Reviews

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

davidreyno's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

World of the Narrows continues to entertain!

ericabelinda's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

phoenix2's review against another edition

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3.0

The Last Legacy is the 'third' book in the Fable universe, with a set of new characters this time. I did love the main character and she was somehow both a strong and feisty lead as well as a girly one. The whole mythology around her family and that house was also thrilling to read, though I would have liked more insight into them. Also, the romance was a bit hasty in the end, and the story overall was kind of rushed and had some convenient twists.

brittradomski's review

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

thebookishepicure's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

datakitten's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

While there is nothing inherently bad/wrong about this story, there is also nothing rememberable. It seemed to lack some of the adventure and magic that was present in Fable/Namesake, which is perhaps what impacted my rating some because I know how much better the previous two were. The FMC here also just seemed to behave a little on the younger side, which made it very hard to resonate with any of the alleged romantic connection between the leads. Overall, nothing horrible, but also a story I will likely forget in a week’s time. 

kaulhilo's review against another edition

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4.0

ooh so definitely not as well-developed as i'd hoped, but i'm so emotionally attached to this universe and the author(!) that it was just a little short of perfect for me. rtc when i'm not this sleepy, but reading this book was a long, long time coming and i'm so glad i finally read it.:)

thesimplereader's review against another edition

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4.0

4⭐️

To be back in the world of the Narrows, with a strong female protagonist, behind the scenes with the crime family of the Roth's... I loved it!

willrefuge's review against another edition

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4.0

4.0 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/02/06/the-last-legacy-by-adrienne-young-review/

When Bryn Roth relocates from her childhood home of Nimsmire to the port of Bastian, she does it to take her place in the Roth Household, on the expectation that not only will she be welcomed with open arms, but these people—her kin—will soon become the family she never knew. After all, it’s everything she was raised to believe. And, when Henrik summoned her via letter on her eighteenth birthday, it all but confirmed this. Bastian, the Roth household were her destiny, her birthright. One that Bryn is prepared to prove she is due.

But life—as it so often does—fails to live up to Bryn’s dreams.

While Henrik now holds a Merchant’s Ring, it doesn’t take Bryn long to learn that the family is still embroiled in the underworld, still cloaked in shadow. But with Bryn on board, the family is at last trying to legitimize. And Henrik needs Bryn to do so.

This is Bryn’s chance to achieve everything she’s ever dreamed, and she’ll do almost anything to see it through.

Almost. For what Henrik has in mind not only banks on skills she doesn’t possess, but also twists her sense of morality. And that’s just to begin with. For it turns out what Bryn thinks is the entire plan for her is just the start. Henrik has much more in store for her, and Bryn is forced to ask herself an important question: are her dreams worth so much that she’s willing to sacrifice everything, even her own life and freedom to achieve them?

And there’s also a footnote. One in the form of a mysterious and often brusque silversmith. Even after a few days in Bastian Bryn can’t stand looking at him. Though once she does… she can’t look away. But the silversmith isn’t family, and is the one thing that’s off limits to her. As if that was ever something to have stopped a Roth.



The Last Legacy is the third installment in the Fable series, but can easily be read as a standalone. While some of the characters are shared, the narrator changes from the first two entries (Fable to Bryn), and there are only very minor spoilers to the rest of the sequence. Bryn’s own story is set after Fable’s own, after the events at the end of Namesake. Some things will be clearer if you read those others first, but there’s nothing (much) earthshaking that you’ll miss should you decide to skip ahead. Nothing that will spoil Fable’s own story, at least.

With a plot that was better than that of the first two books, and a message that was much, more clearer, the Last Legacy was born to be a much better read. True, the romance isn’t as good, so if you read a story just for the romance you may be disappointed. Seeing as how I don’t, it wasn’t too big a deal, but whatever “romance” is in this seems to be just explained away with the old adage: “love is blind; it doesn’t have to make sense”. Which is good, because it very much doesn’t, especially at first.

