Spoilers ahead! Also keep an eye out for my take on Hummingbird Pie!
If you couldn't tell from the above, I'll be smooshing all three books into this one review! I'll give a quick summary and a full review/reaction for each book and at the end feature a recipe from the whole series! I usually try to wait until the end-ish of my posts for the biggest spoilers, but I'm not holding back this time! We're gonna jump into the spoilers right off the bat. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did reading these books! Let's get into it!
CARAVAL
Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world.
Scarlett Dragna wants two things more than anything else in the world: to keep her sister Tella safe from their father, and to see Caraval, the far-away magical performance where guests participate in the show. Just before her upcoming nuptials to a count she's never met, Scarlett's second wish comes true when she is gifted tickets to the show by Master Legend himself. But enjoying Caraval is far more difficult than expected when the exciting performance turns into a race against the clock when Tella is stolen away as part of the prize. If Scarlett cannot find her sister before the five nights of Caraval are up, the consequences could be deadly.
"What happens beyond this gate may frighten or excite you, but don't let any of it trick you. We will try to convince you it's real, but all of it is a performance. A world built of make-believe. So while we want you to get swept away, be careful of being swept too far away. Dreams that come true can be beautiful, but they can also turn into nightmares when people won't wake up."
Can I just say that this book was SUCH a breath of fresh air? I've been so immersed in the worlds of Fae and all kinds of other mythological creatures since the beginning of January, so this was a totally new experience. I really dug the whole premise-- it's new, unique, thrilling! I read this book in a day because it kept a great pace and every chapter had a new twist. I genuinely had no clue how it was going to end, despite the few things I had guessed from the beginning (Julian being a total babe? Of course). Since this book only had Scarlett's POV, this review will hopefully be shorter than my most recent ones which have followed like 9 separate main characters. Let's get goin'!
Tella was the most important person in the world to Scarlett, but it always broke Scarlett to know her sister did not feel the same way.
The dynamic between these two is quite interesting and I'm very intrigued to find out how it grows and changes with the rest of the series. In the first few chapters, we see how much these sisters love and depend on each other: Tella and Scarlett are found by their father in the cellar with a boy (Julian), and the two lie about who should be in trouble. Scarlett says Tella was with him and Tella says Scarlett was with him. Naturally, I immediately thought they were both throwing the other under the bus, but apparently their father likes to punish the one who wasn't behaving badly. Their dad decides Scarlett was the one with the boy and hits Tella to make his point, so we quickly learn that their love for each other has been used against them their entire lives. Now, both of them will do virtually anything to protect the other. The book also teaches us how incredibly rash and chaotic Tella is, where Scarlett is contemplative and careful. Since Tella is kidnapped for virtually the entire novel, we can only take Scarlett's opinions and assumptions of her to be fact, so when we find out in the end that Tella has been tricked into falling in love with Legend and is now working against Scarlett, we aren't surprised. Scarlett has told us this whole time that her sister is reckless and easily swept away. What IS wildly surprising, however, is the fact that Tella is the one behind the entire game! She contacted Master Legend to help her and Scarlett escape their terrible father, and together the two of them crafted the entire performance to stir Scarlett into action. Yes, Tella's choices were still incredibly irresponsible considering the fact that she ended up literally dying to make her point, but they were also well-thought out and remarkably brilliant; Legend invited the girls' father to Caraval, Tella killed herself in front of everyone, Scarlett no longer had anyone to protect, thus making her brave enough to get rid of her father (she just tells him he no longer has any power over her and Legend helps to kick him off the premises). Since the prize for winning Caraval was a wish, Tella also gambled that Scarlett would be the only one able to solve the game and love her enough to wish her back to life. And she was right-- with the love and hope in her heart, Scarlett is able to bring her sister back. So while Scarlett thought their relationship was one sided this whole time, turns out Tella had just hidden her love up her sleeve until the game was over.
And even though she would never tell him, she loved the way he moved, with total confidence, as though nothing in the world could harm him. It made her less fearful when she was around him. As if boldness and bravery did not always end in defeat.
I mean we all knew Julian was gonna end up with Scarlett, right? I know him and Tella pretended to be all lovey-dovey at the beginning, but it was easy to see that those two were just too wild and reckless to work well together. Not even to mention the fact that Tella disappeared very quickly early on (leaving no opportunity for romance to bloom between them) leaving just Scarlett and Julian to figure out the game. I have to say, though I do genuinely love him, I felt that their romance seemed... rushed?? I think my brain might just be on Sarah J. Maas mode where it takes 4 whole books to find out who is supposed to end up with who, so now reading a series where romance blooms in book one is totally bonkers. I do have to say, my heart BROKE when I learned he was just a performer in the game. I didn't see that coming-- I believed the ridiculous lie about him coming to Caraval to avenge his sister, which I suppose now sounds completely foolish, but I didn't think he was a part of the performance. And I actually think he reached into my chest and ripped out my heart when Scarlett confronted him at the after-party and he didn't call her "Crimson" like he had through the whole book. I'm happy they made up and hopefully have a good future ahead of them, but I'm a little worried that something bad is coming their way-- specifically because sequels thrive off of that garbage. Fingers crossed for my cuties!
But Scarlett had already been broken. For years her father tore her down. Over and over, she had let him. She'd allowed him to make her feel worthless and powerless. But she was neither of those things. She was done allowing her fear to make her weaker, to eat away at the meat on her bones until she could do nothing but whimper and watch.
I started this book with mixed feelings on Scarlett-- and I really need to stop doing that. Character development is always my favorite part of novels, so why am I always so blind in the beginning?? If a character is perfect from the start, there's nowhere for them to go-- nothing for them to achieve and no way to evolve. Scarlett is anxious, paranoid, and extremely careful from the get-go, and she has every right to be. Her father has clearly been beating her and her sister for many years, and she knows any wrong step could get one of them killed. Her insistence on marrying the count was not because she had real interest in him, but instead because she knew she needed to get herself and Tella off their island and as far away from their father as possible. But instead of that, she gets roped into a terrifying game that makes her question everything in front of her and make decisions no one should ever be forced to make. Like watching both your sister and the man you love die and then having to choose which one of them you want to wish back to life. Yeah, I'm guessing that can have a significant effect on a person. Despite all of the horrors she faces, she comes out so much stronger and bolder on the other end. I also realized that she reminded me a lot of myself and maybe that's why I didn't like her so much. I have enough anxiety and stress in my own head, so experiencing someone else's panic was slightly less than enjoyable. I usually flock towards the characters like Tella who have unending charisma and chaotic energy because they show me the kind of person I wish I was. But seeing Scarlett make her way through the trials of Caraval to become that kind of brave, heroic character showed me that it takes time and work to get there. If we weren't born bold and adventurous, who's to say we can't become that someday?
Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it's a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed.
As for how I think the rest of the series will go: I have literally no clue. Clearly, there's far more to dig through because there are a lot of unanswered questions-- specifically about Tella and Scarlett's long-lost mother who disappeared seven years ago. Oh yeah, did I not mention that? Apparently it's going to be quite important. I'm also curious if the count is going to come back into play-- he seemed.. off? Strange? He disappeared with the girls' father but I'm not ready to believe he's just given up so easily. Though the final chapter brings Julian and Scarlett back together while everyone enjoys the Caraval after-party, making it seem like a nice happy ending with all the holes filled up, the Epilogue reveals that we have yet to get the full story. Tella is still keeping secrets from her sister about the entire bargain she made with Legend. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to find out the rest.
"I love you, Tella." "I know you do," Tella looked up with an indescribably tender expression. "I wouldn't be here if you didn't."
LEGENDARY
Scarlett could spend her afternoons daydreaming about traveling shows like Caraval, but Tella liked to have real adventures.
Having been brought back to life after her sister’s success in the game of Caraval, it comes time for Tella Dragna to pay up on the deals she brokered with a stranger to earn her freedom and her mother’s whereabouts. Her mysterious friend has asked for one thing only in return for finding her mother: Legend’s true name. But the performers of Caraval have been sworn to secrecy and time is not on Tella’s side. Things begin to look up when Legend takes his show to the heart of the empire, putting on a special Caraval for the Empress’s birthday, uniting Tella with her mysterious friend. But something is different about this Caraval-- where participants are usually warned about being swept away in the fantasy, this show warns that everything is real. When it comes to light that her friend is a deadly force to be reckoned with, Tella has no choice but to accept his demands and play the game. As Caraval unfolds around her, Tella once again at the heart of it, she must choose who is worth of saving.
Tella giggled with her until their smiles matched, as if worries were things made for other people. Yet Tella could not forget the letter in her pocket, reminding her of a debt to be paid and a mother who still needed to be saved.
