Namesake

• Author: Adrienne Young
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Publication Date: March 16, 2021
• Publisher: Wednesday Books
• Series: Fable #2

CONTENT WARNING: violence, murder, mention of death of a parent, mention of child abuse (off-page)

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order tog et 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.

I really enjoyed Fable, and Namesake was the stunning conclusion to this duology. When there’s a situation in a book that leaves me with questions, I always want to have those questions answered. And the beautiful thing about this book is that it provided all the answers. However, it had some ups and downs along the way. 

One of the things that I really liked was seeing how Fable’s relationships changed with the people around her. As she has to navigate her new circumstances, she learns a lot more about her mother’s past and how that relates to her own life. This new information affects her perception of the people she’s known the longest, and how she interacts with them.

“In only a night I’d learned more about my mother than I had in my entire life. Saint wasn’t the only one with secrets, and I couldn’t help but feel betrayed.”

While I liked seeing how Fable grew up over the course of the story, I felt like West just kind of faded. He was there, but his entire role just seemed to be to step in and play savior. Every time he did something, it was without the permission of the people he was “saving,” and it usually wasn’t appreciated. Also, the romance? I still wasn’t feeling it. In the last book, it wasn’t really well-developed, and in this book, it wasn’t really built up further. Honestly, it didn’t add much to the story. I felt that it could have worked just as well if they were close friends/found family.

The writing was absolutely beautiful, and I truly enjoyed the story. There was a sense of not really knowing everything that was going on, not knowing each character’s plan, and wondering whether you could trust anyone. Part of Fable’s journey was learning who she could trust and when to trust them, and relying on her instincts as she is taken on a journey through the Narrows and into the Unnamed Sea.

“The Unnamed Sea was a thing painted in my mind by the bright colors of my mother’s stories, but like the Narrows, it was filled with cutthroat traders, devious merchants, and powerful guilds.”

I’ve been a fan of Fable (the character) since page 1 of the first book, and I enjoyed seeing her claim her power and become a strong, kick-butt woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. You know I love a strong female character, but this is a prime example of how not every book needs a romance in it. I really enjoyed the book for the most part, and would still recommend it. Plus, the covers for this duology are absolutely stunning, especially when placed side by side.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 8