Isolde, the daughter of a fearsome trade magnate in the Unnamed Sea, makes a daring escape after she steals her mother's prized possession. A gem sage, someone who can find real gemstones by humming magic resonance, she's wanted by a number of merchants and pirates across the waters. Meanwhile, Saint, once called Elias, and his best friend, Clove, are illegal traders eyeing a legitimate license and a ship of their own. They just have to dodge other traders, legal and illegal, while they wait for their proper papers. Isolde and Saint cross paths at the trading hub, where she realizes he's smuggling gemstones, and he realizes she's about to be sold into slavery. What follows is a daring, swashbuckling adventure, complete with--no matter how hard they try to resist--a heaping helping of romance. While it's not immediately clear that there are two narrators, this fast-paced prequel to the Fable series gets going right away. The language is thick with in-world slang, so readers may benefit from a familiarity with the other series installments.

A prequel to the Fable duology. Elias is a fisherman's son whose fearlessness and ability to survive deadly storms as the helmsman of an old, decrepit ship have earned him the moniker of Saint and a fierce reputation. But this facade hides the young man's guilt over his father's death and determination to make something of himself as the first Narrows-born trader. Isolde is a gem sage on the run from her mother, the most powerful gem merchant of the Unnamed Sea. There doesn't seem to exist a place far enough from her mother's influence--until she finds herself joining the diminished crew of a ship out of the Narrows, one whose helmsman may just have what it takes to help her escape. As Isolde's and Saint's lives intersect and their attraction grows, the two become immersed in a game of power and love in which the future of the Narrows lies in their hands. This novel follows the parents of Fable, the series' protagonist, showing the intersection of their budding love story with elements of the worldbuilding that lead to the growth of the Narrows. It's a slow-moving, immersive story with less action and more rich, poetic prose that beautifully underscores the two main characters' strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs. Both blue-eyed Saint and red-haired Isolde have olive skin. Returning and new readers alike will find much to love in this absorbing tale. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.