Book Summary of Spectacular A Caraval Holiday Novella
Check out a book summary for Spectacular, a holiday novella that’s part of the Caraval series by Stephanie Garber. It’s a cute Christmas novella that takes place after the third book in the Caraval trilogy, Finale. It does have spoilers in this book if you haven’t finished the first three, so make sure to finish those first for the best reading experience.
Spoiler alert ahead! If you need a reminder of what happens at the end of the book before this one, I have a summary and review here.
Chapters 1-3
On the Great Holiday Eve eve in the capital city of the Meridian Empire, Empress Scarlett Dragna is throwing a big party complete with magical invitations and going over the top decorating the palace for a spectacular holiday celebration. But Tella is panicking that she hasn’t found the perfect present for Legend yet, and Legend seems to be pulling away from her even though he says it’s just from working on the next Caraval. Scarlett tells Tella about a magical toy shop that only opens once a year for magical things and a unique gift.
Chapters 4-6
When Tella goes to the magical shops, Legend is outside, but doesn’t kiss her causing Tella to worry even more. Legend says she doesn’t have to get him a gift which worries her more that he didn’t get her a gift. Then, Legend says he has to leave the city on urgent Caraval business but hopes to be back for the ball.
Chapters 7-9
Standing alone outside the shop, Tella eats a candy that a clockwork boy gives her and passes out. Legend appears in Julian’s room sulking, but Julian tells him he looks nervous. When Tella wakes up in a bad part of town with none of her things, she overhears two girls saying they’re auditioning for Caraval.
Tella follows them into a shop and through a trapdoor where a young woman gives her a costume for her audition, but none of it feels like Legend to Tella. She decides to stay and audition with all the other girls to find out who’s impersonating Legend as a gift to him even though it could be a terrifying risk not knowing what she’s walking into.
Chapters 10-12
As Tella walks onto center stage, she demands to meet with Legend when she hears a magical voice instructing them to bring Tella to his private chambers. Now she feels uncomfortable and starts kicking and screaming, but someone blindfolds her and ties her hands behind her back.
Inside the room, the imposter Legend gets close to Tella, touching her, putting his hands in her hair, and kissing her cheek. Being blindfolded and tied up, Tella can’t do anything except challenge him to a game to remove her blindfold and hand ties if she wins. But then the imposter is called away by someone knocking on the door.
Chapters 13-15
The imposter comes back saying his performers found the book “How Not to Lose the Love of Your Life” in Tella’s things. He asks if she really fears losing her love, but, in embarrassment, Tella tries to get away but runs into a piece of furniture. Her captor catches her, puts her on his lap, and asks if she really believes the horrible advice in the book, like you must get your true love the perfect gift or they won’t love you as much.
The captor started touching her again and kissing her neck, and Tella thought she might actually like it a little. Then, Tella says she’ll kiss him if he unties her, so he agrees. Now thinking it’s actually Legend because of how much she’s liking this kiss, she takes off the blindfold but everything goes black, and he moves Tella off him before leaving.
Chapters 16-19
Tella wakes up in a soft bed in a beautiful, festive room and finds a note saying “Ready to Play?” Along with a beautiful golden dress with red roses on top. Tella puts on the dress and does her hair before her door opens. She walks out to a glass dome room where she finds a present with a letter inside that she wrote to Legend asking to kidnap her for an adventure.
Tella turns around to find Legend and jumps into his arms. He tells her how much he loves her, and she says she knew it was him as soon as she heard him laugh when she was blindfolded. They stay tangled up together as Tella admits she loved her gift.
Read the Whole Book
You should read the whole book if you haven’t already to get the full affect of the romance and to see the beautiful illustrations. You can find the book here.
