Stories Chats

Hello! I’m back with another round of reactions to popular book series that, for some reason, I just never got around to reading!

Previously, I reacted to Fourth Wing (I still need to read the third book I’ll get back to it eventually, the library waitlist is wild!) and ACOTAR (I’ll probably tackle Throne of Glass and/or Crescent City next).

But right now, it’s time for Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber back to back! I heard great things so I am very excited.

If you’re new here, here’s how this works: I read part of a book (usually around 100 pages) and then share my thoughts: what I liked, what I didn’t, which characters stood out, and which ones didn’t vibe with me.

I’m obsessed with reading and watching other people react to books I love, so if that’s your thing too and if you’re a Caraval fan come join me! Let’s see if I do it justice. Or better yet, read along and tell me in the comments how your experience compares to mine.

Caraval [Book 1] Reaction Chapters 1 - 12

Caraval [Book 1] Reaction Chapters 13 - 21

Caraval [Book 1] Reaction Chapters 22 - 34

Caraval [Book 1] Reaction Chapters 35-43

Legendary [Book 2] Reaction Chapter 1 - 11

Legendary[Book 2] Reaction Chaper 11-22

Legendary [Book 2] Reaction Chapter 22-31

Legendary [Book 2] Reaction Chapter 31-43

Finale [Book 3] Reaction Chapter 1-16

Finale [Book 3] Reaction Chapter 16-31

Finale [Book 3] Reaction Chapter 31-47

Finale [Book 3] Reaction Chapter 47-60

Spectacular [Novella] Reaction

OUABH [Book 1] Reaction Chapter 1-14

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Chapter 30 of 59 Part II: The Magnificent North

What happened: So we got two out of our promised three kisses. The first was on Prince Apollo, and it completely bewitched him, making him obsessed with Evangeline. He proposes to her and intends to marry her within a week. She realizes he’s been bewitched by her kiss and goes to Jacks to ask him to undo it. He says he’ll only undo it after they’re married.

Then Jacks and Evangeline go to a castle to see an old woman. The second kiss is on the woman’s cheek, and she also becomes bewitched, doing anything Evangeline asks. She takes them to her vault, where her archer guards are, and where they hear this prophecy about someone who will open a famous arch (or something like that). Then she comes back to herself and tries to kill Evangeline.

What I think so far: Still liking it, still interested, and still eager to uncover the mystery.

Positive points:

These books are so fast-paced and snappy that you really just breeze through them!! It’s great, and the writing is still charming.

Jacks is still just as interesting to me as he was in the Caraval series. I really want to know what his big evil plan is and what’s behind that arch.

I’m struggling a bit with Evangeline, but I think I’m starting to like her more. I know soft-hearted characters tend to have it rough, so I’m rooting for her. I love how hopeful she is and how much she believes in fairy tales.

Negative points:

I can’t help but feel like the plot is a bit directionless at times. It drags slightly more than I’d like and risks trying to do too much at once, which also happened in the Caraval series, especially in the last book, to be fair.

Okay, so her stepsister is evil, right? That seems to be what’s going on. It makes things more interesting, but it also makes Evangeline seem a bit too naive.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

February was actually a really solid reading month, even if I had a few “it was fine” moments along the way.

If anyone really likes fantasy and hasn't read the Winternight Triology by Katherine Arden please go read it. I beg you!

