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

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

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

I’ll write a better review closer to release.

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

For me , reading this book was very bittersweet. I have been waiting for it since I finished Legendary. However, that means that this series is over.

Finale was written so perfectly. It tied up any loose ends from the previous two books with the same mix of romance and action as the first two. Scarlette finds out long-buried secrets about herself and Tella is constantly moving and trying to make things happen. I was really excited to learn more about the fates and their powers. I don't think that this book will disappoint the fans of the series. I am just really sad that it is over :(

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3/5 stars.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I honestly don’t quite know where to start with this review. On one hand I have felt….a sort of emptiness, for most of the day. I mean, who doesn’t feel a kind of loss after a beloved series that you’ve been following over several years comes to an end? Especially after an epic..~Finale~, if you will, lol. On another hand I’m left slightly wanting. Don’t get me wrong, this book was great. There was a LOT of page time for my ship of ships and most of the loose ends were tied up nicely. However, I almost felt like there was too many new things introduced for a final book. The conflict was intense and original, but also made me want to know more that we didn’t really get. The basis for the first two books was Caraval, a game and intense competition that was twisty, and interesting, and so very unique. I felt like this book should have incorporated something with that. It seemed almost wrong for them NOT to have played a game of that caliber. Of course there were many, many schemes that went on and games being played on a smaller scale between characters but it wasn’t the same.

I don’t want to spend this review talking about small things that I didn’t quite like, though. No. I’d much rather spend time talking about everything that worked. The first, and maybe most important is the writing. I honestly haven’t re-read <i>Caraval</i> since the first time around but I remember there was a bit more telling than showing. That changed BIG TIME in <i>Legendary</i>. Garber’s writing got more intense, more visual, darker—everything I could have wanted and more. This book held up to that very same standard. If I wouldn’t have had to work or take care of my family, I could have easily read this in a day. I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to work with perspectives but this one features both Scarlett’s and Tella’s. Seeing them in all of their sisterly glory was amazing. They love each other so much and would do anything for each other and that part of the story really shone through in this final book. It kind of seemed like we got a little more Tella than Scarlett (??) but that was kind of fine by me bc, DANTE.

Don’t even get me started on the love interests of this series. Holy wow. Julian was so perfect in this book. Everything involving him was pure perfection. And DON’T GET ME STARTED ON DANTE. He won my heart over immediately in <i>Legendary</i> and I can honestly say that love just grew more. He and Tella had some steamy scenes. The tension!!!! Delicious. Both of their endings were….just very satisfying. :)

I don’t really want to get into the plot at all but it easily had my attention. Every with the Fates was very interesting and original. The stuff towards the end with Paradise…..blew my freakin mind. I’m itching to say more but I won’t haha. Well maybe under a spoiler tag since I can’t help myself. --><spoiler>OKAY. What the fuck I can’t believe she died like right away??!?!? I was sure she was going to come back and we’d find out she was a fate…hahaha no.. she was just dead??!?!? After all of Tella’s strife in that last book over her and she. Just. Died. I was kind of annoyed honestly. BUT. The part where Scarlett goes back in time and sees her was amazing. At first I was like oh this is good with the whole concept of “don’t talk to anyone or change anything bc then life as you know it now might disappear” ..but in THIS case. Scarlett had to of told her mom everything in order for it to happen how it did and that just WAS SO COOL. So Scarlett was able to see that her mom truly loved her girls so, so much. Looooved it. Also….thoughts on Paradise having been Elantine’s true lost heir???? I think she was.</spoiler>

Overall even though I think Garber could now get away with writing an entire new series based off the new characters/things/places/events that she introduced in this book, I was very satisfied with the ending. Intrigued, but satisfied. I’ll definintely be re-reading these for years to come.

I was obsessed with this whole series. I was so nervous about this book because I didn’t know how it would end. But it was AMAZING!

This book was received as an ARC from Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was excited to see this installment of the Caravale series and when it said that it was the final book of the series, I knew Stephanie Garber saved the best for last and she most sure did not disappoint. Just when things were happening as expected, the book takes a whole new turn that nobody saw coming. When reading the series, I could not stop thinking that this book is a cross between Hercules with the fates and Alice in Wonderland with the deck of cards and the empires of caravale. Each chapter just got better and better and I could not wait to read on. A spectacular ending to a powerful series.

We will consider adding this title with the rest of the series in our YFantasy collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

The ending of this amazing series was everything I could have wanted and more. Stephanie Garber outdid herself in this lush world full of intrigue, drama, and exhilarating romance. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I honestly cannot wait to see it out in hardcover. Our teens will especially love being able to read a finished series!

