Fable (The World of the Narrows #1) by Adrienne Young

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home 17-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day, her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food.

To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so, Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.

Review: Fable is the 17-year-old daughter of one of the most powerful trader in the Narrows. But four years ago, her mother drowned in a storm at sea and her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves. To survive, she must trust no one and use her advanced diving skills. Once she has earned enough coin, she makes a bargain with a young trader named West to book passage off the island and cross the Narrows to find her father. But Fable quickly learns that she hasn't escaped many dangers when she got off the island and West isn't exactly who he says he is. 

I really enjoyed this one! Technically billeted as young adult, I think this would be an enjoyable read for any age. Fable is an incredibly strong character. She survives great loss, harrowing odds, physical risks, and abandonment from her remaining parent. The world in which Fable lives teaches her to trust no one and to not even reveal attachments to anyone for fear that someone will take advantage of the love you hold for another. It is ruthless and Fable is kind and good at heart. I was particularly impressed by her diving skills and willingness to go to great depths in search of jewels and other valuable items to earn her keep and impress others. 

It was a little difficult to navigate the world that Fable lives in at first. It is an imaginary world with no set place or time period. But while a fantasy world, no one has magical powers or fantastical abilities. Yet the rules this world abides by are very cutthroat and ruthless and assume that everyone will pay their own way, including women and young children. I liked the world that Adrienne Young created in this, but it did leave me with some questions. Namely, what exactly is Fable collecting when she dives and why is it considered valuable? Could she really have survived four years on a remote island with no shelter or provisions? Why would her father drop her off on an island alone and defenseless rather than leaving her with some caring adult?

Finally, I thought the love story was a little underdeveloped. Just lots of intense eye contact with little conversation or time spent together and yet then they're declaring their love for each other. Really here for the developing relationship, I just wish it had a tad more substance behind it. This ends on a big cliffhanger so I'm excited to read the second book and see where it takes the characters next. 

Stars: 4