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Series · fantasy
Once Upon a Broken Heart
The Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Once Upon a Broken Heart (2021). The Mirror of Infinite Endings is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 2021
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
Start here: Once Upon a Broken Heart (2021)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Once Upon a Broken Heart
Stephanie Garber opened Once Upon a Broken Heart on September 28, 2021, with the series' 416-page first book, introducing Evangeline Fox's bargain with Jacks, the charming, dangerous Prince of Hearts who promises to make her forget her heartbreak in exchange for three future favors -- a trade that, true to the trickery running through the whole series, comes with fine print. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Once Upon a Broken Heart - Book 2:
The Ballad of Never After
The Ballad of Never After followed almost exactly a year later, on September 13, 2022, matching the opener's length at 416 pages and continuing Evangeline and Jacks's bargain as it keeps recontextualizing whether he's saving her or steering her exactly where he wants her. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Ballad of Never After - Book 3:
A Curse for True Love
A Curse for True Love arrived October 24, 2023, running slightly shorter at 400 pages as the third entry, continuing the dark fairy-tale romance Stephanie Garber built in the same theatrical, Fate-touched universe as her separate Caraval trilogy. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Curse for True Love - Book 4:
The Mirror of Infinite Endings
"The Mirror of Infinite Endings" is announced as the series' fourth book, slated for September 22, 2026, at 224 pages -- the shortest volume in the series and its next scheduled release. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mirror of Infinite Endings
Key facts about the Once Upon a Broken Heart series
Our list has 4 books in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Once Upon a Broken Heart, since it opens the publication order in 2021. The Ballad of Never After is book 2, from 2022. A Curse for True Love is book 3, from 2023. The Mirror of Infinite Endings is book 4, from 2026.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
The Mirror of Infinite Endings is the latest book with a full release date, out on 22 September 2026. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 2021 and 2026, while their length runs from 224 to 416 pages. That is a run of 5 years.
Stephanie Garber has 9 books on our list. Additionally, they write Caraval and Alchemy of Secrets. We shelve the books under fantasy.
About the Once Upon a Broken Heart series
Evangeline Fox has always believed in happy endings — until the boy she loves marries her stepsister. Heartbroken, she strikes a bargain with Jacks, the charming, dangerous Prince of Hearts, who promises to make her forget her pain in exchange for three future favors. What follows is a fairy-tale-flavored fantasy built on trickery and fine print: every wish Evangeline makes gets twisted, every bargain hides a trap, and the closer she gets to Jacks the less certain she is whether he's saving her or steering her exactly where he wants her. The series folds in curses, immortal Fate-touched villains, and a slow-burn romance that keeps recontextualizing itself as Evangeline learns how much of her own story has been rigged from the start.
Set in the same richly theatrical universe as Stephanie Garber's Caraval trilogy — sharing its love of riddles, unreliable narration, and morally grey magic-users called Fates — Once Upon a Broken Heart follows a new heroine and cast, with its own self-contained arc that doesn't require having read Caraval first. Garber leans further into dark fairy-tale romance here, with Jacks in particular becoming one of her most fan-favorite, hard-to-read love interests.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in Once Upon a Broken Heart?
Four: Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love, and The Mirror of Infinite Endings.
What order should I read Once Upon a Broken Heart in?
Publication order: Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love, The Mirror of Infinite Endings. It's a continuous story following Evangeline and Jacks.
Do I need to read Caraval before Once Upon a Broken Heart?
No. The two series share the same magical universe and the concept of the Fates, but follow different characters with separate, self-contained plots — you can start with either one.
When does The Mirror of Infinite Endings come out?
It's scheduled for 22 September 2026, continuing the series past the original trilogy.
Who is Jacks in Once Upon a Broken Heart?
The Prince of Hearts, an immortal, Fate-touched trickster who strikes a bargain with Evangeline in book one — he becomes the series' central, morally ambiguous love interest.
If you like the Once Upon a Broken Heart series
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