Finale by Stephanie Garber: Read my full reactions here. People are too hard on Caraval, I think. I thought it was a really charming series overall, and I started with low expectations. If you like bargains and a magical ambiance, it’s great. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang: My second R.F. Kuang book after Babel (will read Katabasis at some point), and I was a bit disappointed by it. It is a bit meta: we follow a white woman who plagiarizes her dead Asian friend’s novel. It’s about racism and the book industry, obviously. R.F. Kuang is an amazing writer, but this was very focused on the social media aspect of the book business, and I got a bit bored with the social commentary after a while. Like, it was probably me lol, I struggle with lit fic. But yes… it was fine. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare: I kept going with the Shadowhunter universe. This is another short story collection, which unfortunately I liked a lot less than The Bane Chronicles. I was a bit over the whole Simon school experience, and that ending kind of cemented this as my least favorite Shadowhunter book so far. There were some highlights, especially with the Last Hours and Infernal Devices characters, but yeah… ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden: Ok, now we are talking. This is the second book of the Winternight trilogy, which starts with The Bear and the Nightingale, and it is amazing. I loved the first one, and I love this one even more. We follow a girl with powers in a medieval, magical, folklore-based Russia, and if the first one is a very contained story, this one really feels like an epic fantasy. I adore it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe: A short horror story about a creepy house with creepy siblings. I thought it was great, very contained and very good at creating a feeling of uneasiness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spectacular by Stephanie Garber: Read my reaction here. Short, cute story with Caraval characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: So I read this because everyone else was reading it lol, and I never read thrillers, so I wanted to get a bit out of my comfort zone. The atmosphere in this book is amazing. We follow a family who lives on a black sand island near the Arctic and guards a seed vault, when one day a half-drowned woman shows up on the shore. It’s a thriller, so everybody has secrets, and it’s also a lot about climate change. By the middle of this book I was really into it, and then as the mystery was revealed I became less interested. So… ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden: Last book in the Winternight trilogy. Amazing. Do not even speak to me about this trilogy. Each book is better than the last, and I gave 5 stars to all of them. Like, so underrated. The author has another adult historical fiction book and another one coming out this year, and when I tell you I want to read them so much!! Ahhhh! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So that’s February: 7 books plus one short story 😌

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: OUABK Chapter 14 of 55 Part I: The Tale of Evangeline Fox Part II: The Magnificent North

What happened: So we meet Evangeline Fox, who has pink hair and as pink-haired characters are always amazing, I have high expectations. She is the daughter of a sort of well-to-do shop owner who has passed away, leaving her with her wicked stepmother and her kind, shy stepsister.

She is in love with this boy named Luc, but one day there’s suddenly an announcement that he will be marrying her stepsister. She thinks he has been cursed, so she makes a deal with Jacks, a Fate, to stop their wedding. He turns the wedding party to stone (omg this is the wedding party we read about in Caraval, how nice), and she feels horrible, so she takes their place and saves them.

She gets un-stoned or whatever and is treated as a hero, but feels guilty. Then the empress sends her as an ambassador to the competition, The Selection-type situation, where the prince of the Northern Empire has to choose a bride. Oh, and she has to kiss three people for her promise to Jacks, which may or may not kill the people she kisses otherwise, she will die. First person: Prince Apollo.

What I think so far: Really liking it! Evangeline is so fun, with her hopeful belief in fairy tales, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this whole romance line is going to go.

Also, people who didn’t read Caraval before like I heard some people say you didn’t need to, I think you kinda do, no?

Positive Points:

I like that we are going into the Northern Empire and leaving the Meridian Empire behind. The world-building is amazing, and I love when we go to new places inside fantasy worlds. Also, the descriptions of the Northern Empire are so good!

Ok, so I read The Selection when I was like 11, and I loved it, obviously. Even though I barely remember anything, it instilled in me a love of the “girls competing for the prince” trope that has lasted to this day. So I am very excited to find out who gets to marry the Northern prince, Apollo.

So excited to get back to seeing Jacks. I really liked him in the last book, and I am so looking forward to having him as a romantic interest in this one! Deep down, I am one for bad boy, enemies-to-lovers romance I swear .I just want it to be well done, so let’s go, let’s do this. I have hopes!

Prince Apollo sounds interesting!! Don’t let him die, that would be so sad! I always root for princes and dukes in fantasy and romance, I want my girls to have the best.

Negative Points:

Ok, so this reads a bit like Caraval. Two sisters, magic, bargains, an evil-but-maybe-not-evil powerful being. Still really liking it, but it does feel a little bit similar to what we’ve already read.

Hope the stepsister, whose name I don’t actually remember, gets more development so that I actually remember her name.

Stars: 4 stars

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

What it is: Spectacular was just a short, sweet story. I read it in one sitting, and it was cute. We mostly follow Legend and Tella, although Scarlett and Julien make an appearance. It was a sweet, short Christmas story with no plot-moving elements, so I just appreciated it for what it was and felt like I was given a chance to say a proper goodbye to these characters.

What I thought: The illustrations were very pretty. This whole collection has made me search Etsy hahaha, it is a very visual narrative.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Finale (Book 3 of Caraval). Chapter 60 of 60.

What happened: The plan was for Scarlett to pretend to be her mother (after travelling back in time, speaking to her, and stealing her dress) so that the Fallen Star would feel love again and then could be killed. It doesn’t work and stuff happens, and he ends up dead anyway. Tella gets her emotions taken over by Jacks, but that doesn’t work either because Legend/Dante tells her he loves her. In the end, Scarlett becomes the Empress, because their mother might actually have been the Empress’s missing child although it is left open-ended. Oh, and Legend is now mortal because he fell in love with Tella. So everyone is mortal and together.

What did I think: Endings, I tell you. Well, I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t really like it either… xd. I thought it was a bit anticlimactic, and the way everything came together felt a bit forced.

Positive points:

I loved that they made Paradise a complex, semi-villainous character. There was a real temptation to make her easier to swallow, but they didn’t go that route, and I was very happy about it.

I loved Jacks in this book! And I am so excited to see him in the next series!! Ahhhh.

Fairy-tale writing! Yes! Always!

The romance between Tella and Dante and can’t believe it either, but I was converted.

World-building: the city, the Fates, the objects: I loved everything about it. I immediately went on Etsy to search for merch from this world because I loved it so much. I have neither the money nor the space, but that is neither here nor there.

Negative points:

Right until the end, Julien didn’t manage to convince me. He stayed pretty useless throughout most of this book or really, throughout all the books. Both sisters should have had equally strong love stories, and Scarlett’s just fell flat for me.

Scarlett… I loved her in the first book, but in this one I just felt like more could have been done with her character.

The plan where Scarlett is so similar to her mother, basically her twin, that she can pass as her to trick her father into love is a weird plot point, but I am just going to go with it.

The way everything got solved was very anticlimactic, and it felt very rushed. In the last few pages it was like “and that is solved,” “and that curse is broken,” and “you get a car and everybody gets a car,” and I just wanted things to slow down. Also, Scarlett talks with him for like five minutes and the whole thing is solved like, okay, I suppose.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5). I can’t give below that to this series I had a really lovely time.

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to write reviews for every book I read this year… Is there a curse on resolutions or something???

Anyway, I am not going to be beaten, and I am going to write at least one big post with thoughts about all the books I read in January, with February to come soon. So:

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare: The finale of The Mortal Instruments saga, and honestly I really loved it. The last two books had been a little lackluster for me, but this final one really came through. I am so glad that there is more of this world to read; I never want it to end. If you have never read anything from the Shadowhunter saga, what are you doing? I cry, I laugh, I get so attached to these characters and families that it is worrying. It is just amazing, and sooo much yearning! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare: We continue with the Shadowhunter universe because after City of Heavenly Fire I just had to. These are short stories following an immortal wizard, and I really loved these stories too. There were some low points and some high points, but in general it was great. Also, I really love stories about immortality, so it had that going for it. Omg I want to read The Last Hours so much. So much whyyy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: We follow Vasilisa, the daughter of a landowner in medieval Russia who has special gifts. The book is filled with Russian folklore and an amazing scenery of the Russian wilderness and the long, hungry winter months. It is a perfect book to read in winter, especially one as cold and miserable as this one has been. The characters are amazing. Even the stepmother and the priest are such well-written characters. I loved them, I understood them, and just… ugh. If you like fantasy, go read it. If you like folklore, go really read it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Legendary by Stephanie Garber: Read my reactions here. But this is the second book of the Caraval series and I had a really fun time with it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Part 1): A classic story about four sisters and their domestic adventures in Civil War–era America (although very far away from the actual war). I haven't read this since childhood and, well, Amy is still my favourite of all the sisters, so it is good to know that some things never change. Some things do change though, and I was able to capture the nuances of the story in a way that little me couldn’t. I truly didn’t remember the deep religious and moral aspect that this story carries along with the fun adventures. I found it very moving and sometimes annoying at different times. I gave it five stars as a little girl, so let’s keep the spirit in which it was meant to be read and keep it at five. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Finale Chapter 47 of 60. The Middle.

