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Caraval #3.5
Спектакъл
Празнична новела от света на „Каравал“!
Добре дошли в завладяващия свят на Каравала! Потопете се пак в легендарната му магия и фантастични чудеса със „Спектакъл“ - прекрасно илюстрирана празнична книга.
Падат снежинки. Пристигат покани. Празнично вълшебство е обзело столицата на Меридианната империя.
Една невероятна и специална вечер. Скарлет Драгна планира грандиозно тържество за града. Донатела пък търси съвършения подарък. Джулиан изглежда смайващо красив в зелено. А Легендата...
Е, истината е, че Легендата не обича Големия празник. Тела все пак таи надежда, че един идеален подарък ще промени мнението му. За нещастие, все още не е успяла да го намери. Днес обаче е Навечерието на Празничната нощ... определено във въздуха витае магия.
Добре дошли, добре дошли отново в света на Каравала, където дори празниците не са такива, каквито изглеждат.
Добре дошли в завладяващия свят на Каравала! Потопете се пак в легендарната му магия и фантастични чудеса със „Спектакъл“ - прекрасно илюстрирана празнична книга.
Падат снежинки. Пристигат покани. Празнично вълшебство е обзело столицата на Меридианната империя.
Една невероятна и специална вечер. Скарлет Драгна планира грандиозно тържество за града. Донатела пък търси съвършения подарък. Джулиан изглежда смайващо красив в зелено. А Легендата...
Е, истината е, че Легендата не обича Големия празник. Тела все пак таи надежда, че един идеален подарък ще промени мнението му. За нещастие, все още не е успяла да го намери. Днес обаче е Навечерието на Празничната нощ... определено във въздуха витае магия.
Добре дошли, добре дошли отново в света на Каравала, където дори празниците не са такива, каквито изглеждат.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2024
1653 people are currently reading
116715 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Garber
23 books78.5k followersStephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Alchemy of Secrets is her debut novel for adults and will be published around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,541 reviews
December 30, 2024
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 5 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
No Jacks in this one besties, but plenty of Tella and Legend. Sorry to disappoint if you're looking for a lot of ScarJulian.
I love Tella and Legend more anyway lol so this worked out fine for me. Hoping for a crossover next Stephaniieeee. 🙏😍
I love Christmas, it's so freaking magical - add this world with all of it's whimsy and sparkling magic-ness - perfect. Loved every second of it!
‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
If Jacks doesn't get at least a cameo, we riot 🔪🍏💗🤭 I'll hold off on the rioting for now lol.
Snowflakes, holiday magic and just magic in general? Omg stfu, I'm so obsessed with this universe. Can it even get any better?! A Christmas Spectacular?! 😭
No Jacks in this one besties, but plenty of Tella and Legend. Sorry to disappoint if you're looking for a lot of ScarJulian.
I love Tella and Legend more anyway lol so this worked out fine for me. Hoping for a crossover next Stephaniieeee. 🙏😍
I love Christmas, it's so freaking magical - add this world with all of it's whimsy and sparkling magic-ness - perfect. Loved every second of it!
‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
Snowflakes, holiday magic and just magic in general? Omg stfu, I'm so obsessed with this universe. Can it even get any better?! A Christmas Spectacular?! 😭
November 8, 2024
3.5 stars! This novella was SO magical and has gotten me so excited for Christmas!! My favorite thing about Stephanie Garber's writing is how she infuses every detail with magic from shops to outfits to scenery. This novella is perfect if you love the Caraval trilogy and you want a short read that will instantly get you in a Holiday mood.
The story also had more to it than I expected for a novella! Yes it's a simple and short story, but it had a little romance, a little mystery, my favorite Caraval characters, and lots of Holiday cheer!
Also, the art is STUNNING! Very cool book to own and display on a bookshelf. Overall a simple and fun story.
The story also had more to it than I expected for a novella! Yes it's a simple and short story, but it had a little romance, a little mystery, my favorite Caraval characters, and lots of Holiday cheer!
Also, the art is STUNNING! Very cool book to own and display on a bookshelf. Overall a simple and fun story.
November 26, 2024
the first half was so lovely. revisiting this world feels like coming home, and seeing scarlett and julian happy and thriving was such a treat. the second half involved dubious consent (at best) and just devolved into a very questionable, very unsettling storyline that really was not necessary. art was absolutely stunning though 100/10 @rosie, you are everything!
September 3, 2025
There was nothing spectacular about it.
Want to read
January 11, 2024scarjulian are coming home to me!! now pls give us an evajacks novella next please and thank you🧎🏻♀️
November 18, 2024
ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . ━ no more and no less than 2 ☆ ━ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤ 1 star for Julian and Scarlett, 1 for the illustrations
ㅤ Don't get me wrong when I say this, because the bar of my expectations for this was already in hell, but what the actual hell was this?
ㅤ For someone who claims that Scarlett is her favourite character, Stephanie surely likes giving almost nothing to this character and ignoring her entirely as much as possible. Therefore, it was no surprise for me to barely get any scenes of Julian and his Crimson, despite being the sweetest and having the best moments in this book. So yes, I was expecting this to be once again a book fully focused on Tella; my dislike for her character is also not a mystery to anyone. However, I still wanted to give this a chance and hope for a Christmas miracle.
ㅤ I was already annoyed to see Tella's "I know some things are more important, but my wishes should matter more than anyone else's anyway" behaviour once again after the first 30 pages of this book, yet I still held onto a glimmer of hope. But then this suddenly devolved into something like a very cheap Christmas foreplay, complete with dubious and unpleasant words and gestures that had the exact opposite effect of the intended, sensuous, and exciting one and I COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY LOST IT. Are we sure this book is not a Fifty Shades of Gray—very, very tamed Christmas special instead? I have absolutely no words for whatever it is that even happened here.
ㅤ My opinions might indeed be slightly influenced by my sheer dislike for Tella's character and her love story with Legend, which fell entirely flat for me, but the author's constant refusal to provide any kind of development for her character, despite this being the 3rd book where she is basically a main character, is appalling.
ㅤ With this being said, no, I did not feel the holiday spirit while reading this book and I even forgot this was supposed to be this sort of book for about 80% of the time I spent reading it. Nevertheless, I have insanely high praises for the illustrations that adorned the pages, as they were absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately, they were the only good thing in this entire novel. All my appreciation goes to the person who created them, and I feel genuinely sad that they had to be used for such a disappointing book.
ㅤ My last thought on this book is actually a question; and that is "Why?"
P.S. concerning one of the epilogues:
ㅤ
ㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤ 1 star for Julian and Scarlett, 1 for the illustrations
ㅤ Don't get me wrong when I say this, because the bar of my expectations for this was already in hell, but what the actual hell was this?
ㅤ For someone who claims that Scarlett is her favourite character, Stephanie surely likes giving almost nothing to this character and ignoring her entirely as much as possible. Therefore, it was no surprise for me to barely get any scenes of Julian and his Crimson, despite being the sweetest and having the best moments in this book. So yes, I was expecting this to be once again a book fully focused on Tella; my dislike for her character is also not a mystery to anyone. However, I still wanted to give this a chance and hope for a Christmas miracle.
ㅤ I was already annoyed to see Tella's "I know some things are more important, but my wishes should matter more than anyone else's anyway" behaviour once again after the first 30 pages of this book, yet I still held onto a glimmer of hope. But then this suddenly devolved into something like a very cheap Christmas foreplay, complete with dubious and unpleasant words and gestures that had the exact opposite effect of the intended, sensuous, and exciting one and I COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY LOST IT. Are we sure this book is not a Fifty Shades of Gray—very, very tamed Christmas special instead? I have absolutely no words for whatever it is that even happened here.
ㅤ My opinions might indeed be slightly influenced by my sheer dislike for Tella's character and her love story with Legend, which fell entirely flat for me, but the author's constant refusal to provide any kind of development for her character, despite this being the 3rd book where she is basically a main character, is appalling.
ㅤ With this being said, no, I did not feel the holiday spirit while reading this book and I even forgot this was supposed to be this sort of book for about 80% of the time I spent reading it. Nevertheless, I have insanely high praises for the illustrations that adorned the pages, as they were absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately, they were the only good thing in this entire novel. All my appreciation goes to the person who created them, and I feel genuinely sad that they had to be used for such a disappointing book.
ㅤ My last thought on this book is actually a question; and that is "Why?"
P.S. concerning one of the epilogues:
ㅤ
Want to read
January 14, 2024hoping and praying for an evajacks feature to get the closure we most desperately deserve
Want to read
January 10, 2024hoping this will give us more of scarlettjulian rather than the worst character ever tella
Want to read
September 15, 2024Omggg 2 months left I AM NOT OKAY 😭
___
Okay more now that I've formed thoughts on this 😭
•I was expecting a new series but this is even better.
•I love that jack and Eva art by Rosie thorn so I can't wait to see the illustrations in this book considering Stephanie imagined her art throughout the book.
•I want jack's and Eva scenes though very unlikely I still want them.
•i want Julian and scarlet to be happy. JUST BE HAPPY!
•It said holidays are not what they seem. Seeking in her famous plot twists?!?! Queen behavior.
~~~
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
___
Okay more now that I've formed thoughts on this 😭
•I was expecting a new series but this is even better.
•I love that jack and Eva art by Rosie thorn so I can't wait to see the illustrations in this book considering Stephanie imagined her art throughout the book.
•I want jack's and Eva scenes though very unlikely I still want them.
•i want Julian and scarlet to be happy. JUST BE HAPPY!
•It said holidays are not what they seem. Seeking in her famous plot twists?!?! Queen behavior.
~~~
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT
January 1, 2025
i read my first book in months on the last day of the entire year 😝 just a novella, but still counts
i can see why people may not like this book, because it's literally just about legend and tella, but luckily for me, i'm one of the few who actually like those two better than scarlett and julian (love them though)
i'm still a bit confused on the whole concept of the main thing that happened, like if tella was just lying to the reader to keep us thinking because she knew all along that it was him, because if not, then that's a bit weird, and basically like cheating 😭 and...it was just overall fairly odd, since she 'didn't know' who he was, so it was kinda very...dubious.
also, the illustrations in this are so pretty, books should have them all the time. this was overall just a really quick and cute read, so i am glad that i read it
i may write a full review, but let's bffr, probably not. anyways, happy new years everyone <3
4 stars
<><><><><>
5/10: i just realized that there's a synopsis, whoops, but IT SOUNDS SO CUTE, i have been separated from my babies for TOO LONG
WHAT IS THIS
apparently this is gonna be illustrated, i'm so happy 😭 i love this series so much
AND THE COVER IS SO PRETTY I LOVE IT
i can see why people may not like this book, because it's literally just about legend and tella, but luckily for me, i'm one of the few who actually like those two better than scarlett and julian (love them though)
i'm still a bit confused on the whole concept of the main thing that happened, like if tella was just lying to the reader to keep us thinking because she knew all along that it was him, because if not, then that's a bit weird, and basically like cheating 😭 and...it was just overall fairly odd, since she 'didn't know' who he was, so it was kinda very...dubious.
also, the illustrations in this are so pretty, books should have them all the time. this was overall just a really quick and cute read, so i am glad that i read it
i may write a full review, but let's bffr, probably not. anyways, happy new years everyone <3
4 stars
<><><><><>
5/10: i just realized that there's a synopsis, whoops, but IT SOUNDS SO CUTE, i have been separated from my babies for TOO LONG
WHAT IS THIS
apparently this is gonna be illustrated, i'm so happy 😭 i love this series so much
AND THE COVER IS SO PRETTY I LOVE IT
Want to read
January 8, 2024BRING BACK SCARLETTJULIAN
December 31, 2024
3.5 stars
spectacular (pun intended) give me 14 of em rn!
