Finale by Stephanie Garber

THE TIME HAS COME! I have waited for this day for a long time. I can’t believe this series is coming to an end! If you haven’t read the previous books, you may not want to read any further. No spoilers here…it just won’t make much sense to you.

Thank you Flatiron Books for gifting me an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne. Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all. Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win…and those who will lose everything. . .

As it is said, all good things must come to an end. I love that this book is written in both Scarlet and Tella’s point of view. I wish the second book was the same! If you have been following my reviews for long enough, it’s no surprise that I loved the first book way more than the second book. In fact, a good friend of mine says that she’s still trying to get through reading the second book. I hear that quite a lot from people. This book is different! It reads a LOT like the first book which made me so happy! Stephanie has such a talent for detailing her stories so beautifully. I could read her descriptions for days and days. They’re just so magical! If you don’t like love triangles, then this book isn’t for you. I, on the other hand, LIVE for love triangles and just devoured this story. I squealed the entire time. My husband could guess which book I was reading from miles away. It was a wonderful ending to the series in my opinion and I will cherish this story for years to come.

5/5 Stars

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

As soon as I finished Caraval, I just had to read Legendary!

This is Donatella’s story this time. The story picks up with the letter that ended Carval. Tella owes her friend a big payment – the true name of Legend. She has to play Caraval again on a new island in order to get the payment. This time, Caraval is not just a game – it’s real and her life is at stake. Will she find out who Legend really is? Will she survive? Who is this “friend” of hers?

I didn’t love it as much as Caraval. I am not a fan of Tella and Dante, and the majority of the story was about them. This story is also much darker than Caraval. I also wasn’t a fan of who Legend was at first, but I started to warm up to the idea. The romance tends to be cheesier in this book, but I honestly love Stephanie’s writing. It’s so captivating and detailed. Even if I wasn’t a fan of the story, I was completely engulfed and couldn’t stop reading. And, of course, I am going to need to read the third book because, that ending…UGH!

4/5 Stars

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I did it! I finally read it! After seeing this book being bragged about all over the place, I finally got to it!

Scarlet and her sister Donatella (Tella) have heard the wonderful stories about Caraval, a magical island where you get to take place in the performance of a lifetime. Scarlet has wanted to be invited to participate in the game for years, and never got to. Until now. Scarlet is invited, along with her sister, to attend. The problem is, their father is a nasty human being and would never allow them to leave the island. In fact, he has arranged for Scarlet to marry a Count in a few days, so their dreams of seeing Caraval are shot. Then along comes Julian, a sailor who gives them the opportunity to experience Caraval and escape their father’s fate for them. Once they arrive to Caraval, all seems wonderful until Tella disappears. Will Scarlet find her in time? Are they in true danger? Is the magic all it’s cracked up to be? Will their father get ahold of them? Will she really marry the Count? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

WOW you guys. WOW. I’m beating myself up over here for how long it’s taken me to read this book. What a magical, whimsical adventure. It’s so beautiful! Honestly, there were a few times I got mad at the book. There were a few instances where I didn’t love where the story was going, but MAN did the story always make-up for it. Holy crap! This is a huge roller coaster of emotions. This story will play games with your head. If you aren’t a fan of being tricked, don’t read this. I’m all for being captivated with the characters. And the ending?! UGH! Thankfully I read this now so the sequel is available for me to get right away. The only problem is, I got Legendary (the sequel) on audiobook to play on my 8 hour car ride this week so I have TWO DAYS to wait and start it. I don’t know if I can do it! I never wanted this book to end. The romance wasn’t cheesy either! Sigh….just beautiful. I will bask in this wonderful book high all day.

5/5 Stars