What happened: We are all still trying to find a way to defeat the Fallen Star. Scarlett is with him, trying to learn how to control her powers so that she can make him love her, which would make him mortal so she can kill him. Tella is with Legend, and after failing to use the Fallen Star’s secret, which was just that he loved Paradise/Paloma, their mother, they now have this book that will tell his life story if they give it his blood.

Oh, and about that book: apparently we find out that Tella was married to Jacks, lol, when he removed her emotions. But don’t worry they are now divorced.

What else… Tella finally accepts being made immortal, only for Legend to go back on his word, because obviously I have read romance books before, thank you very much.

What I think: Not as mind-blown as I was by the last section, but I am still enjoying myself plenty. I don’t know why people don’t like this series I think it’s pretty good. And I thought the final book would be the weakest, but I think I might be more into it than the second one… maybe. Although the second one was fun too. Each book has its strong points let’s leave it at that.

Positive points:

I don’t know what switch has been flipped, but I have been liking the Tella and Legend/Dante relationship, so yeah I’ve been enjoying their romance.

I love the bargains. This whole series is filled with things like “give a secret for a dress” or “give your firstborn for a chance to defeat your enemy.” I can’t really explain why that feels so magical and otherworldly, but it does and I love it. So Tella trading her future daughter’s secret weakness for the Fallen Star’s secret was a really fun moment for me.

I felt really bad for Jacks during the divorce scene. It made me really excited to read Once Upon a Broken Heart!!

Negative points:

I loved the “Scarlett is a demigod” reveal so much that I am disappointed nothing much has been done with it. We had, what, three chapters of her doing no training, getting that head-cage thing, and then convincing that girl to pretend and that’s kind of it. I wanted a training montage. I wanted scenes of her pretending to obey her evil father while plotting his demise. I wanted to see her change people’s emotions and explore what that feels like. I wanted the struggle between being human and being a Fate. Maybe we will still get some of that (I hope), but just… ugh.

Julien is still here brooding and doing nothing. Glad that stays the same. Tella has taken over as the main character, so not only has Scarlett been sacrificed a bit, but also her relationship with Julien. They both end up feeling very flat.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Finale Chapter 31 of 60. The Beginning. The Middle.

What is happening: OMG!!!! Legend/Dante has just been “killed” by some Fates, I forget which ones, but they don’t know he is immortal, so hopefully he is going to wake up. Scarlett is the biological daughter of the Fallen Star (I feel like that name is a bit much, but whatever), meaning she is half Fate and has powers. She can read and perhaps even control other people’s emotions!!! Also, Tella thinks she knows how to defeat the Fallen Star: immortals can’t fall in love without losing their immortality. Legend/Dante proposes to make Tella immortal. Julien and Scarlett are back on, and the Count is dead.

What I think: I love it! Amazing! I am going to struggle writing negatives and being Miss Annoying, because this stretch I just read had me barely able to sit still I was so excited. Even the romance kind of worked for me. I was so into it!! I want to read everything Stephanie Garber has written or will ever write.

Positive points:

I loved the parentage reveal! I think it gave some protagonism back to Scarlett, who in the last book and this one had become a bit hidden by Tella. I think it’s fun to have a main character who has magic on her own, and not magic that’s given by a love interest. The fact that she is this demigod has so much potential, and I even think it made sense within the story. I can imagine this wasn’t some people’s cup of tea, but what can I say I liked it.

