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imds's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Grief, Violence, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Blood, and Self harm
Minor: Death
enchantedelfie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Self harm, Violence, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Alcohol, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit and Murder
Minor: Animal death
dinipandareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
EXCUSE ME THIS COVER??? (reaction applies to the UK cover too but in horror because why did they have to change it to something so ugly when the US cover is *perfection*?! weeping. truly.)
I buddy-read this with Julie and Leslie and I'm really glad that we read it together cos it was fun to talk about just how satisfying it was to learn about Saint's past and his utterly swoontastic romance with Isolde. While this wasn't a fast-paced book and neither did it have a lot of action, it's perfect for fans who loved the Fable duology because we get to see where and how it all began! I'd even go so far as to say it (personally) gave slice-of-life vibes as we follow this hungry crew as they establish themselves in this world.
I've been looking forward to picking this up since I saw the cover for it towards the end of last year and although this wasn't the action-packed story that I thought it could be, I still found myself really enjoying it. I think this is in part due to the connection that I've already formed with the characters from the previous books. Saint wasn't my favourite character for much of the duology but my curiosity about his origin story, particularly that with Isolde, only grew into the second book and I ended up really empathising with his character! I would actually recommend reading the duology first before reading this prequel because it'll definitely be a lot more satisfying that way!
I've come to really enjoy Young's writing and I think that's a large part of why I enjoyed this book. The story flows very well and the world-building was done so well. It was satisfying to return to the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea, as we follow a young woman running away from a monster and a young man working tirelessly to fulfil his father's dreams in a cut-throat world full of merciless and power-hungry merchants and traders.
What I appreciated about this book is that we really get into Saint's head and we see lots of different sides to him that we only get a passing glimpse of in the Fable duology. His backstory is tragic and heartbreaking and it shows in his already hardened exterior, and we already see the deadly ruthlessness he's known for later on. That said, there's definitely a softness to his person that was new and heartwarming to witness. That quiet vulnerability mostly applies to a select few people in his life, particularly Isolde and Clover, but it rounded out his character even more. Isolde was a great character who was really easy to root for. She kind of jumps into situations without really thinking ahead and though she's not very street-smart, she's strategically smart and a great addition to the Saint and Clove team. Although she's literally running for her life and trying to survive in a world she's been (mostly) sheltered from, she's incredibly tough and is willing to do what needs to be done. She doesn't run away or push her mistakes onto others but faces them head-on despite her fears and that made me respect her more. She actually reminded me a lot of Fable, which again is bittersweet, but it was so great to see her as a fully formed character of her own in this book!
Aside from Saint and Isolde, I also really loved seeing more of Clove and the origins of his "devotion" to Saint and the life they're building together. I also loved seeing how Nash came into the picture and the start of Saint's partnership with the Rothschild's. I love how the author connected everything together and although it's been a while since I read the duology, I still had quite a few of those "aha!" moments that were enjoyable. I could've honestly spent days with these characters, following them on their adventures across the seas, building their life together, forming their crew, and earning their formidable reputation as traders not to be crossed. I wished that we got to see a bit more of that part of their life, although I did appreciate going back to the very <i>very</i> beginning of how they started. Ultimately, it's a satisfying story and I especially loved how Young ended it with a nice link to the duology.
I buddy-read this with Julie and Leslie and I'm really glad that we read it together cos it was fun to talk about just how satisfying it was to learn about Saint's past and his utterly swoontastic romance with Isolde. While this wasn't a fast-paced book and neither did it have a lot of action, it's perfect for fans who loved the Fable duology because we get to see where and how it all began! I'd even go so far as to say it (personally) gave slice-of-life vibes as we follow this hungry crew as they establish themselves in this world.
I've been looking forward to picking this up since I saw the cover for it towards the end of last year and although this wasn't the action-packed story that I thought it could be, I still found myself really enjoying it. I think this is in part due to the connection that I've already formed with the characters from the previous books. Saint wasn't my favourite character for much of the duology but my curiosity about his origin story, particularly that with Isolde, only grew into the second book and I ended up really empathising with his character! I would actually recommend reading the duology first before reading this prequel because it'll definitely be a lot more satisfying that way!
I've come to really enjoy Young's writing and I think that's a large part of why I enjoyed this book. The story flows very well and the world-building was done so well. It was satisfying to return to the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea, as we follow a young woman running away from a monster and a young man working tirelessly to fulfil his father's dreams in a cut-throat world full of merciless and power-hungry merchants and traders.
What I appreciated about this book is that we really get into Saint's head and we see lots of different sides to him that we only get a passing glimpse of in the Fable duology. His backstory is tragic and heartbreaking and it shows in his already hardened exterior, and we already see the deadly ruthlessness he's known for later on. That said, there's definitely a softness to his person that was new and heartwarming to witness. That quiet vulnerability mostly applies to a select few people in his life, particularly Isolde and Clover, but it rounded out his character even more. Isolde was a great character who was really easy to root for. She kind of jumps into situations without really thinking ahead and though she's not very street-smart, she's strategically smart and a great addition to the Saint and Clove team. Although she's literally running for her life and trying to survive in a world she's been (mostly) sheltered from, she's incredibly tough and is willing to do what needs to be done. She doesn't run away or push her mistakes onto others but faces them head-on despite her fears and that made me respect her more. She actually reminded me a lot of Fable, which again is bittersweet, but it was so great to see her as a fully formed character of her own in this book!
Aside from Saint and Isolde, I also really loved seeing more of Clove and the origins of his "devotion" to Saint and the life they're building together. I also loved seeing how Nash came into the picture and the start of Saint's partnership with the Rothschild's. I love how the author connected everything together and although it's been a while since I read the duology, I still had quite a few of those "aha!" moments that were enjoyable. I could've honestly spent days with these characters, following them on their adventures across the seas, building their life together, forming their crew, and earning their formidable reputation as traders not to be crossed. I wished that we got to see a bit more of that part of their life, although I did appreciate going back to the very <i>very</i> beginning of how they started. Ultimately, it's a satisfying story and I especially loved how Young ended it with a nice link to the duology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, and Self harm
Moderate: Classism and Death of parent
ladykatiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
**I was given a free copy of this audiobook by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Since this is a prequel novel, I already knew quite a bit about these characters going into it (though this is the first time we get to read about Isolde during her life and not after her passing). I enjoyed getting some more backstory on Saint and how he became such a formidable trader in the Narrows during his daughters time. My main issue is that, though the story is named “Saint,” I felt the novel was actually very Isolde-centered. I get that the novel was meant to focus on their blooming love story and how Fable’s parents met to set up the foundation for her duology, but considering it was Saint’s book, I felt the majority of the focus was placed on Isolde’s backstory instead. I should say, I read this strictly as an audio book, which was well produced with two separate narrators for the different perspectives of Saint and Isolde’s alternating chapters.
Since this is a prequel novel, I already knew quite a bit about these characters going into it (though this is the first time we get to read about Isolde during her life and not after her passing). I enjoyed getting some more backstory on Saint and how he became such a formidable trader in the Narrows during his daughters time. My main issue is that, though the story is named “Saint,” I felt the novel was actually very Isolde-centered. I get that the novel was meant to focus on their blooming love story and how Fable’s parents met to set up the foundation for her duology, but considering it was Saint’s book, I felt the majority of the focus was placed on Isolde’s backstory instead. I should say, I read this strictly as an audio book, which was well produced with two separate narrators for the different perspectives of Saint and Isolde’s alternating chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent
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