Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber
Brace yourself for spoilers ahead because I will not be able to process my feelings without them.
Book 1: Caraval
I was pretty sucked into this book immediately. The relationship that Scarlett and Donatella have is so beautiful and it really reminded me of the relationship I have with my own sister. The way they try to protect each other from their father is touching and the fact that the entire theme of this book focuses on the relationship between siblings melts my entire heart.
There is obviously a good YA romance story line, I don’t know that I’ve ever read a YA Fiction book without one and I like it that way. Julian was a total mystery to me at first but he was instantly protective over Scarlett and so I knew they’d be canoodling before the end of the book and I was rooting for them from the beginning.
After Scarlett finds Tella and her love ultimately saves her sister, this book flows seamlessly into a cliffhanger that sets up book 2 to be just as captivating as Caraval is. This book is a perfect and magical start to this trilogy and I almost had a breakdown when I finished it before the 2nd book arrived in the mail!
Book 2: Legendary
Legendary is written largely from the perspective of Tella which gives the trilogy and interesting narrative and really ties the books together in a way that felt different to me than other books that have done the same thing. While I loved the first book, I was so excited to see that Legendary delved more into Tella’s story because she is the one I relate to and who I adored the most from the beginning. She is fiery and defiant and she is a dreamer. The question of who Legend is solidifies itself as the center of this book. I was pretty torn at first, thinking it could be Julian, but by the middle of the book I knew exactly who it was and I wanted to scream when I was right.
This book focused a little bit less on love between siblings but that theme was underlying the entire time and it added a sweet layer to Tella’s adventures. Legendary was the hardest of the 3 books for me to put down.
Book 3: Finale
It took me a bit longer to finish Finale but I loved it all the same. It really tied together the loose ends from the first 2 books while adding in a new story that added some more magic and excitement to this world.
It did leave me wanting more, the way that Jacks leaves so abruptly after Legend breaks his spell on Tella was a little bit disappointing. Jacks had character development through the entire 2nd and 3rd books that indicated he was ready to put up more of a fight. Other than that, it ended pretty perfectly for me. The only complaint I have is that it is the end. I wanted more. I never want the stories of Donatella and Scarlett to end.
This is a magical series with magical characters and I wanted to be swept away by some miracle into this world and play alongside Legend, Julian, Tella, and Scarlett. It is an original story (as in I personally have never encountered anything like it) and is written in a way that is captivating. These are 3 books I am glad that I paid for instead of borrowing them from the library or the friend that recommended them because I will return to these books. They have been the perfect escape from the current pandemic the world is in.
