the stunning conclusion to the Fable duology. I really enjoyed this book, the development and exploration of characters, particularly Saint, was captivating. The writing so good the book was unputdownable. And now i just want a book about Saint please. I love him.

The romance was definitely stronger in this book and I enjoyed the development of it. I enjoyed getting glimpses into some of the side characters pasts. The adventure in this book was at the forefront and was strongly written.

I didn’t want this book to end and now I’m craving books set at sea! This book is sure to be a huge hit!

Adrienne Young can do no wrong in this reader's eyes. I simply adore her worlds and words. I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to the duology, the characters were vividly brought to life, the plot was fun and interesting, and the author has a way of making you feel things as the characters feel them on the page. I will read anything and everything Adrienne will write.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

[actual rating 3.5/5 stars]

Namesake begins where Fable left off, with everyone feeling free and Fable feeling like she finally has a place she belongs. However, she soon gets caught up with a corrupt trader who has his own plans for her. They travel into the unnamed sea to the home of the most powerful gem trader, where Fable uncovers secrets about her mothers past and learns more about the people she though she could trust.

I loved the first book so I was really excited to read the second installment. I still love Fable and how much she has changed from helpless dredger trapped on Javali to the strong person she is now. I loved finding out more about her mothers past as well as West and his backstory. I appreciated how it included a little bit more information on some of the Marigold's crew members as i felt in the first book we didn't get to know them that well.

I love the writing style, it made me feel like I was there on the ship with them going on my own sea adventure. I enjoyed the plot and the journey the characters went on but I definitely prefer what happened plot wise in the first book. Namesake fell a little flat in areas in terms of action, with the majority of the books just being conversations between characters or diving in the sea. Whereas in Fable, there was more action, adventure and just overall a bit more going on. I never got bored reading Namesake though, it just wasn't in my opinion as good as Fable.

"We were salt and sand and sea and storm."
Well, this was really quite wonderful. This is a brilliant duology filled with swashbuckling adventures, double and sometimes triple crossing villains and heroes and a brilliant heroine determined to solve all the problems life throws in her way. Now, I have said before that I was not a fan of Sky in the Deep by this author but after reading both Fable and Namesake I feel as if it was just a bit of a rocky start. I will definitely be checking out her other work. that is for sure.
I am sure the setting and atmosphere that comes with this duology is one of the main reasons why I was so enamored by it. We spend so much time with Fable out in the open ocean, or diving between coral reefs, and then partially in this book in high society events, it is all just so vivid and brilliant.
Character complexity isn't something you always get, especially in YA novels, but each and every one of the characters in this book has their own motivations, past regrets and grey morality. Somehow you know they have done terrible things yet you are still so attached to them. There is a strong focus on family in this series, whether that be blood family or found family and the development we get over just two relatively short books is remarkable.
I have been kept guessing at every point in this series, as you never feel comfortable within the plot; there are always things that can go wrong or changes in plans that aren't discussed till the last possible moment. Whilst the plot and pacing throughout isn't bad in anyway the ending of this book was just phenomenal and had me gasping at multiple points!
Basically if you like books set at sea, found family and morally grey pirate esque antics, you will adore this series.
Rated: 4.5 Stars

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.

This was a perfect end to the duology. It continues to be well written and has a pace that is comfortable to read at. I did feel that there was a little less depth in this one than the first but maybe because I was already used to the world building and characters.
The characters continue to develop within this book and friendships and relationships are tested throughout. Plot turns and twists made me keep reading and I wanted to finish it in one go but had to pace it because I couldn't afford to stay up all night reading.
Definitely going to be purchasing hardcopies of both books as I love this authors work.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Titan Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“There are some things that can’t be carved from a person, no matter how far from home they’ve sailed.”

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable 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.

Fable remains to be utterly feisty and brilliantly sassy. It just makes me love her more. Despite dangerous situations she’s thrust into, she remains true to her ideals and who she is, remaining laser focused on her goals. We get to see more vulnerability in Fable this time and it really endeared her to me more! Her past is chasing into the present in various ways - both old and painful, new and dangerous - and yet she still focuses on the task at hand, doing her best to not just keep herself alive - but her found family too.
West felt rather different to me. Clearly losing Fable reverted him back into a broodier, more feral version of himself. And yet I felt like it was entirely right. This young man has a very dark past, it doesn’t just go away. It leaves an imprint on you that’s difficult to shake.
The crew of the Marigold remain to be a motley crew, each with similar motivations but entirely different reasonings. We see their bonds be tested, their own pasts come to light and hold resentment for their plans being thrown off course. And yet, we still get to see his family find their own.

