Finale

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, show more 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 trilogy is aimed at, certainly not anyone who has had any life experience, certainly not anyone who enjoys good fantasy and certainly not anyone who thinks Night Circus is good.   If you enjoyed Night Circus, if you like good fantasy, or if you've had any life experience at all, stay away from the Caraval trilogy, it's woeful.

I'm certainly glad i only paid 99p for each book in Kindle deals: i'd be rather grumpy if i'd paid the full asking price for these.

It's so bad i simply don't care how this all ends as i simply can't read any more of this rubbish.   I'll be deleting all three books from my Kindle and my Amazon account as i certainly won't be finishing this one or reading the other two ever again. show less

I have been a fan of Stephanie Garber’s world since her first novel. Like all series endings though, there is worry that it will disappoint because how can a story remain just as good as it was in the first book? Thankfully, but not surprising given everything Ms. Garber builds and the freedom she gives her characters to make their own mistakes, Finale is a worthy finish for such a spectacular series. We get answers to long-held questions. We get to see the famous Fates in action. We get more drama, more magic, more political machinations, and more romance than we ever thought possible. We see Tella and Scarlett come into their own as women of strength and conviction. And romance. I did mention the romance. Swoon-worthy without show more becoming sickening, Finale delights in all aspects. I am sad to see this series come to an end, but I certainly hope that Ms. Garber is not entirely done with the world of Caraval. There appear to be so many stories still waiting for their turn in the spotlight. show less

I’m convinced that anything Stephanie Garber writes, I’ll read.

This series was magical. It consumed me. Everything about it absolutely intrigued me. The unique world that the Dragna sisters travel through, the magic system, the fates, the villains, the tension… there was so much happening and I need so much more.

Finale took me on a roller coaster. I love that we got a combination of Donatella and Scarlett’s POVs. It added so much to the story and I felt like we got quality time with both sisters and their love interests. I thoroughly enjoyed the conflicts both sisters were battling through and that both sisters had some kind of love triangle drama going on. I’m a sucker for a love triangle.

Tella’s story was far more show more interesting to me in this book. I felt like her story was less predictable than Scarlett’s which made it more entertaining for me (personally). Thats not to say that I didn’t love Scarlett’s story, I lover her relationship with Julian and I loved that we got more of her background. She was faced with far more dangerous circumstances which added a level of intensity we don’t get from Tella’s story. Scarlett’s story felt more high stakes while Tella’s gave me more twists that made my jaw drop or laugh out loud.

These two sisters are unique in their own ways but what they have in common is their love for one another and others. They’re willing to sacrifice themselves in every way possible in order to protect those they love.

The guys in this story are some of my favorite MMCs I’ve ever read. I was eating up the banter, teasing, tension and humor. I adore Legend, Julian and Jacks. They all are flawed but gosh I love a morally grey man who would burn the world for their woman and each of these men would 100% do that. Jacks is probably my favorite so I’m looking forward to starting Once Upon A Broken Heart.

The world Stephanie has created is incredible. There are so many layers to it that should have made it complex but she has a way with words that made it easy to follow and understand. It was so fun to learn about the fates, the fated cards and objects and explore the fated places with Tella as she tried to find answers that would help defeat the villain.

And can I just say, having an actual HARD-TO-DEFEAT villain was so satisfying. I’ve read so many books recently where the all powerful villain is killed way too quickly and conveniently. It’s annoying. But this one?! I truly felt like our villain was diabolical and incredibly smart making him hard to defeat which made the MCs think outside the box and come up with creative ways to take him down.

Overall, this series is a MUST READ for me. Hands down one of the best series I’ve read. show less

3.75 stars.

I LOVED Caravel, which was a lush, magical fantasy that I could have eaten with a spoon. That was a a joy to read, propulsive through the pages, and a delicious confectionary of a novel without being frivolous or or all whip, no cream.

I have been looking forward to Finale, which is the third installment of the trilogy and seeing how the author landed and wrapped the story about these sisters. This book was not a disappointment, but also not quite as wonderful and captivating as the first installment. Here's a taste of why, for me, that was:

1) The magic which is so compelling and intriguing in the first book is linked to cruelty, violence, torture, and loss in this one. It makes sense for the story arc and I'm typically drawn show more to dark themes and brooding vibes, but the darkness in the tone of Finale wasn't complemented by a sense of higher stakes for the characters. You know how sometimes movies rough up their edges just to get the PG-13 rating when really it's a PG kind of story? This felt a lot like the book version of that to me.

2) There's a triplet of love triangles in the book and while yes, this is YA and a complicated romance is expected, there was a lot of time spent on pining, teen desire, and angst and it was like a side show when I wanted to get back to the main attraction.

3) While there was a morsel dangled that portends more books set in this world through the eyes and experience of another character's POV, this wrapped a little too cleanly for the the main cast of characters. Instead of a would/wouldn't they situation, there was never any real doubt of how things would turn out. While I'm all for a happy ending, all the story threads wrapping up neatly and exactly as expected was somewhat of a letdown, like the mild regret of consuming too many empty calories.

