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sereyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
4.75
dedica's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
maroreads's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
4 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/fable-by-adrienne-young-review/
As the daughter of trade magnate Saint, Fable once enjoyed a childhood of love and adventure. With her mother and father, she sailed the Narrows and Unnamed Sea, learning the skills of trading and dredging that Fable once hoped would earn her a place by her father’s side when she came of age.
That all changed the night her mother died.
The next day Saint abandoned her on Jezal, an island and pit of thieves, murderers, the desperate and unwashed. In their final moments together, he told her to survive and seek him out, to trust no one and never make herself beholden to another ‘man. Then—after dragging a knife through the flesh of her arm—he left.
Fours years later, Fable still hasn’t seen her father. She still lives on Jezal, but not for much longer. Using her unique and inherited skillset, she nearly has enough coin to escape the island, and claim her place at Saint’s right hand. But to make this dream a reality, first she must make her way across the Narrows to the mainland. Which forces her to place her trust in an ambitious young captain and his ferociously loyal crew. And even if Fable is able to cross the sea without incident, the dream she’s held to for so long may not prove the reality. But that’s a chance she’s willing to take.
“You were not made for this world, Fable.”
This is the story of Fable, pure and simple. It’s not really a dip into a bigger world that’s going to appear in later books (minus the second half of the duology), not is it a story of adventure itself. One of the main complaints I saw beforehand was that there wasn’t enough swashbuckling, action, or tangible fulfillment. And yeah, this is all pretty much true. But the story I was sold on was that of a girl herself, lost in a grander scheme, a grander world, one that she is desperate to find her place in. And with that as a premise, Fable did not disappoint.
Specifically, I found the book boiled down to three major points of emphasis: Fable’s relationship with her father, her place in the world around her, and her growth as a person.
Fable’s relationship with her father is the most tricky. While I won’t go deep into this because of potential spoilers, I could write my entire review on her… (I absolutely hate the term “daddy issues”, but) well, you know. She remembers her childhood spent with her parents aboard the Lark as seen through a rose-tinted glasses. She was happy. Her parents were happy. Life was perfect. Until her mother died.
Her father closed off, scarred her, then abandoned her in a pit of thieves. To say she loves him would be accurate; to say she hates him would be accurate. To say she seeks his approval is also true. It’s certainly complicated, and Young devotes a lot of time to this relationship.
Fable’s place in the world around her is another important aspect of this book. I think that all of us at one time or another struggle with this. Who we are, how we fit, what role we have, what our future holds. It’s something that I’ve yet to come to terms with in my own life. And it’s something Fable is constantly challenged with in hers. Is she a thief? Is she a dredger? Is she a daughter, a lover, a friend, all of these, none of them, more? I’d say this is something that helps humanize her, makes her feel real, more than just a character in a book. It’s not a perfect depiction, to say the least, but it’s done well enough.
Fable’s character development is my third important point, and I’m just going to gloss over it. It’s… there IS development, but it seemed to me it all came too quickly, with no sense of fulfillment. Additionally, there was a romance attached to it, which didn’t feel romantic—minus one or two brief moments—and didn’t really feel real. It’s the same kind of love-at-first-sight story featured in the other Adrienne Young book I’ve read, The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I didn’t buy it there, either. The one in Fable isn’t nearly that bad, but not infinitely better.
TL;DR
Fable is quite literally the tale of Fable, daughter of a big-name trader, cast off on a lawless island hell and told to survive and seek out her father if she manages to escape it. As a tale of a girl growing up and finding her place in the world, Fable is a huge success. As a romance or swashbuckling adventure, it falls a bit short. I mean, there’s certainly adventure, but not a ton. There’s certainly a romance, it just sucks. Not much swashbuckling, though.
I really enjoyed Fable as a fable about Fable. It’s about a girl in search of her father, but moreover searching for her place in the world. There’s a lot to relate with there. It’s an experience, and tells a good and enjoyable story along the way. Fable even introduces a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I never had any problem reading this, and thoroughly enjoyed my time doing so. I’ll definitely read the followup, but only hope that the romance has been fixed in it.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/fable-by-adrienne-young-review/
As the daughter of trade magnate Saint, Fable once enjoyed a childhood of love and adventure. With her mother and father, she sailed the Narrows and Unnamed Sea, learning the skills of trading and dredging that Fable once hoped would earn her a place by her father’s side when she came of age.
That all changed the night her mother died.
The next day Saint abandoned her on Jezal, an island and pit of thieves, murderers, the desperate and unwashed. In their final moments together, he told her to survive and seek him out, to trust no one and never make herself beholden to another ‘man. Then—after dragging a knife through the flesh of her arm—he left.
Fours years later, Fable still hasn’t seen her father. She still lives on Jezal, but not for much longer. Using her unique and inherited skillset, she nearly has enough coin to escape the island, and claim her place at Saint’s right hand. But to make this dream a reality, first she must make her way across the Narrows to the mainland. Which forces her to place her trust in an ambitious young captain and his ferociously loyal crew. And even if Fable is able to cross the sea without incident, the dream she’s held to for so long may not prove the reality. But that’s a chance she’s willing to take.
“You were not made for this world, Fable.”
This is the story of Fable, pure and simple. It’s not really a dip into a bigger world that’s going to appear in later books (minus the second half of the duology), not is it a story of adventure itself. One of the main complaints I saw beforehand was that there wasn’t enough swashbuckling, action, or tangible fulfillment. And yeah, this is all pretty much true. But the story I was sold on was that of a girl herself, lost in a grander scheme, a grander world, one that she is desperate to find her place in. And with that as a premise, Fable did not disappoint.
Specifically, I found the book boiled down to three major points of emphasis: Fable’s relationship with her father, her place in the world around her, and her growth as a person.
Fable’s relationship with her father is the most tricky. While I won’t go deep into this because of potential spoilers, I could write my entire review on her… (I absolutely hate the term “daddy issues”, but) well, you know. She remembers her childhood spent with her parents aboard the Lark as seen through a rose-tinted glasses. She was happy. Her parents were happy. Life was perfect. Until her mother died.
Her father closed off, scarred her, then abandoned her in a pit of thieves. To say she loves him would be accurate; to say she hates him would be accurate. To say she seeks his approval is also true. It’s certainly complicated, and Young devotes a lot of time to this relationship.
Fable’s place in the world around her is another important aspect of this book. I think that all of us at one time or another struggle with this. Who we are, how we fit, what role we have, what our future holds. It’s something that I’ve yet to come to terms with in my own life. And it’s something Fable is constantly challenged with in hers. Is she a thief? Is she a dredger? Is she a daughter, a lover, a friend, all of these, none of them, more? I’d say this is something that helps humanize her, makes her feel real, more than just a character in a book. It’s not a perfect depiction, to say the least, but it’s done well enough.
Fable’s character development is my third important point, and I’m just going to gloss over it. It’s… there IS development, but it seemed to me it all came too quickly, with no sense of fulfillment. Additionally, there was a romance attached to it, which didn’t feel romantic—minus one or two brief moments—and didn’t really feel real. It’s the same kind of love-at-first-sight story featured in the other Adrienne Young book I’ve read, The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I didn’t buy it there, either. The one in Fable isn’t nearly that bad, but not infinitely better.
TL;DR
Fable is quite literally the tale of Fable, daughter of a big-name trader, cast off on a lawless island hell and told to survive and seek out her father if she manages to escape it. As a tale of a girl growing up and finding her place in the world, Fable is a huge success. As a romance or swashbuckling adventure, it falls a bit short. I mean, there’s certainly adventure, but not a ton. There’s certainly a romance, it just sucks. Not much swashbuckling, though.
