In a dark maritime fantasy, the first of a projected duology, a young woman finds home and family on a ship full of secrets. Four years ago, 14-year-old Fable was marooned on a notorious island of thieves. Now the auburn-haired diver has managed to get onboard the Marigold to search for Saint, the father who abandoned her. But Saint is a powerful, sinister figure among the sea traders; and in the Narrows, the most important rule is to trust no one. The narrative excels in the immersive world conjured by Fable's first-person voice, crammed with nautical lore and rich in sensory details. The cramped geography creates a grim, violent, and cruel society, and it's no surprise that Fable is equally wary and hard. Nonetheless, her seafaring competence and touch of magic earn her a place among the Marigold's crew. Even more compelling is her fraught, complicated relationship with Saint and the memory of her fey, charismatic mother, although the frequent flashbacks can be disorienting. More unfortunate is the uneven pacing, for the most part glacially slow--despite the frequent action-packed set pieces, nothing actually seems to happen for over 200 pages--until a rushed climax and a romance that comes from nowhere lead to a forced-feeling cliffhanger. Fable is white, and secondary characters have a range of skin tones For readers who can't get enough of strong female protagonists in unusual settings. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Four years after her father, an infamous merchant captain, abandoned her on a lawless island, auburn-haired Fable, now 18, is ready to escape her unwanted exile. When plans go awry, though, she's forced to barter passage aboard the Marigold, a trading vessel captained by the enigmatic West, whose crew has little time or patience for passengers. Even after demonstrating her skills as a diver and gem sage, Fable is slow to find her place amid the secretive, tight-knit crew. Following a disappointing reunion with her father, now one of the most powerful men in the region, Fable's only hope at finding acceptance is to convince West and his crew to help her seek out a long-lost, potentially lucrative shipwreck in the most dangerous part of the Unnamed Sea. Young (The Girl the Sea Gave Back) blends adventure and intrigue in this lush nautical duology opener, crafting a flinty world in which danger lurks at every turn and showing affection is a sign of weakness. Memorable characters reinforce the theme of found family, while a slow-burning romance adds a tense undercurrent that leads to the cliffhanger ending. Ages 12--up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Agency. (Sept.)

Gr 7 Up--After the tragic death of her mother four years ago, Fable was ruthlessly abandoned on a dangerous island by her own father and forced to dive off cliffs in search of valuable minerals to trade for food and money. Despite the many obstacles of this seafaring world, Fable manages to save enough copper to barter passage off the island. Her father Saint, a powerful trader, had promised that she would receive her inheritance if she lived to make it off the island. She finds passage on the Marigold, a trading ship with a secretive crew and a handsome helmsman, West, but they're reluctant to have her on board. However, Fable's skills with "dredging" and a magical ability to find precious gems soon win over the crew. The reunion with Saint doesn't turn out the way Fable imagined, and she's left with nothing but bitterness for him. Then a rival trading company threatens the lives of her fellow crewmen, and Fable finds herself forced to confront Saint to save them all. Compelling characters and taut emotion are the highlights of this engrossing novel. The combined adversities of the ocean's power, social poverty, and the traders' greed draw the reader into the book, and Young's descriptions of tense underwater action will keep them turning pages. As the characters' secrets unravel, readers will be spellbound by this enchanting tale. VERDICT There's treachery on the high seas in this exciting tale of lost treasure, love, and survival. Recommended for all libraries.--Sandi Jones, Wynne H.S., AR