Stephanie Garber’s Caraval Universe

Imagine a dangerous and magical game where you can’t tell the difference between illusion and reality. That is the foundation for the Caraval universe in a nutshell. New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber has created a whimsical world of magic that reels you in right from the first line.

“It took seven years to get the letter right.” – Caraval

There are currently four books that take place in this universe, starting with the main Caraval trilogy. The first book, Caraval introduces the readers to the book’s fantasy world and the two main protagonists, sisters Scarlett and Tella Dragna. The two sisters live with their strict and abusive father on a small island, which neither sister has ever seen beyond. Growing up, they’ve heard stories of the legendary, annual travelling game known as Caraval, and have always dreamt of seeing it with their own eyes. Hopeful, Scarlett writes letters to the game’s master, a mysterious man known simply as Legend. After years of sending letters, Legend finally responds with an invitation and tickets to the game. With the help of a sailor, the sisters escape to another island, where Caraval is taking place. Upon reaching the island, Tella goes missing and Scarlett finds out that she’s been kidnapped by Legend. It so happens that the objective of this year’s Caraval is to find Tella and the grand prize is one wish. Scarlett, being the older protective sister, has always led with rational thinking and logic, and has never been one to take risks or do anything spontaneously. Now, with the possibility of Tella’s life at risk, Scarlett is forced out of her comfort zone. Like all Caraval players, Scarlett is warned upon entering, to remember that it’s all a game and not to get too swept away. This book follows Scarlett through an enchanting game of magic, and danger. Stephanie Garber did such an incredible job with the world-building and character development, that I admittedly got far too swept away in. The magical elements and plot twists are brilliant. This first book in the trilogy is from Scarlett’s POV and by the end of it, I felt like I could be her, she was just so relatable. The second book, titled Legendary, is told from Tella’s POV and I’m being completely honest when I say, this is currently the best book I have ever read. Being an avid reader, I’ve read hundreds of books and have high expectations, and Legendary, exceeded them all. Tella provides a fresh new perspective with her optimism and spontaneity. Legendary revolves around a debt Tella has to repay involving Legend himself, and we have some new characters introduced as well as the whole idea of the Fates (magical and dangerous beings). Caraval and Legendaryboth take place over the course of a game of Caraval. The third book in the trilogy, Finale, follows a different storyline than the first 2 and has a dual POV, alternating between the sisters Scarlett and Tella. 

I loved the fact that while this trilogy had both magical and whirlwind romances, it focused heavily on the bond between sisters. Scarlett and Tella have an incredibly strong bond that propels the events of the story and plays a major role in their character development.

As much as I adored the two sisters, my favourite character from this universe, is the wonderfully wicked Prince of Hearts, otherwise known as Jacks. Jacks is a Fate with the ability to control emotions in addition to his deadly kiss. He’s got this sarcastic and dark humour which makes his character delightful to read. As cruel as he is at times, I absolutely love him and wish he had a better ending in Finale. Luckily, to my relief and satisfaction, the amazing Stephanie Garber released the first book in a spinoff series last September. 

The spinoff takes place in the same universe as the original trilogy, but in a different part of the world, called the Magnificent North. It partially overlaps with the events of Finale and can be read without having read the original trilogy, however, it does contain a few spoilers for the Caraval trilogy, so beware of that! The first book in the new series, Once Upon a Broken Heart, follows a new protagonist, Evangeline Fox. After finding out that the boy she loves is going to wed her stepsister, Evangeline, in desperation, seeks out the Prince of Hearts’s church. Knowing well that bargaining with Fates is a terrible idea, she goes ahead and makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts. In this spinoff series, Jacks is a main character alongside Evangeline, which makes a Jacks fanatic like myself, overjoyed. I read this book right when it came out and honestly, I was not disappointed. It was a magnificent book and I read it in one sitting. Being a morally grey character, Jacks was (as usual) an unpredictable, witty, angelic devil. The protagonist, Evangeline Fox had a wonderful personality and was super relatable and clever. The chemistry between the characters in this novel was flawless. I am desperately waiting for the second book The Ballad of Never After to be released this fall because I need more of the Prince of Hearts and his wicked humour. 

As someone who isn’t much of a fantasy reader and hadn’t read any fantasy books since Harry Potter, Stephanie Garber’s Caraval universe drew me into this genre and I am totally addicted to this world’s bewitching plotline and unforgettable characters.