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The World of the Narrows
Tides & Drift
A moving return to the world of Fable, these two stories dive into the bittersweet first meeting of fan favourite characters Paj and Auster, and the intrepid voyages of Willa and Koy as they forge their own path across the Narrows.
Tides
When Auster, a young member of the Roth crime family, meets a deckhand named Paj that he's been sent to rob on behalf of his infamous uncle, his world is turned upside down. Tides is a tale of first love, heartache and breaking free, following Paj and Auster's beginnings before the events of Fable and Namesake.
Drift
After leaving the only family she's ever had on the Marigold, Willa has made a new start on a remote island carving out her own stake in the future of the Narrows. She's found an unexpected business partner in Koy and whether she likes it or not, they are suited in more ways than one. Together they plan to turn Jeval into the farthest-reaching port before the waters of the Unnamed Sea. But when the Saltblood ships docking in their newly minted harbor start bringing unsettling news, the more Willa is forced to rely on Koy, and she discovers that he's more than an opportunity to create her own destiny. He also just might be the safest harbor she's ever known.
Tides
When Auster, a young member of the Roth crime family, meets a deckhand named Paj that he's been sent to rob on behalf of his infamous uncle, his world is turned upside down. Tides is a tale of first love, heartache and breaking free, following Paj and Auster's beginnings before the events of Fable and Namesake.
Drift
After leaving the only family she's ever had on the Marigold, Willa has made a new start on a remote island carving out her own stake in the future of the Narrows. She's found an unexpected business partner in Koy and whether she likes it or not, they are suited in more ways than one. Together they plan to turn Jeval into the farthest-reaching port before the waters of the Unnamed Sea. But when the Saltblood ships docking in their newly minted harbor start bringing unsettling news, the more Willa is forced to rely on Koy, and she discovers that he's more than an opportunity to create her own destiny. He also just might be the safest harbor she's ever known.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2024
26 people are currently reading
4110 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Young
28 books18k followersAdrienne Young is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Sky and Sea duology, the Fable series, and Spells for Forgetting. When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
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Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks
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Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
July 23, 2025
4 star mainly for Auster and Paj story
August 27, 2025
Tides & Drift
Author: Adrienne Young
This book takes place in the Narrows, a pirate world created by Adrienne Young.
The storyline of these two short stories ties in with the other books in the series.
Tides: the first story
We meet Kay, who comes from a criminal family called The Rots.
The Rots live in Bastian, the most influential city in the Unnamed Sea. Here they conduct their illegal fake gem trade.
In her book The Last Legacy, Adrienne Young introduces this family in detail.
When Kay falls in love with a deckhand named Pay, his uncle disapproves of the romance because he wants to protect the criminal family business.
Despite all the setbacks, the couple in love continues to dream of a future together..
This story takes place before the events of Fable and Namesake.
Drift: the second story
Willa comes from a family with a lot of power in the Narrows. She was a member of the crew of the Marigold for many years.
Together with Koy, she opens a harbor on the island of Jeval, which brings many new adventures and twists in their lives...
The Narrows is a fantastic world with so much to discover. The worldbuilding is incredibly detailed, making you feel like you're part of a pirate crew yourself, or even strolling along the quays of the many trading ports.
Trigger warnings:
Violence, difficult family ties
Author: Adrienne Young
This book takes place in the Narrows, a pirate world created by Adrienne Young.
The storyline of these two short stories ties in with the other books in the series.
Tides: the first story
We meet Kay, who comes from a criminal family called The Rots.
The Rots live in Bastian, the most influential city in the Unnamed Sea. Here they conduct their illegal fake gem trade.
In her book The Last Legacy, Adrienne Young introduces this family in detail.
When Kay falls in love with a deckhand named Pay, his uncle disapproves of the romance because he wants to protect the criminal family business.
Despite all the setbacks, the couple in love continues to dream of a future together..
This story takes place before the events of Fable and Namesake.
Drift: the second story
Willa comes from a family with a lot of power in the Narrows. She was a member of the crew of the Marigold for many years.
Together with Koy, she opens a harbor on the island of Jeval, which brings many new adventures and twists in their lives...
The Narrows is a fantastic world with so much to discover. The worldbuilding is incredibly detailed, making you feel like you're part of a pirate crew yourself, or even strolling along the quays of the many trading ports.
Trigger warnings:
Violence, difficult family ties
January 19, 2024
Headlines:
Two packed stories
Unlikely pairings
Dodgy dealings and risk
My favourite kinds of novellas are those set in a world I already have love for. The Fable world is just that and these two pairs of characters held the stage.
Tides took us back into the Roth family with Aus. He was born into the family, controlled and unwilling but resigned to his lot. This mafia-like family remained fascinating and unlikeable. The unlikely connection of Aus to Paj was quite lovely and we saw a slow and tangible build between these two. There was so much to love about this story and it totally got me in the feels.
