Better than Caraval which I did not think was possible! I couldn’t get enough of this one. Donatello is a force!

Legendary picks up right where Caraval ended and immediately takes off on a whirlwind adventure. Tella takes over as the main character, on her own journey to win Caraval and the prize that will clear the debt we learn of at the end of the first book. We are introduced to new characters, a new setting, and a new game that may be more than it appears. The characters in this story are just so well written and engaging. Every single character is vividly characterized and, as a reader, I was genuinely invested in the outcome of each of their storylines.

The plot of this book is so stunning, as well. It is full of magic, adventure, good, evil, and romance. I love how Garber is able to create such an astonishingly magical, yet realistic world. Everything from the setting, to the costumes, to the characters is so well thought out and described, that it makes the world within the story come alive. It is an emotional roller coaster that looks into Tella and Scarlett’s past and fills in some of the gaps left from the first book.

This book had it all for me, and is one that I can’t wait to share and recommend. It felt like being on the adventure myself, searching for clues to ultimately win Caraval. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and judging from the ending, there has to be another book to follow.

This is a wonderful addition to the Caraval series and, once again, highlights what a fantastic writer Stephanie Garber is. Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron books for the advanced copy. I highly recommend this book!

Legandary by Stephanie Garber is the sequel to Caraval, a book with a beautiful cover that dominated everyone's YA to-read lists. The plots of the series revolve around a very tricky game that is magical, but can have carry over effects into the characters' lives beyond the games. Caraval introduces you to Scarlett (the narrator) and Tella (narrator's little sister) and follows Scarlett as she plays the game for the first time. Legendary resumes the night after Caraval, and shifts narrators to Tella to follow her immersion into another round of the game. I much preferred Tella as a narrator over Scarlett, and the author captured their differences in this quote:

“Tella was the sister who would destroy the world if anything happened to Scarlett, but Scarlett's world would be destroyed if anything happened to Tella.”


While I didn't love Caraval (lots of world building, main character irked me frequently, the romance and the language was sugary and made me grit my teeth; see my full review here for more), I was interested enough to scoop up Legendary, assuming that the laborious world building in the first novel would pay off by letting the reader dive head first into the sequel. And for the most part, it did! The main difference between Caraval, is that many of the characters in this book resemble a group of Fates (kind of like immortal Gods) that once existed in the land where Legendary takes place and they crop up repeatedly throughout the plot. In case it's hard to keep track of all of the Fates, there is a very handy glossary at the end of the novel, which I wish I had known about before I finished reading.

The world where the games take place is beautiful, but sometimes the descriptions within Legendary felt like a rendition of the same story from before, which to some extent, it has to be because the sisters are playing iterations of the same game. The settings are always colorfully described. Sets and plots considered, I think this would be a fantastic show on The CW if it were to ever be optioned as a series instead of a film.

While I liked the overal plot, I still got annoyed at the romantic interactions between the characters initially and warmed up to them slightly by the end of the book. The romance wasn't as syrupy as Caraval , but still a bit much for my taste, especially because one of the lead romance figures was constantly described as "smelling like ink" which peeved me a bit and was incredibly redundant. As with Caraval , some of the written comparisons simply don't make sense (i.e. "some faces were narrow and as sharp as curse words"), but maybe this will be appealing to certain readers.

All in all, I found Legendary to be completely captivating while I was reading, but kind of forgettable as soon as I put the book down. It reminded me of a piece of cake that you keep returning to and giving yourself more slices of, but when you really think about it, cake alone isn't enough. I found many pieces of the book to be annoying, but was still entertained as a whole, so how to rate it? If the descriptions of the book sound like a gem to you, please pick it up because you'll probably love every page! If the things I described irking me, might annoy you, perhaps consider this as a guilty pleasure read that might irritate you at points or pass on it altogether.

The book concludes in a way that will make the reader wonder if the stories of this world are finished for the author, but I think, regardless of whether more novels continue this series, my time of visiting Caraval has come to end.

3.5 stars

If any of your read my review of the first book in this series, Caraval, you may recall that I had very few kind things to say about it. The story could have been interesting but mostly it just bored me to tears and gave me characters that lacked any interesting personality traits. I despised the narrator, Scarlett, and nearly every other thing in that book.

