اسطوره‌ای

Caraval #2

by Stephanie Garber, MohamadSaleh NooraniZadeh (Translator)

قلبی برای محافظت کردن. قرضی برای ادا کردن. بازی‌ای برای پیروز شدن.
دوناتلا دراگنا پس از کشیده شدن به دل دنیای جادویی کاراوال، بالاخره موفق به فرار از دست پدر و نجات دادن خواهرش اسکارلت از ازدواجی شده که برایش رقم زده بودند. دو خواهر در واقع باید این پیروزی را جشن بگیرند، اما تلا هنوز آزاد نشده. مدتی قبل از سر بی‌چارگی با مجرمی ناشناس معامله‌ای کرده و چیزی را به او قول داده که تابه‌حال هیچ‌کس نتوانسته به دیگری تحویل دهد. اسم واقعی ارباب کاراوال، اسطوره.
تنها راه کشف هویت واقعی اسطوره، برنده شدن در کاراول است، بنابراین تلا یک بار دیگر خودش را درگیر این مسابقه‌ی افسانه‌ای، وارث تشنه‌به‌خون سلطنت، داستان عشقی محکوم به شکست و شبکه‌ی تارهای درهم‌تنیده‌ی رازهای کسانی از جمله خواهر خودش می‌کند. کاراوال همیشه از بازیکنانش شجاعت، زیرکی و فداکاری را طلب کرده، اما این بار چیزهای بیشتری می‌خواهد. اگر تلا نتواند به قولی که داده عمل کند و اسم واقعی اسطوره را نفهمد، همه‌ی چیزهایی را که تابه‌حال برایش اهمیت داشته‌اند و حتی شاید جانش را از دست می‌دهد. اما اگر برنده شود، اسطوره و کاراوال برای همیشه نابود می‌شوند...
خوش آمدید، به کاراوال خوش آمدید... بازی تازه شروع شده.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Romantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Magic

480 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2018

About the author

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Alchemy of Secrets is her debut novel for adults and will be published around the world.

Reviews

[chloé ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5)
as much as i want to love this trilogy… i just can’t.

the world of caraval is so neat, but the writing was driving. me. up. a. wall. i was this close 👌🏻 to dnf’ing because of the imagery and how messy the story became.

let me give you some examples:

“dark green kerosene lamps illuminated pale mint-green glass tables, while velvet green settees cushioned people sucking on glowing cubes of green sugar, or sipping vials of vivid lime liquid.”

i get being descriptive, but good lord. we understand that literally everything is green. you don’t have to meet a word requirement for an essay, so please put the thesaurus away.

“he tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels and bottles of fresh moonlight.”

girl… what? just say he tasted like toothpaste or something. this isn’t beautiful, descriptive writing… it’s literally nonsense.

the worst part is that these sentence structures show up MULTIPLE times per page... or paragraph. it's too much.

the only redeeming qualities of this book are the world and jacks. everything else made me suffer. the storyline & the dragna sisters were a bit of a mess. scarlett & tella are irritating and desperately need to work on their decision making skills.

this book tasted like predictability and dull expectations, like anticipation falling flat and a 2 star rating.

idk if i should even read Finale or just skip to OUABH at this point. (someone pls help)

sorry, girlies. 🙃 (and yes, meeting jacks was the best part of this book)

______________

UPDATE 10/28: I ended up DNFing Finale (Caraval #3) LOL. this trilogy is just really, really not for me.

[Stephanie Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deal alert (12/29): I don't know how long this is going to last, but for the first time ever the Legendary ebook is on sale for only $2.99 (across all platforms). If you've been wanting to pick up the book, or get into this series, now is a great time!

Hey friends!
Updating this to thank everyone who wrote in Legendary for the Goodreads Choice awards. I was so grateful and excited when I woke up this morning and saw that it had made e it into the Semifinal Round!! You are all the best!!

Legendary is out today!! I'm so excited for readers to jump into this story! I hope you all enjoy it!

May 23rd Update: Legendary is only six days away! I'm so excited, and for anyone else who might be excited too, I thought it would be fun to share my Legendary Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/stephaniega...

Another update: Lots of readers have been asking me if Legendary is the last book in the Caraval series or if there will be more, and I'm thrilled to share that there will be another book: FINALE. I'm so excited to write this book, and if you're interested you can add it to your Goodreads shelf right now: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Update March 19, 2018: More exciting news! I'm going on tour for Legendary and today Bustle announced tour dates and locations. Hope to see some of you there: https://www.bustle.com/p/caraval-lege...

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD! I love everything about this book and honestly this whole series. 1. Let's start with Caraval. Caraval is so damn magical. If I could attend Caraval I would in a heartbeat. But my favorite thing about Caraval is that you never know whats real or whats part of the game. In both the first book and this one I was constantly questioning what to believe which had me on the edge of my seat. And the reveal at the end. I did. not. see. that. coming.😳

2. The romances. I love Julian, Dante, and Jacks (especially since I've already read Once Upon A Broken Heart) so much. But especially Dante🥵 that man is so hot and mysterious. I'm in love.

3. Lastly I love Stephanie Garber's writing style👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 She writes BEAUTIFULLY! Not only does she create a magical world, but she also writes so magically in her metaphors and word choice.

Running to get Finale🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

[Maditales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dante Dante Dante UGH MY MAN IS HOT AS SHIT

[leila ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

“whore whore whore” i chant into the bathroom mirror. then he appears behind me. jacks, the prince of hearts.

[Ayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dante my man my man my man my man 😩🤞🏽

i was eating up the Jacks scenes even though he’s the “villain” right now. he’s so sassy, i need him 🫳🏽

[Alexa Raye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dante 🥵

[shei · Rating 4 out of 5]

—— 4.25 ✰ stars.

“Every good story needs a villain. But the best villains are those you secretly like”

・❥・ Mood of the book: Live like Legends by Ruelle and Darkside by Neoni

OKAY!!!! Sits nervously on the chair, adjusts herself, crosses leg and claps, OK!!. This book has been much better than Caraval, the plot, the pacing, the setting? Absolutely better. So, if Caraval hasn't convinced you or you're hesitating whether to continue with the series, this is your sign to do so!!

I have had the luck and pleasure of reading again with my girl giuls, with whom I have shared many theories and with which I have screamed every time something interesting happened. Without you it wouldn't have been the same, I love you.

Once again, this book is nuts, nothing makes sense until all makes sense, like in every fantasy book, and its so satisfying when everything just clicks. So if something doesn't make sense, its my side effects, wink.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓅𝓁ℴ𝓉 𓆩♡𓆪:

In this case, the book is narrated by Donatella Dragna, after the end of the first book, we know that she has a debt to pay to a “friend”, it will be paid if she discovers Legend's identity. To do this, she must participate in Caraval once again, this time as a player, and claim her prize, although this game is nothing like the previous one.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓅𝒶𝒸ℯ 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𓆩♡𓆪:

Something I complained about in the previous book was the irregular pacing, but in this case, it's the opposite, the book barely gives you breaks, it's plot twist after plot twist, it keeps you confused until the end. Stephanie Garber's writing is magical, it grabs you, confuses you, and makes you believe it's all real.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓈 𓆩♡𓆪:

❥𝓓𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪 𝓓𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓷𝓪: I was a Tella hater, but I think with this book she redeemed herself a bit. Tella is very different from her sister, she is very reckless, she wants to live adventures and doesn't want to fall in love, although she has her reasons. She has a goal in mind and she's not going to let anything stop her. She seemed to me to be a very strong character from the beginning, fighter and focused, unlike Scarlett, who at the beginning of the previous book was a very insecure person.

“As Tella liked to tell her sister, there was more to life than staying safe”

“She was beginning to understand how hearts could be slowly given away, without a person even realizing”

❥𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓮: OK. I liked him, not going to lie. But I prefer Julian. If you did not read Caraval, skip until next character please. Ok, what we know about Dante is that he works for Legend, and seems to have a special interest in Donatella. LISTEN. IM BEING BIASSED BECAUSE HE HAS TATTOOS OK. TATTOOS!! And im WEAK FOR THOSE. Cleans drool.

“Dante looked up and gave her a fallen star's smile. 'You should always wear flowers?'

“Gold shimmered no matter what, but few people could make darkness glitter the way he did.”

“You are the most beautiful liar that I have ever seen”

❥𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼: SHOUT, SCREAM, UNCONTROLLABLE CRYING. OKAY!! I finally met the famous Jacks, and yes, I fell for him, I have to say that I don't like blondes, but for Jacks, I will make an exception. The only thing we know about him is that he is the heir of Empress Elantine, but we all know that he is much more than that. He is cunning and will not stop until he gets what he wants. I could say so much more about him but it would be spoiler so, If you want to know who Jacks is, you know what to do, read.

“You can call me Jacks”

“I know it's not just the cage that's scaring you, darling”

❥𝓢𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷: I'm a little disappointed, I expected something more from them, a little more participation, and I didn't particularly like their interactions very much.

“Scarlett was Tellas person – the one someone in the world whom Tella could always count on. Tella might not have believed in falling in love, but she had literally bet her life that Scarlett loved her."

I do love how strong Tella and Scarlett bond is, this series talks about love in many forms, and their sisters love is so endearing, and as someone with a sibling, it's touching.

The end of the book leaves an interesting plot open and Finale definitely has many qualities to be an epic ending to a trilogy, the stakes are so HIGH and so they are my expectations.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓂ℴ𝓂ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓆𝓊ℴ𝓉ℯ𝓈 𓆩♡𓆪:

“As the pair stood there with their arms wrapped around each other, and their heads leaning closer together, they looked like two halves of the same heart.”

“—Please don’t stop such and interesting speech on my account. I’m sure I have heard far more colorful curses” “—Did you just insult my use of profanity?” “—I thought I asked for more dirty words”

“Tella wondered if Legend's games ever ended, or if his world was an endless maze of fantasy and reality that left those caught inside it forever suspended somewhere in between the two”

“That's why love was so dangerous. Love turned the world into a garden, so beguiling it was easy to forget that rose petals were as ephemeral as feelings, Eventually they will wilt and die, leaving nothing but thorns.” (I LOVE THIS ONE)

“But I know that Caraval has a way of making people fall in love, and sometimes it's with people who might not be entirely real”

“When you truly care about someone, aren't you supposed to be honest, even if it means you might lose that person?”

“Our memories weigh us down more than we realize”

“Think whatever you want, but if you honestly believe that’s the only reason im here with you right now, you are not nearly as clever as I thought”

“What makes something real Tella? Does seeing something make it real? Or does hearing something make it real? What about feeling something, is that enough to make it real?”

“I keep coming back to you, not because of Legend, or the game. But because you are so real and alive and fearless and daring and beautiful and if what’s between us isn’t real, then I don’t what is"

.𓆩♡𓆪𝒶 𝓈ℯ𝒸𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃 𝒹ℯ𝒹𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉ℯ𝒹 𝓉ℴ 𝒥𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈 𓆩♡𓆪:

“But Tella could not forget how quickly he could turn from careless to cruel”
↳(YES, WE LOVE A CUNNING KING)

“What are you trying to find, Donatella? Are you searching for some good in me? You will never see it, because it doesn’t exist”

“--No one likes me, Donatella, but people go along with whatever I say. Sometimes my only form of entertainment is seeing how far I can take things before someone flinches” “– You really have not feelings at all, do you?” “– I feel” “– But not like humans?” “—No. It takes far more for me to feel something, and when I do its infinitely stronger”

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓈𝓅ℴ𝒾𝓁ℯ𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝒽ℯ𝒶𝒹, 𝓈����𝒾𝓅 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 "ℯ𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝒻 𝓈𝓅ℴ𝒾𝓁ℯ𝓇𝓈"𓆩♡𓆪:

Ok so Im the only one who thought Dante being Legend was a whole ass disappointment, like ok?? I suspected that?? Even before he called Julian “brother”. Idk, I expected more. Or at least I expected the author to not throw it at my face so soon??

Why the fuck did Scarlett search for his fiancé? What was the reason ? IM GONNA SLAP HER SO HARD FOR THAT. Even though I understand the heisting about Julian, why the need of searching that dude.

I must admit Stephanie Garber knows how to write epilogues, I really want to pick up finale right now but I need a break lol.

I do feel that maybe Tella is Jaks true love? But then whats the point of Evangeline on Once Upon a Broken Heart? Like he is in love but not with his true love? Im confused tho.

ℯ𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝒻 𝓈𝓅ℴ𝒾𝓁ℯ𝓇𝓈

Anyways, expect a Finale reading soon.

Caraval series :
╰┈➤Caraval , 3.75✰ stars.
╰┈➤Finale, 4.25✰ stars.

Once Upon a Broken Heart series:
╰┈➤ Once Upon A Broken Heart, 4.✰ stars.
╰┈➤ The Ballad of Never After , 4.25✰ stars.
╰┈➤ A Curse For True Love , 3.✰ stars.

oct 17: br this with my love giuls 💞

[rehaab ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

୭ ˚.⁺ 🎪 ⊹ .ᐟ 4.5 stars

i wished i'd been warned about how traumatising the ending would be; my heart is BROKEN and my brain is SHAMBLES.

[jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay, not to be dramatic but i would bargain my soul to every one of the fates to be able to live in a world where caraval games existed.

there is nothing quite like the amazement and sensational wonder of these books. i just want to crawl into the pages and spend the rest of my days enthralled by the legendary magic of this story. i will admit this was much slower and more character driven than ‘caraval’ but the enchantment was just as present. i love stories that make me second guess what i know and think, and this captivated me from the first pages (it picks up immediately where the first book ends). and rather than being just a simple caraval game, everything gets so much more complicated - the stakes are higher, new forces are in play, and the truth is more hidden than the identity of legend himself. this was truly an experience and cant wait to see how the story ends in the next book!

5 stars

[High Lady of The Night Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck."

This game is a dream wrapped in nightmares, yet to some it is a nightmare wrapped in a dream, it is deceptive, it is beautiful, it is addictive and yet it is the one thing that can break your mind before it breaks your heart, or maybe even both at the very same moment without you ever realising it. It is hatred and love and happiness and sorrow. There are more players in this game than we imagined, but this time they might just be real. Beings of monsters and magic filled with a desired for something beyond our knowledge.
But just keep in mind, it’s only a game… or is it.


In this sequel to the beguiling story of Caraval, Tella will risk her life to find her mother who abandoned her and her sister when they were kids. In order to find her mother, Tella reaches out to people who might just be more danger then they’re worth, but love makes people do crazy things and this time it might just result in her death. She’s putting her life on the line for a mother whose true identity might just change her perspective on everything she’s stepping into and in her attempts to find her long lost mother she might lose her sister who risked her very sanity to find her in the last game.

