I can honestly say that this is one of the best “final” books in a series that I have ever read. Stephanie Garber is an expert at weaving together details and story lines. She has you wondering at every turn, and it was nearly impossible to guess what may happen next or how a certain event would turn out.
The character development in this book (and the previous books as well) is complex and relatable. I personally find Tella extremely relatable as a young adult heroine...and she’s just plain fun to read about! The relationships between characters are flawless.
The only possible criticism I can think of is that the book ended somewhat abruptly. We had built up all of the background details to come to the apex of the story, and then the author simply tied up all of the loose ends very tidily and quickly. I would have liked the ending to be a bit more drawn out with more detail.
All in all, I would recommend this trilogy to all. I will definitely be taking the time to read it again for more detail that I may have missed the first time!

Wow this book was action packed! There was so much that happens and not a lot of down time or filler which was so great. I am so, so happy with how this series ended. It’s rare that I like the last book of a trilogy more than the first one.

Finale. I have been dying of anticipation over this book for ages, so I had built up quite a few expectations.... and Finale blew them out of the water!

In this conclusion to the Caraval series, it's been two months since the last Caraval games ended. Scarlett and Tella are still living in Valenda (although not in the palace), Legend has claimed the throne, and Paradise still has not awoken... although the Fates are certainly doing so. The girls' lives and the empire itself are falling further into turmoil as Fates awaken and wreak havoc, love and loyalty are tested, secrets are revealed, and an impossible enemy arises, who Scarlett may be the only one with the ability to defeat... at the risk of losing herself entirely.

This book was MORE than worth the wait! As I said, it blew all of my expectations out of the water with a fast-paced roller coaster of events and emotions, and man was it intense! The story was beautifully written, as I've come to expect from the author, and held me tight in its grip from start to finish. There were several plot twists that I never could have seen coming, which made it all the better... you certainly won't be bored! My only complaint was that I wish it had been even longer, I'm still starving for more of Tella and Scarlett, and of course Legend and Julian!

I absolutely adored Finale and I highly, highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy, in exchange for my honest review.

The Finale I Was Hoping For

Finale, the last book in The Caraval series, had everything I hoped for - more Legend, more of the Dragna sisters, more danger and intrigue.

It’s been two months since the last Caraval ended and things couldn’t be more complicated. Tella hasn’t seen Legend as he prepares for his coronation, her Mother is still in an enchanted sleep, and The Fates from the deck of destiny could start wreaking havoc at any moment. Scarlet has created her own game between Julian and Count Nicholas to determine who will win her hand in marriage. When she finally feels like she’s taking the reigns and controlling her own destiny she discovers her Mother’s past could change everything.

This was a magical, gripping, and at times disturbing book that made me glad the Fates haven’t been unleashed in our world. Stephanie Garber made the world of Caraval even more deadly and fascinating with the Fates on the loose. I loved the conclusion to this trilogy which has become one of my favorite series.

"Just because something is real doesn't mean you believe in it. The fates are real, but I don't put my faith in them. I used to put my faith in you, and I want to do it again." ~Finale a. Stephanie Garber

My heart. We can all agree that being an author is a crazy, hard job and I know I would much rather be a reader then the one putting the material out there. I picked up Caravale on a whim on my almost daily walk down the Target book aisles, combing for new material to pour through. Who knew on that fateful day that I would fall so desperately for each of the characters?! I devoured the book (while administering finale exams!!) in three days... and eagerly anticipated more, wanting to know what happened next and telling all of my high school students to run out and get the book to read over the summer. Legendary could not come soon enough.... and then I finished it and lost my mind thinking "how will I wait a WHOLE YEAR TO FIND OUT THE END?!?"...

Here we are back to my heart... It has been anxiously awaiting the news of who will Tella pick?! Is Jacks going to show us that he is truly a Heartthrob ;) or is he just a sinister bad guy actually meant to be no more then that? Who is Legend? Is Scarlet going to ever find TRUE love and be loved in return? Will the FATES get theirs? SO many questions left unanswered and they chased around in my head and as publication draws close the questions kept growing.

Thankfully, I did receive an ARC of Finale (I won't lie, I screamed when I found out) and WOWOWOWOWOW!!! While I was already so utterly invested in Garber's storyline and characters, I feel that she truly stepped it up even more for Finale. The author's writing has matured and grown so much since the beginning and it shows as each storyline was drawn together and each piece weaved a little more magic into Scarlet and Tella's lives.

Scarlet - wow she has matured, changed and grown up. She will always be the beginning and the end and the driving force that makes this series work.
Tella - Fiesty little bundle of joy, eh? If I ever have to go to a battle, I want Tella on my side. Without her passion and zeal for life, I do not think anyone would have been able to notice the finer points in the story line.
Jacks - I just want to meet him. See his eyes. Sigh.
Legend - I do *not* want to see what anyone thinks he looks like. I have a perfect image in my head and my favorite two parts in the book involved the mural in his bedroom (not a spoiler, don't worry) and his decision making through the second half of the book.
Fates - shocking that some are just who you would think, others not so much but I really did see them as cards walking around hehe. Hoping a spinoff could happen with these folk?

