Fable kind of sucked me in, especially once it got going! So let us break down the stuff I really loved versus the stuff I maybe wanted some more of!
What I Loved:
- ►I could really feel for Fable. Girl has had a really rough go of things, and I feel like if I was her, I'd have collapsed in a corner somewhere, crying and rocking back and forth in the fetal position. But nope, not Fable. She keeps on keeping on. And I loved that!
- ►Just as I loved Fable, I loved the crew of the Marigold. I think this is, in general, my favorite thing about seafaring books- they come with such a tight knit crew, and the author ensured that this one was no different! One thing I liked was that we find out who they are very slowly, as they've all been through so much that they're wary of letting strangers too close. Honestly, it felt realistic, especially in this world.
- ►The world is dark. Oy, I'd not want to live here, frankly. You know, places where it seems totally legit for dads to drop their kids off on creepy islands for years on end, places where getting robbed and attacked is more the norm than the exception... hard pass. But I do love reading about it! Plus, it makes for extra high stakes!
- ►Family secrets! I love a good family secret mystery, and they were aplenty! And look, you can tell that Fable wanted her relationship with her dad to be more, but I think that sometimes it's necessary to acknowledge that it won't be- both in life and in fiction- so I was kind of glad that it wasn't all puppies and rainbows. There were some other secrets too, but I'll leave those alone because... well, spoilers!
- ►It moved quickly and was so readable! I just kind of found myself in it, you know? And didn't really want to put it down! I immediately added the sequel to my TBR!
What I Would Have Liked More Of:
- ►World-Building. I just wanted to know a bit more about this place, frankly. Like okay it's kind of a mess, but why? I couldn't really get a good feel for the places or if they were supposed to be different, etc.
- ►It's a little predictable. Look, it wasn't like, annoyingly so or anything, so I don't want to scare anyone off. But I also gotta be honest ha. And I don't mean that the whole plot was easy to predict, just... a few bigger points.
Bottom Line: So entertaining and a dark, fun ride, I will absolutely be reading the sequel!