I absolutely love the fact that Tella is always so honest with herself and knows what she wants and what she’ll do to get it. Anyone else would tell themselves lies to cover up their true feelings to justify what they are or are not feeling, but Tella will think to herself that she knows she shouldn’t want something but she happens to want it so she will hold herself back or will give into it. She will let let herself indulge in her desires whenever she can but will ignore all comforts if it means doing what she has to do. I like that she will finds bits of happiness and satisfaction whenever she can, however dire the circumstances, because time may be endless but life is not.

I love the descriptions of everything throughout the book. The concept of Caraval in itself is so dreamlike and magical that the near poetic descriptions of people, places, and thoughts adds to the beauty and mystery that is Caraval. And I swear I can read the clues in this game a million times and not get bored of them, because those words are put together like a tailor weaves cloth, each thread put together in the most perfect way possible to make every thread seem impeccably melded into the one before it in the most seamless way possible. The writing of this book is amazing and I will always look forward to Stephanie Garber’s books. The characters in this book are mind blowing in their own complexity and the nature of Caraval will make you question whether you really know the person or just the role they’re playing.

I would have liked a more definitive ending but the open end of the book maintains the mysterious charm of Caraval and left me entranced because the endless possibilities of where this story could go is mesmerising. And to no one’s surprise this book, just like the last one, leaves me even further obsessed with this series. I figured out nearly every plot twist in this book, but now I think the frustration of having figured out a lot more than the protagonist adds to the infinite mystery of this concept of Caraval. I can’t wait for the finale of the series of this enchanting world filled with stories begging to be told. 5 stars again!

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5? I don’t know. Mam duzo emocji 😂

[Korrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! People said it was even better than Caraval and I have to agree with that! I really loved Tella as a main character. This book expanded the world of Caraval so much, and expanded the character of Legend a lot too. Once I started I couldn’t put it down; I ended up finishing it in a few short hours. Loved it!

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Flatiron in exchange for an honest review.

1.) Caraval ★★★★

“But the best villains are the ones you secretly like, and my nana always said Legend was the villain in Caraval.”

I know that Caraval was a super polarizing read last year when it released, but I fell on the side of totally loving. From the game, to the mystery, to the lyrical writing, to the compelling characters, I couldn’t get enough. I devoured it in two sittings and never wanted to stop the reading experience. And guess what? Legendary was no different.

In Caraval we follow Scarlett and watch her run away from her home, and her abusive father, so that she can try to rescue her sister, Donatella, by winning the magical game of Caraval. Well, immediately after the outcome from Caraval, Legendary picks right up. Except this time, we follow Donatella, and she has stumbled on her own very own mystery and her very own game. And forget everything you think you learned in Caraval, because this trilogy takes a completely new approach, with completely new twists and turns, in Legendary.

“Legend has chosen you to play a game that may change your destiny.
In honor of Empress Elantine’s 75th birthday,
Caraval will visit the streets of Valenda for six magical nights.”

The invitations are distributed and a brand-new game of Caraval is going to begin, in a brand-new empire that is ruled by a very powerful empress. And this time Tella has decided to play so that she too has a chance to locate someone who has disappeared from her and Scarlett’s lives, their mother. Paloma was truly a woman of mystery, but we are able to see a few flashbacks that Tella has of her mother, along with a few of the keepsakes that Tella has kept all these years.

“For it was also said the Prince of Hearts was not capable of love, because his heart had stopped beating long ago. Only one person could make it beat again: his one true love. They said his kiss had been fatal to all but her—his only weakness—and as he’d sought her, he’d left a trail of corpses.”

We also get to see that a magical card prophesied that Tella would be a victim of unrequited love for her entire life. So, a ring that appears to be more than just a ring, and a card (think Tarot cards) that Tella took against her mother’s will, is all she has as clues. That is, until she meets someone who knows much more about that particular card, and the entire Deck of Destiny. And Tella ends up trying to win Caraval for this new stranger, for her mother, for her heart, for her life, and for Legend himself. Because the only way Tella will ever see her mother again is to win this game.

This book also had a bit more romance than Caraval, but I was completely living for it. And I’m still living for it, honestly. And like, we are maybe about to get a love triangle and I’m still totally here for it. And some of these scenes were legit 11/10, and I completely recommend. Also, I’m still swooning over Dante. But I also can’t stop thinking about Jacks and love that good angst. Be still, my heart.

“I’ve never wanted to be someone else until that moment I saw him kiss you on the dance floor.”

Okay, now I don’t want to gush too hard on you all, but you want to know what this book reminded me of? The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King by Holly Black. And chapter thirteen was such a work of art. Probably the best chapter I’ve read in any book in all of 2018.

So, why did I end up giving this four stars and not five with glowing sentences like the paragraph above this one? With so many twists and turns throughout this book, all of which blindsided me and made me fall more and more in love, the ending ended up being so predictable. Like, to the point that I thought it couldn’t be real, and that the epilogue was going to pull the wool from my eyes. But no, the disappointment just stayed. Which is so sad, because this book was so good, and such a treat to read in every single way, but the ending just made this amazing book really end on a bad note.

“Tella would destroy the world before she allowed anything to happen to her sister.”

Also, there wasn’t as much of a positive sibling emphasis in this book. Like, Tella was 100% committed to Scarlett, and we know from Caraval that Scarlett was 100% committed to Tella, but Legendary didn’t do anything to help enforce that percentage. Scarlett was honestly kind of a hot mess in this book, from start to (especially) end. I pray that Finale is either entirely in Tella’s point of view or it switches between Scarlett and Tella’s point of view. I don’t think I can deal with another solo Scarlett book after her actions in Legendary.

But overall, I really did love reading this. Again, I know not everyone does, but I just love Stephanie Garber’s writing and purple prose so much. I completely connect with it, and it completely immerses. I always feel like I’m there for all six nights of Caraval, in the castles, carriages, balls, and cathedrals. Also, these books and their settings are such aesthetic goals, I swear! Plus, this entire series is such a love letter to morally grey characters! I can’t wait to see how this all wraps up in the last book, Finale.

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch

The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Buddy read with Amy at A Court of Crowns and Quills! ❤

[Anissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. This book is perfection! Stephanie, you have truly outdone yourself! The writing, the twists, the story, the characters - I loved it all and already want to reread this gem, I can't stop thinking about it!

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

predictably boring
———
watch me hate-read the tella effect

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meehhh. What a disappointment.


***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Book Two of the Caraval series
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

What I Liked:

I'm actually a bit disappointed by this book, which is of course very surprise given how much I loved Caraval, and given how much everyone has loved Legendary. I felt so meh about this book while reading it, and when I finished it, I was left with a rather sour taste in my mouth. Definitely not what you would want to feel after reading a supposed masterpiece. But these things happen.

Caraval followed Scarlett Dragna, who entered Caraval in order to save her younger sister Donnatella. Legendary follows Tella, who enters Caraval in order to save her and Scarlett's mother Paloma, who has been missing for years. Paloma is trapped in a card of the Deck of Destiny, a cursed deck of cards that contains the Fates. If the Fates are released, chaos will ensue (or something like that). If Legend gets the Deck, he could gain the powers of all of the Fates in the Deck. In order to save her mother, Tella must find the Deck of Destiny. In order to uphold her bargain with a mysterious criminal who gave her information about her mother, Tella must give the criminal Legend's true identity. Tella has neither of those things, and so she must enter Caraval and win - so that she will receive the ultimate prize from Legend. It's a tricky game that Tella is playing, and it is not without consequences - or sacrifices.

In the first half of the book, I was pretty engrossed in the story. I wasn't totally sold on the whole finding-my-mother thing, but I was intrigued, and I liked Tella. I liked seeing Scarlett and Julian, though I hated the unnecessary drama (more on that below). I looooved Dante's appearances. I even loved Jacks' ridiculous, cruel self. The first half of the book was so fascinating.

