I read this book without reading Caraval in a LONG time. I probably should have read it with a little bit less of a gap- so I highly recommend rereading the first book before this one. However, if you were one of the many readers who were heads over heels about Caraval- I think you will enjoy this book as well.

For me Caraval was a weird read that I enjoyed, but had my reservations about. The same can be said about this book. It had a cool premise (traveling magic circus like fantasy land), with a very different heroine (a bold rash Tella vs. the softer more patient Scarlett), and a different sort of love story (where they tried to not make it the main point of the story but it kind definitely was the pain point of the story). Overall there were some good parts and some parts that had me rolling my eyes.

In Legendary, we are invited to explore different parts of mythology in this world that was not introduced until now. How apparently there were Fates that ruled over the land that they live in and that they were all expelled by a witch who gave Legend his powers. It was something new and interesting, but we don't really go into much details about the myths or what exactly they each mean. I wish this was introduced in the previous book so it didn't feel like such a jarring addition.

This book is much less about the game than the previous book and more about Tella and her journey. I think that sometimes the purple prose got a little out of hand but I think that the story was decent.

I would recommend this book to those who like headstrong heroines, a story that tries really hard to be "not all about romance", and those who loved Caraval but wished it had a slightly faster pace.

Unlike many sequels which take place in a similar event as the first novel (e.g. Hunger Games and Catching Fire), Garber's follow up of Caraval does not simply repeat the plot devices or themes of the first book. While the events occur over another of Legend's games, it does not share much more with the previous game than an air of mystery and, oddly enough, another individual supplying the protagonist with her clothing every day. 

Again, I enjoyed the prose. Many have complained about the nonsensical nature of some descriptions in these novels, but I feel they carry the magic and splendour of Caraval from the pages into the reader's imagination. As soon as I started Garber's sequel, I was swept away by the familiar tone. 

This game takes place in a new city, which acts as a passive background to the action. The world-building has left room for interpretation. The main landmarks are clear, but you and I could still produce drastically different scenery around which our characters carry out their stories. While this may just be due to weak world-building, it has the effect of making the reader feel as if they are watching a play unfold before them. The entire novel feels as if it is setting up another act for an audience that will require more from the heroes and villains we have come to know a bit better.

The characters shine in this book more so than they did in the predecessor. There are no white and black lines between hero and villain. While the narrator may suggest someone is cruel, evil, or manipulative, the reader has their doubts. This conflict between the narrator and reader reiterates the unreliable nature of the storyteller. A reminder that in the game of Caraval you cannot trust anything, not even the story. 

I felt the excitement, hope, heartbreak, and betrayal suffered by characters throughout the story as real as if it were my own. As I finished this sequel, I was confident only that Garber is not done with us any more than we feel done with Scarlett, Julian, Dante, Tella, and Legend.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Flatiron Books, and Stephanie Garber for providing me with an eARC of Legendary so that I could offer an honest review.

Oh. My. Goodness...

I LOVE this series - Garber has created such an original, magical, horrifyingly off-kilter world, and populated it with a cast of characters that is truly unique and wildly inventive. She has the perfect writing style for this type of story - clear and concise, but with just enough detail to bring the world she's created into Technicolor glory. She is also terribly witty, and there are a number of one-liners that are offered as throwaways, but that often steal the scene. Garber plays with language and imagery the way that Legend plays with people, and the result in both instances is delightfully dark and deliciously funny.

I enjoyed the introduction of the Fates as an entirely new set of players, because they offer so many opportunities for intrigue. But I also really enjoyed the deepening of Legend's character- he's still an enigma wrapped in a riddle, but for very different reasons (as a result of several reveals in this book), and it's fantastically unclear - STILL - whether he's the hero or the villain of the piece... It's that type of moral ambiguity that I think makes the characters in this series so marvelous - they have a depth and breadth, a psychological heft if you will, that ebbs and flows like the tides and leaves you a little uncertain where they stand at all times. It makes every page a thrill, because it is almost impossible to guess when they will zig and when they will zag - or when they'll decide to go with neither and instead stop for coffee... It keeps you off-kilter, right along with Scarlett and Tella, and that's a fun place to be when you don't have to worry about paying the consequences like they do!

I really enjoyed that this book was written from Tella's perspective (as opposed to Scarlett's, who is the focus of Book One) - it was interesting to step inside her head and get a better sense of who she is and why she behaves as she does. The two sisters are wildly different on the surface, but as more about their lives and histories is revealed, I'm starting to see more core similarities too - in intriguing, resonant ways that I suspect will shape the stories that unfold going forward. I'm curious to reread the first book now, and see if it colors my interpretation of her actions (I suspect it will)...

Speaking of which, I'm also insanely curious to see what comes next... There's no way Garber can stop writing in this series now, there are too many loose ends and possibilities laid out at the end of this one. Which is a Very Good Thing, because a world like this deserves more than two visits!

Opening line:
"While some rooms on the estate had monsters hiding beneath the beds, Tella swore her mother's suite concealed enchantment."

I thouroughly enjoyed CARAVAL and waited anxiously for the next book to come out. LEGENDARY did not disappoint. It was full of intrigue, magic, daring escapades, fights, drool-worthy men, and new characters.

Tella is a stronger character in this book, meaning, she choose better and tried to do what was right. She learns where her missing mother is and how she can be rescued. Of course, there is a bargain struck, a price to pay and a game to win. And the cards don't always tell the truth.

This book isn't so much about the game or players (which Ms. Garber set up brilliantly in her last book) but more about the mission Tella is on and all the obstacles she has to overcome. Scarlett is there too but they don't interact near as much as the last book but they do just enough to keep the story line going.

Dante is his miserable self but I came to love him and how he treated Tella. There is a bit of a love triangle but not annoyingly so. It's more because of the bargain Tella has struck. READ IT! I'm giving you anymore clues!

I too thought this was the last book but it better not be! There are enough loose ends that need to be knotted to fill another book.

Thanks to netgalley for the early review!!

No swearing (maybe one or two??)
No sex (kissing, hugging)
Some violence, fights, broken bones, gashes

While I loved the first book in this series, Caraval, I think I liked this one even better! This was because I really loved the character of Tella, I loved that she was impulsive and adventurous and a risk taker unlike her more reserved sister. While I initially though here somewhat spoiled in the first book, I really like how here character was developed in Legendary and as I got to see more of her own personality and thoughts I began to love her and her story.

I really hope that there is a third book in the series, because there is still so much that I NEED answers to like what is really up with Legend, will Scarlet ever forgive Julian, and what will happen to Paradise the Lost and the Fates?!?

This is a series that I will definitely recommend to my students, in fact I already have Caraval in my library and have been recommending it to students and I can see this one being just as well received by my students too, especially those that enjoy Fantasy!

Is it possible to love the 2nd book more than the 1st book? This series is absolutely amazing!

Is this a duology or will the series continue?

This is Tella's story and she gets to play the game, but it goes so much deeper than the actual game. I was completely enthralled and completely lost in the magic of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really can't say much because it will ruin the magic, so you will just have to read for yourself! Oh, and go read Caraval first if you haven't already!

This book is amazing! I devoured it in two days! At first I was a little disappointed that Tella was the focus, rather than Scarlett, but before I knew it, I was sucked into the story and couldn't stop reading. I was very intrigued by the second Caraval game and by Tella's quest. Legend's true identity blew me away! I will definitely recommend this book to my students as well as anyone looking for a magical, mystical read.

I loved this book :) I loved the first book and this one was <3 <3

OMGOSH! This was even better than the first. This book is in Scarlett’s sister’s perceptive, Donatella. She said she wouldn’t play but she did only because she made a deal with some evil criminal who wants Legend and the Special Deck of cards. Tella plays and if you read Caraval, Tella truly plays well but still can’t figure out what is real and what is not.

The ending spills a lot of secrets that make you “Eeek!”

Sad ending of Dante and Tella. They were such a great “couple”. But the ending will surprise you!!!

Really a great read! Love Caraval and Legendary!
Must read!

Wow, this book was fabulous!!! It had me pulled in from the very beginning. When Donatella has to play the next Caraval game to save her mother, it ends up being much more than she bargained for. And her "friend" who helped her save Scarlett and herself from their father is also not the person that she thought he was. When she is told at the beginning that she will have to sacrifice more than she thought to win the game, it doesn't deter her. But as she plays, she realizes that what she needs to sacrifice might be more than she is willing to.
This was posted on Goodreads and will be posted on my instagram page later.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2139699656
https://www.instagram.com/dystopiannovelsfanatic/

It was just too repetitive. I really had to push myself to finish this one. Every other chapter recapped the events of the book and dragged out the plot.

Caraval has ended and Donatella Dragna (Tella) has finally succeeded in saving her sister Scarlett and getting them both away from their abusive father. Anything seems possible but the magic of Caraval has quickly faded. Tella isn't done; she naively made a deal with a mysterious "friend" who wants something no one is able to aquire, Master Legend's true identity. The only way Tella can fathom uncovering this truth is to win Caraval. Once more she finds herself swept up in the crazy game that makes reality and magic hard to distinguish. If Tella can not succeed, she's about to lose everything, including her life. But if she does, Caraval may cease to exist.

Stephanie Garber had done it again. She has beautifully portrayed a world of mystery and magic; of real vs fantasy. It had been quite some time since I had read Caraval but I fell head first into this sequel. From the very first page to the last, I kept wondering how far Garber would go to suck her readers in. I was not disappointed! Throughout the book, the reader follows Tella on a quest for clues while trying to discern what is part of the magic of Caraval and what is quite literally life or death.

