I hate that this one also has a cliff hanger ending. It's like we discovered nothing. Legend is still a mystery. I'm all about trilogies but you have to give me SOMETHING.

This is a great sequel to Carival. It is filled with just as much magic as the first. I loved it.

I had hoped this book would have the same intrigue that the first book had. In the first book everything was mysterious and you wondered what was going on and hoped to figure it all out, but this second one fell flat for me. The writing was only so-so, and the characters really didn't catch me as magical as I was hoping. It was predictable and boring at times. And I enjoyed the first book and was hoping the second one would capture my attention like that one, but alas, it did not. Just an o.k. read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Caraval was my top book of 2017 and I was so excited to get my greedy hands on Legendary.

I will be 100% honest here: I wasn’t completely sold on Tella being the one who tells the story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Tella, but I thought she was extremely flighty and I didn’t know how it would go. I need to go back and push past Stacee for even being concerned. Like Tella says in the story, everyone underestimates her and Stephanie really puts her to the test in this story. Of course there are new characters and glimpses of characters in Caraval and I’m not going to say another things about them.

Plot wise, it felt a lot more intricate to me. There are several threads in this story and it did take me a bit to settle into it, but I was captivated right from the beginning. There are swoons and kissing and magic and treachery and the ending had me hugging the book and nearly screaming.

Overall, it was even more than I was expecting and I’ll just be over here in the corner, hoping hoping hoping that there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Flatiron Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Wow. I really enjoyed Legendary. Caraval was such a strange experience for me that I didn't know what to think going into Legendary. Scarlett drove me crazy the first half of Caraval (the the extent that I almost didn't finish the book) but then the magic grabbed a hold of me and I could not put it down. Legendary had that same captivating magic from start to finish. It is not very often a book can make be gasp in shock or keep me from figuring our the ending before I get there but Legendary had me as ensnared and uneasy as Tella. My one complaint would be that there was a lot of repeating the same information which dragged the story down some but overall it was such a fun read!

Full review will be live on my blog (www.readandwander.com) two weeks before release.

Legendary is the sequel to one of my favorite books from last year, Caraval.
The sequel picks up right where first book left off and quickly jumps right into another adventure. This time the story is told from the point of view of Donatella, the younger sister of the main character of Caraval, Scarlett, who’s disappearance and imminent discovery was the focus and challenge of the first game of Caraval that resulted in Scarlett winning the game when she found the missing Donatella after experiencing a topsy turvy and brutally wicked trial of tortured puzzles, illusions and tricks.
Legendary follows an extremely similar story structure to Caraval as another game is played, irregularly soon after the last. This time Scarlett’s sister, Donatella, must discover the true identity of the game’s mastermind, Legend or suffer death by the cruel Prince of Hearts, a Fate who has escaped his magical imprisonment and doomed Donatella with a single kiss that will stop her heart.
At times Legendary felt disappointingly repetitive and similar to Caraval but the unique elements of Donatella’s story remained original enough to keep me intrigued, entertained and looking forward to more.

I read this book without reading Caraval in a LONG time. I probably should have read it with a little bit less of a gap- so I highly recommend rereading the first book before this one. However, if you were one of the many readers who were heads over heels about Caraval- I think you will enjoy this book as well.

For me Caraval was a weird read that I enjoyed, but had my reservations about. The same can be said about this book. It had a cool premise (traveling magic circus like fantasy land), with a very different heroine (a bold rash Tella vs. the softer more patient Scarlett), and a different sort of love story (where they tried to not make it the main point of the story but it kind definitely was the pain point of the story). Overall there were some good parts and some parts that had me rolling my eyes.

In Legendary, we are invited to explore different parts of mythology in this world that was not introduced until now. How apparently there were Fates that ruled over the land that they live in and that they were all expelled by a witch who gave Legend his powers. It was something new and interesting, but we don't really go into much details about the myths or what exactly they each mean. I wish this was introduced in the previous book so it didn't feel like such a jarring addition.

This book is much less about the game than the previous book and more about Tella and her journey. I think that sometimes the purple prose got a little out of hand but I think that the story was decent.

I would recommend this book to those who like headstrong heroines, a story that tries really hard to be "not all about romance", and those who loved Caraval but wished it had a slightly faster pace.

Unlike many sequels which take place in a similar event as the first novel (e.g. Hunger Games and Catching Fire), Garber's follow up of Caraval does not simply repeat the plot devices or themes of the first book. While the events occur over another of Legend's games, it does not share much more with the previous game than an air of mystery and, oddly enough, another individual supplying the protagonist with her clothing every day. 

Again, I enjoyed the prose. Many have complained about the nonsensical nature of some descriptions in these novels, but I feel they carry the magic and splendour of Caraval from the pages into the reader's imagination. As soon as I started Garber's sequel, I was swept away by the familiar tone. 

