Finale: A Caraval Novel

Disclaimer: I received this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own. It breaks my heart that this series is over, but I couldn’t have asked for a better finale (ha). This book was exactly what I needed it to be that I never knew I needed it to be. This is undoubtedly a series I will come back to time and again and suggest to everyone I possibly can. It was expansive and magical and overwhelming in a way that anyone could lose themselves in. And I don’t think anybody could ever be disappointed with this conclusion. Garber had a plan from the beginning and the way that her plans come to fruition by the end of this book makes it one you certainly won’t want to miss. If you’ve read the earlier two books in this series, Caraval and Legendary, you’ll be familiar with the tone you can expect from this book. But this final book in the series takes everything from the first two and elevates it all to a whole new level. It encompasses everything the other books were working towards and brings it to a beautiful finish. The most obvious proof of that is the perspectives of each novel. Caraval was told entirely from Scarlett’s point of view, and Legendary was told entirely from Tella’s point of view. Finale literally combines them and we get alternating perspectives from both sisters. The single perspectives worked very well in the other books. There were twists and secrets that would have been spoiled had we seen both sides of the story all along. Those books wouldn’t have worked any other way. But here they come together and let us get a wider sense of the story throughout the book. The plot has developed to the point that the games we see are of an entirely different nature compared to the games we saw in the first two books. Our Dragna sisters aren’t keeping the same kinds of secrets from each other and they’re playing for a lot more than just a Caraval victory. The games they are in now have much higher stakes, and losing will mean more than disappointment. They may just lose their lives. Garber’s writing is really extraordinary, and the story she weaves will leave you awestruck. At this point in the series, you should know to expect surprises and blow-your-socks-off twists. And yet, it’s so easy to get caught up in the magic of this world that you forget to anticipate them. You get swept away, and no matter how many times you tell yourself not everything is as it seems, no matter how many times you remember there are always games afoot, you will be surprised. I never could have anticipated some of the twists Garber had in store here, and that is a high compliment. I know I’ll be able to reread this countless times because I’ll always hold on to that feeling of shock that I had on this first read-through. Even though I’ll know all of the surprises, I’ll be able to remember what it felt like to not know. Sometimes knowing the end makes you feel finished with a book. You’ve figured it all out and there’s no need to go through it all again. But this is a story that you will never be fully finished with. The world is so complex, the mythology so fascinating, the characters so compelling, that you won’t want to ever leave it fully behind. As much as I love our characters of these books, I would equally love a different story in this world. The Fates we began to learn about in Legendary are major players in this book, but I would still love to learn more about them. A prequel about this world during the centuries that the Fates ruled the land would be amazing. And until we get more, if we ever get more, I will absolutely be happy to read this series over and over. The ways that our well-loved characters truly come into their own during this book is one of the most beautiful aspects of the story. There is so much action and intrigue going on, that the personal development could have gone under the radar, but Garber didn’t let that happen. Scarlett, who has always had to be both sister and mother to Tella and always put her own wants to the side, recognizes and uses her inner strength to become a force to be reckoned with in a way that I always wanted for her but never would have expected from the beginning of the series. She was so cautious, so unwilling to believe herself capable back in the first book. She has grown so much since then, having gone through two Caravals, but here is where we get to see her explore what she is really capable of. The stakes are so high that she really doesn’t have any other choice. There is nothing and no one to fall back on, so she really has to put her faith in herself, and it inspires such a feeling of triumph to see her even try. And Tella has grown in a very complimentary way. She was so reckless in the first two books because it was Caraval, and Legend wouldn’t let anything actually bad happen, at least not irreversibly. She is so used to playing games that it’s hard for her to get out of that mindset, to stop playing. But she has never been one to give up, and her determination to get the outcome she wants is the driving force of this novel. She will fight tooth and nail for those she loves, and without her tenacity it would have been all too easy for everyone else to take the easy way out. She may make mistakes, but she’s young and you can’t expect her to be perfect. She never stops though, and it is her persistence that keeps everyone else going. The sisters’ strengths all stem, most importantly, from the strength of their love. Their love for each other, for those around them, for their world. It’s what keeps them going and what makes them the perfect candidates to save everyone. Their love is its own kind of magic. And it pairs well with the actual magic in the world of this series. Magic is tricky and always comes with a price, but it is also enchanting and capable of making dreams come true. It is almost tangible, the way it’s written. As you read, the magic in the books lifts off the page and surrounds you in a constellation of sparkling stars, sweeps you off your feet and transports you somewhere else entirely. The magic system here is not easy to control, and the price for using magic to get what you want can be steep, but it can deliver you exactly what you need if you know how to ask, and that’s what makes it so tantalizing. It is not without consequences, so you never feel as though the use of magic is a cop-out like it can in other magic systems occasionally. It is a measured use, sometimes a reckless use, but it is never a deus ex machina, solve all of our problems use. Half the time using magic causes as many if not more problems than it solves, and that helps give this story, and the other novels in the series, such great depth. But when it works, you can’t pull yourself away, because it is just so magical. At the conclusion of this story, all I can say is I never wanted it to end. Not this book, not this series, none of it. But I can also say that it ended exactly the way it needed to, whether or not it fits into all the visions I had of what I wanted to see happen. It was still the correct ending for this narrative. So be prepared to lose yourself to this book. Be prepared to grow ever fonder of Scarlett and Tella. Be prepared to fall ever more in love with Julian and Legend. Be prepared to be fascinated by the Fates and Valenda and their entire world. You will want more, but you will be so happy with what you have that it will almost make the fact that this is the last book in the series bearable. Almost. Let the magic of Caraval and Legend and all they have to offer sweep over you once more. It’s your last chance, and you won’t ever want to let that magic go. I know I don’t.

ㅤ 4 ★ A suitable ending for such an bewitching and enticing series -the end of the Caraval series, Finale surely did not disappoint in terms of allure, magic and beauty. The last book in this trilogy surely lived up to the expectations that the first book managed to create for me. After the slightly disappointing second book in the series, Finale was clearly able to bring back some of the nice feelings I had when I first started reading Caraval. Of course, there still are some small aspects that did not make this book a perfect 5 stars, but I will elaborate on them below so let's begin, shall we? ━━ world building and action As always, the world of Caraval never disappoints. When I started reading this series, the magnificent world and allure of the this magic-filled universe were the first things that completely and fully captured my attention and entrapped me in this incredible story. The details of the world were so magically and incredibly well-written that I was so eager for each and every paragraph of new descriptions of the surroundings in each scene. This third book clearly managed to bring back those feelings after I was a bit disappointed with the second book. I also appreciated how different were the two POVs of the two sisters. I was really glad to see Scarlett's POV again!!! you will really find out I do not like Tella a single bit. Despite the really beautiful story, I still felt like the ending was a bit underdeveloped. The "almost ending" felt a bit rushed and the true ending that came after did not feel satisfying enough for me. I would have loved to get at least a bit more and the back-story of how things ended up the way they did. ━━ characters Tella - I still cannot resonate with her a single bit. I am sure there are a lot of people who managed to probably understand her better than me and to resonate with her, but her character was completely apathetic to me. She was still just as childish and selfish as in Legendary, I felt like she was hypocritically criticising everyone for using her, while she was literally using everyone around her without being capable of making up her mind and learning to deal with the obstacles she had to face. I repeatedly found myself tired of her constant oscillation between Legend and Jacks and it wasn't even called for most of the time. She usually condemned the others for not changing for her, while she herself refused to change for everyone. And not to even mention her relationship with Legend. Despite it having quite some really beautiful moments, it felt so forced to me. It did not feel as natural as I hoped it would be and his "sacrifice" in the end of the book felt so sudden and a bit unnatural. I did not really enjoy any of their development through the series. Scarlett - Literally my favourite character in this series after Jacks. I absolutely loved her development ever since the first book and the ending clearly did not disappoint in this regard. From her chase for safety and fear of unknown, I feel like she became such a powerful and inspiring woman in Finale; fully deserving of her new role!!! And don't get me started on her relationship with Julian. I LITERALLY LOVED THEM SO MUCH. Each scene of them had me holding back my breath and kicking my feet because of how insanely sweet they were and how in love. Their relationship clearly developed so beautifully and I really lowkey hope we would still get to see a bit more of them in Stephanie's future works, maybe some small glances regarding their current lives in the new roles they have. What I did not like however, was the relationship between the two sisters. Despite their constant wish to sacrifice for one another, I ended up feeling like they grew so apart throughout the story. And while it is understandable that they both managed to find love and more people to care for, I would have enjoyed to still see the loving relationship between them grow more. ･ﾟ.✧:･ﾟJACKS ❤️ (he gets sparks and hearts cuz he deserves them OK?) - literally my favourite character so far. I will literally accept NO CRITICISM against my husband. His random entrances, his constant bantering, his unpredictable nature made him such an entertaining character. No wonder he became such a loved Fate: HE IS LITERALLY AN UNBOTHERED, UNPHAZED AND HOT KING. and he is also mine so please step back. 