Amazon:
The stunning, internationally bestselling sequel to Caraval
‘Extravagantly imaginative and enchanting . . . Pure magic and escapism’ Cecelia Ahern
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.
My reading experience:
The anticipation of the next part of Caraval was immense and so I knew that reading this was going through be an absolute pleasure.
The plot of Stephanie’s book is exceptional as a sequel and it is not difficult to imagine how hard that must be. So although the first couple of chapters were replete with far too many adjectives that were distracting, the underlying story was captivating and exciting.
Donatella Dragna is our main protagonist and the name of the game to discover who Legend is. Do we find out? The reader learns something about her relationship with her sister Scarlett, about her youth (she is only 16), and about their mother but about Legend I couldn’t conclude. So we are taken on a journey that picks up from the nights Caraval finished and Tella wakes up next to Dante on a forest floor. She is quite the bumbling teenager quite literally falling over but not least in her emotions. She is fiery and spontaneous and her sister Scarlett has to resume her motherly role despite going through her own set of issues. The setting for the next game is astounding, well described with immersive pros and leaving the reader aghast at its opulence and magic. It is hard to remember you are at this destination for a game however, the only thing you must remember about Caraval is that it is a game …
I enjoyed this second part of the trilogy and very much look forward to Finale next year.
Appletree Books 