REVIEW Saint (Fable #0.5) by Adrienne Young

Saint (Fable #0.5) by Adrienne Young
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: November 29, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Saint by Adrienne Young is the prequel to Fable and Namesake, and it's one of the few books I can think of where readers basically badgered the author and the publishing house into making it a reality. Thankfully, all the effort was well worth it! I loved getting to explore the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea again from Isolde and Saint’s perspectives, and get to see the moment when they first met. 

The book does an excellent job with allowing readers to learn more about two characters from the original Fable books that have loomed so large (one with a physical presence in the action, and one who appears only in stories). Saint and Isolde come from entirely different backgrounds. Saint came from nothing, working his way up to be one of the most legendary helmsmen to sail the Narrows with his faithful navigator Clove at his side. His reverence for the sea earned him his nickname, and has been instrumental in getting him closer to the trading license he so desperately wants. Isolde, on the other hand, came from privilege as the daughter of a wealthy gem merchant in the Unnamed Sea. With her rare talent as a gem sage, she’s desperate to escape her mother’s grasp and finds herself crossing paths with Saint early on in the book. Their mutual attraction is immediate, and the romantic tension between the two was palpable. 

As a fan of Fable’s story, I was so excited when this book was announced. Saint was my favorite character in the original books, and I needed to know his origin story. As with many of Adrienne’s other titles, it’s an immersive read that makes you want to keep turning the page. There isn’t quite as much action in this book compared to the others set in the world of the Narrows. However, the feeling of forward movement in the story is maintained through the character development and the worldbuilding the author brings to life with her words. It was fun to get to see some characters I was familiar with from the original books. It was also nice to be introduced to some new characters. Some of the big reveals were shocking, and I’ll be going back to re-read Fable and Namesake once I have a chance to see what other easter eggs and connections I might have missed. 

Ell Potter and Will Damron did an amazing job bringing Isolde and Saint’s perspectives to life in the audiobook version of Saint. While the book is written such that it’s accessible by those who haven’t read Fable or Namesake, I think it would be most enjoyable for those who are already familiar with the world of the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea. 

About the Book

As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales.

Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for―Saint.

Author Adrienne Young returns to the world of The Narrows with Saint, a prequel to Fable and Namesake.

About the Author

Adrienne Young is the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie list bestselling author of the Sky in the Deep duology, the Fable series, and the forthcoming Spells for Forgetting. Her books have been published in over twenty-five countries around the world and Fable had the honor of being selected as a Reese’s Bookclub YA Pick. 

Young is also the creator of the continuously sold out Writing With the Soul Workshop and numerous initiatives to support women and youth storytellers, including the Fable Grant. Her first nonfiction project is the soon to be released The Storytellers Workbook, in collaboration with artist and author Isabel Ibañez. 

When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

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REVIEW Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young 
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Format; eBook (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Having initially been introduced to Adrienne Young’s work through her Fable series, I was excited to learn that she would be releasing her standalone adult debut, Spells for Forgetting in 2022. The two literary universes are vastly different, with Fable being more of an action and adventure fantasy and Spells for Forgetting sitting firmly in the contemporary magical realism genre (akin to Practical Magic). However, despite the differences, I think Emery and August’s love story will capture just as many hearts as Fable and West’s did. 

The story takes place on Saoirse Island, which is just as much a part of the story as any of the physical characters. Years ago, there was a fire in the orchard and a death that rocked everybody on the island. They thought the event had been put behind them long ago, but when August Salt returns to the island for the first time in over a decade, long-buried secrets come to light (and no one has their hands clean). 

In terms of vibe, the book is a cross between Knives Out and Practical Magic. Lily Morgan’s death sits at the heart of the story, and while August has long been the main suspect readers quickly come to learn there's more to the story. While it did make things confusing at times, I enjoyed getting more perspectives than just Emery and August’s as it helped fully flesh out the case. It was fun to get to play the role of detective and put all the puzzle pieces together. 

While I was reading, I admittedly struggled with the non-linear storyline (it can be very hit or miss for me in books). I want to note that I appreciated how each chapter gave readers a note on where it takes place chronologically compared to the rest of the story. Thankfully, I pushed through my struggles and was rewarded at the end of the book with the secrets of the island and Lily’s death being unraveled. 

Audiobook lovers are in for a treat with this book. Spells for Forgetting is a full-cast audiobook production, and narrators Emily Rankin, Dan Bittner, Mark Deakins, Kimberly Farr, Ari Fliakos, Dawn Harvey, Carrington MacDuffle, Kirsten Potter, and Oliver Wyman did an excellent job with bringing the story to life.  

Readers who enjoy multiple points of view, small-town murder mysteries, and second-chance romances with a hint of magic involved will enjoy Adrienne Young’s debut adult novel. If you are like me and struggle with non-linear storytelling (especially for a mystery), I highly recommend reading a print version of the book as you listen to the audiobook. It makes it easier to follow along with what’s going on.

About the Book

A rural island community steeped in the mystical superstitions of its founders and haunted by an unsolved murder is upended by the return of the suspected killer in this deeply atmospheric novel.

Emery Blackwood’s life was forever changed on the eve of her high school graduation, when the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her best friend, Lily. Now, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence among the community that fractured her world in two. She’d once longed to run away with August, eager to escape the misty, remote shores of Saiorse Island and chase new dreams; now, she maintains her late mother’s tea shop and cares for her ailing father. But just as the island, rooted in folklore and tradition, begins to show signs of strange happenings, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that no one wants to remember.

August Salt knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night that changed everything. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from the past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises that span generations threatens to reveal the truth behind Lily’s death once and for all.