4) Over-repetition of sensory details. Graber is great at immersive detail and I love the imagery of Jacks smelling like apples. Tell me a couple of times, cool. But literally, everytime Jacks appears we're reminded of his apple smell and eventually, that detail is overripe. (That's one example, there are plenty more.)

If you're a Caraval fan and a completer, it's worth the Finale. Otherwise, re-read the first and chalk not finishing the series up to unrequited love and Fates. show less

I really liked how this book brought everything together. The first book being told from Scarlett’s point of view, the second from Donatella’s, and this one switching between both sisters felt like the perfect way to end the series. It made the story feel complete and balanced, and I enjoyed seeing how differently Scarlett and Donatella experience everything.

The return of their mother played a big role in this book, and I’m glad she was finally confronted properly. Seeing how much damage she caused and how that affected both sisters added emotional depth to the story. It helped tie together a lot of their trauma and explained so much about why they are the way they are.

The stakes felt higher, the emotions stronger, and the magic show more of Caraval was still very present. I loved how secrets and consequences from the earlier books came back and mattered here. Seeing the sisters work through everything together made the ending feel earned.

Final Thoughts:
I loved this book just as much as the others. It was a satisfying and emotional conclusion that wrapped up the story and the family dynamics really well. show less

Well that was a letdown.

I so enjoyed the first two books of this series, even with their flaws. Finale was a mess though. The plot was overly convoluted, the romantic choices silly and melodramatic, and the main characters became essentially Mary Sue’s. I had such high hopes, but as a conclusion to a trilogy this book felt like it completely got away from the author.

I loved Stephanie Garber’s writing however, and this won’t put me off reading more of her work.

THE GOOD

❈ I found myself feeling much less annoyed at and much more pitiful for Jacks than I did in Legendary. I have a strange attachment to him now and I felt sad at the end that he didn't get a very happy ending.
❈ I was also much less annoyed at Tella for her secretive plots and impulsiveness. I think this is partially because she became a lot more honest in this book. I think she grew so much as a character in this book. Overall, the characters spent a lot less time arguing with each other for having to do risky things and were more open with each other. Or well, I guess to put it more clearly, they didn't play games with each other as much.
❈ I enjoyed learning more about the Fates, but I also wished we could've gotten a show more deeper glimpse into that part of their world. Only a handful of them really played any role at all. Then again, if we get a sequel, that might be different.
❈ The scene in the marketplace made me bust out laughing, which is something that rarely occurs in books. It was a nice break in the tension.
❈ Usually, when there are two love interests battling it out for the attention of a character, I find it extremely frustrating and not very enjoyable to read. I guess its just not my thing. But surprisingly I didn't mind it here.

THE BAD

❈ For the first few chapters, the romance between Tella and Legend seemed a bit too sappy for my taste and I had some trouble getting into the book, but after that it didn't really interrupt the flow for me anymore.
❈ I was a bit annoyed at the fact that the secret Tella exchanged her daughter's weakness for in the future didn't play as much of a role. I know it most likely served as a plot device to set up for future books, which I am for, but it felt disappointing that Tella went through all of that for a secret that didn't help them that much in the end. Having the Assassin on their side, I immediately thought that they might go back to that moment in time and murder him, but it ended up just leading to a plot to dress Scarlett up similarly to their mother to have Gavriel fall in love with her again, which they totally could've come up with without that secret they bought.
❈ The way Nicolas's story ended was very sad and abrupt, and it felt like it was unnecessarily so. I don't think the side plot really brought anything to the story and I could've done without it. And more importantly, what happened to Timber afterwards? Who is taking care of him now? I need to be reassured on this matter.
❈ I want to see more development with the other performers in caravel please!
❈ I also wanted to hear more about Julian and Legend's backgrounds. I know it wasn't entirely relevant here but I'd enjoy it if we got the opportunity in the future.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

❈ This was definitely a change of pace from Caravel and Legendary, but I didn't think that was necessarily a fault. If there had been another caravel, it probably would have felt too repetitive. I thought the pacing was pretty good throughout the book.
❈ I was a bit surprised that Scarlett and Julian, and not Legend and Tella, were pushed forward as the new rulers. Scarlett has matured a lot, but I still have trouble imagining her personality being compatible with the constraints of ruling. But, you never know.
❈ We never quite closed up that loose thread with Esmeralda. She's most likely dead, but you can assume such things.
❈ There is going to be a spinoff about Tella's daughter??? You can't just leave that hanging there.
❈ I'm curious what role Jacks would play in this hypothetical spin-off novel. Will he fall in love with Tella's daughter? Or plan to destroy her for Tella's betrayal? Or both? I don't know I just miss Jacks now for some reason ):
❈ Although, giving up Tella's daughter's weakness seems like horrible betrayal, theoretically they could sell it to the sisters and buy it back immediately afterward, eliminating the risk because they would forget immediately afterward, if I'm correct. Then again, that isn't as dramatic. But they would still have to give up / find a secret of equal value, which could make for an interesting sequel. show less