Finale by Stephanie Garber
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Pages: 451
Cover: Paperback
Age rating: 12+
Buy on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle
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The Fates had escaped with the evil Fallen Star. Tella, Legend, Scarlett, and Julian must work together to fight off this evil from dooming their home and everyone along with it.
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Tella must push aside her previous heartbreak and work with Legend, a man with whom she had unfortunately fallen in love, and decide whether she should trust Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. Scarlett must do the impossible, risking her life on the line.
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Caraval had always been a game, but now, it's more real than ever. Will the group emerge victorious on the other side, or will the magic of Caraval be lost forever, along with the world.
Review:
​​​Characters and Plot
This is exactly what I need after that mediocre Legendary. Scarlett is back, LET'S GOOOO!!! Her POV was the only thing saving me from Tella's insufferable actions, even though they are painfully short. The twist of her actual heritage was jaw-dropping, and that Scarlett had magical power was fascinating. I love Scarlett and Julian; they are adorable, and their chemistry was off the charts. The nickname "Crimson", my heart flutters every time Julian says it. Though their relationship did get quite rough in the last book, I'm glad they made up.
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I enjoy the plotline; it was addictive, fast-paced, and gripping. Though I would prefer a bit more stakes and more stress from the characters, because it seems that Tella was more busy with her push-pull love with Legend than the actual danger at hand. Tella did get better in this book; however, I couldn't find myself feeling immersed in her relationship with Legend, the push and pull was driving me crazy, and it just drives the readers away from the actual plot. Also, why were there so many Tella chapters and so few Scarlett chapters? If you ask me, Scarlett's mission was more interesting and riskier.
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I didn't care about Legend, for someone who was supposed to be mysterious and magical, I found him painfully boring, the time he took to figure out if he loved Tella or not could be used to fight the Fates instead. Jack was way better, for someone who is portrayed as evil and vicious, I found him funny and cunning, maybe I would read Once Upon a Broken Heart, I did feel bad for him at the last moment.
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What I love here is that the villain, the Fallen Star, isn't just a one-dimensional, generic villain who is only evil; he has a backstory, and I couldn't help but pity him in the ending. The Fallen Star had so much depth in his story, I wish we got more glimpses of his love with Paradise Lost. The ending was great, really satisfying, and I had to admit that Tella's letter to Legend was funny and quirky.
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Conclusion
Did I think this series was overhyped? Yes. But did I enjoy it? Yes. Caraval trilogy is a great series if you wants to start fantasy with something whimsical and magical, it is a fast pacing and fun read, great for fantasy beginners. ​
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