I think my favorite character in the Last Legacy is Henrik. It’s not because I relate to or admire him—the man’s an ass. But he’s so complicated; it’s hard not to be fascinated by him. The man will do anything to protect and guide his family to success, but he will also allow none to cross him, including his blood. He has a hard but bleeding heart, and will go to the ends of the earth for his family—even for Bryn, whom he has not seen since she was a child. But then he’ll turn around and sacrifice anyone in order to achieve his goals, blood be damned. It’s this split personality, this seemingly contradicting nature that makes him so fascinating!

At first, I actually took it for bad writing. But he’s written so consistently—flipping between the two extremes often at the drop of a pin. Above everything, Henrik is ambitious. He’s willing to do anything, sacrifice anyone in order to achieve this ambition. But under it all, he has the desire to be loved by his kin, and often looks after them with the care and love of a doting parent—so long as it does not clash with his ambition. I’m not sure you’ll have met anyone like this before, but I have, and Henrik’s portrayal is spot on. So spot on that it’s both mesmerizing and incredibly unnerving.

I’m just going to skirt the edge of the romance here as I don’t want to complain about it constantly. Bryn shows up. She and Ezra butt heads. Then she can’t get enough of him and vice versa. And by unspoken consent they’re destined to fall head over heels—with little to no actual contact. Yes, I’ve heard of love at first sight. This isn’t it. It’s more… loathing at first sight, then love at fifth or sixth. The 180˚ isn’t gradual, but it’s not instantaneous either. It’s just abrupt—and annoying.

The Last Legacy is very much a book about dreams; what Bryn wants, what she’ll accept instead, how her dreams change and grow when confronted with reality, and at last of what achieving these dreams will cost her. For in life it’s so rare to have one concrete, consistent, never-changing dream. So often to be human is to waffle; to question what one wants, to wrestle with the consequences of achieving it. This is the real plot of the Last Legacy—and it changes with the development of Bryn’s own character. But what does she want, and what will she accept? Whether Bryn wants something she can’t have is a ridiculous question; we all want something that we can’t have, that will never come to pass. Just some of us accept this, while others don’t. Will Bryn accept what she can’t have and move on, or persist in achieving something that will never happen, even as her world crumbles around her?

Audio Note: As usual, Suzy Jackson does an excellent job in her portrayal of Bryn. It was so easy to imagine Bryn’s closeted, often sheltered upbringing and her subsequent transformation upon the streets of Bastian. Should you read this as an ebook or physical book, or an audiobook instead, I doubt it’ll make much difference. No matter your preference, the world comes to life quite well!

emhawes's review against another edition

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3.75

I don't know that I would consider this a third book in the series as much as a spin-off. If you're going into this book hoping for Fable/West or the more typical "pirate life" you'll probably be disappointed. But if you go into it hoping for more clever ruses, lots of betrayal and backstabbing, and some romance, you'll probably be happy. Content Warnings:
physical punishment/abuse


Bryn is a Roth, but largely only in name. Sure she's clever, but she's not as ruthless or coniving as the other Roth's, probably because she was raised by her Aunt far away from the family before being called home on her 18th birthday. I found Bryn much harder to relate to than Fable. She's much more willing  to just go along with what others wanted, in the hopes that would endear her to the family, particularly her Uncle Henrik. 

Bryn forms an unlikely friendship with one of her cousins (?)
who *surprise, surprise* will never take her side over that of Henrik
and forms a friends then enemies relationship with Ezra, the exceptionally talented silversmith taken in by the Roth family that we met in Namesake
and eventually Bryn and Ezra fall in love (also not surprising considering he is the only real character who isn't related to Bryn in the whole book, because lets be honest, Coen was never a real contender here).
Honestly, I feel like I wanted more from Ezra's character. The book is Bryn's story, and she could clearly handle herself in most situations, but Ezra seemed like much more competent and influential in Namesake than he's given credit for in this book.

While I feel like Henrik didn't really get what was coming to him, I mean
honestly he's ended up with almost everything he's ever wanted, him losing his family members one by one is sure to take its toll eventually, but I don't know that the series will go far enough to get to explore any sort of downfall on his part, which is a little unfortunate because I think it could make for a great book.