Namesake (Fable, #2)

by Adrienne Young

• ISBN10: 1432889249
• ISBN13: 9781432889241
• Publish Date: 5 August 2021 (first published 16 March 2021)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Thorndike Striving Reader
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 517
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Full review on my blog!


Oh, this was a lovely book. I cannot get over how stunning the setting is. The way it is described it gives me a severe case of wanderlust. This is something that I mentioned when I talked about the first book in this series, but I would love to see an adaptation of these novels. A movie or preferably a show that allows us to see these gorgeous shores, these marvelous underwater settings would be amazing. I’ve never lived anywhere near an ocean, so maybe it’s just a me thing that this made me feel so dreamy.

One thing that an adaptation might also help me with is ships and nautical stuff. I know absolutely nothing about ships, so a lot of the chapters on that front are to a degree lost on me. I can kind of understand what everybody is doing and working on, but since I am not really familiar with all the tasks on a ship (or even with the terminology used) I sometimes had little idea what exactly Adrienne Young is talking about. This was a bigger problem in the first book though. While it still happened occasionally in Namesake, there are a lot more other things going on, so the focus isn’t so much on that. Again, probably a me problem, but if you are also a person who isn’t really into nautical stuff, keep that in mind. I want to point out though, that it didn’t make me like the book any less or detracted significantly from the story. So, really no biggie.

The story of Namesake comes with several intriguing twists and turns. While some might be a little predictable, others will surprise you. Granted, you shouldn’t look too closely at the logic behind some of those twists all the time. There were instances where I certainly raised an eyebrow, but overall it’s a well-crafted story. It’s already such a big win simply because the setting is so unique and different from most other books that somehow come my way.

I, furthermore, appreciated that it’s a fairly short novel. Right now, I’m still fighting my way through the Wheel of Time books and oh my god these are chonky. So, it’s nice to find something in between when you want to sink into a story, and get lost in a different world, but without spending a month of my time on getting through the book. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates a novel like this every now and then.

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Namesake is the second book in a YA fantasy duology by Adrienne Young. Released 16th March 2021 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written YA adventure with a strong and intelligent female protagonist, an ensemble cast of characters and a well controlled and technically adept narrative arc. The story moves along at a good pace and the action is engaging and carries the reader along. The language and themes are appropriate for older teens.

I hadn't read the first book in the duology and had some trouble following some of the more nuanced parts of the plot including the back-history between Fable and the crew, her complicated family connections, and much of the interrelationships between the secondary characters. Because of this, I don't think it works well as a standalone and recommend readers to read the first book before reading this one.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

Oh my Goddddddd... Adrienne Young has honestly outdone herself this time. She is a MASTER storyteller, and this book was nothing short of mastery. That said, I can't put my finger on why, exactly, this ended up bringing me to tears for a minute there... just an absolutely AMAZING novel. I want to do my happy dance after reading this... it was just SO PERFECT! Ugh I loved it so much, guys!

I'm going to miss Fable, SO MUCH!

Just... chef's kiss

[Inkslinger]

'Namesake,' book two of the Fable duology from Adrienne Young, picks up with Fable in Zola's hands.. headed for the dire straits of the Unnamed Sea.

 

Having successfully freed the Marigold from Saint, Fable and its crew had big plans for their autonomy. Unfortunately, others have different ideas of their own  for her. Though there's a familiar face aboard Zola's ship, it seems clear she's been betrayed.

 

Caught in the middle of multiple schemes, she's the common denominator in all of them. In order to get home and save those who mean the most to her, Fable must agree to work with Holland.. a vicious woman who runs the Unnamed Sea's gem trade.

 

If you loved the first book, the second is even better. The story hits the ground running, as things are already out of hand and Fable isn't sure what her future holds. She's surrounded by people she doesn't trust, many of whom look at her like they'd rather kill her than co-exist beside her.

 

I liked that as the story opened, as a reader.. I felt off-balance myself. There's an adjustment period that we get to experience along with Fable as she's trying to get her bearings and read her situation. She knows she's in trouble, what remains to be seen is how much.. and what the results of that are going to be.

 

She's still a fighter though and she doesn't whine or complain about what's happening. Rather, she spends her time trying to observe as much as possible and plot a way out.. be that through escape or leverage. Honestly, she's exactly the kind of female protagonist that I don't think we get enough of.  

 

Sure, she makes mistakes and gets herself in deeper sometimes, but she never stops trying. Every time life throws her a complication, she grits her teeth and gets to problem solving. There's no assumption that she's defeated, no polite resignation. She strategizes and tries again.

 

The story builds continuously throughout, as the circumstances spin further and further out of control. Eventually, there's so much potential for things to go wrong, that you just know something is going to and you find yourself trying to decide what you could let go of if given the choice, while hoping to keep it all.

 

As for the cast of characters, we do get to see more of her father. He's so closed up in the first book that I was really curious about him. West is still amazing, as is Auster.. and though I still feel like all of these characters could benefit from a lot more detail, it was wonderful to finally get the Auster/Paj origin story.

 

Now I'm just sad that it was only a duology.. because I desperately want a book three or a bunch of side novels for the supporting cast. Something, anything! I just need more!

 

Anyway, plenty of action and drama.. lots of familial intrigue.. and some suspense. 'Namesake' is a choppy ride on an angry sea and I loved every minute of it.

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Namesake in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It is time. Adrienne Young's duology, Fable, is about to conclude in Namesake. It is time to see how Fable's story wraps up, don't you think?

Last we saw, Fable has been ripped away from her hopes, and her home, all of which could be found on the Marigold. Now she's been sent off on another adventure – this one she is much less willing to take part in.

Yet it all ties back to her past. And her family. It always does. In some ways, it feels like she will never be free of the world that she was born from. But Fable is a driven woman, and she will fight to the end to have a choice for her path in life.

“I was the Saint's daughter. And before I left the Luna, every bastard on this crew was going to know it.”

I'm not entirely certain what I expected, when thinking about how this duology would end. I can tell you that no matter what I was thinking, Namesake surpassed any hopes I had on the matter. It did justice to the tale that Fable started, and kept me reading right up until the end.

No really, I read Namesake all in one go. I couldn't bring myself to put it down, not even for a snack break. The new antagonists, revelations, and emotional turmoils kept me fully invested, and even left me just a little bit sad, when it was time to say goodbye to it all.

That's the sign of a good story though, so I won't complain about it ending. Not much, at least. I promise. All good things must come to an end, and that includes our time in this world that Young has created.

On that note, I really did enjoy the world itself. The concept of living on the ocean, of diving for treasures. All of it, even (perhaps especially) the less glamorous parts. It all felt so alive here, especially when Fable's story got brought into the fold.

Namesake did a fantastic job of wrapping up all of the plot arcs already started, while creating a few more to make us all the more invested. It brought Fable's conclusion to the perfect point, and really did justice for all of those fans out there. Of which I know that there are many.

Honestly, I feel like duologies are underrated these days. I love book series, don't get me wrong. However, I do enjoy a shorter series that knows exactly what it wants to do. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I loved Fable so much. Adrienne Young set out to tell us a story, and she did exactly that. I know that this is one that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks