Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series! 

FINALE by STEPHANIE GARBER

Publication date: May 7, 2019

Published by: Macmillon/Flatiron

Genre: YA fantasy

 

SYNOPSIS

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates were freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella saw Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finally, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun—with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win...and those who will lose everything.

Purchase your copy now!

Amazon | Google | iBooks  | B&N | Kobo 

Praise for Legendary:

#1 New York Times bestseller
ABA IndieNext Pick
Amazon Best Book of the Year So Far
“Immersive and imaginative.” —USA Today
“Mesmerizing.” —Us Weekly
“Fantastic in its spectacle and intrigue.” —BCCB, starred review
“A tour de force of imagination.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Caraval:

New York Times bestseller
ABA IndieBound national bestseller
#1 ABA IndieNext Pick
Entertainment Weekly Top 10 YA Novel of 2017
Amazon Best Book of the Year
Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
BEA Buzz Book
Goodreads Choice Award finalist
BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
Paste Magazine Best YA Book of the Year
“The Hunger Games meets The Night Circus. Grade: A-.” —Entertainment Weekly 
“Impressive, original, wondrous.” —USA Today
“Spellbinding.” —US Weekly
“Magnificent. A spellbinding tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When I’m not writing, I teach creative writing at a private college in Northern California, where I’ve been known to turn assignments into games and take students on field trips that involve book signings.

To help pay my bills during college, grad school, and the breaks in between, I worked as a barista, a waitress, a bartender, a customer service representative for an energy consulting company, and as a sales girl at Bath and Bodyworks. I also spent years working with youth; I worked as a counselor at space themed summer camp, volunteered at a school for deaf children in Mexico, and I took multiple groups of college students overseas to spend their winter vacations serving at youth hostels in Amsterdam. But out of everything that I’ve done, writing young adult novels has been my favorite job.

You can find her on:

Instagram | Facebook | Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads



REVIEW

Finale by Stephanie Garber
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This series has been such an infinitely shifting kaleidoscope of wonder and imagination. Her characterization and world building skill is awe inspiring in its magnitude. When you step into Stephanie Garber's world, you immerse yourself inside a story that's so vividly drawn that for those few hours you believe anything is possible. I can easily say that this has been one of the most unpredictable, turn you upside down and shake you until your head spins kind of trilogy I've ever read. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

With any ending to a series, there's some worry that the characters won't be given a proper farewell, especially when they all become near and dear to your heart. That was even more the case this time with the way things left off in Legendary. It was hard to imagine how every wrinkle would be smoothed out to my satisfaction. With the absence of a Caraval game this time around would it be missed? The answer to that is a categorical no. It was actually refreshing that Tella and Scarlett faced new challenges beyond beating the mind bending, magical game. There was still the sparkling Meridian Empire as a backdrop, the unleashed Fates to conquer, and life or death risks that could lead to ruin. There's a frenetic pace to Garber's books that doesn't let you stop and breathe, even for a minute. You're always running around the next twisting corner looking for answers, and Finale was no exception.

    Fear was a poison that people mistook as protection. Making choices to stay safe could be just as treacherous.

In the first half of the book, Tella made several choices that you could either interpret as bold or rash. In her desperation, I didn't always agree with the danger she kept putting herself in and felt that she was rushing head first into situations without thinking things through properly. Desperation can cause you to act impulsively, but there were times where I felt like shaking her. Especially her rationalizations for trusting Jacks when clearly he had proven himself to be consistently deceptive in his motivations. On the other hand, you learn never to trust anything in these books, and for all I knew she could be taking a leap of faith that would ultimately pay off in the end.

    I want to feel love in its every form. I used to be so scared of it, but now I think love is another type of magic. It makes everything brighter, it makes people who have it stronger, it breaks rules that aren’t supposed to exist,it’s infinitely valuable.

Legend pulled a jaw dropping move at the end of book two that makes you re-evaluate who Tella will end up with, and there is more doubt cast on him here as well. There are new revelations that alter the possibility of Legend choosing love. It's not a question of would he, but could he as well. There was no doubt he had feelings for her, he'd proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But how deep did they run? Were they shallow or all-consuming like a rip tide that would pull them both under?

I have to admit, I wasn't a fan of Scarlett's sudden triangle that cropped up at the end of book two. When I read the synopsis, I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of a "competition" for her hand in marriage. It was probably the thing I was most worried about going into this one, but thankfully it ended up not being an issue. I'm happy to report that this didn't take up too much page time and was resolved fairly quickly. She had a much more intriguing storyline to follow that took me by surprise. I will say that this conflict that cropped up seemed overwhelmingly impossible. Secrets are unearthed that stacked the odds against her and would force her to make a sacrifice for the ones she loved most.

I don't want to go too deeply into the plot for fear of spoiling the mystery and grandeur that can be found in the grand finale. All I can tell you is how impressed I was in the way that so many different pieces clicked into place seamlessly by the end. With the level of detailed layers put into the plot, the scope of everything coming together in a believable way seemed like such a daunting challenge. The final installment came through with flying colors because I can't imagine this wild ride ending more smoothly. I'll miss Tella's bold and courageous spirit, Scarlett's romantic heart and the unbreakable sisterly bond that these two never lose sight of no matter what tribulations they have to survive and conquer. It was bittersweet to end the journey here, but I feel optimistic that Stephanie Garber has plans for something just as exciting in the future. I love this author's spellbinding way with words and I'm a forever fan that will always be first in line to take a journey into the fantastical worlds she creates. I can't wait to see what she imagines for us all next.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews