Namesake

Fable is back with more high seas adventure in this romantic, suspenseful final entry in the Fable duology. In this entry into the series, Fable faces some dire situations. First, onboard the Luna with a crew that wants to kill her and the return of a nemesis from her past. Then, she gets in an even worse situation as Zola’s plan brings her to a new enemy that is even closer to home. Fable, along with the help of West and the crew of the Marigold, must use their wits to survive.

This is an incredibly popular series, and rightly so. As a whole, the series is dark, well written, action-packed, filled with compelling characters, and led by a strong woman who can take care of herself. Did I like Fable more than I liked Namesake? Sure did. But I still love the series and thought Namesake was a fun romp.

This book is intricately plotted in a way that can feel a little convoluted at times due to the sheer amount of scheming amongst the characters. Everyone has their own agenda, and we really never know the characters’ true plans or motivations until the end. In Fable, we saw the titular character trapped onboard the Luna with Zola and Clove, a man she thought was a friend. Now, we learn that Koy, the boy who promised to kill her, is on the same boat. Fable is tasked with leading Zola’s dredgers on a seemingly impossible mission. But that’s just the start of her problems. Zola brings her to a new, terrifying enemy who has a plan of her own. I think revealing the plot beyond this would spoil the story, so I’ll just say that Fable and West take on an impossible mission, find themselves at the mercy of a power-hungry villain, and uncover startling truths about Fable’s past.

I think the characters are what ultimately drive this story, and what I find so compelling about them is that there is ultimately not a “good” character. Everyone in this story has done dark things, some worse than others, but we really don’t have any heroes. That’s rare to find in any book, but is particularly interesting in a young adult novel. Still, we love Fable and West and many other characters, despite the dark parts of their past and present.

I was really pleased with the way this ended, and was entertained to the conclusion. I listened to the audiobooks for both Fable and Namesake and absolutely loved Emma Lysy’s narration. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced audiobook to get you through a weekend of chores!

Also, can I just say how much I appreciate a high-seas adventure that does not have a mermaid/siren plotline? I am just not into those stories, but love stories set on the ocean. If you have any recommendations for me, I’d love them!

Have you read this series? What did you think?