Their abusive father is the Governor of the island they grew up on. So what does Tella do? She gets in engaged to the heir to the Throne.

Scarlett doesn’t want to go because her former fiance lived there and was afraid they might be seen and word would get back to their father. When the second book, they are invited to go with Caraval to the capital of the Empire. The end of the first book, Tella is believed dead by their abusive father. The biggest issue I have that was never addressed is this. Tella spends all of the second book, trying to release her only to have her die a few chapters into the third. She was a little frustrating at first because she insisted on getting to know the Fiance she left behind and for little pay off. Honestly, I really wish it had more Scarlett then Tella but it was welcomed development to have Scarlett back. Well, things don’t end the way anyone thought and the final book has alternating POV of Scarlett and Tella. If Tella wins she will either doom humanity by betraying Dante and Caraval or lose more of her family by betraying the Prince of Hearts. In the process of playing the game, Tella falls in love with a man named Dante who is more then she bargains for. Tella didn’t know she made a deal with a Fate. She made a a deal with the Prince of Hearts to help her get to the Caraval and in return she needed to find the true identity of Legend. The Fates who once ruled and were cruel were trapped in a deck of cards and are threatening to be released. This Caraval isn’t like the others because it’s the real this time.

While Scarlett is earnest and constantly thinking of her sister and others, Tella is selfish and self involved. I was very upset with how it ended and after finding out the second book, is from Tella’s point of view I almost didn’t want to read it. In fact if my sister did to me what Tella does to Scarlett I wouldn’t be so forgiving. Now, Tella I do not like as much as Scarlett. It’s whimsical and heartbreaking as Scarlett overcomes her own fears and traumas to win the game and find her sister. She plays the game in earnest as Tella is taken and to win the game she must find her before anyone else. Tella has either ideas and with the help of the charming Julian, Scarlett is whisked away to Legend’s private island to play Caraval. Scarlett is thrilled at the offer but doesn’t want to accept because she has convinced herself that her upcoming marriage will save her and her sister from the abusive father. That is until the invitation to play the game finally comes on the eve of her wedding. Scarlett for years wrote letters to Legend begging him to bring his game to their small island for her sister’s birthday to no avail. It is lead by the even more mysterious Legend. In their own ways they both are obsessed with a mysterious and magical game called Caraval. The Caraval trilogy is about sisters, Scarlett and Tella. All and all this was an enjoyable series.

Stephanie garber books