{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. 

{Review} Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

Posted by Donna
Release Date: January 31st, 2017
Finished Date: January 21st, 2017

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

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

 

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved 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 far-away, 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. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

The Review: I hadn't heard of Caraval until it arrived from the publishers from one day and since it arrived it's all I've been hearing about in the blogging world. When there is a lot of hype about a book even before it's release, I'm immediately interested and so of course, I just knew I had to find out why everyone loves this book already.

Caraval is a story that offers magic, adventure, romance and of course mystery. The mystery aspect really is a big part of this story - such a big part that for most of the story you have absolutely no idea what's going on. It's mind-blogging and interesting that you can't help but want to keep turning the pages. It's quiet a slow burning read - one that doesn't pick up until the last 100 pages of so but even though I found it a slow read, I was still very much interested in how the story was going to play out.

Scarlet's journey wasn't easy - it was hard, brutal and scary and the world of Caraval was more than happy to keep Scarlet from finding her sister. She did have the help of Julian who himself hides more secrets than he's willing to share. Their journey to finding Tella was intriguing and even though I'm not a fan of Tella I did want to see her safe for Scarlet's sake. Their romance for me was the best part of the story because it was unexpected and innocent and they did have a some lovely touching moments in between the craziness that is Caraval. 

In all, I believe Caraval will be a hit for many readers and it's definitely a story I enjoyed - especially with that twist at the end of the story that you won't see coming. 

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