Caraval

By Stephanie Garber (2016)

Here comes another mixed-feeling review.

Let’s start with what drew me to it initially. I love fantasy. I love anything with magic, and a new, atmospheric world. This book (seemingly) ticked all of those boxes.

Once a year, a magical performance comes to town - and the audience get to participate. The problem for Scarlett Dragna is that these shows are invite only. Scarlett believes that her dream of seeing Caraval are over when her rotten father declares that she is engaged to be married to someone she has never met. But, Scarlett’s luck changes, when an invitation to Caraval arrives, for her and her sister, Tella. When they arrive on the island, Tella is kidnapped, and it is revealed that the objective of this year’s game is for the players to find her. 

Despite being assured that what happens during Caraval is a performance, Scarlett becomes tangled in a web of romance, magic, and secrets. Scarlett must find her sister before the five-night game is over, and Tella is lost forever. 

High stakes, tick. Romance, tick. Magic, tick. The story of this book really has it all. The writing, however, left a bit to be desired. I struggled a bit with Garber’s style; it felt slightly clunky, perhaps because she is heavy-handed when it comes to metaphors and similes, which break the flow of the writing. In a few instances, descriptions felt overwritten; it felt as though Garber was being overly descriptive (i.e. using three adjectives instead of one) to keep her writing exciting.

The plot itself was gripping, and the story carried itself all the way through. The magic used in the book was not very well developed, however, so if you’re looking for 'high fantasy’, this is not it. Using “I don’t know” as an explanation for what happened is not a good look. But, Garber’s world-building made the book feel unique, and the stakes certainly feel high.

If you’re after an easygoing magical read, this one is for you. But if you’re looking for well-developed fantasy, maybe give it a miss!