Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Legendary (Caraval, #2) by Stephanie Garber

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun. 

๐‘‹

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

God's teeth (one of Tella's favorite phrases) is an accurate description of my feelings regarding this book. I loved the world and the idea of Caraval, but I just could not get behind any of the characters and what they were trying to achieve. I doubt even they knew what they wanted the majority of the time. Their priorities and feelings changed every chapter. It was exhausting to keep up with.

Tella was more likable than Scarlett, but she was still incredibly frustrating. She based most of her decisions on how they would make someone else feel, or constantly worried what might happen if they found out she had done this or that. It seemed like she was always trying to make Dante jealous, or wanted to see how someone would react to something she said or did. A lot of the time she just didn't think something through at all. 

The ARC I received for review also gave away who Legend was before they were actually revealed in the story. A simple typo where the author referred to Legend as Legend instead of the person they were portraying in the game. 

I think my biggest issue is the many, many threads and side stories the author has created. It's almost impossible to keep up with everything. Everyone has secrets. Like, life-altering and world-shattering secrets, yet they choose to keep them to themselves. I wish we had been given more answers instead of piling all the questions on top of each other. I need a little more resolution within my stories, and this series resolves very little. A single answer only added more questions.

Despite everything... I still want to finish this series and see how it ends. My hope is that the final book will have more answers and finally tie everything together into one coherent story.

18 comments:

  1. A bit complicated... I heard so many great things of book 1 that I'm curious to try

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    1. I'm squarely in the middle on this series, lol. I love the world the author has created. I think it's unique and daring, but I also wish the characters had a little more oomph and fewer secrets. I understand some secrecy is needed for the story to exist, but I feel like readers shouldn't be left in total darkness for the entire book.

      I know most people really loved this, so you should definitely give it a try! <3

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  2. Hopefully the next book will be even better and answer some of those questions.

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    1. I hope so! I'm also curious about the perspective for the third book... I have a hunch, but we'll see if I'm right! ;)

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  3. I just started this one last night. I was looking forward to it because I like Tella better than Scarlet in the last book, but so far it's a little frustrating.

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    1. *nods in agreement* I really love the world the author has created, but the characters make me crazy.

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  4. I'm definitely interested in this series! But perhaps I'll wait until they're all out. :) Great review!

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    1. They don't really have cliffhangers... each books is wrapped up for the most part, but all the unanswered questions still linger in the background. If my head is spinning trying to keep up with all the loose threads, I'm wondering if the author has a spreadsheet so she can remember what still needs to be addressed and resolved.

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  5. Like you, I was a little disappointed in this one, but I still ADORE Garber's writing, and I have high hopes for the next book.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Same! I have my fingers crossed that the next book will have more answers than questions.

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  6. Oi! Now I’m not rushing to read this series.

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    1. It's hard to explain my feelings for this series... I definitely want to keep reading it, and I enjoy the world the author has created, but the characters and the questions leave me with a sour taste in my mouth. They make some ridiculous decisions, and everyone answers a question with a question.

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  7. Been there. You want more and then it does not deliver, but hey still wanna read the next one ;D I get it

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  8. I still need to read Carval but this series is one I do want to read. It is too bad that there is so much going on in this one.

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    1. You should definitely read it! Both books have a good story, but Legendary left me with more questions than answers. Caraval answered most of my questions, but I disliked reading from Scarlett's POV. She was frustrating. I'm hoping the next book wraps everything up!

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  9. Woops! lol That's one hell of a typo.
    It sucks that it didn't live up to expectations. I thought this sounded like a really good one. :(
    I love the cover.

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    1. I KNOW. I was like... wait, what? It was a little frustrating, but also the direction I was leaning anyways. It was just a bummer to know before I was supposed to.

      It's hard to explain... the books are great and I enjoy reading them; however, there are soooo many side stories and threads. Most are never addressed again, and I hate feeling like nothing was actually resolved after reading the entire book.

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