Fable

This popular Teen fantasy adventure has one of the most stunning covers I've ever seen! It's mesmerizing! The story has a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe with action, hidden treasure and a pirate-esque setting! Set in a fictional world, readers dive right into Fable's life as an outcast trying to survive after her dear 'ol dad abandoned her four years earlier on an island notorious as a haven for thieves.

Teenage Fable is a great main character, and the reader is introduced to the mystery of her powers and her familial angst which provide good fodder for plot lines. The story is well-paced, the world building is easy to understand and I flew through the pages. But when I think back on it, not a lot actually happens plot-wise and I was left feeling like perhaps Fable was more of an intro to the second book Namesake where (I assume) the real action will happen. 

Nevertheless, this was a fun sea adventure with hidden treasure and a strong main character in Fable. I loved her strength and resourcefulness, her family drama (which totally piqued my interest!) and I liked the diverse crew - I just wish we'd seen more of them. It had everything I love in an adventure read but with a little less oomph than I had anticipated based on its rave reviews. I also wasn't a fan of the romance which I found underwhelming with a strong Insta-love feel. Argh, me hearties!

Overall, this was a fun, swashbuckling adventure read and I'm glad to have been introduced to Fable who is a strong female main character who was easy to root for. I think this story is just getting its feet wet and I predict things will pick up speed in Namesake where we'll get more info on the complicated relationship with her parents and her unique abilities. I'm eager to see where Fable's adventures take her next.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Adrienne Young

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: #1 in Fable series

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Pages: 357

Publisher: Wednesday Books

First Published: September 1, 2020

Opening Line: That bastard was leaving me again.

Book Description from GoodReads:  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.

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