ARC Review--Finale by Stephanie Garber

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series!

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...all games must come to an end.

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win...and those who will lose everything...

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


I've been a HUGE fan of Stephanie Garber's Caraval trilogy ever since I picked up the first book! The magic, adventure, danger, romance, the twists and turns...it's as they say, all so magical! Finale, as you would guess, is THE finale of the trilogy and it's a whirlwind of a tale! It's a heart-racing read that had me exhilarated until its very end and I am still trying to come down from this epically amazing story!

I did a thing I never do these days, and I RE-READ the first two books of the series! I felt like in order to truly experience and fall in love with the trilogy again, I needed to start from the beginning and what a week it's been!! It was honestly one of the best things I could've done!

It's important to know that though this trilogy started with Scarlett, then moved to Tella, you still need to read the books in order to fully enjoy and comprehend the story! Just as a little FYI. The story picked up a few months after the events of Legendary. Dante has taken on the role of heir and is about to be crowned Emperor of Valenda, though Tella  and her sister, Scarlett have since moved out of the palace, Dante or Legend as Tella has taken to calling him now, still visits her in her dreams, trying to get her to claim her prize for winning Caraval last time around.

But Tella isn't having it. She's not too happy with Legend and he knows it. Mostly she's upset that he left her on the steps of the temple after everything they went through together.

Scarlett is having her own troubles though. Boy troubles mostly, one involving Julian and the real Count Nicolas d'Arcy who she got back into contact with. She then proposes a series of challenges for the young men to compete in, in order to win her heart and her hand in marriage. Julian has been MIA during these few months, so he's pretty much in the doghouse too. Though, I will say, you get the feeling where this competition is headed and it doesn't last long before the winner is revealed. Just saying! ;)

Sadly, this time around, there's no actual Caraval, but a much more deadly game is at play. One that involves the Fates of legend, that are not so legend after all. Legend freed the Fates when he freed Tella from the cards, but they are still slumbering, but slowly, one by one, they awaken. Tell and Scarlett are about to learn just how dangerous these beings are and what it will take to defeat them,

This book, oh my god, you guys! I cannot feasibly put into words how much I ADORE this series! It's one that captured my heart with its first story and held on tight to it through the next two novels as well! I am really not read to say goodbye and the ending...oh my god this ending was PURE PERFECTION!!! I was worried with how things might turn out, but I knew without a doubt that Stephanie wouldn't let me down and boy did she deliver!!

While I wasn't always what I would call a romance reader, somewhere in the ten years that I've been running this blog, I've turned into one. I won't admit it under pressure, but here I am freely admitting it now, so get your screenshots ready! Lol. The romances of this series have been one of my favorites of all time ever! I'm normally you're vampire reader, but give me an immortal of another kind and I will still swoon! I don't know what it is about them that makes me so swoony, but there you have it! 

I enjoyed Scarlett and Julian's romance for sure, they were so sweet and almost instant in the connecting phase of things, but Tella and Dante/Legend was definitely my favorite! I guess because Tella is just so spunky and outgoing! I love her tenacity and that she speaks her mind. Legend was your typical man of mystery and we get to learn a lot more about him in this one. I mean, we're not in his perspective--though I am looking forward to B&N's edition with an excerpt in his point of view--but we still get to have a deeper understanding of how he operates. And though he and Tella go through a lot of back and forth on their road of romance, I can happily say I loved where it ended. I just wish there was another book too! Lol!

But I can't not touch on the character of Jacks! He's been an even bigger puzzle than Legend since his appearance in Legendary! It took awhile for him to come onto the page, but when he does, you can expect sparks to fly--and translate that as you will, knowing Tella you pretty much know how it will go! Jacks was still a puzzle to me, I thought I knew what he was all about in Legendary, but Finale definitely had me rethinking his character. I do have more questions regarding him...but I'm guessing those will never be truly answered other than what was given. But as you might know, I'm never really satisfied with the simple, easy answer! Lol.

Finale was an epically paced read that had me turning the pages as fast as I could! I felt heartsick when it was over, simply because it was over. It was definitely a story that held me captive for hours on end. The world-building was immense. I love this fantastical world that Stephanie created and I cannot wait to see what she will write next! Finale was a finale worth waiting for and though the story is over, it will forever remain in my heart! If you haven't read Caraval yet, I highly recommend that you do!!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars--as if it could be anything else!