I liked Tella for the most part. In book one, I pretty much hated her and branded her the most selfish, unworthy sister ever. But I liked her in this book. She is bold and uninhibited, and while she seemed selfish in Caraval, she seems more selfless in this book. It's clear that she loves her sister, but is very guarded. She is selfless when it comes to Paloma, which is how this book came to be. Finding her mother is so important to Tella.

I adored Dante and his wicked, charming self. I actually didn't totally care for him in book one, but he's so swoony and magical in this book. And not just in a love interest kind of way - the game of Caraval would not be the same without his presence. He's a charming devil, but he's also kind and sweet. He has a commanding presence about him and he has a way of popping up whenever he is needed (and whenever he isn't).

There are many Scarlett/Julian cameos which I appreciate, though I wish they were all happy cameos showing Scarlett and Julian helplessly in love. I guess that will have to wait until Finale. Still, I'm glad that Julian and Scarlett are part of this book, and an important part.

I liked the Dante/Tella romance, but there wasn't nearly enough. The author teased with this romance.

Once I reached the second half of the book, I was kind of finished with it all. I'll talk about all of my dislikes next. I can't even say I liked the ending.

What I Did Not Like:

Ugh, where do I even begin? I just felt so meh about this book at the halfway mark and beyond. What went wrong, you might ask? I have no idea.

I was never truly sold on the whole I-must-find-my-mother plot. It seemed forced and contrived, like the author desperately needed a good reason to bring back Caraval for a second time in a short period (like The Hunger Games), and so she grasped at straws and came up with Scarlett and Tella's missing mother. I just never bought into that plot. It didn't feel important.

I didn't care for the barely-there tease of a romance that was Dante/Tella. I loved Dante. I liked Tella. I loved Dante/Tella. I didn't love the lack of kisses and swoon.

And the implicated love triangle - for both Tella and Scarlett! Like two completely separate love triangles going on! What the heck! I thought Julian/Scarlett was a done deal but apparently not. You know what I hate? When girls want to make their man jealous and so they flirt with someone else. Or go find their ex. And they call it "exploring their options" or some bull***t and they want to bring about some competition between their man and the ex/side man. For real? This isn't cute. There's nothing wrong with dating. But there IS something wrong when you claim you love someone and yet you go look for your ex or another man just to make the man you love jealous, or some bull***. That's playing games and it's maddening. I'm talking about Scarlett.

Oh but Tella is embroiled in her own love triangle, don't you worry. I know she is in love with Dante by the end of the story, and I know he loves her, but there is another guy that seems to be in love with Tella and noooooooo thank you. I actually LOVE this character and I wouldn't mind a Tella/This Character pairing IF Dante had never existed. Meaning, This Character as a love interest is so unnecessary. Why though. Why.

Speaking of unnecessary, let's talking about all the unnecessary drama that is in this book. I already talked about Scarlett's bull**** that she's pulling with Julian, but I hate that she also let's so many factors bring down their relationship. She takes every little thing as a reason not to trust him. She knows who he is, what his role in Caraval is, and yet she whines about it all the time. I liked Scarlett in the first book. But she really got on my nerves in this book. And as much as I liked seeing her and Julian in this book, I would appreciated it more if there was less drama and more swoon. More of them working together as a couple, rather than Scarlett acting like a crazy girlfriend who runs off to her exes every time she believes something about her man (to put the situation in modern terms; Scarlett technically never runs to any exes, but hopefully you understand the picture I'm trying to paint). The drama is just so unnecessary. But I guess it's middle-book drama?

I think this is part of my frustration with YA these days - the drama is so unnecessary, and sequels tend to suck. In adult romance, a book is a standalone and the story is done within that one book. Thank goodness.

The ending of this book is not a happy ending. For anyone.

Would I Recommend It:

Honestly, this is one of those books where you have to read it yourself. Decide for yourself. 99% of the people who read this book love it, so what do I know? I felt so meh while reading at least half of this book. And the ending made me so sour. Not just because of the obvious love triangles, but because of the drama, and the cliffhanger, and it was just so stupid.

But again, decide for yourself. I would say that if you're on the fence, maybe just stop with the first book. Wait until the third book publishes and binge-read the series. Or just stop with Caraval. Caraval had a lovely ending and you can imagine an epilogue of Scarlett and Julian 40 years down the road, happily ever after. No need to read about unnecessary drama.

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Perhaps I'm being generous, and maybe I just really wanted to love the book. I was so excited about it and so prepared to love it like I did Caraval. But I'm glad I didn't buy this book because I would have regretted. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to review it (I was supposed to post this review two months ago, whoops), but I would have regretted spending the money on it. I will read Finale but it'll be a library request from me.



Pre-read squees:

MEEEEEEE, I WANT IT!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Every good story needs a villain.
But the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First things first: I didn’t really like Caraval. Sure the world was great and the story was pretty cool, but I hated Scarlett and I didn’t really like Julian.
In this book everything is different.
In the last Caraval game Tella was the price you could win by playing Caraval.
But now she’s a player herself and she’s not only playing to win. She’s playing for her own life, the life of her mother and the fate of the world.
But when confronted with two hard choices - which one will you take?
This book was really addictive. It had twists and turns and literally the whole time I didn’t know who to trust and what would be the right choice for Tella.
I think this book is a million times better than Caraval.

Character ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like I said, I hated Scarlett. But Tella... I loved her from the start. It started with her little girl dreams of rescuing princes (not being rescued). She was brave, strong and so intelligent. She’s definitely one of my favorite characters now.
I liked the way she always tried to see who’s lying and who’s honest, who to trust and distrust. She always tried to see the right paths and how she wanted the game to end.
But that’s just not possible in this world.
The next character I found pretty entertaining is Jacks. He was cruel, he was mean and still he was so much more interesting than everyone else.
He was so unpredictable and you never knew what he thought and what he would do.
I liked this part of him.
Next to Jacks there’s also Dante. I didn’t really remember much of him in Caraval, but I remembered that he was a handsome mean guy. And even though Dante and Tella had huge chemistry, I still had the feeling he wasn’t the right person for her. But still, the tension was so so so sweet.
And I need to be honest with you, in my imagination, with the tattoos and all, Dante is really a handsome devil.
And I liked that.
I like characters that no one really can shove into a role. He’s not the hero, the good guy of this story. But he’s also not the villain, the bad guy. He’s something in between.
Then, we get to my least favorite person in this story, Scarlett. I was so annoyed every time she appeared in this book. I just don’t like her, I can’t stand her.
And I have the same feelings for Julian.
But all in all the characters really did improve with the second book.
Especially because the main character was now an awesome female that can kick some ass.

World ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was fascinated with the world in Caraval.
It felt magical and I wished there were circuses and games like that.
I wish there was some magic in our world ✨
This time we’re not on the island of the first games. This time we’re in a big city and there are new characters we get to meet.
This time it even feels more magical, more twisted and a bit dark.

Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I think I’d like you even if you were the villain.”
Oh man, the whole time I wasn’t really sure if I could choose a love interest if I was Tella.
On the one hand I did like Dante and his arrogant but loyal way. But on the other hand I always distrust him. I always had a bad feeling with him.
When looking at Jacks and Tella, I never had this distrust. And why is that so? Because he told her from the start that he’s a cruel, emotionless monster that’ll make the world suffer. He never acted differently and that kind of made him sympathetic?
Sounds weird and super strange, but what can I do.
Next to this undecided love interest there is the love between Scarlett and Tella. I know there are sisters and all, but Scarlett was so so annoying and her stupid secretiveness was even worse.
But all in all I was satisfied with the love story in this book, even though I couldn’t decide which side I would be on.
(But then even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you, because that would be a spoiler 😝).

Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh well, the writing style the author has isn’t the best or the prettiest, but it was really addictive and beautifully descriptive.
I liked that the author not only improved in the parts of characters and relationships, she also improved her writing, the story and in some way the world building.
So, if you hated/didn’t like/we’re unsure about Caraval, try out Legendary.
It’s really better than the first book.

Reread Nr. 1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I changed my rating from four to five stars, because I reread this book and it was still so addictive and entertaining. Definitely a good thing for a book.
Can’t wait to read Finale ✨

_____________________________________________________

My friend Lena ♥️ told me this book is absolutely awesome, so I’m gonna read it on my road trip 🚗📖

[bruna · Rating 2 out of 5]

★ 2.75 stars

i actually finished this two days ago but for some strange reason i forgot to update here. i don’t even have the energy to spend hours writing a detailed review so this will be short.

first of all, let’s state the obvious: i didn’t like this book that much. it’s something that i wasn’t expecting since i had high hopes after seeing a lot of people saying it was going to be better than the first one, and well... i don’t think it was. it’s not necessarily bad, some things were enjoyable, but Caraval was slightly better.

the story sounded promising at the beginning, but then it became so boring and it wasn’t as captivating as i thought it would be. in my point of view, it had the potential to be a great story but i feel like the execution wasn’t the best. i don’t know... something was missing, and i can’t pinpoint what it was. also, everything was so confusing. if you asked me what the plot is about i wouldn’t know how to explain and i’m not even exaggerating. all the time i was asking myself, “what the heck is going on?” and at some point i’ll admit that i just gave up on trying to understand. i’m aware that the point is to make us confused — but damn, at least make it exciting and not boring. i was almost dying of boredom. and i’m gonna repeat what i said in my Caraval review: Garber’s writing doesn’t help, it’s unnecessarily descriptive. this book is filled with pointless descriptions that were extremely hard to understand. here is an example:

“Dark green kerosene lamps illuminated pale mint-green glass tables, while velvet green settees cushioned people sucking on glowing cubes of green sugar, or sipping vials of vivid lime liquid. Even the floor was covered in tiny emerald tiles, which reminded Tella of mermaid tails.”

seriously, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? dear god. sometimes i felt like the author was trying too hard to make the writing poetic and instead it came off as pretentious. don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying Stephanie Garber is a bad writer, but i can’t say i’m amazed by her writing style.

even though Tella was less annoying here, i couldn’t really love her. i mean, she had a few good moments and there were times where i sympathized with her, but overall she is still meh. an unremarkable character sadly. i’m not that fond of her, i thought this book would make me love her and it obviously didn’t. let’s see if she will be capable of change my mind in Finale (i’m honestly not hopeful). Dante, on the other hand, was a nice character. he’s so swoony and charming! this man won me over. i enjoyed reading his scenes with Tella, the romance was far from perfect and i found it undeveloped, but i think they have good chemistry together and i hope it stays that way in the next book.

as for Jacks... now i understand why you guys are so obsessed with him. look, i get it. he might not be a good guy, he did bad things and yeah, he’s cruel — but who cares? he’s ✨ dreamy ✨ and entertaining. i’m not ashamed to say that he has me already obsessing over him.

the lack of Scarlett & Julian though was disappointing. we didn’t have a lot scenes of them and the ones we got were not that good. that drama the author added for them at the end was so unnecessary... i can comprehend the reasons behind it, but it doesn’t mean i liked it. i hope she doesn’t ruin their relationship in the next book or else i’ll riot.

well, i don’t have more to say so let’s stop here. overall i’m very disappointed with this book. sigh. the best part about reading it is that i had the chance to buddy read it with my bestie and we had a lot of fun. she made my experience a little better and for that i’m grateful! 🫶🏼

i’m curious to read the next book but i’m not excited to be honest and i don’t have high expectations. i just hope it’s not as disappointing as this one.

──── ⋆☆⋆ ────

my ranking of the Caraval series:

1 • Caraval | ★ 3.5 stars
2 • Legendary | ★ 2.75 stars
3 • Finale | TBR

───────────

pre-review:

rhree fantasy books in a row... WHO AM I? i hope this one is better than Caraval 👀

br with my bbyg selin 😚💘

[lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

trust me no ones more upset i didnt like this than me. i read this whole book and felt next to nothing.

this is gonna be a short review because i really dont have much to say. this book took the last dregs of my energy.

the romance: dead

the plot: mid

jacks: the saving grace

i did like tella’s character in this book. i understand her and her motives now, but like do i care about them? debatable. she just didn’t grip me. she’s very impulsive and makes dumb decisions everyday of her life. this is not the type of relatability i wanna have with a character. i also didnt realize she was 16 in this book until the end bye. it all makes sense now.

dante dante dante please find a personality. he’s so boring omg how can anyone root for him. he has no charisma. i did not care for him. and that whole “fake fiance” business was his own doing, so don’t be getting mad about it you donut.

jacks was the star of the show. he’s the only interesting character in this book. his story was so intriguing. he was funny. he was charming. he was smooth. he actually had charisma. his lines had me cackling. and he’s so hot i want him to have my babies 😮‍💨 anyways

also what typa weak ass love triangle was this? so wack. i hate love triangles but this could’ve benefited from a properly done one.

[lydia ‧ ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

˖ ݁ 𖥔. ❝ Every good story needs a villain. ❞
❝ But the best villains are the ones you secretly like. ❞ .𖥔 ݁ ˖

oh honey, it’s no secret that we all not only like Jacks, we are hopelessly in love with him. There has never been a hotter, more charismatic, more viciously beautiful villain in any fictional story. I didn’t even like apples that much until I read this & ouabh. I know that he is kind of creepy and his actions can’t really be justified, and he’s much more likable in ouabh than this series. But something about his long fingers and his rumpled clothes and his weirdly colored apples has me in a chokehold.

anyway. I’m not only obsessed with Jacks, but with this entire whimsical and romantic series. This book is a little bit darker and less sugary than the first one, though. I felt like I could just bite into Caraval like it was a piece of chocolate. That’s how deliciously quirky it was. But Legendary is the beginning of a much more complex plot and therefore much more serious— not to mention the main protagonist and the love interest are both less cinnamon roll-y than Scarlett and Julian.

Not to say any of those things in a negative way– I love this book every bit as much as the first, not only despite of but because of their differences. Tella is a stunning protagonist for this shimmering story!