I went into this book with no expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. this book resparked my interest in fantasy and made me realize why i loved it sm. i wish i could say it got me out of my slump but i'd be lying. it has made me motivated to start a new fantasy book tho !!
i'm not the biggest fan of tellalegend but I was foaming at the mouth over this book. i forgot how well stephanie garber is at writing tension 🫣 personally tho, I love scarlettjulian sm more. I was evidently disappointed with how little they appeared in this book, but i still loved it nonetheless. their cute little moments were super cute but I wish there was more to it. I don't remember much from the caraval series, but I do remember loving scarlettjulian. tellalegend was growing on me, but they were ofc second best. this book definitely made me like them sm more like wowwww! my jaw was practically on the floor the entire time. I have to say tho in the beginning the illustrations of julian and legend reminded me of miguel o'hara. likeee idk if it's js me but I was fawning over those illustrations.
spoiler alert from this pt on
ugh I will never get over my love for scarlett. she was giving sm less of the superiority complex from the previous books and js showed genuine concern. obvi her concerns were right bc tella went & got kidnapped like her sister was worried ab. so much for "i'm invincible" like no tella u aren't respectfully ☠️ I felt so bad that she was concerned ab legend not loving her anymore. I feel like the roles have switched here w the sisters being naive like tella went and said one thing but did the exact opposite. like how're u gonna carry a pamphlet around and say it's stupid but listen to the advice? I did wish that tella & legend talked it out so he could reassure her. they didn't really address it besides legend acting superior & mocking her.
the ending was so cute but I wish that it was longer. it was sweet, don't get me wrong, I just wanted it to be more sweet bc i felt like it was built up. I was also surprised they hadn't said ily bc I swear I thought they did before lmaoo. it was also ruined a bit for me w tella saying how she doubted who she was when they first kissed (more on that in the next paragraph)
what rubbed me wrong was tella giving in when she was being held captive by this 'imposter legend' and kissing him back when she wasn't entirely sure if it was legend. I would NOT be kissing any man if I had a bf without knowing for sure it was him, no matter how charming he is. she went on to say at the end of the book that she was unsure it was him when they kissed, which rubs me wrong. esp with her saying he didn't need to know that, UMM if you're not going to appreciate ur man tella i'll gladly take him off ur hands !! what also pissed me off was her saying she didn't feel butterflies or those kinds of emotions around anyone but legend, like LIAR!!!! she was already thinking of giving in and was falling at his feet when she was blindfolded and unsure. she didn't even think about how she could've been cheating on legend. ngl though I was swooning at the tension they had like omfgggg I needed more.
series review! `✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹✩
caraval
legendary
finale
pre-read review
ngl i was expecting a new series so the jokes on me ☠️ but i’ll take any crumbs of scarlettjulian i’m so ready for this
spectacular (pun intended) give me 14 of em rn!
I went into this book with no expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. this book resparked my interest in fantasy and made me realize why i loved it sm. i wish i could say it got me out of my slump but i'd be lying. it has made me motivated to start a new fantasy book tho !!
i'm not the biggest fan of tellalegend but I was foaming at the mouth over this book. i forgot how well stephanie garber is at writing tension 🫣 personally tho, I love scarlettjulian sm more. I was evidently disappointed with how little they appeared in this book, but i still loved it nonetheless. their cute little moments were super cute but I wish there was more to it. I don't remember much from the caraval series, but I do remember loving scarlettjulian. tellalegend was growing on me, but they were ofc second best. this book definitely made me like them sm more like wowwww! my jaw was practically on the floor the entire time. I have to say tho in the beginning the illustrations of julian and legend reminded me of miguel o'hara. likeee idk if it's js me but I was fawning over those illustrations.
spoiler alert from this pt on
ugh I will never get over my love for scarlett. she was giving sm less of the superiority complex from the previous books and js showed genuine concern. obvi her concerns were right bc tella went & got kidnapped like her sister was worried ab. so much for "i'm invincible" like no tella u aren't respectfully ☠️ I felt so bad that she was concerned ab legend not loving her anymore. I feel like the roles have switched here w the sisters being naive like tella went and said one thing but did the exact opposite. like how're u gonna carry a pamphlet around and say it's stupid but listen to the advice? I did wish that tella & legend talked it out so he could reassure her. they didn't really address it besides legend acting superior & mocking her.
the ending was so cute but I wish that it was longer. it was sweet, don't get me wrong, I just wanted it to be more sweet bc i felt like it was built up. I was also surprised they hadn't said ily bc I swear I thought they did before lmaoo. it was also ruined a bit for me w tella saying how she doubted who she was when they first kissed (more on that in the next paragraph)
what rubbed me wrong was tella giving in when she was being held captive by this 'imposter legend' and kissing him back when she wasn't entirely sure if it was legend. I would NOT be kissing any man if I had a bf without knowing for sure it was him, no matter how charming he is. she went on to say at the end of the book that she was unsure it was him when they kissed, which rubs me wrong. esp with her saying he didn't need to know that, UMM if you're not going to appreciate ur man tella i'll gladly take him off ur hands !! what also pissed me off was her saying she didn't feel butterflies or those kinds of emotions around anyone but legend, like LIAR!!!! she was already thinking of giving in and was falling at his feet when she was blindfolded and unsure. she didn't even think about how she could've been cheating on legend. ngl though I was swooning at the tension they had like omfgggg I needed more.
series review! `✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹✩
caraval
legendary
finale
pre-read review
ngl i was expecting a new series so the jokes on me ☠️ but i’ll take any crumbs of scarlettjulian i’m so ready for this
October 27, 2024
PRE READ: HELLO GUYS?? WHY AM I JUST NOW HEARING ABT THIS.
JULIAN SANTOS IS COMING BACK???.&/94&2839292&/‘qowowkeoweowk
POST READ:
1/5 ⭐️ (originally rated 2.3)
“only in scarlett’s opinion,” legend muttered
“her opinion is the only one that matters to me.”
“you look devastating crimson”
overview: disclaimer that this novella is for the tellalegend lovers, and unfortunately scarlett and julian were hardly talked about. but i’m sleeping well knowing that they’re still madly in love with each other
i’m not the biggest fan of tella and legend, but the whole like PLOTLINE of this book was actually insane to me??
the only reason i rated it down was because i’ve talked to one of my other friends, steph and we both realized how there was a big problematic thing occurring in one scene of the book that made us super uncomfortable
anyways, I need a long nap now bc what did i just read.
JULIAN SANTOS IS COMING BACK???.&/94&2839292&/‘qowowkeoweowk
POST READ:
1/5 ⭐️ (originally rated 2.3)
“only in scarlett’s opinion,” legend muttered
“her opinion is the only one that matters to me.”
“you look devastating crimson”
overview: disclaimer that this novella is for the tellalegend lovers, and unfortunately scarlett and julian were hardly talked about. but i’m sleeping well knowing that they’re still madly in love with each other
i’m not the biggest fan of tella and legend, but the whole like PLOTLINE of this book was actually insane to me??
the only reason i rated it down was because i’ve talked to one of my other friends, steph and we both realized how there was a big problematic thing occurring in one scene of the book that made us super uncomfortable
anyways, I need a long nap now bc what did i just read.
October 24, 2024
*crickets chirping*
the art was gorgeous tho
the art was gorgeous tho
November 21, 2024
⁺₊❅ ⋮ four stars ☆
“Worries and fears were not allowed in the ballroom, thank you very much.”
₊⊹⁀➴ ignore me reading this in fall. christmas starts right after halloween, right??
this was just the most adorable holiday novella ever! Ofc I would have loved more scarjulian content, but I ate up the crumbs stephanie fed us. And tellalegend are adorable as well. I loved the christmas story and the quirky little details, though my favorite part was definitely the illustrations– they are stunning!! I can’t stop staring at the julian ones 😩💞
overall this was everything my cutesy fangirl heart could want. Don’t be shy stephanie, drop an evajacks novella next !! or better yet, make evajacks side characters in your next series 🤭
“In her opinion, truly wonderful things were also far more likely to happen if they were given a nudge or a healthy shove.”
“Worries and fears were not allowed in the ballroom, thank you very much.”
₊⊹⁀➴ ignore me reading this in fall. christmas starts right after halloween, right??
this was just the most adorable holiday novella ever! Ofc I would have loved more scarjulian content, but I ate up the crumbs stephanie fed us. And tellalegend are adorable as well. I loved the christmas story and the quirky little details, though my favorite part was definitely the illustrations– they are stunning!! I can’t stop staring at the julian ones 😩💞
overall this was everything my cutesy fangirl heart could want. Don’t be shy stephanie, drop an evajacks novella next !! or better yet, make evajacks side characters in your next series 🤭
“In her opinion, truly wonderful things were also far more likely to happen if they were given a nudge or a healthy shove.”
October 23, 2024
⭑ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
1.5 stars
Stephanie, honey, I promise you nobody wanted to read a novella about donatella and her fuck ass clown. Save that shit for the circus
Sincerely,
Tellalegend’s biggest
hater <3
1.5 stars
Stephanie, honey, I promise you nobody wanted to read a novella about donatella and her fuck ass clown. Save that shit for the circus
Sincerely,
Tellalegend’s biggest
hater <3
![Profile Image for ahana ⊹ [ ia ].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1745486243i%2F169798388._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 11, 2024
⊹ 🧣 ˖ ۫ ⤿ 3 stars
⟢ video games, lana del rey
i was elated to find out that we were getting another book in the caraval universe! and that too reading this magical novella right when the festive cheer was starting to kick in was absolutely perfect. it started off with the characters preparing for the great holiday. seeing all of them together and being happy was delightful 🥹 the setting, the descriptions and all the beautiful decorations were all so appealing and i was hooked from the very beginning. stephanie garber's writing never disappoints! i felt like i was actually in valenda with the way she wrote, it made me feel so at home <3 this was in tella's pov and as much as i like her, i really wanted it to be in scarlett's or any other character's pov 😭 i just feel like we got a lot of tella already and i wanted to see more of the others. then things started to get a little strange... the vibes of the book totally shifted and i was surprised. this didnt really seem like the other books in the series and it just felt off. and if you're looking for more scarjulian and evajacks (who were not even mentioned once. sobbing.), then prepare to be utterly disappointed :( the ending was still cute though 💌
⟡ ۫◞ tella
im honestly not sure how i feel about her... she was never my favorite sister (oop sorry) but then in this book she just seemed kinda worse? i like how she's carefree but sometimes it goes to far and she's just irresponsible which irks me out so bad. she keeps taking bad decisions without having a second thought on how her loved ones would react. okay but i did like how she was so delusional in this book, she got too real there for a second 🤭
⟡ ۫◞ legend
oh him... i didnt really like him that much in the caraval series cause he was just so conflicting at times 😭 honestly i dont get anything from him, i feel like his personality is just being legend and nothing more?? i dont remember much about him from the previous books anyways and i think that says a lot 🥲 i thought he might redeem himself here but that was unfortunately not what happened.. in fact it was quite the opposite... haha! okay but his illustrations were GORGEOUS. the top hat and all !!
⟡ ۫◞ scarlett + julian
my loves!! they both got a whooping two whole moments and that was far better than the whole book combined 🤭 the love i have for them is eternal, they own a permanent place in my heart <3 it was wonderful to see scarlett being all happy cause my girl has went through so much ❤️🩹 her being excited for the holidays and planning this great big ball with so much enthusiasm healed me aw! her illustrations were breath taking she's so beautiful!! and julian “you look devastating, crimson.” santos... literally my husband HE WAS SO FINE HERE. i was questioning my sanity when he first appeared. the way he calls her crimson>> that one word can melt me into a puddle. and his illustrations rendered me speechless. how can one man be so perfect?! them being together was the best part of this book for sure, no one else comes close to scarjulian 💗
overall this book is definitely for the tellalegend lovers! the fluttery holiday feels this book gave in the beginning was fun while it lasted haha. it wasn't needed in my opinion but i enjoyed it to some extent nonetheless. happy holidays everyone !! ❄️🎄
love,
ahana ⋆
heaven is a place on earth with you
tell me all the things you wanna do
⟢ video games, lana del rey
i was elated to find out that we were getting another book in the caraval universe! and that too reading this magical novella right when the festive cheer was starting to kick in was absolutely perfect. it started off with the characters preparing for the great holiday. seeing all of them together and being happy was delightful 🥹 the setting, the descriptions and all the beautiful decorations were all so appealing and i was hooked from the very beginning. stephanie garber's writing never disappoints! i felt like i was actually in valenda with the way she wrote, it made me feel so at home <3 this was in tella's pov and as much as i like her, i really wanted it to be in scarlett's or any other character's pov 😭 i just feel like we got a lot of tella already and i wanted to see more of the others. then things started to get a little strange... the vibes of the book totally shifted and i was surprised. this didnt really seem like the other books in the series and it just felt off. and if you're looking for more scarjulian and evajacks (who were not even mentioned once. sobbing.), then prepare to be utterly disappointed :( the ending was still cute though 💌
⟡ ۫◞ tella
im honestly not sure how i feel about her... she was never my favorite sister (oop sorry) but then in this book she just seemed kinda worse? i like how she's carefree but sometimes it goes to far and she's just irresponsible which irks me out so bad. she keeps taking bad decisions without having a second thought on how her loved ones would react. okay but i did like how she was so delusional in this book, she got too real there for a second 🤭
i might have outgrown toys, but i hope never to outgrow joy and dressing up and giving gifts.
⟡ ۫◞ legend
oh him... i didnt really like him that much in the caraval series cause he was just so conflicting at times 😭 honestly i dont get anything from him, i feel like his personality is just being legend and nothing more?? i dont remember much about him from the previous books anyways and i think that says a lot 🥲 i thought he might redeem himself here but that was unfortunately not what happened.. in fact it was quite the opposite... haha! okay but his illustrations were GORGEOUS. the top hat and all !!
“does this mean you actually love the great holiday after all?” legend’s perfect smile appeared again. “no, donatella. i just love you.”
⟡ ۫◞ scarlett + julian
my loves!! they both got a whooping two whole moments and that was far better than the whole book combined 🤭 the love i have for them is eternal, they own a permanent place in my heart <3 it was wonderful to see scarlett being all happy cause my girl has went through so much ❤️🩹 her being excited for the holidays and planning this great big ball with so much enthusiasm healed me aw! her illustrations were breath taking she's so beautiful!! and julian “you look devastating, crimson.” santos... literally my husband HE WAS SO FINE HERE. i was questioning my sanity when he first appeared. the way he calls her crimson>> that one word can melt me into a puddle. and his illustrations rendered me speechless. how can one man be so perfect?! them being together was the best part of this book for sure, no one else comes close to scarjulian 💗
“you look quite dashing, my love.” she pressed a kiss to his cheek as she reached him. but julian turned quickly enough that her lips found his instead. his arm snaked around her waist, holding her tight and kissing her back until her cheeks were redder than a candy cane. “you scoundrel,” she murmured. “it’s not my fault you look so pretty when you blush.”
overall this book is definitely for the tellalegend lovers! the fluttery holiday feels this book gave in the beginning was fun while it lasted haha. it wasn't needed in my opinion but i enjoyed it to some extent nonetheless. happy holidays everyone !! ❄️🎄
love,
ahana ⋆
October 25, 2024
TW: assault, blood, drugging, kidnapping, misogyny, sexual assault, sexual content.
Before I start the actual review, I'd like to place a warning that this isn't going to be a professional review, nor is it going to be without spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.
With that out of the way: this was fucking horrendous.
I didn't go into this expecting it to be spectacular (this pun is the only levity that shall exist in this review; cherish it), but Stephanie Garber's books mean a lot to me (Caraval is the book I credit with getting me back into reading) and I was looking forward to a fun, campy, cash-grab, Christmassy time.
What I got was a TellaLegend low-calorie dark romance kidnapping spectacle, complete with her mentally repeating phrases such as "the possessive touch that shouldn't feel good, but does" as he slips her hand up her skirt whilst she is blindfolded, gagged, and bound and you (the reader) don't know she's aware who her captor is. You aren't even supposed to know who her captor is. For all intents and purposes, you're meant to read it as though she's being assaulted. All for it to wrap up with the happy realization that she'd actually asked to be kidnapped by Legend and that she was "pretty sure" it was him for most of it.
What the actual fuck?
It's at this point of the review that I'd like to clarify: I'm not kink-shaming nor am I insinuating that roleplay is inherently harmful. But there's a very big difference between fiction depicting consenting adults' sexual exploration and a book being sold as a YA Christmas novella romanticizing SA/completely ignoring consent (Tella actually tells Legend ((referred to as 'her captor' in this scene because the reader isn't supposed to know it's been Legend all along)) to stop and he keeps going.)
This isn't about whether or not sex belongs in YA. This is about a novella with a really harmful message being poorly marketed and published for 12-18 year olds.
My indignation aside: this also just really sucked. We get barely any Scarlett (or Julian), most of the book (pre-kidnapping) revolves around the same Tella/Legend crap that ruined the original trilogy, and the plot is just... abhorrently dumb.
Honestly, the only good thing I have to say about it is that the art was very pretty and Christmassy.
Though it may not sound like it, I really was incredibly excited for this. Caraval is a book that meant so much to me when I first read it and I also really enjoyed the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. When this was announced, I was really looking forward to returning to the world with a holiday twist - a sad mistake on my part.
I'd like to think that Stephanie Garber didn't think about the implications of this book, but I find it hard to believe that no one brought up these concerns before it made it to publication.
Overall, I'm just really sad/disappointed that this was the direction they decided to go in. This could have been such a fun, cheery (while still maintaining Stephanie Garber's love of the dark/twisted) time if we'd thought for literally 2.5 seconds about the implications of the story and how it could come off the wrong way.
Also, if Tella and Legend just fell off the face of the earth but that's another point entirely :)
I don't recommend this, unless you really want 0.2 seconds of Scarlett and Julian and some festive Caraval art.
Before I start the actual review, I'd like to place a warning that this isn't going to be a professional review, nor is it going to be without spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.
With that out of the way: this was fucking horrendous.
I didn't go into this expecting it to be spectacular (this pun is the only levity that shall exist in this review; cherish it), but Stephanie Garber's books mean a lot to me (Caraval is the book I credit with getting me back into reading) and I was looking forward to a fun, campy, cash-grab, Christmassy time.
What I got was a TellaLegend low-calorie dark romance kidnapping spectacle, complete with her mentally repeating phrases such as "the possessive touch that shouldn't feel good, but does" as he slips her hand up her skirt whilst she is blindfolded, gagged, and bound and you (the reader) don't know she's aware who her captor is. You aren't even supposed to know who her captor is. For all intents and purposes, you're meant to read it as though she's being assaulted. All for it to wrap up with the happy realization that she'd actually asked to be kidnapped by Legend and that she was "pretty sure" it was him for most of it.
What the actual fuck?
It's at this point of the review that I'd like to clarify: I'm not kink-shaming nor am I insinuating that roleplay is inherently harmful. But there's a very big difference between fiction depicting consenting adults' sexual exploration and a book being sold as a YA Christmas novella romanticizing SA/completely ignoring consent (Tella actually tells Legend ((referred to as 'her captor' in this scene because the reader isn't supposed to know it's been Legend all along)) to stop and he keeps going.)
This isn't about whether or not sex belongs in YA. This is about a novella with a really harmful message being poorly marketed and published for 12-18 year olds.
My indignation aside: this also just really sucked. We get barely any Scarlett (or Julian), most of the book (pre-kidnapping) revolves around the same Tella/Legend crap that ruined the original trilogy, and the plot is just... abhorrently dumb.
Honestly, the only good thing I have to say about it is that the art was very pretty and Christmassy.
