Name: jen's review of Namesake (Fable Book #2) by Adrienne Young
Item: Namesake (Fable Book #2)
Rating: 3
Author: jen

Adrienne Young

Namesake (Fable Book #2)

Filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, the final book in the captivating Fable duology. Trader. Fighter. Survivor. With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems. As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception, she learns that the secrets her mother took to her grave are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.

A Novel

Namesake

samantha lias

We were salt and sand and sea and storm. We were made in the Narrows.

Amber Tucker

this was,, ok. predictable and the dynamic between west & fable was a lil :/ compared to the first book. but liked how familial bonds between saint & fable were somewhat resolved and im glad they chose not to exploit the midnight gems :-)

Linara K.S

i'm finished!!!! i'm finished!! omg this duology was a RIDE! idk how to explain it but... Yeah definitely recommend for pirate aesthetic lovers and just adventure.

Amelia Hruby

Tatiana

Namesake: 2/5

"Helmsman. Dredger. Trader. Orphan. Father.
Daughter."

Yikes. Although Fable wasn't the most enthralling book I've ever read, it was definitely entertaining, and I was so excited for Namesake. I think there was major potential after Fable, but this did not deliver. If I could describe this book in one word, it would be underdeveloped. 

Plot:
Namesake picks up right where Fable ends. We are still in a ship setting, where we see Fable dredging, but for a new crew. I really enjoyed the sea setting, there wasn't anything too mindblowing about it, but I enjoyed that aspect.

Overall, this plot is not it. In Fable, we are met with an extremely linear plot, but it was executed well and was entertaining. Namesake's plot linear but also chaotic. We hear so much about trade and territory expansion's inner workings that it gets boring and repetitive. I never felt like the plot was truly moving towards something, and some parts were forced. No part of this was organic or seemed to fit together. There's a whole side plot with a mineral called midnight, and it literally has nothing to do with anything. The plot felt like a puzzle, but each piece was being forced to fit to create a larger picture. Lastly, it is extremely predictable. Not once was I shocked about a reveal which made it all the more disappointing. 

Characters:
As for the characters, like I said before, I enjoy Fable herself. I think she is a dynamic, witty, and kind of a badass character. I think she is one of the largest assets to this series. Furthermore, I enjoyed the pieces with Saint and Clove. They are both some of the more developed characters in this story that have more than one layer. Plus, Saint and Clove's relationship to Fable really warmed my heart.

Now, the other characters really fell apart. I was hoping for more of the old crew and getting more of a "found family" trope out of this book. I thought perhaps Adrienne Young would make up for the mediocre character development from Fable and really get into the nitty-gritty of the crew in Namesake. I was wrong. Instead, we met an entirely new band of characters that also get no development. Somehow we are left with less OG Marigold crew content than before. Although we are reunited with them, they fight the whole time, and it just wants enjoyable.

One of the largest letdowns for me is West's character. Namely, everybody is warning Fable left and right that West is dangerous, and it is never explained. West continues to be one-dimensional, arrogant, and quite annoying. He does things with little to no motive and little regard for others. In fact, we know so little about West that I felt awkward reading the romance.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, I was disappointed by this book. That being said, I didn't love Fable either, and this book does have great reviews from other readers. It's definitely an easy, quick read that you don't have to think too much about. If you enjoyed Fable, I think this is worth a shot as well.

This book wasn't as captivating as fable but it was enjoyable nonetheless. It was simple and maybe even a little predictable but it was still fun to read, the writing as always was beautiful but I would have preferred a more complicated plot and some character development. Still not a bad read, I would definitely recommend to people who are new to the fantasy genre

June

Nessa Luna

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the review copy!

I love these characters so much aaaaaaaaaah. I think I liked the storyline of the previous book a bit more, though honestly I just loved the overall storyline of this duology so much. As I've said in my review for the previous book (iirc), highly recommend if you love Pirates of the Caribbean and found family stories! (view spoiler)[Also, honestly can I thank Adrienne for writing two books about characters being on the ocean and there being ZERO shark attacks? Honestly that's not the only thing that makes me terrified of the ocean (I know sharks are actually kind of alright bla bla it's the teeth ok) but I felt no ocean anxiety while reading these books. (hide spoiler)]

Nash

Overall, I have to say that I did enjoy Fable's sequel. Her story is a very interesting one. A story of survival, loyalty, and love. If you enjoyed Fable, this one is bound to surprise you, entertain you, and you will love how neatly her story concluded.

The crew continues to capture my heart. I started this book today, and then finished it six hours later because even if I took a break, I knew I didn’t want to put it down. It’s adventurous & emotional - without dragging everything out, but also doesn’t lack in imagery. I think there’s a good balance of stressful page-turning vs heartwarming.