₊⊹⁀➴ I love this series so much, and this reread was the best decision I made this year <3 (and no, that’s not only because of Jacks. mostly)

˖ ݁ 𖥔. ❝ Love turned the world into a garden, so beguiling it was easy to forget that rose petals were as ephemeral as feelings, eventually they would wilt and die, leaving nothing but the thorns. ❞ .𖥔 ݁ ˖

[Antje ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isaac Newton would have never discovered gravity if it weren't for apples. Everybody say THANK YOU JACKS 🥰🥰

A beautiful sequel to Caraval! Stephanie Garber always manages to surprise me with characters, vibes and plot points! I knew nothing about this book before starting it (that's my preferred way of reading), so the first thing that kind of blew my mind was Tella's POV! Judge me or not, but I LOVE TELLA. She was irresponsible and annoying in the beginning of Caraval so I understand that some of you don't really like her. But keep in mind, Caraval was told from Scarlett's very subjective perspective, and also Donatella did keep some secrets from her (I don't really want to spoil much) and those acts she did behind her sister's back are pretty redeemable in my opinion! I love how in each of these books, even though they're plot-driven rather than character-driven, things both protagonists and antagonists do are justified (or justifiable, let's put it that way). In YA literature as well as fairytales, random characters (often times) just wake up and decide to be villains. That's not the case here which tells you enough (or tells me enough) about the quality of these books! You can like them or not, find them enjoyable or not, but you can't deny their quality! Knowing the target audience, of course, Garber created an interesting fantasy world, gave it solid building, displayed a good cast of characters and kept surprising us with points the plot took!
THE ROMANCE part is something I feel a need to talk about. It was in my opinion a bit more prominent in this book than in Caraval and pairings were more interesting. Scarlett and Julian are sweethearts but Tella and both Jacks and Dante sparked my interest more! I would say that, as a character, I love Jacks more but I'm rooting for Dante and Tella. However, basically every romantic scene in this book, no matter which pairing it was, had me putting some strands of this bleached and dead hair behind my ear!
Those of you who read that review know that I loved Carval so much because of its AESTHETIC. My aquarius rising LOVES THE VIBES. This book had less of the fairytale vibe and that kind of made me sad but then I came to an interesting conclusion. It's not much of a spoiler (maybe a TINY SPOILER), that in Legendary it's revealed that "everything's now real, it's not a game" and when you read the story from Donatella's POV, you CAN REALLY TELL THAT IT'S NOT A GAME TO HER! Hope that tells you something about how well these books are written.

Stephanie Garber, YOU SLAYED and I will die on this train! 🧎🏼‍♀️😍💅

[Han · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ~Jacks gave the book an additional .5!~ Stars (rounded down)

Thoughts:

A Legendary Summary: “Tella don’t.” And then Tella does.

*me looking at the ratings between book one and two and trying to figure out how book two is rated higher, but then I remember Jacks is in it.*

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I wanted to love this one more, but I genuinely could not connect to it or the main characters. The predictability with barely any twists (unlike book one) was disappointing. Didn’t we already do a fake fiance trope in book one? Copy paste with a different font kind of vibes. Just saying. The plot wasn’t gripping when it came to the game itself. What is the purpose of the game if the other contestants have no chance of winning? I could see the concept of the plot in this book, but we kept being steered off track with other information (that may come in book 3, but some things just seemed like an afterthought).

The Tella division line has been drawn. Here I thought I would be dragged to the Tella-lovers or Tella-haters side, but I walked willingly to the Tella-why-oh-why-are-you-like-this-*pull out my hair* side. I don’t hate Tella, but I also definitely do not like her. How she treats Scarlet is the main reason! I am all for a free-spirit, but when your free-spirited-adventure-self leads to you constantly lying and forgetting about your sister after declaring how much you love her and would die for her… yeah I’m not for it. Scarlett seems like an afterthought to her. And again just like Caraval, this had the sister bond be more tell than show. Tella is the definition of letting intrusive thoughts win every time - in the commentary, one liners, and random biting (don’t even get me started on that last one). I’m not heartless though. I did feel for Tella some moments, but her dummy-dumb actions led her to the road she chose time and time again.

The romantic relationship in it between Dante and Tella had me gasping for water because it was so dry. I was begging for chemistry that I just could not find. Too insta-lovey for my taste. It didn’t help that Dante bored me too. He had some interesting moments in Caraval, and here his only personality traits were obsessive, annoyingly jealous or gone (both in the sense of no personality and because he would just disappear)!

What kept me reading the book? Jacks, of course! His moments were *chef’s kiss*! I was also really intrigued by the fates and the heir aspect to the story!

I know this isn’t their book, but I was looking for the ScarJules crumbs, and was heartbroken by everything happening in the background instead. Someone give our girl, Scarlett, a hug please!

Random side note: “He smelled of ink and other dark, seductive things.” I mean to each their own on ink kinks, but how are we seduced by ink? This dude did not just get a tattoo! What in his line of work would make him smell like ink??? If someone has the answers, please tell me because I don’t mind being corrected, but I cannot with this! It’s like when authors say someone smells like air? HOW?

I kept my expectations low, and somehow this slide under that bar still.

If I start having an apple fixation, don’t worry about it.

ANMOLLLL! THIS BUDDY READ WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT YOU, SIS! You made the experience of this second book what it was! Can’t wait for book 3 with you now! ONE STEP CLOSER TO OUABH!

P.S. anmol and I have now started calling dumb actions done by other characters in this series the tella effect! It’s my new favorite thing lolol.

Would I recommend this and to who:
Yes-ish, but not this book specifically. I would recommend the series to YA fans ready for another adventure!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
E-book
Pace:
Fast/Medium-ish
POV:
Tella

Quotes:
“So,’ she said cautiously, 'is all this your way of telling me you’re the villain?’ His chuckle was dark. 'I’m definitely not the hero.’ 'I already knew that,’ Tella said. 'It’s my story, so clearly I’m the hero.”

“His mouth was crashing against hers. He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”

“Legends were supposed to be better than the truth.”

“For it was also said the Prince Of Hearts was not capable of love because his heart had stopped beating long ago. Only one person could make it beat again: his one true love. They said his kiss had been fatal to all but her - his only weakness - and as he’d sought her, he’d let a trail of corpses.”

“It was the sort of kiss she could have lived in. The sort of kiss worth dying for.”

“Fate is only an idea, but I think by believing in it we turn it into something more.”

Triggers:
Blood, Violence, Death, Mentions of former physical and emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury, Bullying, Toxic Relationships, Torture, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Swearing, Mental illness, Classism, etc.


🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩

RTC!!!

*picks up mic* *anmol hands me cue cards* Deema and May - the fates (*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) did not align for this one. I am saddened today to tell you that… I don’t hate Tella, but I also don’t like her very much. She can be relatable, but that’s it. I’m sorry. Please take my love for Jacks to make up for it, and ease the pain. *drops mic and flees stage left for my life*

🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩🎡🎠🎩

The way I was going into this one on my journey to Once Upon a Broken Heart while loving scarjules and now (after Deema's persistence 🤭) I need to see how I feel about Tella!

BR with my best and not only, but (adopted) favorite sis!! 💗

[• Lindsey Dahling • · Rating 3 out of 5]

I DID IT. I FINISHED THE DAMNED THING. And I’m going to bitch in a conflicted manner just like I did with Caraval AND THEN STILL ADD FINALE TO MY TBR LIST.

This book was a rollercoaster of boredom. It would build and build to potentially something interesting until the cart slowly reached the top of a hill...and then instantly raced back down through all details/explanations/anything cool in .5 seconds and go back to a flat, level track.

Garber did, for the most part, get rid of her annoying similes in this one. There were only a handful of truly dear-god-just-stop-my-eyes-are-going-to-be-permanently-damaged-from-all-of-the-rolling moments. I do have to include the following examples of dumb because a) I’m concerned about Garber’s perceptions of air and b) I NEED YOU TO SUFFER WITH ME.

“Even the air buzzed with anticipation and excitement. Tella could feel it licking her skin, as if it wanted to drink in her frenzied emotions as well.”

HOW IN THE HELL IS THAT A PLEASING IMAGE? THE AIR IS BASICALLY A VAMPIRE.

“The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck.”

WHAT. THE. HELL. GAG. GAG. GAG.

