Legendary, by: Stephanie Garber (ArC Review)

       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.

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My Rating: ★★★★☆

       I am so excited to be reviewing my second eARC from NetGalley! If you didn’t already know, Legendary is Stephanie Garber’s second book in the Caraval trilogy. When I requested it (a million years ago), I never dreamed that they would send it to me. I’m so glad that they did because it was fantastic! I do recommend that if you are planning on reading this book, and read Caraval when it came out, it’s worth your time to do some Googling for a summary*. This book picks up right where Caraval left off, so it’s good to have it fresh on your mind.
       One of my favorite things about this book was that it focused on Tella this time around, rather than Scarlett. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Scarlett, but making Tella the focal point of this book gave it a new flavor. I think if Stephanie would’ve chosen to make Scarlett the main character, the book wouldn’t feel fresh. In this book, we got to see Tella take shape. I hope that in the last book, we will get to see them take center stage together and watch their relationship blossom on the page.
       Another great addition to this book was the Fates and their mythology. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the Fates are the “godly” figures in the Scarlett and Tessa’s world. They all represent different things, (like love, luck, hard choices, etc.) and are frequently used to predict the future with the use of their worlds tarot cards. From a young age, Tessa is intrigued by them, and their appearance in the book is used to make this round of the Caraval game more real than it was in the past.
       I think that what makes this book different from its predecessor is the added reality within the game. In Caraval, the character's actions had no actual impact on the events outside of the game. In this book, Tella had to make some tough decisions because of the consequences that would follow her actions. Legendary had a chance to be a “knock-off” Caraval, and I’m so glad that Stephanie decided to turn the world upside down. It made for a great story, and I can’t wait to see what Finale brings to the table.

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       Are you planning on reading Legendary? Let me know in the comments!

Your Master of Books,
Ashton

*Disclaimer: I was sent an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every story has four parts - the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.

― Stephanie Garber, Legendary