A decent sequel in the Caraval series but not as magical as the first. It doesn't have the same oompf as the first book, but sequels often suffer from second book syndrome, where they're more of a bridge between the setup and the conclusion in books one and three. I'll be interested to see what happens in book three.

DNF - The writing felt less polished and overly simple than it was in Caraval. It didn’t feel like the same author. I had heard others say this was better than the first book so I went in excited to read it (though Caraval wasn’t a perfect read—the romance felt rushed and shallow—I still enjoyed the magic and wonder of its story), I have to say that I’m disappointed that Legendary held no real pull for me. Tella was a difficult character to connect to, even in book one, and she felt even more out of reach in her own book. The plot was ho-hum and there was a lack of that same magical appeal the first one managed to capture so well. Because of that, I couldn’t get into it nor finish the story. Others have loved it so I’m in the minority, but I’m sad all the same.

Wow!! I am falling in love with this series! Stephanie Garber has a way to pull you into her stories. They are better than Legends (haha!). This picks up the very next day after Caraval. I love how no time is wasted. This story all takes place from Tella's perspective. At first this didn't thrill me as I found Tella flighty and annoying in the first book. But this changed all that. Her reasons for her actions are so much deeper than I imagined.

This book had me guessing at every characters motive. Even Scarlett's a bit! Lots of twists and added depth to the game. I definitely got swept away. No regrets. I want the next book NOW but sadly must wait for it to come out. This has assuredly taken a top spot for one of the best books I have read this year!

It isn't often that a sequel can outdo the original, but Legendary does just that. Where Caraval left us waiting for more, Legendary once again explores the mysteries of Caraval and through the unique perspective of the other sister.

Review originally posted on my blog at https://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-legendary-by-stephanie-garber.html


I hate to say it, but I think I'm giving up on this series. The idea of Caraval, with its magical game where you never know what is real and what is not, was absolutely fantastic to me. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. And I thought it was pretty good - the beginning was amazing, but the ending left me disappointed (you can read more in my review here if you'd like). But Legendary did not give me the same magical feels, I'm sorry to say.

What I liked: I liked getting a peek into Tella's side of things as the narrator. Caraval is from Scarlett's point of view, so I liked seeing the differences in the sisters. (Although is it just me or does Scarlett become totally bland in this one?? I had like zero interest in her story line this time...)

I thought the mystery of what happened to Tella and Scarlett's mother, as well as Tella's complicated feelings towards her, were pretty intriguing. I liked seeing Tella wrestle with her own perception of her mother as she kept uncovering more and more parts of the mystery.

And I loved the Deck of Destiny story line! I could devour a spin-off series just set in that world. The cursed cards, the Prince of Hearts, the gods coming back among the mortals... all of that was really intriguing to me. But unfortunately, there's another side to that that I didn't like, which I'll get to in a second...

What I didn't: Ok, so here's my main issue with this book... My favorite aspect of Caraval was the actual game play itself, following Scarlett as she searched for clues and found secret passageways and made progress in the game. So I was willing to give Legendary a shot, since that synopsis sure sounds like it will involve following Tella as she plays the game this time, right??

WRONG.

There is little to no actual game play by Tella herself. We are told that others around her are playing the game, but she's on her own agenda which does not involve the same kind of game play as the first book. It was far less magical for me, and far less interesting.

And, like I said above, I did love the Deck of Destiny idea... but here's what I don't like about it: The Deck of Destiny plot line feels like a totally separate series. It has its own characters and world and rules, and while I was really into it all, I was kind of like... "what does this have to do with the world of Caraval??" This book didn't feel like a continuation of Caraval to me much at all, except for the fact that we are told there is a game going on in the background.

Also, the reveal of Legend's identity was so disappointing to me. (SPOILER: It's Dante. Big surprise.) Legend just started off as such an amazing, mysterious character, this shadowy person that no one really knows anything about, pulling the strings from behind the scenes. So for all that build-up, I just felt like the reveal was really anticlimactic, and now that we know who he is, all of that magic and mystery is gone for me.

TL;DR: Despite what the synopsis promises, Legendary is hardly about the game at all, but rather about Tella discovering her own secrets. So if you were more into the characters from Caraval and less into the game, then I would say definitely keep going and give Legendary a try. If you're like me, though, and the game was what made it magical for you, you may be disappointed in this one.


Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed Legendary even more than Caraval! The characters were great, and it was interesting to see inside Tella’s mind this time. I’m curious to know what’ll happen in the finale, aptly titled Finale!

Flatiron Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Legendary. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Legendary is the continuation of the story about the Dragna sisters, Donatella and Scarlett, and takes place directly after the events that unfolded in Caraval. A world of magic and subterfuge awaits Tella, as she soon realizes that not everything is how it seems. Having made a bargain with a stranger, Tella now owes a debt that may be impossible to pay. As Tella and Scarlett go through a second game of Caraval, will the sisters be able to figure out the truth from the lies? When the secrets of the past threatens all that Tella holds dear, her response may have the power to destroy or to set them all on the right path.

Let it first be said that fantasy is not the genre that I would choose to read, given other choices. However, I very much enjoyed both Caraval and Legendary, for the elaborate world building and well developed characters. As fantasy is the world of make believe, the author has done a good job of turning a tale that has mass appeal to teens because of the recognizable issues that both Tella and Scarlett must face. I was worried that Legendary might be more of the same, but there is a new layer to this book that gives it a fresh take on the world created by author Stephanie Garber. I would recommend Legendary to other readers, but I would advise that those new to the series start with Caraval. Although enough of the original book is glossed over in these pages, the series is best enjoyed from the beginning.

This was the perfect sequel to Caravel! Although it started off a little slow for me once I got invested I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for the next book.

Anticipating the next book already!
Legendary by Stephanie Garber shows us that Tella and Scarlett are once again playing a Caraval game. Tella thinks their mother is alive and wants information to find her, while Scarlett just wants some fun and excitement. Tella’s discovery of who her pen pal friend is floors her and she’s reeling from the revelation and its complications. Once again, the game may or may not be real, in all or parts, and the characters may or may not be trustworthy. Tella is shown an unkind memory of her mother and feels as though her mother didn’t love her at all. Her push and pull relationship with Dante is another matter she’s unsure of, but that’s just the way Caraval is. As the story concludes, it’s clear that a third book is in Caraval’s future. The enticing ending of Legendary makes me vested in this series. 4 stars!

Anyone who can come up with such a fantastical, magical, mysterious world will always be loved by me. Stephanie was able to make a new story that kept me on my toes, had enough new things to discover yet was still the world I fell in love with from Caraval. But that ending though! I will attempt to patiently wait for the third book... but trust me, it will be hard!

Caraval has been an annual game but suddenly it is being held just a short time after the last game ended. Scarlett won last time as she attempted to save her sister. This time around, it’s her sister Tella, who takes center stage in the competition.

There are a number of mysteries: why is the game happening so soon, who is Legend (the game’s creator) and can anyone be trusted? What makes this installment so delicious is the interplay between Tella and two characters: Dante and a mysterious guy whom Tella initially looks to for help. The dialog is sharp and striking, refreshingly crisp. These two potential romantic partners are at times attractive, sympathetic, untrustworthy and also infuriating. They may be a source of help or her real nemesis. One might think Tella has made a deal with the devil. It’s the constant battle between their words and their actions that keeps Tella continually unsure of their intentions. She reasons with her heart about what she should do and who can get her what she really wants.

There is one disappointment in this book and it is the absence of Julian and Scarlett. They play such a diminished role and are sorely missed. After all, they are the couple who infused the first book with a delicious romance. Here there’s much more tension between Tella and the men who tease and taunt her; a sizzle with an added element of fear. They are strong characters in their own right.

This is a little darker than the first book but that only adds to the tension. The allure of the game and the high stakes are of tremendous import to Tella. The characters are complex and never reveal their true intent. It is the interplay of the characters that overrides the game itself. Readers will be riveted to this installment and Garber will cement her popularity as a great Young Adult writer.

Sadly, I couldn't finish this.

The first book was full of mystery and excitement and magic... but it seems to have vanished from this. I really couldn't connect with Donatella at all. I mostly found her pretty basic, spoiled and just not my kind of heroine.

It's sad, I truly enjoyed and loved the first book and was super excited about reading this one, but I just couldn't do it.

I struggled with this book. Unlike Caraval which I found fast paced and enchanting, Legendary was slow. The action was fast but I found that the plot was unfocused and it just dragged. I kept putting it down and picking up something eles.

I liked Tella in the first book but I didn't like her very much in her own book. She was flighty and careless and did stupid things for stupid reasons. Also Scarlet drove me nuts, little miss indecisive and not happy with the guy you love. Ugh.

I was also disappointed because I thought that this was a duologly and it turns out that there are 3 books. So heres hoping that Finale is better than Legendary.

So overall it was good, I just wanted it to be more.

Not quite as good as Caraval. I found myself skimming big chunks of the book because of the purple prose descriptions. I didn’t need to know all of the dress and/or food descriptions or how things were like ink, secrets, or angels. It was somewhat predictable and slow. I will still read Finale, though.

This was one of those "wait - am I reading the same book as everyone else?" moments, because though it sits at a current 4.33 rating on Goodreads, I found Legendary a struggle to get through. Now don't get me wrong, I thought the first installation of the series was fantastic, and had high hopes for this one, but it fell severely short of my expectations.

This story took so long to unravel and get interesting, and as soon as it got remotely entertaining, it went straight back to a poorly written narrative that relied too heavily on what was going on inside Tella's head than anything else. Normally, I'm completely fine with that, but most of Tella's inner conflict was about her feelings about Dante, which felt forced and overemphasized how she's such a helpless girl. I wanted a strong and committed female protagonist and instead, got a preteen inner love debate who constantly viewed both outcomes of her situation by repeating rhetorical questions over and over and over again.

And in terms of plot, I found most of the plot to be SO cliche and for Legend's reveal, entirely anticlimactic. I get that Garber wanted to leave an open ending for a third novel, but this was not a satisfying end to the entire conflict that was laid out for us. I thought that this would be heart wrenching and intense, especially since it dealt with family and "sacrifice," and instead the ending felt quickly wrapped up, leaving me to believe this wasn't the original ending and Garber rushed to find a semi-conclusion to this novel in order to leave room for her next installation - which I most likely will not be reading.

I loved the new element Garber added to this sequel with the Fates and the deck of Destiny. I think overall this wasn't quite as exciting as the first, but all readers who enjoyed the first book will find this a fun addition as the mystery of Legend continues!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber was definitely one of my most anticipated reads for 2018, and I was super excited to finally dive into this book. I read Caraval last year, and really enjoyed the story, (and re-read it again this year before starting Legendary), and I absolutely couldn’t wait to see where the story would go next, AND to see if all our questions would finally be answered. I’m so glad to have finally read this book!

Let me start this by saying that I totally thought Caraval was a duology, and I went into Legendary fully expecting the end of the story with all my questions answered. Surprise, it’s not a duology, it’s a trilogy! I’m have mixed feelings about this, as I mentioned above, I fully went into this book expecting all my questions to get answered, some did, but more didn’t, and it completely took me to the end of the book to realize that this wasn’t the end that I expected. So, yeah… that took me by surprise, but… YAY, there’s totally going to be a third book, titled Finale, which is current set to release in 2019. Considering that the third book is titled Finale, I fully expect it to actually be the final book in the series, and I’m really looking forward to reading it.

Moving on…

Legendary is the second book in the Caraval series, and while the first book is told from Scarlett’s viewpoint, Legendary is told from her sister Tella’s point of view. Tella was quite mysterious in the first book, and I was curious to learn more about her in this book. She really wasn’t at all what I expected, going by what we knew of her from the first book, and I really enjoyed her character growth over the course of the book. I’m curious to see what’s next for her. I also liked that most of the characters from the first book around in this second book also, along with a few new interesting characters as well!

The storyline for Legendary follows along the same line as the first book, yet somehow felt completely different as well. Maybe it was the setting, or the mythical tales, or maybe it was just that the magic felt different, I’m not sure, but, either way, I was hooked. It actually took me longer than I expected to read this book, thanks to our busy schedule, but when I actually did have time to read, I flew through the pages. I had SO many questions after reading Caraval, and quite a few of those were answered in Legendary, but I’m still left with quite a few, and I’d really love to have answers to those. Hopefully we get them in Finale!

Overall; Legendary was an interesting sequel to the charming Caraval, and though it wasn’t the end of the story like I was expecting, I did really enjoy it. I’m not really looking forward to waiting another year to have Finale in my hands, but at least I will have an excuse to re-read Caraval and Legendary before it is released next year, and hopefully with THAT book, I will get the answers I really need. If you’ve already read Caraval in the past and LOVED it, you’ll definitely want to pick up Legendary soon! And if you’ve not yet started this series, I definitely recommend it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Happy Reading!

Legendary is the sequel and last part of Caraval. as you may understand, I cannot talk about the book in detail, without spoiling events from the first book. What I can tell you, in Legendary we follow the adventures of Donatella, who is Scarlet 's sister. Scarlet is the main character in Caraval whereas Donatella is now in Legendary.
As her sister, she will embark in the fantasy/ truly world of Caraval to find this time their mother. The only thing you have to do is just get enchanted by the story, enjoy and think that sometimes what it may seem true, it is not, is it?
I really enjoyed the story and both books should be part of your library if you like YA fantasy themes.
Highly recommend it.

Legendary picks up pretty smoothly from where we left off in Caraval and I was happy to see that Garber didn't waste too much time retelling portions of the first novel. The novel starts with a bang and I have to say, the stakes felt much higher. The game is different, the setting is different, and it even felt a little darker. I loved hearing about the game from Tella's perspective because she is a little more daring and willing to take risks and just a badass character all around.

The novel is full of twists and turns that are very different from the last novel and I loved how Garber kept me guessing from the very beginning. There were many more secrets and lies in this novel and I loved seeing Tella's character growth as the story unfolded. Caraval was a fascinating story, but Legendary really took a few steps above it for me because of the deeper elements like introducing the fates and the deck of destiny. I think this portion of the novel made the game more interesting and I couldn't get enough.

Legendary was an entertaining and well thought out novel filled with twists and turns. It constantly left me wanting more and wondering what was real and what was fake. I can't wait to read book three! I highly recommend this series if you enjoyed The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5/5

I never really hold out hope the sequels will be as good or better than the original work, but this book left me wanting more! I'm ready for "Finale" now.