Garber winds up her Caraval trilogy with the same combination of Harlequin-style romance, magical card games, political power plays, and non-stop action that made the previous two titles so popular. The Fates, once-imprisoned in a deck of cards, have been released into the world with terrifying results. Alternating chapters from Scarlett's and Tella's points of view provide differing windows into this richly imagined fantasy world, as the pair work out their romantic and political entanglements amid wonderful descriptions of magical period clothing and breathtakingly handsome young men. Using the notes and letters embedded throughout the text, readers will be caught up trying to solve various mysteries along with the two sisters. Garber also includes a glossary of Fates and Terms, useful in establishing the history and practice of fortune-telling magic. There's far too much backstory for this book to stand alone, but series fans will enjoy the plentiful surprises in the conclusion to this tale of two sisters who are as daring in politics as they are in love.

Picking up just after the end of Legendary (2018), Garber continues to build the world of Caraval with a final installment, this time focusing equally on both Dragna sisters' perspectives.After they released their long-missing mother from the Deck of Destiny, Scarlett and Donatella hoped to rebuild their relationship and gain a new sense of family. However, Legend also released the rest of the Fates, and, much to their dismay, the Fallen Star—essentially the ur-Fate—is only gaining in power. As the Fates begin to throw Valenda into chaos and disarray, the sisters must decide whom him to trust, whom to love, and how to set themselves free. Scar's and Tella's passionate will-they-or-won't-they relationships with love interests are still (at times, inexplicably) compelling, taking up a good half of the plot and balancing out the large-scale power games with more domestic ones. Much like the previous two, this third book in the series is overwritten, with overly convenient worldbuilding that struggles nearly as much as the overwrought prose and convoluted plot. While those who aren't Garber's fans are unlikely to pick up this volume, new (or forgetful) readers will find the text repetitious enough to be able to follow along.For fans, a finale that satisfies. (Fantasy. 14-18)