😌 The Fates - I really appreciated how much even the Fates played a role in all of the story and how even some of them presented such nice developments and characters. I admit I would have loved to see a bit more of the Deck and Destiny and its "inhabitants" but it did not bother me that much. Also, i will say it, I will never forget Stephanie for "killing off" the dress. I LOVE THAT DRESS SO MUCH, IT FELT LIKE SUCH A REAL AND SWEET CHARACTER. I would also like to mention Scarlett's parents. I really felt like they deserved a bit better. Don't get me wrong, both Paradise and Gavriel kind of asked for what they got, but I cannot lie and negate the fact that I cried my eyes out at their ending chapters with Scarlett. I am however glad that Scarlett managed to have her closure with both of them. ━━ ending and conclusions As I mentioned previously the ending did feel a bit rushed to me. I would have appreciated for the book to have at least a few more characters dedicated to The True Ending. I would have liked to see a bit more of the characters I really came to love (not you Tella) and I feel like a few more chapters would have made the ending feel way more satisfying for me. I would have also liked to see a bit more of the other characters and I wished the ending did not leave me with different questions and "what ifs...". I also felt like, despite helping with the plots and the issues that had to be solved, Legend's performers were completely forgotten at one point. Due to this, despite coming a long way from the first book and the Caraval itself, I would have still liked to know what happened to the initial action. However, I would like to finish by saying that despite everything, this is still a series that I would definitely recommend. The magical worlds, the characters, the lovely scenes with a constant tinge of tension, the action and the beautiful style of writing totally deserve much appreciation. The things I did not like are surely based solely on my personal taste so please do not take them for good and I encourage you to read, decide and appreciate things in your own way. Now excuse me while I dwell in the world of "Once Upon a Broken Heart" and go and meet my husband, Jacks, once again. ❤️

As I read about the Caraval series and people around me rave about it, I had a feeling it would be something I would like. And I was correct. It’s become one of my favorite book series, with the magical immersion, the twists and turns, the characters, it feels like one of those stories you don’t want to end, but sadly, all games must end. But Stephanie Garber brings us yet another immersive magical adventure where we discover the true meaning of love and gripping from start to finish. While the first two books dealt with different iterations of Caraval, Finale drops the game and gives us a new plot, which deals with a greater threat that was hinted in Legendary. It builds on the first two books and keeps the momentum going the entire way through with a great pace (though there isn’t as much of a ticking clock, it’s still there), not meandering with throwaway deviations. Everything meant something in building on the story and the characters. Many times, I complain in reviews about unneeded love triangles and romance shoehorning (this happens a lot in YA), but it’s usually because in those cases, the romance detracts from the story and doesn’t add much outside of extra drama and shipping fuel, and many times, it feels predictable. Not the case here. Since love and what it means is a major theme of the series and this installment especially, the love triangles and added romance element enhances this quite a bit. Scarlett and Donatella’s journey is about discovering what love really is, romantic and otherwise, and with some aspects that get revealed here, it’s more important than ever to know where they stand on love and to get their true ending, instead of just their almost ending. Even the cover drives the theme home. We get the PoVs of both Dragna sisters this time around, and it’s switched off well, where it doesn’t feel like arbitrary cut offs like some other books I’ve read. It focuses the most on the sisters’ character growth since they left their father’s mansion. What does it mean to live and love? The relationships between each other and those they met on this journey? I love watching their growth, especially Donatella (but then again, she’s my favorite). Some of the revelations blew me away as well. My heart swelled for the sisters and how they have grown in just a few months time. Three books in and the world building still surprises me, with the little bits and pieces throughout and the big plot relevant aspects. Again, it feels like a real character and a world I don’t want to leave (outside of the parts where there’s great danger a foot). While I didn’t mention this part on the previous reviews, I do love the magic system where it feels like a deal with the devil type of thing, where nothing is free, and that it hasn’t deviated away from that path. Magic is mysterious and intriguing still. Again, Garber’s prose brings an extra layer of richness and immersion, while being easy to read, and now it brings on the emotional intensity on certain places, especially in the last few chapters. I also laughed a few times, which helped with some of the intensity in a lot of the story. The climax was intense and satisfying, with some unexpected twists. I loved the extras that came in the edition I had, and apparently, there might be more Caraval to come? Even if it’s not coming (and while the story ends with the main plot wrapped up, there’s lots of things to explore in the world), I won’t be forgetting this ride for a very long time and I look forward to what Garber has in store next.

