55 pages • 1 hour read
Stephanie GarberLegendary
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Series Context: Caraval
Caraval, a circus-like setting, operates under a set of rules that add to its mystique. First, everything is a performance, and nothing is as it seems. Second, it is crucial not to get lost in the spectacle and forget what is real. Third, Caraval is always a game, except when it’s not. Finally, the game only takes place at night. In Caraval, the protagonist, Scarlet (Tella’s sister), quickly learns these rules as she becomes drawn to various Caraval characters, only to have them taken away when they “die” or seem to die. As it happens, Caraval’s magic allows people to return from the dead after the game ends. In the first novel, the game’s ultimate aim is to unmask people’s true natures and reveal who they truly are beneath the surface, adding an element of suspense and mystery to the story.
Legendary, the second installment in Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series, continues the story where the first book concluded. By this point, Scarlet has managed to escape a disastrous arranged marriage, and both sisters have broken free from their father’s oppressive control. However, the game is far from over. A week later, Tella is thrust back into the enigmatic world of Caraval, where her survival depends upon her ability to recall every lesson that she and Scarlet learned in the first novel.
The first novel lays the foundation for the theme of Discerning Illusion From Reality, which takes on a deeper, more intricate form in Legendary. While the initial book explores Scarlet’s battle with this theme, the sequel shifts the focus to Tella, the sister who saw through Caraval’s illusions in the game depicted in the first novel. Now, Tella must immerse herself in the game once again in order to achieve her objective: uncovering the name of Legend, the mastermind behind the illusions. Despite her profound understanding of the game, Tella plays for high stakes and is compelled to delve deeper into the illusion, even though doing so puts her own life in peril.
Genre Context: Romantasy
Romantasy, a genre that seamlessly blends romance and fantasy, is a relatively new concept. However, this genre has gained significant traction thanks to the works of authors like Sarah J. Mass, Rebecca Yarros, and Jennifer L. Armentrout, along with the influence of social media, in which videos tagged with the #romantasy tag often amass billions of likes and views. The romantasy genre also sets itself apart by intertwining a romantic plot with a traditional fantasy setting, and the romance creates significant conflicts for the characters as they strive to achieve their fantasy-based quests. The Caraval series, with its masterful blend of reality, magic, and illusion, is a prime example of the romantasy genre.
Garber’s contribution to the romantasy genre is characterized by a blend of reality, magic, and illusion. Within the context of the series, the magic of Caraval is a pivotal element, for those who play the game are permitted to experience death without actually dying. Scarlet and Tella share a complex history with the circus-like performance of Caraval, and this dynamic puts them at odds with the game’s enigmatic leader, Legend. However, the conventions of the romantasy genre become apparent because the central conflicts of both Caraval and Legendary revolve around Scarlet’s romance with Julian—and her arranged marriage—and Tella’s romance with Dante/Legend. Garber’s approach is unique because she creates a deceptive world in which Caraval’s magic invokes a seamless blend of reality and illusion, often leaving the characters questioning the authenticity of their romances. Although Scarlet succeeds in her trials by the end of the first novel, Tella’s troubles have only just begun, and Garber immerses her characters and her readers more deeply in the mysteries, lies, and illusions of Caraval, creating a multi-layered tone of distrust, for the characters doubt each other and their experiences. At the same time, Garber’s very writing style is designed to incite a level of mistrust, for she compels her readers to question the veracity of her characters, even those whose perspectives are featured in the narrative.
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