Legendary (Caraval, 2)

*Legendary is the second book in Garber's Caraval trilogy which begins with Caraval. Start there to avoid spoilers.* Tella never doubted that her sister Scarlett would win Caraval and use her wish to bring Tella back to life. Dying was worth any risk if it meant that Tella would be one step closer to mending her broken family and finally, for once, protecting her older sister. Playing Legend's game was the only chance either of them would have to truly win their freedom--something that is worth far more than any debt Tella may have incurred to get Legend's attention. But every debt has to be paid eventually and Tella's are coming due. Tella has always been quick on her feet, easily dodging any risk and danger. But even Tella isn't sure that she'll be able to acquire this last payment: Caraval Master Legend's true name. If Tella fails to discover Legend's identity she could lose everything that matters--including her life. Winning the game will help Tella discover Legend's identity. But the prize will come at a cost that could destroy Legend and Caraval forever. Tella knows better than to get swept away by the wonders within the game. But as time runs out, Tella starts to wonder if this time the game (and the dangers) might be more than illusion. Welcome, welcome to Caraval, the grandest show by land or by sea. Inside you may come face to face with Fate or steal bits of destiny. As fantastical as Caraval might feel, the next five nights are very real. Elantine has invited us here to save the Empire from her greatest fear. For centuries the Fates were locked away, but now they wish to come out and play. If they regain their magic the world will never be the same, but you can help stop them by winning the game. Are you ready to play? in Legendary (2018) by Stephanie Garber. Legendary is the second book in Garber's Caraval trilogy which begins with Caraval. It picks up right after the events of Caraval with a decent recap of key events. Fans of the first book will appreciate many of the familiar characters in this installment. This novel follows Tella in close third person as she tries to win Caraval while keeping her own secrets--particularly from her sister Scarlett who is sadly sidelined for much of the story as a result. Garber dramatically expands the world of the Meridian Empire and Caraval as well as offering more backstory on Tella and Scarlett's past. While Scarlett was a clever heroine who had to learn how to take risks and conquer her fears, Tella is already very shrewd and fearless. She wears her youth and femininity as weapons and is quick to acknowledge almost all of her weaknesses except, perhaps, for her fierce loyalty. Tella's biggest struggle throughout Legendary isn't learning to believe in herself. Rather she has to trust herself as she begins to realize that this version of Caraval bears little resemblance to the game Scarlett won. Much like Caraval itself, Legendary plays with readers expectations as this story moves in surprising and unexpected directions. In many ways Tella's story arc is as defined as Scarlett's while leaving many key questions waiting to be answered in book three. Legendary is a must read for fans of the first book and proves that this series has staying power. Highly recommended. Possible Pairings: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Legendary was an enjoyable read, though I found parts of it a bit confusing at times. Stephanie Garber’s world-building is as whimsical and enchanting as ever, and the story kept me intrigued enough to keep turning the pages. While it wasn’t perfect, I still found it entertaining and I’m committed to finishing the series to see how everything unfolds. A solid read for fans of magical, immersive fantasy.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber was absolutely addictive. The magic was darker, the twists were sharper, and Tella completely stole the spotlight. Every chapter kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out—boom, another reveal. The romance, betrayal, and high stakes made this sequel even better than Caraval. That ending?! Immediate need to continue the series. Five stars, easily.

Stephanie Garber once again sweeps us away into the mesmerizing world that is Caraval, only this time, in Legendary, the game is far more different than we could have ever suspected. The world may be the same, but there is still much to learn about Caraval itself and I am so utterly blown away that I find it hard to get my feet back on the ground in reality! As you may know already, Legendary is a companion to Caraval, this time it’s Tella’s turn to shine. Her mysterious friend who played a part in getting her and Scarlett into Caraval the first time around has come to collect his payment. What he asks for is simple, he wants Legend’s true name. In order to gain that information, Tella will have to play Caraval and win the game in order to come face to face with the mysterious Legend. There’s a lot more at play this time around then the game itself. Tella and Scarlett’s past comes to the forefront in this one and Tella is determined to get some answers, though it’s going to be harder than she could ever guess. The stakes are definitely higher in this one, for Tella’s mysterious benefactor, Jacks, is a far more sinister type. He asks for the impossible and if Tella can’t deliver, well, it won’t be good for her! Then there’s Dante who played a bit of a role in her getting into trouble with Jacks in the first place, but yet the boy just doesn’t leave her alone. After spending the night together after the first Caraval, Tella was ready to walk away from him, as she’s been known to do with any boy she kisses, but Dante isn’t one to be walked away from. He just keeps coming back. I will admit, their interactions were enjoyable! If I wasn’t laughing at their antics I was positively swooning over something Dante said or did. These two were just wow! I thought I was totally for Scarlett and Julian, but I have to say I think Tella and Dante are definitely my favorite Caraval couple! There’s definitely an added tension to this one that I feel like wasn’t quite there in the same way in Caraval. Tella has a much more pressing deadline to win the game this time and get what Jacks is demanding. She’s also still trying hard to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother. Tella was always more hurt by her leaving than Scarlett was. Though Scarlett was still in this story every now and then, she wasn’t as present as I would’ve thought. There were reasons for that and I guess it’s more fitting that Tella has her own journey through Caraval on her own like Scarlett did. The ending left me emotional, let’s say that! There were answers and then there were the things that were left unsaid. At the time of writing this, I haven’t heard if there will be more to come with this world. It’s my greatest hope that there is! Legendary is a befitting title for this companion to Caraval. It’s as magical, exciting, and stunning as its predecessor, if not a little more! There’s so much mystery and beauty to this book that I was simply swept away by Stephanie’s words! This book was pure magic! My heart aches to return to this world already and see what more adventures could be had within its pages, because I am far from ready to say goodbye just yet. I can’t remember the last time I read a series where the magic felt so real that I lost myself from reality, but Legendary has in fact done that to me! If there’s any book recommendation you will take from me, let it be this one! Overall Rating 5/5 stars

“The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck.” And this re-read of Legendary is done! I know I already said it in my Caraval review, but I'm truly happy I decided to re-read this series before jumping into Finale. First of all, I realized how many things I didn't remember, little details that need to be remembered in order to enjoy Finale to the fullest. I was also quite surprised to realize how much my perception of a book could have changed after one year. When I first read the series one year ago, I loved Caraval but Legendary stole my heart: I resonated with Tella so much, I saw myself in her and I felt absolutely involved in her story. It was weird to discover that my perception of this story had changed. I still enjoyed Legendary very much, but I must admit that I now prefer Caraval. I think the idea behind this series is so unique and different from everything we're used to finding in the YA section and with the first book you get the entirety of it, you get the magic, the dreams, the illusions, the lies, the romance, the doubts... Caraval is a book made of dreams come true. You can almost taste the magic that comes out of it and while reading you find yourself completely absorbed in this fantastical world where everything is real and not real, where everyone is saint and sinner. Legendary failed to give me the same, magical feeling. In this book, Caraval is no longer a game full of pretty illusions and smart actors. This time the game is real and everything Tella goes trough is real as well, which is scary and it glues you to the pages, but it doesn't have the same dreamy vibe of the first book. You don't have to constantly wonder what's real and what isn't, because it's pretty clear since the beginning that there's something going on this time, that the game is no longer just a game and even though Tella tries to push these thoughts away, to the reader it's pretty clear that she's delusional and she doesn't want to accept how real everything is. The only thing you can do this time is watch as she tries to extricate herself from this heap of clues and lies. I still enjoyed this book a lot, I loved learning more about their mother and I loved how deeply Tella loves her and how far she's willing to go to save her, even when she thinks her mother doesn't love her back. In that moment you can clearly see how Tella has matured. There are still some shady characters, like Dante or even Scarlett, who will make you wonder what are they up to. And there are some new characters, like Jacks, who will be difficult to read and they will leave you craving for more. I loved Tella, even though I realized I resonate more with Scarlett. She's analytical, she thinks everything twice, she evaluates her options and she notices the little things; she's also passionate and caring, one of those who will give everything for the people they love. She's not afraid of love, even when her heart breaks, even when she doesn't know who to trust, she always believes in love and second chances. All of this made me resonate with her so much. Stephanie's writing style is phenomenal just like in the first book. I love the way she brings everything to reality, how you can almost taste, touch, smell the things she's describing. Her words made me dream like nothing else. Unfortunately, I remembered this book more than I remembered Caraval, so many things weren't quite as shocking as they should've been, especially the final plot twist - that I remember making my jaw drop to the floor the first time. I still need to understand lots of things and to answer lots of questions. Legend is still a mystery and I want to know everything about him! Hopefully Finale will give me the answers I'm looking for!

Llego en buen estado, dudaba porque aveces entregan el libro sin plastico protector y pense que podía llegar dañado en la bolsa de envio de amazon, pero no, llegó muy bien, lo regale y le gusto mucho

I can't believe i've waited this long to read this series. I loved this one even more than the first one. So many twists and turns and the suspense of everything happening kept me fully in the story. I want to live in the world of Caraval it's so freaking magical and amazing.

Amei a capa removível que vem em torno do livro, como mostro na foto. O livro é incrível, o primeiro livro da série possui mais plost twist mas Legendary é tão bom quanto, eu amei!

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