3.5 stars

A few times each year, I read a story that, upon finishing, feels impossible to rate. This is one of those stories. Legendary, while certainly a lush and entertaining novel, didn’t steal my heart the way many readers claimed it would.

When I read Caraval in 2017, I gave it four stars; however, I believe that if I reread it instead of unhauling my copy, I would likely give it three. I might’ve had some issues with Legendary, but I feel it was better than its predecessor, at least in some aspects.

Now that that’s out of the way, allow me to say that this novel didn’t feel like a sequel. It felt disconnected from Caraval, as if it was a spin-off set months or years later, even though it begins almost immediately where the first installment left off. The concept of Fates and the Deck of Destiny fascinated me, and made for an intriguing but distant story, magical in ways the first wasn’t and vice versa.

One of my biggest issues is with the love interest, Dante. It honestly felt like he had no personality, like his only talent was brooding. From the start, he came off as such a stereotypical “tall, dark, and handsome” character, the kind many straight people are obsessed with even though it’s not 2011 anymore. Why does Tella love him? Why does anyone love him? What is there to love, other than his abs and tattoos? At one point, in the last quarter of the novel, Tella finds him and is stunned because he’s “so very shirtless”. I think I rolled my eyes for a solid minute. I could go on...

And then there’s Jacks. I don’t have any problems with him; I’m just confused. Since the release of Finale, many people I follow seem to agree that he deserves better. He undoubtedly has more personality than Dante, but I don’t see the appeal of him, either. I’m also curious as to whether or not he and Tella are connected the way she thinks they are.

My other primary issue is with the predictability of the story. Admittedly, there were a couple of details in the final few chapters I didn’t expect. But for the most part, nothing felt as wild as other reviews claimed. Legend’s identity? I saw that coming a mile away. I don’t know how Tella was even surprised. Garber might as well have hung a neon sign around this character’s neck that read “I AM LEGEND”.

Or maybe that’s just me.

I have to give Garber credit, though — this novel was an unexpectedly fun read. Full of magic and mayhem, fireworks and kisses, brutal bargains and a glowing apple or two, it’s easy to be enchanted by the world of Caraval...even if it isn’t just a game. Sometimes a story isn’t the greatest when looked at through a critical lens, but it’s enjoyable if that lens is taken away. In my experience, that’s what Legendary was.

Novels like this tend to leave me tongue-tied (though the fact that it’s now past 1 a.m. might also be a contributor), so I’ll end this here. Despite not being entirely sure what I think of Legendary, I’m curious enough to venture into Finale, hopefully sooner rather than later.

CW: blood