HI, SO I KNOW WE ALL THOUGHT CARAVAL WAS GREAT BUT LEGENDARY!!!!!! MY GOODNESS! Okay, I'll jump off of caps for a second. I was completely charmed through the entire novel. There were twists and turns in the first book but somehow there was so, so much more in here. I really loved every minute of reading and I can only imagine how incredible the final book will be. I am rushing to get through this so I can start it! Also excited that Legendary contained quite a few baking options, so we’ve got a lot of choices on that front!
"If you do not win Caraval and bring me Legend before Elantine's Day, you'll learn just how deadly my kisses really are."
Okay, so big ole’ plot twist right off the bat: Since she is denied a room at the castle because she’s not a real performer working for Legend, Tella’s friend(?) Dante makes up a lie that she’s the fiancee of the heir to the empire-- a man who is known for his murderous temper. Then, Tella’s mysterious friend, who has been helping her this whole time, turns out to be both the magical Fate called the Prince of Hearts (whose kiss is deadly to all but his true love) AND he’s the heir! His name is Jacks and he wants Tella to get Legend’s true name and bring Legend to him so that he can help the other Fates escape from where they are trapped. Tella also comes to find that her mother has been trapped along with the Fates, so setting them free will release her mother as well. Sounds like a win-win, right? But the Fates are not so nice-- Jacks kisses Tella (which will eventually her) to force her to win the game, because only then will he reverse her imminent slip into death. So, if she doesn't hand over Legend to him: she and her mother will die. If she does what he asks: her and her mother will survive, but she will have to hand over an innocent man and the Fates will come back into power, ruling like cruel gods.
Tella often imagined she knew what people thought when they saw her. One look at her honey-blond curls, her girlish smile, and her pretty dresses, coupled with the fact that she liked to enjoy herself, and people dismissed her as a silly girl. Tella might have been many things, but she was far from silly or worthless or whatever labels people liked to affix because a person was young and female. Tella liked to think that was where much of her strength came from.
I love love love Tella. She’s such an interesting character, and she’s so unapologetic. She knows who she is and what she wants, and she’s not going to let anyone make her feel bad for it. She also seems to have an uncanny ability to get herself into trouble, which I appreciate as a reader-- it keeps things interesting. I really love the fact that she uses people’s assumptions against them; like the quote says, the labels people put on her become her strength. No one really thinks of a young, giggly girl to be a threat until she outsmarts them ten times in a row. I fell for it in the first book, too. I was completely convinced that she’d been swept away by Legend until I learned that she was not only part of the whole ruse, but had come up with the idea. I also do not blame any of these guys for falling in love with her (which they totally have, even if no one has admitted it yet), because I would too. She’s tough and spunky and incredibly charming. I really hope the next book is in her POV because I really wanna see more of her journey.
She'd known he'd only been following her as part of his role, and even if his interest had been real, she had no doubts he'd give up on her eventually. Everyone gave up on her, except for Scarlett-- who couldn't seem to stop caring about Tella.
An interesting thing that this book unearths is what’s underneath all of Tella’s charisma and strength. She believes that she will never fall in love because her future was cursed years ago by the Prince of Hearts, but it seems that her belief of the curse is what fuels it. She never becomes attached to people because she doesn’t allow herself. But the other side of the coin reveals itself; no one in her life, aside from Scarlett, has ever tried to keep her. Her mother disappeared, her father hurt her, and no boy she’s ever been with has tried to fight for her. With a history like that, I can’t blame her for feeling like everyone has abandoned her. However, she does eventually come to the conclusion that she has more control over her own fate than she ever realized before. Thinking that something in your future is unchangeable in fact makes it unchangeable. But believing that you have a choice is what gives you the freedom to forge your own path. When she decides that the Prince of Hearts didn’t curse her as a child, she accepts that she is capable of giving and receiving love.
Tella claimed she didn't want love-- she liked to say love trapped and controlled and ripped hearts apart. But the truth was she also knew love healed and held people together and deep down she wanted it more than anything.