"I think love is another type of magic. It makes everything brighter, it makes people who have it stronger, it breaks rules that aren't supposed to exist, it's infinitely valuable." Oh my heart. I'm so sad this series has come to an end. This book (series) has enchanted my heart with it magical mood-changing dresses, angsty romances, endless games and tricky bargains. Not to mention the captivating scenery. It had me so swept away, that when I would have to pause to come back to the real world, everything seems extra boring. I absolutely LOVE this series. This was a beautiful ending. Finale take off with a bang right where we left in Legendary. Which I really enjoyed but I think that fact that we got both sisters POV in this one made me love it when more. Scarlett is my fav and I missed her in Legendary. But boy do I love and adore Tella She's so feisty. Their sister bond is so special. I like that they both have their own adventures though I do wish they did a few more things together. I couldn't put this book down. I tried to pace myself but I swear the book was actually enchanted cause time moved so quickly!!! The plot was so fast paced and exciting. While I missed the actual Caraval games it was so thrilling to see how they were going to end things! And the romance!! SO FLIPPIN' good. This book constantly had me swooning with these hot, trickers bad guys. You just don't know who to trust. Julian is for sure my fav. I mean him and Scarlett from the beginning have always been the couple I rooted for the most. But for Tella I was more torn. However, I was more Team Legend, Jacks really had me second guessing myself. But the romance in this plus all the exciting magical adventures made this book absolutely fantastic. I couldn't get enough and am SO sad it's over. My only wish is that we got just a little more of an epilogue. The ending felt a little too quick. I wanted to see more of a future with both couples! This author has some of the most magical and brilliant writing that literally takes you to a whole new world. Highly recommend this series to everyone!

Review taken from bookish blog Literary Weaponry ~“Tonight he was smiling like a wicked prince, escaped from the stars, ready to spirit her up into the heavens.”~ Here I sit, once again, trying to come up with the words to talk about a book that was, well, just alright. The plot was alright, the characters were alright, and the ending was alright. It was just…alright. If I dislike a book it is easy to sit and describe what didn’t work for me. When you like a book, it is easy and even fun to tell others why you loved it. But when you can’t elicit more than “meh” from the experience, writing a review feels a lot like a chore. The story picks up a few months after the end of Legendary. Tella and Scarlett are living in rented rooms near the palace were Legend/Dante is set to be crowned emperor. The game of Caraval that encompassed the first two books does not exist in this story in any form which is a large departure from the plot we’ve come to recognize. Instead, the Fates have been freed from their cards (along with the girl’s mother) as well as the head honcho of the Fates who is huge jerk. Mr. Big Bad Fate wants to take over the world, as most Big Bads do, and wipe out mankind in the process. You know, no big. Scarlett is still just as boring as she was in the first book except she is more Proper Princess boring than she was before. The girl loves to pretend she is always in the right and doing the right thing and blah blah blah. Reading about her is like eating overcooked chicken, dry and lifeless. She makes one dumb decision after another while pretending that love conquers all and it is just the more annoying character trait I can possibly fathom. SPEAKING OF the “love conquers all” nonsense, that seemed to be the theme of this whole book and it bored me. Everything tied back into one character or another’s love story instead of any kind of plot and just…it was dull. I enjoy a good romance subplot, really, I do, but this was a romance novel with fantasy elements that seem to be meant only to further the romance. It got very tiring, very quickly. One thing I will never fault Garber for is her descriptions. I love how she describes things. The picture she can paint with words is vivid and flowing and I love the images it conjures in my mind. That being said, it was probably the only thing in this entire book I could say that I truly enjoyed. Before this turns into a rant, and I do feel it quickly brewing beneath the surface, let me wrap this up. This book was disappointing. The plot felt rushed, everything revolved around a love story, some characters did not get a proper end (JACKS), parts of the plot didn’t make sense, and in case I didn’t mention it EVERYTHING WAS REALLY RUSHED. This could have been a great book but almost everything I loved about Legendary had disappeared. As it is, this conclusion was okay at best. Garber is capable of better writing, she has shown that, and I will still read what she writes in the future but I must say, my expectations will be lower. ~“He was tailored suits over inked tattoos, and lies that people wanted to believe. His palace would be breathtaking in the way that only powerful things could be.”~