So, why did I read Legendary, you ask? It showed up randomly in my Netgalley one day as an approved book even though I have absolutely no memory of requesting it. I did not want my over 80% review average to dip so I opened it up. I figured at least it would give me a book to rag on and those reviews are always fun. What I didn’t expect was to truly and thoroughly enjoy it.

What I Liked

-The narrator in this book is, thank goodness, Scarlett’s sister Donatella. Tella is fiery and passionate. Once she makes a decision she goes for it, all out, and doesn’t let anything stand in her way. She is bold, brash, and filled with extreme emotion. Despite that, she does her best not to let that emotion distract her from her goal, which is saving her mother. Of course she has many hardships to overcome to achieve that goal but her passion (for the most part) remains steadfast. That takes a strength of character most do not possess.

-Instead of the competition taking place on Caraval’s island, it is located in the capital city and being hosted by the empress herself. I’m not sure if Garber’s writing improved from the previous book or if this setting was just more interesting but I could easily picture every street, every building, and every ruin that Tella came across. It was like a vivid painting in my head and I adored every moment.

-Now, I am a sucker for an appropriately done romance and Legendary nailed that one right on the head. It didn’t overpower the story but instead complimented it. In fact, I don’t think Tella would have reached the conclusion she did without that romantic aspect. It was tastefully done, appropriate, and still steamy enough to keep my eyes flying across the page.

What I Didn’t Like

-The so called “bad guy” in this story didn’t tickle my funny bone. I could understand what Garber was going for with him but he just didn’t feel genuine. Without giving anything important away I’ll just say that a few things just conveniently happen with the character that felt forced, like they were just put in to further the plot and not because they suited the established character. Luckily, and oddly, he really didn’t show up a lot so it wasn’t too much of a nuisance.

-I have the feeling that I will be in the minority on this but I didn’t really like the book’s conclusion. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, it did give a very nice set up for the next book but at the same time it just felt…off. The conclusion also included a great deal of Scarlett so that may have had something to do with it. I truly and to the bottom of my soul dislike that character.

-Just as kind of a side note, there are flying carriages. I suppose they were meant to further convey the fact the “Caraval is magical” concept but I think that their inclusion was too child like and out of place. Instead of adding to the magical aspects of the story, it detracted.

Overall

In the grand scheme of things I loved this book. Tella was fascinating and held my attention, her love interest was perfectly suited to the story line, the setting was absolutely magical, and there were enough surprises to keep me glued to the page. Even my negatives didn’t have a huge impact on the story, they were more background noise than major plot points. When I picked up Legendary I was fully prepared not to like it, even expected not to. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by a magical tale with entertaining characters and a story that kept me reading even when there were other things I should have been doing. I completely recommend this book for YA fantasy fans.

4.5/5

This was an amazing book that I only wish I had more of (especially with another cliffhanger).

For the characters, Legendary is mainly focused around Tella (having Caraval been focused around Scarlett). I admit that she was annoying at times, but I enjoyed her as a character overall. She had motives beyond just the plot of the story, that changed and adjusted throughout the course of the book. Dante also appears more in this book and I think that he's one of my favorite characters so far. Especially with the plot twist at the end. I would say more about him but everything there is to say a big spoiler for Legendary. The only returning characters I didn't like in the story were Scarlett and Julian, who weren't really present besides a few romance related scenes.

With the plot, it was a bit slow in the beginning, but it got much better as it progressed. The plot revolves around Tells repaying someone (going back to the letter in the ending of Caraval), and there's also not much to say without spoiling. It's just a really great book. We also get to learn more about Scarlett and Tella's mother which I didn't care too much for but was a nice addition.

Maybe I'll add more when Legendary gets released, but it is an amazing book that I would buy once it releases. It was just as good (or more) as I anticipated and I just really want to read more now. I would definitely recommend this to anyone despite if you like fantasy or not.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I really loved Caraval and was a little wary of Legendary because I didn't want to be disappointed or let down. I must say that this sequel was even better than the first! I got lost in the world of Caraval once more with all the twists and turns and surprises. So many questions...who is Legend? Who is Tella, really? What happened to Tella and Scarlett's mother? Is it real or just a game? What's real? What's part of the game? We get to visit with old characters and meet new characters to love and hate while finding the answers to all these questions and more. Really, really exciting, action-packed read! Highly recommend.

In this sequel to Stephanie Garber’s debut novel, Caraval, we follow Scarlett’s younger sister, Tella, on her journey to the empire’s capital to fulfill a mysterious bargain. This time it’s Tella, instead of Scarlett, who will be experiencing the wonders of Caraval and having to make nearly impossible choices as she follows the clues that Legend leaves. Only, this time, Caraval may not be just a game, there are murmurings that it’s real this time around. And winning may truly be the difference between life and death. Tella will also have to decide exactly how much she’s willing to sacrifice to find what she’s looking for.

In Legendary, Stephanie Garber once again shows that her imagination is truly limitless! I’ve read many book series and know that the second book doesn’t always live up to the first. I’ve rarely read one where the second book actually tops the first, and this one seemed to. I’m not saying that I didn’t love Caraval and Scarlett’s story. But, Tella’s was even more imaginative and magical, in my opinion. It has even more secrets and twists to surprise you. There were so many turns that I just didn’t see coming but once they happened, made perfect sense. I loved that we got more of the sister’ backstory and learned about their mother. I loved Tella, Dante, and Jacks as characters. I really loved the Empress, too. Tella was such a fighter and I enjoyed that you couldn’t completely tell if Dante was good or bad or even completely helping Tella. That questionable loyalty really makes you want to keep reading. And, almost on the other side of the coin, you can’t really tell whether Jacks is completely bad, if he’s really being as self serving as he claims. And, THAT ENDING!! It was absolutely perfect though I didn’t see it coming at all! I can say that I dearly hope there will be a sequel because I’m already dying to read more!!

When I was approved to read this book via netgalley, I literally screamed...on a plane full of people. I have been counting down the days until this books released because after Caraval I knew I needed more of this world in my life. I was not disappointed. If anything Stephanie exceeded every single expectation and more!

I really enjoyed that this book picked up right where Caraval left off. You get to jump straight back into Stephanie’s magical writing style with a storyline that keeps you guessing until the very last chapter. My notes are a crazy amount of theories with half of them crossed out by the next chapter. My brain was constantly in overdrive trying to figure out well if this relates to that then how does this fit in?? I loved every minute of reading this book and constantly not knowing which direction I was going in. Seriously, after finishing I’m still trying to figure out what was real and what was not.

And oh the characters! You see some familiar faces again that were present in the first book but it almost seems as with the new game, they play new roles and you have to experience them all over again! Probably my favorite part of this book was getting to know Tella. In Caraval, I was not the biggest fan of her. I was actually a bit hesitant if I would like this book with Tella as the main character. I had always related more to Scarlett being the oldest child trying to protect a younger sister who doesn’t always make the right choices. Like Scarlett, I thought Tella was young, impulsive and a bit naive but I could not have been more wrong. Throughout Legendary we meet this wonderful, spirited, caring woman who constantly fights for those she loves. This is one of my favorite Tella quotes that makes me relate to her so much: “She liked the thrill that came with taking risks. She loved the feeling of doing something bold enough to make her future hold its breath while she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation that she’d made a choice with the power to alter the course of her life. It was the closest she ever came to holding real power”. This just emulates so much of Tella and what she struggles a lot with during this book. I loved every moment of getting to know Tella, and being back with Scarlett and Julian. But my favorite was Legend. No spoilers here you need to read this one for yourself but it was...perfect.

I cannot recommend getting caught up in the Caraval spirit enough. This book takes you for a monster rollercoaster of a ride but it is worth every moment and then wanting to go back and do it again!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!!


**This review will be spoiler free.**


Continuing right after the events of Caraval, we find ourselves in the POV of Tella, Scarlett's sister. We learn of a certain debt that she owes and BAM, we're back into the world of Caraval. This time, she is after Legend himself. She needs his real name and identity and she'd do most anything to get it.

Tella is a determined character, just like her sister. She's also more complex as we read on. She has secrets just as everybody in Caraval does.

As much as I love Stephanie's writing, I felt as though this one lost a little bit of the magic and intrigue. What I loved about the first book was the magical feel of the game itself. This one lacked that. Though it did make up for it in a sense with some pretty smoking male characters.

WHY AM ATTRACTED TO THE OBVIOUS BAD GUY????

What I also loved how I couldn't trust anyone, not even Scarlett herself. Not after the first book. you can't fool me, Garber!!!

Anyhow, some things were predictable if you listened closely and some things you could guess. Even though I did, the ending was still very much surprising. Basically, like the first, this was a fun ride.

WHAT I LIKED:

Lovely writing-check
Great characters-check
Romance-double check

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE

Lack of magic
Predictability.


Still, A very awesome book. I cannot wait for the third.

Writing from Tella’s point of view this time around, Garner has written a heartbreaking, emotional book that keeps you guessing throughout. Half way through, I was entirely entranced, three-quarters of the way I was angry and disillusioned. But somehow, by the end I was once again thoroughly engaged and desperate for the next one. This second book of Caraval felt less dangerous and much lusher...romantic, even. Definitely a worthy follow up and an exciting peek in to the world of magic that is Caraval.

I was so excited to get this book, but I was also somewhat wary. There was so much hype going into Caraval, that I found Caraval to be somewhat lacking. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but it just wasn't as amazing as it could have been. It could have easily been 1000 pages to actually do the magic of Caraval justice. With that said, I am glad I got to read the second book without all the build up this time. I think Stephanie Garber did a great job building the new world in this book . I think it was even more magical than the first world she created. I also feel like there was better character development this time around. I was excited to get to know Donatella better. You also get to see a different side of Dante in this book. I feel like the story line between Scarlett and Donatella is still frustratingly lacking. There just isn't enough interaction between them. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I love the characters, and I have to know what happens next.

After being swept away by magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. Scarlett won the last game of Caraval, and now it is Tella's turn to play. She has made a desperate bargain with a mysterious "friend" to try to solve the mystery of what happened to their mother, and what Tella owes in return is hard to obtain: Caraval Master Legend’s true name. Tella is a strong female protagonist, who cunningly makes bargains and trades in order to solve the puzzle of what really has happened to her mother, and she can't decide what and is and is not a part of the game of Caraval. Tella is self reliant, but might need help to achieve her goals. Who can she trust to help her? The suspense of following Tella's adventures as she gathers clues to win the game and piece together her past, along with the sweeping romance she encounters as she plays her game, made this novel a very fast and exciting read. Tella is in a high stakes game of chance and fate -how much will she sacrifice to learn the truth? Be sure to read Caraval and Legendary if you want to escape from reality, and love magical fantasies that keep your heart racing. Recommended. (YA)

I found the second in the Caraval series a little harder to get into...the beginning seemed slow. Overall, it remained creative and I belief fans of the first book will be delighted with this follow-up. Personally, I won’t be reading the third....indicated by the ending.

I thought Caraval was fantastic but this was even more fantastic! Just finished an arc of this book and I haven't been able to put it down for the past few hours. Beautiful descriptions, magic and the characters from Caraval, but Tella's story this time. Love and sacrifice are two themes that started in the first and continue in this wonderful novel! Twists and turns that I didn't see coming made thia book so difficult to put down. Highly recommended by me! Thank you netgalley for an Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a great follow-up to Caraval! I’m already reading Caraval for the third time and Legendary will be for the second. That’s how great these books are.

This is Tella’s story. Her experience. All she wanted to do was have some fun while playing Caraval, oh and save her mother. She knew she was going to have to use her wits and even maybe her sister, Scarlett. She didn’t expect that it would become a game of survival. Who would she save? Herself or someone she loves? She just wanted to meet Legendary but it became more when she met Jacks.

We start in the past and end in the present. Nothing is as it seems even for the reader. There is so much mystery, intrigue, and danger lurking around every corner. You feel like you are a part of Legend’s new game. That you are right there beside Tella helping her figure out the clues and then yelling at your kindle when she’s being reckless or something that’s so obvious to us is not so obvious to her.

You become so enthralled in this book that you lose all sense of time. Forgetting the world around you- becoming one with Tella. You are Tella and Tella is you. Caraval is your home now. Nothing else exists.

Legendary is a masterpiece. A world full of color, characters full of life and a book full of depth. It’s so easy to get lost within its pages for hours. Stephanie proves again why she should dominate the YA Fantasy/Fiction genre. When you can read two of her books in 5 1/2 hours that speaks volumes.

#NetGalley #Legendary #StephanieGarber
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel.
What a amazing book! Just when I didn't think she could make Caraval any better here comes the second one. Legendary is a magical and wondrous adventure that takes the reader to the past where you are Tella, but not. It's a great technique that Stephanie Garber has to make you feel like you are living this tale, yet watching it in your head at the same time. Please don't skip this one. Second book slump is not here! Must read is an understatement! #MustRead2018

This was AMAZING! I was ecstatic to get a chance at an ARC and now I cannot wait to have the final book in hand. I loved Caraval and this one was even better than the first! Having the story told from Tella’s POV this time around made for a very different feel; one that I appreciated and liked more than I did the POV of Scarlett. Tella has a little bit of troublemaker in her, and that made the second round of Caraval even more fun. The ending left room for continuation and I hope we get to see more from this world!

Oh my gosh.
Everyone I know knows that I loved Caraval. I made countless friends read it, I've talked countless customers into buying it, and I added it to my library's collection, I was so in love with it.
It's completely weird for me to say, especially with how upset I usually am with sequels, but Legendary is even better than Caraval!
I've continued to annoy my friends with just saying HOW GOOD I thought it was.

I wasn't sure I'd like Tella's pov at first, since Caraval focused on Scarlett's story, but the more I read, the more endearing Tella became. We're introduced to so many fates, so many traditions, so many new characters, and so many plot twists! I didn't see any of it coming (which, as my friends ALSO know, I've been frustrated at almost every book I've been given lately, because they've been easy for me to predict...)

I'll write a more in depth review once my head clears a little, because it's still full of the beautiful world of Caraval.

I cannot wait for whatever Stephanie Garber writes next!

“What have I always told you about the future?”
“Every person has the power to write her own.” Tella said.

Please God. Let there be a third book. There has to be a third book. Right? RIGHT?! THIS WAS SO GOOD. I spent a good four hours this morning finishing this book, completely ignoring everything else around me an I can’t say that I regret it. I mean seriously, the only part of this book that I didn’t like was when it ended…

Dante looked up and gave her a fallen star’s smile.
“You should always wear flowers.”

Would it be bad if I said I hoped the next book (IF there is one) was also centered around Tella? I liked the first book BUT this one was just so much better in my opinion. I thought Garber’s writing had seriously improved, the plot was even more twisty than in book one AND Tella was just so damn likeable!

Tella might have been many things, but she was far from silly or worthless or whatever labels people liked to affix because a person was young and female.

I only read Caraval once as an ARC so it’s been quite awhile but from what I can remember, Tella is so much fiercer than Scarlett. I loved her sass and how even in the moments where she knew she should be scared of the people and things happening around her, she put on a brave face. She always had a retort ready for Dante and Jacks or anyone else trying to stand in her way. I couldn’t get enough!

But Tella didn’t believe in impossible choices. In her experience one path was always clearly worse than another.

I was a huge fan of the plot centering around the Fates, too. I’ve always thought that the concept of fate was an extremely interesting thing so the fact that Tella had to worry about them AND a new game of Caraval made the stakes even higher this time. It was all so incredibly twisty and complicated and of course you never can tell what’s real or fake—who’s working for Legend and who’s genuinely trying to help Tella. I LOVE IT.

But Tella didn’t want to look at the stars. She wanted to see him.

There also might be a love interest in here that I am completely obsessed with. Extremely broody and obviously I will not be saying more, just know that I am all for this ship. 100%. That’s basically why I need another book if we’re being honest with one another, lol.

Tella claimed she didn’t want love—she liked to say loved trapped and controlled and ripped hearts apart. But the truth was she also knew love healed and help people together, and deep down she wanted it more than anything.

Overall I was THOROUGHLY impressed, you guys. While the first one was good, this one was GREAT. All the stars!

“Don’t be like me and settle for the ease of an almost-ending, when you could have the true ending.”
“I’m not sure I understand what that even means,” Tella said.
“It means most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, where the situation feels hopeless. But that’s when hope is needed most.”

ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. THANK YOU NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the chance to read this early. ♥