Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval (Caraval, #1)

by Stephanie Garber

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems...

'If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a dream, here's your ticket' - Stacey Lee

Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.

Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.

A mesmerising, magical and stunningly imaginative debut novel for anyone who loved The Night Circus.

Reviewed by Hilarye on

5 of 5 stars

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This was a “stay up until 4am because I couldn’t put it down” book. I absolutely loved it! Think Cirque du Soleil meets “The Night Circus” with a splash of “Alice in Wonderland”; but make it dark & a little twisted. UGH!!! So, so, so, so good!

I didn’t know this series was a prequel to the “Once Upon a Broken Heart” series. I started to tuck into OUABH, and something made me stop 2 pages in & look online to see if I should read Caraval first. Everything I could find (while avoiding spoilers) said yes, read Caravel first, but it wasn’t 100% necessary. There were some characters in common, Caravel would help you understand the magic better, but the biggest reason I saw was that reading OUABH first would spoil the ending of the Caraval series. So, I stopped OUABH, started Caraval, & boy am I glad I did. So much magical, romantic, WHAT IS GOING ON, goodness.

I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 January, 2024: Finished reading
  • 11 January, 2024: Reviewed