OMG, did the Tella and Dante romance work for me?! How?? But it did! I was invested in the “ask to be immortal” scene and in the dream. I am kind of into it now!!

Still loving getting to know all the Fates!! So interesting!

Negative points:

Julien. Like, in the first book he wasn’t boring, but ever since then… he kind of is. Scarlett is interesting, Tella is interesting, Legend/Dante is interesting, Jacks is interesting, hell even Paradise and the Fallen Star are interesting, but Julien is just sort of there. I would also really like to learn more about his relationship with Legend/Dante. Why make them brothers and then never really do anything with that? Does anything in the history show that Legend/Dante treats him differently than his other performers??

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars!!) No words!

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Finale Chapter 16 of 60. Before the Beginning. The Beginning.

What happened: Paloma/Paradise woke up along with the other Fates and… well, now she is dead. She was killed shortly after by “The Fallen Star” or whatever, who is basically the leader of the Fates and the one we need to kill. Also, love triangle between Scarlett, Julien and the Count, and a love triangle with Tella, Jacks and Legend incoming (kind of rooting for Jacks). Many other shenanigans happen: Scarlett invents a competition between her suitors and Tella kisses Jacks in a ritual to temporarily take away her grief.

What I think so far: Every time I start these books, I can’t help but feel the magic of the writing and the atmosphere. I love it so, so much. Like I wish I could visit this world. I wish I could walk through these streets and buy some cheap, not-real Fate cards. It’s just such an amazing feeling.

Positive points:

More magic, more Fates, more fun. I love world-building. I love stories with gods, especially evil gods, so I am having a lot of fun with that.

I know I’ve mentioned it like a hundred times, but the writing is just so amazing. Stephanie Garber has kind of made a fan out of me, because it’s such a specific, magical way of writing. I can totally see how this would annoy some people, but not me and that’s all that really matters!

Negative points:

Sigh. Still not invested in the romance between the characters. That said, Jacks is really fun, and honestly his scenes with Tella have the most chemistry out of all the romance scenes in these books... just saying.

So her mother is brought back for one chapter just to get immediately killed. Okay… I hope that is not the end of her, because that was a bit anticlimactic.

This book is a little less mysterious than the others, which makes it a bit more boring, to be honest.

Stars so far: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Book 2 Legendary. Chapter 43 of 43. Night five of Caraval. Elantine’s Eve: the last night of Caraval. Elantine’s Day. Epilogue.

What happened: Many things. Let’s skip the temple and the romantic scene between Dante and Tella and get to the good stuff. Tella wins the game and finds out that Dante is actually Legend (a bit disappointing that I was right about that actually, too obvious). She decides not to betray him and instead to change places with her mother (who is imprisoned in the cards) so that her mother goes free but Legend/Dante (is his real name actually Dante?) can keep the cards and not free the Fates. But then Legend frees the Fates anyway to save Tella from her prison… and then abandons her, probably for some reason we’ll find out in the next book. Jacks also shows up. Oh, and her mother is free. And Scarlett is corresponding with her ex–new-fiancé. And the Empress is dead, and Legend is now the new ruler…

What did I think: I didn’t dislike it, but I felt better about this whole trilogy after the end of the last book, or even in the middle of this one. Now I am a bit worried about the next book. And I’ve changed my tune I think the first one was better.

Positive points:

I love the writing in this book. I know it’s not for everybody, but I just find it so charming.

These books are very, very fast-paced. The chapters are short, and I feel like I swallow half the book in a couple of hours. The plot is really mysterious and easy to get into.

I love the fantasy I really do. I love the world. I love the Fates and the legends associated with them. I think the world-building is really nice, and the whole ambiance is so magical.

I like Tella and I like Scarlett. I look forward to continuing to read in their voices in the next book.

