My thoughts

I read Caraval earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I gave it 4 stars and the review to it is linked here.

I loved Legendary!I really liked the characters and the relationships between them didn't seem forced. I liked that we got to see from Tella's point of view and what she was thinking in the last book and what her motives were. I wanted to get to know more about her in the last book and find that I like her better than Scarlett now! It was the other way around in the last book. The world was just as magical as it was in Caraval and sometimes what I thought as true was not. The stakes were much higher in this book than Caraval.The minor problems I had with Caraval were not present here.I have to say I loved all the characters and the relationships.

Spoilery review

This whole story was very magical and I could never have guessed the turns it took. I thought that their mother just left them and didn't even think to imagine that it had to do with something magical and that she would be the catalyst to the whole story. I'm glad that she was saved and hopefully we will get to know more about her in the next book.

I really liked Tella and Dante together and,as individuals. Their relationship was just how I like it. It didn't seem forced or drawn out to much. I liked Dante in the last book and wanted to know more about him too. I didn't exactly guess he was Legend. I kept going back and forth on who Legend was just like Tella was. When she was given blood and he called Julian,his brother, I was back to thinking he was Legend but then kept thinking it was done to confuse me. One thing, I was certain of was that Dante had something to do with Elantine's heir. At that time, I thought he was actually the true heir,but it was just a part of Legend's plan. I really hope that Tella and Dante/Legend get back together in the next book as he did say they have a lot to discuss.I think he really loves her as he freed the fates so she could be free.He's protrayed as the villain, but here he definitely was the hero. I liked their relationship a lot more than Scarlett's and Julian's.

When we were introduced to Jacks' in the ball, I had a feeling that he was Tella's 'friend' but I did not guess that he was the Prince Of Hearts! I also thought that Tella would become his one true love but I did think that Tella would fall in love with him. I didn't want that because I wanted her to be with Dante. I liked Tella with him too, but I thought he was too evil and manipulative for her to be with him. At least he kept his end of the bargain by bringing her mother to her,although he changed it to his means anyway.

Another thing I'd like to mention is Scarlett going behind Tella's and Julian's back to look for her fiancé or ex fiancé. I'm okay with her going behind Tella's back because Tella had done a lot of things behind her sister's back but I don't like her going behind Julian's back.I think there should be trust and it causes unnecessary drama. I hope she will tell him soon in the next book.

All in all, I loved everything about this book! The characters, the world, the pacing. I highly recommend this book!

This was phenomenal! Legendary is the second 'middle of a trilogy' book that I've read this week that has proved every bit as, if not even more, brilliantly written, compulsive and perfectly finished as it's predecessor. While Caravel was all about Scarlett, Legendary follows her younger sister Donatella, or Tella as we know her, as she seeks to win the next game of Caravel that has been organised for the Empress's birthday celebrations. The prize? To be reunited with her mother who disappeared when the girls were younger. All the elements of the first game are here again - the magic, fantastical details, dangerous players - but with a heightened sense of danger that is palpable to the reader.

Stephanie Garber hooked me as a mega fan with Caravel but reading Legendary reveals that her writing has become even more accomplished at gripping her readers with a writing style that seems to effortlessly convey the magic, passion and emotions of her world.

I read an ARC received from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley.

“Every story has four parts – the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.”

After Caraval, I was slightly hesitant to read Legendary. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, very much so, but the protagonist in the first book was typical of the YA genre – i.e. she was annoying as hell.

Would the other sister be just as annoying? Would it get so bad that I would have to throw the book at the wall?

Regardless of my hesitations, I decided to give Legendary a chance.

To say I read this book quickly would be an understatement. I devoured it in one fell swoop; reading so late into the night I could hear birds chirping when I turned the last page.

Though our new protagonist, Tella, is still somewhat annoying, she is much less irksome than her older sister. She is plucky – sometimes foolhardy – and it makes the story SO much better.

“The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck.”

As with Caraval, Garber’s descriptions are pretty difficult not to enjoy. She builds a world more magical, if possible, than the first book. New myths and legends come to life with each turn of the page. This time, however, everything was a little more abstract. This time, your imagination has a chance to take hold and create something uniquie.

The end, again, leaves you on a beautifully created cliff hanger. And, once again, I am left bereft of any chance of diving straight into the next book.

Sometimes, there are some major downsides to ARC’s!

If you choose to read this, go in with no expectations. Though many characters are carried through from Caraval, and the story begins from the day after the first book, it has a different feel to it. A better one, in my opinion. Just let yourself get swept away with Tella’s adventure and see where the winds of Caraval take you.

