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Caraval: the mesmerising Sunday Times bestseller: The mesmerising and magical Sunday Times bestseller Kindle Edition
'If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a living dream, here's your ticket' - Stacey Lee
Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems . . .
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.
***************
PRAISE FOR CARAVAL
'Impressive, original, wondrous' - USA Today
'Spellbinding' - US Weekly
'Magnificent' Publishers Weekly
'The Hunger Games meets The Night Circus' - Entertainment Weekly
'I lost myself in this world' - Sabaa Tahir
'Beautifully written' - Renée Ahdieh
'Shimmers with magic' - Marie Rutkoski
- She gave her sister the note.Highlighted by 130 Kindle readers
- It was dated almost a year ago.Highlighted by 126 Kindle readers
- After a moment the poem disappeared, and a new set of words took its place.Highlighted by 107 Kindle readers
Product description
From the Back Cover
'Remember it's all a game. What happens beyond this gate may frighten or excite you, but don't let any of it trick you.'
Once a year the infamous Master Legend hosts Caraval - open only to those who have been invited. This year the week-long game is on Legend's glittering Isla de los Sueños, where the winding streets are an elaborate snow-covered maze and the people are never who they seem.
At midnight on the first day, the show begins and the visitors become players. Each of them is vying for the coveted prize: a single wish. All they must do is unravel the mystery of Caraval. But in a game where danger hides behind every charming smile, winning isn't without loss, and their wish might be their last...
'A story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written' Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn
'Decadent and enchanting . . . CARAVAL will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave' Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star-Touched Queen
Book Description
Review
New York Times Bestseller
Entertainment Weekly Top 10 YA Novel of the Year
#1 ABA IndieNext Pick
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
CBC Teen Choice Book Award Finalist
Teen Vogue Best YA Book of 2017
BuzzFeed Best Book of the Year
“The Hunger Games meets The Night Circus in this tale of two sisters enmeshed in a deadly game. Grade: A-” ―Entertainment Weekly
“There are elements of Neil Gaiman fantasy, Wizard of Oz, and Hunger Games killer competitiveness in Stephanie Garber’s debut. But what’s most impressive is how original her wondrous Caraval really is. Garber creates a world brimming with energy, mystery, surprises, backstabbing, and even some unforeseen romance.” ―USA Today
“Spellbinding.” ―US Weekly
“Caraval is The Night Circus Jr., with a dash of Alice in Wonderland and a sprinkle of Fantasy Island. If blood and madness, ‘shameless curves and immoral promises’ entice you, well, come to the cabaret.” ―The New York Times Book Review
“A magnificent debut, and a spellbinding tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This twisty, terrifically fun page-turner is ideal for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, and fantasy novels where relationships between sisters drive the plot, such as The Hunger Games. A must-have fantasy debut for high school collections." ―School Library Journal
“Caraval sweeps you into a treacherous and romantic world that takes center stage in this story of two sisters and their longing for more.” ―Justine
“A spellbinding tale of sisterhood, love and betrayal. I lost myself in this dangerous, enchanting world―and never wanted to come out.” ―Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember In the Ashes and A Torch in the Night
“Enchanting and mysterious, Stephanie Garber's Caraval is a story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written.” ―Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn
“Caraval shimmers with magic. This is an inventive, delightful tale with several aces up its sleeve." ―Marie Rutkoski, New York Times bestselling author of the Winner's Trilogy
“In a book where nothing is at it appears, one thing is certain: Caraval is the darkly enchanting adventure you’ve been looking for!” ―Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken and Paranormalcy
“A decadent and enchanting tale. Caraval will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave.” ―Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
“A tale of sisterly devotion painted in colors of cerise and shimmering gold. If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a living dream, here's your ticket.” ―Stacey Lee, critically acclaimed author of Outrun the Moon
“Stephanie Garber doesn't just dazzle―she makes me believe.” ―Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Lady Jane
“Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets. Immersive and engaging . . . destined to capture imaginations.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Readers invested in the sisters’s fates (not to mention the outcome of steamy will-they-or-won’t-the? tension between Scarlett and Julian) will hang on tight and enjoy the ride. Garber’s darkly beautiful and brutal magical world is the star here, full of luscious details that invite readers to linger.” ―The Horn Book
“An enchanting mix of mystery, romance, and magic, this immerses readers in its gorgeous setting with lush prose. The setting is a captivating blend of beauty and danger . . . the chemistry between Scarlett and Julian is intoxicating. Readers will want a return ticket to this one.” ―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Rich, vivid scene-setting and descriptions make for entertaining reading . . . a colorful, imaginative fantasy with some steamy romance for good measure.” ―ALA Booklist
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B019J2875E
- Publisher : Hodderscape; 1st edition (31 January 2017)
- Language : English
- File size : 4830 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 361 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #74,384 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #963 in Mythology & Folk Tales
- #1,830 in Myths, Legends & Sagas
- #3,741 in Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of the Caraval series, Once Upon A Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After. Her books have been published in thirty languages.
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Customer reviews

