Incredible. Fable has taken a top spot as one of my favourite books of all time. From start to finish I was hooked. Everything about it was perfect. We have a strong female lead, found family, a runaway crew, and a slow burn romance (also I normally HATE slow burn’s with my a passion but my, oh my, I was living for this one). The setting was incredible. I felt like I was there, with Fable and the crew of the Marigold. It’s been a long time since I felt a book transported me into its setting, but I followed Fable along the Narrows and I loved every second. I am absolutely ITCHING to read Namesake! I can’t wait! I’m going to have the biggest book hangover after this one... is it too soon to reread??? Asking for a friend... • Thank you to NetGalley and Titan books for my eARC.

Fable’s had a very hard life, and she’s been hardened by it and it shows, I like that she wore this callus of life so openly, she has to in order to survive but it also makes seeing any vulnerabilities just that much more satisfying and well earned on the reader’s part. The crew she ends up joining are just this epitome of mysterious and gruff, in some ways they reminded me of the squad from Gilded Wolves, not in their personalities but in their close-knit ways, they are obviously completely loyal to each other and Fable is a newbie, an outsider to them. Fable’s father was definitely a mystery that I wanted to unravel and was so impatient, and the reunion of Fable and her Father, well, that was a hit int he feels that I will leave for you to be surprised about if you haven’t read it. The ending was a cliffhanger and I have no idea how I’m meant to be patient in waiting for the sequel when I need it ASAP. Pacing was continuously intense and a ‘sprint’ from start to finish. I loved it and it was a great 2020 read, 5/5 cups of hot chocolate from me!

Clear your schedule before you pick this book up, Fable is the most insanely gripping book I’ve read in a long time. 17-year-old Fable was abandoned four years ago by her father on a dangerous island of thieves and since then she has been doing everything just to survive and to earn enough money to get off the island. Fable is a ‘dredger’, a free diver who scavenges the reef for precious stones to sell but she also has other skills, inherited from her mother, that would put her in even more danger if anyone found out about them. Fortunately for Fable, she finds a crew willingly to take her on board, but they’re hiding secrets of their own. This book is crammed with mortal peril, incredibly rich world-building, great characters, romance and suspense. Highly recommended.

I bought this duology because I loved the covers, but there are some books that you just can't put down and you get so invested in the characters and their worlds that they stay with you, and this is one of them! I adore Fable; she's an Incredible character! She's strong, she's stubborn, and she's super feisty! Also, it's amazing to read a book with a really intelligent female lead! The world really came to life too. The oceans, different islands and the people that live on them were so well written that it didn't feel like they were just in the background, especially Jeval. Another character I loved with all of my heart is Isolde. She's wild and magical and a total free spirit! Holland and Zola on the other hand, I would punch straight in the face and grab a muffin and a cup of tea straight after. Honestly this book has everything - fantasy, adventure, family secrets, pirates, a slow burning enemies to friends to lovers relationship, and shiny gemstones! I think it's definitely a story that's going to live in my little brain forever, and it's probably going to be one I read again!

"And like the turn of the wind before the most unpredictable of storms, I could feel that everything was about to change." After a tragic shipwreck kills her mother, Fable is abandoned on an inhospitable island by her father and forced to survive and make her own way in the world against all odds in this tale of found family and swashbuckling adventures. As someone who didn't fare well with this author's first novel, Sky in the Deep, I was dubious going into this one however I have been thoroughly converted to this author's work and thoroughly enjoyed this one. Needless to say, I will be picking up Namesake as soon as it becomes available to me. The strongest element of this book is without a doubt the worldbuilding and atmosphere, which gripped me from the first chapter. I was really wrapped up in the setting and it felt very well fleshed out and explored. Similarly to this, the writing was very good, it was easy to digest whilst still having a lot of meaning and emotion to it. I really enjoyed Fable as the main character and her interactions with the other characters felt believable and accurate, I liked that more than anything it took time to build up these bonds and I am really hoping that now we have a strong foundation we will have more emotional moments in the second book. This brings me to the next point, the plot was pretty straight forward and it was paced well without being action-packed. That being said I imagine that the next book will definitely ramp up in stakes and in complexity, I hope this is the case as I can imagine rating the book higher if it wasn't for this simplicity. If you like pirate books and found family then I would highly recommend Fable. Rated: 4 Stars