Finale

Disclaimer: I received this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.It breaks my heart that this series is over, but I couldn’t have asked for a better finale (ha). This book was exactly what I needed it to be that I never knew I needed it to be. This is undoubtedly a series I will come back to time and again and suggest to everyone I possibly can. It was expansive and magical and overwhelming in a way that anyone could lose themselves in. And I don’t think anybody could ever be disappointed with this conclusion. Garber had a plan from the beginning and the way that her plans come to fruition by the end of this book makes it one you certainly won’t want to miss.If you’ve read the earlier two books in this series, Caraval and Legendary, you’ll be familiar with the tone you can expect from this book. But this final book in the series takes everything from the first two and elevates it all to a whole new level. It encompasses everything the other books were working towards and brings it to a beautiful finish. The most obvious proof of that is the perspectives of each novel. Caraval was told entirely from Scarlett’s point of view, and Legendary was told entirely from Tella’s point of view. Finale literally combines them and we get alternating perspectives from both sisters. The single perspectives worked very well in the other books. There were twists and secrets that would have been spoiled had we seen both sides of the story all along. Those books wouldn’t have worked any other way. But here they come together and let us get a wider sense of the story throughout the book. The plot has developed to the point that the games we see are of an entirely different nature compared to the games we saw in the first two books. Our Dragna sisters aren’t keeping the same kinds of secrets from each other and they’re playing for a lot more than just a Caraval victory. The games they are in now have much higher stakes, and losing will mean more than disappointment. They may just lose their lives.Garber’s writing is really extraordinary, and the story she weaves will leave you awestruck. At this point in the series, you should know to expect surprises and blow-your-socks-off twists. And yet, it’s so easy to get caught up in the magic of this world that you forget to anticipate them. You get swept away, and no matter how many times you tell yourself not everything is as it seems, no matter how many times you remember there are always games afoot, you will be surprised. I never could have anticipated some of the twists Garber had in store here, and that is a high compliment. I know I’ll be able to reread this countless times because I’ll always hold on to that feeling of shock that I had on this first read-through. Even though I’ll know all of the surprises, I’ll be able to remember what it felt like to not know. Sometimes knowing the end makes you feel finished with a book. You’ve figured it all out and there’s no need to go through it all again. But this is a story that you will never be fully finished with. The world is so complex, the mythology so fascinating, the characters so compelling, that you won’t want to ever leave it fully behind. As much as I love our characters of these books, I would equally love a different story in this world. The Fates we began to learn about in Legendary are major players in this book, but I would still love to learn more about them. A prequel about this world during the centuries that the Fates ruled the land would be amazing. And until we get more, if we ever get more, I will absolutely be happy to read this series over and over.The ways that our well-loved characters truly come into their own during this book is one of the most beautiful aspects of the story. There is so much action and intrigue going on, that the personal development could have gone under the radar, but Garber didn’t let that happen. Scarlett, who has always had to be both sister and mother to Tella and always put her own wants to the side, recognizes and uses her inner strength to become a force to be reckoned with in a way that I always wanted for her but never would have expected from the beginning of the series. She was so cautious, so unwilling to believe herself capable back in the first book. She has grown so much since then, having gone through two Caravals, but here is where we get to see her explore what she is really capable of. The stakes are so high that she really doesn’t have any other choice. There is nothing and no one to fall back on, so she really has to put her faith in herself, and it inspires such a feeling of triumph to see her even try. And Tella has grown in a very complimentary way. She was so reckless in the first two books because it was Caraval, and Legend wouldn’t let anything actually bad happen, at least not irreversibly. She is so used to playing games that it’s hard for her to get out of that mindset, to stop playing. But she has never been one to give up, and her determination to get the outcome she wants is the driving force of this novel. She will fight tooth and nail for those she loves, and without her tenacity it would have been all too easy for everyone else to take the easy way out. She may make mistakes, but she’s young and you can’t expect her to be perfect. She never stops though, and it is her persistence that keeps everyone else going. The sisters’ strengths all stem, most importantly, from the strength of their love. Their love for each other, for those around them, for their world. It’s what keeps them going and what makes them the perfect candidates to save everyone.Their love is its own kind of magic. And it pairs well with the actual magic in the world of this series. Magic is tricky and always comes with a price, but it is also enchanting and capable of making dreams come true. It is almost tangible, the way it’s written. As you read, the magic in the books lifts off