'As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales. Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favour. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.
'Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.
'He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for - Saint.'
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.
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