Namesake Review

*SPOILER ALERT*

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable 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.

Fable in this book just goes from one predicament to the next. I feel as though she is very much in over her head for the majority of the storyline, but she does manage to pull it together and ultimately get everything she wants, albeit at the expense of the other crew members of the Marigold. I appreciate that they called her out for her selfishness and she does acknowledge that.

We get to learn a lot more about the dredging in this book which I appreciated. Seeing the whole process of the diving and all the variables that go with it. I liked seeing how Fay and Koy establish a bit of a mutual respect as Jevalis even though they had their differences in the past. With that connection coming fill circle when they create a trade port in Jevali.

West really goes above and beyond the protective and loving boyfriend trope. He made some decisions in this book that were just too full on and should have been discussed with everyone beforehand. Especially when he wouldn’t let the crew vote on whether or not to join Fay to find Midnight and then signing Holland’s contract on Fay’s behalf. His heart is in the right place but he just keeps alienating everyone in an attempt to protect/save them which wasn’t really necessary.

The relationship between Fable and Saint is what bumped up my rating for sure! We are never really know what Saint’s motivations are throughout the course of the duology, does he actually love Fay or does he scorn her for being alive when Isolde perished? We are finally given all the answers to the questions that kept building up in the plot as to why he did what he did. Clove was a great source of information and made us realise that Saint was actually in the midst of running more schemes than what we initially thought. When everything came to a head at the meeting and he finally stood up and acknowledged Fable as his daughter was a beautiful moment that had me glassy eyed for sure!

⭐️ 3/5 stars Daring, adventurous and swashbuckling!

Fable Review

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she 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.

I really like Fable’s character, though I feel she does need that little bit more growth and development. When we learn about her story and how she has had to stay alive for so long I definitely feel sympathy for her yet she does all the things she knows she shouldn’t do any has to flee from Jeval for her life. I am very curious about her powers and how her mother taught her, I wish we would have found out a bit more about that but hopefully in the next book all is revealed.

West is one of those broody male love interests in YA books that I just happen to love. He is rude and standoffish and lays down the law with Fable right from the start and yet he has a softer side that we learn about throughout the course of the plot that just makes you fall for him. He is very secretive and I am curious as to how he brokered the deal with Saint in the first place and what he will do next! The relationship did kind of feel a little rushed even though not a lot happens. There was a bit of tension between the two of them but not enough for me to quite believe the depth of their feelings.

I am very intrigued by the crew of the Marigold and how they all came together. West really seems to trust each of them with their lives and it is really shown in the plot. They were all so wary and untrusting of Fable at the start that I wonder how what happened with their previous dredger. I feel like they are so much more I want to learn about each of them and I really hope we delve more into their characters in the next book.

Overall I love the premise and tone of the story, it’s very cutthroat and unyielding. The stakes are continually raised and I was definitely reading with anticipation about what was going to happen next! There are still so many questions I have in regards to the world, the magic system and these characters and I am hopeful that the next book delivers!

⭐️4/5 stars I was taken on a journey and enjoyed every minute!

Quick Fire Fantasy Book Tag

I did the Quick Fire Fantasy Book Tag earlier last year and I thought it would be fun to revisit and see what other answers I can come up with as Fantasy is my favourite genre to read!!! See the original tag post HERE!

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Super Long Book Titles

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is super long book titles so I thought I would go through all the books I’ve read in the last year and pick out 10 books that have over 5 words in the title!

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Book Covers with Faces

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a cover freebie, so I thought I would go with 10 books I read in the last year with a face on the cover I love!

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan