Challenge Corner discussion

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.

17%
(view spoiler)[I’m SO glad I decided to reread this! I forgot how much I love this idea and story. I’m already sure there are so many details I’ve forgotten. And boy I forgot how naive Scarlett is!! (hide spoiler)]

40%
(view spoiler)[I had forgotten all the weird costs of things and how you never know if what you’re paying is going to come back to haunt you! (hide spoiler)]

55%
(view spoiler)[So intense—Scarlett’s dream where she sees Julian as Legend. I remember how I felt the first time reading this twist and now reading it this time knowing what happens later is a whole different feeling! (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I am SO happy with this reread, I loved it just as much this time around as the first time! Plus I had forgotten so many details so this will makes jumping into Legendary so much better. (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 1-17
(view spoiler)[This is already so mysterious. I’m so untrusting, having read book one. I have no idea what’s the game and what’s real. The idea of the fates is so interesting.
I’m loving Tella/Dante and I do think he truly cares about her...but some of him being around could be game related too. I really want them to end up together!
I hate Jacks, he’s horribly evil! What he’s done to Tella, and especially their mom, is so terrible. I hope she finds a way to get some help because so far on her own I just feel like she’s falling into too many traps :/ I wish she could find a way to tell Dante where Jacks didn’t find out.
Also, Scarlett and Julian better make it! I wasn’t even worried about them but already there’s problems! :/ (hide spoiler)]

Ch.18-26
(view spoiler)[Whaaaaat?!?! Is Dante really Legend? Id been starting to suspect that but now that he called Julian brother?!?!?! I feel like he really is. I also feel like he’s lying and he really does care about Tella, not just the cards. Or at least I hope he does.
I suspected it just a little before when he said he’d never wanted to be someone else until the dance floor...I loved that little bit where Tella admitted she’s wanted to make him jealous and he admitted it worked. (hide spoiler)]

Ch.27-36
(view spoiler)[Wow. I have no idea what to believe or who to trust. I need to know what’s up with Scarlett. I also want to know is Dante really Legend? I hope he and Scarlett work our they’re so good together!! I still don’t like Jacks and I think it’s a terrible plan for Scarlett to give Legend over your him. He will totally free all the dates and evil will run rampant!
I’m intrigued by Elantine and want to know what she knows about Paradise. I don’t really care much for her and don’t feel Tella should ruin the world just to free her mom who seems not so great, but I also know there’s more behind that story... (hide spoiler)]

Ch.37 & 38
(view spoiler)[I’m so frustrated with how Tella seems with how easily she disregards everything in deciding to hand Legend over to evil Jacks to save her mother. To save her mother, who has not been present in her life forever, she is willing to have all the evil fates released! I feel like she doesn’t think about the fact that as soon as her mother is back, the fates could start killing everyone and she’d lose her mother anyway!
This whole storyline makes me dislike her mother just because that’s the only reason she’d make this choice. There has to be a loophole and I don’t know why she’s not trying to figure that out instead.
Or the way Elantine said legend had helped her so much...maybe she has no idea the reason legend wants the cards. Or maybe there’s a way to get her mother out but destroy the real deck not the extra card. It’s quite likely Jacks was lying about that part.
It’s just so frustrating how single minded she’s being. (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting Legendary tomorrow. How are you liking it so far? (I'm afraid to open the spoilers haha).

Don’t open them!! Wait til you get where I am when I wrote them lol.

I’m liking it a lot. I like how it’s from Tella’s perspective this time but we get some same characters and we learn more about characters we didn’t get much about in Caraval!

I’m almost done and I’m already knowing I’ll need to read Finale very soon!! There’s no way everything will wrap up in the amount of pages I have left lol

I am starting Legendary now. Excited to get started and read your spoilers when I get to those chapters.

Finished
(view spoiler)[Okay, so Tella was less selfless in the end. I loved that she chose to save both her mother and Dante/Legend. I want to know what Dante promised in his deal. I wonder if it was to pose as the lost heir? It had to be why he walked away from Tella so abruptly. I really feel like she’s naive sometimes—it’s clear he does care about her and something is up, and she KNOWS he had to sacrifice something to get her into that vault.

I’m not happy Scarlett is going to let the count into her life. Does she forget her evil dad set that up??? And I love her and Julian! I hope they make it. And I love Dante/Legend and Tella just as much!

I’m worrried what problems Jacks and the other fates will stir up tho. And also what Paradise will be like when she wakes up! (hide spoiler)]

21% (view spoiler)[ The game is takin so long to start lol (hide spoiler)]

20% (view spoiler)[ I'm liking Tella's POV in this book. Although the irrational younger sister, I like her storyline quite a bit. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Kim wrote: "

20% I'm liking Tella's POV in this book. Although the irrational younger sister, I like her storyline quite a bit."

🙈🙈 rmb to put in spoiler tag bcuz I am still on first book hehe

Agh I’m so sorry!! Literally I am the worst!!

32% (view spoiler)[ Ok its getting more and more mysterious. Where have Tella gone (hide spoiler)]

58% (view spoiler)[ uh oh Scarlett dad is here (hide spoiler)]

78% (view spoiler)[ Finally we meet Legend or is it really Legend himself? (hide spoiler)]

Epilogue (view spoiler)[ Tella oh Tella what have u gotten yourself into (hide spoiler)]

27% (view spoiler)[ well that is definitely not a twist i saw coming! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

40% (view spoiler)[ either i'm in a reading rut or this book isn't moving as fast as the first one. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ second half of the book was so much better than the first. i think it's the search for clues that really pulls me in. the blossoming relationship too haha. can't wait for the third book! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

It’s fun reading all the comments as you guys go along!!
I have a few books to catch up on but I really want to read Finale asap

I’ve been reading the comments too! I think I’ll be starting Finale early next week. I’m still catching up on some of my other June BR haha.

7% (view spoiler)[ Tella's mysterious friend. hmm this is getting interesting (hide spoiler)]

27% (view spoiler)[ I actually prefer reading about Scarlett rather than Tella and this caraval is takin damn long to start (hide spoiler)]

63% (view spoiler)[ Could it be that their mother is actually one of the Fates (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Legend/Dante is such a snake. Why is it so easily for him to pose as anything and trick everyone. Why didn't the queen just expose him? I think he killed or poison the queen
to take the throne.

AHHHHH can't wait to find out what happened next (hide spoiler)]

And I have a question . I am getting confused
(view spoiler)[ So the person who invited Scarlett to Caraval is Legend himself?

Who is the one Tella wrote to about wanting an out for her and Scarlett? Jax or Legend?

Or is it Scarlett wrote to Jax then Jax make Legend invite Scarlett and Tella there? (hide spoiler)]

36% (view spoiler)[ I like that this story goes further into the fates and doesn't skip into a new "game." (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Attack Salmon wrote: "

Finished Legend/Dante is such a snake. Why is it so easily for him to pose as anything and trick everyone. Why didn't the queen just expose him? I think he killed o..."

(view spoiler)[ Scarlett started writing to Legend as a child.
Tella and Legend were writing about attending Caravel.
Tella wrote to Jax to find her mother.

Does this help? Or did I miss a part? Haha (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

61% (view spoiler)[ loving this love triangle slash battle for fella (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

78% (view spoiler)[ I loved and was also saddened by the scene in Legend’s bedroom but glad it happened. As for the rest, I get this is supposed to be a build up but things are moving a touch slow right now. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

100% i could reread this series and still be taken away by the magic and the characters. loved it!

16% (view spoiler)[ another new caraval game.
Find Paloma (hide spoiler)]

47% (view spoiler)[ story is ok but I am not really into it. I have a feeling Legend will come out alive (hide spoiler)]

88% (view spoiler)[Scarlett is such a bitch. Snapping at everyone (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[What a naughty Tella send to Legend. So typically Tella (hide spoiler)]

Ch.1-6
(view spoiler)[So happy to be getting to this one! I need to know what Fante/Legend is up to. I was so sure he truly loved Tella so I think there’s something behind why he’s being so distant with her all the sudden...

Also I’m not excited the count is going to come into this book :/ (hide spoiler)]

40% (at the start of The Middle’)
(view spoiler)[Wow. There is so much going on in this book and I love some and hate some! I love Scarlett choosing Julian and having no feelings for Nicolas, and her deciding not being drawn out a ton after meeting him. I’m super panicked now that her dad has had her kidnapped :/ I also think the fears she was realizing of meeting him alone on a boat were a little too late, but at least she finally started coming to her senses...

...I cannot say the same for Tella. I so often want to hit her upside the head because she makes such stupid careless choices! I cannot believe she keeps going back to Jacks for things and risking deals and prices with no thought whatsoever. He is a fate just like the others—bad news. He just happens to be obsessed with her and she’s so easy to play.
I was very disappointed in Dante/Legend wanting to make Tella immortal—I truly thought he was going to tell her he loved her and wasn’t afraid to become mortal if that’s what it took to love her :/

Also, I feel like the whole Paradise/Paloma story was kinda stupid when she just died super pointlessly like that. I was looking forward to her becoming Paradise and being badass.

I’m stressed to see what happens next.... (hide spoiler)]

88%
(view spoiler)[Ugh. Jax disgusts me. I don’t want to read about anything Tella does while he’s controlling her emotions. I really wish she wouldn’t always be so stupid and just believe that’s the only way. :/

Everything that’s going on now is so bad! I’m really hoping this doesn’t end badly—so nervous!! (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING MAY 27TH, 2022

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Starting sometime this week. Just finishing up two other books first.

Starting this week as well :)

Finished Caraval and posting comments tomorrow!

Okay, I've finally started!

First section - The Isle of Trisda

(view spoiler)[

Gosh, the girls are both so naive! Some of the description is... I dunno, a bit, OTT? Everything is very vivid colours: the sea is sparkling turquoise, the clouds are 'baked bronze', the roses are 'bloodred', hair is 'honey-blond', 'sunset-orange smoke', 'magical white', 'swirls of pink and turquoise' waves' , 'brassy clouds started to tarnish, turning shades of green and chilly blue,,,' etc

It's just rather overwritten in my opinion? Anyway, hopefully I'll stop noticing that and just be able to get into the story - at the moment it's a bit of a barrier. (hide spoiler)]

I'm getting used to the purple prose so it isn't annoying me anymore lol - not as much as when I wrote bits of this commentary. But this is one seriously overwritten book!

The Night of Caravel Eve

(view spoiler)[

Interesting that Julian has played before... no idea whether to trust him! He's definitely hiding things from Scarlett, but I'm glad she let him in. I feel like he would have found another way in otherwise...

Dante and Valentina seem interesting - they're gonna come back up I'm sure!

The description is just so flowery! Aargh!

(hide spoiler)]

Night One of Caravel
(view spoiler)[
I like the clue sheet - and how it can be interpreted in multiple ways, which I think will be key. I'm guessing the final thing (ie finding Donatella) is the same for everyone, but there's multiple ways of getting to the same end.

I'm liking unicycle/boat girl - hope she keeps coming up :)
Castle Maldito - knowing Tella gives Scarlett a big advantage!

Julian's definitely hiding something - how did he get back in after sunrise??

(hide spoiler)]

Night Two of Caravel
(view spoiler)[
I like Aiko - Scarlett should have some fun; she's so melodramatic about everything! And after being told her fiance is a bad man, she's still determined to get back in time for him? Silly girl. She hasn't thought this all through

The colour bleaching thing was a cool way of getting a clue. Shame about the dress - I liked the dress showing her moods lol. Suitably dramatic for scarlett! She's a bit annoying in her prissiness; she should have tried to be honest rather than just assuming it wasn't working when the scales said finding Tella wasn't her true desire.

And now she's died! Fun times - I was hoping it would get a bit darker. Julian taking one of her days is very chivalrous - but he's doing it for himself I'm sure. And the history with Dante and his fiance is intriguing... Scarlett was pretty dumb to assume Julian was the one with the black heart - it's a big place! Why would it be the guy she came in with?

I wonder whether the stuff about the girls' grandmother's experiences are at all relevant or they're just part of the storytelling? I think I've got the idea that her grandma was into purple by now... (hide spoiler)]

Day Four of Caravel

I can legitimately call it purple prose now as Scarlett has said she is actually seeing colours as emotions! I guess it's the emotive version of synesthesia which is quite cool, but I still feel like it's overdone. Sorry I keep going on about it!

(view spoiler)[
I'm glad she seems to be finally giving up on the idea of Julian being Legend - if that had been the case I'd be disappointed because it doesn't all fit in. Interesting that her grandmother looks like she was Annalise! I thought she had a role to play.

The day went super quick - and they didn't sleep at all so won't they be knackered? Sorry, I'm quite a practical reader lol. I know it's magic and time works differently but you still need sleep!

I don't think that will be the last we see of Dante - I don't think he's really dead. He's too interesting a character! And despite their whole 'connection', Julian is still not being totally straight with Scarlett.

I'm not convinced by her theory for the fifth clue tbh...

(hide spoiler)]

Night Four of Caravel
(view spoiler)[
I've got confused with days and nights lol. I think I must've missed Day five? Because the next section is Night Five and they were outside - against the rules, shock! horror! - seeing Caraval in a different light. Ah well.

WELL. Lots is happening! Julian will definitely not stay dead (and I still think Dante is lurking around somewhere). He's morally grey but he's overall a bit too nice for my liking ;)

(I forgot to say before about her dad being there - I thought it was a hallucination to start with but definitely not. How did he get there partway through? Her fiancee seems to have been there from the beginning but there's no way her dad could have got in on time so...?

Leap of faith off the balcony. Nice one. A lot to wrap up in not much time now! (hide spoiler)]

Night Five of Caraval and to End (I've spelt Caraval wrong until now - oops!)
(view spoiler)[
Some quite satisfying twists and turns at the end there, although I don't really think that Scarlett was in love with Julian even though that's what she claimed.

I don't understand why Tella left a note for her father saying where they had gone - what for? And he would have had to got there SUPER fast in order to be let in, considering Scarlett and Julian cut it very fine...

A goodish read, although a little frustrating. Tella is more annoying than Scarlett (if that's possible)! I'm not sure the characterisation felt terribly consistent to be honest; I know people can change over time, but some of their changes just seemed too fast to work.

Nicely set up for book two - I'd completely forgotten about their mother actually! It can't be in Caraval itself because that's only once a year, but I'm sure we'll be returning to some familiar faces. I think there's more going on with Dante - he's interesting.

Overall, okay, despite my irritations. (hide spoiler)]

24% (view spoiler)[ What DOES happen to people who don't find shelter at night? Part of me wants to think they're out of the game or maybe the game turns sinister during the day. (hide spoiler)]

51% (view spoiler)[I feel awful but I laughed when her wasn't enough about what she desired. Scarlett clearly loves Tella but I think she failed to look at what her "greatest" desire truly is. Finding Tella won't guarantee them a happy or safe life. Kind of sad. (hide spoiler)]

Elizabeth wrote: "24% [spoilers removed]

51% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I kind of thought it was funny/sad as well tbh. She's not a very self-aware character. (hide spoiler)]

Ellen-Arwen wrote: "Day Four of Caravel

I can legitimately call it purple prose now as Scarlett has said she is actually seeing colours as emotions! I guess it's the emotive version of synesthesia which is quite cool..."

I think I could handle the purple prose because I was listening to the audiobook and the narrator was great. But yeah, it is quite heavy-handed.

68% (view spoiler)[ Julian is definitely hiding something and while I do like him, I understand why Scarlett is still quite focused on potentially still keeping her engagement as her way to escape her father. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ So it's not funny exactly but I laughed at the irony of Scarlett playing a game to find her sister but her sister planning the game to save them both. lol I can definitely see why so many people enjoy this series. It's very whimsical but speaks a lot on the bonds between family/love. (hide spoiler)]

Finished Legendary and Finale and posting those comments soon!

I'm behind - I've got Throne of Glass, Villains and City of Daevabad (sp??) series on the go as well as arcs - aaargh! I really want to finish before travelling though so I'll do m y best to keep up!