A review by hannahmarkby
Finale by Stephanie Garber

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 I really wanted more for the conclusion of this trilogy, but Finale introduced several elements I didn’t particularly care about and left me wanting for more in other places. There were several instances of arcs with potential that fell flat, such as Legend’s backstory and Nicolas’ character, traded instead for plots I didn’t care about, like Gavriel. Other plotlines were rushed or left hanging, like Esmeralda and Tella’s trauma with death from the first two books. Plot twists were accepted too quickly by the characters. Several events that would have been interesting to see played out in real time were shared after the fact, specifically in the "true ending” section of the book. 

I didn’t hate it. Like I said, I find the Fates fascinating, and I actually wish we got to see more of them and their dynamics with one another, rather than just Gavriel. Perhaps it’s because his plotline felt more cliché to me; perhaps it’s my fault for wanting his ending to have been a bit darker, but instead it felt a bit cheesy. There were a few moments I was genuinely surprised, such as with Jacks, and the Fated Places and Objects were fun to explore and reminiscent of Caraval’s original magic. 

However, by the end of the trilogy, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions and plotlines that didn't feel fully resolved. I'm expecting some of these to be answered in Once Upon a Broken Heart, but I needed the character dynamics to be elaborated more at the end of the book for the it to feel satisfying. 
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