First, thank you to Stephanie Garber, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an ARC of Legendary
Caraval is over and its secrets have been exposed…or have they?
When Caraval ended Donatella Dragna had just received a message from “A friend” hinting that her mother would be proud, but that she must keep up her side of the bargain if she hopes to see her again. Bargain?
Legendary opens on the day after Caraval. Scarlett and Tella are heading to Valenda for a special Caraval in honor of Empress Elentine’s birthday. Julian and Dante are still in the mix, as are some of the original Caraval actors.
Legendary is primarily Tella’s story and weaves all the magic of Caraval with some deeper myths from these lands, both of which are a threat to the existence of the other. Legend remains a mysterious and threatening presence, and in order to save her mother, Tella must discover Legend’s real name. The Fates—gods who once ruled the world—are desperate to return and can only do so with Legend’s magic, but Legend aspires to have the power of the Fates. And, as with every other Caraval, it is impossible to know who is telling the truth, who is lying, who is living, and who is simply playing a part.
Tella seems like a much stronger and more complex character in Legendary than she did in Caraval and it was nice to have this different POV. I thought Legendary had all the magic and beauty that I loved in Caraval, and the world building was amazingly vivid.
My absolute, favorite part of the book though, was at the end. While I can’t share it (it’s a bit of a spoiler) I’ll say that I whispered, “Yes!”, as I closed this book!
Oh…and it was just announced that there will be a book 3! (And I’m going to need to be added to the list for a copy of that as well!)

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

I loved this book! It was a great follow up to the first book, and I really enjoyed Tella's POV & I cannot wait for the next book! That ending!!!!

Another hit in the Caraval series...and a page turner too! I was in love with the world of Caraval almost immediately into the first book of the series, so imagine my surprise when I realized I loved this book even more. I think because I already had a grasp of the world it allowed me to just sink right into this part of the story. Stephanie Garber has an incredible ability to captivate the reader with rich settings, complex characters, and delightful twists.

This journey into Caraval picks up right where the first left off and boy does it hit the ground running. There’s no time wasted as we delve immediately into Tella’s adventure...which I must say, is infinitely more thrilling than that of her sister Scarlett. At first I was worried about the change in POV to Tella but we still get to see all the story lines of our favorite (and not so favorite) characters. It’s clear from the start that the mystery of the game is far from over.

There’s nothing sophomoric about this next chapter in the Caraval saga. Now bring on the movie rights!!

I want to start this review by saying that I loved Stephanie Garber's Caraval. Reading it felt like the bright spot in a year of books that disappointed me. It was one of my favorites in 2017, and I was eager for a sequel, but hesitant as sequels rarely live up to the first book. Not in this case! Legendary is just as magical and breathtakingly full of suspense, danger, love, color, and sparkle as the original. The story now moves to Donatella's point of view, and we learn that her motives in Caraval were more complex than they first appeared. Another "will they or won't they" love story emerges, with just the right amount of passion yet tenderness for a YA book, and Donatella proves to be an even more intriguing heroine than Scarlett. I loved the characters - even the bad ones, and fulled enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait for the third installment!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I usually recap the book but if I recap this one then it will have too many spoilers from the first book and even a few from this one so I will just say, that it's great! I loved following Tella around even though I wasn't sure I wanted anyone but Scarlett and while I will say that I still prefer Scarlett, Tella is still an awesome character. Also, I like Dante better so there is that!

Don't even ask me to choose which one I liked better. Do not. I can't choose. I will say that this one has more kissing which I love to pieces as I'm a sucker for any kind of romance. The world building is freaking amazing and the world alone... it's so just one of a kind and rather mind blowing. This one is full of everything I loved from the first one along with stuff I didn't even know I wanted but am so glad I got! I am glad to know that this isn't that last one has at the end I'm left with more questions and ugh! I want the last one now!

Will go live on my blog 5/24/2018

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Stephanie Garber has once again created a magical world for readers to immerse themselves in. The unique storyline stands out in a sea of other YA fantasy novels.
Legendary begins the morning after Caraval and is told from Tella’s perspective. Tella is dealing with the aftermath of Caraval and is quickly drawn back into another one of Legend’s games.
Tella has made a deal with a mysterious criminal and must discover Legend’s true name to pay her debt. In order to do this, Tella must win a special Caraval being held in honor of the empress.
The description of Caraval and it’s world makes me desperate for some fan art (or a movie). I want to see this whimsical world brought to life so badly!
Much like the first book, there are many twists and turns in the storyline. We are instantly pulled into another enchanting game.
My one criticism is the timing of events. I love a fast pace book with lots of plot twists. However, the start of the book feels rushed. We are barely given enough time to comprehend the importances of the clues before the characters reveal the truth. The plot twist are written too close together. It’s like watching a game show where the contestants buzz in their answers before the host has time to finish reading the question. The plot is rich with secrets and mystery but divulges the answers too quickly. I would have preferred a bit more suspense.
This small criticism aside, I highly recommend Legendary and I’m looking forward to book three!