You won’t regret it.

I absolutely loved Caraval, it even made my top YA of the year list, so of course I was ridiculously excited to return to this world. It pains me to say this but unfortunately Legendary just didn't live up to my expectations. Yes we have another game at play but this had none of the magic and sparkle of the first story, instead of being a fast paced story full of unexpected twists this is predictable and actually pretty boring.

There's no denying that Stephanie Garber can write and I did enjoy some elements of this book, particularly the extra world building and the way the fates are woven into the story, but there was definitely something missing. This story is told from Tella's point of view and I just don't find her as easy to relate to as Scarlet, I like that she's more independent and that she's willing to take risks but she's so impulsive that she never thinks things through and it leads her to make stupid mistakes. It was so frustrating to see her keeping so many secrets from Scarlet yet again, you'd think she would have learned better than that after the last time. I also thought the romance between her and Dante was on the flat side.

Jacks could have been an interesting character but he's fairly one dimensional, I didn't have any sense of conflicting emotions in him, pretty much what you saw was what you got where at least with Dante you were kept guessing about his motives. I think my favourite parts were the revelations about Tella and Scarlet's mother, I'm really curious to see how that will play out in the next book and I still really want to see Scarlet get her happily ever after. I'm not as invested in Tella's story but it will be interesting to see how she deals with revelations made at the end of Legendary.

As much as this didn't quite manage to live up to my expectations I do still want to read Finale, I really hope that Stephanie Garber can capture the magic of Caraval and give both of the girls a fitting end to their stories.

A spell-binding fantasy with beautiful descriptives and complicated characters - there were a few clichés but it was so much fun to read.
Magic, lies, love and not just the romantic kind all tied up in a game, but a game of secrets and deception. There are rules but they're not always followed.
This is every bit as beautiful and twisted as the first book - I am really excited to read the third installment.

The Dragna sisters are back! I have been waiting for this. In Caraval, the protagonist was Scarlett, while in Legendary the focus is on Donatella, “Tella”, the wild and reckless younger sister. Scarlett and Tella, after getting rid of their father, are now in Caraval, enjoying their newfound freedom and the end of the festivities. Soon, they are on the move again as they travel with the troupe of performers led by the elusive Legend to Valenda to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elantine, but trouble follows them.
Tella has grown up from the young irresponsible girl at the beginning of Caraval, but she is still reckless and feisty and ready to do everything, even dying, to protect the people she loves.
I love the magic and festive atmosphere in the novel that really draws you in. I couldn’t help but imagine the colors surrounding the characters as they face test after test to win the game.
Captivating, magical, and refreshing, I really love this series and I am really looking forward to see how it is going to end.

Ok Caraval was just okay as far as I was concerned. I was genuinely bewildered as to how it was such a huge hit since it was a bit vague and wishy washy and the style was facile. But I had to be missing something right? So I tried the second book and I like that even less. It really must be me. Graber has an easy engaging style that would normally pull me right in and yet I am just not connecting with these books. I found this even slower paced than the last one and Tella is actively really annoying me with her stupid choices now. I think I just fall outside the target audience here somehow. Anyway I tried and it’s just not for me, though doubtless it will be someone else’s favourite.

Wow this book was just so good. As soon as I finished I wanted to go right back to the beginning and read it all over again. Having read a lot of great reviews and very much enjoying Caraval I did have high(ish) hopes but wow this surpassed them all.

The story picks up not long after Caraval and this time around follows younger sister Tella as she tries to fulfill her side of the deal she made to rescue her sister Scarlett from their abusive father and discover who Legend really is (something I very much wanted to know too). It’s not long before she discovers the only way to find Legend is to take part in the game and win. Tella may think that she’s been behind the scenes and knows it’s not real but this is a very different game from the one her sister played and the stakes have never been higher.

I did wonder how Garber could follow up Caraval and keep the mystery when the reader knows the truth behind it but she does it masterfully. From the very start it’s made clear that this is not the same. There’s no warning that it’s only a game and not to get swept away but instead that this time it’s real. But, is it or is the “it’s all real” just another part of the game? It’s such a wonderful spin that you still can’t help wondering what’s real and what’s not. We know some of the characters from the previous book and we know they’re actors playing a part but there are a few new characters and Legend is known for setting the scene well before the game begins so just what is an act and what is true, is anyone who they appear and just who is Legend? It’s even more confounding when it turns out that one thing we thought we’d discovered in Caraval was not remotely true.

I was right there with Tella as she quickly began to doubt her own convictions and started to question if everyone was in fact playing some kind of game with her. At moments it seems as if even sister Scarlett could be in on the game and don’t even get me started on love interests Dante and Jacks.

While picking up this book felt initially like sinking into a familiar and reassuring world with characters I knew and cared for Garber takes it to a whole new level, developing both the world and the people in it into something completely new, strange and unsettling but consistent with what came before. The magic system is further developed but there’s also more insight into the wider world, its people and the various religious and belief systems which added so much depth and detail I found myself completely immersed in this magical world.

For the most part I also loved how the characters were developed. I hadn’t been keen on Tella in the first book but she really made this story for me. She’d always seemed quite a selfish and shallow character, thoughtless and determined to get her way but it’s not long until we find her motivations were very different from what I believed. I adored how forthright she was. There’s no hesitation. She may be scared or have doubts but she makes a decision and she goes for it, putting on a show that nothing gets to her and relying on the fact that most people (myself included) underestimate her. She is a little reckless and her actions are frustrating at times but she’s young (something I kept forgetting) and it makes for such an exciting and engaging read.

Tella is also incredibly self reliant and I loved how she didn’t look to anyone else to solve her problems. She’s not looking for romance but that’s not to say she doesn’t find some and when she does it is truly swoon worthy. There were more than a few occasions when I just wanted to melt into a big puddle on the floor. I should add a warning that there’s a bit of love triangle going on but both of the love interests are just yummy and not necessarily what they seem. Dante may be flirty and sweet but he’s one of the performers so may be playing a game and Jacks is probably not part of the game but is very mercurial and changes from cold and nasty to charming from one moment to the next. I found myself completely hooked every time Tella had a scene with them.

To be honest though I found myself completely hooked on the story as a whole. It’s full of mystery and intrigue and there were so many sudden reveals and twists my jaw was almost constantly on the floor. There was more than one occasion when I was seriously considering just staying on the train and not going to work so I could keep on reading.

If I had one criticism, and it is pretty minor, I would have liked to see more in terms of the game and the other players. It feels like a very personal game this time and the focus is almost solely on Tella. I couldn’t help wondering what everyone else was doing, what the game was for them. I was also a little disappointed in Scarlett, how little she featured and how she acted. We are seeing her from Tella’s pov but she felt like a very different character than in Caraval.

This is however an absolutely brilliant read and moved the story on so well. The conclusion when it comes is fantastic but left me wanting more. I hope we don’t have too long to wait for the next book, Finale.

I heard so much about Caraval the first book in this series, which I admit only read it a couple of months ago, which I loved. So when I saw Legendary on Netgalley I just had to read it.
This time, the story is centred around Tella the younger of the two sisters and more daring, carefree one. She is in the hunt of finding her mother. With the help of a luckless coin and a card from the deck of Destiny. But, she has more to lose in this game of Caraval. She has made a pact with the Prince of Darkness. She needs to win the game and find out who Legend is or, so the she will pay with her life. The story has all the characters of the first one and we find out more about their lives. Especially Dante who Tella tried very hard not to fall in love with him but, she is confused as she thinks that he maybe Legend in disguise. I loved the first book in this series, but as this second one focused more about the characters then the game of Caraval. I think that this book lacked a bit of it’s magic. It is still an enjoyable read but for me personally that what I thought.
Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Starting soon after the end of Caraval, this book continues with an explosion of Technicolor descriptions and action. It is Darker and more gothic than Caraval, it is captivating. Colour is a big feature as does fragrance. The descriptions tantalize the senses and immersed in the story. It follows Tella who is more feisty than her older sister, Scarlett which I enjoyed. It is clever and though I guessed some parts it led to twists that were impossible to predict.

I enjoyed Legendary but perhaps not as much as Caraval. Legendary is full of magic and twist and turns that shouldn't disappoint fans of Caraval.

The question was, whether this sequel could combat the main criticisms that people had for Caraval, that it was mostly gimmick with not quite as much substance to hold that concept aloft? I personally was left feeling a little bit disappointed in this sequel, but sequels are hard to master and there are some things I liked about this book.

A new narrator, which is always exciting. This book is written from the perspective of the other sister Tella, which I was totally here for. I personally like a second novel that has a different point of view as it often allows for a different kind of character development. Tella certainly is my favourite out of the two sisters as she’s just got a little bit more gumption than Scarlett. That’s just my opinion of course.

