Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber: Book Review

From the #1 bestselling author of the Caraval series, Once Upon A Broken Heart is the first in a new fantasy series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.

Release Date: 30th September 2021
Page Total: 416
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Raised in her beloved father's curiosity shop, Evangeline Fox grew up amongst cursed stories and tales of immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. His powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and bargains with him rarely end well. But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to seek his help. 

In exchange for only three kisses, he agrees to stop the wedding. But after her first promised kiss, Evangeline learns that striking a deal with a Fate is far more dangerous than she could ever know. The Prince of Hearts has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy...

" I believe there are far more possibilities than happy ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings."

A dazzling mix of magic, intrigue, and slow-burn romance, Stephanie Garber's Once Upon A Broken Heart is a perfect escapist dream. Addictive and whimsical, this novel will sparkle in your imagination and play havoc with your pulse. 

Although this book is set in the Caraval world, it's true that you absolutely do not need to have read the trilology beforehand to enjoy and understand this book. It will give away a couple of spoilers of where the original characters end up, but it'll be just as magical if you've not read them as if you have. 

Where Caraval is a dark and romantic game, Once Upon A Broken Heart is much more of a mysterious fairy-tale, with beautiful snowy scenery, seasonal balls and a history all of its own. There is a whole new magic system in place as we enter The North, and Garber deliciously captures this in vivid colour with her trademark writing style. Her world-building is second to none, with a whimsical quality that leaves you totally absorbed into the story. And the wonderful little cameos from Caraval characters make the world feel that much more magical and complete. She brilliantly intertwines the old and new stories without one wholly relying on the other, and does it with such skill and vibrancy that it is easy to relax into the new phase of the journey. 

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But it is the new cast of characters that really bring this book to life. Our protagonist, Evangeline, wants nothing more than her happy ending, which leads to some questionable decision making that you can't help but sympathise with. Her rose-gold hair and naive hopefulness makes for a perfect contrast to the shrouded mystery of The North and its cursed stories. Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, on the other hand is just as devilish and unpredictable as ever, this time framed as somewhat of an unlikely hero, whose motives are constantly in motion and in question. There are depths to his character that are as yet unexplored, and this gives the novel even more of an intensity as we search desperately for any subtle hints that Garber may have dropped. Both Jacks and Evangeline float in and out of the morally grey area, which makes for a really interesting reading dynamic. We'd definitely do well as readers to remember never to trust a Fate.

While some of the plot points went wildly off-piste from the original Caraval trilogy (I'm still trying to get my head around the newly-featured vampires), there is no question that this book is just as magical, mysterious and intriguing. The characters, setting, and plot all twist together beautifully to create a picture of total wonder in which the reader can completely lose themselves, and there is no question that this will become a staple for every fantasy-lover's bookshelf. Perhaps set towards more of a young-adult audience, Evangeline's journey to reach her Happily Ever After is one that I cannot wait to see unfold across this new series. 

Many thanks to Stephanie Garber for gifting me an early copy of Once Upon A Broken Heart.