Saint

I now have to re-read the others! Wonderfully written books easy to fall into and get lost for the weekend

It was so satisfying to learn about Saint's past and his utterly swoontastic romance with Isolde. While this wasn't a fast-paced book and neither did it have a lot of action, it's perfect for fans who loved the Fable duology because we get to see where and how it all began! I'd even go so far as to say it (personally) gave slice-of-life vibes as we follow this hungry crew as they establish themselves in this world.I've been looking forward to picking this up since I saw the cover for it towards the end of last year and although this wasn't the action-packed story that I thought it could be, I still found myself enjoying it. I think this is in part due to the connection that I've already formed with the characters from the previous books. Saint wasn't my favourite character for much of the duology but my curiosity about his origin story, particularly that with Isolde, only grew into the second book and I ended up empathising with his character! I would recommend reading the duology first before reading this prequel because it'll be a lot more satisfying that way!I've come to really enjoy Young's writing and I think that's a large part of why I enjoyed this book. The story flows very well and the world-building was done so well. It was satisfying to return to the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea, as we follow a young woman running away from a monster and a young man working tirelessly to fulfil his father's dreams in a cut-throat world full of merciless and power-hungry merchants and traders.What I appreciated about this book is that we get into Saint's head and we see lots of different sides to him that we only get a passing glimpse of in the Fable duology. His backstory is tragic and heartbreaking and it shows in his already hardened exterior, and we already see the deadly ruthlessness he's known for later on. That said, there's certainly a softness to his person that was new and heartwarming to witness. That quiet vulnerability mostly applies to a select few people in his life, particularly Isolde and Clover, but it rounded out his character even more. Isolde was a great character who was so easy to root for. She kind of jumps into situations without really thinking ahead and though she's not very street-smart, she's strategically smart and a great addition to the Saint and Clove team. Although she's literally running for her life and trying to survive in a world she's been (mostly) sheltered from, she's incredibly tough and is willing to do what needs to be done. She doesn't run away or push her mistakes onto others but faces them head-on despite her fears and that made me respect her more. She reminded me a lot of Fable, which again is bittersweet, but it was so great to see her as a fully formed character of her own in this book!Aside from Saint and Isolde, I also really loved seeing more of Clove and the origins of his "devotion" to Saint and the life they're building together. I also loved seeing how Nash came into the picture and the start of Saint's partnership with the Rothschild's. I love how the author connected everything together and although it's been a while since I read the duology, I still had quite a few of those "aha!" moments that were enjoyable. I could've honestly spent days with these characters, following them on their adventures across the seas, building their life together, forming their crew, and earning their formidable reputation as traders not to be crossed. I wished that we got to see a bit more of that part of their life, although I did appreciate going back to the very very beginning of how they started. Ultimately, it's a satisfying story and I especially loved how Young ended it with a nice link to the duology.

I have been waiting for Saint’s story for so long! I’m so pleased to finally have read it! I absolutely love the world this author has created and this story takes you straight there. This book is set in the past and we see how Saint and Isolde met and how Saint became to be the moody sailor he is.If you have enjoyed the earlier books this is a must read!

Being a big fan of the Fable series I was so happy to receive an ARC of Saint by Adrienne Young. Saint is a prequel novel to the Fable series and I know so many are going to love this. But you can read this without reading the Fable series as it works on its own so well too , but if you have read them it definitely adds to the enjoyment. I would love for Adrienne Young todo more prequel tales, but that’s me being greedy, if this is all I get it’s definitely enough for me (I guess)it’s so brilliant 🤩I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There are a few authors that I've discovered over the last few years whose work is so fantastic that I will pick up any book with their name on it, without even needing to read what it's about. Adrienne Young is one of these writers. From her first book, Sky in the Deep, and it's sequel The Girl the Sea Gave Back, I knew she was a writer that I needed to keep her eye on, and with the Fable universe, Fable, Nanesake,and The Last Legacy, she's created a series of books that never fails to disappoint. Saint is the latest entry in that series, and takes readers backwards in time to witness the origin of one of the more important characters that exists within it; as well as showing us how many of the plots and characters started off.Despite having his name on the cover, this book isn't just about Saint, and the book begins by introducing us to another character that fans will instantly be familiar with, Isolde. Having fled from her mother, with one of the rarest and most expensive jewels in the world in her possession, she seeks to get away from her mother's reach and heads for Narrows. However, the captain of the ship she's on, Zola, has plans for her that could lead her into even more danger. But when she crosses paths with the dashing young helmsman, Saint, who's secretly smuggling fake gems in order to raise the money he needs for a traders license and a new ship, Isolde thinks that she might have found her way to freedom. But as Saint and Isolde's fates intertwine it brings them both into danger.This being a prequel novel there's a lot here that fans of the series are going to love. From the first few pages it's clear that the events of this book are going to be referencing important people, places, and events. And whilst the book absolutely works on its own, and you don't need to know who everyone is or the importance of the things that are happening for future events, it definitely adds to the enjoyment. Those coming to this universe fresh will understand that Isolde has an expensive jewel in her possession, but for those that have read the other three books, as soon as the midnight is mentioned there'll be a moment of 'oh shit!' as you realise the implications of that and how important a thing it is.And this is something that happens multiple times across the course of the book. It relies on you having read the other books to go from enjoying the novel to loving it on another level. And it's honestly a really great experience. Another thing in the book that instantly feels like it means more is the relationship between Saint and his best friend, Clove. Coming to this without any other knowledge they're two friends whose lives are so intertwined, so tied together they seem more like brothers. But those who've read the other books will know where their stories will ultimately end up, and so seeing them here in this way changes it from a good background relationship into one of the better parts of the book. I wanted to see more of them together, I needed to see what they were like at this stage of their life because it gives what comes after so much more impact and importance.I'm making it sound like Saint plays upon fan service, and that you need to have read three other novels to get something from this, but that's not the case. The book absolutely does stand on its own. It has its own story that works within the confines of its book and doesn't rely on anything else to reach a satisfactory conclusion. The world is clear enough, and it makes sense and feels interesting without any knowledge of things beyond this story. And that feels like a very impressive line for Adrienne Young to have walked. It could have been easy to make this purely for the fans of the other books, and she certainly goes include a ton of stuff for those readers, but she doesn't forget that this could be someone's introduction to this series, and makes sure that that's taken into account.The one thing about this book that does give me some slight pause, that leaves me unsure how I feel, is the ending. This book ends in a great way, the story it wants to tell her gets told and the characters end up in a good position for this to be it. And if this is the only time that Young goes backwards in time to play with these characters then it's absolutely fine. But I do also kind of want more. I want there to be another prequel. I want more from these characters. And yes, I know that that's nothing to do with the book or the author and is all down to me, but now that I've finished it I'm just left yearning for more of it. Though that does speak to the quality of the writing that even when its come to a satisfying conclusion my reaction is to turn around and demand more.Whether this is the only time that we'll get to go back in time and play in this era or not, and whether this is your first introduction to the Fable universe, Saint is an incredibly addictive and engrossing novel filled with interesting and engaging characters, and a world that's incredibly well realised. Young continues to be one of my favourite authors thanks to this book; and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Read this to my younglings who loved the Fable stories. This is nice as a stand-alone. AY is a great story-teller and weaver of worlds and characters that instantly draw you in.

I've been so excited to read Saint, as I'd loved his character in Fable. I enjoyed watching the relationship bloom between Isolde and Saint. For me I just felt there was something missing. It was a bit slow to begin with, the characters made it better.