The Ballad of Never After: the stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Once Upon A Broken Heart

After she is betrayed by Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, Evangeline Fox swears to never trust him again. Things change when a new curse is placed on her and her life is threatened. She’s forced to enter a tenuous partnership with Jacks against her better judgement. However he is not the only Fate she has to be wary of. In order to break this curse she might be forced to trust Jacks despite her reservations. Can she trust her heart when her head is screaming to stay away from him? Wow what on earth was that ending??? That was a BRILLIANT sequel and it was so much better than the first! So many more twists and turns and betrayals. The author completely threw me with the ending and I’ll be jumping on the next book as soon as I can!

Garber picks up the tale of Evangeline Fox in this middle instalment of the latest trilogy set in the same world as the 'Caraval' novels. I wish there had been a recap or more explanation given within the text as I did struggle to remember what had happened in the previous book. It does annoy me when authors assume their readers will remember all the detail from past instalments. But I got there eventually. Evangeline, the heroine, is now a princess, but her prince is in a magically induced coma and most of the world believes him to be dead. She is desperate to find a cure, but with the new ruler of the principality shortly to arrive, time is running out. Meanwhile the ironically heartless 'prince of hearts', Jacks, is still trying to manipulate her into using her power to open the mysterious Valory Arch and unleash whatever lies behind it. As ever, Garber doesn't waste time. The story is packed with action and incident from beginning to end and is never dull to read - in fact, it's generally hard to put down. Evangeline is a likeable enough heroine, but the hero (or antihero) is always Jacks. Garber has taken the trope of the loveable bad boy that everyone believes can be redeemed, and distilled it into this character. In fact, she is the absolute master of this trope. Even though I know it is a cliche, and generally am a cynical person not easily swayed by romance in books, I find myself utterly invested in the will-they-won't-they romance between Jacks and Evangeline. As a middle book, the ending is very open (as in, hanging off the edge of a cliff) but it does have a satisfying trajectory in its own right. Some central volumes in a trio lack that and suffer for it, but 'The Ballad of Never After' can stand on its own. It lacks the magic and wonder of Caraval and its sequels, but it's a really compelling read. I'm not sure if it is officially a young adult book or not, but certainly it would be suitable for teenage readers (I would have probably loved it even more when I was that age). There's nothing explicit in it and the characters are young, which makes it 'feel' like a YA novel. I read as an adult and also hugely enjoyed it. I'm looking forwards to the conclusion, as Garber has set up for an interesting finale, and then to see what she does next with this 'world' she has built. The concept of the fates has huge scope for other spinoff series, and Garber is a skilled writer who can create a good yarn even out of much less good material than she has created here.

Loved fairytales as a child. Loving this adult trilogy. Such a pleasure. Easy to read and entertaining. Something I have wanted to find since I read the 12 dancing princesses. Thanks to the author!

The Ballad of Never After, Evangeline’s story continues, this book is amazing. I loved it, full of magic, wonder, fates, stones, valors and a key. So thankful there is a book three to see how Evangeline’s story completes! Romance and fairytales that seem to not want to have hea’s. Book two of three. Thank the lord I can read them back to back!

This was my first introduction to Stephanie Garber's world and storytelling it flows easy and I read through chapters because I was so absorbed into the story. Evangeline's quest for true love was a rollercoaster of adventure and frustration, she annoyed me so much with her naivety and bad decisions, at times I wanted to scream because she kept making the same mistakes again and again. Jacks was an interesting character and I liked him mysterious vibes I haven't read Caraval so this was my intro to Jacks and his wicked charms. I enjoyed this fairy tale inspired story with its unique magic system and mythology, The Fates are interesting and I was captivated by the adventure and where the story would lead. Give stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love fairy tale like stories and this book definitely captured the magic and curses of those tales.

Really cute cover . Wasn't damaged at all.

From the moment I entered Evangeline Fox's world there has been an ethereal pull. The second book from the series, the story continues as Fate is desperate for Evangeline to find the stones and open the Arch gates. Why does the Prince of Hearts (Fate/Jacks) want to open the gates so bad or does he really? What lies inside those gates? She cannot help but wonder. Every path she takes there is someone throwing a curse at her or trying to kill her. For she is the key that half the world wants desperately and the other half wants to destroy. Here she stands amidst all dangers with no one to trust. All she ever wanted was her happily ever after. While the premise may seem simple and sweet to one, the story carries a storm, one will never see coming. She vows never to trust Jacks again, but the more she gets entangled into this quest to break her husband's curse, the more she realises, Jacks is the only one she can trust or can she? Each scene unfolds with intense emotions, drama and nail biting revelations. If I thought the first one is good, I had no clue what the second one had in store for me. The author weaves a world so mysterious, mystical and magical. One cannot help but feel giddy with hunger for more. Action packed scenes, exquisite landscapes and imagery. Dialogues wrapped in conflicting confessions and revelations. Absolutely loved every chapter. A must read for all. I look forward to finishing the series with the third and final book.

Ho acquistato questa edizione per la bellezza della sovracoperta e soprattutto della copertina nascosta decorata della prima stampa! Anche gli interni sono molto belli ed è presente la mappa. Per quanto riguarda il contenuto, avendo amato “C’era una volta un cuore spezzato”, non vedevo l’ora di ritrovare Evangeline e Jacks e di tornare a immergermi nel mondo misterioso e fiabesco, pieno di magia e inganni! 😍 Dopo gli eventi del volume precedente, Evangeline non può più fidarsi di Jacks 💔, ma odiarlo è per lei impossibile: dopo tutto ciò che hanno passato insieme, non riesce a credere che dietro la maschera fredda e distaccata da Fato immortale, non ci sia anche il ragazzo tormentato che combatte continuamente contro il destino che ogni volta gli strappa via ciò che desidera proprio quando lo sta per raggiungere 🏹 Evangeline ben presto si renderà conto che non ha altra scelta che imbarcarsi in una nuova pericolosa avventura con Jacks per trovare le quattro pietre magiche in grado di aprire l’Arco del Valory 💎, ma il viaggio che intraprenderanno porterà alla luce non solo verità celate sulle storie del Magnifico Nord, ma li aiuterà anche a comprendere meglio sé stessi, i loro sentimenti e ciò che vogliono davvero 🥰 La ricerca dell’amore e del lieto fine che è stata fin dall’inizio al centro di questa storia diventa sempre più una lotta contro il destino ⚔: amore e lieto fine non sono più oggetti che una volta trovati dureranno per sempre, ma qualcosa per cui lottare ogni giorno. ✒Lo stile di scrittura della Garber mi ha completamente rapita anche questa volta. Rende ogni cosa magica e meravigliosa: i suoi libri sono sogni impressi su carta. La storia affascina ed emoziona e diventa sempre più coinvolgente man mano che si prosegue nella lettura fino allo scioccante finale 😱 Concludere un libro così è davvero crudele! 😭 Spero che uscirà presto l’ultimo volume di questa trilogia e che Jacks e Evangeline avranno il finale che meritano 💖

I think this one is my favourite in the trilogy

Het eerste boek las ik helemaal uit in een week, het tweede boek (dit boek) is voor mij wat moeilijker om erdoor te geraken. Maar het blijft een mooie serie van boeken en het was goedkoop!