“Every story has four parts - the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.”
― Stephanie Garber, Legendary

Garber expertly divides Finale into four parts. The True Ending of Finale will leave you in a beautiful little package with most of your questions answered. Some root for the bad guy... through this series, the "bad guy" could have been ANY of our characters at some point but I am happy with the author's choices. I have a few questions still lingering but honestly, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for Garber to potentially put out a novella (hint, hint).

Such an amazing read and SO happy to give it five stars!!

I loved the entire Caraval series and I truly feel that fans of this series will love this book. This was a solid ending to a debut series. There were a few parts that felt disjointed and the ending felt a tad rushed, but that could also be that the version I read was an ARC. Also, the lack of a Caraval game was rather disappointing. The note that Legend left Tella at the end of Legendary felt like it was leading up to a final game, but it wasn't. There are other things I would like to say and comment on about this book, but I will keep those opinions and observations to myself until after publication!

Finale picks up shortly after Legendary ended. The fates are free from the Deck of Destiny after Legend destroyed them to save Tella - what destruction will now be wrought upon the city of Valenda? While Finale expands upon the magic of the Fates that were introduced in Legendary, this book falls short of the Alice in Wonderland-esque whimsy that made Caraval such a fun read. The lack of a Caraval game during this book seemed to remove the grounding of the series. Instead of being propelled through the plot by a series of clues filled with magic and mystery, we instead watch Tella waffle back and forth between two impossibly beautiful men, which can grow tedious. Both choices had romantic heat in Legendary, but neither shines here. Scarlett has most of the adventure in this story, and I welcomed reading from her perspective again. Fans who enjoyed Legendary, which took a fairly sharp turn in tone and style from Caraval, will probably enjoy the direction that Finale takes to wrap up the trilogy.

This was a very ambitious series finale where the author tried to do a LOT, and in my opinion almost pulled it off. I adore her writing so I was able to forgive the plot points that annoyed me or felt undone. I think fans of these characters will enjoy this book. For me, it wasn’t as good as Legendary but still a very enjoyable and magical story. The atmospheric setting always pulls me in and I enjoyed getting to see what happened to these intriguing characters. The sister relationships has always stood out to me and I'm so glad they got to work together in this final book.

Finale is EVERYTHING I wanted it to be and so much more! Scarlett and Tella have finally learned the identity of Legend and the real adventure has just begun. So many surprises at the turn of every page!

I found this to be a fantastic conclusion to an incredible series. I loved Caraval when I read it 2 years ago(I cannot believe it has been 2 years!) and I loved each next novel too!

Finale was everything I expected and more! I love this series so much and I’m so sad to see it end. Even though that ending has left me hopeful.

All of these characters infected me like the flu. I became feverish. I needed to know more about them. I needed more time. I became delusional. Thinking that it surely is not over. That ending isn’t coming. But it came and all too quickly.

I savored this book. It took me 3 days to read it. I would only read portions at a time because I wanted it to last but my curiosity and Stephanie Garber’s spellbinding writing had other plans. Before I knew it it was over and everyone was dead. Oops! They’re not dead or are they?!?! ;)

I’ll write a better review closer to release.

My heart is a little bit broken as this series has come to and end and I truly loved it! This last book was exactly what I had hope for in a conclusion to a well written series. This final chapter is told from the perspectives of both Scarlett and Donatella, bringing a new level to the story of these two sisters as they moved forward from the events of the last novel. Picking up right where things left off, Garber takes the reader deeper into the magical world she has created. I finished this book waiting for my preorder deck of destiny to arrive! The way she weaves the deck of destiny and the fates into the story is really quite impressive. The colorful writing and passion in the novel are just as strong as the first two and I really feel like this rounds out the trilogy well. I adore these characters (even Jacks!) I don't want to say to much because I am afraid I will spoil something, but I will say if you loved the first two books as much as I did, be prepared for to fly through your reading of this final installment. Be prepared to have some emotions and to enjoy a good book. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Finale... Maybe, with Tella and Scarlett, who knows what adventures could await in the future. As for the book, it was full of twists, back-stabbing, and intrigues, just what I would expect with these characters The Fates, Julian, Tella, etc). Just when you think love will win out, Ms. Garber changes the game and a plot twist ensues. She writes characters you can't help but feel for, whether it's frustration, love, anger, or helplessness. She gets you into the story and the characters emotional loves, sometimes so much to want to reach into the book and slap someone. Though the story feels long, it does flow quickly and by the end you'll wish there was more. I kind of hope there are more adventure for Legend and Tella
**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.**

An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of this book! This was absolutely amazing. It was everything I wanted it to be and it definitely lives up to the hype.

