Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber

Caraval may have ended, but sisters Donatella and Scarlett need to prepare for games of an entirely different kind. While Legend prepares to tale the throne he claimed, the Fates have started to wake, and with them, an ancient magic that could change the world. In order to prevent the rise of the Fates, and the cruelties that will come with it, Legend must make sacrifices that effect more than just his life. Simultaneously, the sisters must decide who to trust and what path to follow to save their kingdom and themselves. In order to succeed, they need to learn more about their respective pasts, and uncover secrets that could help them restore order, but at what cost? Is there a happily ever after for the two young women?

There are so many things in this book to love, which make it so difficult to read – the closer you get to the final page, the more you wish the chapters would magically multiply, elongating your stay in the world. It seems to be an impossible feat to finally part with the characters and the immense sense of wonder that Garber has created. And yet we must; all good things must come to an end.

While there is nothing strictly formulaic about this book, it nevertheless adheres to the traditional conventions of the fairy tale – trials and tests conclude with a happy and deserved ending, and that makes it all the more appealing and wholesome. Despite the myriad gruesome acts the sisters are witness to, and the trickery that surrounds them, their love for each other and the men in their lives remains a golden, twinkling constant that wraps the reader in such comfort and joy that it would melt the coldest heart.

Garber is a master at portraying love and the beauty which it creates – cemented here as fantastic magic and impossible feats - and I don’t think there is a higher compliment I can pay her. This book had me wanting to literally crawl between the pages and never leave. The world of Caraval is rich, vibrant, and awe-inspiring, much like the characters themselves. This is a faultless narrative that makes the reader believe in the impossible, cherish the important, and stare in wonder at endless possibility. This book, like the world it contains, is nothing short of true magic.

Finale by Stephanie Garber is published by Hodder & Stoughton, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.