ARC Review--Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Stephanie Garber once again sweeps us away into the mesmerizing world that is Caraval, only this time, in Legendary, the game is far more different than we could have ever suspected. The world may be the same, but there is still much to learn about Caraval itself and I am so utterly blown away that I find it hard to get my feet back on the ground in reality!

As you may know already, Legendary is a companion to Caraval, this time it’s Tella’s turn to shine. Her mysterious friend who played a part in getting her and Scarlett into Caraval the first time around has come to collect his payment. What he asks for is simple, he wants Legend’s true name. In order to gain that information, Tella will have to play Caraval and win the game in order to come face to face with the mysterious Legend. There’s a lot more at play this time around then the game itself. Tella and Scarlett’s past comes to the forefront in this one and Tella is determined to get some answers, though it’s going to be harder than she could ever guess.

The stakes are definitely higher in this one, for Tella’s mysterious benefactor, Jacks, is a far more sinister type. He asks for the impossible and if Tella can’t deliver, well, it won’t be good for her! Then there’s Dante who played a bit of a role in her getting into trouble with Jacks in the first place, but yet the boy just doesn’t leave her alone. After spending the night together after the first Caraval, Tella was ready to walk away from him, as she’s been known to do with any boy she kisses, but Dante isn’t one to be walked away from. He just keeps coming back. I will admit, their interactions were enjoyable! If I wasn’t laughing at their antics I was positively swooning over something Dante said or did. These two were just wow! I thought I was totally for Scarlett and Julian, but I have to say I think Tella and Dante are definitely my favorite Caraval couple!

There’s definitely an added tension to this one that I feel like wasn’t quite there in the same way in Caraval. Tella has a much more pressing deadline to win the game this time and get what Jacks is demanding. She’s also still trying hard to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother. Tella was always more hurt by her leaving than Scarlett was.

Though Scarlett was still in this story every now and then, she wasn’t as present as I would’ve thought. There were reasons for that and I guess it’s more fitting that Tella has her own journey through Caraval on her own like Scarlett did.

The ending left me emotional, let’s say that! There were answers and then there were the things that were left unsaid. At the time of writing this, I haven’t heard if there will be more to come with this world. It’s my greatest hope that there is!

Legendary is a befitting title for this companion to Caraval. It’s as magical, exciting, and stunning as its predecessor, if not a little more! There’s so much mystery and beauty to this book that I was simply swept away by Stephanie’s words! This book was pure magic! My heart aches to return to this world already and see what more adventures could be had within its pages, because I am far from ready to say goodbye just yet.  I can’t remember the last time I read a series where the magic felt so real that I lost myself from reality, but Legendary has in fact done that to me! If there’s any book recommendation you will take from me, let it be this one!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars


Legendary releases May 29, 2018