Oh. Man, I felt like I waited too long reading this book. I felt that the magic of this book has been lost greatly. Oh well. I guess. Longer Review to come

Middle books have a tendency to be not very good. They often fall into the placekeeper trap and don't move much along. This book managed to avoid that and had a good story all on its own.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from netgalley.com.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in advance! I loved Caraval and could not wait to get my hands on this one.

I loved hearing from Tella. Her point of view was different from Scarlet's, but not in a bad way. While Scarlet grew stronger throughout Caraval, Tella was already a strong girl who stood straight and held her chin up. But it was true character development to see that strength and self-confidence retreat into showing us the vulnerable side of her.

As much as I love descriptions and detail in books, I often found myself skipping through some of it to get to the dialog and action. I love the world that Garber has painted, but I love the action and the conversations between Tella and Jacks, and Tella and Dante more! (In other words, more Dante...). I won't lie, my heart broke at the end, but I'm also anxious to continue the story!!

Short and Sweet

It's time for another game of Caraval and this time it's Donatella Dragna playing. After making a deal with a criminal for the whereabouts of her mother who disappeared years ago Tella must now win the game and learn Legends name to fulfill her end of the deal with the unknown criminal she's been corresponding with.

Characters

Tella: Our main character and the focus of this book. I loved getting to know more about Tella in this book especially, because in Caraval we only read about how Scarlett thought of her. Tella is determined, fearless, and still impulsive. She'll do what she thinks is right to get what she wants. Her heart is in the right place and we get flashbacks to her childhood before her mother leaves so we get to see why she's so important. What I loved the most about Tella was how intelligent she was and how she was bold enough not to back down from a challenge.

Scarlett: Tella's older sister. Scarlett takes more of a backseat role in this book, we still see her in some scenes but she's not even playing Caraval this time. Scarlett is still protective over tella and is wary of most of the decisions her younger sister makes.

Jacks: Jacks is the Heir of Elantine, and also a fate. Jacks is cruel and makes rude comments and he frankly doesn't care that he comes across as cold blooded. Jacks is next in line for the throne and he also has some other priorities on his mind.

Dante: Dante is one of Legends actors and though theres not much known about his past I loved his character. He's so mysterious and theres just something about the way he's written that'll draw you to him and make you want more of him in every scene.

Romance

Tella and Jacks: This relationship was one of the relationships that are faked. Jacks needed a fiancé and needed Tella to be convincing about it, and Tella and Dante lied about Tella being the Heir of Elantines fiancé so that she could get a room to stay in. I mentioned earlier that Jacks was cold that definitely didn't change when he was around Tella she probably got the worst of it. Jacks just wants to get to the throne and Tella is the pawn he's going to use to get there.

Tella and Dante: Ahh I love these two. It was hard to read about these two not because they weren't good for each other but because they were perfect for each other in my eyes and Tella would keep pushing Dante away. I will give Dante credit for not giving up he was persistent and what I loved most was how he tried to protect Tella the whole time.

Scarlett and Julian: Our couple from the last book. We don't see much of them but when we do they're either happy or not so much. I liked this couple too, and I think they can make it work if they try.

Quotes

~ "Tella would destroy the world before she allowed anything to happen to her sister."

~ "Unfortunately Tella wasn't the sort of girl people saved - she was the one they left behind."

My Thoughts

~ Caraval this time around is different because its not just a game where you'll be swept away, some aspects of it are very real.

~ There's so much going on in this book and its so exciting to read about. We learn what happened to Scarlett and Tella's mother, we learn about the fates, we meet Elantines heir, and the winner of Caraval gets to meet Legend.

~ Caraval takes place in Valenda this time and I love the setting and all of the places that Tella visits the writing makes it seem amazing and like you could bee there with the characters.

~ I liked that Tella had to make a choice between winning Caraval to help Legend or to help set the fates free, it was interesting to weigh the options and see the pros and cons of both.

~ It was interesting to see some of the fates the prince of hearts who has a killer kiss and the undead queen and her handmaidens. The fates were all trapped in playing cards and some of them are free but they're not to their full power.

~ When we learn about Tella's mother we see that she has a history in Valenda and that she wasn't what she seemed back when she was with the girls on Trisda.

Overall

Legendary was just as magical as Caraval if not better! I loved getting to read from Tella's point of view and seeing how much she would sacrifice during this game. She's definitely a strong character and willing to do what she has to for those she loves. All of the risks and characters in this book are what make it great. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this book and I can't wait until the third book comes out! If you haven't read Caraval its one book I recommend reading and its perfect for the summer!!!

I just finish reading this book in one sitting with a stupid grin on my face. I practically devoured this book. I super love it!!! And yes everything unfolds BRILLIANTLY... I of course highly recommend this second installment of this series.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber | A Book Review
Caraval

First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the chance to read and review this book: Final Draft, pre-release. As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.

I give this story 3.25 stars.

Synopsis:

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

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.

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval.
If you’ll recall, I read and reviewed Caraval last year with my brownie. I did the ‘Sins of Caraval’, which were many. You can find that review here.

I had a lot to say, and I did quite a bit of ranting. Since this is not a ‘Sins/ Wins Review’, I won’t belabor that point.



Voice
I finally realized what bothers me so much about the style in which both of these books are written. While the dialogue is usually spot-on, the rest is kind of . . . really really descriptive narrative. So descriptive that honestly, I kept getting lost in the extra prepositional phrases and adjectives. It doesn’t make it more magical, it muddies the waters, and that makes me sad.

Also, there are some things thrown in that are in an attempt to make you believe that this story is set somewhere wildly different from Earth. Like the description ‘a ribbon the color of harbor light’. I have no idea what that means, and there’s a lot of confusing descriptions like that too.

Furthermore, Tessa, while much more interesting than her sister, was pretty repetitive with her thought processes, to the point I was annoyed that she felt I couldn’t understand her reasoning. I’m intelligent, let’s move on.



No Mystery
So the Caraval, the party-mystery-grandiose-game that is Caraval is kind of like a giant mystery-fantasy-solving-party. During both legendary and Caraval, the main characters make logic leaps while solving the mysteries that the reader can’t make. ALL of the fun of a mystery is being surprised at the ending and working the whole story to figure it out. Caraval doesn’t allow that because not enough clues are given that the reader can use.



Motivations
While Scarlett’s motivations in Caraval seemed a little weak to me, Tessa’s here in Legendary were solid. I understood why she was doing what she was doing that that made me happy.



Worldbuilding and Magic
The magic still has no rules, which is still disappointing, and there wasn’t enough worldbuilding in Caraval to allow for the leaps we made in Legendary. I can’t say more without giving the plot away.



Conclusion:
I personally wasn’t convinced that I’d like this story until the very end. Spoilers: I DID like it. The ending helped everything come into focus and I was surprised at the ferocity of my emotions about the conclusion.

My vote: Legendary was better than Caraval, so even if Caraval wasn’t for you, you might consider giving Legendary a chance. And if you loved Caraval, go buy this book immediately.

Looking for her missing mother friend Tella turns to a mysterious “friend.” The price for his assistance her “friend” she must learn the real name of Caraval’s master of ceremonies Legend. Tella figures she’ll find out if she plays in the next Caraval but she soon learns this game is real. Garber returns for another game of Caraval, this time focusing on Scarlett's younger sister Donatella or Tella for short. Garber does a great job evoking the setting of the world where Caraval takes place, too bad her heroine Tella is not that interesting. Caraval is a game where the players are supposed to be one step ahead of the others by solving a series of clues before anyone else, yet throughout the book she rarely solves any problem without any help, usually from her two romantic suitors, Dante from the previous book, and Jacks. Since this romantic triangle takes place within a game, it seems like these three are trying to out game each other rather than relating to each other as individuals with a life beyond the game. That's the main flaw of this novel is that the setting feels more real than the people which inhabits this setting. For this reason the romantic triangle doesn't work because it is hard to tell if anyone actually care for anyone else. For those who want to see more of Scarlett you're out of luck, and while that's to be expected because this is Tella's story, Scarlett is barely in the book. Legendary is for those readers who enjoy stories of live action role playing games (LARP) in beautiful settings that evokes images of romance.

Let me just say this was already my most anticipated book of the year. I had been dying to read it ever since Caraval, which was amazing by the way. Legendary had the same elements that I loved from Caraval. However, I was very impressed that she was able to still make it different enough to not feel redundant to the first book.

