Series Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Caraval Series

Synopsis for Caraval (from Goodreads):
Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite ARC 2016
Series: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
# of Books: 3 (Caraval, Legendary, Finale)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Romance
Heat Rating: cool
Point of View: Third Person, Single
Publication Date: January 31, 2017 – May 2019
Source & Format: Jamie @ Books and Ladders–ARC; Public Library–Hardcover

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

When Jamie asked people back in August of 2016 if there were any Canadians interested in participating in her little ARC tour of Caraval, I immediately said YES! It isn’t every day people recruit Canadians on Twitter and I had had my eye on this novel for a long time. So the chance to read it before it even got released was awesome!

What appealed to me about this book was the idea of a “game”. I love stories that play with your mind and make you come up with all these crazy theories as you read. Caraval promised to be an intricate story that would have me on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t expecting a romance but I was expecting to read a great story about one sister doing everything in her power to save the other.

What I Liked:

–The World–

I’ll admit I was worried that this world was going to be too complicated. That this story was going to be peppered with unneccesary flowery language that makes it hard to follow what on earth is happening.

Yeah….definitely not the case here!

This story has some of the best world-building I’ve ever come across. It’s straightforward but still elegant. You easily understand what is happening and why. It just makes everything flow so nicely; and books are 20x more enjoyable when you know what the heck is happening!

–The Layers to the Plot–

This story is complex in the sense that there is a lot going on–even when it doesn’t feel like it. Now that isn’t to say this book is boring–you’ll be hooked from the start. What I mean is that there are so many great surprises in store, you won’t even see half of them coming.

I had so many different theories happening–that were all proven wrong I might add–while I was reading. Everything just builds at a great pace and the twists are introduced at just the right time. Ahhh, it’s glorious!

–Scarlet–

I just have to say that Scarlet had some of the best character growth I have ever read. She transforms into this fabulous character right before your eyes. You can’t help but root for her to succeed.

What I Didn’t Like:

–That I have to wait FOREVER for the sequel!–

Honestly, I don’t have a bad thing to say about this book! It is beautifully crafted.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

This one surprised me so much in its delivery that I can’t wait to see what happens next in this fantastic world!

–July 2, 2018– Book #2: Legendary

It feels like I’ve been waiting for forever for this book (and then when I had it I had to wait for my mom to finish my copy) but it came and it was not a disappointment. Every time I picked this book up, I was sucked back into this amazing world. The pacing in this book was fantastic–you would never think it was the 2nd book in a trilogy with the way it reads. I also loved the plot and how it was always evolving in one way or another. The romance had me swooning as well.

I can’t wait to see how everything wraps up in the finale!

–August 1, 2019– Book #3: Finale

This was a great way to wrap up all those lingering thoughts from the very first book. For me, it wasn’t addicting to read as the first two novels, perhaps because the game of Caraval isn’t happening. There’s a lot happening here and there is definitely gravity to the situations but it just lacked that magic the Caraval brought as a plot device.

But fans will be more than satisfied with the ending.

My Rating: 5/5

Caraval 5/5 | Legendary 4.5/5 | Finale 4/5

This will appeal to fans of all ages. It’s a smart, fantasy YA that will have readers on the edge of their seats!

Read if You Like: world-building, layered plots
Avoid if You: dislike magic/fantasies, want more romance

• Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (Passenger Trilogy #1)
• The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (The Goddess Test Trilogy #1)
• Rook by Sharon Cameron

Disclaimer | Request a Review | Contact