Also, just about every object, sun stream, and/or fabric is described as “buttery” in this universe.




The thing is, I did actually like the book. I liked it waaaaaaaay more than the first one, even though I gave them both three stars. It’s like I’m under a spell. She’s created such a fun, fantastical world with just enough mystery and intrigue that I’m willing to put up with the annoying (but much improved) writing. It’s just frustrating when an author builds and builds to this big reveal (and I’m not even necessarily talking about Legend, though multiple things about him can be included) and then the moment of truth is explained in one giant half-page exhale. This happened a lot with the character Jacks, who I think may be my favorite. I haven’t decided yet.

I will also admit that homegirl Garber did step up her game when it came to sexually charged scenes. Those were the main peaks of the boredom coaster. But, any time those parts got dangerously close to becoming interesting for the plot, she drop-kicked them right out the window into the buttery, powdered sugar tarantula air.



See you all in May when the last one is released. I’ll probably even WILLINGLY buy it the day of AND I STILL DON’T KNOW WHY. ✌🏻👋🏻

[sara &#x1f34b;‍&#x1f7e9; (scarjulian defender) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★

very, very cute !

maybe it's my opinion but i found the narration less frenetic and much slower than the first book, which kept me in suspense more but in any case this one also had some twists that intrigued me !
for now though my favorite of the the series remains caraval <3

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 is … so … hot guys … i’m not .. okay ;
i saw the fan art on pinterest and i fell in love even more

𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 is a fucking genius, determined and impulsive.

(don’t get angry with me but my number # 1 will always be Scarlett 🫣)

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝
i had understood and felt it already from halfway through the book who he was ! (no spoiler here xoxo 💋)

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 oh jacks (i have heart-shaped eyes) love you already (next month i will read ouabh ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ yay ! )

few scenes of 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 and 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭 . where are my parents !??

i would really like to give a shout out to Stephanie Garber's writing because it is divine.

i'm curious to know how the saga will end and my heart is already crying ୨୧

“𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞- 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠”



𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥 5 ★
𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 4 ★
𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 tbr

______________________________________________

pre read review 🎡🎪🎟️🎇

time to go back to the world of caraval <3

જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 started : 9/09/2024 - finished : 12/09/2024

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was so much more enjoyable the second time through, so much that I’ve bumped my rating up a full star. I love the narrator and am finally ready for the Finale!

********************

I'm clearly in the minority with my middle of the road rating here, but I just couldn't push it any higher than 3 stars. I read an arc of Caraval back in August of 2016 and fell in love with the characters, the world, and the game itself. The story was one where I couldn't put it down, so much so that I read it all in a single day while traveling home from the beach. I cried as loudly as possible in any direction I could for people to pick it up and read it; Garber created a strong fantasy world that was clean and age appropriate, and I applauded her for doing so in a way that was still appealing to teens. Still, years later, I cannot recommend Caraval highly enough, and while I see why it was stretched out to be a trilogy, I also could have seen it ending slightly altered and being a strong stand alone.

I'm trying to pinpoint exactly why Legendary didn't work as well for me. It may be because this story felt choppily tied to the first, almost as if it was an afterthought to continue in this direction rather than naturally flowing from the first book. It could also be the fact that I simply didn't connect with Tella's narration as well as I did with Scarlett's in the first book, possibly because I don't like her as much. *shrugs* Whatever the case, and as negative as this all sounds, I still did consider this a positive reading experience; I typically struggle with middle installments in trilogies and this one was fast paced and suspenseful from beginning to end. It's an easy read, one that almost reads itself, and while we're still left with questions, it was fun experiencing a totally different plot than the first and pondering whether the information we receive at the end is indeed true or simply left to throw us off our game until next year.

Garber is clearly a talented author; her writing is easy to connect with and appealing to a wide age range, and while I didn't love Legendary as much as I did the previous novel, I'm still looking forward to Finale in 2019.

*Buddy read with my sister Irina. <3

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ok, I listened to this and mostly enjoyed the story.
I gotta say this, though: the descriptions of everything were so off the wall they were unintentionally hilarious. By the end of the book, I was caught between rolling my eyes and laughing out loud when Tella would say some shit like:
"He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight."
I mean, that sounds cool until you think about it for 5 seconds - what the fuck do bottles of fresh moonlight taste like?!
Or?
“The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck.”
Candied butterfly wings? Candied...? I'm genuinely torn. Is that amusing or kinda gross? And how many boozy peaches have you ever met tottering down the road?
WHAT ARE YOU ACTUALLY SAYING?!
Nothing. Your words mean nothing.
Hang on, let me try this out:
I'm sitting on a chair that smells like the color of metal hamburgers.
Tra-la-la!



Alright. Alright!
It's not like it really bothered me, it just made an impression on my reading experience that had me making faces and laughing. <--which isn't a deal-breaker for me.
And the main story kept me interested. There's a lot of whatthefuckery happening what with the old Is It/Isn't It real? thing that was going again, only this time around Tella is the main character instead of her sister, Scarlett. And for what it was, it was good.

The book felt like the color of caramelized stuffed animals. <--I'm addicted and will never stop. I see now why Garber does it.



Ok, so you do eventually find out who Legend is, but since that's the prize for winning the game, I don't think I'm giving any spoilers here. The last page leaves you wanting more even though I wasn't a fan of Tella's reaction.
Because any idiot would have realized he loved her. DUH! He sacrificed his entire life's plan to bring your stupid ass back from that playing card. Howthefuck could you believe he had been lying about the way he felt? You couldn't. Realistically she should have been confused as to what his plan was but should have trusted that he was a good guy.
It was angsty and stupid because PLOT REQUIREMENTS required a stupid amount of angst. And I was less than impressed.

Legendary's ending left me feeling like I was sitting on a trampoline made of cement the color of wallpapered beetle farts.



And I'll read the next one when it comes out.

[Camila Ochoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHICOS NO LO PUEDO CREER

ESTE

LIBRO


WOW. WOW. WOOOOOOOOW


NO DA AMIGO NO DA!!! Es IMPRESIONANTE. La verdad no le tenía NADA de expectativas porque dije “despues de Caraval, nada puede ser mejor” PERO QUÉ PAYASA SOD CAMILA , me dijo Stephanie Garber. Y SI, PAYASA QUEDÉ.

CHICOS EL VIAJE QUE ME COMÍ CON ESTE LIBRO NO LO PUEDO CREER

a ver, no se puede comparar con caraval porque SON DOS COSAS DISTINTAS. Creo que disfruté más Legend porque fue mucho más picante, la trama estaba que TE MORIAS DE LA ANSIEDAD no les explico, realmente el plot 📈📈📈📈 Además como ya conoces cómo es caraval, LA COSA SE PONE MUCHO MÁS TURBIA PORQUE TODAVÍA NO ENTENDES QUE MIERDA ESTA PASANDO AMIGO NO PUEDE ESCRIBIR TAN BIEN ESTA MUJER

Y TELLA? TELLA SWEETIE PERDÓN PERO NO TE TENÍA UNA PUTA EXPECTATIVA Y ME VOLASTE LA PELUCA. Pero qué pedazo de protagonista la re puta madre, les voy a dejar una quote que la describe

mentira al final no se las dejo porque es spoiler, pero creanme cuando les digo QUE ES UNA SSHHHHEINA

flaco si no leíste caraval ni legendary para cuando hayas llegado hasta acá, no sé que carajo estás haciendo de tu vida


QUIERO LEER FINALEE YAAA WACHO STEPHANIE TE AMO SOS MI NUEVA AUTORA FAV AMIGA!!!!!!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[saisha⊹{pf revamp…?} · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨∞ stars!!!✨
➺spoilers are marked!! ugh i didn't want this book to ever end omg, it was SO good!!!!!!

"every good story needs a villain."
"but the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”˖ ݁ 𖥔.

♫ ~ new romantics
baby, we're the new romantics come on, come along with me
heartbreak is the national anthem we sing it proudly


my thoughts💗┆ that's so true(gracies version!!) its no secret that i'm in love with jacks, but overall this was one of the BEST books i've ever read. i loved caraval but this? it was perfect-magical-stunning-✨legendary✨

"he gazed at her as if he wanted her to lose herself in his eyes, so that he could be the one to find her."

🎪characters🎪

➼ donatella dragna
↳ a girlboss wow. to start off, tella wasn't my fave character in caraval, but she ABSOLUTELY ATE in this book omg!!🤭 ahhh omg her attitude. her confidence, i loved her so much!!!<3💕 she was so different from what i expected, and it was so much fun reading her journey in this!!
↳spoiler here! oh my goodness. when she kissed jacks i lowkey wanted to CRY, omg tella+dante(legend) 4ever and ever❤️ BUT thankfully i've already read ouabh so my heart was safe🤭. ALSO, the was tella would do ANYTHING for scarlett? AWEEE i wanted to cry, i love their sister bond so much🥺

➼scarlett dragna
↳ my FAVE from book one!! as expected she was AMAZING in this book!! i loved her so much in caraval, and she did NOT disappoint!💗 she is so sweet and kind and omg i wanna give her a hug, because she deserves all the happiness in the world after what she's been through🥺.
↳spoiler coming up! but omg at the end when she was going to give the count a CHANCE?😭 and earlier when she almost ended things with julian?? i wanted to scream "NO SCARLETT NO. CHOOSE JULIAN PLEASE. HE'S THE RIGHT CHOICE"🥺 because scarlettjulian is endgame 4ever and ever💗

➼julian santos
↳ so the thing is that i love julian SO MUCH🤭❤️ awe he's so sweet and the way he would do ANYTHING for scarlett?🥹 i want my own julian so much ahh🤭❤️ and YES ik he's lied SO MANY times- to protect her though🥹. julian was just AMAZING in caraval and in legendary? we stan julian 🤭 #livelaughlovejulian!!

➼dante
↳ wow. just wow. i didn't really like dante in caraval because of how rude he was and his behavior towards scarlett BUT in this book, i ended up falling for him. he's so fierce and protective of tella.🥺 he's charming, handsome, and ahh i love him💗can't wait to see more of him in finale🤭
↳spoiler rant here, pls skip if you haven't read already! OH MY GOODNESS. DANTE IS LEGEND. THE LEGEND?!! ahhh i should have known omg, because there was a scene when julian called him brother and i was like COULD IT BE HIM??🤭 BUT I WAS STILL SO SHOCKED OMG i kinda almost fell off my bed when i read it. then i giggled like a little girl🤭 BUT ANYWAYS I LOVED DANTE SO MUCH, like that part when he saved tella from the evil queen and her handmaiden omg. OR how he kept helping her throughout the game?!💕 he kept dropping hints that he was legend too omg<3

➼jacks
↳my husband. a fate. the prince of hearts(my heart!!🤭). a kiss that kills all but his "one true love". a heartbreaker. OKAY so i've already read ouabh, and im SO HAPPY that i already have, because i think i would have hated him if i read this before ouabh😭 BUT OMG I LOVE JACKS SO MUCH!!! my fave villain 4ever and ever fs!🤭💖 he did NOT disappoint tehe💖
↳spoiler coming up! OMG WHEN TELLA KISSED HIM AND DIDN'T DIE i was happy obviously because i don't want tella to die, but i was mad - BECAUSE EVAJACKS FOR LIFE!!!💖 i mean i knew that tella wouldn't die from his kiss because of ouabh but again, evajacks forever and ever💘

➼long spoiler rant below!
↳ OMG. OMG. THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK WAS JUST AMAZING!! like we got scarjulian CRUMBS, but they were just PERFECTION💖scarjulian is unmatched for sure, the was julian cares for her and awe🥹. BUT TELLA+DANTE(legend hehe)!! THE WAY STEPHANIE GARBER WRITES SLOW BURN? I WAS GIGGLING AND CRYING AND OMG!!! the chemistry between them. the way dante always protected her. THE WAY HE KEPT HELPING HER WITH CARAVAL AWE!💌🥺 THE WAY tella kept denying her feelings? AND WHEN TELLA SACRIFICED HERSELF FOR HER MOTHER AND LEGEND BROUGHT HER BACK AND FREED THE FATES TO SAVE HER?!!! OMG THE ROMANCE IN THE NOVEL was just>>>, what i wouldn't give to read this for the first time again omg💗

🌺quotes!!🌺
➼skip if u haven't read!!<3

𓆩⟡𓆪 "i'm sure el will adore you."
"did you just refer to the empress as el?"
"elantine is such a mouthful."
"you call me donatella
➼ haha jacks omg🤭

𓆩⟡𓆪 "if he was legend, he wasn't supposed to care. he wasn't supposed to still gaze at her as if she'd just shattered his world with a kiss. he was supposed to laugh at her for being foolish enough to fall for him. he wasn't supposed to lean in closer as if he'd fallen for her, too. he was supposed to rip the cards from her hands and abandon her on the moonstone steps. he was supposed to break her heart. she wasn't supposed to break his."
➼ THAT QUOTE OMG MY HEART🥺❤️

𓆩⟡𓆪 "something cracked inside of tella. it might have been her heart, breaking while he walked away—as if he hadn't just freed the fates and damned the entire world for her."
➼ i think my heart broke while i read that😭

𓆩⟡𓆪“that's why love was so dangerous. love turned the world into a garden, so beguiling it was easy to forget that rose petals were as ephemeral as feelings. eventually they will wilt and die, leaving nothing but thorns.”
➼ omg this quote🥺💗

songs🎧!!

maroon(scarjulian's song)

"the mark they saw on my collarbone, the rust that grew between telephones, the lips i used to call home, so scarlet it was maroon// and i, lost you, the one, i was dancing with"

close to you

"pull the trigger on the gun i gave you when we met, i wanna be close to you// break my heart and start a fire, you got me overnight"

wildest dreams(this whole song is so telladante coded)

"say you'll remember me, standing in a nice dress staring at the sunset babe// say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams "

bottom line🫶🏻┊please go read this series, it is seriously one of the best i've EVER read🥺. at first i was a lil scared to read this because ik this one is the least loved out of the trilogy but OMG i loved this book SO MUCH!!! it was so good and it completely swept me away from reality, and i'm so sad its over now😔 but i can't wait to revisit this world and the characters in finale!! thank you so much to my bffs - ellie, ava, lydia, ella, and ally for always letting me yap my thoughts to u and for always being so supportive and amazing!! ily girls so much!! but as promised this book was completely magical, and ✨legendary✨

~saisha🎀

[Aimee Tea Reads&#x1f4da; · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with most great series, it picks up on book 2.
I liked Caraval even if it was a little bit slow at times.. but Legendary was perfect💖
I though I wouldn’t like Donatella, but she is my favorite! Such a well-written character.

And again with the damn plot-twists. 😱 Stephane Garber is the queen of plot twists.

The caraval series is definetely unique.. if you want to literally feel like you’ve stepped into a fairytale, you need to give this series a try.

Legendary is a 5⭐️ for me🤭💖