Drift took us to a fledgling harbour and Willa working with Koy to build a new place for ships to come. There was a fair hand of crime, drama and killing with a tentative romance underpinning. I really liked Willa as a character, her independance and also her care for Ailee was good reading. This one finished in a place where I wanted more but thoroughly enjoyable all the same.
Thank you Titan Books for the eARC.
Two packed stories
Unlikely pairings
Dodgy dealings and risk
My favourite kinds of novellas are those set in a world I already have love for. The Fable world is just that and these two pairs of characters held the stage.
Tides took us back into the Roth family with Aus. He was born into the family, controlled and unwilling but resigned to his lot. This mafia-like family remained fascinating and unlikeable. The unlikely connection of Aus to Paj was quite lovely and we saw a slow and tangible build between these two. There was so much to love about this story and it totally got me in the feels.
Drift took us to a fledgling harbour and Willa working with Koy to build a new place for ships to come. There was a fair hand of crime, drama and killing with a tentative romance underpinning. I really liked Willa as a character, her independance and also her care for Ailee was good reading. This one finished in a place where I wanted more but thoroughly enjoyable all the same.
Thank you Titan Books for the eARC.
May 4, 2024
I can't get enough of the narrows series. These short stories were everything I needed. I definitely want to read them all again.
February 13, 2024
I don't know what I'll do without any more of these books in my life. I love the whole world, the characters, Adrienne's writing. I love love love it.
January 9, 2025
Tides—if Adrienne ever writes a book on Paj and Auster (which she definitely should), i’d read it over and over again.
Drift—when i started Fable, i never imagined seeing Koy become what he is now, and i love it for him. i also didn’t expect him to work with Willa..hehe.
these novellas were far more enjoyable than the actual duology. but with the way both end, i am desperate for more contentttt. need to know what is next for the four of them :’)
Drift—when i started Fable, i never imagined seeing Koy become what he is now, and i love it for him. i also didn’t expect him to work with Willa..hehe.
these novellas were far more enjoyable than the actual duology. but with the way both end, i am desperate for more contentttt. need to know what is next for the four of them :’)
January 1, 2025
I would die for these characters
January 11, 2024
4 Stars
If you loved the Fable series then this is a must read as it adds to two storylines that we didn't get in the original books.
The first us Tides and is about Auster (a member of the Roth family who deal in fake gems) and Paj (a deckhand from a ship that stops at the port Auster lives every 2 weeks). The story was really good and I loved getting to know their history and how their romance started. I loved both characters so this was a fun extra read for me. I did find it to be a little obvious based on what we already knew but I still loved reading it.
Drift is the story of Willa and Koy, after the events of the Fable series. This was my favourite story out of the two as I loved Willa and to see how her life continued was something that I really wanted. To be honest, I think this could have been a full book as there is so much detail and aspects that could be built upon. The ending was quite open so I do hope that we get more of Willa! This novella was filled with ups and downs, drama and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat at one point and it had me hooked from start to finish. I wish there had been a little more about Koy, or even a few chapters from his point of view though. It was interesting to be back on Jeval too but from someone's perspective other than Fables.
Adrienne Young can do no wrong in my eyes and these extra novellas definitely added to this series and made me desperate for another full book in this series! Her writing never fails to grab my attention and hold it, plus I love her characters and storylines so so much.
Overall, a great two extra novellas that all Fable lovers will enjoy!
If you loved the Fable series then this is a must read as it adds to two storylines that we didn't get in the original books.
The first us Tides and is about Auster (a member of the Roth family who deal in fake gems) and Paj (a deckhand from a ship that stops at the port Auster lives every 2 weeks). The story was really good and I loved getting to know their history and how their romance started. I loved both characters so this was a fun extra read for me. I did find it to be a little obvious based on what we already knew but I still loved reading it.
Drift is the story of Willa and Koy, after the events of the Fable series. This was my favourite story out of the two as I loved Willa and to see how her life continued was something that I really wanted. To be honest, I think this could have been a full book as there is so much detail and aspects that could be built upon. The ending was quite open so I do hope that we get more of Willa! This novella was filled with ups and downs, drama and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat at one point and it had me hooked from start to finish. I wish there had been a little more about Koy, or even a few chapters from his point of view though. It was interesting to be back on Jeval too but from someone's perspective other than Fables.
Adrienne Young can do no wrong in my eyes and these extra novellas definitely added to this series and made me desperate for another full book in this series! Her writing never fails to grab my attention and hold it, plus I love her characters and storylines so so much.
Overall, a great two extra novellas that all Fable lovers will enjoy!
