Caraval: the mesmerising and magical fantasy from the author of Once Upon a Broken Heart

With CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber spins a spellbinding tale of sisterhood, love and betrayal. Like her characters, I lost myself in the dangerous, enchanting world she created-and never wanted to come out. - Sabaa Tahir

Enchanting and mysterious, Stephanie Garber's CARAVAL is a story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written. - Renee Ahdieh

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

Intoxicating. Darkly magical. CARAVAL walks the knife-edge between fantasy and reality. Within mere pages, I gladly lost myself in this perfect labyrinth of a plot. Stephanie Garber doesn't just dazzle-she makes me believe. - Jodi Meadows

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

A decadent and enchanting tale. CARAVAL will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave. - Roshani Chokshi

CARAVAL shimmers with magic. This is an inventive, delightful tale with several aces up its sleeve. - Marie Rutkoski

[A] magnificent debut novel . . . intriguing characters, an imaginative setting, and evocative writing combine to create a spellbinding tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope. - Publishers Weekly

A wonderfully magical and mysterious read that will pull you into the game of Caraval and the deceptions of its performers. But remember, it's only a game... As her arranged marriage draws nearer, Scarlett fears that she'll never get to experience that magic of Caraval, a magical performance that involves players and watchers. But when tickets for Scarlett and her sister Tella arrive to this year's game, she doesn't want to risk the marriage that will get her off the isle of Trisda and her abusive father. With the help of the mysterious sailor Julian, Tella manages to get Scarlett and herself onto Master Legend's island and into Caraval, but as the game begins, Tella is kidnapped - she is the what the players must find in order to win the game and the prize of a wish from Legend. Despite being told that everything in Caraval is just a performance, she gets swept up in the illusion, with the help of an unlikely ally, determined to find Tella before the game ends and she loses her forever. This book has received so much hype that I was both excited and apprehensive going into it. But after a few chapters, I was hooked, and like Scarlett, swept away by the magic and mystery that Caraval performs. In Caraval, nothing is at it seems, and almost everything is a performance, and that's just the same for this story. It was so easy to be sucked into the game, and as the game went on, it became easier to become disillusioned by the characters. Caraval is such a magically beautiful and mysterious world. Stephanie made even the most simplest items mystical and magical. I loved the descriptions of the world and could read about Caraval all day. Magic seeped from the pages. There are so many twists and turns in the book that, near the end, I was struggling to understand it all. Everything you think you know about Caraval is completely altered the further you get through the book. I really enjoyed the ending of this book, and if it hadn't been for the epilogue, I would have been quiet satisfied with it being a standalone. I'm intrigued to see where this story goes in the second book of this duology, and only hope that the magic and mystery of Caraval continues. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in a few days. It is fast-paced and will have you hooked. Escape into a world cloaked in magic and mystery and get swept into up in the adventure that is Caraval.

Victoria Kennedy

Reminiscent of the lyricism of Laini Taylor, Stephanie Garber's debut made my heart flutter with delight. Caraval is wonderfully atmospheric, beautifully lyrical and an absolute pleasure to have immersed myself within the pages.