So, Tella and Scarlett’s mother... I’m not totally sure how I feel about her or the situation everyone is in because of her. It turns out, she was a world-famous thief named Paradise the Lost who was beloved by many. She stole a powerful item-- a cursed Deck of Destiny-- and ran away with it, eventually finding the Governor, marrying him, and having her two daughters. After a 9 year old Tella discovered the deck (which showed her an unfortunate future), her mother disappeared. Upon entering Valenda for Caraval, Tella learns her mother’s history and that she has been trapped inside one of the cards from the deck. The rest of the deck contains the Fates. Though Tella possesses two of the cards already, including the one trapping her mother, she finds out that the rest of the deck is hidden in a strict temple and if she gets that deck, she will win Caraval. When she visits the temple, she discovers that the reason her mother was allowed to hide the deck away in there was because she offered up her second-born daughter. Yeah, you guessed it, she offered up Tella. Upon hearing this, Tella runs off and decides to give up on helping her mother. But is it so easy to give up on someone you love, even if they’ve given you plenty of reasons to do so? The only people Tella has ever really allowed herself to love are her sister and mother, but now it seems that her mother couldn't have cared less about her.
"You always look like a monster to me, but that doesn't mean the myth's not true." And Tella imagined she didn't have to love him to be his true love. Given that he was a Fate and pure evil, Tella also imagined love for him was not the same as it would have been for a human. But that part didn't matter. What mattered was that being his true love meant she was immune to his kiss. She no longer needed to win the game to live.
Quick! Jacks! His curse is slowly killing Tella through the whole book-- she randomly bleeds from her fingertips, her ears, or her mouth as her heartbeat consistently slows down. But, after one specific run-in with him towards the end of the book, when Tella tries to fight him, his heart begins beating. In the same way that only his true love will not die from his kiss, his frozen heart will also begin beating again when he finds her. So she’s his true love? I knew it was gonna happen, but it was a very anti-climactic moment. She discovered it, he was like pshh nah, and then she was like okay yeah. It seemed like it would change everything, but it really didn’t. All it did was take away the worry of her potentially dying if she didn’t win the game… But it didn’t take away all 900 other things relying on her win.
"I made a mistake, Scar. I never wanted to fall for anyone, but I think I've fallen in love with Legend."
Alright ladies it’s time to talk about Dante. I know I said Julian was a total babe in my Caraval review but LADIES… Dante is……. A total babe. I’m in love with him even though he can be a little rough around the edges-- but that might just be my book-boyfriend type? So, since I haven’t mentioned him too much before, here’s the full run-down on him: he’s a performer working for Legend, we met him in the previous show when he was a bit rude to Scarlett, and at the after party, him and Tella kissed. Both of them agreed it was a one-time thing, but fate kept bringing them together after that. Clearly, they were both infatuated but neither wanted to admit it. Since he’s a performer in the game, Tella knew she couldn’t trust a single word he said. However, as they got closer, she began to worry that he might be Legend, and if he WAS, that would certainly make it harder for her to hand him over to the Prince of Hearts if she won Caraval. AND THEN, sure enough, after Tella learns how to win the game, and when the two of them finally admit they have feelings for each other, Tella comes clean about her deal with Jacks. Upon hearing this, Dante swears to find a way to get the deck from the temple without giving up Tella in the process. When he does this, she gets the deck and knows that the first person she will see once she gets it will be Legend, because she will have won the game. And who does she see?!?! YES, DANTE IS LEGEND. HE EVEN ADMITS IT. Deciding that she can’t hand him over to Jacks, but knowing that the evil heir is on his way, Tella decides that there is only one way to save both Legend and her mother: she offers herself as a replacement and winds up locked in a card. BUT THEN, she’s right back! What?! What!!! Turns out, Legend used his power to RELEASE THE FATES, in turn releasing her. He did that instead of taking their power for himself, which was his original plan. AND THEN HE LEAVES HER. SO WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? He saved her life as if he cares for her but then totally walked away?!??
She'd thought she was the key to his entire game. But , of course, Legend was playing more than one game. He hadn't come to Valenda merely to destroy the Fates and take all their powers for himself. He'd chosen the city as his game board so he could claim the throne.