April 25, 2025
“He was always so warm, no matter how cold the night. As if the sun that drenched the sea was trapped inside of him.”
“I loved him too. I knew that. This thing I felt had a hold on me. It was becoming more deeply rooted by the day. But if I said it now it would destroy me.”
“I loved him too. I knew that. This thing I felt had a hold on me. It was becoming more deeply rooted by the day. But if I said it now it would destroy me.”
July 31, 2024
I don't know why but it's always nice to come back to the Narrows. The story of Paj and Auster is brutal and I love how their story evolves in the book! ❤️
August 22, 2024
3,5⭐️
Fun read! Always happy to be back in the Narrows🌊
Fun read! Always happy to be back in the Narrows🌊
March 19, 2025
What the heck I need more 😭
July 14, 2024
Tides: 3/5⭐️
Drift: 3.5/5⭐️
Drift: 3.5/5⭐️
December 17, 2025
The main thing I loved about Tides was the speed with which we get some romance! The rest of the series is filled with slow-burn, even Willa and Koy’s short story is pretty slow-burn for being short! But the immediate mutual attraction between Auster and Paj and the sparks that subsequently fly were scrumptious! I was very happy to see Ezra and Murrow as well. I did have to eyeball read this one because I could not find the audiobook anywhere!
As for Drift, which is a short about Willa and Koy after the events of Fable, I loved the peek into their lives and situation, as well as the hat tip to the events of The Last Legacy!
As for Drift, which is a short about Willa and Koy after the events of Fable, I loved the peek into their lives and situation, as well as the hat tip to the events of The Last Legacy!
February 9, 2024
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
—
Drift is certainly the weaker of the two. The story is fairly straightforward, and the characters—while interesting—aren’t the strongest. Koy is the strong, silent type. Willa is a the headstrong, outgoing type. Together, while I’m not saying their love won’t work, they’re not the strongest cast. Story-wise, it’s interesting, if not terribly immersive. Adventure-wise, it’s a bit boring; we already know about Jeval. Sure, I was curious about what happened to Willa following her departure, and legitimizing Jeval is all well and good—it’s never going to deliver anywhere near the same sort of adventure found in the rest of the series. Romance-wise, it’s a bit of a dud. Altogether, it’s not a bad story, just fails to impress.
5.5 / 10 ✪
—
My favorite of the two, Tides got me from page one. Auster is a bit of the strong silent type as well, though nowhere near as stoic as Koy. Paj, on the other hand, is exactly the same. Between the two of them… well, the love story just kinda ignites. If you’ve read the full Narrows stock, you know how bad the Roth family can be, and how one has to work to get under their skin. Or not, as the case may be. Don’t make waves, don’t displease Henrik. And yet, somehow Auster and Paj work. Finding out how is the entire point. And it’s a great tale.
9 / 10 ✪
—
Drift is certainly the weaker of the two. The story is fairly straightforward, and the characters—while interesting—aren’t the strongest. Koy is the strong, silent type. Willa is a the headstrong, outgoing type. Together, while I’m not saying their love won’t work, they’re not the strongest cast. Story-wise, it’s interesting, if not terribly immersive. Adventure-wise, it’s a bit boring; we already know about Jeval. Sure, I was curious about what happened to Willa following her departure, and legitimizing Jeval is all well and good—it’s never going to deliver anywhere near the same sort of adventure found in the rest of the series. Romance-wise, it’s a bit of a dud. Altogether, it’s not a bad story, just fails to impress.
5.5 / 10 ✪
—
My favorite of the two, Tides got me from page one. Auster is a bit of the strong silent type as well, though nowhere near as stoic as Koy. Paj, on the other hand, is exactly the same. Between the two of them… well, the love story just kinda ignites. If you’ve read the full Narrows stock, you know how bad the Roth family can be, and how one has to work to get under their skin. Or not, as the case may be. Don’t make waves, don’t displease Henrik. And yet, somehow Auster and Paj work. Finding out how is the entire point. And it’s a great tale.
9 / 10 ✪
February 21, 2024
There has got to be more books coming right?! I will die of happiness if there is and that ending has to be a set up for more🤞🏻🤞🏻
September 14, 2024
I loved getting two new perspectives on the world of the Narrows, and I'm glad these novellas got a physical book.
Tides: Auster was my favorite of Fable's crew, so I liked seeing his POV and his romance with Paj. Overall, really enjoyable!
Drift: I liked Willa's POV, and Koy is a great character. It was nice to see how this tied into the other books, with Coen's presence, and the mention of Bryn, Ezra, and Emilia. I wish we got a little more of the romance, and it ended on an almost-cliffhanger, with the story unresolved, which was a bit frustrating. It felt more like the beginning of an unfinished novel than a complete novella. Seems like there might be another book in this world on the horizon.