3/5 stars.
This was going to be a 2/2.5 star read until it picked up in the middle.
The magic system and everything going on with the Fates is really what kept me going. The Fates are just so interesting to read about, almost like mixing what fae are supposed to be with wrathful gods. The magic is whimsical and the descriptions for it were good.

I can't say I was a fan of the romances and the drama that came with them. It felt pointless, especially when we had two love triangles going on when we knew how they would turn out already. I'm also not the biggest romance fan so if that's your thing you probably won't mind it as much.

I won't go super into the plot for fear of spoilers but after the hump in the beginning, I thought it was well paced and kept me on my toes. The ending was pretty sudden, it felt too easy to me but that's not a super huge complaint.

Overall, it was more or less what I expected for the ending of this series.

What a rollercoaster this book will take you on! Each chapter will take your heart up and down every time! I must warn you, be sure that you've read the first two books in this series, or you will be lost as to what is going on.

I was so eager to read this book, to find out what has happened, and I was not disappointed at all. Does the Prince of Hearts return to claim his one true love? Does Julian win out and capture Scarlett's love one and for all? What about Legend, the most important puppetmaster of all??? Will Tella be able to sift through all the turmoil of her life and choose between a peaceful existence or one of excitement?

I have to admit, I fell hopelessly in love with Legend, and the second book just left me clamoring for more of him. When you read this book, you will be pulled in every direction on how you feel about Legend. Will he turn back to good, or just stay bad? Hhhmm....I can't spoil it, that would just be too evil.

I was very satisfied with this book, even though it didn't build up much of the worlds for me. Everything was put into the relationships between the characters and what was happening with them. Now, I'm not complaining by any means, but I would have liked to seen some depth to it that the first two novels had.

I did like how many secrets were revealed, which I won't spoil for you. Because of this, I can definitely see another book, or spin-off series being done. No, this isn't even being hinted at out in the publishing world, but one can hope, right?

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to be swept away into the wonderful, magical game that I have come to know as Caraval. But only if you dare.......

I didn't have high hopes for this one since I wasn't a fan of Legendary due to my hatred for Tella and her stupidity. I thought Finale was going to be a long read when I started since nothing happened in the initial chapters which take place from Tella's point of view. It took until just before the halfway mark until the plot thickened and picked up speed.

Tella was still annoying from start to finish, but I tolerated her towards the end which is a miracle since I've despised her from Caraval. I wish Scarlett had more chapters from her point of view and I hated her little Bachelorette game. It should have been left out since it lasted two seconds and her ex-fiance had zero purpose to the story after Scarlett and him meet. Literally. The first 25% felt odd when weighed against the rest of the book. It needs major editing to flow with the story since it was a mega-dump of facts we already knew that kept repeating each chapter.

The writing was beautiful as always, but some of the characters' actions felt forced by the author. Two twists were predictable and another occurring at the end didn't feel right. A minor editing could fix the transitions and remove unnecessary chapters that have no relation to the book. The summary also needs revision since it is highly misleading.

Despite feeling indifferent towards Tella, I hope the author continues on with the world she painted in this trilogy and that these characters will pop up again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

All good things must have an ending. Finale by Garber is a masterpiece of a finish, immersive and impossible to put down. Even though things are tied up in a neat, prim box, I feel there is so much more just beginning and left to be explored. My fingers are crossed for more from these amazing characters.

3.75 stars rounded up, though I still think Caraval is my favorite of the trilogy.

Wow. I went back and forth in my mental rating for this so many times I wound up with whiplash. The story starts off a little draggy, but around the 25% mark (if you're reading the ebook) it starts to pick up, and then takes off like a launch coaster.

Tella still annoys me, she still makes stupid ass decisions, but I do think she grew up a little this go round. And her bond with Scarlett is still strong.

Scarlett is still my favorite because when she does a stupid, she realizes it pretty quickly and adjusts/changes/tries to fix her stupid herself.

There's a character that shows up physically near the end (he's more of a presence through most of the book) that I would love to have seen developed more, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Jacks is still a devious rat bastard.

What I find curious/interesting is that there's a question posed in Finale that's not really answered, so I'm wondering if there's going to be a sequel/encore/new trilogy that'll take place in this world.

If so, sign me up.

Thank you, Netgalley, for giving this greedy librarian an ARC in exchange for an honest review.