Alright let’s tie up all those loose ends right now. Dante is Legend, oh man. And since the Empress died (oh yeah, the Empress died right as her true heir--aka not Jacks who was like 17th in line before he killed off everyone else in his way-- showed back up), it is now time for her lost heir to claim the throne. And I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now, but the lost heir is Legend himself. It is unknown whether he is truly related to Elantine or if this is just another game. Not to mention the fact that Scarlett has been running around secretly trying to find the real count who she was engaged to, since she finds out that the one she met during her Caraval was actually an actor! Right now she’s juggling both him and Julian, trying to decide who she wants to be with. Saucy, right? Well, Paradise the Lost has been freed from her card, as have all the other Fates, but since they were trapped for so long it takes them a while to wake up. So we have a limited amount of time before chaos erupts. Oh, and Dante/Legend still hasn’t spoken to Tella since he released her and the others. So what’s up with that? Do I have any theories? Why, thank you for asking. I think that Jacks is totally gonna fall for Tella, and perhaps she’ll fall for him too. But things with Legend are definitely not over, so I’m truly dying to see that resolve itself. Most importantly, I don't know if I actually believe that Dante is Legend???? I've gotta see more. ..But what could come next? I genuinely have no freaking clue, but I am PUMPED.
"But the best villains are the ones you secretly like."
FINALE
Every story has four parts: the beginning, the middle, the almost-ending, and the true ending. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a true ending. Most people give up at the 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 true ending.
Two months after the Fates were freed from their prison and Legend took the throne, Tella and Scarlett are trying to get along with their lives, post-Caraval. But that’s easier said than done when so many things still hang in the balance; Julian has been gone on a mission for 5 weeks, Legend has been visiting Tella only in her dreams, and their mother and the Fates have yet to wake up.
The truth comes crashing down around the Dragna sisters when it is revealed that their mother’s greatest secret was an affair with the most powerful Fate-- who now wants to turn the empire into his own twisted playground.
Tella and Scarlett must decide who they can trust to help them save the empire from destruction. As the line between enemy and ally blurs, the two girls are forced to risk their lives in order to restore balance to their new home.
Though the show might be over, the games have only just begun.
If there had been a clock in the room, it would have stopped. Occasionally, there are minutes that get extra seconds. Moments so precious the universe 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 at all.
I have to admit, I am completely blown away by this series. I love all of the characters and the world and the pace and the dialogue-- everything fits so well together and it’s really a work of art, more than anything. Garber is so brilliant at building tension and suspense, all to send the wave crashing over us, pulling us back down to reality. She’s so good at manipulating our emotions-- I feel everything she wants me to feel. I understand Scarlett’s worry and love for her sister and Julian; I’ve experienced Tella’s grief and heartache-- I’ve felt the confusion and frustration she faces in putting her trust in Jacks and Legend. Garber literally has us exactly where she wants us at all times.
She didn't need to erase her pain; she needed it to propel her into action. Just because it was a negative emotion didn't mean it wasn't a valuable one.
Real quick rundown of what happens in this book: The Fates have been freed, yes we know. After two months, they’ve finally begun to wake up. Also waking up is Paradise the Lost, Tella and Scarlett’s mother. The minute she wakes up, she runs off! Tella finds her right before she is killed by the Fallen Star (the most powerful Fate). Turns out, the Fallen Star is Scarlett’s REAL dad! Whoa! When Paradise found out who he really was, she ran off and married the Governor who then fathered Tella. Also, Legend refuses to talk to Tella outside of her dreams-- and every night when he visits her he asks her if he can give her her prize for winning the last Caraval. We find out later that the prize is immortality! Sounds cool, right? Nope! Legend wants her to become immortal so that he won’t fall in love with a human. You see, immortals are incapable of love-- they can experience obsession and passion but never love. If they somehow fall in love with a mortal, it makes them mortal. So yes, he has feelings for Tella but it's more about self-preservation. Meanwhile, Jacks is out here kind of picking up the pieces whenever Legend upsets Tella. He’s still cruel, but he’s there for her when she needs help, since she is his true love, after all. However, that doesn’t mean he actually loves her because that would turn him mortal. Now you see the pattern? So we have two immortal hunks fighting over a mortal but only kinda half-assing it because neither of them wants to risk their neck. Over on the flip side-- Julian has been straight up missing for 5 weeks, so Scarlett has gone ahead and contacted the real Count Nicholas D’Arcy. But then Julian pops back up and tags along to meet the count. The two try to out-man each other and basically it all boils down to Scarlett realizing that no one can compete with her feelings for Julian. He’s the one true cutie for her! Cut to later when the Fallen Star discovers that Scarlett is his child and that she has some minor powers!!! Apparently, if she harnesses those powers they could turn her into a Fate. But oh NO, Fates can’t love! So she would no longer love Julian!! Whoa! And now that all the Fates are running loose, they’re bullying mortals by tying them up with strings like puppets and sewing their mouths shut and turning them into stone. Not cool. The Fallen Star takes the throne and it is up to our heroes to figure out how to stop him because if you kill him, all the other Fates become vulnerable! There’s your plot summary so maybe some of the stuff I say now will make a tiny bit more sense.
“Ask him how he knows my daughter.” The Fate repeated the question and when she spoke, her voice was all Scarlett could hear. It was the sound of shining lights, full moons, wishes on the verge of being granted. Julian answered without hesitation, “She’s the love of my life.” Scarlett’s heart broke and burst all at once.
First, we have to discuss the OG couple of the series. Julian and Scarlett are so, so lovely. A new favorite ship for me, for sure. They’re so good together and it just makes me want to squeal. My favorite thing about them is the way Tella describes how they look at each other. Every glance is full of love and trust and hope, and though their love for each other is used against them at times, it gives them the strength they need to fight. When Julian is being tortured by her father, Scarlett steps up and puts everything on the line to make sure he’s safe. Everything between them is so precious and sweet, I really loved seeing them grow together. Not to mention that they give us a perfect image of happy, healthy love to view in juxtaposition to the other romances. I think there would have been a lot more confusion with Tella and Legend if they didn’t have an example of true love right before them. Tella could see that what Julian and Scarlett had was genuine, and because of them it was easier for her to figure out what she wanted. Oh, and not even to mention the fact that Scarlett becomes the Empress at the end of this book? What! Get it, girlie! We've got the cutest couple ruling Valenda now, WOW.
"I don't know if you're my true love, Donatella. All I know is that I want you to be."
It’s actually so hard to figure out my feelings about Jacks. He’s the definition of “likeable villain” and I honestly feel like his story isn’t over. Can we get a sequel trilogy just for him?! His actions are so murky all the time and I still genuinely can’t figure him out. Is that the appeal? Am I just easily seduced by mystery?? He’s always there to pick Tella up when she’s down (literally because he usually has to carry her away from tragic events), and he seems to truly care about her. But then he turns around and kind of treats her like an object to be had? Doesn’t Legend kind of do the same thing, though, in a way? Jacks never turns human so I have to assume that he doesn’t actually love Tella. He certainly never says he loves her, only that he wants her or is obsessed with her. That’s all the Fates can feel-- possession and obsession. Yet when Tella severs the tie between them by stabbing him, he looks at her as though she just broke his heart beyond repair. I’m so CONFLICTED. I know for sure that Tella was meant to end up with Legend and I stand by that, I’m just unsure of where exactly that leaves Jacks. In fact, in the end Jacks just runs off into hiding. No closure, no more details, that’s it. He had Tella under his spell (which is not a great way to make someone love you, sorry sweetie), but her love for Legend was able to break through that magic. Though I don’t agree with 99% of his actions, I do feel bad for the guy and wish him a happy ending.
And in that moment, Legend no longer felt like Tella's enemy, or her friend, or the boy she used to love-- Legend felt like every story she'd never wanted to believe about him.
Devastatingly, I have so many quotes about Legend and Tella and where the HECK am I gonna put all of them?! First of all, I was ready to punch Legend at the beginning of this book. He was so wonderful as Dante and then he had to go and totally switch it up and act all detached and uncaring. However, when I understood the whole immortality/love situation, everything made more sense. He was trying to act aloof to save his own hide, but still-- it kind of blew my mind that he was clearly so in love with Tella but pretended that if he didn’t admit to it, he didn’t actually feel it. Denial, much? And then it became such a rollercoaster because Legend would be like “If you become immortal we can be together forever (without love)” and Tella was like “no I want you to love me” and then she’d say “Wait I do actually love you but I’m afraid if you love me too then you’re gonna turn human and DIE so therefore I DON'T love you” but THEN he’d do something cute and she’d be all “Okay I want to stay with you forever even if you can’t love me” and then Legend would panic and go “Nevermind! I can’t let you give up love!” because he secretly loved her and wanted her to be happy. It was honestly, quite a whirlwind.
When she thought of Jacks, her heartbeat calmed, but then it craved the way that Legend made it pound. Because he didn't just own part of her heart-- it belonged to him fully.
I didn’t have a good answer for their problems, but once all the crazy plot points were resolved, everything simplified quite a bit. Legend saw Tella under Jacks’s spell and he realized everything he would be losing if he let her go. So he confessed his love for her in the world’s cutest way and became human. It melted my frozen heart and I definitely think it was the right ending for them. I would love to see another book about their human adventures-- and WAIT. I genuinely JUST remembered that Tella was told by psychic twins that she would have a daughter in the future (and a lot of other plot stuff yaddah yaddah yaddah) so now I’m wondering if Stephanie Garber has some sort of plan in place for a second trilogy about Tella and Scarlett when they’re older.... I would read that book in a heartbeat, I can tell you that.
"I love the secrets you haven't told me, and the lies you've tried to get away with. I love your stubbornness and your persistence. I love the way you always pretend not to care when I visit you in dreams. I love that you never stop fighting for what you want or the people you love, even when they don't deserve it. I love you, I don't intend to stop loving you, and I hope that somewhere deep inside, you still love me, too."
Thinking back on everything that happened within these books as far as character development, I think that Caraval was about Scarlett, Legendary was about Tella, and Finale was about Legend. Each of those characters began their journeys in such different places than where they ended them. They were put into circumstances that forced them to learn and grow-- for Scarlett and Tella the circumstances were Caraval, but for Legend it was the real world. This man has lived for SO many years, never loving anyone, not even his own brother, and then this spunky, short girl comes along and throws him for a loop. I love to see it! He started in a place of smoke and mirrors-- selfishness and pride-- but he ended so much stronger. So maybe he’s not immortal anymore, but what is life without love? Is that really a life worth living? He’s still not perfect, that’s for sure, but he’s certainly made a change for the better and I’m so happy for him.
"Most of my life, I've romanticized death. I used to love the idea of something being so tremendous that it was worth dying for. But I was wrong. I think the most magnificent things are worth living for."
I’m so glad I found this series, it’s truly become one of my favorites. I’m giddy over the prospects of re-reading it and experiencing all of the joy and madness once again. I’ve already said it, but I’ll say it again: the characters are just so wonderful. Scarlett and Tella shared the narration in this last book and both of them have a place in my heart. They’re both strong and brave and beautifully created women, and though they live very different lives than I do, I can learn a lot from both of them. Yes, the boys are all hunks and I like them too, but my girls. My girls!! I love them! I sound like I’m their mother, but I’m okay with that! I absolutely recommend this series, especially if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary. This series was like nothing I’ve read before, and it was such a wonderful change of pace. It has some dark themes in it, yet it never felt too heavy or emotionally draining. Even through the rough patches it still felt light and hopeful. I think that’s a really special vibe for a book to give off, and so I tip my top hat to you, Stephanie Garber!
I was not meant to wander around a palace or be followed around by guards. But I don't want to make my sister look poorly by misbehaving; I promised her that I would not cause any scandals. So I need you to, please, cause a scandal for me, Legend. Kidnap me and take me on a new adventure. I know it's not really kidnapping if I ask you to steal me away, but I think it would be fun to pretend. I also think it might make a very interesting game, and I know how you like to play. Yours forever, Donatella Dragna
HUMMINGBIRD PIE
"I'm not interested! I like my reflection as it is." Tella continued to stumble away. After that she tried her best not to be distracted as merchants attempted to sell her brushes that would ensure she'd never lose her hair, drops that would turn her eyes any color she wished, and a disturbing dessert called hummingbird pie.
If you didn’t already know, Hummingbird Pie is not a real thing. Or at least not a universally known dessert. I was wildly intrigued by the title and loved that Tella called it “disturbing” so I gave it a google and found multiple options. The one I chose was a whipped cream cheese pie with toasted coconut and almonds, smothered in caramel syrup. I thought that sounded delicious, so I gave it a go! Here’s how mine came out:
This was so tasty! It weirdly tasted kind of like a frosted cereal pie? My only suggestion is that I recommend buying caramel syrup-- I couldn’t find any at my local store so I made my own, but it hardened quite a bit in the fridge so it was really hard to cut slices of the pie. It tastes amazing, though. So although you sacrifice the ease of cutting pretty slices, you still win out with great flavors. I also added a little bit of sea salt on my layers to give it more of a salted caramel effect and to balance out the sweetness. Highly recommend doing that!
Hummingbird Pie Recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/hummingbird-pie-223465
Caramel Recipe: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/simple-decadent-caramel-sauce/
If you didn't know, I bake something from a book every week and post live updates on my Instagram. Tune in to @picklesandpages on Wednesdays to check it out!
NEXT READ: The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
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