Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber
Hardcover, 451 pages
Published May 29th 2018 by Flatiron Books
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.
Not quite as magical in the sense that I didn't float away into a dream world like the last. This one was more brought down to earth, even though it did contain tons of magical twists. I'm not sure if it lost it's magical surprise because I now expected it after the first or because they really did have it dialed back a notch. A drop of blood here, and there, and everywhere. Curses and treachery. I did enjoy that this was focused on a missing mother and revealing some family history. My favorite part in the last though carried over to this one, where you can never really trust a persons' intentions. Slow build, but constantly got more and more exciting and never faltered after the climb began.
“Every story has four parts - the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.”
“Every good story needs a villain, but the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”