Evocative and compelling, Spells for Forgetting is a vivid exploration of lost love and the unraveling of a small town and its many secrets.

About the Author

Adrienne Young is the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie list bestselling author of the Sky in the Deep duology, the Fable series, and the forthcoming Spells for Forgetting. Her books have been published in over twenty-five countries around the world and Fable had the honor of being selected as a Reese’s Bookclub YA Pick. 

Young is also the creator of the continuously sold out Writing With the Soul Workshop and numerous initiatives to support women and youth storytellers, including the Fable Grant. Her first nonfiction project is the soon to be released The Storytellers Workbook, in collaboration with artist and author Isabel Ibañez. 

When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

If you’d like to stay up to date on news, exclusive content, events, book & music recs, or resources for writers, you can subscribe to the bimonthly newsletter here.

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REVIEW The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: September 7, 2021
Format: Audiobook (library)
Publisher: Wednesday Books 

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Bryn Roth, despite living with her great aunt, has dreamed of being part of the main Roth family in Bastian for most of her life. Her dreams come true when a letter from her uncle arrives on her 18th birthday to summon her home. The dream quickly turns into something more like a nightmare, when Bryn gets thrown into the middle of family politics and power plays between the merchants of Bastian. Will she be able to survive the snake’s pit, and carve out her own place in the world in the process?

Bryn is such a fierce and determined heroine, and I enjoyed getting to know her over the course of The Last Legacy. Her family is ruthless, and it's evident how the Roth family carved out their place in Bastian. It was rather telling when Bryn's uncle, Henrik, sent her into a situation where he expected her to be in danger and did nothing when she was backhanded. As Bryn says, “there's family and then there's business”. Much of this story covers Bryn and how she tries to carve out her place in both the family and the world. It also details Bryn's struggle to create her own identity under the weight of her family's expectations. Her character arc over the course of the story felt authentic and relatable. As much as I miss the crew of the Marigold, I appreciated the opportunity to get to explore a familiar world and new characters. Bryn and Ezra’s relationship is just as swoon-worthy as that of Fable and West. 

This was another strong audiobook performance for one of Adrienne Young's books. Suzy Jackson was the narrator, and I appreciated how they did not use the same narrator as the main Fable books (Emma Lysy). Some authors and publishers do that, and it's always weird when one narrator does the voice for two perspectives. 

Overall, The Last Legacy was an entertaining read. I do want to note that those picking up The Last Legacy should be aware that outside of a shared universe, this book has little to nothing in common with Fable and Namesake. The story still stands on its own and is just as amazing as Adrienne's other works - I just wish it had more crossover with the original duology. I'm holding out hope and crossing my fingers that a book focused on Saint will be released in the future.

About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.

When a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth's eighteenth birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself and finally take her place in her long-lost family.

Henrik has plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone's trust if she wants to hold any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn't take long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the kind of dirty business that got Bryn's parents killed years ago. With a forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.

About the Author

Adrienne Young is the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie list bestselling author of the Sky in the Deep duology, the Fable series, and the forthcoming Spells for Forgetting. Her books have been published in over twenty-five countries around the world and Fable had the honor of being selected as a Reese’s Bookclub YA Pick. 

Young is also the creator of the continuously sold out Writing With the Soul Workshop and numerous initiatives to support women and youth storytellers, including the Fable Grant. Her first nonfiction project is the soon-to-be-released The Storytellers Workbook, in collaboration with artist and author Isabel Ibañez. 

When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

If you’d like to stay up to date on news, exclusive content, events, book & music recs, or resources for writers, you can subscribe to the bimonthly newsletter here.

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REVIEW Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young

Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: March 16, 2021

Format: Hardcover/Audiobook

Publisher: Wednesday Books

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Namesake is one of my most anticipated reads this year, and it didn’t disappoint. Adrienne Young’s sequel to smash hit Fable picks up right where the last book left off, with Fable in a bit of a pickle and in need of rescuing as she is taken captive on the Luna. The narrator, Emma Lysy did a fantastic job bringing the different characters to life in the audiobook version. 

While the first book focuses on Fable’s relationship with her father, Namesake focuses on Fable’s relationship with her mother. For fans of Saint, don’t despair, Saint still makes an appearance in this book (yay!). Namesake’s story pulled at my heartstrings and is a tale focused on family, friendship, love, acceptance, and hope. I think Fable is one of my favorite young adult heroines of all time. I loved how the crew of the Marigold is able to find a family in each other. The character development in this book is AMAZING (the morally grey characters in the story are some of my favorites). With regards to the ending, it was very fulfilling and satisfying. While I would love to live in this world forever, I feel very happy with how things were left off. 

Fingers crossed a prequel focusing on Saint will come out someday in the future. I would love to learn more about some of the adult characters featured in the book.

About the Book

Following the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick Fable, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, a captivating conclusion to the duology, filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing.

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 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.

About the Author

Adrienne Young is the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie list bestselling author of the Sky in the Deep duology, the Fable series, and the forthcoming Spells for Forgetting. Her books have been published in over twenty-five countries around the world and Fable had the honor of being selected as a Reese’s Bookclub YA Pick. 

Young is also the creator of the continuously sold out Writing With the Soul Workshop and numerous initiatives to support women and youth storytellers, including the Fable Grant. Her first nonfiction project is the soon to be released The Storytellers Workbook, in collaboration with artist and author Isabel Ibañez. 

When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

If you’d like to stay up to date on news, exclusive content, events, book & music recs, or resources for writers, you can subscribe to the bimonthly newsletter here.

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