A magical world, past and present intertwines, what’s true and what’s a trick to the eye?

Before I share my thoughts on this novel, I believe it’s important for readers to form their own opinions about the novel and decide whether they would like to read it.

Without further ado, let’s dive in, shall we?

Contents:

1. Synopsis

2. Would I Enjoy Reading It?

3. Is the Novel Worth Reading?

4. Notable Aspects of the Novel

5. Series Reading Order

6. My Opinions

Synopsis:

In this gripping tale, sisters Scarlet and Tella find themselves trapped on an isolated island under the suffocating grip of their controlling father. Desperate to break free from his tyranny and explore the wonders beyond their confines, both sisters harbour dreams of attending the fabled Caraval, rumoured to be imbued with enchantment.

Against all odds, they seize an opportunity to escape to the Caraval. However, their joyous adventure takes a sinister turn when Tella mysteriously disappears, snatched away into the shadows. Fuelled by love and determination, Scarlet embarks on a relentless quest to rescue her sister, only to discover that the perilous game they’re entangled in is far more complex than she ever imagined.

As layers of deception unravel, unveiling long-held secrets and hidden identities, Scarlet delves deeper into a labyrinth of mysteries, where the past intertwines with the present in unexpected ways.

Would I Enjoy Reading It?

I would recommend this series for you if you’re interested in reading about:

• Fantasy 
• Magic 
• Mysteries 
• Adventure 

I would recommend this series for you if you liked the following novels:

• The Inheritance Games (if you don’t like fantasy then I wouldn’t recommend it to you)

Is the Novel Worth Reading?

Let’s hear from you first. If you found yourself saying “yes” to all or the majority of the above, buckle up and get ready for an unforgettable ride!

Personally, I think that the novel would have been a nice read if I didn’t read “Once Upon a Broken Heart” series prior.

Notable Aspects of the Novel:

Speed: Medium Paced (turned fast paced at the end)

Spice: None

Rating: 4⭐️ (My personal rating)

Caraval is apart of a series.

Series Reading Order:

• #1 Caraval
• #2 Legendary
• #3 Finale
• #4 Spectacular (Coming out October 2024!)

After the “Caraval” series, Stephanie Garber wrote another series that takes place in the same world, there is some over lapping in the time line as well. The next series is the “Once Upon a Broken Heart” (OUABH) series, you can check out my review here, (I do have to warn you not to read it before “Caraval” though. In the OUABH review I go over the reading order of both series.

My Opinion:

Good news or bad news first? I personally like to begin with bad news, in other words, what I disliked about the novel.

What I disliked

• I felt like it was missing just a bit more romance, so for any romance readers, I feel like this novel may disappoint you in that department, however, I have mentioned I once and I will mention it again: It may be because I read OUABH first (cough cough Jacks 😉)
• It also felt to me like the novel was drawn out at the beginning, in the sense that it wasn’t slow but there was a lot of filler scenes, if that makes sense. (I hope it makes sense).
• The ending, to me, after reading the “Inheritance Games”, did not provide the satisfaction of a mystery solved. It also felt like the novel could have been a standalone as I wasn’t extremely excited to get my hands on the next novel in the instalment.

What I liked:

Ok, now with the bad news gone, let’s hear the good stuff.

• The world building truly made it a captivating read, along with the character descriptions. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel.
• I think that it is a lovely novel for pre-teens to read or a novel for a beginner into the world of magic and fantasy.
• I did enjoy the excitement of the adventures and the constant suspicions of the characters and trying to decipher the mystery woven into the plot.

At last, “Caraval” is a magical world where past and present intertwines, what’s true and what’s a trick to the eye are the greatest mysteries. I hope this blog post helped you figure out your next course of action, be it to read the novel “Caraval” or explore other literacy reads.

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