My review of Stephanie Garber’s Finale, the third and final book in the Caraval series. What a magical adventure this series has been, I’m sad to be saying goodbye to it!
Finale, Stephanie Garber (Caraval #3)
Themes: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance (kind of)
Reading Format: Hardback
Pages: 400
5 STARS
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.