Tides: Auster was my favorite of Fable's crew, so I liked seeing his POV and his romance with Paj. Overall, really enjoyable!
Drift: I liked Willa's POV, and Koy is a great character. It was nice to see how this tied into the other books, with Coen's presence, and the mention of Bryn, Ezra, and Emilia. I wish we got a little more of the romance, and it ended on an almost-cliffhanger, with the story unresolved, which was a bit frustrating. It felt more like the beginning of an unfinished novel than a complete novella. Seems like there might be another book in this world on the horizon.
September 16, 2024
I rate this three and a half stars.
It was so nice to jump back into the Narrows and the world of Fable. I enjoy novellas that expand on beloved characters and their lives following the events of the main book plots.
Tides was a cute origin story of how Auster and Paj met - though I enjoyed storyline, it felt too rushed for me.
Drift I enjoyed because I love Willa. This is the kind of novella that I want as a whole book! The ending cliff hanger was exciting; I doubt Adrienne Young will write any more on Willa’s story, but it would be amazing if we could see how her unwritten adventure unfolds.
It was so nice to jump back into the Narrows and the world of Fable. I enjoy novellas that expand on beloved characters and their lives following the events of the main book plots.
Tides was a cute origin story of how Auster and Paj met - though I enjoyed storyline, it felt too rushed for me.
Drift I enjoyed because I love Willa. This is the kind of novella that I want as a whole book! The ending cliff hanger was exciting; I doubt Adrienne Young will write any more on Willa’s story, but it would be amazing if we could see how her unwritten adventure unfolds.
June 8, 2024
When i saw this at Thalia today my heart stopped. What do you mean there had been a novella about my four favourite characters and i didn't know about it?? I feel like Adrienne Young wrote this specifically for me because jesus christ this is everything i ever wished for. I reread Fable every year for those 3 scenes of Willa and Koy and NOW THEY GOT THEIR OWN STORY. maybe there is a god
July 13, 2024
Well, if it's not obvious, I cannot get enough of this series!!! I have LOVED every book in the World of Narrows, and these two novellas are no different!!! Adrienne Young, if you would be so kind to write more in this series, it would make my heart so VERY happy!!! 5 SOLID STARS for Tides and Drift!!!
July 20, 2024
*4 stars for Tides*
*3 stars for Drift*
*3 stars for Drift*
August 15, 2024
I love novellas that provide a thorough explanation on how things came to be 🥹
September 2, 2024
(3.5 stars)
October 7, 2024
2.5/5⭐️
i didn't remember much of the background story from previous books but i kinda read it to kill the time.
i didn't remember much of the background story from previous books but i kinda read it to kill the time.
October 31, 2024
this was mad boring
February 21, 2024
I just wish it was more… 🏴☠️❤️🔥
April 27, 2024
Only read Tides so far. Simply cannot get enough of this world⛵️
August 31, 2024
Reading Tides was the perfect ending to my journey with the narrows crew.
I actually appreciated the last legacy more after reading this novela and I'm glad I read it before reading this.
I actually appreciated the last legacy more after reading this novela and I'm glad I read it before reading this.
October 22, 2024
I'd like it more if there was more character exploration in it.
September 29, 2024
OH MY GOSH YES!!! This is exactly what I needed!! I knew for a fact that Willa and Koy would get together and now IT'S HAPPENING PEOPLE!! IT'S HAPPENING!!! They are so cute... kinda like them more than Fable and West tbh (that's mainly cause the jury's still out on West). I love that they have their own, successful might I add, lives on Jeval. Like they are truly making their dreams come true and I couldn't be happier for them. And the fact that Willa is good mates with Koy's younger sister was so sweet too. Okay one thing I'm a little hung up on tho... are we gonna get a book for them??!!? Cause the novella very much ended on a cliff hanger and I'm worried that I'll never get to see Willa and Koy get reunited. Fingers crossed!!
Okay now I finally get to talk abt possibly my fav couple ever: Paj and Auster!!! I was expecting to get a novella abt them like present day working on West's ship, but this was so much better. I LOVED getting to read abt how their relationship started and the novella was so much better than I expected. I'm so glad that I read The Last Legacy first cause now I fully understand what Auster was running away from. Their story was perfect and I'm PRAYING that we get more of them in the book about Willa and Koy (FINGER CROSSED!!).
Okay now I finally get to talk abt possibly my fav couple ever: Paj and Auster!!! I was expecting to get a novella abt them like present day working on West's ship, but this was so much better. I LOVED getting to read abt how their relationship started and the novella was so much better than I expected. I'm so glad that I read The Last Legacy first cause now I fully understand what Auster was running away from. Their story was perfect and I'm PRAYING that we get more of them in the book about Willa and Koy (FINGER CROSSED!!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews