Summary

This book follows the story of Donatella and Scarlet to yet another mysterious Caraval festival. Tella embarks on a journey to find out Master Legend's true name in order to learn the whereabouts of her mother. Unfortunately, winning Caraval is the only way to be able to learn his true identity. Donatella plays the game for real this time and battles with many trials and tribulations along the way.

Likes

This book was absolutely fantastic! I loved it just as much as the first and it enveloped me in an entirely different way. Scarlett was not a large part of this book and I found myself liking Tella a lot more! I know that may sound strange but Tella has this fire about her that is burned by a deep desire to find out why her mother left them. I thought that this book was also full of the same amount of twists and turns that kept me guessing page by page. I thought that the unique twists Garber threw in really developed the story into something that was more about just Tella winning Caraval and finding out who Legend truly is. I feel like this book has the best kind of magical element and you really feel transported to the world of Caraval. I think that's what sets this story apart for me: I felt like I was there and like I was right beside Tella as she was playing this difficult game.

Dislikes

I cannot note any specific dislikes to this book. I thought that the cover was absolutely gorgeous and played off of Caraval's so well. I didn't really care for the love story in this book because it didn't feel like it had a place in the game. Tella was being torn in every which way and I wanted to know more about her mother rather than a relationship. The balance was good, though, and I felt like there was enough genuine storyline which played well with the romance piece. It was also opulent, which is a weird word to describe a book, but I felt immersed in the world.

Recommendation

If you liked Caraval, then you will love this book! I would also recommend this to anyone who loves magic and wants to be transported to a new world!

“Caraval’s games had truly begun. As everyone around her reached for falling stars, Tella thought of all the times she and Scarlett had dreamed about Caraval, about Legend. Now Tella had to win the game or she would never dream again.”



This is the second book in the series Caraval and it should be read in order. It’s a rich, decadent story of mischief, mystery and a game that is more than just a game with real consequences. In this second story, Scarlet’s sister is our protagonist, Tella. This Tella is different from the first time we met her. She still has her impetuous streak but she appears to be more grounded. After tangling with Death for the first time, she realizes that her decisions and actions do have consequences and she’s not always willing to pay the price. This book shows you why she is the way she is and it’s a mystery. The plot is so intrinsic that it can get confusing at times with different plot points happening at once, it lays the groundwork for more books. Our shining star Tella, has so many different layers to her just like the mysterious Legend. He’s still a shadow figure that plays his puppets and I cannot wait to find out more. The sister dynamic is also different this time and more fleshed out. Scarlet and Tella are my favorite ship of the series. Their sister bond is tested but this time I’m better able to see the love between the two.



Tella plays a new game of Caraval and this time the consequences are real. Rather than playing pretend the consequences aren’t just limited to the game but are bleeding out into the world outside of Caraval. As Caraval leaks out, Tella races against the clock to find the answers she desperately needs. I loved Tella, Tella isn’t a heroine that waits for a hero, she’s out there making her own story and finding her own answers. To my romance loving heart, romance is more prevalent in this second novel. There are suitors to use and there are suitors to find, Tella finds herself embroiled in a game that has more players and pieces to move. While she’s known for making independent moves, I loved that she also had to learn how to play as a team.

Caraval is a story that is descriptive and invokes emotion. The fabrics, the costumes, the people all very much come alive in the pages of this book and it leaves you hungry for the next.

Tags: magical realism, romance, Young Adult

Picking up immediately where Caraval ended, Legendary wastes no time establishing the need for a new set of riddles and a wholly different challenge from the first book's kidnapping. Donatella Dragna, more figure than character in the previous book, moves to a position of prominence as Legend and his troupe of players prepare for a special performance in honor of the empress' birthday.

The magic of Caraval departs its master's private island and manifests in the winding, crowded streets of Valenda. Divided into different quarters, each home to particular industries or amusements, the capital city gives the game a wilder feeling. With the festivities removed from Legend's domain, reality and fiction blur in a more frightening effect than before.

The setting is no less magical for taking place in the "real" world, though. Garber introduces more of the realm beyond Caraval in her sophomore novel, expanding on the political and religious history of the Empire. Most important of all are the Fates, a group of god-like beings with the power to influence human lives, and who were once said to hold dominion over mankind.

Each Fate has a rather macabre representation: the Cruel Prince weeping blood with a red stain at his mouth; the Maiden Death, her head encased in a cage made of pearls; the Undead Queen, with one eye shrouded by a jeweled patch and blue lips. Their inclusion deepens the questions of free will touched on in Caraval: How free are your choices when someone else manipulates the world in which you make them? And are they any less important, if the reality they affect is proven false?

We view this grander struggle through the eyes of the younger Dragna sister, Donatella. Where her sister was cautious and methodical, using her instinct to verify rather than inspire her decisions, Tella charges forward headlong. This recklessness keeps the pace and tension high as her search for the key to Caraval—and Legend's real name—leads Tella further from the other, oblivious players.

Like her sister before, she receives help from a player who may or may not be acting in earnest. Heavily-tattooed Dante plays a significant role, ambiguous in the same way Julian was before him. The chemistry between he and Tella rings a little truer; already well-aware of Caraval's duplicity, she questions his every movement and never trusts him above her own judgement. Her skepticism adds substance to a fast-developing partnership with an amply dark undercurrent of its own.

It's a pleasant change of pace for Donatella emerge from her minimal role in Caraval and take over the sequel's narrative while her sister lingers off-page. (Yes, Scarlett and Julian return, but the focus remains solidly on Tella!) The compressed timeline means that unresolved issues from the first novel stay dangling at the end of Legendary as well. Introducing a larger conspiracy involving royal succession, magical imprisonment, and the threatened return of less-than-benevolent immortals keeps the plot humming along at a brisk pace. It's an exhilarating read that returns to all the strengths of Caraval and finds a way to make them even grander the second time around. I deeply enjoyed returning to the mystical and mystifying world of Caraval, and I can't wait to see what lies in store for both of the tenacious Dragna sisters!

I really love the world of Caraval! I love the clothes, the setting and the descriptions. But when it comes to dialogue and plot I am always left wanting a little more. I think people who passionately loved Caraval will love this one. I enjoyed most of it. And I love Jacks! He was such a great new character.

One of the books we’ve been asked a few times to cover on the podcast was last year’s breakout debut Caraval by Stephanie Garber. Here’s the thing: I liked Caraval, but I didn’t love Caraval. My biggest issue with the book was that I didn’t understand why Scarlett was the protagonist while her much more interesting sister Donatella was waiting in the wings.

Lucky for me, the sequel, Legendary, changes gear and Tella gets to take center stage. Kudos to Stephanie Garber, because this was a fantastic choice. Tella was a dynamic, active protagonist in all the ways I was missing with Scarlett. Tella also gets not one but two mysterious, morally compromised love interests, for which I will be forever grateful. (Surprising to no one: I found the romance a bit too saccharine for my taste in Caraval)

Legendary also followed my most important rule for sequels–the stakes have to be raised in order to keep my interest. Caraval was truly a game, an insular story with only the fate of the Dragna sisters at play, while Legendary expands to bring the fate of the world onto the table.

With its more immersive worldbuilding and mythology, dangerous romance, and compelling lead, Legendary is worth picking up for anyone who read Caraval and will leave you anxiously awaiting the grand Finale in the series coming out next year!

As always, big shout out to the publisher, Flatiron Books, who was kind enough to send us an early copy to (p)review!

Legendary was very good. The characters evolved and it kept you guessing as to who Legend was. Tella was a good character but was second guessing herself too much. I would definitely recommend this book to the teens in my library.

"'As fantastical as Caraval might feel, the next five nights are very real."

