3.5 stars

Conceptually and imaginatively, this book is a triumph. In terms of execution, I found it wanting.

Stephanie Garber certainly doesn't lack for imagination. The concept behind the series has been fascinating and unique from the start, and Garber doubled down here with the more-than-it-appears Deck of Destiny, which actually proves to be an even more compelling and intricate plot thread than Caraval itself.

Unfortunately this book, much like the first in the series, suffers from a huge gap between the quality of the idea behind it and the quality of the execution of that idea.

It isn't that the execution is awful, and Garber isn't a terrible writer, though she's also definitely not a great one. The issue is that the whole thing felt a little sloppy and jumbled, intricately detailed at times, hurried and fractured at others.

This is at least in part of failure of the editor rather than just the author. Better structure and organization would have allowed Garber's tremendous imagination to ultimately result in better world building and a more tightly structured plot.

This is better than the first book, but it hasn't been able to kick the structural problems that also plagued Caraval. It's worth a read because it's fun, but it still smacks of wasted potential.

LEGEN...wait for it...DARY!

Oh my, this book was fantabulous! I enjoyed it from the first page (hence while I read it so fast haha). This book had me going in circles shouting: WHO IS LEGEND? It took me way too long (in a good way to figure out what was going on. Tella, Dante, Legend, & Jacks kept me on edge, never knowing quite what was happening. The world itself was amazing. I was drooling over the thought of having those dresses!! I would want Jacks in my life just to get me dresses hehe. Though, I have alllllll the heart eyes for Dante. Definitely should add this to your TBR! It comes out in May!!

Extend review on Book Reviews On The Run!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Flatiron books for the digital ARC!

Caraval (the game, that is) is back at it again, but this time, Tella is our freaking heroine. OMG she kicks butt!

I was hesitant about this book being from Tella's point-of-view because I didn't like her in the first book, but she's so strong and determined and hilarious there is no way I can't like her.

Legendary basically starts where Caraval left off. Scarlett and Tella are still staying with the Caraval performers, and this year, Caraval is happening twice in a year - we're getting some world-building, guys. The sisters travel with the performers to Valenda, the capital of the Meridian Empire, to celebrate the empress' birthday with an honorary game. Turns out, though, Tella doesn't want to sit this one out like Scarlett does, for she has a "friend" who she has been exchanging letters and favors with for a while. Her friend wants something Tella must play the game to earn: Legend's real name. But is nothing as it seems, like the last game? Or is this game a little too believable to be imaginary?

First thing, the only thing I could criticize about the literary content, itself, is that the world-building was a little sudden. The series is known for its mysteriousness, but in the first book, there is close to no actual world-building, just learning about Caraval. Now, the scope is widening a bit to encompass magic and a little politics. As far as magic goes, we learn that there were Fates who had magnificent yet terrifying abilities and who oppressed the entire world, but a powerful witch banished them from the earth centuries ago... or so the legend says. However, there weren't any hints to this whatsoever in Caraval, so it seemed to me a little unrealistic and like Garber came up with the legend while writing the second novel. Normally, that would be fine, but personally, it didn't feel very well-executed or developed. Plus, I still want to know what the actual world looks like!

On a brighter note, that's really the only aspect I have to criticize. (Minor Spoiler in next sentence).

I love Tella and Dante together! I'm getting tired of the whole dark, brooding, handsome, "bad boy" love interest, but Garber does it differently. He would probably not be my type, but I didn't roll my eyes like I do sometimes with this overly-used trope, and I think that's because Tella gives him a run for his money. She doesn't let his "bad boy" persona seduce her any - when she does fall for him, it's because she loves him, not because he is a handsome bad boy; he's a really genuine guy on the inside. I have to say, though, that ending... UGH I don't know what to think about him - the situation just got a whole lot more complicated.