Though it may not sound like it, I really was incredibly excited for this. Caraval is a book that meant so much to me when I first read it and I also really enjoyed the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. When this was announced, I was really looking forward to returning to the world with a holiday twist - a sad mistake on my part.
I'd like to think that Stephanie Garber didn't think about the implications of this book, but I find it hard to believe that no one brought up these concerns before it made it to publication.
Overall, I'm just really sad/disappointed that this was the direction they decided to go in. This could have been such a fun, cheery (while still maintaining Stephanie Garber's love of the dark/twisted) time if we'd thought for literally 2.5 seconds about the implications of the story and how it could come off the wrong way.
Also, if Tella and Legend just fell off the face of the earth but that's another point entirely :)
I don't recommend this, unless you really want 0.2 seconds of Scarlett and Julian and some festive Caraval art.
December 30, 2024
2.75 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
“Does this mean you actually love the Great Holiday after all?”
“No, Donatella. I just love you.” if he wanted to, he would 😭
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
there wasn’t anything particularly special or exciting about this novella, and the plot felt pretty questionable… i was honestly a little confused about what was going on. that said, it was nice to revisit the world of caraval, and the illustrations were absolutely beautiful ~
✶ pre-read ⋆⁺₊❅
saved the best for last ❣️
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
“Does this mean you actually love the Great Holiday after all?”
“No, Donatella. I just love you.” if he wanted to, he would 😭
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
there wasn’t anything particularly special or exciting about this novella, and the plot felt pretty questionable… i was honestly a little confused about what was going on. that said, it was nice to revisit the world of caraval, and the illustrations were absolutely beautiful ~
✶ pre-read ⋆⁺₊❅
saved the best for last ❣️
October 25, 2024
3.75 stars
I fear this was not a win for the scarjulian girlies. It’s Tella’s world and we are just in it… Stephanie clearly has her faves 😢
The scarjulian crumbs were not enough but I clung to what we got. Julian’s obsession with Scarlett was felt even in his brief appearance 😍
P.s if you were hoping for a Jacks appearance… he’s mentioned twice (once in the b&n bonus chapter) 💔
Despite my heartbreak over not getting enough of my faves, I missed this magical world. Stephanie has the most immersive storytelling and I���m glad we got a little bit more. The festive element made me feel like a kid excited for Christmas morning again.
The bonus chapter made me round my rating up >>>
———
lmao not me forgetting this came out.. looks like I’m reading a third book today 👀 tella, girl. behave yourself pls. my slump can’t take it.
——
UM WHAT IS THIS - A holiday novella? Stephanie take my money 💸💸
I fear this was not a win for the scarjulian girlies. It’s Tella’s world and we are just in it… Stephanie clearly has her faves 😢
The scarjulian crumbs were not enough but I clung to what we got. Julian’s obsession with Scarlett was felt even in his brief appearance 😍
”You look devastating, crimson.”
P.s if you were hoping for a Jacks appearance… he’s mentioned twice (once in the b&n bonus chapter) 💔
Despite my heartbreak over not getting enough of my faves, I missed this magical world. Stephanie has the most immersive storytelling and I���m glad we got a little bit more. The festive element made me feel like a kid excited for Christmas morning again.
The bonus chapter made me round my rating up >>>
———
lmao not me forgetting this came out.. looks like I’m reading a third book today 👀 tella, girl. behave yourself pls. my slump can’t take it.
——
UM WHAT IS THIS - A holiday novella? Stephanie take my money 💸💸
October 23, 2024
came here for scarjulian, and I instead got a really dubiously consensual scene that made me cringe, and too much tellalegend.
October 30, 2024
̨ ╭╯ꗃ 10. 29. 24 ˚﹒
┆ “Everyone at the party looked lovely, but Scarlett thought Julian Santos was the most dashing of all.”┆
︵࣪ ˖ ໒꒱ thoughts
╰› 3.5, I think that quote enough explains the main reason I read this book, although it was not the focus of it !! Gosh, it was so much fun being back into the world of Caraval with all these characters, I really got nostalgia 🥹 Caraval was my second romantasy series, and it was one of the books that got me into reading– despite the controversial opinions. Stephanie Garber’s books bring me such comfort and fill me with so much love, I don’t know how to explain it. Her books have to be laced with something because I am ADDICTED. AND HELLO, THE ILLUSTRATIONS?? ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ROSIE.
I just think the whole plot of this story was a little silly & . And I'm not the biggest fan of Tellalegend, which may explain my bias... but if it weren't for Scarjulian & the nostalgia I felt, I think this book would have been a 2/2.5 because some of this was creepy!
We got two Scarjulian moments 💔 AND I AM HERE TO CRUSH EVERY DREAM OF MY FELLOW OUABH LOVERS WHO HAD HOPE –
There is no Evajacks cameo.
︵࣪ ˖ ໒꒱ characters
┆ “You look devastating, Crimson.”┆
╰› Julian– Julian Santos, the man that you are 😍😍 Julian is actually my first ever book boyfriend, and who can blame me?? This man is one of the most scrumptious men I’ve ever seen in my life, and he’s not even real! HIS ILLUSTRATIONS HAVE ME GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET. HE LOOKS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED??? HIS PONYTAIL HAS ME SCREAMING INTO MY PILLOW AND CRYING TO GOD. HE'S SO FINE. PLEASE GET ME A MAN WHO LOOKS ABSURDLY DASHING IN GREEN, JULIAN SANTOS, NO BORAX, NO INK ON PAPER.
┆ “Being a ridiculous amount of trouble is not the same as being invincible.”┆
Scarlett– My favorite sister<3 Scarlett is so iconic, and she’s such a bundle of joy, I just love her. I love how she’s doing EVERYTHING she can for the Holiday and how invested and dedicated she issss 🥹 she’s so cute and her illustrations are SO beautiful?? A little gasp came out of me at the first one I saw. And let’s not forget her little role in this story, she fooled everyone like an empress 🤭
┆ “If some group of bandits found you tromping about alone and decided to take you hostage and bring you back to their leader.”
“One could only wish that something exciting like that would happen.”┆
Tella– See, this book gave me a lot more reasons to hate Tella 🫶🏽 I used to love her a lot, but then I realized she was merely a reckless, impulsive girl who seeks entertainment and fun wherever she goes. As I said earlier, And especially when the whole premise of the book was about her trying to keep the love of her life. And ain’t no way this girl asked her sister to change the DATE of a whole HOLIDAY because she didn’t have a gift for her man. Get a grip!! Get some help!! But anyway, she’s pretty too and her little doodle thoughts of her and Legend were cute 😚
┆ “You really think everything is about you.”
“Only because it usually is.”┆
Legend– Sigh, I’m always really conflicted about what I think about this guy. I like him, but then again I don’t? He belongs in a dark romance book– that’s what his vibe and actions give off.
┆ “Everyone at the party looked lovely, but Scarlett thought Julian Santos was the most dashing of all.”┆
︵࣪ ˖ ໒꒱ thoughts
╰› 3.5, I think that quote enough explains the main reason I read this book, although it was not the focus of it !! Gosh, it was so much fun being back into the world of Caraval with all these characters, I really got nostalgia 🥹 Caraval was my second romantasy series, and it was one of the books that got me into reading– despite the controversial opinions. Stephanie Garber’s books bring me such comfort and fill me with so much love, I don’t know how to explain it. Her books have to be laced with something because I am ADDICTED. AND HELLO, THE ILLUSTRATIONS?? ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ROSIE.
I just think the whole plot of this story was a little silly & . And I'm not the biggest fan of Tellalegend, which may explain my bias... but if it weren't for Scarjulian & the nostalgia I felt, I think this book would have been a 2/2.5 because some of this was creepy!
We got two Scarjulian moments 💔 AND I AM HERE TO CRUSH EVERY DREAM OF MY FELLOW OUABH LOVERS WHO HAD HOPE –
There is no Evajacks cameo.
︵࣪ ˖ ໒꒱ characters
┆ “You look devastating, Crimson.”┆
╰› Julian– Julian Santos, the man that you are 😍😍 Julian is actually my first ever book boyfriend, and who can blame me?? This man is one of the most scrumptious men I’ve ever seen in my life, and he’s not even real! HIS ILLUSTRATIONS HAVE ME GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET. HE LOOKS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED??? HIS PONYTAIL HAS ME SCREAMING INTO MY PILLOW AND CRYING TO GOD. HE'S SO FINE. PLEASE GET ME A MAN WHO LOOKS ABSURDLY DASHING IN GREEN, JULIAN SANTOS, NO BORAX, NO INK ON PAPER.
┆ “Being a ridiculous amount of trouble is not the same as being invincible.”┆
Scarlett– My favorite sister<3 Scarlett is so iconic, and she’s such a bundle of joy, I just love her. I love how she’s doing EVERYTHING she can for the Holiday and how invested and dedicated she issss 🥹 she’s so cute and her illustrations are SO beautiful?? A little gasp came out of me at the first one I saw. And let’s not forget her little role in this story, she fooled everyone like an empress 🤭
┆ “If some group of bandits found you tromping about alone and decided to take you hostage and bring you back to their leader.”
“One could only wish that something exciting like that would happen.”┆
Tella– See, this book gave me a lot more reasons to hate Tella 🫶🏽 I used to love her a lot, but then I realized she was merely a reckless, impulsive girl who seeks entertainment and fun wherever she goes. As I said earlier, And especially when the whole premise of the book was about her trying to keep the love of her life. And ain’t no way this girl asked her sister to change the DATE of a whole HOLIDAY because she didn’t have a gift for her man. Get a grip!! Get some help!! But anyway, she’s pretty too and her little doodle thoughts of her and Legend were cute 😚
┆ “You really think everything is about you.”
“Only because it usually is.”┆
Legend– Sigh, I’m always really conflicted about what I think about this guy. I like him, but then again I don’t? He belongs in a dark romance book– that’s what his vibe and actions give off.
December 23, 2024
scarjulian were barely there???hello???
now give me an evajacks novella stephanie.
now give me an evajacks novella stephanie.
November 7, 2024
₊‧ ୨୧ 3 stars ◞♡
there was no jacks. i am sad.
────୨ৎ────
there was no jacks. i am sad.
────୨ৎ────
October 28, 2024
Spectacular, give me 14 of them right now. (frtc maybe 💋)
pre read:
I couldn't be more excited omg Stephanie ily 💖 scarlett and julian are my babies 🥺 also SO EXCITED FOR THE ILLUSTRATIONS 😍
pre read:
I couldn't be more excited omg Stephanie ily 💖 scarlett and julian are my babies 🥺 also SO EXCITED FOR THE ILLUSTRATIONS 😍
December 20, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
spectacular: a caraval novella review
note: this review may contain spoilers for the caraval trilogy, proceed with caution!
this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024—despite it only being a novella, i absolutely adore this universe and even just a slight glimpse back into it really made my day so much better. this book felt like a warm hug, like coming back home; i really do think i could read stephanie’s writing for hours and never tire of it. her books aren’t exactly the finest literature, but they are truly something else.
the characters ౨ৎ
ᯓ★ donatella - surprisingly, she wasn’t as insufferable in this novella than she was in the last books. i’m not exactly tella’s biggest fan, but even i can’t help but admire her character development in the later books. even though she made some…questionable choices in the second half of this book, i still found her very enjoyable to read about and really appreciated her character.
ᯓ★ legend - okayyyy so…listen up. y’all i want to preface this by saying i was legend’s number one fan in the caraval trilogy. YES, i know that he gets hate and YES i know that he made some selfish decisions, but idc i still love him so much, he’s so hot and bbg omllll 💌 and while that hasn’t changed, some of the things he did in this book really made me uncomfortable. like to be honest, the entire book just felt really strange and the concept could’ve been…handled better. he still made me swoon but i also…lowkey…got the ick 🙈 i still love him but i wish this book made his actions different because he just wasn’t it tbh.
ᯓ★ julian - MY BABYYYYYYYY ugh we were ROBBED of him in this book, i honestly feel like we got more julian content in the bonus epilogue than in all of this book combined. which is literally criminal—i know stephanie garber has a “soft spot” for tellalegend (which honestly i do too) but she seriously neglects scarjulian in the process! they deserve all of the love in the world, and julian was absolutely priceless in this (he was very handsome in green, i’m sure 🤭)
ᯓ★ scarlett - my soul sister. she is me and i am her. if i see any of y’all hating on her just know you may not live to see another day. end of story.
the plot ౨ৎ
the plot was so nice to read about it! of course, since it was a christmas novella it was very whimsical and lighthearted; and thus, the plot was also heavily romance based. i was perfectly okay with it. more than okay, in fact—stephanie garber could write a thousand pages of tella and legend literally doing nothing and i would eat it up like it was homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven. i also love how there still managed to be plot twists sprinkled throughout even though it was only a novella. it was soso freaking cute <33
the ships ౨ৎ
ᯓ★ tellalegend - as i’ve said earlier, they were nice to read about, but some of their scenes were really uncomfortable and almost crossed a line. i’m not going to delve into too much due to spoilers, but i honestly thought a lot of scenes were really unnecessary and could have been handled muchhh better. kind of disappointing if i’m being honest.
ᯓ★ scarjulian - PERFECT AS ALWAYSSSSSSS, they’re literally my children what the actual heck guys?
ᯓ★ evajacks - okay, i know that they weren’t in this book (at all) but i’m still so excited for a potential crossover!! stephanie has heavily hinted at it now and i won’t lie, my hopes are really getting high now. pleaseeeeeee i need more evajacks content AHHHHHHHH
the art ౨ৎ
i honestly need a separate section just for the art bcs honestly—it was amazing. rosie never fails to disappoint—the way i SQUEALED when i saw she was illustrating the novella, it was insane. she drew the characters exactly the way i imagined them; y’all should really check her out if you haven’t already because my gosh, that woman is talented.
all in all: this was the perfect novella to kickstart the holidays, full of cute and swoony moments!
side note: can y’all believe i actually wrote a review within two days of reading the book?! crazy shit guys 😝
spectacular: a caraval novella review
note: this review may contain spoilers for the caraval trilogy, proceed with caution!
this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024—despite it only being a novella, i absolutely adore this universe and even just a slight glimpse back into it really made my day so much better. this book felt like a warm hug, like coming back home; i really do think i could read stephanie’s writing for hours and never tire of it. her books aren’t exactly the finest literature, but they are truly something else.
the characters ౨ৎ
ᯓ★ donatella - surprisingly, she wasn’t as insufferable in this novella than she was in the last books. i’m not exactly tella’s biggest fan, but even i can’t help but admire her character development in the later books. even though she made some…questionable choices in the second half of this book, i still found her very enjoyable to read about and really appreciated her character.
ᯓ★ legend - okayyyy so…listen up. y’all i want to preface this by saying i was legend’s number one fan in the caraval trilogy. YES, i know that he gets hate and YES i know that he made some selfish decisions, but idc i still love him so much, he’s so hot and bbg omllll 💌 and while that hasn’t changed, some of the things he did in this book really made me uncomfortable. like to be honest, the entire book just felt really strange and the concept could’ve been…handled better. he still made me swoon but i also…lowkey…got the ick 🙈 i still love him but i wish this book made his actions different because he just wasn’t it tbh.
ᯓ★ julian - MY BABYYYYYYYY ugh we were ROBBED of him in this book, i honestly feel like we got more julian content in the bonus epilogue than in all of this book combined. which is literally criminal—i know stephanie garber has a “soft spot” for tellalegend (which honestly i do too) but she seriously neglects scarjulian in the process! they deserve all of the love in the world, and julian was absolutely priceless in this (he was very handsome in green, i’m sure 🤭)
ᯓ★ scarlett - my soul sister. she is me and i am her. if i see any of y’all hating on her just know you may not live to see another day. end of story.
the plot ౨ৎ
the plot was so nice to read about it! of course, since it was a christmas novella it was very whimsical and lighthearted; and thus, the plot was also heavily romance based. i was perfectly okay with it. more than okay, in fact—stephanie garber could write a thousand pages of tella and legend literally doing nothing and i would eat it up like it was homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven. i also love how there still managed to be plot twists sprinkled throughout even though it was only a novella. it was soso freaking cute <33
the ships ౨ৎ
ᯓ★ tellalegend - as i’ve said earlier, they were nice to read about, but some of their scenes were really uncomfortable and almost crossed a line. i’m not going to delve into too much due to spoilers, but i honestly thought a lot of scenes were really unnecessary and could have been handled muchhh better. kind of disappointing if i’m being honest.
ᯓ★ scarjulian - PERFECT AS ALWAYSSSSSSS, they’re literally my children what the actual heck guys?
ᯓ★ evajacks - okay, i know that they weren’t in this book (at all) but i’m still so excited for a potential crossover!! stephanie has heavily hinted at it now and i won’t lie, my hopes are really getting high now. pleaseeeeeee i need more evajacks content AHHHHHHHH
the art ౨ৎ
i honestly need a separate section just for the art bcs honestly—it was amazing. rosie never fails to disappoint—the way i SQUEALED when i saw she was illustrating the novella, it was insane. she drew the characters exactly the way i imagined them; y’all should really check her out if you haven’t already because my gosh, that woman is talented.
all in all: this was the perfect novella to kickstart the holidays, full of cute and swoony moments!
side note: can y’all believe i actually wrote a review within two days of reading the book?! crazy shit guys 😝
November 26, 2024
Don't waste your time.
Want to read
January 8, 2024I NEED TO SEE MY BABYGIRL JACKS PLS
SCARLETTJULIAN AND TELLALEGEND ARE GONNA COME BACK YALL OMGG
SCARLETTJULIAN AND TELLALEGEND ARE GONNA COME BACK YALL OMGG
December 22, 2024
i feel so much whiplash while attempting to review this book. because on one hand, this is truly one of the most beautiful books i've ever seen. from dust jacket, to naked book, to end pages, to all the illustrations inside, even to how it's formatted - actual perfection. also, the atmosphere is absolutely perfect, and truly will get you into the holiday spirit! and just being back in this world with scarlet and the rest of the crew feels so joy-filled! but this actual story? what even did i just read lol >.<
i am just going to settle on a three star, and move on, because you really are in for some twists and turns with this one. maybe not in the best way, but i can truly say that i was surprised with the direction that this one took while scarlett is looking for the perfect holiday gift for legend himself. but i will also say, this did make me even more excited for whatever stephanie garber is cooking up next in this world.
trigger + content warnings: loss of loved ones in past, poison / spell / drugging, kidnapping, unwanted touching
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1.) Caraval ★★★★
2.) Legendary ★★★★
3.) Finale ★★
1.) Once Upon a Broken Heart ★★★★
2.) The Ballad of Never After ★★★★
3.) A Curse for True Love ★★
Want to read
December 3, 2024THIS IS A SCAMMMM THERES NO JACKS AAAAA!! I refuse I refuse to read this now....no jacks like yall this is a joke someone pinch me 😭
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