Negative points:

I don’t really get any of the interpersonal relationships in these books. I don’t get the romance between Julien and Scarlett, the romance between Tella and Dante/Legend, or even the sisterly bond between Tella and Scarlett. I feel like I am told the characters love each other, but we rarely see them interact, and when they do, it doesn’t feel as deep to me as I think the author wants it to feel. I think the fairy-tale vibes, which are great for the mystery and magic of the plot, work against this here, because the characters just feel detached from each other. The relationship I believed in the most was the friendship/animosity between Tella and Jacks. Everything else felt forced and a bit weird.

So Tella is Jacks’s one true love, but like… not actually his true love? And the curse just what? Took a while to realize? Or did Tella just bleed from her ears because she believed she was cursed, in a power-of-the-mind kind of way? Because that happens to me all the time.

Dante sacrifices his plans and nearly the entire world to save Tella, and it’s just not believable. They slept together once, kissed maybe twice, and spoke like four times for a couple of minutes. This is what I mean. You can write a story where characters spend three days together or see each other across a ballroom and are suddenly madly in love and willing to burn everything down but that’s just not the way this story is written, so it all comes off as very sudden.

OMG, Tella was 16 during this book. I know this is YA, but I always thought they were like 18/19 or 19/20. She actually reads older, which is rare for YA, but… still.

Stars: Honestly, I don’t know 3.5 stars. But I kind of want to go back to the first one and retroactively give that one 4 stars. See, this is why I rarely rate on Goodreads.

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Legendary Chapter 31 of 43. Night three of Caraval. What should have been night four of Caraval.

What happened: We found out that the girls’ mother was a famous thief who stole the sort of Tarot cards where the Fates were hidden and imprisoned, and that is basically the “why” of this whole story. Then Tella fought some Fates and was helped by Dante, who called Julien his brother, making her think he might be Legend. After that, she went to have dinner with the Empress and Jacks and found out more about how awful the Fates are and how bad the world was when they ruled. Oh and Scarlett is hiding something.

What I think so far: I think this was my least favourite block of reading so far, mostly because it felt a bit like filler. It felt like the characters were just telling me information I already knew or had already deduced, so I was mostly reading and hoping we could get back to the plot and get this thing solved. Still, it was pretty fun. I love the writing in these books it is so magical and atmospheric. Just brilliant!

Positive points:

The fact that Scarlett has some sort of secret is making me very pleased, as I am hoping we are trying to find a way to give her a bit more agency.

Tella is still pretty great. The scene where she is fighting the Fates was amazing, and it really made me feel her character.

Jacks is really fun to read. I love every scene he is in. I think it’s because, in opposition to Dante and Julien, I am able to look at him through the anti-hero and villain perspective instead of the romantic-interest one, and I find him interesting.

Negative points:

Look, I know that struggling with romance in books is kind of becoming my thing, and I promise I like romance. But just… Tella and Dante also aren’t doing a lot for me. A bit more than Scarlett and Julien, sure, but still… I think we could make this better.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Legendary Chapter 22 of 43. Night one of Caraval. Night two of Caraval.

What happened: So Caraval officially began, and this time the actors are saying it’s real. The game is about the Fates and whether or not they are coming back to Earth. In other important news, Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, is one of the Fates. He is also the heir of the kingdom, the person who has been helping Tella, and the noble guy we met previously. Also, I know he is part of the Once Upon a Broken Heart series (I think), so he must be really important. Scarlett and Julien are fighting, thank God. Scarlett is hiding something.

What I thought: Amazing! Loving it! I am liking this one even more than the first one. I am having a great time running around with Tella amid gods and immortals.

Positive points:

Love the city, love the temple part, love every single description.

I like Tella as a main character more than Scarlett! Oops can’t believe it either, but it’s true! Tella is great.

Thank God we are actually starting to see how much what happened in the last book affected Scarlett, and how strange her relationship with Julien is when he can’t tell her anything.

Negative points:

I don’t need romance in my stories, but if we are going to do romance, then it needs to be well done. I couldn’t feel the Scarlett/Julien thing for nearly all of the last book, and there’s still nothing for them in this book. If they end up together, then I am going to need some very, very good scenes with explanations and apologies.

Also not feeling Tella and Dante too much. More than Julien and Scarlett, because Tella feels less naïve and so Dante feels less manipulative, lol—but still not my favourite. So I worry about the romances. If no one ends up together, then problem solved. But if they do…

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Chapter 11 of 43. Seven Years Ago. Isla de los Sueños. The Meridian Empire’s capital city, Valenda.

What happened: So we start off right where we ended last time. The news is that there is going to be a new Caraval game in homage to the Empress’s 75th birthday. Tella, who is our new main character, is going to have to play because she needs to offer Legend’s name as payment to the person who gave her the possibility of getting Legend’s attention. She finds out that, who Legend really is, will be revealed as a prize at the end of the game. Scarlett decides to play because Stockholm syndrome. Oh, and also the fiancé from the last book was an actor. Yeah that guy who assaulted her! Fun times!! Maybe their father was also an actor all her life. And yes, he abused her, but it was for her own good and also for magic, so it’s fine.

What did I think: These books are just so, so much fun to read. I get so invested in them as soon as the story starts. Who is who? What is real? I really love the mystery of the story! Having a fun time right now!

Positive points:

Magic! Bargains! Mystery! Everything I liked about the first book is back here, and it still gets to me. The whole atmosphere of Caraval is amazing, and the writing is so atmospheric. Love it!

I am a world-building lover. I am really interested in the history of this kingdom and the history of these old Fates, who they say are like gods. Also, in Once Upon a Broken Heart, I know there will be a Fate who is like a male broken-heart king or whatever. I am connecting the dots here, guys.

I like Tella! I am so pleased, because this was one of my biggest fears going into this book, but she is great. A bit selfish, sure, but I understand her way better than Scarlett. Her motivations feel a lot more clear and human to me.

Negative points:

I feel so bad for Scarlett like, poor girl. I wasn’t kidding when I said the best thing for her would be to get the hell away from every single one of these people forever. Julien is just… ugh. Keeping the thing with her fiancé a secret is just so dirty. The way these people are always going around her, supposedly to help her, reads more like control than help.

Can Scarlett break up with Julien and get back with her ex-fiancé, who still hasn’t shown up?? Because I am so over their weird relationship that it’s not even funny!!

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

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Where I am: Chapter 43 of 43. Night five of Caraval. Day after Caraval. Epilogue.

What happened: So… we found out that this was a very elaborate setup to get the girls away from their island and their father. Legend and the missing sister, Tella, were also exchanging letters and prepared this whole thing together. Julien is not Legend, but he is Legend’s brother and was under an enchantment that stopped him from revealing the truth. The plan works: their father goes away after Tella jumps from a balcony and then Scarlett uses her wish to bring her back. Everyone else who “dies” wasn’t really dead, because all the actors who die in the game don’t actually die. Legend’s appearance was really just an actor, so the real Legend is still a mystery. Also, he did have a thing for their grandmother, but apparently not a curse-on-your-lineage level kind of thing.

What did I think: I quite liked this book. In true fashion, the ending wasn’t my favourite ever, but all in all I did have a good time reading it and was very involved in the mystery.

Positive points:

The mystery and atmosphere of this book were quite good. I had a lot of fun running around the carnival trying to solve the clues and buying magical items from street sellers.

It didn’t end on a cliffhanger!!! Thank you!! Each book in a series should have its own conclusion! I liked that we had answers for nearly everything that happened.

Negative points:

I didn’t really feel Tella and Scarlett’s relationship as much as I was repeatedly told they really cared about each other. And Julien and Scarlett’s romance still wasn’t the most convincing thing ever.

