Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Barber shines in this second novel in this enchanting world. From the characters to the world building in general I was hypnotized. Can't wait to dive into more from this author!

The novel was non stop. I binge rea dit in one after noon and then went back later for a re-read. This is a story you an get completely lost in page after page and one that will be a great experience for a variety of readers!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber is the second book in the Caraval Trilogy. Last year, I go to read an advance copy of Caraval and I completely adored it. The story was very atmospheric and so vibrant that it was impossible not to fall in love with it. I waited an entire year for Legendary and was lucky enough to also get an advance copy of the book and let me tell you, although I found the book to be a little lacking in the action department, it was no less atmospheric or vibrant. Legendary is the marvelous sequel we have all been looking forward to.

In Caraval, the story is told from Scarlet’s perspective, but in Legendary we get the story from Donatella’s perspective, Scarlet’s sister. Tella might live life a little wilder than Scarlet but I actually preferred the story coming from Scarlet’s point of view for some reason.

In this story, Caraval is going to be performing again. Usually, they only perform once a year but this is a special event. If you thought the first book was full of magic then you are in for a wild ride with this sequel. Scarlet might not be playing the game this time but Tella is and she has to win in order to save herself and her mother. The stakes are even higher in this book. What will Tella do to win? This book is the ultimate love story, but not in the way you might be thinking. What would you do to save someone you love?

In the end, Legendary was a very solid continuance of the series. The only gripes I have is I didn’t really enjoy the story as much coming from Tella and I was really hoping for some more action. There were places where the book lulled and I found my attention drifting off but the book always pulled me back in. I cannot wait for the final book in this series to see what the author does with it.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.

Stephanie Garber has a hit! I love this second novel in the Caraval series where we experience on a magical mystery ride of adventure, romance, and intrigue. In Legendary we read about Tella as she plays the Caraval game to search for her estranged mother. Based on a set of Fates cards she learns of the secrets behind her mother's disappearance and the true identity of Legend, the mastermind behind the games. Will Tella have to make daunting sacrifices as her sister did in Caraval, the first book? Can she have her mother and her true love with out ruining th world? Dive into this one to answer the questions you wanted answered in Scarlet's story and you will finish wanting more!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

God's teeth (one of Tella's favorite phrases) is an accurate description of my feelings regarding this book. I loved the world and the idea of Caraval, but I just could not get behind any of the characters and what they were trying to achieve. I doubt even they knew what they wanted the majority of the time. Their priorities and feelings changed every chapter. It was exhausting to keep up with.

Tella was more likable than Scarlett, but she was still incredibly frustrating. She based most of her decisions on how they would make someone else feel, or constantly worried what might happen if they found out she had done this or that. It seemed like she was always trying to make Dante jealous, or wanted to see how someone would react to something she said or did. A lot of the time she just didn't think something through at all.

The ARC I received for review also gave away who Legend was before they were actually revealed in the story. A simple typo where the author referred to Legend as Legend instead of the person they were portraying in the game.

I think my biggest issue is the many, many threads and side stories the author has created. It's almost impossible to keep up with everything. Everyone has secrets. Like, life-altering and world-shattering secrets, yet they choose to keep them to themselves. I wish we had been given more answers instead of piling all the questions on top of each other. I need a little more resolution within my stories, and this series resolves very little. A single answer only added more questions.

Despite everything... I still want to finish this series and see how it ends. My hope is that the final book will have more answers and finally tie everything together into one coherent story.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on July 3, 2018.

I really enjoyed Caraval, but legendary managed to be so much better! I loved Tella as a narrator and these games are a much higher stake and I love it. Yeah can’t waor for book 2!

I liked this story even better than the first. Maybe it was having already known the characters, but this story seemed richer and engaged me more. I am very much looking forward to reading the final book in the series (as well as reading future books from Stephanie Garber!)

After reading Caraval and really enjoying it this was a little bit of a let down for me. Donatella was incredibly frustrating and every time she made a bad decision I wanted to shake and be like WHY?! I did enjoy the adventure of it and even though Jacks was the villain I'm looking forward to seeing how he plays out in the next book. I'll definitely read the next book to see where this story and adventure goes next!

I really enjoyed Legendary. Did I like it more than Caraval….eh I’m not sure about that yet. These stories are both set in the same world but have very different structures. Where Caraval seemed like a game, Legendary does not. Stakes feel much higher but the mystery remains.

I really have a love/hate relationship with Tella. Sometimes I think it’s hard to come back from disliking a character in the first book, to aligning yourself when it’s their turn for you to see inside their head. It also makes her really interesting to me, I have a thing with really enjoying characters that I don’t necessarily like all the time. Am I rooting for her, I don’t know. Well ya I guess I am. We definitely get to dig into her personality more and unlock why she acts the way she does at times. I do think her character grows as the story progresses.

There were things that bothered me a little bit. Like Tella’s lack of concern for Scarlett even though she goes on how Scarlett is the only person she cares about. It kind of made me feel like she was more of the Tella that annoyed me in Caraval. Hmm my sister doesn’t seem to be where she says she is, I guess I’ll go off and get involved in my own drama.

I really like the world. It never stops being interesting because there is always something else weird and unusual going on. It has so many possibilities so you never know what is going to happen. Plus we get a good look at the Fates and their powers this time around. I can’t remember if they were mentioned in Caraval but luckily there is glossary of them because as much as I was trying to keep them in my brain it was helpful to look at it.

So we do see Scarlett but she is very much in the background. There are still some unanswered questions about her. Which I need to know and can’t wait to see how the next book is structured.

I do not want to give anything away so I won’t go into great detail. I don’t even think I’m going to mention other characters besides Tella and Scarlett. I feel like that is part of the enjoyment of this story. You never who is who and why they are doing what they are doing.

If you liked Caraval, I think you will really enjoy Legendary. I think Finale is going to be quite an explosion so I can’t wait to read it.

Going in I didn't think I would like LEGENDARY as much as CARAVAL. Tella wasn't my favorite character in the first book.. I was SO wrong. I liked it even more and Tella became one of my faves. The story had so many twists and turns much like navigating around Valenda. I kept second guessing everyone and everything! I will be obsessing for the next year trying to figure out what Garber has up her sleeve for book 3.

If you enjoyed reading CARAVAL, even just a little bit to be entertained and escape for a few hours/days, pick up LEGENDARY.

I. Can’t. Breathe. My heart LITERALLY hurts. It’s been a minute since I have read Caraval, but Legendary touched me so much more on a deeper level. Legendary was so much more.

Tella is brave, adventurous, and everything one wishes they could be. She has overcome so much. I believe we truly were able to watch her blossom into her full potential in Legendary.

I did not want this novel to end. I am so excited that this series has turned into a trilogy and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.

I absolutely fell in love with the world Stephanie Garber created in Caraval, so I couldn't wait to read Legendary, especially after the cliffhanger that Caraval left us with. Legendary is told from Tella's point of view, which I loved. In Caraval, we got to know Scarlett, so I was eager to learn more about Tella, and I absolutely fell in love with her character. She's strong, sassy, and sarcastic, and I loved that about her. 

This Caraval is a little different from the last one, as the stakes are higher than ever. Tella can't save her mother unless she wins, but winning the game will come at a cost, and she's not sure if it's worth it. I wont give anything away, but I loved the details we learned about Caraval and about Legend, and I adored the direction the book took and the answers we got. 

Garber has an incredible way with words, and her writing style is very descriptive and colorful, which I love. It makes the book feel pretty to read, and that's something unique to Garber. Overall, I loved this book and I cannot wait for the finale! This has quickly become one of my favorite YA Fantasy series, and if you loved Caraval, you'll definitely want to pick this one up ASAP! I rated this one 5 stars. I'd like to thank Netgalley and Flatiron Books for my copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

i thought maybe i would just give it a try since i read the first one but hoo boy, no i could not even give it a fair chance. DNF. i skimmed most of it and was like, nope. nope, nope, nope.

Welcome back to Caraval, where the game has just begun and the stakes are higher than ever.

"Every good story needs a villain. But the best villains are the ones you secretly like."

I've been trying to organize my thoughts and feelings for this book since I finished reading it back in March. Yes, for two and a half months. If you have been following me at all you know that CARAVAL was one of my top 10 reads of 2017, probably even my favorite read of the year. I've reread it 3 times and could probably go for another reread again soon. I was both excited and nervous to start reading LEGENDARY, it had some pretty big shoes to fill! I was worried it couldn't possibly live up to my love for the first book. I'm here to tell you that it surpassed everything I had hoped it could be.

"You have a voice for telling stories."

Why yes, yes you do, Miss Stephanie Garber. You're ability to weave a magical tale that can sweep readers off their feet is something I admire. I have seen her work described as overly descriptive and filled with too many metaphors, while this kind of writing isn't for everyone, I personally love the way that Stephanie uses this in her books. I think she definitely has a voice for telling stories.

"Before their relationship was much like Caraval. It had felt like a game."

LEGENDARY picks up right when CARAVAL leaves off. It took all the things I loved about the first book and brought them to a whole new level. The secrets, lies and romance are all so much more intense. If you've read CARAVAL, you know that Tella is not shy, or ashamed of her sexuality. So when she falls for the bad boy we get sooooo many more swoon worthy moments in LEGENDARY. Kissing, lots of kissing! Ha. When Tella enters the game she can't tell fantasy from reality and doesn't know who or what to believe. She may have to risk everything to win. But....

"Caraval wasn't won by playing it safe"

If you're like me and loved the first book but are worried this one won't be as good, don't be scared to read it! If CARAVAL wasn't you're favorite but you enjoyed Tella's character, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but the ending left me begging for more! I immediately messaged the author asking if she was going to continue the story. She of course could neither confirm or deny (at the time). It's now been revealed that there will be ONE LAST BOOK, called FINALE coming in 2019. I'll be impatiently waiting for it's release.

The follow-up to Caraval, and clearly the middle of the trilogy. The question of who Legend is and what he ultimately wants is teased, but there's the addition of the Fates and a fake engagement and meeting the Empress and, of course, finishing the most recent Caraval. Tella is more interesting than Scarlet, but the change in POV made me wonder whose story we'll hear in the next book.

As for the Caraval part, well... there were a lot of planned coincidences, and the prose is more overdone here than at other times (which is saying something). Plus so much was left hanging (who were the Fates? there have to be more, right? and what about Mom? who is/was she?) that it almost feels like there should be whole books about those pieces. I'd really love if the cards reappear, but somehow I doubt it.

eARC provided by publisher.

If Caraval was good, Legendary is even better. Some of this is due to the fact that we have experience with Caraval. We know that not everything is as it seems, and that includes the roles people have. We have fallen under the spell of the magic and myth. We know the Dragna sisters, empathize with them, and want them to find happiness after the horrors of life with their fathers. The sequel takes some unusual turns though which turns it into a very different story from the first and makes it a much stronger novel overall.

While Caraval is all about Scarlett's search for her sister, Legendary follows Tella as she attempts to uncover one of the greatest mysteries of Caraval as well as the unsolved mystery of her mother's disappearance. Scarlett is nothing but a minor character this go-round, and that is a good thing. Even though she is the younger of the two and somewhat sheltered by her older sister, Tella is the stronger of the two sisters. She is more aware of reality and subsequently less prone to fantasy. She is pragmatic, self-aware, independent, and highly determined. She is also gutsy, willing to solve problems and take risks to achieve her goals. You can't help but admire her for all of this.

The game this time around is also more interesting in my mind. No longer limited to a house but to an entire city, the possible clues are more difficult to find. At the same time, the stakes are higher given the bargain Tella makes and the repercussions should she fail. The game is no longer about one of the sisters either, for the truth behind the games will change the world should certain things come to pass. Everything is just a bit bigger about Legendary, which makes it a fitting title for the sequel.

Legendary is the type of novel where I lost complete lack of time and reality while reading. I became so immersed into Tella's story and the world of Caraval that I literally neglected everything to read it. I fell in love alongside Tella, felt her pain and frustration, and celebrated her wins. I went into mourning when I finished it because I knew it would be months before I get to experience Tella's world again. I want to go back and read the first novel again. I never want to leave this world of magic and legends. This feeling is why I read. Now, if only every book I read makes me feel this way.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A magical tale of filled with destiny, whimsy, and secrets begging to be told.

LEGENDARY continues to enchant with the magical world of Caraval. This time around readers are gifted to the story Donatella Dragna and her quest to save her mother. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would love this book as much as I did the first. The bar was set pretty high with CARAVAL. However, after the first chapter, Garber catapulted over that bar, destroying any trepidation I had. In one word, this book is spectacular.

What makes this and the previous book so great is the honesty and reality the characters bring the book. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. Even though this is a continuing story filled with fantasy and illusions, at its core, it is about two sisters and their connection to each other while they navigate their own emotions and become who they are destined to be. The emotional push and pull the characters go through is heartbreaking at times, but it wouldn’t be a game if there weren’t sacrifices, right?

LEGENDARY is a bewitching story that I could not put down. I was instantly caught up in the deceptions and the intrigue, but then loved those quieter moments when I was able to get to know the characters. Garber did it again and I cannot wait for the final book in the series.

If you enjoyed Caraval you must read this book. It starts right where the first book left off, except we now follow Tella... Don't worry, Scarlett and Julian are still around. So much goes on in this book it is hard to review it in a way that is spoiler free. So just pick it up, prepare for you jaw to drop time and time again, and make no plans for when you finish it because you may just need to revisit the first book once you are done with this one.

This sequel to Caraval absolutely blew me away. I loved Caraval, but I believe Legendary is just as good, if not better. It's really important to read Caraval first because everything that happens in this book relates to the first book.
Tella is on a mission to find her missing mother, but in order to do so she must participate in and win Caraval on the isle of Valenda. She has promised to find out and reveal Legend's name to the anonymous "friend" who has helped her and her sister Scarlett escape their cruel father. As Tella becomes more involved in the game, she finds out she is a part of something much bigger than her mission. Tella will have to fight harder than she ever has before to win Caraval and to save the ones she loves from a horrible fate. Will she make it in time, or will the world as she knows it be changed forever?
I absolutely loved this book and was swept away in the world of Caraval from page one. The writing is exquisite and compelling, and the characters and the plot are well written to the point where I felt like I was experiencing the events firsthand. I can't wait for the next book! My heart was broken for the characters at the end of this book, and I don't know how I'm going to make it until next year! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy, as well as a great story that will sweep readers away with the magic of Caraval. Also, you can judge this book by its cover, because the outside is as beautiful as the inside.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own, and a positive review was not required.

Legendary was the 2nd book and was able to capture my attention from the start. This book was in the view of Tella point of view and her struggle to find out how Legend really is without letting her sister know what is going on. Tella is also working on trying to find what happened to my mother after she left when she was a child. With the fates trying to come back and Tella being the only one who knows. Will Tella find her mother and Legend before it's too late?

"The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck."

Lovely writing! More fancy dresses, higher stakes, razor-tipped gloves, magic shops, fortune tellers, magic cards, tunnels, and secrets! This book was a boatload of fun!

The Pacing, World-Building, & Plot:

I found it quite easy to jump back into the world of Caraval. There is some summary in the first few chapters of Legendary to refresh the reader's memory of the first book, but the story takes off quickly with a twist right near the beginning. We get to see more of the Meridian Empire and Empress Elantine, which helps flesh out the world more than the first book. The mythology about the Fates also adds another dimension to the world-building. I loved it!

There wasn't a whole lot of "action," but the romance, plot twists, and difficult choices kept me interested. And there are some huge decisions Tella has to make. I love it when characters are forced to choose between two difficult paths. Fate versus choosing your own future is a large theme in Legendary that, in some ways, makes this book more complicated than Caraval. The plot feels much more intricate, and the writing is somewhat flowery, but not distractingly flowery this time. But as in Caraval, the multi-format (letters, clues, etc.) help move the pace along and encourage the reader to join in the mystery and magic to help solve the "game." Garber really put a lot of imagination and creativity into this book.

Tella & the Romance:

I have to say, sometimes Tella seems a little full-of-herself, thinking that all the guys must desire her because she's so beautiful and such. But I suppose this is just part of her personality, and this character trait does seem to be balanced out by her courageous determination and perseverance. As a character, Tella does show a great deal of growth. She moves from not wanting love to truly longing for it. Throughout her quest to find her mother, she really struggles with her heart - literally and metaphorically. Sinister Death tugs at Tella's heart, a side effect from what happened at the end of the first Caraval.

"Death visited Tella while she slept. The tips of his claws stroked the back of her neck, while his shadow followed her into pristine dreams, poisoning all the colors until everything tasted of dust and withered to ash."

On a somewhat happier note, the romance in this book is full of mystery and magic! Tella's suitors are two very different people, but I found myself rooting for Dante. The scenes between him and Tella are filled with longing looks and tender touches. And of course he has to rescue her after a terrible thing happens. I hope their romance will have a chance at a proper ending in the third book. Can't wait!

Final Thoughts:

Near the end of the book, I did notice that Jacks's danger factor seems to diminish a great deal, and the ending is not exactly the big showdown I was expecting. But perhaps there will be more showdowns in the third book. Tella's encounter with the Undead Queen and Her Handmaidens is seriously creepy. I hope we'll get more interactions with the Fates in the conclusion.

In addition, I was still left wondering about some things. Like who exactly was responsible for cursing Tella's mother? That answer was not actually provided. And where exactly did her mother go after she left Tella all those years ago? I'm hoping a real interaction between Paloma and her daughters in the next book will supply some of those answers.

The number of typos in the hardcover copy was surprisingly noticeable, but I won't subtract from my rating. Overall, this is definitely a spine that shines, and I can't wait for Finale!