"I think the most magnificent things are worth living for." 4 STARS CW: violence, murder, loss of a loved one, gore, body horror The conclusion of the Caraval series is finally here, and that was NOT what I was expecting. For the most part, though, it wasn't what I expected in the best of ways. In a lot of ways, Finale is a nice change of pace. We get to explore new areas of Valenda that fell by the wayside during the events of Legendary. We also get to learn more about the Deck of Destiny (MORE LORE! MORE LORE!), and the stakes shift radically. Plus, both Tella and Scarlett serve as POV characters, rather than one sister at a time, and we finally see a lot of secrets out in the open alongside their consequences (namely Legend's identity, the story behind the Deck of Destiny and the Fates, and who Paloma Dragna really is at heart). I really enjoyed most of all the little hidden places of Valenda, the ones tied to the Deck. They recapture a lot of the unsettling magic from Caraval that teeters on the edge of real, but also brims with sinister magic in a way that inspires wonder and caution at the same time. A full setting, one that feels like it has a life of its own, matters a lot to me. That alone can help draw me into a book, and for this series, the care taken in the setting has really gone above and beyond, doing a fantastic job of sucking the reader in. I also loved all the encounters with the Fates, and the interactions between them. They're not all on the same side, and I'm personally pretty fascinated by the divisions and the reasons behind them. It's hard to manage a large cast like that, and yet it's done well here, without revealing too much at once. Then again, this comes with the major pitfall of Finale, the reason I've actually rated it lower than Legendary: sometimes, it reveals too little. The big bad is actually pretty shallow in terms of motivation, and some of the other Fates don't seem to have any real reason for the allegiances they've pledged. Additionally, there are whole plot lines that go under-explored. Spoilers here for those of you who aren't all the way caught up, but how Paloma got into the cards (humans have to replace someone willingly, so why did she do it and who did she release? who knows!), exactly what secret Tella sold to the sisters, why certain Fates chose certain sides, the brief and underwhelming appearance of Nicolas D'Arcy, and more. Essentially, it felt like the story was trying to cram in too much in order to create an explosive ending, and as a result, some really important things were left by the wayside with far too little exploration and elaboration. Additionally, I still hate the love triangle. I usually hate love triangles, but I really don't like this one. Everything I liked about Dante and Tella has vanished, and I never liked Tella and Jacks much to begin with. Neither one of them makes a particularly good romantic choice in my eyes, and watching Tella pinball around between them when there were also some very big and very different things at stake drove me up the wall. I much preferred Julian and Scarlett's relationship overall, since they actually talk about things and address their feelings and complaints and problems without misleading each other half as much at all. But hey. Maybe I just hate love triangles and all the drama that comes with them. It's very possible that'll just never change. Altogether, Finale made for a reasonably strong conclusion. It kept the most important elements of the series in place, like the sinister nature of Caraval magic, and the importance of the bond between the Dragna sisters and what they'd do for one another. It did, though, drop the ball in terms of how tightly it was plotted, and I have to say that I'm disappointed in that aspect. It would have been a stronger, more explosive close to the series if everything had been addressed more fully. But all games must come to an end, right? And this is it.

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.

I loved the last book in the series it was an excellent way to finish it! 💕💕