Fable by Adrienne Young (review)

Now eighteen, Fable has spent the last four years selling gems and other loot from her ocean dives to scrounge up enough money to buy passage off of Jeval, the island of thieves and criminals where her sea trader father abandoned her. She bargains her way onto the Marigold but soon realizes she might be in over her head after discovering that the crew is running a side hustle that could earn them quite a few enemies—one being Fable's father, now one of the most powerful merchants in the Narrows. Still, West, the handsome, mercurial captain of the Marigold, and his ragtag crew have gotten under Fable's skin, so when she has the chance to help them and carry out a dive that could make them all rich, she takes it with little heed for the consequences. A vividly drawn maritime setting, dramatic sea dives and daring rescues, not one but two formidable villains, and a swoony romance make this a treat for seafarers and landlubbers alike. Hardened by her time on Jeval but still seeking the father who left her, Fable manages both compelling toughness and relatable vulnerability, and she relays the present action and her emotional trauma with a sassy directness. Life at sea and at seaports is vividly described but never overwrought, and the rules that govern the Narrows are revealed through dialogue and character action. Fable's romance with West is surprisingly gentle and sweet given all they have been through separately, and it refreshingly steers away from the bad boy/golden heart trope. A last-minute kidnapping brings the book to a cliffhanger ending, so fans will wait breathlessly to set sail with the sequel.