REVIEW: Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Calling all fans of the bestselling YA phenomenon Caraval: Stephanie Garber is back! Once Upon a Broken Heart is the first in a new series set in the same universe as Caraval, filled with as much magic and mayhem as we’ve come to expect from the queen of fairy tales herself. I’m pleased to report that the same whimsy that delighted readers in her first series is very much present in her newest release, along with a healthy sprinkling of cursed princes, betrayal, wicked Fates and doomed love stories.

Stephanie Garber

Our heroine is Evangeline Fox, no stranger to tragedy after losing her parents at a young age and being raised by her quasi-wicked stepmother. At the beginning of our tale, Evangeline is reeling after learning that her beloved is set to marry her stepsister. Devastated and desperate, Evangeline seeks the infamous Prince of Hearts, Jacks, and makes a deal with him: Jacks will stop the wedding, and in return Evangeline owes him three kisses. But of course, it couldn’t be as simple as that, could it?

Readers of Caraval will know that Jacks is potentially the very worst person to make a deal with, and after it inevitably goes south, Evangeline loses her love for good. She is encouraged by some familiar faces to travel to the Magnificent North, home to myths and stories and birthplace of her parents, to attempt to win the hand of Crown Prince Apollo and maybe find her very own happily ever after. But Evangeline finds herself unable to break her promises, and discovers that the Prince of Hearts might be after more than she is willing to give.

If, like me, you find yourself always empathising a little too much with the villain of the story, you’ll be delighted to learn that the fan-favourite Prince of Hearts plays a central role in this story. Here, Jacks is a little darker and intent on a new prize. He is a spider at the centre of a web or the unseen hand guiding pieces on a chess board, always in control and rarely taken by surprise. Evangeline is a worthy foible, just reckless enough to believe that she can escape his machinations and brave enough to defy him. She believes in fairytales and happy endings, and always chooses to trust people and to see the good. But is there any good in Jacks left to find?

Filled with all of the magic that made Caraval so successful, reading this felt like being swept away into another world, one with cursed love spells and mysterious prophecies and even baby dragons. (I demand more baby dragons in the sequel, please.) Once Upon a Broken Heart is a fairy tale turned on its head and an unmissable addition to the Caraval universe.

—Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber (Hachette Australia) is out now.

Once Upon a Broken Heart

by Stephanie Garber

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in happily ever after. Until she learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, and her dreams are shattered.

Desperate to stop the wedding, and heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. But after Evangeline's first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game...

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Hannah Armstrong