Legendary

Legendary
By Stephanie Garber

Summary
Donatella Dragna has made a bargain with a mysterious criminal to deliver Master Legends true name at the end of Caraval. The game begins again and this time the tables have turned. Usually everything is all an act, but this time Donatella finds that the game is very real as she gets tangled up in a web of secrets and her path is intermingled with the mysterious heir to the throne. In order to save her family, she must win the game and then decide whether it will be worth revealing Legends true name and destroying Caraval forever.

My Review
After I finished the first book, Caraval, I wanted to jump right into this one in order to see where the story was going. I loved the shift in point of view for this book from one sister to another. It was fascinating to see the same sort of magic through different eyes. Donatella is the younger sister, but she has a maturity that Scarlett doesn’t have somehow and I really enjoyed her perspective on the story even more than Scarlett’s.

Stephanie Garber is an incredible writer and one of my favorite things about this trilogy so far has been her beautiful and haunting descriptions. She uses colors often to describe emotions or flavors and scents to describe the way things look and feel. These passages are absolutely gorgeous and really pull you into the story, making it impossible not to feel like you are standing right there beside the characters.

In this sequel, we are taken to new places and we meet new characters which I always appreciate. The new characters have such depth and bring so much richness to the story. I really adored the way the world building was expanded in this book as well. We learned more about the past and the history of some of the characters. There was a much more exciting plot in this story and in builds upon the story that was set up in the first book. I also felt my allegiances being pulled in different directions and I often found myself unable to decide who I should be rooting for. It was very exciting and unpredictable. I would highly recommend that if you have wondered about starting the series, you be sure to push on through to at least the second book before you make a judgement.

Pros: The plot is better and builds upon the story set up in book one.
Cons: The villain of the story is a bit lost in this story and I wish there was more of a larger power that they are fighting against. (Although, I suspect that maybe this is done on purpose and the third book will reveal a true villain)

I think this trilogy has a great build so far and I am very enthusiastic about the third book. I just borrowed it from my library and I have started it already. I have been thoroughly pulled in to the world of Caraval and I have no plans to leave any time soon.  

Overall, I give Legendary 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Characters 4/5
Setting 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 4/5
Romance 3/5
Diversity 3/5

Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Abuse by parents, Death, Kidnapping
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length/Page Count: 11hr 24min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio