{Review} Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber

Guest Review by Jess from Jess Hearts Books
Release Date: May 29th, 2018
Finished Date: May 17th, 2018 

Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton
Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: ARC

Pages: 416
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

The stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling Caraval

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.

The Review: Caraval was one of my favourite books of 2017 so when I heard that Stephanie Garber was writing a sequel this time from Tella’s point of view it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases of the year.

Legendary starts where Caraval left off with a new game about to begin to celebrate Elantine’s Day, only this time the stakes are much higher because Tella made a dangerous bargain that her mysterious friend intends to collect on and what he wants is Caraval Master Legend’s true name. To discover Legend’s identity Tella needs to win the game. With her life and the future of those she cares about on the line Tella must navigate Caraval once more.

Reading Caraval was like visiting the most fantastical circus and with Legendary we step inside the fortune teller's tent as we enter a world of tarot cards, destiny and fate. I loved the direction that Stephanie Garber took this series in and I felt like we got some much-needed expansion on this world and its history. However, I didn’t feel like the game of Caraval was as exciting the second time around. Like a magic trick you’ve seen before, some aspects felt a little repetitive and I felt like Legendary lost some of the sparkle and wonder that the first book had. Whereas the plot in Caraval felt enchanting and exciting, in Legendary it felt all too predictable. 

Reading from Tella’s perspective was by far my favourite aspect of this book. She was my favourite character in Caraval and I loved getting to know her better in Legendary. I love that she’s a flirt and very feminine and sensual yet also incredibly strong and independent. Her character busts a lot of YA heroine stereotypes and I find her a total breath of fresh air.

Overall I thought that Legendary was a solid follow up to Caraval. Although it perhaps did not live up to all of my very high expectations I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book. However I think that in finale we need to step off the Caraval merry-go-round and explore the world behind the magic for this series to reach its full potential.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.