I really enjoyed Fable as a fable about Fable. It’s about a girl in search of her father, but moreover searching for her place in the world. There’s a lot to relate with there. It’s an experience, and tells a good and enjoyable story along the way. Fable even introduces a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I never had any problem reading this, and thoroughly enjoyed my time doing so. I’ll definitely read the followup, but only hope that the romance has been fixed in it.
dana_yamaguchi's review against another edition
2.0
“It was a love that broke us all.”
-Fable, from Fable by Adrienne Young
-Fable, from Fable by Adrienne Young
shatabdi's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
izzyr11239's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
amimafotak's review against another edition
4.0
3,5/5
Konečně po dlouhé době kniha načichlá pirátskou tematikou, kterou jsem neodložila po pár kapitolách :D
Tohle mě dost bavilo, hlavně formou audia to ubíhalo hezky rychle - nejedná se o nic světoborného, ale zase to byla milá kniha se sympatickou hlavní postavou :)
Konečně po dlouhé době kniha načichlá pirátskou tematikou, kterou jsem neodložila po pár kapitolách :D
Tohle mě dost bavilo, hlavně formou audia to ubíhalo hezky rychle - nejedná se o nic světoborného, ale zase to byla milá kniha se sympatickou hlavní postavou :)
jenrford89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksbydann's review against another edition
4.0
Fable me absorbió. No hay otra forma de explicar lo que me hizo este libro. Lo empecé estando medio bloqueada y casi sin ganas de leer, pero desde el primer capítulo Fable tomó mi mano y me metio de lleno en las aventuras, piratas, intrigas y peligros que plagan sus páginas, y realmente no me soltó hasta que leí esa última palabra final, con tanto peso y que tanto promete para su segunda entrega. Si les digo que Fable se lee en un abrir y cerrar de ojos no les miento. Durante todo el camino me mantuvo inmersa en un viaje sumamente adictivo del cual no podía tener suficiente, del cual si me separaba durante 5 minutos no podía dejar de pensar en volver a reencontrarme en sus páginas.
La longitud de los capítulos y la capacidad de Adrienne Young para atraparte en la historia narrada hace que la lectura sea muy dinámica y adictiva.
Un elemento que no esperaba encontrarme en este libro fue el romance, y que romance, a puro slow burn estos dos personajes me tuvieron a pleno fangirleo hacia el final. Fable es un personaje que hace tiempo no me encontraba en el género YA, una sobreviviente, una incansable luchadora. En general me gustaron todos los personajes y estaría necesitando con desesperación Namesake para seguir sus aventuras (y desventuras como no)
Pero lo adictivo y alucinante de este libro no quita que haya ocasiones en las que me hubiera gustado que la autora incorporara otro tipo de elementos o desarrollara más ciertas escenas para hacer del libro uno más épico. Dejando esto de lado no puedo reprocharle nada más. Las aventuras, el romance, los personajes que conforman esta tripulación son excelentes. Por favor lean Fable.
Hace tiempo no me sucedía esto con un libro y es por ello que Fable se lleva sus 4⭐
La longitud de los capítulos y la capacidad de Adrienne Young para atraparte en la historia narrada hace que la lectura sea muy dinámica y adictiva.
Un elemento que no esperaba encontrarme en este libro fue el romance, y que romance, a puro slow burn estos dos personajes me tuvieron a pleno fangirleo hacia el final. Fable es un personaje que hace tiempo no me encontraba en el género YA, una sobreviviente, una incansable luchadora. En general me gustaron todos los personajes y estaría necesitando con desesperación Namesake para seguir sus aventuras (y desventuras como no)
Pero lo adictivo y alucinante de este libro no quita que haya ocasiones en las que me hubiera gustado que la autora incorporara otro tipo de elementos o desarrollara más ciertas escenas para hacer del libro uno más épico. Dejando esto de lado no puedo reprocharle nada más. Las aventuras, el romance, los personajes que conforman esta tripulación son excelentes. Por favor lean Fable.
Hace tiempo no me sucedía esto con un libro y es por ello que Fable se lleva sus 4⭐