Basically, this story follows a spunky girl who is just trying to do right by her family and find her mom while still watching out for her sister, but keeps getting thrown into impossible situations that are holding her up. As an added difficulty, she can never tell what is real and what is all for show.

LOVE this author, and will be following her wherever her literary worlds take me.

I want to be a part of Caraval! Stephanie Garber has a way of drawing you in and making you feel like you're a part of the story. Even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, there was some small twist or turn that made me second guess what I originally thought was going to happen. Tella's story was definitely a bit darker than Scarlett's story but still all the more intriguing and magical. I can't wait to see what to next chapter brings.

I absolutely DEVOURED <i>Caraval</i>, and loved every minute of it, so had very high expectations for <i>Legendary<i/>. I was not disappointed. The story that started with Scarlett and Julian continues with Tella and Dante, and becomes progressively more dark and twisty. And I'm all about dark and twisty stories.

The action picks right up at the end of <i>Caraval</i> and moves from the island to a kingdom, where the Caraval troupe has been asked to perform at the sovereign's wish. The world building is equally dazzling, and the few new characters who are introduced are a fantastic addition.

Tella takes over as the main character in this book, and we learn there is a whole story going on behind the scenes of <i>Caraval</i> that we aren't privy to. It's this story that moves to the forefront in <i>Legendary</i>. We learn about Tella's secrets she's been keeping - even from Scarlett - and the motivations driving her decisions. There is still the mystery of Legend and his identity, and it is magnified many times here.

The narration has multiple story lines, twisting and weaving in and out of connection with one another, and it creates a complicated tapestry of adventure, intrigue, and magic. None of the characters are who they seem to be. I <3 stories like this - where no one is trustworthy, and everyone is suspect, and even when you reach the resolution, you HAVE TO question whether or not it's really the resolution, and what secrets these characters are still hiding.

This was a great adventure, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked Erin Morgenstern's <i>The Night Circus</i>, Amanda Hocking's <i>Freeks</i>, and even Erica Swyler's <i>The Book of Speculation</i>.

NetGalley and Flatiron Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you!

I think I loved this book more that I loved Caraval! Legendary is told from Tella's perspective and her time competing in Caraval.

Stephanie Garber did an amazing job telling Tella's perspective. It was very obvious that the way Tella sees the world is drastically different from Scarlet. I missed reading about Scarlet's descriptions of colors, but Tella doesn't see the world the same way so it made sense. Even though Tella is the younger sister, her thoughts and actions seem more mature. During this Caraval game, I had a harder time figuring out what was "real" and what was part of the game until the end.

I really hope Stephanie Garber writes a 3rd book! There are some loose ends that I would love to understand more about.

The second book after Caraval, picks up right where the first book left off, only from Donatella's point of view. Tellas decides to play Legend's game, but begins to think it is NOT a game this time.
Prepare yourself for another round of game play, only this time playing for your life.

I have so much love for this world and these characters. I was worried that this one would be too similar to Caraval and I wouldn’t enjoy it as much but I enjoyed it more, this book was just as brilliant as the first, maybe even more so. Tella’s story shows her weaknesses and her strengths and I loved following her journey. I appreciated a chance to get to know characters from the first book better and I loved how the adventure unfolded always surprising me with what was next it was spectacular I loved every minute.

In the first visit to Caraval, we met the two fearless sisters, Tessa and Donatello, as they escaped their nasty father and won the golden ticket to play the game of Caraval, a magical romp put on by the mysterious magician called Legend. This second trip is mind-blowing, wickedly delicious, and contains an unstoppable train of events. Tella is the player now, and a dark, foreboding pall hangs over this game as the elderly empress has demanded a special playing for her birthday celebration. Unbeknownst to Tella, the Fates (a super creepy batch of creatures) have been trapped in a deck of cards for quite some time and want out. Her 'pretend' fiance for the game happens to be the Prince of Hearts who is looking to free his buddies from their flattening confinement, as well as dangling the possibility of saving Tella's long-lost mother as part of a deadly bargain. The sisters have some impossible choices in front of them, which forced me to stay up waaay too late to voraciously read to the very end, where of course I got a bit of a cliffhanger as I wait impatiently for Book Three. She does, however, wrap up this storyline which is much appreciated:) Stephanie Garber is a magician herself as she is able to create a gorgeous yet forbidding fantasy world, write complex characters that act in oh so human ways, and design a twisty turning plot that demands to be read. While I loved Caraval, I do believe Legendary is even better.