Yes, I’ve finally finished the Caraval trilogy. It’s a long time coming. I just needed a little more time and also, reading Once Upon A Broken Heart just spurred my motivation to read Finale. I had so much fun reading the trilogy and love a good magical, happily ever after for some of my favorite characters. I need more from this world.
Navigate through this post with the titles below:
★ #1: Caraval | ♠ #2: Legendary | ♥ #3: Finale
★★★
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #1
Published January 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating:
Synopsis:
A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
★★★
Scarlett and Donatella doesn’t have a great father. While Scarlett is the responsible older sister, Donatella is wilder and reckless. When they got accepted to join Caraval, Donatella immediately made plans to escape the clutches of their father but Scarlett has some reservations. Though she doesn’t want the arranged marriage, Scarlett is afraid of their father and doesn’t want to suffer any repercussions for leaving the island.
Once she’s at Caraval, Scarlett finds out that she has to play a deadly game. In order to rescue her sister, Scarlett has to crack all clues and become the final winner. Without knowing anything about Caraval, she got dragged into a world of deceit and trickery. Nothing is ever the way it seems and Scarlett doesn’t know who to trust in this strange, magical place. Surprisingly, her companion, Julian is weirdly familiar with Caraval. He has a story of his own. Who knows if he could be trusted?
Stephanie Garber’s writing style is perfect for this enchanting setting. I fell in love with Caraval despite its sinister elements. Exploring the place through Scarlett’s perspective as a player in this game was amazing too. I kept reading because I wanted to know who Legend is and what has happened to Donatella.
★★★
Don’t scroll down if you haven’t read Caraval unless you want to be spoiled! You’ve been warned!
Navigate through this post with the titles below:
★ #1: Caraval | ♠ #2: Legendary | ♥ #3: Finale
♠♠♠
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #2
Published May 29th 2018 by Flatiron Books
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating:
Synopsis:
A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets… including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever…
♠♠♠
You know there are always books that you think you’ll slowly take your time with but six hours later, you are putting down the book feeling nothing but absolute enjoyment? Legendary was that for me. I picked up the second instalment of the Caraval trilogy at 10pm and couldn’t put it down. Yes, I spent the whole night reading it. That’s how entertained I was.
Finding out Legend’s true name and identity wasn’t just on Tella’s to-do list but also mine. Wholeheartedly couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to know who Legend is. Caraval has never been held so close, time-wise, and definitely not within a year. When Legend decided to host it in celebration of Empress Elantine’s birthday, I knew it would be even twisted than the one before.
While this Caraval might be open to the public, it was strangely personalised to Tella’s needs, especially her desire to find her missing mother. Disappearing without a word left Scarlett who vehemently wants to do with her mother and Tella who is sacrificing everything for clues and information. For just this once, Caraval is much realer and not merely a game.
Since the focus is on Tella instead of Scarlett now, the difference between the two sisters are so stark. Regardless, they’re fiercely protective and loyal to one another. Being in Tella’s perspective changed my mind about her. When she landed her sister in a precarious situation in Caraval, I didn’t know that she was playing the game Legend had specifically set out for them. All she wanted was to save Scarlett from a loveless and miserable marriage, and get both of them out from the grasps of their cruel father.
Tella’s obsession with the Fates played a huge part in Legendary. With her knowledge about the beings that were banished due to a witch’s magic. every little detail was highlighted and noted in Tella’s mind. Discovering and learning about the different Fates and the history behind them were extremely fun.
Now, Tella kept her wits for the whole game. She’s smart and cunning, and knows how to take care of herself. Of course, there were moments of vulnerability but doesn’t show it. Her relationship with Dante started to grow into something more. However, his mysteriousness complicated things and it doesn’t help that he’s part of Caraval. Dante has a quiet and subtle presence. He was always there in times of need but there’s no knowing which side he’s actually on. The things he does for Tella, though, makes me swoon.
I love that I’m continuously finding out more things about Caraval and the sisters. The ending left questions to be answered. Tella’s such a wonderful character to follow!
♠♠♠
Don’t scroll down if you haven’t read Legendary unless you want to be spoiled! You’ve been warned!
Navigate through this post with the titles below:
★ #1: Caraval | ♠ #2: Legendary | ♥ #3: Finale
♥♥♥
Finale by Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #3
Published May 7th 2019 by Flatiron Books
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating:
Synopsis:
A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.
It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.
With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time—only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.
♥♥♥
Both Tella and Scarlett have difficult decisions to make now that the Fates are released from the deck of cards. Scarlett discovers a truth that shattered her reality while Tella might need to give up her heart. The sisters are strong and independent. While they face danger head-on, Tella and Scarlett trusted that the other person would be there to support them.
Since I read Once Upon a Broken Heart before Finale, the weirdness between Jacks–the Fated Prince of Hearts–and Tella threw me off. I wondered what happened between them that made things so intense. Glad that there weren’t many spoilers because oh my, Tella and Jacks were once going to be a thing. I had mixed feelings: as much as I wanted Tella to have her happy ever after, I wanted Jacks to find his own too.
Most of the time, the plot followed Tella and Scarlett separately even though they’re working towards a common goal. The romances were developed well too. Even though I don’t like love triangles, the turmoil between Tella, Jacks, and Legend was delicious. There’s no knowing whose feelings are real because the characters are well-versed in illusions and manipulation. In the meantime, I’m just glad that Scarlett and Julian’s relationship is zero drama.
Overall, as a trilogy, I loved it. Stephanie Garber created a world that I want to stay in even though danger is at every corner. If Stephanie Garber just kept creating spin-offs, especially for the different Fates, I will be there for all of it. I find them intriguing and I bet their stories are filled with magic, betrayals, and broken hearts.
Every story has four parts: the beginning, the middle, the almost-ending, and the true ending. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a true ending.
♥♥♥
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