A review by leahsbooks
Namesake by Adrienne Young

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 I really enjoyed Fable, and Namesake was the stunning conclusion to this duology. When there’s a situation in a book that leaves me with questions, I always want to have those questions answered. And the beautiful thing about this book is that it provided all the answers. However, it had some ups and downs along the way. 
 
One of the things that I really liked was seeing how Fable’s relationships changed with the people around her. As she has to navigate her new circumstances, she learns a lot more about her mother’s past and how that relates to her own life. This new information affects her perception of the people she’s known the longest, and how she interacts with them. 
 
“In only a night I’d learned more about my mother than I had in my entire life. Saint wasn’t the only one with secrets, and I couldn’t help but feel betrayed.” 
 
While I liked seeing how Fable grew up over the course of the story, I felt like West just kind of faded. He was there, but his entire role just seemed to be to step in and play savior. Every time he did something, it was without the permission of the people he was “saving,” and it usually wasn’t appreciated. Also, the romance? I still wasn’t feeling it. In the last book, it wasn’t really well-developed, and in this book, it wasn’t really built up further. Honestly, it didn’t add much to the story. I felt that it could have worked just as well if they were close friends/found family. 
 
The writing was absolutely beautiful, and I truly enjoyed the story. There was a sense of not really knowing everything that was going on, not knowing each character’s plan, and wondering whether you could trust anyone. Part of Fable’s journey was learning who she could trust and when to trust them, and relying on her instincts as she is taken on a journey through the Narrows and into the Unnamed Sea. 
 
“The Unnamed Sea was a thing painted in my mind by the bright colors of my mother’s stories, but like the Narrows, it was filled with cutthroat traders, devious merchants, and powerful guilds.” 
 
I’ve been a fan of Fable (the character) since page 1 of the first book, and I enjoyed seeing her claim her power and become a strong, kick-butt woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. You know I love a strong female character, but this is a prime example of how not every book needs a romance in it. I really enjoyed the book for the most part, and would still recommend it. Plus, the covers for this duology are absolutely stunning, especially when placed side by side. 
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