Legendary made me super anxious, I have to admit. It took me about a fifth of the book to really get hooked, but once I did, there was no holding back! I wanted to know how it was going to end because I know that Garber had done something super genius with this novel: she turned the plot of Caraval up on its head. In the first book, we had no idea so much was going to be part of the game, so there is where the shocking twists came in. In this one, however, we're expecting that now... so Garber makes the game REAL, and none of the characters outside of Legend's posse believe that, including Tella.

Personally, I thought this book was A LOT better than the first one, so GUYS GO READ THIS BOOK (though you kinda have to read Caraval first 😉 ).

Thanks for reading, and au revoir, my fellow bookworms!

And thanks, NetGally, Stephanie Garber, and Flatiron Books for getting this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.

For more bookstuffs, visit my blog at http://ashtonread.blogspot.com/ .

The magic of Caraval never disappoints, and Lengendary is no exception. Tells is given an impossible task in the quest to save her mother, and just when you think things can't get anymore difficult, earth-shattering revelations come forth. Lengendary was a fun journey, tugging my heartstrings along with it. Can't wait for the next installment!

I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars here.

Legendary, the second book in Stephanie Garber's Caraval series, takes you on a kaleidoscopic ride full of dazzling imagery, incredible magic, and so many twists and turns, you wonder what will come with each subsequent page. It's a little dizzying, a little mesmerizing, and immensely memorable.

"Legend truly did deserve the name he'd given himself. 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 between the two."

Caraval is a magical performance which usually occurs once a year. It is a grand spectacle, where no one is sure what is real and what is merely part of the game, and yet lives are forever changed by what happens within it. Everything that happens in Caraval is orchestrated by the world-renowned Caraval Master, known only as Legend. No one knows Legend's true identity—in each game he is portrayed by someone else, taking on another form. But few have more power.

Donatella (Tella) Dragna is a feisty, almost-fearless young woman who found herself swept up in the madness of Caraval when her older sister Scarlett escaped the island on which their father was holding them both prisoner. After rescuing Scarlett from an uncertain fate and saving her from an arranged marriage sure to ruin her, the sisters made it through Caraval, and now have their lives ahead of them, finally free of their father's control. But why aren't they happy?

Tella, it seems, is determined to uncover the truth behind a painful family secret. To do so, she has made a bargain with a mysterious and dangerous criminal, who has promised to give Tella what she so desperately longs for. But of course, there is a price: this person wants to know Legend's true identity, so he can use it for nefarious purposes. There really is no perfect solution for Tella, but getting what she wants means more than almost anything, so she agrees to his bargain.

Tella must immerse herself in a special round of Caraval, where the stakes are higher than ever before. Along the way, she will tempt fate—and her own mortality; encounter a dangerous heir to the throne whose power is very real; and she'll question the intentions of everyone she comes into contact with—including her own sister. She'll also be challenged by her own heart, which she never believed would lead her to love, and even if it is, she's not sure that the person at the end of the path is worth the risks and sacrifices she must take. All the while, Tella isn't sure what is real and what is merely part of the game.

"She liked the thrill that came with taking risks. She loved the feeling of doing something bold enough to make her future hold its breath while she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation that she'd made a choice with the power to alter the course of her life. It was the closest she ever came to holding real power."

This is a fascinating series of books, and Legendary is a worthy sequel to Garber's first book, Caraval (see my review). The world she has created is fascinating, dazzling, a combination of fantasy and magic that paints pictures in your mind which are utterly glorious. I would love to see these books as movies, just to see how a filmmaker could capture this tantalizing universe.

When you're reading a book where the main character isn't sure what is real and what is artifice, things tend to get a little confusing from time to time. I had to re-read some paragraphs here and there to make sure I understood what I read. And there are a lot of different storylines and legends being unwoven in this book, so at times my attention wandered a bit until the story focused back on Tella's efforts to win Caraval. When the book hits its groove, you just want to devour it and experience it all at once.

I feel like I've been saying this a lot in my reviews recently, but this is definitely not a book for everyone. If this interests you, I'd recommend starting with Caraval first so you can truly appreciate the magic Garber creates here. This reminded me a little bit of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, so if you loved that book, definitely give this series a try. I definitely hope Garber takes us back to Caraval once more!!

NetGalley and Flatiron Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This is the sequel to Caraval and this book lives up to the expectations of the first. Once you open up the book, it is hard to put down.

Legend has decided to hold another Caraval. Scarlett and her sister Donatella decide to return. This time it is Tella who is determined to play the game. This time the game entails finding their lost mother who is trapped in a card of the Fates.

There is romance, magic, and of course danger throughout the novel. I strongly recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first and enjoy magical dark adventures.

Stephanie Garber has crafted a world that feels deep, lush, and utterly enchanting. As much as I loved Caraval - and I LOVED Caraval; I read it in one sitting - Legendary feels even stronger with the change in narrator. Tella is a different, more interesting point of view character than Scarlett. She's brash, daring, plays with people's expectations of her, and she has more agency as she moves through the story. I really enjoyed one quote in particular:
"Tella might have been many things, but she was far from silly or worthless or whatever labels people liked to affix because a person was young and female. Tella liked to think that was where much of her strength came from. She was bold. She was brave. She was cunning. And she was going to come out of this triumphant - no matter the cost."
And the story! One of the things I adore about these books are how well Garber sows seeds of doubt and plots her twists and turns. Allies have dark secrets, adversaries have hidden depths of compassion, lovers are also liars, and though we've been told over and over that Caraval is just a game... is it really?
My only complaint is that I need more! I would happily get swept up in the game of Caraval for many, many more performances.

Welcome, Welcome to Caraval where everything you thought you knew is a lie.
Legendary picks up the morning after the wrap party from the last game of Caraval. Legend has offered or agreed to host another game weeks later for the 75th birthday of Elantine the ruler of Meridian. This in and of itself is unusual as Legend normally only plays one game a year. After the events of the last game Scarlett is not sold on the idea of playing again, but Donatella needs to play and win to pay back her mysterious friend. Before the start of the last game Tella promised to trade Legend’s true name for the location of her missing mother. Sounds simple enough but Legend’s true identity is a closely guarded secret bound in magic preventing players from revealing it. He could be absolutely anyone.

The most important thing to know about this game is that it’s no longer just a game. All the rules from last time mean nothing. The consequences of failing to win the game are the highest they’ve ever been as Tella is told the mythical Fates that once ruled the world have returned. To destroy these creatures who wreaked havoc on humanity long ago only an item needs to be found to win the game. Nothing is ever that simple in the world of Caraval though.

Legendary is the wildest book I’ve read this year and will easily be one of my favorite reads. Just like its predecessor it’s perfect for conspiracy theories and questioning everyone and everything. Legendary is a story of growing up, learning to trust yourself, and making your own fate. I made the terrible mistake of getting 30% through it and going to bed. I slept horribly tossing and turning trying to work everything out and gave up sleeping to go back to it. This is definitely a one sitting book. I seriously hope Stephanie continues this series even though Scarlett and Tella’s stories could technically be considered done. I want to know so much more about how Caraval started, I want to know the story behind the bleeding black heart, and I need to know what happens after that ending.

Legendary told from the point of view of Tella, Scarlett's spirited sister, takes the reader on a new magical adventure through Caraval. Tella must play to win, but will risk her life in the process. Through interesting new characters and a marvelous new setting, this exciting tale will have you riveted until the very end.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Caraval, so I was pleasantly surprised by Legendary. I didn't love it. All of the romance aspects definitely leave something to be desired, but the world is wonderful to read about and I really liked most of the characters. There's an atmosphere to Legendary that is just really great.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Best one yet!

Check out author's other books? YES
Recommend this book? YES YES YES YES YES YES

Notes and Opinions: Well this one is fabulous! Garber has done it again with this book two to the Caraval series and man it was unputdownable! If you haven't read Caraval you need to then you need to pick this one and read it to! Maybe just start it all over again when you're done. If you think book one was good with its twists, turns, and surprises. Then you are in for a treat with this one!! Becuase OMG this was amazing! The pacing, characters, and story are all out of this world.

Go Into This One Knowing: MUST READ NOW! MORE THAN ONCE!

Tella and her sister Scarlet are headed back for another week of Caraval and more of Legend's cruel pranks and mysterious game playing. After their first experience with Caraval you would think that both sisters would shy away from the possible danger but Tella has a mission to find and free her mother. The setting is mysterious, the characters masks hide what they want hidden and Caraval's illusions are just that or maybe the danger is very real and the game deadly. The second book is just as well crafted and rich in world building as the first. This is for any lover of "The Night Circus" or anyone who just wants to be swept up in the magical illusion of Caraval. Not just for young adults. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I just want to say that...

THIS BOOK'S VERY AMAZING!

The ending guys, fiuh, i love Stephanie so much that i can't sleep overnight just to thinking is there a book 3 or this is definitely the ending of the series

And i like Stephanie's writing style, it's beautiful. To be honest, i want to share aaalll of in the books but i don't want to spoil anything. But i can say...this books was very hoott. Tella is my fav heroine so far. Well, she was not as clever as i thought, buf better than Scarlett.

And you'll be falling in love with Dante. He's hot.

I received an ARC of this book from NETGALLEY.

It was amazing! I throughly enjoyed reading this. I think I liked it more than the first!

No spoilers, but I loved the fates, the empresses, and all the characters.

Great read!!!

I'll admit I was one of the rare birds who wasn't head over heels for the first book, from mostly personal reasons. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot, but I just could not get into Scarlet as a main character. But because Garber's world building was fantastic, I wanted to stay along for the journey. Man, I'm glad I did! I really loved this second installment in a way I didn't love the first.

Now we focus on Tella, who is a much stronger protagonist and has other weaknesses, but she is much more fun to follow around for a book. The love interests are hot (Dante!! The Prince!!), and the world is just as spellbinding as the first, and now it augments the story instead of overwhelm the story. The prose is also stronger in this one than the first, and I think Garber is just going to get better and better. I loved the additional details that we get from this and it clarifies the first book as not just a sequel but also sort of a parallel story, because we see that Tella is much deeper than Scarlet gave her credit for.

Overall, I'm thrilled with this sequel, and it feels like there is probably going to be a third. I wonder if it will alternate storylines between the girls, which I can only hope that Scarlet with all her growth in the first two books will be easier to read along with. What I would absolutely love and know will likely not happen, is for the story to alternate between the two guys. AGH! That would be a dream come true. The hype is real, folks. Pick this one up!

Full disclosure: even after two books in this series, I’m still not clear on what kind of game Caraval even is. Before reading Caraval I had a picture of a magical “Survivor” type thing. But no. It seems like it’s all tailored to one specific player! I mean, are there even other players ever? Lol

Anyhow, I liked book one, Caraval okay. I think it was slightly overhyped. Enjoyable, but nothing I could read over and over. So, I was hoping Legendary could change my feelings, because I really loved the idea of the story, the game, etc. And I admit that Garver delivered this time around.

The companion novel is STELLAR. I didn’t feel we ever really got to know Tella the last time around. She seemed like an incredibly selfish character. This book definitely changed my opinions on that. She’s probably even more loving than Scarlett. More sacrificing. And yeah, less selfish. Not that either of the sisters were, but I think Tella gets the edge here. She’s not as timid. She’s independent. Smart. She’s much like her sister in many ways, but she is different in even more. I found her refreshing. A happy change from Scarlett’s character.

As for the story: INCREDIBLE. Truly. It starts off with a bang and never really slows down. Whereas its predecessor had loads of ups and downs, this one remains steady. It definitely kept me on my toes. There’s a lot of mysterious elements as well. Trying to uncover Legend’s identity. Wondering what Scarlett is sneaking around doing. Questioning who Dante truly is...

And that brings me to THE ROMANCE. Now, I know I’ve said it’s not all about romance. And it’s not. I do think that was one aspect that could’ve made Caraval shine brighter. Scarlett was more worried about her sister than herself. And I loved that. I think I’d have liked her to find her own love, though. I know it was kind of there, but it for sure took a backseat. This time around, I got the chemistry, tension, and swoon-worthy moments I’d been needing and wanting. Dante is heart eyes. I could not get enough. And whether or not he was just playing the game—I didn’t even care. At all. I remembered him being quite unlikable last go-round. My opinion completely changed. I was crossing my fingers that he and Tella would be end game.

But the game itself was far more interesting and exciting in Legendary. There was far more at stake. It made Tella’s choices harder to decide upon. Everything felt monumental. Could she save her mother? Or would she save the world and give up the Fates? I didn’t see her ultimate choice coming.

The ending was...not what I hoped for. As the pages wound down, my heart sunk as I realized I probably wasn’t going to get what I wanted. It is sort of an open ending, I think. To where you can draw your own conclusions about what happens after. I’m okay with it, but I also think I’d have liked full disclosure on a few pieces of the story. Overall, it’s a great story. Lots of fun, drama, romance, and familial bonds. Plenty of magic, too. It’s superior to its companion book, for sure.

Caraval was enchanting and breathtaking, a definite fresh book amongst many YA novels that repeat the same storylines and character arcs. Legendary picks up right where Caraval ended, but the story is told from Tella’s point of view as she embarks through another game in hopes to win and appease her mysterious friend who demands the winning prize as payment. Tella is much different than Scarlett since she makes rash decisions without thinking through the pros and cons. She continuously got herself in debacles because of her impulsiveness which was frustrating because if she just thought before she acted then things would have ended up differently. Multiple times Dante would warn her not to do something, and instead of listening to him Tella would cut him off and dash head first into the bad idea which always ended with trouble.

She spends the whole story battling her secret feelings for Dante. Every time she thinks about him she scolds herself and says that she doesn't like him then thing counters by saying his tattoos are beautiful and her heart flutters when he's around, and so on. This process repeated almost every chapter which was tiring to endure since it is common sense that she likes him.

I wanted to love this as much as Caraval, but it fell short. Maybe it’s because I don’t like Tella has a narrator. She tends to drift off in thought quite a bit which dragged the story down from its minuscule amount of plot and action. Much of her internal dialogue and descriptions could have been reduced to add in action scenes. The writing was beautiful as well as the world building, but the plot moved slowly to the point where Tella doesn’t begin the game until just about the halfway mark. It didn't pick up much until after the 75th mark, and even then I knew how it would end and what Tella's decisions would be.

Tella repeats herself. A lot. She keeps reminding us about the pros and cons about choosing Jacks or Legend when she wins the game. I understood everything the first time. I didn't need to be told again and again and again and again why she should choose Jacks and then why she should choose Legend.

There was so much telling instead of showing, and Tella always would "know" something. There wasn't a point in inserting Scarlett and Julian into this story since they added nothing but background noise that didn't apply to the plot. In fact, I'm not even sure what the plot was since there was so much going on that had nothing to do with the game. The game is another backstory which should have been removed as well.

None of the reveals were a shock since I predicted every single one. I knew the characters' real identities, who the lost heir was, how the game would end, and the mysteries surrounding Tella's mother. There weren't any twists and after every predicted reveal I would think "Is this it?"

I didn't feel that the magic from Caraval was transferred over to this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Very addictive, story. Touching, adventurous, and exactly what I needed. With magic and family this book captured me.

Legendary leaves right off right where Caraval ended and it was so seamless that I went back to read the end of Caraval. Stephanie Garber's writing is so pretty, I just love the flow. I think I liked Legendary a little more than Caraval just because there wasn't a slow part in the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital arc of "Legendary" by Stephanie Garber. I absolutely loved "Caraval" and so was a little nervous about this book because it seemed so different. I should not have been worried! This story is full of the imagination and originality that I loved in the first novel. The characters are relatable and full of personality. The setting is gorgeous! I can't wait to share this book with all my students when it comes out!