
Caraval
Enter the magical and mesmerising world of Caraval with the first book in the global bestselling series
Stephanie Garber(Author)
Gollancz (Publisher)
Published on 28. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-3996-3377-2 (ISBN)
Description
*This paperback edition features a gorgeous new cover design!*
Discover the Sunday Times bestselling fantasy from Stephanie Garber about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger.
WELCOME TO CARAVAL, WHERE NOTHING IS QUITE WHAT IT SEEMS . . .
Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.
Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister, Tella, it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father. When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic, and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.
****
Readers are mesmerised by Caraval . . .
'Truly an experience, one I will want to read again and again'
'I'm completely and utterly obsessed. THIS is going to be my whole personality now'
'An absolute magical and visual delight'
Discover the Sunday Times bestselling fantasy from Stephanie Garber about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger.
WELCOME TO CARAVAL, WHERE NOTHING IS QUITE WHAT IT SEEMS . . .
Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.
Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister, Tella, it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father. When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic, and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.
****
Readers are mesmerised by Caraval . . .
'Truly an experience, one I will want to read again and again'
'I'm completely and utterly obsessed. THIS is going to be my whole personality now'
'An absolute magical and visual delight'
Reviews / Votes
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, New York Times bestselling author AN EMBER IN THE ASHES * Enchanting and mysterious, Stephanie Garber's Caraval is a story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written * Renee Ahdieh, New York Times No. 1 bestselling author of THE WRATH AND THE DAWN * 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, New York Times bestselling author of PARANORMALCY and AND I DARKEN * 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, author of THE INCARNATE TRILOGY and THE ORPHAN QUEEN * A decadent and enchanting tale. Caraval will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave * Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN and THE GILDED WOLVES * Caraval shimmers with magic. This is an inventive, delightful tale with several aces up its sleeve * Marie Rutkoski, New York Times bestselling author of the WINNER'S TRILOGY * I love this novel . . . It's a thing of beauty and the stuff of dreams * CECELIA AHERN, Sunday Times bestselling author of P.S. I LOVE YOU, WHERE RAINBOWS END and IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW * Like the Carousel of Roses at the heart of the party, the language is colourful, giddy and with the occasional barb. And like a fairy story, Caraval reveals dark truths behind a playful, glittering surface * Daily Mail * [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 * Advance word on Stephanie Garber's Caraval has been nothing short of ecstatic, and in this case, we're glad we believed the hype. It is a lush romantic fantasy, exquisitely written, inhabited by a cast of marvellously colourful characters * Starburst * Even after a brilliant year for the fantastical in literature, it remains a firm favourite. Earning early comparisons to The Night Circus, Caraval is far more than just more of the same magical showmanship - this is a wonderfully deft, mesmerising, and beautifully told tale of love, loss, and the impossible. Scarlett's search for her missing sister, and the truth behind the mysterious Caraval show, is one to savour * Netgalley * 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, author of UNDER A PAINTED SKY and OUTRUN THE MOON *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
Children/juvenile
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
290 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-3377-2 (9781399633772)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Stephanie Garber
Caraval
Enter the magical and mesmerising world of Caraval with the first book in the global bestselling series
E-Book
01/2017
1st Edition
Gollancz
€2.99
Available for download
Previous edition

Stephanie Garber
Caraval: the mesmerising Sunday Times bestseller
the mesmerising and magical fantasy from the author of Once Upon a Broken Heart
Book
11/2017
Hodder Paperback
€32.37
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Person
Stephanie Garber is the No. 1 Sunday Times, New York Times, and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval series and the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Her books have been published in thirty languages.