#Review - A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber #YA #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart # 3
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance

Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A Curse for True Love, the breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy. 

A Curse for True Love, by Stephanie Garber, is the third and final chapter in the authors Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. Key Characters: Evangeline Fox who left the Meridian Empire in search of answers to her questions and if true love was possible. Apollo, Prince of the Magnificent North who did everything he could to keep Evie from The Prince of Hearts. Jacks, the villain of the story, who has been searching for his fate love since the Caraval trilogy. 

The story begins with Evie having had her memories stolen by Apollo Acadian who blames everything on Jacks who tried to save her. The one thing that changes in this book, is that the author focuses on all three characters with separate narratives which gives the story more depth than before. For most of the story, Evie tries hard to find out what exactly happened to her. She is surrounded by people who know who she is, and what she did, and the fact that she freed people who were locked away for centuries.

Apollo is a sociopath. There I said it. For the most part, he claims that he will do whatever it takes to save her and protect her even though eventually he will have to pay the price for the magic he used to basically force her to be under his thumb. So, in order to make himself feel better, he blames Jacks for everything that happens, including heinous crimes done to an innocent family, and therefore, Jacks becomes a wanted man. Not like Jacks is going to get caught up in his machinations. 

Here in the north, there is a curse where every single fairytale is cursed. Some stories cant be written, while other stories can't leave the north. Every tale starts with actual history, but the curse twists the story until it is no longer the truth. Even though Jacks saved Evie's life in the last book, he is a villain because Apollo decides to write the story his way. If Evie can somehow find her memories and discover the truth before she is killed by people who want to see her dead, maybe she can write her own happy ending and decide who she wants that happy ending to be with. 

*Thoughts* I feel as though I am repeating myself in these reviews. Even though Evangeline is a good person, she makes the dumbest mistakes ever over and over. As Evangeline is trying to figure out her reality and to gain her memories back, Apollo comes to terms with what and who he really is. And that person is not a good person by any stretch. He is a villain who time and time again claims he is protecting Evangeline, only for something to happen where someone else ::hint hint:: once again has to save her. I am not going to nit pick over the ending. Was it maybe rushed? Could be. Was the ending what I had hoped for? Yeah, but there is still more that could have been addressed like whether Aurora can be redeemed. Lastly, I think the author could have used more chapters from Jacks perspective. He really earns his place as both a hero and a villain.

 

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#Review - The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber #YA #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart (#2)
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance

The fiercely-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart, starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak

Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

  "Conceived in the north, born in the South, you will know this key because she will be crowned in Rose gold hair. She will be both peasant, and princess, and a fugitive wrongly accused and only her blood will open the Arch."

 

The Ballad of Never After, by Stephanie Garber, is the second installment in the authors Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. After all the heartache and betrayals from Once Upon a Broken Heart, here we have Evangeline working again with Jacks as a last resource to lift the curse that was bestowed upon Apollo. Eva is such a naive and confused character. She goes from promising to never help Jacks open the Valory Arch, to doing what needs to be done in order to help Chaos open the Arch so he can be free and break the curse on Apollo which leads to another curse. 

 

As a reminder, the Valor's were the first royal family of the Magnificent North before they were allegedly murdered for unleashing a monster on the populace. According to legend, there are 4 stones that are needed to open the Valory Arch. One for Luck, One for Truth, One for Youth, and One for Mirth. While Apollo and Eva are cursed, he attempts to kill her, while she tries to find the 4 stones alongside Jacks who she hates, and she loves. She just can't decide whether to trust him, or stab him in the heart like Donatella did.

 

Evangeline is the epitome of "character who does nothing at all and has everything happen to them. She's been betrayed by her stepsister Marisol, used and abused and mislead by Jacks, loved and hated by Apollo, almost killed twice by Apollo's brother because of her blood, chased after by a newly turned vampire who she once loved, Luc, and betrayed by a Fate who she thought was her friend. She isn't aware how many people don't want her to succeed in her mission to open the Valory Arch to free Chaos who goes by another name. 

 

Then, of course is the dig into Jacks history, and whether or not he can truly find true love without killing anyone else. There is also this curious letter than Eva writes in the beginning of this story that still hasn't been explained. The other question that remains unanswered is why Jacks eats so many apples, and why they turn colors? You know what this story could have used? Another POV from say Apollo, who I hate, or Jacks, who I am confused over, but think that he's the best option to save Eva from her own mistakes.

(Thoughts) The banter between Eva and Jacks likely saved my rating for this book. It was like watching two cats hiss at each other without actually attacking. The ending of this book was, in my opinion, unnecessary. It reminds of that time when a certain author killed off one of her main characters (Tris) because she felt like it. Although I have no choice in finishing this series to find out what really happens next without reading any spoilers, I thought this ending was mean spirited and unkind, and yes, Eva got under my skin in this book. It felt as though she was getting attacked, or injured, or being bitten, oh wait, oops! Anyway, the ending was one of the more brutal and heartbreaking endings I've read in the more than 10 years I've been reviewing books. 

 

1


There is a door deep inside the royal library of Wolf Hall that no one has opened for centuries. People have tried to set it on fire, break it with axes, and pick its lock with magic keys. But no one has so much as left a scratch on this stubborn door. Some say it mocks them. There is a wolf’s head wearing a crown emblazoned on the door’s wooden center, and people have sworn the wolf smirks at their failed attempts, or bares its sharp teeth if a person even comes close to opening this unopenable door.

Evangeline Fox had once tried. She had pulled and tugged and twisted the iron knob, but the door would not budge. Not then. Not before. But she hoped it would be different now.

Evangeline was very good at hoping.

She was also rather good at opening doors. With one drop of her willing blood, she could undo any lock.

First, she needed to be sure she wasn’t being watched or followed or stalked by that deceitful, apple-eating scoundrel whose name she wouldn’t even think.

Evangeline checked behind her shoulder. Her lantern’s ocher glow chased the nearby shadows away, but the bulk of Wolf Hall’s royal library stacks were nebulous with night.

She fidgeted nervously, and the lantern flickered. Evangeline had never been afraid of the dark before. Dark was for stars and dreams and the magic that took place in between days. Before losing her parents, she had constellation-watched with her father and listened to her mother tell stories by candlelight. And Evangeline had never been frightened.

But it wasn’t actually the dark or the night that she feared. It was the spider-thin prickle crawling across her shoulder blades. It had been with her since the moment she’d stepped out of her royal suite on a mission to unlock this door, in the hopes it would lead her to a cure that would save her husband, Apollo.

The uncanny sensation was so subtle, at first she let herself think it was merely paranoia.

She wasn’t being followed.

She’d heard no steps.

Until …

Evangeline peered into the library’s dark, and a pair of inhuman eyes stared back. Silver blue and brilliant and broken-star bright. She imagined they shone just to taunt her. But Evangeline knew that even if they sparkled now, even if these eyes lit up the dark and tempted her to lower her light, she couldn’t trust them. And she couldn’t trust him.

Jacks. She tried not to think his name, but it was impossible not to as she watched him saunter out of the dim, indolent yet confident and handsome as ever. He moved as if the night should have been afraid of him.

The tingling of her shoulder blades slid over her arms, an unsettling caress that went down to her one remaining broken heart scar. The wound stung, then throbbed, as if Jacks had sunk his teeth into it again.

Evangeline clutched her lantern like a sword.

“Go away, Jacks.” It had only been two days since she’d had the guards remove him, and she’d hoped he would have stayed away longer—forever would have been ideal. “I know what you did, and I don’t want to see you.”

Jacks shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. His smoke-gray shirt was loosely tucked in, with sleeves shoved up lean arms and buttons missing at the throat. With his tousled hair now golden instead of seductive midnight blue, he looked more reckless stableboy than calculating Fate. But Evangeline knew she could never let herself forget what Jacks truly was. He was obsessive and driven and entirely without morals or conscience.

The stories said his kiss was deadly to all except his one true love, and as he’d searched for her, he’d left a trail of corpses. Evangeline had once been naive enough to believe that meant the Prince of Hearts understood heartbreak because his heart had broken over and over as he looked for love. But now it was crystal clear—he was the one who did the breaking, because he didn’t know how to love.

Jacks spoke softly. “I understand if you’re upset—”

“If,” Evangeline cut in. “You poisoned my husband!”

Jacks lifted his shoulders in an insouciant shrug. “I didn’t kill him.”

“That’s not something you earn points for.” She fought to keep her voice from cracking.

Until then, Evangeline hadn’t realized that a part of her still held on to a sliver of hope that Jacks was innocent. But he wasn’t even trying to deny it. He didn’t care that Apollo was little more than a corpse, just as he hadn’t cared when Evangeline had been turned to stone.

“You need to stop holding me to human standards,” Jacks drawled. “I’m a Fate.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to see you. Since I met you, my first love was turned to stone, I was turned to stone, then I was turned into a fugitive, multiple people have tried to murder me, and you poisoned my husband—”

“You already said that one.”

Evangeline glowered.

Jacks sighed and leaned against a nearby bookshelf as if her feelings were the emotional equivalent of a sneeze—something to be gotten over quickly, or avoided simply by stepping out of the way. “I’m not going to apologize for being what I am. And you’re conveniently forgetting that before we met, you were a sad orphan with a broken heart and a wicked stepsister. After I stepped in, you became the sweetheart savior of Valenda, married a prince, and became a princess.”

“Those things only happened because they served your twisted interests.” Evangeline seethed. Everything he’d done for her was just so that he could use her to open the Valory Arch. “Children treat their toys better than you’ve treated me.”

Jacks’s eyes narrowed. “Then why didn’t you stab me, Little Fox? The other night in the crypt, I threw you a dagger, and I was close enough for you to use it.” His gaze sparked with fresh amusement as it lowered to her neck. To the exact place his mouth had lingered three nights ago.

She blushed at the unwanted memory of his teeth and tongue on her skin. He’d been infected with vampire venom, and she’d been infected with stupidity.

She’d stayed with him that night to keep him occupied so he wouldn’t feed on human blood and become a vampire himself. He hadn’t, but he’d fed on her sympathy instead. Jacks had told her the story of the girl who’d made his heart beat again—Princess Donatella. She was supposed to be his one true love, but instead of filling that role, Princess Donatella had chosen another and stabbed Jacks in the chest.

After hearing that story, Evangeline had started to see Jacks as the sympathetic Prince of Hearts that she had first gone to for help. But Jacks was all broken without any heart. And she needed to stop hoping that he could be more.

“I made a mistake that night in the crypt.” Evangeline banished the blush from her cheeks and looked straight into Jacks’s inhuman eyes. “But give me another chance and I won’t hesitate to stab you.”

He smirked, flashing dimples he didn’t deserve. “I’m almost tempted to test that claim. But you’ll have to do more than wound me if you wish to get rid of me.” Jacks pulled an intensely white apple from his pocket and started tossing it. “If you really want me out of your life forever, help me find the missing stones and open the Valory Arch. Then I promise you’ll never see me again.”

“As much as I’d love that, I’m never going to open that arch for you.”

“What about for Apollo?”

Evangeline felt a sharp stab of pain for the prince and another flare of anger for Jacks. “Don’t you dare say his name.”

Jacks grinned wider, looking oddly pleased by her anger. “If you agree to help me, I’ll wake him from his suspended state.”

“If you actually believe I would do that, you’re delusional.” Her first bargain with Jacks was the start of this entire mess. There would be no more deals with him, no more partnerships, no more anything. “I don’t need you to save Apollo. I’ve found another way.” Evangeline lifted her chin toward the sealed library door. It was still half-covered in shadow, but she swore the crowned wolf’s head grinned as if it knew that she was the one who’d finally open its lock.

Jacks took one look at the door and chuckled, quiet and mocking. “You think you’ll find a cure for Apollo in there?”

“I know I will.”

Jacks laughed again, darker this time, and took a cheerful bite of his apple. “Let me know when you change your mind, Little Fox.”

“I won’t change my—”

He was gone before she could finish. All that lingered was the echo of his ominous laughter.

But Evangeline refused to be nettled. She’d been told by an old librarian that this door led to every missing book and story about the Valors. Although the North’s first royal family was human, it was widely accepted that they all possessed remarkable powers. Honora Valor, first queen of the North, was said to be the greatest healer of all time. And Evangeline had very good reason to believe that among the stories on the other side of this door were tales about her healing, which hopefully included a way to bring someone back from a state of suspended sleep.

Evangeline pulled out her dagger, a jewel-hilted blade with a few missing gems. It was actually Jacks’s—the same one he’d tossed at her the night they’d spent in the crypt. He’d left it behind in the morning, and she still wasn’t sure why she’d picked it up. She didn’t want to keep it—not anymore—but she hadn’t had time to replace it yet, and it was the sharpest thing she owned.

One prick of the dagger and her blood welled red. She pressed it to the door and whispered the words “Please open.”

The lock instantly clicked. The knob easily twisted.

For the first time in centuries, the door swung open.

And Evangeline understood why Jacks had been laughing.


2


Evangeline stepped through the door, and the ground beneath her crumbled as if her slippers had found crackers instead of stones. It was rather like her hope: rapidly disintegrating.

This room was supposed to hold shelves of books on the Valors, answers to her questions, a cure for Prince Apollo. But there was only a wheeze of cloudy air, wafting in swirls around a dramatically carved marble arch.

Evangeline closed her eyes and opened them as if she could blink the arch away and the precious books would appear in its place. Sadly, Evangeline’s blinks did not contain magic.

Still, she refused to give up.

In the Meridian Empire, where she was from, this arch would have just been a decorative curve of carved rock, large enough to frame a set of doors. But this was the Magnificent North, where arches were something else entirely. Here, arches were magical portals built by the Valors.

This arch had mighty angels clad in armor carved into the columns, like warriors on opposite sides of an eternal battle. One of the angels had a bowed head and a broken wing; it looked almost sad, while the other appeared angry. Both had their swords drawn and crossed over the center, warning away anyone who might wish to enter.

But Evangeline wasn’t just anyone. And if anything, the forbidden nature of the arch made her want to look inside even more.

Maybe this arch was a gateway to the books and the cure that she needed for Apollo. If the old librarian was right about this room containing all the stories on the Valors, perhaps the angels were protecting the books from the story curse so that they would stay uncorrupted. Maybe all she needed to do was press her blood to one of their swords and they would politely step aside to let her enter.

She took another step, feeling a hopeful thrill as she pricked her finger on the dagger once again and pressed her welling blood to one of the angels’ swords.

It lit up like a candle. Glowing gold veins spiderwebbed across the stone swords, the angels, the entire arch. It was bright and light and magical. Her skin tingled as the dust on the arch floated up and sparkled all around her like tiny bursting stars. Air that had been cold was now warm. She’d known she was meant to enter this room, to find this arch, to open—

Suddenly, the breath whooshed from her lungs as the thought triggered the warning Apollo’s younger brother, Tiberius, had given her: You were meant to open it. Magic things always do that which they were created to do.

And Tiberius believed that Evangeline was created to unlock the Valory Arch.

She staggered back, hearing the memory of Jacks’s laugh again. This time it didn’t sound dark at all. It sounded amused, entertained, happy.

“No,” she whispered.

The stones still gleamed with gold threads that wove around the columns. She watched as they spread across the top, lighting up a series of curving words that had not been visible before.

Conceived in the north, and born in the south, you will know this key, because she will be crowned in rose gold.

She will be both peasant and princess, a fugitive wrongly accused, and only her willing blood will open this arch.

Evangeline’s blood ran cold.

These were not just words. This was—she didn’t even want to think it. But pretending would not erase or change anything. This was the Valory Arch prophecy, the one that Jacks had manipulated her to fulfill. Which meant that this wasn’t just another arch. This was the Valory Arch.

Panic replaced every other feeling.

It shouldn’t have been possible. The arch was supposed to be in pieces. Although there were two conflicting tales about the Valory’s magical contents, everyone had agreed about one thing: the Valory Arch had been broken into pieces and hidden across the North to keep anyone from knowing what the prophecy was and to prevent anyone from putting the arch back together.

“No, no, no, no, no…” Frantically, Evangeline tried to wipe her blood from the stones before Jacks or anyone else could discover what she’d done. The angels hadn’t changed their pose, but she feared that any second a door would appear behind them or they would move aside. She spat and scrubbed with the sleeve of her cloak. But the glowing arch didn’t dim.

“I knew you could open the door.”

The scratchy voice was too old to belong to Jacks. But the sound of it stopped Evangeline’s heart all the same.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I see I’ve frightened you again.”

“Again?” She turned.

The man in the doorway was almost as small as a child, but far older than Evangeline, with a long, silver beard that held threads of gold, which matched the burnished trim on his white robes.

“You…” For a moment she remained too nervous to form words. “You’re the librarian who first showed me the door to this room.”

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#Review - Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber #YA #Fantasy

Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart (#1)
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval, the first book in a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game— and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.

Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber, is the first installment in the authors Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. Garber’s new series takes readers back to a world they know from the Caravel trilogy, but with new characters and new stories. Fan favorite Jacks, aka the Prince of Hearts, is a key character along with 17-year-old rose gold-haired Evangeline Fox who appeared in Finale. Her father ran a business called Maximilian's Curiosities, Whimsies & Other Oddities.  

Evangeline grew up thanks to her mother knowing the rules about dealing with the Fates from her mother who grew up in the North. She was told to always promise less than you can when Fates tend to take anything they can from you. Do not make bargains with more than one Fate. And, do not fall in love with a Fate. For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings, until she learns that the love of her life Luc Navarro will marry her step-sister Marisol Tourmaline. 

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. After the bargain is complete and Evangeline returns home, she finds the entire wedding reception turned to statues. Overcome with guilt, Evangeline drinks a magical potion to free the wedding guests, and in turn turn herself to stone. But before she can agree to his bargain, she takes a poison and is turned into a stone statue.

She stays in this state for six weeks, until a fate by the name of Poison finally releases her. Upon turning human, Evangeline realizes that she has become some sort of celebrity, with many suitors coming after her with a wish for marriage. Later, Evangeline is invited by the Empress Scarlett to have tea with herself and her sister, Donatella. Evangeline accepts the invitation, and Scarlett asks her to be her ambassador to the Magnificent North, where she would participate in their traditional event, Nocte Neverending where His Highness Crown Prince Apollo Arcadia is to choose his bride.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss with Apollo, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy. With Evangeline being torn to pieces by all sides, including Marisol, and learning about her apparent role in what Jacks wants, Evangeline will have to make the most important choices of her lifetime. Failure is not an option.

*Thoughts* Even though I am giving this an overall good rating, there are some things that bothered me. Evangeline, who appeared in Finale and seems to have some magic of her own that may or may not connect her to a prophecy, kind of reminded me of Cinderella in that she loses her parents at an early age, ends up being raised by a step-mother along side Marisol who I have to say grated on my nerves. She's a squirmy little worm and I won't say why because it will just spoil everything that happens. Evangeline does have a good heart which is why she needs to be taken aside and taught that actions have consequences. 

Especially when you start playing around with a Fate who thought he once found true love, only to be stabbed, literally, in the heart. The most head scratching moment is when Evangeline is taken to meet a alluring vampire by Jacks who can somehow claim you with just a look. Nope, just NO. Not necessary. I will not go as far as to say that you must read the Carvale trilogy to enjoy this story. The author kindly fills in the blanks while Evangeline was stationary as a statue. It is fair to say that Garber loves love triangles, so don't be shocked when you read about the one that happens in this book.

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#Review - Finale by Stephanie Garber #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Caraval (#3)
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series! 

A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.
With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.
Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…

 

Finale is the final installment in author Stephanie Garber's Caraval trilogy. The story takes place 2 months after the events of Legendary. Even though this story is told from both Scarlett and Donatella Dragna POV's, it is Tella that gets a huge chunk of the story. Just like she did in Legendary. Since the book is mostly about Tella, let's start with her. Tella has won Caraval but she hasn't received her prize from Legend who now has even bigger fishes to fry and more enemies to deal with. 

Tella is enraptured every night in dreams wrapped in the magic of Legend while encountering the devious Jacks during the day. Tella and Legend are on a collision course with the Fates who were released in the previous installment. It is fair to say that Tella spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about Legend, her mother, and Jacks, a bastard of a fate who has decided that Tella is going to be his whether she likes it or not. Talia has always been brazen, reckless, and makes silly mistakes that come back to haunt her.

Tella must not only deal with Legend and Jacks, but the rest of the Immortal Fates who have returned to the Meridian Empire seeking a bit of vengeance. Meanwhile, Scarlett has chosen to meet with her ex fiance Nicolas who had thought she was dead, which leads to a game between him and Julian who disappeared for weeks, but now wants to focus all his time and energy on making up to Scarlett. One could honestly say that it was pretty apparent as to what the author had already intended before she started writing this book.

Scarlett's story isn't just about her and Julian, or her and Nicolas which is basically a blip on the radar, it is much more intense after meeting certain fates who might hold the key to her underdeveloped powers and a way to defeat them. She also has to understand that there is someone who wants her to become immortal and thus heir to the Meridian crown. Scarlett's story has been an interesting one from the beginning, and now that it is over, her ending is one that I am sure readers will be pleased with. It is fair to say that I was hoping for a more equal story between the sisters. But, such as life.

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Thursday #Review - Legendary by Stephanie Garber #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Caraval (#2)
Format: E-Galley, 464 pages
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling and #1 IndieNext Pick Caraval, following Scarlett’s younger sister, Tella, on a journey to the empire’s capital to fulfill a dangerous bargain.

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.

Legendary, by author Stephanie Garber, is the second installment in the authors Caraval series. This book follows Scarlett’s younger sister, Donatella Dragna (Tella), who is the life of every party and every scene she appears in! This time, however, the story moves to a new location and this time it is Tella who chooses to participate in the Caraval games. For those who have read Caraval, Legendary picks up the day after Scarlett's experiences in the twisted game created by the secretive Legend. 

Caraval is a magical performance which usually occurs once a year. But, this year, Legend has chosen to travel to Valenda for Empress Elantine's 75th birthday where a whole new game will take place. Legendary takes place in the opulent, gilded, slightly menacing capital of the Empire. It’s Legend’s Island of Dreams times a hundred. As a reminder, Caraval is a game that is orchestrated by Legend. Nobody knows who Legend really is since there are always different actors playing his part. 

Tella finds herself in an untenable position of owing a favor to Legend. But, that's just the icing on the cake. There's another player involved this time as well, and Jacks is as twisted and as diabolical as they come. Readers will find themselves asking themselves, is this real this time, or just another Legend game? Tella has been trying to discover what really happened to her mother, Paloma, who disappeared 7 years ago. A disappearance that caused lots of problems for Scarlett and Tella alike. 

We've gathered that Legend is a curious sort of character who most likely has a whole lot of enemies chomping at the bit to uncover his identity and to take him down. Who better to use as a pawn than Tella who played a role in Scarlett's games and now owes Legend a favor? Never fail, Scarlett and Julian are still around, but they are more or less tertiary characters with minor roles to play. The most curious part of this story is that Tella is told that if she wins Caraval, she will see her mother again. 

As an added bonus, she is also told that if she wins, she will discover who Legend really is. The story is twisted with a web of lies, and secrets, and revelations that I'm not even going to bother to explain. I would just say to you that if you enjoyed Caraval, get ready for another ride that you won't see what's happening until it hits you in the face. I have to say that Tella is a very intriguing character. However, the ending leaves a whole lot of questions. 

According to the author's page, there will be one more installment in this series called Finale. Release date to come later. When the next installment (Finale) comes out, who will be the lead character? Will it switch back and forth between Tella and her sister Scarlett since Scarlett seems to have her own path ahead of her? Or, will the author continue Tella's journey, especially with what transpired in the end? Guess we shall have to wait another year to find out!

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#Review - Caraval by Stephanie Garber #Ya Lit #Fantasy @SGarberGirl @Flatironbooks

Series: Caraval # 1
Format: Hardcover, 407 pages
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

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

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic 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.

Caraval is the first installment in author Stephanie Garber's Caraval series. Scarlett Dragna lives on the Isle of Trisda with her sister Donatella, and her overbearing, and overprotective father who won't let the sisters sneeze without knowing about it. Scarlett is overly protective of Tella to the point of putting herself in the line of fire. Her father has also committed Scarlett to be married to a count she's never seen, or heard of, and is expected to marry within weeks. 

For years, Scarlett has written to the mysterious owner of Caraval, Legend. Ever since her own mother disappeared without a trace, she's been trying to gain the attention of Legend. This year, she receives (3) invitations to join the fun. Once she arrives at Caraval, things change. Tella goes missing, and Scarlett is forced to choose to either watch the game, or participate in it. There are even rules you must follow, including a leap of faith, and losing something valuable. This year, there is something different about the contest. 

This year Scarlett will go up against other contestants for the right to win a wish. All they have to do is find Tella in order to win the game. Caraval is a treacherous game where one can lose themselves completely in the game. You can also lose days if you are not careful in what you do. You can tell yourself that it is only a game, but when your own sister is the ultimate prize for anyone taking part in the game, then your odds of succeeding are that much worse. Then there are the unknowns, Dante and Julian.

Julian is a mysterious sailor who takes Scarlett & Tella to Caraval. What is Julian's real purpose in this entire scenario? Can he be trusted, or is he just another game piece that stands in the way of Scarlett getting her sister back? And, what will Scarlett lose when all is said and done? Dante on the other hand is one that probably was just a throw in. Yes, he does have some uses, or in the end, it is Scarlett that has to figure things out for herself without anyone else's help.

I would have loved to have had more world building. I do know that the story takes place during year 57 of the Elantine Dynasty, but who are they Elantine's, and why should we care? Another question I have is why wasn't Tella given more storyline? After all, she apparently has done something to gain the attention of Legend, and put Scarlett in a difficult position. He apparently knows things that Tella wants to know. Will readers find this information out in the next installment? Will the next installment be from Tella's point of view, or will we once again return to Scarlett's?

Scarlett & Tella could not be more different. Scarlett is more responsible, and selfless, whereas Tella throws caution to the wind and doesn't care that she gets in trouble or puts her own sisters life on the line. Scarlett isn't necessarily a badass. She struggles throughout to keep her moral compass focused. She doesn't do anything heroic to save her sister. But, she does remain true to her own self, and not fall into the darkness that Legend exists in. I'll also say that Julian should have had more of a part in this story. His background and his participation is almost as important as Scarlett's. 

I liked the curiosity behind Scarlett's ability to see emotions as colors. This phenomena is called synesthesia, and what's interesting is that I had just finished another book where the lead character has the same issues. I also loved Scarlett's interchangeable dress. I would love to have a dress that changes in different situations. This book could have been a standalone, and I would have been fine. But, after reading the prologue, it is apparent that there will be one more book in the series, at lease. 

PS - ICYMI, this book has been optioned to 20th Century Fox, and will apparently become a movie sometime in the future. The producers of Divergent are behind the movie which was formerly titled Hearts Made of Black.  

CHAPTER 1

It took seven years to get the letter right.

Year 50, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Mister Caraval Master,

My name is Scarlett, but I'm writing this letter for my sister, Donatella. It's going to be her birthday soon and she would very much like to see you and your amazing Caraval players. Her birthday is the 37th day of the Growing Season and it would be the most wonderfulest birthday ever if you came.

Most hopefully, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda

Year 51, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Mister Caraval Master,

It's Scarlett again. Did you get my last letter? This year my sister says she's too old to celebrate birthdays, but I think she's just upset you never came to Trisda. This Growing Season she'll be ten and I'll be eleven. She won't admit it but she'd still very much like to see you and your wondrous Caraval players.

Most hopefully, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda

Year 52, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Caraval Master Legend,

I'm sorry I got your name wrong in those other letters. I hope that's not why you haven't come to Trisda. My little sister's birthday wasn't the only reason I've wanted you to bring your amazing Caraval players here, I'd love to see them too.

Sorry this letter is short, my father will be angry if he catches me writing to you.

Most hopefully, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda

Year 52, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Caraval Master Legend,

I just heard the news and I wanted to send my condolences. Even though you still haven't come to Trisda or responded to any of my letters, I know you're not a murderer. I was very sorry to hear you won't be traveling for a while.

Most kindly, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda

Year 55, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Master Legend,

Do you remember me, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda? I know it's been a few years since I wrote. I heard you and your players have started performing again. My sister told me you never visit the same place twice, but a lot has changed since you visited here fifty years ago, and I truly don't believe anyone would like to see one of your performances more than I would.

Most hopefully, Scarlett

Year 56, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Master Legend,

I heard you visited the capital of the Southern Empire last year and changed the color of the sky. Is that true? I actually tried attending with my sister, but we're not supposed to leave Trisda. Sometimes I believe I'll never go farther than the Conquered Isles. I suppose that's why I've wanted you and your players to come here so badly. It's probably futile to ask again, but I do hope you'll consider coming.

Most hopefully, Scarlett, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda

Year 57, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Master Legend,

This will be my final letter. I'm going to be married soon. So it's probably best you and your players don't come to Trisda this year.

Scarlett Dragna

Year 57, Elantine Dynasty

Dear Scarlett Dragna, from the Conquered Isle of Trisda —

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. I am sorry I cannot bring my players to Trisda. We're not traveling this year. Our next performance is by invitation only, but I would look forward to meeting you and your fiancé if you could find a way to leave your isle and join us.

Please accept the enclosed as a gift.

From the pen of Caraval Master Legend

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