What I did think was a little odd, was that the main goal of the first book was to unite these two sisters who have shared so much trauma together, yet this book opts to divide them again. It’s not that these characters are forcibly split apart, it’s a story choice to have made the story entirely focussed on Tella and to have Scarlett as more of a side character. I’m wondering if this is building to a dual POV third novel? If not then I am very confused, it just made the conclusion of Caraval feel like it was worth a little less since it didn’t make much of a difference to the start of Legendary.

I do like the way that these books manage to jumble up what is true and what is ‘part of the game.’ This is particularly effective in this sequel as we know some of the characters within the game a little better, and I think, as a reader, you’re a little more suspicious of pretty much everything. That is, of course, a double-edged sword as it doesn’t fully allow you to enjoy the magic and mystery of the game (in the way that you can in, for example, The Night Circus) but it does also add to the general sense of unease that is so important to the plot.

This is quite a slow read, which is again something of personal preference, I would have liked a little more pace and action and a little less mooning about romance? Especially since this book is meant to be a little more high stakes than Caraval to have the narrator spend time that could be spent solving puzzles ruminating on the arms of a particular male character (it happens more than once, I’m fairly sure) got a little bit grating for me.

I will say that the ending of this book is a huge improvement, I thought that this was the best section of this book and I wish the pacing and the characterisation could have been at that level throughout.

I am still going to read and enjoy the third book in this series and I would recommend them to any YA fantasy fans who like the aesthetic ideas in Caraval but this isn’t a book I would expect everyone to love.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review will not have spoilers for Legendary, however there will be many spoilers for Caraval.  If you’d like to read my review of Caraval, you can find it here.



Caraval was one of the biggest releases of 2017.  It was the book everyone was talking about for months!  Fully caught up in the hype surrounding that book, I read Caraval and was actually pretty disappointed -- I even listed it as one of my most disappointing books of 2017.  However, I fully acknowledge that the hype was probably the contributing factor to my diappointment. When Legendary was released, I was determined to read it early and beat the hype.

Legendary begins where Caraval ends, in fact it begins the morning after.  Tella is reeling from the discovery of the mysterious note in her pocket and Scarlett is trying to pick up the pieces after the game has ended and the illusion is lifted.  Where Caraval follows Scarlett, the more timid and broken Dragna sister, Legendary follows Tella. There were many complaints about Scarlett as a character in the first book, which I vehemently disagree with, so I think that Legendary will appeal to many Caraval fans because of its focus on Tella.  However, I just don’t think that it’s a spectacular book, despite being fun to read.

The first thing I noticed about Legendary is the increase in world building and mythology.  So much of Caraval is confined to the Dragna’s home island and the game itself -- we learn so little about the world.  Garber was obviously on a mission to fix that in Legendary. We get the mythology of the Fates and see imperial city. We learn more about the political landscape of the empire and learn more about Scarlett and Tella’s mother.  I really enjoyed diving a little deeper into this magical world, and the world building was easily my favourite part of the book. I loved learning more about the Fates and watching Tella puzzle out the mysteries surrounding them. This was the biggest improvement over Caraval.

For me, the plot felt a little like a cop-out in the way that Catching Fire did.  It was just a rehashing of the first book -- I wish we got something a little different. Tella has to play the game of Caraval, albeit in a new setting and with more knowledge than Scarlett had in the first book.  But the fun of Caraval was trying to figure out what was going on --who was telling the truth, who was lying, what was real, and what was part of the game. Because we are armed with the knowledge of the first book, the magic and mystery of Caraval is lessened the second time around.  I just wasn’t as intrigued by what was going on in Legendary -- I expected plot twists and knew that no one was what they seemed. I really felt like the magic was gone.

The heart of this book is, of course, Tella -- the story is told in the first person through her eyes.  I like Tella -- it’s incredibly easy to like her -- but she didn’t get the same character growth that Scarlett did.  Scarlett is a different person by the time Caraval ends -- she is stronger, she is more fierce, and she has learned to let down the walls she put up after years of abuse.  Tella, however, doesn’t have the issues that her sister did. It felt like she had absolutely no character growth throughout the story -- the Tella at the beginning is the Tella at the end -- because there was nowhere for her character to go.  This may not bother some readers because she is still fun to read about, however I really felt like Garber did a disservice to this character.  The most we learned about her was that she's never been in love and refuses for fall for anyone, which we are told about 30 times.

