Caraval by Stephanie Garber Book Review

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre:Fantasy
Source: Hardback - library
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


Scarlet and her sister have never seen the world beyond their island.  Their father comes up with cruel punishments for their misdoings.  When her father arranges for Scarlet to marry a count, she believes she will be free from his tyranny, but also that her dreams of seeing the magical performers of the famed Caraval is over.  But her hopes arise when she receives 3 tickets to this year's performance, but her plans are challenged when Scarlet and her sister are whisked away to the Caraval's island by an unknown sailor.  Once they arrive Tella is kidnapped and made a part of the game.  The players must find here before the end of the week if someone wins, they win a wish.  Scarlet becomes engrossed in not only the game of magic, but one of love, and heartbreak.  She must decide who to trust and who to keep at arms lengths.  Sometimes getting swept up in the magic can have a dangerous result.  What will Scarlet find at the end of the game?

I decided to pick up this book because it came recommended through book clubs, goodreads, the book stores I went to.  Everywhere I went, the book was in my face, well not literally, but enough that I picked it up.  I have seen it compared to Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, which has been one of the best books I have read in a while.  I can say I was happy I read the book and that there were some magic elements that I haven't seen in other books, but it didn't seem to mystify me as I had hoped it would and I would NOT compare it to Night Circus in any way..  Granted, I will be reading the next book in the series because it is an interesting story.


Garber gives readers a story that is both suspenseful and magical.  I found myself anxious to find out what will happen next and if Scarlet will be able to figure out the clues, although, I don't think there was specifically a right or wrong answer to the clues, but rather the questions the performers asked such as what is your greatest desire or who do you fear the most.  It was a story that asked the main character to look deep into herself to find her true self, not the self she believes she is.  I found that to be rather engrossing and interesting thought that we may not be who think of ourselves.  But I kept waiting for the magic to happen and it didn't seem to really happen aside for a few spells or potions here and there, but nothing that really blew me away the way Night Circus did.


I liked Scarlet to a point, I think she could have been smarter, more resourceful, but she gets this way by the end of the book.  She whined alot, was too concerned with her reputation rather than saving her sister, lies but then gets offended when she's lied too and more. I found her to be afraid too often in the book, which I guess was the point.  She was afraid to take the leap of faith so to speak not to find her sister, but to find herself.  I wanted so much more from Scarlet that we don't really get to see yet, and I hope we see her evolve into a stronger female, more independent if she appears in the next novel.  We get a lot of information about Legend, but we are never actually introduced to him which felt like a let down.  I almost pictured his watching from the balconies or somewhere in a Jareth in Laberynth kinda of way and him throwing obstacles in her way but nope.  Not once do we see Legend.


There were something that got mentioned but never explained such as what happened to Dante's sister, we know she went missing but never find out what happened to her.  Small things like that are what kept this novel from getting a higher rating from me.  I love how each section was broken into nights, so readers knew that everything that happened in one section is what happened in that particular night, it helped with keeping a time line straight. Although in that same respect, it seemed like no one actually slept at Caraval.  There is a lot that happens in Caraval, but at the same it almost feels like nothing happens other than a few lucky breaks.  I hope to see more in Legendary and hope we actually meet Legend and see what kind of person he is.


If you like YA and fantasy novels check it out.


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Check out some of these other reviews:
The Book of Meghan
The Book Monsters

The Magicians Land

Title: The Magician's Land
Author: Lev Grossman
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Ebook
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


This is the third book in the Magician's trilogy.  Quentin is cast out of Fillory and working as a teacher at Brakebills, until he gets cast out of there as well.  After being cast out of Brakebills he joins a quest to steal back a chest with some things in it, what the things are he doesn't know.  While on the quest he meets Plum who was a wonderful student at Brakebills but was also cast out.  Their quest takes them back to Brakebills South, but what they discover about the box changes things.  Quentin tries even more to bring Alice back from being a niffin, but in the process he discovers how to create a magical utopia.  Meanwhile, Fillory is dying.  Eliot and Janet are trying to find a way to save Fillory from dying and Quentin just might be their answer.

I must preface this by saying I accidently borrowed the wrong book.  I meant to borrow book 2 "The Magician's King" but the library system had the book labeled wrong and I read out of order so for a while I was VERY lost in what was happening or what had happened.  Despite not reading the second book, this one felt....bland and unpleasant.  I kept saying I wanted to quit reading but my friend insisted that I finish reading it.  There were parts of the story that felt like it could have been way more exciting than it was such as the suitcase quest, it could have been way better, but it fell short of expectations. 


The only parts I did enjoy involved Fillory, Eliot and Janet, granted they are my favorite things about the series as a whole (including the television show).  Janet really stepped up in her bad-assness with her kick ass weapons and really taking on the role of High Queen of Fillory.  Eliot I felt fell a little flat In his awesomeness, maybe I am too used to the actor who plays him.  That is part of the downfall of reading a series after beginning to watch a movie or tv show based on the series.  You already gain an image in your head of that character and for this series they don't add up.  I prefer the TV show actors to the characters described in the book.   


The ending is almost predictable in what would happen.  While the story itself built up to the end, it was predictable from the beginning and left me feeling unsatisfied.  I wanted something more from the end, something grander.  What I think I should do is read the series when I am NOT watching the tv show so I am not as bias.   Overall I would recommend it.  Grossman is a great storyteller and has created an interesting world that I wish I could escape to sometimes.  If you enjoy fantasy definitely pick this series up but if you enjoy the show, maybe wait til later to read it.