7 min read
4.6
· 33,702 Amazon ratingsShare This Review
Our review
The Ballad of Never After
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber Review: A Breathless, Twist-Laden Fantasy Sequel
The Ballad of Never After is the #1 New York Times bestselling second installment in Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart series, continuing the story of Evangeline Fox and the enigmatic Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, across a world of magic, mystery, and fractured trust. This review is based on published sources and the record of critical and reader reception — not hands-on reading.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers already invested in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series who want more of Garber's dark, atmospheric fairytale world and the push-and-pull tension between Evangeline and Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you have finished Once Upon a Broken Heart and are drawn to villain-love-interests, immersive fairytale worldbuilding, and plot-twist-driven YA fantasy that escalates in both magical stakes and romantic tension.
Skip if
Skip it if you haven't read book one — the serial narrative assumes deep familiarity with Evangeline's choices and Jacks's motivations — or if cliffhanger endings frustrate you, since the novel closes on a significant one by design.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews found the novel a "disappointing delivery on a potentially gripping second volume," though it acknowledged the expanded Valor lore as intriguing. Reader review sites tell a warmer story: youngcreativepress.com called it so gripping that the reviewer "didn't stop reading to take notes," while bookishwayfarer.com judged it "just as good, if not better, than Once Upon a Broken Heart" and warned prospective readers to brace for a cliffhanger ending.
“A disappointing delivery on a potentially gripping second volume — though the inclusion of expanded Valor lore is intriguing.”
— Kirkus ReviewsAsk LuvemBooks
Was this helpful?
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers already invested in Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After delivers exactly what Garber's fanbase comes for: immersive fairytale worldbuilding, a morally complex villain-love-interest in Jacks, and the signature plot twists that keep the pages turning. Brigid Kemmerer, a New York Times bestselling author, noted that 'Jacks never stopped surprising me,' and that quality of sustained surprise carries through the sequel. The key caveat is that its power is fully felt only by readers who begin at book one — and the cliffhanger ending means continued investment across the remaining volumes is part of the deal.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to The Ballad of Never After will find natural next reads among the curated selections below. Holly Black's The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King share the same pull of a morally complex, dangerous love interest set against an immersive fae world. Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Inheritance Games and The Hawthorne Legacy offer a similar blend of high-stakes mystery, twisty plotting, and romantic tension. Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked provides another atmospheric, dark-leaning YA fantasy for fans of Garber's ornate, unpredictable settings. And for those new to this series, Once Upon a Broken Heart — where Evangeline Fox and Jacks first meet — is the essential starting point.
- Who should read this?
- The Ballad of Never After is most directly designed for readers drawn to morally complex villain-love-interests, tension-filled romantic dynamics, and immersive fairytale worldbuilding — and who are already invested in Once Upon a Broken Heart. Fans of Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, will find this installment leans fully into his charismatic, dangerous unpredictability as the emotional engine of the story. The series is aimed at readers aged 13 to 18 but has earned a broad following well beyond that range, including adult readers of YA fantasy.
- What age is it for?
- Best for readers aged 13 and up. The Ballad of Never After is squarely aimed at the YA audience of 13 to 18, featuring a villain-love-interest dynamic, escalating magical stakes, and themes of betrayal and fractured trust that suit teen readers comfortable with morally complex romantic tension. The series' complexity and serialized depth also make it rewarding for older teen and adult readers of YA fantasy.
- About Stephanie Garber
- Stephanie Garber is an American author of young adult fiction.
- How's the worldbuilding?
- Worldbuilding is one of the most consistently praised qualities of Garber's work across the series. Reviewers credit her with 'exquisitely imagined worldbuilding,' and Isabel Ibañez, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, described the series' world as one that 'will leave you breathless.' In The Ballad of Never After, the world functions not as backdrop but as texture — the magic, mystery, and emotional register are interwoven so that the setting itself carries narrative weight, distinguishing Garber's fairytale fantasy from more grounded YA fare.
- Who is Jacks, the Prince of Hearts?
- Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, is the engine of the series' romantic and dramatic tension — explicitly framed as a villain-love-interest who is charismatic, dangerous, and unpredictable. The Ballad of Never After leans fully into the push-and-pull between Jacks and Evangeline Fox as the emotional core of the novel. New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer noted that 'Jacks never stopped surprising me,' pointing to his resistance to easy categorization as one of the specific draws the critical record attributes to the series.
- How does it compare to Once Upon a Broken Heart?
- The Ballad of Never After functions as a direct serial continuation of Once Upon a Broken Heart rather than a fresh chapter that can stand on its own, deepening both the emotional and magical dimensions of the story for readers who have followed Evangeline from the beginning. The sequel retains the signature worldbuilding, heady romance, and plot-twist architecture of the first book while raising the stakes — and carries forward the series' pattern of ending on a significant cliffhanger. Readers who loved book one for Jacks's complexity and Garber's immersive fairytale atmosphere will find those qualities intensified here.
Summarize this book
Follow up
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
What would you like to know about The Ballad of Never After?
Answers come from our editorial notes on this book. If we haven't covered something, we'll say so.
Readers often ask
Our Review
This review covers the book's content, premise and published critical reception, not a first-hand reading.
What the Story Is and Does
Worldbuilding and Atmosphere
The Central Relationship and Its Appeal
Signature Twists and Pacing
Who This Book Is For
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- 1
Stephanie Garber, LuvemBooks
- 2
- 3
cavalierhousebooks.com
- 4
- 5
- 6
bookishwayfarer.com
- 7
- 8
lythrumpress.com.au
- 9
- 10
- 11
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 13–18
Reading level
Young adult
Heat level
Closed door · rated 1/5 spice — glimpses and kisses only
Tropes
From how readers and romance sites describe it, not our own reading.
2 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
Best for: Ages 13+ — serialized YA fantasy with a villain-love-interest dynamic and escalating magical stakes suited to confident teen readers
Skip if you prefer standalone novels or find serialized cliffhanger endings frustrating
Reader reviews
Be one of the first readers to answer.
Read it? Was it right for you?
Books like The Ballad of Never After
Curated picks for readers who enjoyed The Ballad of Never After, with our reasoning for each match.
More by Stephanie Garber
If you liked The Ballad of Never After