There are many side characters in this story that I don’t want to elaborate on due to spoilers, but I did want to talk about Scarlett and her relationship with Tella.  We are constantly told that the two sisters are so close -- they would literally die for each other. We didn’t really see much of that in Caraval, mostly because Tella was locked away for the majority of the book, but we also didn’t see much of it in Legendary.  I thought it was a real missed opportunity. As someone who has a very close relationship with their sister, I would have loved to see them really work together and bond. But Scarlett is so absent from the book and when she’s there, she’s trying to work through the emotions that Caraval brought her.  I really wish that we got to see more sibling bonding, something that I don’t think gets enough attention in YA.

Overall, I found Legendary to be pretty lackluster.  It didn’t have the interesting character growth we found in Caraval.  The romance was so stale and boring -- there was no chemistry and the only real reason they seemed to be together is because they’re both attractive.  The magic and mystery of Caraval itself was lacking because we knew exactly what to expect from the first book. However it has interesting world building and I really liked seeing the aftermath of the first book -- we don't often think about what happens to the characters after their adventures are over.  I think that fans of Caraval may end up liking this book, but for me it can be described as ‘meh’.

This was hugely disappointing. Caraval is light and otherworldly, filled with whimsy and clever use of motif. This is ordinary YA. The first book should clearly have been left alone. It appears that Garber is trying to answer questions from readers unsatisfied with the deliberate mysteries of Caraval (especially Who is Legend?) Perhaps this is a key difference between writing for adults or teenagers, the ability of the reader to accept that some things are better left unexplained. Unfortunately, there's a potentially very good stand alone novel wedged inside here, with some cool ideas about magic, tarot and ethically grey princes, but it's swallowed by being forced inside the Caraval universe. I am so sad.

A decent sequel, and I liked seeing Tella's point of view - she was a sassy, proactive character and her voice felt significantly different from Scarlett's. Tella must find out the true name of the mysterious Legend, and this was an intriguing enough mystery that kept me engaged. I had the same problem with the first book - while the concept is great, I found the plot to be a bit jumpy and all-over-the-place (not to mention, this sequel felt verrrrry similar to the first book in terms of plot). I also didn't find Dante as enthralling as was obviously intended - my favourite character had to be Jacks, just because he was so messy and dangerous.

I'd recommend this if you read the first book, but it is definitely weaker than the first book.

I finished Legendary this afternoon. My heart is still racing. This book!

Without a doubt, Legendary is even better than Caraval, which is some feat since Caraval was without a doubt one of the top books of 2017. Somehow, Stephanie Garber has crafted a tale that once again has you doubting what's real and what's only a part of the game, full of unexpected twists and turns. Even things that you are fairly certain are real you question, and that really is the true beauty of this book!

Legendary focuses on the story of Tella, who is a much feistier character than her older sister Scarlett, and as such makes the story a lot more fast-paced and unpredictable. I couldn't help but adore Tella. She takes on everything that's thrown at her with such a headstrong attitude as she is thrust into the world of Caraval.

I don't want to make this a spoiler review, so I'm going to try to be as obscure as possible, but know that so many fantastical new characters are introduced in Legendary, as well as some incredible development of existing characters. I finished the book with a new book boyfriend (oh hi Dante!) and a thirst for more!

I have heard that this is just a duology, but, that said, I'm desperate for more and want to know what happens next! So, if you're reading this, Stephanie, PLEASE can there be more!

Legendary,  Stephanie Garber


Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Sci fi and fantasy

I was so looking forward to this, I adored Caraval, and amazingly I think Legendary is even better. It's another magical book, full of secrets, of things that are not as they seem, of twists and turns that predicting who is who and what will happen just isn’t possible. And the “is it a game or are things real this time “ conundrum. Poor Tella, she has a series of really difficult choices to make and she doesn't know, and the consequences are so very different if its real this time.

As with Caraval its has that YA feel to it, and yet its one that will appeal to all ages, there's nothing childish about the story, and its so full of changing consequences, riddles, pure magic or possibly illusion – how can Tella know whats real. As an adult I certainly couldn't!
This story is told from Tella's POV, I liked seeing Scarlett and the mysterious Julian again, along with of course Dante and some of the other minor characters. There's some fabulous new people too, and as before knowing if what they say is true or not is important but incredibly hard to tell. Tella has struck a bargain with Jacks, but as she gets closer the consequences become more clear and she doesn't know whats the best thing to do, whichever way she jumps people will be hurt but doing nothing isn't an option either.

I'm still full of questions, who, how, why and what about....I could go on for ages, it seems like when one question gets answered there's always the chance that it may not be the Correct Answer, just An Answer ;-) and trying to work it out is like herding cats, simply impossible. Just let it flow and enjoy the magic.