the page and surrounds you in a constellation of sparkling stars, sweeps you off your feet and transports you somewhere else entirely. The magic system here is not easy to control, and the price for using magic to get what you want can be steep, but it can deliver you exactly what you need if you know how to ask, and that’s what makes it so tantalizing. It is not without consequences, so you never feel as though the use of magic is a cop-out like it can in other magic systems occasionally. It is a measured use, sometimes a reckless use, but it is never a deus ex machina, solve all of our problems use. Half the time using magic causes as many if not more problems than it solves, and that helps give this story, and the other novels in the series, such great depth. But when it works, you can’t pull yourself away, because it is just so magical.At the conclusion of this story, all I can say is I never wanted it to end. Not this book, not this series, none of it. But I can also say that it ended exactly the way it needed to, whether or not it fits into all the visions I had of what I wanted to see happen. It was still the correct ending for this narrative. So be prepared to lose yourself to this book. Be prepared to grow ever fonder of Scarlett and Tella. Be prepared to fall ever more in love with Julian and Legend. Be prepared to be fascinated by the Fates and Valenda and their entire world. You will want more, but you will be so happy with what you have that it will almost make the fact that this is the last book in the series bearable. Almost. Let the magic of Caraval and Legend and all they have to offer sweep over you once more. It’s your last chance, and you won’t ever want to let that magic go. I know I don’t.

The Story:Scarlett and Donatella take us on one final adventure where there are many challenges awaiting them. They must use their knowledge of the world and the ability to think like the people around them to solve problems. The sisters fight for love, possibly even losing or find new love, and pushing themselves to a point where they are not the same people anymore at the end of their journey. Their finale for the readers is one struggle after another, but they keep fighting for what they believe in. They are not afraid to make a sacrifice of themselves to see their sister or lovers live through these trials and tribulations.In order for them to have a future, they also have to go into their past, and the past of their mother to defeat an enemy that is immortal, that they have to discover and sacrifice to find a way to kill him. Scarlett and Donatella have to be willing to team up with those who are their natural enemies in order to save the human race from tyranny and suffering. This saga of darkness will either be the end for the sisters, or the beginning of a new and more hopeful life. The sisters must be able to see past the black and white way they see the world if they and their friends want to survive.My Thoughts: 4 StarsWhen the first book came out, I ignored it due to all the hype it was getting. As you can see from previous reviews, I can be a bit...picky when it comes to what I read. There are simply too many books I want to read and I cannot afford to waste my valuable reading time on a book that will not live up to my expectations. I want adventure, fantasy, an escape from the reality of being a boring adult that must do adult things (something my dog, our mascot, Abenji would never understand since he lives a spoiled life). After a while, I caved and picked up a copy of Caraval from my local library and promptly read it in a matter of 24 hours. I was officially hooked! From there, it has been a delightful ride full of emotional rollercoasters that Stephanie Garber takes us on and now it has come to the end. Our adventures with Legend, Donatella, Scarlett, and Julian are over.“Every story has four parts: the beginning, the middle, the almost-ending, and thetrue ending. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a true ending. Most people give up atthe part of the story where things are the worst, when the situation feels hopeless,but that is where hope is needed most. Only those who persevere can find their trueending.”The story is broken down in different sections of the book starting with “Before the Beginning” and the follows the beginning, the middle, the almost end, and the end as stated above. I love how Stephanie Garber did that! It helped ease the story into nearing the end in a gentle way, even when the book started to take darker turns where difficult choices were being made by the characters. One thing I love, even though the characters are self-sacrificing, you can also feel their struggle as well with what they are about to give up for their cause.One theme that was woven through the story was that of love. It is shown how love can often be seen as a weakness or, at one point, a curse. However, love also has tremendous power and helps people do things they thought that they would never be capable of. Scarlett and Donatella’s love for one another is one thing that does not change throughout their story over the last three books, and their mother encouraged the bond when they were just little children.“A true queen’s power isn’t in her crown, my little love. It’s here.” Her mother placed ahand over her heart, “....I would actually say your greatest treasure is sitting acrossfrom you. There is nothing quite so precious as the love of a sister.”The love of another person outside of familial bonds is also a strong theme in the book. Donatella and Scarlett each have a love of their life, but both are willing to give their significant other up in order to protect them. There are times when they feel as if they must let them go, and others where they want to hold on to the bond and never let go.“Occasionally, there are minutes that get extra seconds. Moments so precious theuniverse stretches to make additional room for them, and this was one of them.People don’t get pauses like these very often. Some people never receive them atall.”“Tella imagined wanting someone without loving them was like an endless hunger—even if you managed to hold the person you wanted in your grasp it would never beenough, and letting them go would be even worse.”“She told my sister that when you loved, you did it as fiercely as you lived. You werewilling to do whatever it took to protect the ones you love, even if it hurt you or themin the process.”The final theme that I feel compelled to touch on was that of fear. The power of fear could have been built up more in the story to flesh it out more. It would have been a five-star book if it the topic of fear was not as glazed over as it was. There were parts of the book where the fear of the people involved should have been felt more than it was. However, all I really felt was indifference. I felt horrible for the characters that were being tormented, but the depth simply was not there. Fear is a powerful emotion. Fear can take the courage and power away from someone in a difficult situation, or it can build them up to be so much more than they ever thought they could.“Fear was a poison that people mistook as protection. Making choices to stay safecould be just as treacherous.”Congratulations! You have reached the end of my long-winded review of Finale by Stephanie Garber! I could have gone in deeper on my feelings and observations of this book, but I thought it best to try to keep it short and sweet. My final thought is this; give this book a try if you have read the previous books in this series. I do not believe you will be disappointed. The beginning may be slow at first, but trust me when I say that it does pick up and take you for a wild ride.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book so faithfully and so fast. This was hands down the best book in the Caraval series and had me completely bewitched the entire time.

While I've never been a huge fan of this series, I was still disappointed to find that this was the weakest instalment of the three. The novel had more in common with Legendary than Caraval, yet I still felt the loss of the magical settling more this time around. There is no Caraval this time around - little sense of magic or whimsy. Magic this time is mundane and practical - used to hurt or even torture and not carrying the beauty of the first instalment.The pacing of the novel this time also felt a little off. While a majority of the story was just build up to an admittedly exciting climax, it still felt as though everything was just being too rushed. Tella's investigations frequently got derailed. Although she learned early on where she could discover the Fallen Star's secret, it took her an incredibly long time to actually make an attempt at finding this. Instead, her story was too bogged down with her love triangle with Legend and Jacks - something that feels a little pointless at this stage as the reader is never in any doubt who she will wind up with.Similarly, Scarlett's mission often feels as though it is rushed, shoehorned into the plot between Tella's chapters. We don't really see much of her time as the Fallen Star's prisoner, even though she remains near him for almost more of the story. Almost all of this occurs off-page and so we don't really see much of her learning about the depths of her power or interacting with him at all.The most interesting thing about the story is that we do get to learn more about the Fates. As there is little exposition in the story, most of what we learn is revealed in snippets which give a glimpse of the larger picture, reminding much of how the Tales of the Hinterlands are sparingly used in Melissa Albert's 'The Hazel Wood'. While this doesn't cut as deeply as I would like (we don't even get to see all of the Fates in person), it was intriguing to learn more about them and I did appreciate some of the creativity of their design, such as the Maiden Death's cage of pearls.Yet the rushed plot lead to an unsatisfactory ending, in which everything fell into place far too easily and the villain basically defeated himself. At this stage, the conveniently happy ending for all characters felt unsatisfying. Given the bittersweet nature of the stories to date - and the emphasis that there would not be a happy ending - it felt almost unnatural that every major character wound up with exactly who they wanted.The love triangles also really impacted my enjoyment of the story. I toyed between whether to give this book 1 or 2 stars but these are really what dragged the score down for me. I love Scarlett and Tella. They are strong characters that still retain their femininity in different ways and use it to their advantage. Scarlett is quiet, thoughtful and emphatic while Tella is fiery, strong-willed and passionate. Both learn from each other's strengths and grow as the story progresses.However, the overt focus on love triangles - or love in general - really overshadows their personal growth. Both characters are engaged in fierce love triangles which largely are not based around love. Indeed, Tella is aware that neither of her suitors actually can love her, yet still has trouble "choosing between them" as the story progresses, forgiving Jacks again and again even when he almost kills her. Tella's romantic subplot completely overshadows Scarlett's story, especially towards the climax when too much focus is put on Tella's "sacrifice" over Scarlett's arguably more important role. Indeed, Tella only actually does one important thing in the story. Scarlett risks her life (mostly off page) over and over.So, that about covers everything. While Caraval is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, the series has unfortunately gone downhill since there. Ultimately, I like the idea of this series a lot more than I do the execution.

A couple of years ago I read an ARC of a book called Caraval, it was about a magical game that entranced its players and captivated the audience. It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, because anything was possible and the magic was both beautiful and terrifying. At the time though, I needed to read something that would allow me to escape and be in a world totally different to my own, it just so happened that nearly three years later, I needed the same thing.Finale was the conclusion this series needed, it was gripping, tense and magical, everything you expect from the writings on Stephanie Garber. I liked the split narrative between Tella and Scarlett, two very different sisters on very different paths. We’re rooting for both characters, but personally, my favourite has always been Scarlett. I love them both, but I feel like I bonded with Scarlett in Caraval and Stephanie Garber has written her characters to feel like friends.We see all new types of magic and fates in this book, be ready for even more nonsense as the realms of reality are twisted and bent. That is what I love about this series, anything can happen. The magic is so beautiful and endless, that you are taken away into a land of possibilities and that is what allows the reader to lose themselves in the story.This third and final book continues on from where we left off in Legendary, I don’t want to overtly spoil that book, but we are met with romantic decisions, family conflicts and the threat of the fates! I loved reading about the dates, I think Garber did an excellent job of bringing this magic to life, with each fate having a different ability. Personally, I enjoyed reading about Poison… it doesn’t take much to guess what he could do.Finale was the conclusion I needed from this series. It had me glued to the pages of the book, willing for my favourite characters to be okay and cheering when certain events happened. Stephanie Garber knows how to spin the web of fantasy and I adored this series, it will always hold a special place in my heart for its creativity, the possibilities it holds and the world it creates in my head.

’Tella had decided long ago to never make decisions ruled by fear. Fear was a poison that people mistook as protection. Making choices to stay safe could be just as treacherous.’Endings are notoriously challenging. Tying up all of the loose ends from a series in an un-rushed, believable and satisfying manner is tricky. All too often certain events can end up feeling anticlimactic almost. That isn’t the case with ‘Finale’ though. This book has the perfect sort of ending; the kind that leaves you satisfied yet simultaneously itching for more. Vital loose threads are tied up but little glimmers of future intrigue are dotted throughout too, leaving such glorious future potential for more.In my previous reviews I’ve gushed about the world and that will forever be one of my favourite aspects of this series. The magic involved is glorious, the past holds infinite potential and an incredible level of planning must have gone into crafting such a mesmerising and enthralling place. Within ’Finale’ some wondrous new magic fuelled locations are explored and I adored every moment spent within them. This world truly is the sort that holds the potential for hundreds, if not thousands, of glorious tales.The characters are another of my favoured elements of this novel though. Over the course of the series they grow and develop. Secrets are revealed about numerous individuals. The Fates are infinitely fascinating. And I will forever crave more Jacks. How Stephanie Garber crafted such a darkly intriguing individual I will never know. I certainly now understand everybody’s fascination with him though.Throughout this novel there are plenty of twists and turns. There are revelations that I’d never have seen coming and one moment – that I so want to scream about but won’t, due to spoilers – that is definitely a particular highlight for my dark romance loving heart. The ultimate ending was also one that I honestly could not have guessed at either which is wondrous too.Once again I think it goes without saying that I whole heartedly recommend ’Finale’ along with the rest of this series. The world is absolutely mesmerising, the characters fascinating and the romance even left me with a star struck smile on my face upon occasion. Here’s hoping some of the seeds of future potential that were scattered throughout – one bargain, in particular – are explored in some kind of future novel. Because ’Finale’ truly is set in a land of infinite possibilities.

BE WARNED SPOILERS AHEAD!This may be an unpopular opinion so read only if it won’t put you off the series. Make up your own mind for this is only my opinion.Ok, here it goes. So, I didn’t enjoy Finale as much as the first two books. Maybe it was because the end was fairly easy to see coming so I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. Maybe it was the hype over the book that meant I was let down. Maybe there wasn’t enough Scarlett and Julian. Maybe because there was no Caraval? I can’t put my finger on it exactly but there was just something that wasn’t there for me.I have seen other people raving about the last instalment and feel like I have missed something? What is it? Can you tell me? Because I feel like I’m the only one.I agree the cover is pretty and reminds me of a firework – but only a reminder of the fantastical read I was expecting but did not get.Don’t get me wrong there were parts I appreciated: I adore Scarlett and Julian and how their story ended so there is that (wish we had seen the wedding! As a whole the end was just super rushed which annoyed me) I also love Jacks! I know, I know, he is a bit of a ‘trickster’ but his character is written perfectly … wicked and deviant. I just wanted more. More of his story. More of his power. And more of him being a Fate. Actually, I craved more Fate stories as these moments were my favourite. As Stephanie Garber writes ‘Every good story needs a villain. But the best villains are the ones you secretly like’ and that is Jacks for me. I absolutely admire the way Stephanie Garber uses words to describe moments and feelings especially where Scarlett is ‘seeing emotion’. It’s just so powerful and allowed me to conjure up vivid images in my mind. Who doesn’t love that in a book?And then that’s really where the enjoyment ends for me. After all the waiting I just hoped for more. I am finding it difficult to write this review as I don’t want to be negative but it was just ‘meh’. What is so annoying is that Caraval is one of my favourite books and I feel let down by the ending to that story.Then there were the grievances: There were too many love triangles – Tella, Jacks and Legendary – we all know who she was going to pick so why keep it up the WHOLE book! Then we have Scarlett, Julian and the Count D’arcy – like seriously what was the point in that arc. Then we have Paradise/Paloma, the Fallen Star and Marcello Dragna – not really a ‘love’ triangle but still. I found it odd that Paradise/Paloma was bought into the story just to die and feel it was only done to introduce the idea of Scarlett being the daughter of a Fate – where did that come from as well? A less Finale specific point but still relevant – I don’t know what it is with YA books but there always seems to be some type of ‘abusive’ relationship, whether emotional or physical. And boy was Tella a victim of emotional abuse in Finale. Firstly, although I love Jacks as a character, he is awful to Tella. I mean forced/unknown marriage, steals her emotions and threatens to kill her for power, just a few examples. Legend, well he treats her like trash the whole time then BAM he changes his mind at the very end. I just kept yelling at Tella whilst reading shouting ‘NO, DON’T DO IT’. As such a strong character I just don’t believe she would take that kind of behaviour from a man and as a book for young readers feel like this type of relationship shouldn’t be romanticised. And on a Tella note, I don’t know why but I cannot get on with Tella. She just annoys me. And that is that.Thinking about it, maybe it’s because I’m an adult reading a story based at a much younger audience. *cough**adult who likes reading YA**cough*And Finale, (see what I did there), it is a shame as I loved Caraval so much and still remember reading it for the first time. It led me on a path of circus themed books and magical entities and I just hate that I didn’t love it

This book is utterly intolerable. I managed to get to 41% before i simply couldn’t take it any more.After Legendary lead me to believe that there was hope for these two sisters, that they have grown up a bit and learned something from their previous experiences, in Finale it’s like we’ve gone back to the childish romantic stupidity of the first book, but this time it’s both sisters who are just being utterly ridiculous.While i can accept that there are plenty of people in the world who act like these two sisters do, continuously allowing their immature, undeveloped emotions to get the better of them, they wouldn’t be able to survive in an environment like the one in these books. No one who makes such ridiculous, pathetic, nonsensical decisions in such an environment would survive for more than 10 minutes. So the idea that the immortal greats of the universe would fall in love with such pathetic creatures is as utterly ridiculous as these sisters are, as utterly ridiculous as Stephanie’s writing has become.I’m not sure what audience this is aimed at, certainly not anyone who has had any life experience, certainly not anyone who enjoys good fantasy, certainly not anyone who thinks Night Circus is good. If you enjoyed Night Circus, if you like good fantasy, and if you’ve had any life experience at all, then stay away from the Caraval trilogy, it’s woeful.I won’t be reading the last 59% of this book and i’m glad i only paid 99p for each book in Kindle deals: i’d be rather unhappy if i’d paid the full asking price for these.I’ll be deleting all three books from my Amazon account as i certainly won’t be finishing this one or reading the other two ever again.