Thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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. Namesake just hits hard. Even months after I finished reading, I'm still obsessed with the characters and world (*cut to me staring lovingly at my preorder artwork of Fable and West*) so much that I recommend this series to everyone I meet. I don't often review more than one book in a series, but Wednesday Books has so generously shared an ARC with me that I am elated to shout all possible praise into the internet void. It's a bit challenging to find different points to remark on from my first review, since one thing Young does so well is continuity. I read Namesake only a few months after Fable, and it felt like I was stepping into a familiar embrace. If you haven't read my Fable review, then that's a good place to start since I'll be touching on a few ways Namesake does well as a sequel. Of course, if you haven't read Fable... what are you doing?? Go! My review will still be here when you come back! All that I loved from the first book continues here--Fable is beyond reproach as a narrator. She navigates trader politics and the open ocean in Namesake, taking everything on with courage and confidence. I'd wilt in the face of half of Fable's adventures, so I think this is a mark in her favor. She makes missteps but atones for them, like any good character does. I'm not upset that Fable isn't morally grey--I love that type of character but I think her style is perfect for the novel, and we need a healthy balance in YA. I'm not saying some of her actions aren't... dubious... but she's not exactly Kaz Brekker and I love her for it. At any rate, I think you're all here to see me talk about... West!!! If I thought this series couldn't get any more swoon-worthy, I was dead wrong. He remains one of my favorite YA love interests. Even in an established relationship, there was enough tension riding on Fable and West's relationship to keep me on my toes. I do love a good swashbuckling romance, and Namesake certainly delivered. I'm hoping and praying that there's another art print preorder campaign because I would sign up in a heartbeat! (Review written in January 2021, campaign not yet announced) I need Fable/West like I need air. These two found each other at the perfect moment in their lives, and I'm a sucker for stories that explore what it means to look for a home outside of your circumstances. They put so much on the line for each other always, so that the whole story has a deep emotional core rooted in finding love. That just gets me every time. The other element I enjoyed about Namesake is the fast-paced plot. We continue exploring with the Marigold's crew, and meet some new characters, but this novel is plot-focused and less introspective. It ties seamlessly into Fable, as I mentioned earlier, so that they both feel like two halves of the same book. If you liked The Bone Witch and Rin Chupeco's integrated storytelling (minus the flashbacks), you'll definitely enjoy Fable. The one major character-development arc we get is more of Fable's relationship with her father. This aspect intrigued me in the first novel, but in Namesake gets so much more depth and page time that I simply couldn't leave it out of my review. Since it wasn't what originally hooked me on Fable, I never mentioned it in that review and I'll call it a pleasant surprise for Namesake. As you might expect from the synopsis, this is a complex duo that certainly benefitted from the extra scenes. You won't be surprised to hear that I'm giving Namesake another 5/5 stars. It's a perfect novel, and you all should go order Fable (and preorder Namesake) right now.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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