Marchelle

Ashley Wendt

4.5. I pretty much devoured that in one sitting! It was somewhat predictable....but I loved the journey and the twists and turns even if I did see them coming. I’m a sucker for ship crew/pirate stories. I definitely want more books on these crew members....I think Adrienne Young gave us just enough backstory with each of these characters to make you root for them, and yet leave you wanting more.

Pamela Fitzhugh 

Goodness ... this book was just indescribable. It picked up where Fable left off and kept on running. Some things were easier to guess than in the first book, which could be because you get used to thinking like them. In the age of sailing and fighting for survival this book will leave you fighting back tears, laughs, and gasps of surprise. Definitely recommend to anyone who doesn’t want to get into a long series. Everything I’ve looked into shows it’s only a duology and in all honesty she should leave it like that. Maybe pick up with Koy and Willa, but even then I think it would be too much. Or maybe about Saint and Isolde and Zola their past. That’s something that I believe a lot of people want to know more about. Their past is laid out, but missing details and the full story. This series is something I would recommend to anyone.

Megan Lowe

I really enjoyed this book, WAY more than I liked fable!
There’s a richness to this story, a depth, more action, more romance, more everything that makes this the better half of this duo in my opinion.
Fable is a great female character. She’s strong, but also soft in the parts she needs to be.
West is just... be still my heart! He is strong, protective, loving. He’s perfect.
I love the other cast members in this book too, even if they have much smaller parts than fable.
One thing I would definitely recommend is that you read this immediately after fable. Don’t wing it and think you’ll be okay like I did. Perhaps you have a better memory than me, which wouldn’t be hard, but I struggled at times because I couldn’t remember details.
For me, fable was hit or miss, but this is incredible! Definitely worth chugging through the first book for!

I really liked the setting which I already did in the first book. 

Here, I had the feeling that the plot fit together better than in "Fable", some scenes that seemed weird or confusing to me had clarifications later in the book which made me enjoy the plot more.

Still, it's not too deep and I don't think I'll reread it in the nearer future (which is something I do with books I really like). But as a book for adolescents, I liked it and would recommend reading it. 

Emilia

I really liked the setting which I already did in the first book. 

Here, I had the feeling that the plot fit together better than in "Fable", some scenes that seemed weird or confusing to me had clarifications later in the book which made me enjoy the plot more.

Still, it's not too deep and I don't think I'll reread it in the nearer future (which is something I do with books I really like). But as a book for adolescents, I liked it and would recommend reading it. 

Shereen Evans

******This book was kindly given to me from Netgalley for my honest review.******

Namesake was everything I wanted from a sequel. I loved Fable and West from the first book and wanted more to their story. You get to watch her grow more this book and go for what she wants and put an end to her being used as a pawn in Saint's game. There were quite a few twists to this book that I was not sure how it was going to end. Part of me wishes this was made into a trilogy and not a duology.

Sheena

❝That first day on the Marigold came rushing back to me, standing in the passageway with my hand pressed to the crest on the door. I had been a stranger in that place , but I’d come to belong there. And now everything within me ached for it. A flash of heat lit beneath my skin, the sting of tears gathering in my eyes. Because I’d been a fool. I’d let myself believe, even if it was just for a moment, that I was safe. That I’d found a home and a family. And in the time it took to draw a single breath, it was all torn away. ❞
  
We begin where 'Fable' leaves off—our daring heroine being taken by Zola and Clove, a previous Lark mate whose ‘betrayal’ was unfathomable, and forced to become a dredger to the Luna where the crew is journeying to the Unnamed Sea empty handed. That freedom that she once experienced when the Marigold was free of her father, Saint, is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems. Barreling through betrayal, deception, and the secrets that her mother, Isolde, kept well guarded years prior to her death, Fable must risk everything including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.
 
As we follow Fable through the emotional journey back home I have come to realize that the first appearances can deceive many and when the story unfolds, as the reader we get a better understanding and insight of the prominent standout characters that include Saint, Zola, Clove and Koy. And that could’ve only happened with the remarkable writing style of the author who, like I stated in my ‘Fable’ review, improved drastically since 'The Girl the Sea Gave Back'. She was able to shed light upon our crew, make the characters so perfectly crafted and authentically vivid—aiding the story to latch on to you and never let you go. 
 
Now keep in mind as much as I rant and rave about this brilliant followup, there is another other side of the coin. There was a lot of build up with Zola and his ship, the Luna, heading to the Unnamed Seas to make amends with Holland. It was short and abrupt when they landed, and left a lot of questions unanswered in regards to the relations to Zola, the bounty on his head and Fable’s mother. I would have loved to have had more insight on his relationship with Isolde and what led her to leave his ship prior to meeting Saint.
 
Be that as it may, the high expectations I had for 'Namesake' were formed, met and thoroughly exceeded. From the absolutely stunning cover (she’s a beauty!) to the epic conclusion of this YA fantasy, the novel's impact resonates long after you finish it and will be an instant re-read in the very near future.

Livia

3.5 leaning towards 4 stars

Definitely better than the first book. I like how Fable is less annoying, and how she is more willing to take up responsibilities. It's still not amazing, and I don't like West too much as a character.

Mariyah

5/5 ⭐️ I loved this one as well. It was amazing. These books about pirates and all are written really well. And that plot twist? Wow.

Slow in the first hundred pages but I couldn’t put it down in the end!

Kelly Heffernan

marie

Jessica Guht

Even better than the first book which is saying something! Full of so much action and character development, I loved every moment of it.

Alora

This book, as with the first one, was fast-paced and amazing. We again follow Fable and read as she tries to get out of all the trouble she has gotten herself into. I love that the book is called Namesake because that's a little bit of foreshadowing that I didn't realize until just now when I started writing this review. I don't really want to say much else in this review so I don't spoil it so all I am going to say is that the characters are all absolutely amazing and I love all the relationships, romantic, familial, and friend.

Lauren Sullivan

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[attempted murder (with associated injuries), murder and other pirate-y violence, death of a parent (in the past), toxic family relationships, kidnapping of a child (child is not hurt), alcohol (hide spoiler)]

I’m still loving this YA pirate girl trend, so of course I was excited to get back to Fable’s world. Also, I adore how the covers form Fable’s face! This is the second in the duology, and can’t be read as a standalone, so this review will contain spoilers for the first book.

“We were salt and sand and sea and storm.
We were made in the Narrows.”

At the end of the last book, things were finally looking up for Fable – and then she got kidnapped by Zola and his crew. Though she initially thinks he just intends to get back at West, it soon becomes clear that there’s more going on than just that. For one thing, Clove, once her father’s second-in-command and a good friend to her mother, is now on Zola’s ship and apparently a trusted member of his crew. What sort of betrayal would have driven him away from Saint? Unmoored and uncertain, afraid of what West and the rest of the Marigold will do to get her back, if they’re even trying to find her, Fable can only do what she does best – survive.

It’s very hard to talk about this book without going into too many spoilers. Suffice it to say that, while it’s a lot of adventurous and plot-driven pirate-y goodness, it also focuses on the relationships between Fable and the three main people in her life: her mother, Isolde; her father, Saint; and the newest and most uncertain thing with West. There’s not a lot of new character development, except between Fable and West, though we do get a bit more in terms of background for some of the Marigold's crew. There’s also a few surprising cameos from old characters, plus some new ones, including a delightful new villain. But while they’re there and serve to move the plot along, they never felt fully fleshed out to me.

“That first day on the Marigold came rushing back to me, standing in the passageway with my hand pressed to the crest on the door. I had been a stranger in that place, but I’d come to belong there. And now everything within me ached for it. A flash of heat lit beneath my skin, the sting of tears gathering in my eyes. Because I’d been a fool. I’d let myself believe, even if it was just for a moment, that I was safe. That I’d found a home and a family. And in the time it took to draw a single breath, it was all torn away.”

What struck me most was Fable’s longing for a home and family. After she’s kidnapped, she truly finally realizes how much the Marigold has become her home. A large part of that is West, sure, but it’s also the crew and the freedom she experienced there. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that, of course, West finds her, but it’s just as she finally starts to understand that her kidnapping was a small piece in a much larger plot, one that will lead to Saint’s death. Fable’s relationship with him is the definition of complicated, and she can’t just walk away from him (like he did to her). But that decision strains her relationship with West and the rest of the Marigold, leading her to question where, exactly, her true loyalties lie, and whether the Marigold can ever be her home again.

“You can’t keep trying to take control of everything. You can’t save everyone, West.”

Both Zola and Saint have warned Fable that she doesn’t really know West, that there’s a streak of darkness in him that she hasn’t seen yet. While Fable initially scoffs at it, further events cause her to question her understanding of him and what lengths he’ll go to to keep his crew – and her – safe. And how dare the person who abandoned her on Jeval lecture her about drastic actions? But while Fable and West have a lot to handle in the relationship, it doesn’t even hold a candle to the massive amount of “it’s complicated” between Fable and Saint. As with the other plot lines from the first book, there is some resolution to their relationship, though I wasn’t completely satisfied with it.

Overall, this is a fast-paced and engaging read, and definitely recommended if you need more pirates in your life.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Amber Tucker &
Namesake (Fable Book #2) by Adrienne Young

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