Stephanie Garber has flipped the tables on us.

Everything that you thought you knew about Caraval... think again. 

Legendary meets us right where Caraval left us and we don't get much of an 'intermission' from the action between one game and the next--which is great news! Tella has been hiding quite a few secrets throughout the duration of Caraval and has been conspiring with a quite mysterious individual about the whereabouts of her mother. This mysterious individual is set on finding the identity of Legend, and much of the novel revolves around this mission, but there is also a larger-picture mission of the game of Caraval this go-around... putting Tella 'between a rock and a hard place' when it comes down to 'crunch time' at the conclusion of the game. 

The magical elements in this novel are just as whimsical as in Caraval.. but in my opinion, even better. Tella has this deck of cards that are much like tarot cards--they each have a character or symbol presented on them that are symbolic of some type of foretold future. And these characters were all strange and magical and had these incredible mini-stories behind them. It was very reminiscent of The Hazel Wood in that sense-- you get a story-within-a-story effect of having these "fictional" (or maybe not so fictional) characters.

And oh man, you just thought you loved Scarlett... Tella is such a sassy, fierce little spitfire.
I adore her character!

"Tella often imagined she knew what people thought when they saw her. One look at her honey-blond curls, her girlish smile, and her pretty dresses, coupled with the fact that she liked to enjoy herself, and people dismissed her as a silly girl. 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. Tella liked to think that was where much of her strength came from.
She was bold. She was brave. She was cunning.
And she was going to come out of this triumphant--no matter the cost."

I have a two-year-old daughter who, without outside influence, has morphed into this sassy, girly little thing who loved dolls and princesses and all things sparkly. But she is also irrationally independent for her age, loves to play outside, loves learning, and is stubborn to her core. Tella is the epitome of the perfect fictional female character that I would want my daughter to see. Tell shows girls that its okay to be prim, fashionable and girly and at the same time be a stubborn dream-chaser who is fiercely loyal to those she loves, never gives up, and doesn't let anyone walk all over her. Major hat-tip to Stephanie Garber for creating this fantastic image of fierce (young) womanhood. 

And that ending....

Perfection. Absolute Perfection..

I 100% called that ending.. and I was totally okay with that (and that never happens). The theatrics of the entire conclusion of Legendary was phenomenal and I am just dying to get my hands on Finale ASAP. 





Thank you to Flatiron Books and Stephanie Garber for providing me with a DRC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I had read this book right after Caraval a couple of years ago, I would've been all about it. Garber includes really interesting new information about the world and magic system. I was intrigued by the new characters, political system, and the Fates. She did a great job implementing new aspects of her world, and I was really into those things.

However, the romance was where the novel lost me. Nothing seemed genuine or real. I guess that's sort of the point. On the other hand, this Caraval wasn't a game, it was real. So why weren't the relationships seen as real? The characters also lost me. None of them were relatable and I didn't believe they would actually do some of the things they were doing. I know they're her characters, not mine, but she portrayed them one way and then they acted another.

It just didn't make sense to me. I won't be reading the third book. Caraval has lost me.

Caravel is one of my favorite YA fiction books, and I was very excited to read its sequel, Legendary! While Caravel is written from the perspective of Scarlett (the older sister), Legendary is from the perspective of Donatella, the younger sister, and it was lots of fun reading the alternate perspective!

While this book is set in the same world as the first one, it almost seems entirely different: all the characters come back but unlike the surface magic of Caravel, Legendary explores the behind-the-scenes magic that runs Caravel. And not only Caravel, but the mother and the sisters' past.

Since Tella was portrayed as smaller, younger, and more immature for most of Caravel, I was unsure of what a book in her point of view would be like, but she is smart and ingenious and tenacious and really masterminded the whole journey--dare I say she is even more brilliant than Scarlett is?

The story itself is a lot darker than Caravel is: while the main purpose of Caravel seemed to just be Scarlett finding Donatella, this one has a much deeper motive and so much more is at stake than just a wedding.