Legendary will make you question your own morals. How far would you go to save someone you barley even know? What if you were given an ultimatum and had to choose between two people you love? While Legendary is a fantastic work of fiction, if you dive a bit deeper, you can discover quite a bit more about morals, values and how you would face difficult decisions. I can only hope that this series will continue on and we will be blessed with a book three.

I received a copy of Legendary for an honest review. These opinions are
solely mine and do not reflect that of the author or publisher nor are they
influenced by the opportunity to read this book early.

You know that feeling when you're so excited to get your hands on the book you've been wanting to read and when you finally have it and finished reading it, but the book didn't meet your expectations?

I am disappointed. Part of it is because I thought these characters, (especially Tella who is now the main character of the story) are going to be a lot smarter, stronger, and could stand up for themselves. The guys are too manipulative (I know, it's just part of the game) and the girls easily fall into the same trap, sometimes gullible, sometimes a klutz and Tella easily trust someone. I don't find the characters likable at all, and some parts of the book are poorly written. Caraval wasn't as good either, but to me, it was more fast-paced and has a more solid plot compared to Legendary. There were too many plot twists in Legendary that it gave away the essential part and made it more obvious who Legend really was. I do commend Stephanie for her imagination -- the book remains colorful, magical, and enchanting it really paints a picture in your head what Caraval might've really looked like.

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

I finished this book a week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it!!!! It's perfection. When I started this read I was honestly worried and concerned that the second book in the series just wouldn't live up to the amazingness of the first book, Caraval, but I am so glad I was wrong!

This review will be short and without spoilers. This is a fascinating young adult fantasy series that I can't get enough of. The world and characters that Garber has created suck the reader in and keep them engaged throughout the entire book.

The characters are simple and yet complex at the same time. In this book we get the story from the point of view of Tessa (Book 1 was from Scarlett's POV).I wish I was as good at writing as Garber so I could explain to you the feeling of reading this book. I guess "purely magical" will suffice the feelings I experienced. Like the first book, Stephanie Garber's talent (besides inventing this imaginary world and complex game in her head and perfectly translating it onto paper) is her way to create a plot twist. She is a genius at misleading the reader and surprising them in the next chapter or two with a twist no one ever saw coming but her.

All in all, this book is a 5 star read for me. Pre-order it now. If you haven't read the first book yet, DO IT NOW! You will not be disappointed! Legendary is due to be released here in the USA on May 29, 2018.

Thanks to Flat Iron Books and Netgalley for allowing me an egalley to read and give my honest review.

Happy Reading!

** spoiler alert ** Welcome, welcome to Caraval, the grandest show by land or by sea… Sisters Tella and Scarlett barely survived the last Caraval, an extravagant, surreal show that blurred the lines between fantasy and reality. After Tella plunged to her death, Scarlett used her winning wish to bring her back to life. And the two should live happily ever after, free of their abusive father and Scarlett’s disastrous arranged marriage. But Tella’s initial deal with Caraval’s mysterious Master Legend comes with a few strings attached, and she ended up making a seemingly impossible deal with a criminal in order to find the whereabouts of her missing mother. Tella is given the five nights of the next Caraval to discover Legend’s real name, and if she doesn’t, she could lose everything - and everyone - she loves. Before Caraval, Tella is warned that this time, the game is real, and she soon finds herself falling deeper into a twisted game and maybe even deeply in love. An excellent follow-up to last year’s Caraval, this series is a unique blend of mystery, fantasy and folklore. Recommend the series to readers too young for The Night Circus or Water for Elephants.

The formatting of the book made it nearly impossible to read. My apologies, but I couldn't make it into the book without being constantly distracted.

“Legendary” by Stephanie Garber

I received a copy of this work from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also received this as a print ARC from Macmillan while attending the Public Library Association Annual Conference 2018. I’ll assume they want an honest review as well. The only message I received (beyond general excitement) was the mildly threatening comment that they would “find me” if I attempted to sell the ARC. I’ll play it safe and not.

The story picks up where Garber’s 2017 work “Caraval” left off though this time, Tella is our narrator and not her sister Scarlett. The two are entangled in Legend’s next game and through of poor decisions and misplaced trust, Tella finds herself pretending to be the fiancé of the heir to the throne, Jacks. Who is presumed to be a mass murderer and will stop at nothing to get the throne. It was Dante who set Tella up to take on this disastrous role in an attempt to sneak her into the next game of Caraval. The prize being worth the deception it took to get there and by no coincident, exactly what Jacks wants: Legend himself.

