Finale (Caraval, #3) by Stephanie Garber Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Caraval and Legendary on my blog, now!

I wanted to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Caraval and Legendary - but there was just something about this book that made it feel as though it was dragging on for the majority of the story until we reached the two-thirds point. Scarlet still grinds my gears, and even with her presence in this book being more tolerable than her minimal presence in the previous book, I still found myself rolling my eyes every single time she showed up. Tella continues to be the superior sister, and while she now finds herself placing trust in someone she did not expect to, she still holds true to herself.

With everyone's relationships seemingly on the rocks since the end of Legendary, the characters are now working towards mending those bonds and deciding if who they thought they loved truly are the ones they want to end up with. There is a lot of back and forth between the couples of Tella and Legend and Scarlett and Julian, which does create an interesting dynamic as perspectives switch throughout the book. Julian's character somewhat stays on the back burner until his true purpose comes into play, so his and Scarlett's relationship became less interesting to me as not nearly as much time is spent on them compared to Legend and Tella.

The actual plot of this plot felt like it was a little all over the place - at times it felt as though the story was dragging for chapters on end, and then suddenly everything was happening all at once and so much information was being thrown at the reader. The last third of the book definitely saved the plot - I was pretty locked in at the end, and was glad to see that actual moves were being made in order to accomplish the main goal. The Fates storyline was definitely the most intriguing part of the book, and to be quite honest, one of the best aspects of the series in general.

I wish there was more tension throughout this installment - while you could tell that the stakes were high in terms of the fantasy plot, the romances seemed to take a back seat and I felt disconnected from them at times. That being said, Tella's pull between Legend and Jacks was really enjoyable and I am such a huge fan of Jacks - to be upfront, the main motivation for me to finish this series to to be able to read Once Upon a Broken Heart, and now I am only one novella away from diving in. Jacks and his general mysterious aura really pulled me in, and the way he interacts with Tella makes the story more juicy and gives it a bit of a bite.

Even though the game of Caraval is over, you can definitely feel its impact on the characters in this book - they are still reeling from the consequences of the game, and the characters must make decisions that affect everyone around them. It was a different type of thrill compared to the game, but I did enjoy the difference and how it felt like a final chapter closing on both Tella and Scarlett's stories that allowed them both to have a proper conclusion. If you are looking for an entrance into the world of fantasy, the Caraval series may be the perfect books to pick up.

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Legendary (Caraval, #2) by Stephanie Garber Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Caraval on my blog, here.

It has been eight years since I read the ARC of Caraval, and I thought now was as good a time as any to finally keep pushing through this series and see it to the end. To be completely honest, I literally forgot who every single character was which the exception of maybe three people -- but my memory continues to serve me and everything started to fall back into place once I was a few chapters into this second installment.

Dante was an absolute rizz master throughout this book, and I was honestly surprised about just how great he was with his words to Tella and how he was able to take control of any scene he was in. There were a few times that I was not pleased with how he was acting, but since everything is a game during Caraval, I was letting it slide. Scarlett's scarce appearances and mentions throughout this book were essentially operating as reminders that she still existed, and were truly there for me to remember how ridiculous she acted in the first book. I was hoping to see some more character growth on her part, but she was present so infrequently in this book, it was hard to expect anything more from her.

Any instance in which Jacks showed up on the page, I was immediately locked in until the moment he exited. With his affinity for apples, I found myself constantly chanting "applejacks, applejacks, applejacks" every single time he showed up in this story. Tella's interactions with him were some of my favorite scenes in the entire book, and he is such an engaging character that pulls the reader in. I found myself constantly comparing his scenes with Dante's scenes, and to be completely truthful, Dante was really starting to get on my nerves the more the story progressed.

I fear that I would end up unknowingly join the Church of Legend without realizing it, because every time that Tella would mention something from his backstory or we would learn more about him, I was honestly on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the obstacles that Tella encountered throughout her run through Caraval, and considering the multiple plots that plagued her as she fought to uncover the truth laid right in front of her the entire time. The side characters were interesting and benefitted the story's true nature, and made Tella's journey even more memorable.

Scarlett's brief appearances continued to prove to me that Tella is the superior sister in the sense that she is able to more maturely handle tough situations. She may not be the brightest bulb in the bunch but she has hustle and I have to respect it. The big twists were a little predictable in my opinion, but the author does a great job incorporating the storylines together in order to bring that big finale all together and set up the final book.

For readers looking for fantasy with a hint of romance, and for fans of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, Stephanie Garber brings this series to life as Tella works to solve secrets kept and to unveil Legend's true name in order to save her fate.

You can add Legendary on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!