Reviewed in India on 30 April 2019
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Top reviews
Top reviews from India
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After a lot of doubts and assumptions, I bought the first book and it did live up to my expectations. The world building is the highlight of the book followed by the intricate plot. Scarlet, being the main character, I expected her to come out stronger and braver through the course of the book but she makes an average heroine which makes me cut off a star. Julian, however, was a very interesting character and till the end of the book you keep on guessing whrre his loyalties lie. Colourful and magical as it seems, it's dark and manipulative from within. The last 100-150 pages stole the show and literally blew my mind.
If you are a lover of fantasy, slow-burn romance, secrets and deceptive villains, this book will surely impress you. Can't wait to grab the sequel and get lost in it!
The story and writing are good, especially for the ACOTR fans. Not sure if I will go ahead with the second part of this trilogy series though.

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 30 April 2019


About the book itself, it was a good read i feel, though adventurous and nothing compared to the night circus . Just another read of sorts though looking forward to reading the sequel.
The story is about two sisters who wish to run away from their abusive father and live their life freely and end up playing a dangerous game which is full of charades and deception, which put both their lives in danger.

About the book itself, it was a good read i feel, though adventurous and nothing compared to the night circus . Just another read of sorts though looking forward to reading the sequel.
The story is about two sisters who wish to run away from their abusive father and live their life freely and end up playing a dangerous game which is full of charades and deception, which put both their lives in danger.

Reading this book was like stepping into a-whole-nother world. I was swept away by the magical lure and held captive by the lusty suspicion. There were secrets around every corner and the cliffhanger at the end made me need the next book, like now!
CONDITION: was delivered in good shape fortunately 🙄
SELLER: uRead-store (don't you dare ya buy from others)
Story: just just give it a chance you'll be mesmerized 🥺 ... No other words😳🤫

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 29 November 2019
CONDITION: was delivered in good shape fortunately 🙄
SELLER: uRead-store (don't you dare ya buy from others)
Story: just just give it a chance you'll be mesmerized 🥺 ... No other words😳🤫

Give it a go if you want to land into a dream world of magic. The book is a must read
The story is intriguing, mysterious and adventurous plus the villain in super hot :)

The story is intriguing, mysterious and adventurous plus the villain in super hot :)


Top reviews from other countries


Like many others, I loved ‘The Night Circus’ and as that was the most recent circus book I had read, I couldn’t help but compare ‘Caraval’ and, unfortunately, it fell very short.
The story is set around 2 sisters Scarlett and Tella. The sisters have never left the tiny isle of Trisda where they live with a very controlling father. For years, the sisters have been pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long circus-type performance where the audience participates in the show. The show is a mystery and magical and to Scarlett and Tella, it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father. We follow the sisters as they receive their long-awaited invitations to Caraval but no sooner do they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.
First off, there are letters in this book that make it super hard to read on a Kindle, even if you zoom in the font. I know that the book itself is quite pretty, so you might prefer to get a hard copy. Even so, it would be nice if this was formatted for the Kindle.
Overall this book was a big disappointment for me. I don’t know if this was because it was suggested to be read if you enjoyed ‘The Night Circus’ or if I just had really high expectations but, either way, I was left totally disappointed.
I found it really hard to like or even care about Scarlett. As our main protagonist, we are with her as she follows clues in Caraval in order to find her sister and, in doing so, win the game but there's nothing really clever about the clues, nor is there the sense of real nail-biting danger. There are a few sexual scenes in the book, which confused me as I thought the target audience for this was a bit young but perhaps not. The scenes themselves are weak and not believable and they felt a bit too fabricated, same with any death scenes too.
I have to admit that I got a bit lost in the world and not in a good Harry Potter way. I get that it was all magical but I found that once I had read a description of the environment, I immediately forgot it. Nothing descriptive about the world seemed to stick in my head.
I find it difficult to pinpoint one reason why this novel fell short for me. I was never consumed by the world or characters of Caraval and a female heroine that constant turns and is reliant on men is not really a great heroine in my view. I felt that the storyline was strong and could have offered so much more but I won’t bother with the rest of the series now.

The World
If you don’t like metaphors and interesting, sometimes eccentric description, this book isn’t for you. Me, I enjoyed it. Some reviewers have commented on things like “how can you taste midnight?” but I get it. It’s not so much taste midnight, it’s the all-around experience of it. If you take everything you read literally, this book won’t be for you. Scarlett also had an ability, similar to synesthesia, but with a more magical, empath-like twist, where she could experience her emotion in the form of colours, and it was interesting to read what colour combination matched the emotion.
The broader world was a tad tropey, but not so much that I didn’t enjoy it. Part of me wants to know more about the world as a whole, part of me thinks everything is about the setting of Caraval, and the point is the rest of the world is supposed to fall away until Caraval is everything. At least for a few days.
I don’t even know where to begin here. This is almost a story told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, but it’s not really her fault. Anything and everything the characters experiences could be completely fake or it could be real, and it’s nigh on impossible to know which is which. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, and there can’t be another twist you’re not prepared for, something will hit you. Sometimes books like this annoy me. The twists seem random or not thought out. Caraval was different though. Caraval seemed well thought out. Nothing was there without a purpose and the author had a way of telling the story that drew you in so you experienced everything right along with Scarlett.
There was one problem with experiencing things along with the main character though, you’re left out of the loop a lot. The magic system is… magic? These systems are supposed to have limits that are defined. If not, what’s the point? Anyone can do anything and it’s all ok? I’m hoping this is explained more in future books otherwise the stakes might seem less concerning if someone can click their fingers and undo all the bad that’s happened.
Scarlett
Scarlett is the main character, whose point of view we experience Caraval. In the beginning, she was mildly annoying, a weak female character who I wanted to give a nudge to fight for herself. But that’s where we get the growth. Once she gets over herself at the start of the book, she becomes a character I enjoyed reading about, and one I could eventually cheer for. Her personality could’ve been more in-depth, with more story than a missing mother and abusive father, but overall, she was just about good enough to carry the story. I can only hope she grows more and is fleshed out better in further books.
Julian
The somewhat predictable love interest, but still my favourite character in this book. After all, without Julian, where would Scarlett be? Dead, probably! Julian is an enigmatic character. I’m not sure we ever find out who he is for 100% certain, but that’s one of the reasons I actually like him. His story is clearly complicated, but he’s likeable and I was rooting for Julian throughout.
Donatella
Donatella is Scarlett’s younger, more irresponsible and out of control sister. Although I think there’s a secret heart of gold hidden under the insecurity and madness. The whole plot is centered around her, but you don’t get to actually see much of her. Scarlett clearly cares deeply for her, though, and it sounds like she’s important for future books, so I’ll be interested in reading more about her.
Would I read it again? If I didn’t have thousands of other books on my list, sure. This isn’t one of those I’d pick up as a “comfort read” though.
Will I be picking up the next in the series? Yeah, eventually. I’m great at starting series and never finishing them. I’ll get on it eventually.
Would I recommend it? If you like a lot of metaphors, a little bit of romance and a magical setting, you should definitely give this one a go.
Is it going on my favourites shelf? Not quite. I enjoyed it, but not at that level.

What could have been a wonderful book full of magic, intrigue, romance and so much more was a complete disappointment. I managed to finish the book but after the first 30 or so pages I found that I really did not give two hoots about any of the characters in the book as I just could not connect to them through the writing. This did not improve throughout the book and the descriptions of the magical world of Caraval just did not bring it to life for this reader.
I purchased the Kindle version and the constant showing of communications as illustrated letters made them almost impossible to read on my paperwhite. They were scrunched up to less than half theheight and width of the screen and you had to really squint to read them. This dragged you out of the story so much I spent most of each page dreading that I would find one on the next page. I assume that this will not be an issue in a physical copy and more thought should have been given by the publishers to their Kindle conversion, especially as it is such a popular format.
If you decide to purchase this book because the synopsis draws you in I really hope that you do not feel as disappointed as I do. I was really looking forward to this one as being somewhere along the lines of The Night Circus which I read 2 or 3 years ago and loved.

The book is about two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella. Growing up they were told stories about the great Legend and Caraval, a world where everyone enjoys adventure and aims to win a prize. The world is pure magic, an artistic performance that attracts the daring and provides a mixed game of reality and fantasy. For years the sisters have longed to meet the great Legend, so when Scarlett writes a letter as an adult to say that she wishes to meet him before her arranged marriage, she does not expect a special invitation and tickets for her and her sister to attend Caraval.
But all is not what it seems in a game that is played at night, and when Donatella disappears, Scarlett finds that she has a lot to play for. With a sailor by her side, and a set amount of days to play, will Scarlett beat the game?
This book was incredibly written with so many twists and turns I almost got whiplash, but each and every one was unexpected, and had me utterly captivated. I have not read a book that had me so engrossed and kept me guessing to the very last moment. I could not recommend this book enough.
It is the perfect read for all fantasy lovers, it is a highly imaginative world that I can’t wait to learn more of. The romance is heartwarming, the drama is on point and i know that I will be struggling to find a book on this scale for a long time. Amazing!