Fable by Adrienne Young
(Titan Books, 2021)
Reviewed by Zhui Ning Chang
Fable is the first in a new YA fantasy duology from New York Times-bestselling author Adrienne Young, following a tough-as-nails teenage girl on a quest to find her family in a cutthroat oceanic world.
Seventeen-year-old eponymous heroine Fable is a dredger on Jeval, an island of thieves and pirates, diving to unearth and trade precious gems from the surrounding coral reefs. Fable carries a dangerous secret: she is the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, and she’s been working for four years to get off the island and find the father who abandoned her there, so that she may claim her rightful place on his crew. To survive, she must trust no one, relying only on the gem-hunting skills her mother taught her. Yet when Fable finally escapes the island, she finds that the waters beyond Jeval are more treacherous than she imagined.
Fable is a character-driven narrative, and the most compelling moments occur in short bursts of action and character interactions, rather than any plot intrigue or payoff on a broader scope. This is very much Fable’s quest toward family, and while there are darker schemes hinted at in the background, it is not the focus of the main character or the story. As protagonist, Fable is spirited, resilient and hungry for answers. Her talent for dredging and evaluating gems was fascinating—I loved watching her search underwater for precious stones—and it was a breath of fresh air that her ability was not combat-centric, that it is tied deeply to the socioeconomic structures of her world. Moreover, Fable’s magic—an ability to detect the quality and authenticity of jewels, inherited from her gem sage mother—is subtle and understated, woven into her profession.
The supporting cast are distinct and intriguing. Saint, Fable’s father, is shrouded in secrecy, and lives up to his reputation as the most ruthless trader in the Narrows when we finally meet him. Their complex father-daughter relationship is a highlight, and I enjoyed his fluctuation between coldness and concern, his desire for Fable to have a better life away from him. It is a powerful dynamic and I am keen to see its resolution in the sequel.
The found family of crewmates whom Fable meets are less fully realised, but I enjoyed what glimpses we had, especially the lengths they will go to protect each other as well as their gradual acceptance of Fable and creating a space for her to belong among them.
One weak point is Fable’s romance with the ship captain West, which came about in spite of stilted interactions for much of the book. I also wish that Fable had less typical protagonist features: the book cover is beautiful, but she’s clearly a white girl with striking red hair and green eyes, a protagonist look far too commonly employed.
Written in first-person POV, Young’s style is smooth and easy to read, with a light touch on the maritime world-building. The prose is not particularly striking, but she effectively constructs the imagery and sensory language to immerse us in the world, with intriguing hints about the wider social hierarchy and power dynamics between guilds, as well as the ever-present mercurial power of the sea. It is gritty and gorgeous, but the narrative does not innovate much upon the maritime setting—Fable’s world is striking in its rarity, not due to any subversion of maritime aesthetics or story structures.
Fable ends on a cliff-hanger, setting up for an immediate follow-through in its sequel Namesake. I would love to find out more about Fable’s parents and the antagonists, with a broader focus on the plot and world in the next book. In the meantime, Fable is a fun read for anyone who enjoys YA fantasy and is seeking a change of scenery.
Review from BSFA Review 15 - Download your copy here.