Okay, now… what the hell?? Am I the only one who thinks Scarlett forgives and forgets this whole thing extraordinarily fast??? I mean, to call this whole thing cruel is like calling torture an extreme interrogation. It was completely beyond even cruel. Like, if this happened in the real world, Scarlett would need years and years of intense therapy. Let’s recap what they put her through: she had to find her sister, whom she believed was kidnapped by a lunatic, while her abusive father hunted her and her weird fiancé, the Count, tried to force himself on her; then she watched as her kind-of-maybe boyfriend was murdered, only to arrive just in time to watch her sister throw herself off a balcony and splatter on the ground… These are not forgivable offenses. Especially her sister, who kind of helped plan this whole thing. I would have been on the first boat as far away from there as possible and alone, not with a crazy sister!!! Like, seriously?? Am I taking it too seriously? Because I found her reaction to the whole thing bizarre!!!

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars)

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Where I am: Chapter 34 of 43. Day four of Caraval and night four of Caraval.

What happened: So her father and her fiancé, the Count, show up and prove to be horrid as usual. She finally meets Legend, who turns out to be just some guy. After going back and forth on whether Julien was good or bad, I think the final answer is that he is good. He was working with Legend, but only because he was under an enchantment, I think. Still unsure, maybe he will be bad again by the end, who knows! But right now, he is dead…

What I think so far: Still really liking it!! Very, very much! Afraid of going into this finale… Please be good! Please be good!

Positive points:

Okay, now I am starting to get slightly more into Julien and Scarlett. Shouldn’t have taken 3/4 of the book, but still they are starting to make me feel fuzzy.

This book was really good at catching my attention and not letting it go. The chapters go by very fast, and there are plenty of moments that end on cliffhangers. It is honestly quite well executed in keeping your attention.

I still adore the atmosphere of this book. It is absolutely amazing.

Negative points:

I was a bit disappointed by the Legend reveal. I was hoping for something more after we spent all this time building him up, but he was just some mad guy. There is still time, though, so I am holding on.

I am getting really anxious about the finale. I hope it ends well. I am not really a fan of cliffhanger endings I think books in a series should have their own conclusion.

I think she should stop going on and on about her sister. Saving your sister, you love your sister, I got it! Thank you! Stop reminding me of that every page!

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

Note: Check out previous reactions here. Feel free to comment, reblog, like and talk to be about books whenever!

Where I am: Chapter 21 of 43 (Night One of Caraval and Night Two of Caraval). What happened:

Omg, this part ended in a cliffhanger so big!!!!! So, where to begin. Tella is missing, and that is part of the game but this game may be dangerous, and she may or may not be in actual danger. To win the game, we have to find Tella, who is also with Legend, the master who created this whole game. We go through some chapters where we just follow Scarlett searching for clues with the help of Julian, but then in this chapter we have so many revelations.

So, the sisters' grandmother is probably the woman that Legend was in love with in the legend of the creation of Caraval, maybe. Then Dante's fiancée was the woman who died a couple of years back in the last game, after cheating on him with Legend, and he wants revenge. And thirdly, Legend may be Julian. It said it was, but I am still holding my judgement until the next chapter.

What I think so far: I am very, very invested in this story right now!!!! I am liking it!

Positive points:

The whole atmosphere of the game where you have all these shops and you can buy things that cost bargains like giving your greatest fear or two days of your life is brilliant, incredible!

I adore the way this whole book makes you feel as if you are in a fairy tale with circus vibes. It is very different. The way colors and smells are always being mentioned is very atmospheric.

I am really into this mystery thing. I want to know who Legend is and what he wants and why he wants it. And what Dante intends to do. And how the magic works exactly.

Negative points:

Still not very convinced on the Scarlett/Julian pairing. It is not awful, but it is starting to feel a bit insta-lovey. They’ve known each other for a couple of days. Like, I know that they have been on adventures and whatever, but their feelings are changing a bit too fast for my liking.

Because I am so involved in the mystery, I am starting to fear the lack of conclusion by the end of the book. I would like to know what exactly the purpose of this game is, and why Legend decided to invite them this year in specific. This does feel like it might lead to a very unsatisfying final if not handled properly.

Stars: 4 stars.