Title- Fable
Rating– 4.5/5
Genre- Young Adult (assumed it was fantasy, but I don’t think it fits that category)
POV- First person, past tense
Trope- pirates, adventure, family relationships, buried treasure
Similar Books/Comps– The Girl the Sea Gave Back, Daughter of the Pirate King
My emotions- I loved this book, such a mix of emotions. I loved feeling like I was there since there was amazing visual imagery of the sea, ship, & island. Adrienne’s ability to write sensory details is perfection
Characters–
Fable- 17 years old- survivor, brave, strong, independent, looking for her “place” and who she belongs to
By pg 24 there were too many male characters to keep track of so far. Koy, West, Fret, and Speck. I can’t tell them apart so far & don’t know the difference in their importance to the story
West- I wanted a bit more from him as the romantic interest, this was a lower priority compared to the plot and father/daughter relationship
Willa- great, strong female side- character
Saint- awesome morally gray leader
I loved Paj & Auster together
Zola- Is he the real antagonist?
Isolde’s legend felt magical/mystical
Plot/Blurb-
As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable 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.
Best part-
Pg 48- from the quote: “unsure which man I’d find”- this thought confirms my confusion of why she wants to meet up with him so badly. What’s the draw to him?
Pg. 74- I wonder why she had to make that promise
Pg. 79- Almost every chapter starts with such a vivid description with beautiful prose. I LOVE the imagery, but the repetition in this pattern is also becoming monotonous
Pg. 83- oooh. What is the Marigold’s real purpose then?
Pg.86- oh man! What’s she gonna do?
Pg. 95- Welp, that definitely made things even more interesting
Pg. 153- I needed to hear that for things to make more sense.
Pg. 174- she found him too easily
Pg. 181- Good! see the light, girl. You’ve been in denial.
Pg. 198- The tides have turned!
Pg. 314- interesting idea. I wanted to enjoy that more but all I could think of was AIR!
What I’d change-
Pg. 352. The only reason why this novel wasn’t five starts was because the climax wasn’t powerful enough and I even had a hard time determining when the BIG moment was. The second half was a bit more flat and I expected more. Still super excited to read the sequel
Quote-
“I couldn’t leave you there.” It was the first thing he’s said to me that had the heavy weight of truth in the words.
I tried to read him, studying the shadows that moved over his face, but only fragments of him were visible, as always. He was only pieces, never a whole.
He was quiet for a long moment before he took a step toward me … “I can’t care about anyone else, Fable.”
His meaning filled the small bit of space between us, making me feel like the walls were creeping in.
Pacing- Medium, I could settle in. Chapters ended in great mini-cliffhangers that made me want to keep reading. I was reading fast the second half to find out what happens, but it was a bit anticlimactic. I’m thinking the sequel may have been placed at the wrong timing of the story.
Cassie Swindon 