Saint

I'm not sure why I picked up this book except that its cover, like Fable and Namesake before it, is absolutely gorgeous. I had read Fable a couple of years ago and liked it (but didn't love it like so many other readers did) and I skipped reading the follow-up book, Namesake. 

That probably wasn't a wise decision. Despite this being called a standalone, I think readers who don't have a firm grasp of the previous books' plots and relationships may not have the same reading experience. 

This book was disappointing and like Fable (for me anyway), it had a 'barely there' plot. Saint is a cool character and Isolde's history could have created some amazing storylines, but instead we get a weak, drawn-out story that focused more on trade and politics than developing a plot or characters I could dig into. 

I wanted an edge-of-my-seat sea adventure about lost treasure! I wanted to be whisked into an epic love story! And in the end, I wanted a book with more substance! This book was dull, and I kept hoping things would turn around. Its plot, characters and insta-romance were all just  ... fine. Honestly, I think this book would have been better as a novella.

I'm in the vast minority so take my curmudgeonly review with a grain of sea salt. If you loved Fable and Namesake, then you'll probably love this prequel. 

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Adrienne Young

Genre: Fantasy, Teen

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Series: 0.5 from Fable series

Publisher: Wednesday Books

First Published: November 29, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales.

Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for―Saint.

Author Adrienne Young returns to the world of The Narrows with Saint, a prequel to Fable and Namesake.