I’ll admit, initially I wasn’t entirely sure this would live up to its predecessor. But as the story progressed and twists and turns made themselves evident, I was utterly hooked. The story felt unpredictable which I LOVE. I need a story that keeps me guessing, that has me saying “one more chapter” and suddenly I’ve read four more instead. It was raw and engaging and you bet I was bawling with that ending. It’s such a brilliant story and I cannot wait to revisit it in the future.

Overall, Namesake is an emotional, epic conclusion to a story that makes you want to see the world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The sequel to Fable was everything I had hoped for. Namesake is the same action-packed, seafaring adventure fantasy book as Fable. At the end of book 1, Fable manages to free Marigold from the clutches of her father. Just when you think all is well, she faces new trouble in the form of Zola and Holland. The backstories of these two characters were simply amazing and brought closure to Fable about her life as well as to readers like us. I felt that the book was a tad bit boring in the middle and the story seemed to travel off-track for a while.

We get to see the most political and familial side of the characters and all loose ends are tied up perfectly.

The writing is brilliant and so descriptive, especially the diving and the dredging scenes. I could imagine them very vividly. I wish there could have been more scenes of the Marigold crew in Namesake. I wanted to know more about the backstory of Fable’s father (Saint) and her mother (Isolde). I wish Adrienne Young could write a separate book or even a short story of their love story. I can’t wait to read The Last Legacy, another book set in this world releasing later this year.

Overall this duology is worth every amount of hype it gets!!!!

Namesake, book 2 in the Fable duology by author Adrienne Young, continues the journey that left hook marks in my heart.

Book 1 ended in a cliffhanger. Namesake starts with a prologue that touches on one of Fable's memories before dumping us back into the present, exactly where Fable doesn't want to be, weighed down by betrayal.

Fable is in a mess. She needs to figure out what is going on and how she is going to get herself out of her current predicament. Along the way there are cleverly weaved surprises, shocking revelations, carefully executed manipulations and last ditch hopes that could end in death.

Every step of the way I felt I could hear the creak of the ships, smell the unmistakable tang of sea air and feel danger's chill. Adrienne Young has managed to create a world that refuses to stay neatly tucked away on the pages. It cries out to be heard and I urge fellow adventure and sea lovers to listen. Fable has been released in the UK as of the 22nd of June 2021, so you can now read the entire duology without pause. What are you waiting for?

5/5🌟

I am honoured to have been granted a copy of Namesake by the publishers, Titan Books, via Netgalley, in exchange for my impartial review. All opinions stated are my own.

Warning! This is the second installment in the duology about Fable so the following review may contain spoilers regarding the first book, Fable (my review of Fable can be found in one of my earlier posts!).

Picking up right were things ended in Fable, Namesake takes everything to another level - the plot deepens, the stakes are raised and dark secrets revealed. Just when you think you have everything figured out - it all changes. If you thought Fable was an emotional roller-coaster you need to prepare yourself before reading Namesake because wow what a ride it was.

Namesake is just as wild, ever-changing and mysterious as the sea. You never know what’s hidden deep down in the dark depths until you take the leap, dive down and find it out on your own.

The duology about Fable is the perfect summer read: a fast-paced adventure on the sea as well as below. It may seem like your usual YA fantasy book at first but trust me when I say that the real secrets always hide below the surface. I couldn’t have wished for a better conclusion to this fantastic duology and I cannot wait to discover what adventures Adrienne Young have in mind for the future.

***I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley (thank you Titan Books!) in exchange for a honest review.***

A fairly fine follow up to Fable. It picks up where Book 1 ended and the reader is thrown straight into another tense adventure. I felt that Namesake was better than its predecessor with more intrigue, exciting plot and improved character development. I particularly liked how Fable's relationships with other characters got a chance of more expansion here especially between Fable and Saint which was very fascinating. My only criticism is that I think too many new characters were introduced. But overall, this was a swashbucklingly good duology and I will be keeping an eye out for more by Adrienne Young.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.