Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Synopsis:
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 her mother was keeping secrets, and those secrets 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.
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.
Review:
Huge thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Fable was one of my favorite reads from last year so I was totally thrilled to get my hands on an advanced copy of Namesake. I absolutely love this world Adrienne Young has created. This duology is an exciting, action-packed, and fun-filled adventure set on the high seas. There’s ships, traders, rivalries, treasure, and all kinds of sea-faring exploits! Fable ended with a big cliffhanger and Namesake picks up immediately after these events.
Fable ended with the titular character stuck in a very precarious position. We pick up as Fable must figure out what to do next. I have to be honest and say that Namesake did not go in the direction I thought it would. I knew it would deal with Fable’s current status and eventual trip to meet Holland. I just didn’t expect the actual events that occurred. That being said, I really enjoyed the plot of Namesake. It felt a lot faster paced than Fable and went in directions I didn’t necessarily expect. Namesake is a fast-paced story that
I loved being back with the crew of The Marigold. I truly feel like I am a part of the crew . . . which is ok in fictional worlds because I am TERRIFIED of the ocean in real life. I will continue to live vicariously through the crew of The Marigold! One of my favorite parts of Namesake is that we get to know more about the past of some of the members of the crew. I liked discovering what led each of them to this crew. And of course, we get more of our favorite helmsman, West. I loved seeing him and Fable interact more in this book. I will say that some of West’s actions did make him a bit unlikeable at times. I see where he’s coming from, but sometimes I just wanted to slap him!
We meet several new characters this time around . . . Clove, Holland, the Roths . . . and get to know some old characters even more. I especially loved the development of Fable and Saint’s relationship. Their dynamic added so much to the story. Fable’s relationship with her father is the driving force behind the start of this series so it’s nice to see it explored more.
(Small, very unimportant spoiler) I also totally loved getting to know Koy more. I never expected I’d say that after the events of Fable, but dang I actually am glad he was a part of this story!
I do wish that Fable and Namesake were actually only one combined book. It felt like the two stories would have worked better as one continuous plot. Fable had more world-building and Namesake felt more fast paced. It works as a duology, I just think it would work better as one long standalone novel.
Overall, this was a fun read that brought me back into this stunning world that I can’t get enough of. It’s exciting and full of high stakes adventure. I loved how the story was wrapped up! Namesake has an absolutely beautiful conclusion to a beautiful story. I’ll miss exploring this world, but I am so glad to have read Fable’s story.
Also, I will never stop talking about how gorgeous the covers for these books are!! Seriously gorgeous! I can’t wait to see both books next to each other on my shelves!
Tales of an Avid Reader 