Stars: Five, a read to take you away for a few hours, though That ending was incredibly frustrating for me. I understand more of Caraval having read this, and would up my rate for that to a five now

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Legenadry continues the story of Scarlett and Tella, as this time Tella competes in another of Legend’s games in order to settle a debt. Win, and she could end Caraval forever. But lose, she could end her own life instead.

Intriguing premise. I would advice reading Caraval before approaching this as it starts right where Caraval finishes, and alludes to a lot of the plot from the previous novel and I found I’d forgotten a lot of the tale. That said, I thought this did a good job of building on the mysteries surrounding Caraval and expanded the known mythology well and in a cohesive way. The magical system and religions build on what we already know about Legend and his magic and still manage to describe enough without getting me confused, yet aching for more. It was well done.

The rest of the world building is also good and wonderfully descriptive. I could imagine myself within Meridia walking the streets of the spice district, or exploring the forgotten corners of the Fallen Star temple. I’m hoping that the finished edition will again feature a map, much like Caraval did, as this would be a great way to visualise the distinct districts.

The plot is interesting, and had me wanting to read on until the end. I was actively looking forward to finding out the answers to the game and the mysteries Tella becomes embroiled in, and it’s built up well over the course of the book. If anything, as with the previous book, the game itself seemed to be a little bit too ‘easy’. The threat of death is easily overcome, without any clear answer, and the conclusion was easily reached and not difficult to work out for both the reader and Tella with a ‘Deus ex Machina’ feel about it.

Tella takes over as main character here, a role her sister Scarlett plays in the first instalment. I would say Tella is definitely more charismatic than Scarlett - she’s got a bit more spark, independence and ingenuity. She’s more willing to fight (sometimes physically) for what she wants, and is more selfish than Scarlett’s more ‘perfect’ persona. The only issue I had with her character was the repeated statements declaring she’d never fall in love, and then immediately falling in love with a man she kisses once. For this reason alone, I wasn’t a massive fan of her relationship with Dante, as I found Tella relies too heavily on him for support when he’s around.

The secondary characters are also interesting and enigmatic as you’re never quite sure if they’re part of Legend’s game or not. The introduction of the Fates this time added another level of intrigue and threat that pushed this above Caraval in terms of tension. I really liked their backstory too, and hope it’s expanded on in further novels. In particular I liked the introduction of Jacks and the sort of love triangle that develops. He’s a deeply charismatic character, and carries a lot of the scenes where he’s present. His relationship with Tella is infinitely more original and interesting than the one she shares with Dante.

I wasn’t keen on the writing style. Some phrases used just seem to be there for added flowery effect without making any sense. I want writing that excites me, not confuse me. Good descriptions and less flowery writing will get you a long way. I also found some phrases rather clunky and awkward, such as the one description of Dante by Julian that unravels a certain mystery pertaining to the game that could have been executed better.

Overall, this was better than Caraval in its originality, and has kept me interested enough to continue with the series if there are any more to come. The writing just needs to be a little bit more refined, and this has the potential to really shine.

I am a massive fan of Stephanie Garber’s debut, Caraval, so, as my friends could tell you, I was more than a little excited to get my hands on this little beauty. The enticing world of Caraval is full of magic that is both wonderful and terrible in equal measure. The vivid descriptions of the world that the mysterious Legend creates draw you in and make you wish that you could join the game, but at the same time make you pray that you never find yourself there. In a world of games and make believe, you can drive yourself crazy trying to make sense of what is real, and what is just a performance for the participants.

Legendary starts just hours after the end of Caraval, but although the game is over, it is still impossible to tell who can really be trusted and who is playing a role. Told from Tella’s point of view, the new game of Caraval, held in honour of the Empress Elantine, has an altogether darker feel. Set in the very real streets of Valenda, rather than a magical world of Legend’s creation, it becomes harder than ever to know what is real and what is just part of the game. This lends a sinister air to the whole book, and creates an even higher level of tension.

Whilst Scarlett remains my personal favourite of the sisters, this book would not have worked if she was the one playing the game. I find that Tella comes across as somewhat conceited, but it is her impetuous nature that is essential for the game to play out as it must.

Stephanie Garber’s world building, with its beautiful descriptions and fatally flawed characters, draws you into the book, much as the Dragna sisters were each drawn into the game of Caraval, and leaves you doubting whether you can truly believe what you have read. All I can say is, I hope there is a third book to follow this one, because I have many, many questions that need answers! Now, if I can just track down my very own Deck of Destiny…