Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 11/08/2023
Published by: Bolinda audio
ISBN: 9781038647627
Cover:
This design may be simple, but it is stunning and nicely portrays the essence of the story. I especially love the detail of a ship within the iris of the model and the elaborate cursive font.
Writing:
This story is brought to life with a picturesque writing style and beautiful prose. A unique, gritty world with fascinating character types is also nicely established, though the scope is relatively small.
You were made for a far better world than this one
Storyline:
The story begins with an intriguing first sentence and a burst of action that quickly drew me in. Sadly, my initial interest gradually waned as the storyline that emerged was painfully thin, with only a few twists and moments of action to keep it gripping.
Main character:
As Fable’s fierce and guarded personality is effortlessly shown within the first few chapters, it did not take long for me to like her character. It was also easy to connect with and root for her due to her complex relationship with her father. I only wished her character had been given more complexity and/or a stronger arc.
Like a weary bird flying out over the most desolate sea, I finally had a place to land.
Secondary characters:
The small crew Fable stumbles into initially caught my attention because of the mystery surrounding them. Besides this, their gradual acceptance of Fable won me over, even though the individual characters were not particularly memorable or compelling. Saint was the only character I found fascinating, and I desperately wanted to know more about his motives.
Romance:
This aspect of the story caught me by surprise – and not in a good way! Hints of attraction suddenly bloomed into intense feelings, causing the connection between the characters to seem forced and unrealistic.
Narration & Audio:
Emma Lysy creates a lovely listening experience with vocal variations and effects that fit the story. However, the narration adds little emotional depth or complexity to the story.
Despite the lovely writing style and unique world, the simple storyline and characters made ‘Fable’ an underwhelming read for me. Still, it is a decent start to a new series, and I am eager to know more about certain aspects of the story. You can pick up The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford for another simple read with beautiful prose and a creative world.
Do you agree or disagree with anything mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below. For those who have read this and want to discuss it, here are a few questions (contains spoilers!!):
Q: What did you think of Fable’s relationship with her dad?
My answer: The complex relationship between Fable and Saint adds depth to this story. While it was painful to see Fable work so hard to prove herself to him only to be disappointed, I think Saint has his reasons (which I would love to know!) for treating Fable the way he does.
Q: What did you think of how the romance aspect of the story played out?
My answer: With only hints of attraction between the characters for most of the story, I was surprised by the strong feelings declared towards the end. I would have enjoyed this more if their connection had been shown to develop more gradually.
Q: Would you recommend this book?
My answer: It depends… Someone who does not read much fantasy would likely love this book, but those familiar with the genre may not be blown away.
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