This is one of my favorite series that I've ever read. People say the sequel isn't as good as the first book, but Stephanie Garber manages to make each book better than the last.

Stephanie creates such a spellbinding world and I knew from the first page that this was going to be a work of art. This book blew Caraval and Legendary straight out of the water. It was completely enchanting and it hooked me with every single word on the page.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The highly anticipated final novel of a beautifully written and magical series is here, and it doesn't disappoint! Richly complex characters move through an expertly written plot -- readers will find themselves drawn in and never want to leave. As all good things must come to an end, readers should expect to feel all. the. feels.

Welcome, welcome! Caraval is over, Queen Elantine is dead, Dante is days from being crowned Emperor, and the Fates are waking. Tella and Scarlett have both played in Legend's famous games, but now one thing is clear, the fate of the empire isn't a game -- it's a mission. As the Dragna sisters work to save Valenda, they must also reckon their feelings and decide, once and for all, who is worthy of their love.

This series begins and ends with a letter written by two young women looking to escape from their lives and dive head first into the kinds of adventure we can only dream about, and damn do they get it.

“Finale” takes us through the final game where the Fates are released and more than one deadly foe stands in the way of a happily ever after as Scarlett and Tella learn the power and weakness felt through love and how far they are willing to go to save each other.

I’ll start with my critiques first just to get it out of the way because I’m not sure if it’s due to this being an arc but the beginning felt a bit clunky or rather weirdly plotted with quite a bit sharp breaks in the overall structure that weren’t felt in the early two books as they took us through this world of magic and illusion and I guess one could argue that was done on purpose as they are no longer playing a game but it was kind of distracting.

Now on to the good stuff! There was so much to unpack here with the Fates and the secrets revealed as we try to piece together the final parts of this puzzle with the rules changing at every turn. Both Tella and Scarlett go through a lot and I will say as much as I love Tella I would have liked a better blend of both she and Scarlett’s POV but what we did get really showed the differences between both sisters but also just how much they truly love each other and how that is more important than any game.

At the risk of making a million puns or sounding like a cliché this was one hell of a finale and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for an encore down the line, I’m looking at you certain duo who play a large role in the entirety of the series without us fully realizing it until this book, but I can’t say much more than that to avoid spoilers so you’ll just have to wait and see!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

This was a mostly solid ending to the series, but I was left unsatisfied with most of the events.

I love Tella but it was annoying having to constantly deal with her messy feelings for Legend. It got repetitive and annoying QUICK. I felt it kept holding back their actual goal, and it infuriated me to no end.

I loved Scarlett and Julian in this book but I felt they got less page time compared to the other couple. Both Julian and Scar had great development, as a couple and individuals, and it was disheartening to not see more of them.

The ending lacked any emotional depth for me. I wish I felt more but... there was really nothing.

3/5 stars.

This was lovely! I think it was the darkest of the trilogy, by far, but wonderfully magical and engaging!

First, before I get into my review, If you haven't read the first book in this series, Caraval, and its sequel, Legendary, stop reading here! This series definitely can't be read out of order, and reading past this warning will definitely spoil things for you! 

Now, onto the good stuff! I think Finale was probably my most anticipated book of 2019! If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably already know that I fell absolutely in love with Caraval and Legendary, and have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the trilogy! 

Finale is told from both Tella and Scarlett's point of views (but mostly Tella's), which I loved. Both women were part of the same larger plot-line, while also maintaining their separate storylines, largely involving their love interests. I felt like my emotions were on a roller coaster while I was reading the book - neither love story was easy, and I felt so much love, pain, hope, and disappointment in reading the book until each story was resolved. 

As usual, Garber weaves complex stories with beautifully descriptive words. Her writing style is so unique, and I find it so pleasing to read. I absolutely get lost in the story, and was utterly consumed by the book. When I wasn't reading the book, I spent my time wishing I was, and thinking about the story and how it would end. Most of the book is spent building up to the resolution, and even with 5% of the book left, I was still trying to piece together how she'd pull off the resolution! That said, I love how the book ended. Our storylines were resolved, but open enough for a sequel, though that might just be my wishful thinking ;) 

Finale is full of themes of love, loss, betrayal, sacrifice, and independence. It's full of action and scheming from beginning to end, and I couldn't get enough of it. 

All in all, I absolutely loved the book and cannot WAIT to see what else Garber writes in the future. If you've read and loved the first two books in the trilogy, you wont want to miss this one! I have a feeling it's one that everyone will be talking about this summer. Finale comes out May 7th, so be sure to mark your calendars! I'd like to thank Flatiron books for my copy of Finale. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

This was defiantly worth the wait. Hardcore fans of the series will not be disappointed as Garber pulls out all the stops for the third and final book in her Caraval trilogy. As a fan of the trilogy, Finale was everything I've come to love about Caraval. Magic, intrigue,emotional torture for characters, everything. An excellent (pardon the pun) Finale.