Jacks has more than a few secrets including his identity as a Fate, a group of godlike figures who once wreaked havoc and were trapped for the benefit of humanity. He has escaped and wishes to free the other Fates but requires Legend’s magic to do so. As extra enticement, Jacks knows where Tella and Scarlett’s mother is but will only rescue her if Tella hands over Legend. The conflict Tella faces is complex: hand over Legend to Jacks and save her mother (while dooming humanity) or prevent Jacks from getting Legend and save humanity (while dooming her mother). All of it though is contingent on Tella winning Caraval, which Scarlett has forbidden her to play.

I appreciate the complexity of the plot of “Legendary” far more so than I did with “Caraval” as well as the growth in the characters. Tella no longer seems the vapid lovesick teen but rather a complicated and determined young woman. Jacks was an interesting new character and Dante had a larger role than expected though ended the book with some predictability. The largest flaw with the book lies with the characters themselves. Being secretive with no greater purpose than to move the plot forward seems wasteful. With both books, results may have been hastened or altered had Tella and Scarlett simply spoke with honesty towards one another instead of the supposed need to protect each other via withholding valuable information.

Where do I even begin? This was one of my Most Anticipated Books of 2018, and it did not disappoint. Thank you so so SO much to Net Galley and Flatiron books for an early e-book copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel picks up the morning after the first book, and from Scarlet’s sister Donatella’s (Tella) perspective. I found Tella to be a very interesting main character, and felt she had more to her than Scarlet. She is very brave and is not afraid of a challenge, and that came in handy during this books Caraval. This game surrounded The Fates that Tella has spent her whole life obsessing over because when she was a little girl, she found a cursed deck of cards in her mothers jewelry box. Right before she was caught, she flipped over 3 cards that sealed her fate after one became true not too long after.
During this Caraval game, Tella’s task is to discover Legend’s true identity. It seemed that he created this game just for Tella, and that he knew she studied the fates so much in her life, and some clues were left just for her to figure out. I loved the romance in this book way more than the first just because I felt Scarlet to be so dependent on Julian right off the bat, where as Tella would do things on her own and wasn’t dependent on Dante nor expected a happily ever after from one kiss.
I very much enjoyed the layout of the game in this book and how it “wasn’t just a game” this time around. It was hard for Tella to tell the difference of real vs. not real (Hunger Games, anyone? lol) and at times it was hard for me as a reader as well. This novel definitely kept me on my toes, and left me NEEDING book three!!!

review will go-live on the blog May 29, 2018

What does it mean to be the hero? What does it mean to be the villain?

Legendary begins the day after Caraval ends. Tella, Scarlett's younger sister, has made a deal with her mysterious "friend" that in order to save her mother, she must bring him Legend's true name. And to find out Legend's true name, Tella must win the next Caraval.

Pro: Another magical world...that feels completely different from the last Caraval. More mysterious characters, some old, some new...some with completely new identities.

Con: Nothing felt real. Maybe that is the point, but I never felt the sense of urgency like I did when reading Caraval. With Scarlett, I always felt either she or Julian were in constant danger. With Tella, clearly she was in danger, but it didn't fill like it was real danger, even when it was.

Pro: I enjoyed the theme of hero versus villain. Not the physical struggle between the hero and the villain, but the internal struggle one has when on one side they are the hero, but on the other side they are just as easily the villain.

Con: I still don't know who was the hero and who was the villain. Maybe that is the point, but I'm still bothered by that.

Pro: Dante. Enough said.

Con: Tella. She feels so young and immature and annoying. Maybe that is the point because she is younger than Scarlett, but I just didn't connect with her like I did her older sister. Plus, I loved Julian and Scarlett together. Dante and Tella together just feels forced.

Pro: Legend's true identity is finally revealed...sort of...

Con: The ending. I feel like so many questions were left unanswered. Maybe that is the point, but I hate when a book doesn't or barely closes the story arc.

Does Legendary finish the series? Clearly not, but for some reason I thought this was a duology. Both Tella and Scarlett's story have been left open ended and I'm not sure I'm liking the direction it appears Scarlett's is going to take.

My biggest question now: "Whose POV will we get next?"

And then I have to worry: "Are both girls going to be stuck in love triangles?"

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first book, but I think it's worth giving a try if you loved Caraval. I will definitely give the next book in this series a chance.

Caraval is a game and only a game. Tella knows this, because her sister Scarlette won the last Caraval. However, things start to seem a little too real for Tella this time and despite reminding herself that it's just a game, she's having doubts. She needs to win the game by the end of Caraval and discover Master Legends true name in order to save her mother. With so much at play and no good outcome either way, Tella finds herself with some difficult choices to make. What is real and what is not in this unusual game of Caraval?

Everything about this about book was just as atmospheric as the first one. In fact, I'd say that this book is even better. I loved the first Caraval, but this one blew me away. The mystery, the intrigue, the romance. It's all amazing and it'll keep you guessing until the end. Legendary comes out on May 29th and I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the chance to read this amazing sequel early. If you loved Caraval, get ready, because this one is twice as good!