With all that being said, this book was a lot more . . . kissey than Caravel. There were quite a few make-out sessions that were rather vividly portrayed, even if they were connected to the plot, and I wasn't much of a fan of that.

One thing I would definitely recommend is reading it right after rereading Caravel (or definitely at least reading in order!!), because there was so much that connected straight off of it (there is only a couple days between them). The worldbuilding that was in this was very accurate from Caravel, and reading them together makes it make so much more sense!

My Ranking-
7/10

Things liked-
Accurate representation of the world previously built
A brilliant MC
Deeper (and thus, darker) than the first book
The returning characters
A CLIFFHANGER
Well developed characters
Delving into the backstory (alsO THAT TWIST REGARDING THE MOTHER)

Things disliked-
The super descriptive kissing scenes
Moved a little slowly at times
Less actual magic than Caravel

I cannot say enough how much I loved this book! Caraval was amazing, but Legendary completely swept me away into the world of Caraval. This book has EVERYTHING - fantasy, magic, love, death, family, fear, suspense, and more!

Author Stephanie Garber says, "I wanted to write a book full of questions with no easy answers. I wanted to tell a story about characters both fragile and indestructible. I wanted battles between bravery and fear, and belief and disbelief." It is my utmost pleasure to say that she did all of that and MORE.

Legendary is told from Tella's point-of-view and revolves around her need to repay a debt. Unfortunately for Tella, in order to repay this debt she must turn over the true identity of Legend - creator and master of Caraval. If she fails this task, she will pay for it dearly - with her life. She must choose to either destroy herself or destroy Caraval forever, and it seems there is no way to save both.

Woven throughout this tale is a story of a magical deck of cards from Tella's youth and how they intertwine with her fate. She is given a chance to save her mother, who has been missing for years, but this too will come at a great cost to Tella and the world as she knows it. And don't even get me started on the mesmerizingly torturous relationship between Tella and Dante!

If you liked Caraval, you will LOVE Legendary! I already can't wait for the next book - Finale - to be released... in 2019.

I...wow. This book kept me guessing from the start, so much happened! As with the first, I advise going into this story knowing as little as possible, so I will avoid going into too much detail with my review. This one is told by Donatella's point-of-view, and I actually found that I liked her story more than Scarlett's.

When I started this, I wasn't sure I would like it. It starts with a scene of Tella discovering her mother's Deck of Destiny, a special set of cards featuring the Fates. I DNFed The Raven Boys after the séance freaked me out, and I normally avoid that sort of thing, so I was skeptical about this one, but I kept reading, and I'm so glad I did! I actually really enjoyed the story of the Fates and their powers.

One thing is, I was hoping I was wrong about Legend, as I felt it was...predictable? but now I'm intensely curious to see how the series ends. That said, I'm not a fan of Scarlett's ending, as it can only lead to trouble, but that said, Tella's end also leads to trouble, but in her case, the ending was perfection!

I absolutely loved Caraval. It was unlike anything I had ever read. I like this one too, but it moves slower and the novelty of a high-stakes game within a fantasy setting has worn off a little. True to Caraval form, there are unpredictable twists and turns that make it difficult to know what is part of the game and what is not. Readers who have not read Caraval might find themselves lost in such a complicated story, but those who have will enjoy this trip back to the game.

Great story. I love all of the twists and turn, the romance and intrigue. Great plot, characters and world building.

I love how the story is mixing magic and fates and the game, it keeps you guessing constantly. I really enjoy how you see the characters grow and change now that they are away from their father and more free to be themselves.

I can't wait for the next one!

3,5 stars

Not that I really liked “Legendary”, but I enjoyed it a lot more than “Caraval”, especially first chapters. Maybe I would have liked “Caraval” too, because the world created by Stephanie Garber is so magic and stunning, if it wasn’t for the main character Scarlett, who was really annoying. The reason I liked “Legendary” more is because it was told from Tella’s (Scarlett’s sister) perspective. Tella is just braver and funnier.

Stephanie Garber expanded the world of Caraval in “Legendary”, it became more difficult and saturated. Also I liked Tella more than Scarlett as I said before, but only in the beginning. From some point it just became too “girlish” again. Tella was all about thinking and talking about love, kisses and muscles of the guys. I just like fantasy books more when a love story is in the background.

However, if we put all those super handsome guys aside, “Legendary” was an interesting and exciting reading after all. I liked the plot, it hooked me from the beginning. Despite a few predictable things, I didn’t know how it would end. So it was hard for me to put the book away, because I was curious about the ending and how some details would be explained. And yeah, I am definitely waiting for the third book to find out how this book series would end.

Caraval is a magical game led by the ringmaster magician Legend where contestants are invited to compete for a grand prize. Legendary starts where Donatella and Scarlett and the “players” have moved on to the next Caraval. Instead of being the end result of the game Donatella is a participant. Like her sister Scarlett, Tella had been writing to Legend over the years hoping to become a participant of the game, but not for the same reasons as her sister. Tella has been haunted by a deck of cards she had seen in her mothers room as a child. A deck similar to a Tarot card but the fortunes that are told are cast by the Fates and destined to come true unless you can change your future. Tella holds one card from this deck which has shown her different futures, one of which is that her mother is still alive. Tella, with Legends help, is playing the game to set her mother free, but the other players have their own reasons for playing the game and those reasons are in direct opposition to Tella’s.

In Caraval the book, we followed Scarlett as she searched for her missing sister. If she found her she would win the game. Tella was a secondary character in Caraval, missing in action until the conclusion of the book. Legendary is centered around Tella’s journey to win the game. Stephanie Garber’s descriptive prose and colorful adjectives enhanced the magical elements of Tella’s game playing. The characters she interacted with were either cruel and evil or seductive and mysterious- no one was the girl or boy next door. Emotions were always at an extreme level creating a tension for the reader that made you eagerly turn each page. I loved this book because it was so easy to get lost in the story, the characters, and the magic.

Tella started off this novel as a young, self centered beauty used to getting her way. What started off as a game became very real very quick. When Jacks is introduced into the story he is the perfect evil counterpart to Dante’s good looking goodness and as I turned the pages the line between good and evil became smudged.

Do we find out who is the real Legend? I think so? Yes. Well, I believe I did? Hmmm. Yes. Stephanie Garber just announced that there will be a third novel. Thank goodness! I can breathe in relief that I will live in this magical world one more time and also finally get a danged conclusion! Reading Legendary is like getting a golden ticket to another world minus the chocolate river and oompa loompa’s. Legendary is a totally enjoyable escape from reality that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes magical fantasy. ❤❤❤❤❤
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

"Your future can be whatever you wish. We all have the power to choose our own destiny."

Welcome, welcome! Opening with a scene with young Donatella Dragna, Stephanie Garber reconnects her readers with similar magic and intrigue like as in Caraval. Tella likes real adventures while Scarlett likes to daydream. Tella discovers a deck of extraordinary cards in the dingy grey sachet sitting near her mother's jewelry. Exquisitely beautiful, this deck is haunting. Her mother tells her not to touch the Deck of Destiny again in probably the most elegant way possible, not knowing that Tella has secretly hidden The Aracle card. Yet this single card paved the future for Caraval and Legendary to exist.

With Garber's fantastic storytelling, Legendary is about Tella's story. Even though the game of Caraval has ended, the story isn't over. Tella has made a lot of sacrifices but she is still being tested. A friend helped her out and now she owes payment for her freedom as well as Scarlett's from their father. Tella must find out Legend's true identity or everything that she has worked for would be lost. The only way to find out is to play Caraval. However, will she be able to win the sinister game without costing her life? If she wins, will she live in regret?

Garber has reunited readers with characters besides Tella and Scarlett. We see Julian and Dante while we are introduced to the Fates, Jacks and Elantine. With the illusions and no two games are alike, I absolutely loved reading more about a Caraval game but in a different POV and set of new rules. Elantine is one of my favorite characters in Legendary with her wisdom and her motherly instinct. Yet cunning Jacks also steals the show.

Garber has illustrated vivid descriptions of the world of the Meridian Empire's capital city of Valenda. The descriptions tantalizes all the senses and piques the curiosity. Her chilling images have been imprinted in my head running its reel like a movie. The character growth in Legendary is more exponential compared to Caraval. We see Tella grow over time from when she is a young child to young woman. She has changed over the course of two rounds of Caraval. Dante has changed dramatically from the first game in Caraval to the end of Legendary. He practically does a 180. I am curious to see how they transform in the third installment, Finale.

"After all your sister didn't win because she solved simple riddles. She won because of what she was willing to sacrifice for those riddles, and for what she was willing to sacrifice in order to find you."

Legendary is deadly as it is enchanted. With secrets kept and slowly unveiled, Legend is always one step ahead of Tella and can fool pretty much anyone. Yet, can Tella fool everyone else? Is Tella willingly ready to sacrifice anything to find more about her mother? With the unrequited love and betrayal, it's hard to tell what is real and what is not real. What is fantasy and what is reality? Go on ahead and pick up Legendary after you've read Caraval. After all, it's only a game...or is it?

I absolutely loved Caraval, it even made my top YA of the year list, so of course I was ridiculously excited to return to this world. It pains me to say this but unfortunately Legendary just didn't live up to my expectations. Yes we have another game at play but this had none of the magic and sparkle of the first story, instead of being a fast paced story full of unexpected twists this is predictable and actually pretty boring.

There's no denying that Stephanie Garber can write and I did enjoy some elements of this book, particularly the extra world building and the way the fates are woven into the story, but there was definitely something missing. This story is told from Tella's point of view and I just don't find her as easy to relate to as Scarlet, I like that she's more independent and that she's willing to take risks but she's so impulsive that she never thinks things through and it leads her to make stupid mistakes. It was so frustrating to see her keeping so many secrets from Scarlet yet again, you'd think she would have learned better than that after the last time. I also thought the romance between her and Dante was on the flat side.

Jacks could have been an interesting character but he's fairly one dimensional, I didn't have any sense of conflicting emotions in him, pretty much what you saw was what you got where at least with Dante you were kept guessing about his motives. I think my favourite parts were the revelations about Tella and Scarlet's mother, I'm really curious to see how that will play out in the next book and I still really want to see Scarlet get her happily ever after. I'm not as invested in Tella's story but it will be interesting to see how she deals with revelations made at the end of Legendary.

As much as this didn't quite manage to live up to my expectations I do still want to read Finale, I really hope that Stephanie Garber can capture the magic of Caraval and give both of the girls a fitting end to their stories.

4.5 Stars

When I read Caraval, I absolutely fell in love with the magic of the world, as well as the swoon-worthy romance. Legendary did not let me down in delivering the same magic and romance, and much more!

While Caraval follows Scarlet's journey at Caraval, Legendary follows Tella's journey at the next Caraval - this one taking place away from Legend's island with far bigger stakes. While I found Tella mostly reckless and untrustworthy in Caraval, I really enjoyed her perspective once the book got into the swing of things. Where Scarlet is logical, Tella follows her heart, even when it might not be the most wise decision. Tella is bold and headstrong, which lead her on a far different kind of journey than Scarlet's. I really enjoyed Tella's attitude throughout the book and the magic that came with it.

Speaking of magic, while Caraval focuses on Legend's magic and cunning, Legendary takes it a step farther and explores more of the history of Legend, particularly the Fates and how he got his powers. I really enjoyed diving deeper into this history and how it unfolded throughout the book - it certainly set up a lot of exciting things for the next book! Besides the literal magic, I found the romance absolutely magical as well! I loved watching it unfold and I'm really excited to see what happens next.

While Scarlet wasn't the main focus of the book, she was present and had her own storyline throughout. Honestly, I kind of would have liked to have more of Scarlet's storyline revealed since she seemed to be up to some interesting things. Hopefully those secrets will be revealed in the next installment!

Overall, I really enjoyed this second installment in the Caraval series. This series is so magical and filled with wonder, and it's so easy to read. While some may be turned off by the fact that it's a fantasy book, it's not as complex as a traditional fantasy novel - it kind of reads a bit like romance with magical realism. I'm a huge fan of circus-esque books and this one is no exception. I definitely recommend this series to readers looking for a bit of magic and intrigue mixed with romance.

I wanted so much to enjoy Legendary, but I just never connected to the characters or plot. I felt as I was reading that I was constantly on the edge of something big about to happen but nothing ever did. I enjoyed Tella’s spunk and that she was strong enough to make her own decisions, even if they were to her own detriment but that was about all that I took away from this book. I felt that the magic of book 1 was not present in this one.
I have seen other reviews for this book and after reading those I’m wondering if I am just not the reader for this story or if I just completely missed the point. I do believe there is much hype around the Caraval story and I think some of that has leaked into either the overwhelming or underwhelming response to the books.

Both Caraval and Legendary have everything I always look for in a fantasy novel. A unique world with an interesting magical system, characters that are not necessarily who you think they are, a world with its own mythology and stories and a plot that keeps me reading into the wee hours of the morning.

I know many people had issues with Scarlet, the main character in Caraval, but I didn’t. She wasn’t maybe the strongest female lead ever, but the love she had for her sister and her determination to find her, made me like her. Donatella, or Tella as she is mostly called in this story, is a stronger and more perceptive character. She is also headstrong, sassy and cynical. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, and she stands up to those who try to manipulate her. Her experiences in this Caraval is also a little more interesting, buoyed by her tenacity and determination to free their mother. Just like Tella, I often struggled with what was real and what was part of Legend’s manipulations.She also handles herself well in keeping the two men who want her at arms length until she is done with her mission. Scarlet show up several times in this story, but her decisions and actions are not what I would have expected from her. At times she almost seemed oblivious to her sister’s dilemmas, and never really helped her on her journey.

There are two love interests, but I don’t think it is a true love triangle. Yes, both of the men have an interest in Tella, but at least one of them is just using her to get what he ultimately wants. The other one is doing this as well, to some degree, but I don’t think he means to harm her in the end. Dante is an interesting character that keeps you guessing and always seems to show up just when Tella has gotten herself into a bad situation. He also is quite charming when he wants to be, but also a little bit sinister. Jacks is also a marvelous character, both cunning and charming, but you can also tell that he is totally untrustworthy from the start.

There is a new element in this story, the mythology around the Fates, godlike beings that had magic and were at one time the rulers of this world. I really enjoyed learning about them and their how their stories fit into this world. I don’t want to give too much away, but I did find this part of the story fascinating and can’t wait to learn more about it.

The writing and the plot were both fantastic. Ms Garber’s writing style is lyrical and so full of rich descriptions that it really immerses you in Tella’s world. I loved all the descriptions of clothes and her surroundings and the food. It is really great when an author takes the time to help the reader to visualize such a rich and elegant world. The book is well paced and hard to put down as well. You really start to care about Tella and want to find out what happens to her. I was not surprised when Legend’s identity was finally revealed, I had been suspecting that person since the first book, but what Legend does at the end was a twist I wasn’t expecting.

A perfect fantasy world that will captivate your heart and mind. It will be a long wait for the next installment. We have a title, Finale, but no firm release date yet. This is a series that I will definitely cherish and reread many times.