This game takes place in a new city, which acts as a passive background to the action. The world-building has left room for interpretation. The main landmarks are clear, but you and I could still produce drastically different scenery around which our characters carry out their stories. While this may just be due to weak world-building, it has the effect of making the reader feel as if they are watching a play unfold before them. The entire novel feels as if it is setting up another act for an audience that will require more from the heroes and villains we have come to know a bit better.

The characters shine in this book more so than they did in the predecessor. There are no white and black lines between hero and villain. While the narrator may suggest someone is cruel, evil, or manipulative, the reader has their doubts. This conflict between the narrator and reader reiterates the unreliable nature of the storyteller. A reminder that in the game of Caraval you cannot trust anything, not even the story. 

I felt the excitement, hope, heartbreak, and betrayal suffered by characters throughout the story as real as if it were my own. As I finished this sequel, I was confident only that Garber is not done with us any more than we feel done with Scarlett, Julian, Dante, Tella, and Legend.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Flatiron Books, and Stephanie Garber for providing me with an eARC of Legendary so that I could offer an honest review.

Oh. My. Goodness...

I LOVE this series - Garber has created such an original, magical, horrifyingly off-kilter world, and populated it with a cast of characters that is truly unique and wildly inventive. She has the perfect writing style for this type of story - clear and concise, but with just enough detail to bring the world she's created into Technicolor glory. She is also terribly witty, and there are a number of one-liners that are offered as throwaways, but that often steal the scene. Garber plays with language and imagery the way that Legend plays with people, and the result in both instances is delightfully dark and deliciously funny.

I enjoyed the introduction of the Fates as an entirely new set of players, because they offer so many opportunities for intrigue. But I also really enjoyed the deepening of Legend's character- he's still an enigma wrapped in a riddle, but for very different reasons (as a result of several reveals in this book), and it's fantastically unclear - STILL - whether he's the hero or the villain of the piece... It's that type of moral ambiguity that I think makes the characters in this series so marvelous - they have a depth and breadth, a psychological heft if you will, that ebbs and flows like the tides and leaves you a little uncertain where they stand at all times. It makes every page a thrill, because it is almost impossible to guess when they will zig and when they will zag - or when they'll decide to go with neither and instead stop for coffee... It keeps you off-kilter, right along with Scarlett and Tella, and that's a fun place to be when you don't have to worry about paying the consequences like they do!

I really enjoyed that this book was written from Tella's perspective (as opposed to Scarlett's, who is the focus of Book One) - it was interesting to step inside her head and get a better sense of who she is and why she behaves as she does. The two sisters are wildly different on the surface, but as more about their lives and histories is revealed, I'm starting to see more core similarities too - in intriguing, resonant ways that I suspect will shape the stories that unfold going forward. I'm curious to reread the first book now, and see if it colors my interpretation of her actions (I suspect it will)...

Speaking of which, I'm also insanely curious to see what comes next... There's no way Garber can stop writing in this series now, there are too many loose ends and possibilities laid out at the end of this one. Which is a Very Good Thing, because a world like this deserves more than two visits!

While I loved the first book in this series, Caraval, I think I liked this one even better! This was because I really loved the character of Tella, I loved that she was impulsive and adventurous and a risk taker unlike her more reserved sister. While I initially though here somewhat spoiled in the first book, I really like how here character was developed in Legendary and as I got to see more of her own personality and thoughts I began to love her and her story.

I really hope that there is a third book in the series, because there is still so much that I NEED answers to like what is really up with Legend, will Scarlet ever forgive Julian, and what will happen to Paradise the Lost and the Fates?!?

This is a series that I will definitely recommend to my students, in fact I already have Caraval in my library and have been recommending it to students and I can see this one being just as well received by my students too, especially those that enjoy Fantasy!

Is it possible to love the 2nd book more than the 1st book? This series is absolutely amazing!

Is this a duology or will the series continue?

This is Tella's story and she gets to play the game, but it goes so much deeper than the actual game. I was completely enthralled and completely lost in the magic of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really can't say much because it will ruin the magic, so you will just have to read for yourself! Oh, and go read Caraval first if you haven't already!

This book is amazing! I devoured it in two days! At first I was a little disappointed that Tella was the focus, rather than Scarlett, but before I knew it, I was sucked into the story and couldn't stop reading. I was very intrigued by the second Caraval game and by Tella's quest. Legend's true identity blew me away! I will definitely recommend this book to my students as well as anyone looking for a magical, mystical read.

I loved this book :) I loved the first book and this one was <3 <3

Wow, this book was fabulous!!! It had me pulled in from the very beginning. When Donatella has to play the next Caraval game to save her mother, it ends up being much more than she bargained for. And her "friend" who helped her save Scarlett and herself from their father is also not the person that she thought he was. When she is told at the beginning that she will have to sacrifice more than she thought to win the game, it doesn't deter her. But as she plays, she realizes that what she needs to sacrifice might be more than she is willing to.
This was posted on Goodreads and will be posted on my instagram page later.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2139699656
https://www.instagram.com/dystopiannovelsfanatic/

It was just too repetitive. I really had to push myself to finish this one. Every other chapter recapped the events of the book and dragged out the plot.

Caraval has ended and Donatella Dragna (Tella) has finally succeeded in saving her sister Scarlett and getting them both away from their abusive father. Anything seems possible but the magic of Caraval has quickly faded. Tella isn't done; she naively made a deal with a mysterious "friend" who wants something no one is able to aquire, Master Legend's true identity. The only way Tella can fathom uncovering this truth is to win Caraval. Once more she finds herself swept up in the crazy game that makes reality and magic hard to distinguish. If Tella can not succeed, she's about to lose everything, including her life. But if she does, Caraval may cease to exist.

Stephanie Garber had done it again. She has beautifully portrayed a world of mystery and magic; of real vs fantasy. It had been quite some time since I had read Caraval but I fell head first into this sequel. From the very first page to the last, I kept wondering how far Garber would go to suck her readers in. I was not disappointed! Throughout the book, the reader follows Tella on a quest for clues while trying to discern what is part of the magic of Caraval and what is quite literally life or death.

Legendary will make you question your own morals. How far would you go to save someone you barley even know? What if you were given an ultimatum and had to choose between two people you love? While Legendary is a fantastic work of fiction, if you dive a bit deeper, you can discover quite a bit more about morals, values and how you would face difficult decisions. I can only hope that this series will continue on and we will be blessed with a book three.

I received a copy of Legendary for an honest review. These opinions are
solely mine and do not reflect that of the author or publisher nor are they
influenced by the opportunity to read this book early.

You know that feeling when you're so excited to get your hands on the book you've been wanting to read and when you finally have it and finished reading it, but the book didn't meet your expectations?

I am disappointed. Part of it is because I thought these characters, (especially Tella who is now the main character of the story) are going to be a lot smarter, stronger, and could stand up for themselves. The guys are too manipulative (I know, it's just part of the game) and the girls easily fall into the same trap, sometimes gullible, sometimes a klutz and Tella easily trust someone. I don't find the characters likable at all, and some parts of the book are poorly written. Caraval wasn't as good either, but to me, it was more fast-paced and has a more solid plot compared to Legendary. There were too many plot twists in Legendary that it gave away the essential part and made it more obvious who Legend really was. I do commend Stephanie for her imagination -- the book remains colorful, magical, and enchanting it really paints a picture in your head what Caraval might've really looked like.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book a week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it!!!! It's perfection. When I started this read I was honestly worried and concerned that the second book in the series just wouldn't live up to the amazingness of the first book, Caraval, but I am so glad I was wrong!

This review will be short and without spoilers. This is a fascinating young adult fantasy series that I can't get enough of. The world and characters that Garber has created suck the reader in and keep them engaged throughout the entire book.

The characters are simple and yet complex at the same time. In this book we get the story from the point of view of Tessa (Book 1 was from Scarlett's POV).I wish I was as good at writing as Garber so I could explain to you the feeling of reading this book. I guess "purely magical" will suffice the feelings I experienced. Like the first book, Stephanie Garber's talent (besides inventing this imaginary world and complex game in her head and perfectly translating it onto paper) is her way to create a plot twist. She is a genius at misleading the reader and surprising them in the next chapter or two with a twist no one ever saw coming but her.

All in all, this book is a 5 star read for me. Pre-order it now. If you haven't read the first book yet, DO IT NOW! You will not be disappointed! Legendary is due to be released here in the USA on May 29, 2018.

Thanks to Flat Iron Books and Netgalley for allowing me an egalley to read and give my honest review.

Happy Reading!

** spoiler alert ** Welcome, welcome to Caraval, the grandest show by land or by sea… Sisters Tella and Scarlett barely survived the last Caraval, an extravagant, surreal show that blurred the lines between fantasy and reality. After Tella plunged to her death, Scarlett used her winning wish to bring her back to life. And the two should live happily ever after, free of their abusive father and Scarlett’s disastrous arranged marriage. But Tella’s initial deal with Caraval’s mysterious Master Legend comes with a few strings attached, and she ended up making a seemingly impossible deal with a criminal in order to find the whereabouts of her missing mother. Tella is given the five nights of the next Caraval to discover Legend’s real name, and if she doesn’t, she could lose everything - and everyone - she loves. Before Caraval, Tella is warned that this time, the game is real, and she soon finds herself falling deeper into a twisted game and maybe even deeply in love. An excellent follow-up to last year’s Caraval, this series is a unique blend of mystery, fantasy and folklore. Recommend the series to readers too young for The Night Circus or Water for Elephants.

The formatting of the book made it nearly impossible to read. My apologies, but I couldn't make it into the book without being constantly distracted.