---
product_id: 535809243
title: "The Ballad of Never After: the stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Once Upon A Broken Heart"
price: "R477"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/535809243-the-ballad-of-never-after-the-stunning-sequel-to-sunday
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

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

**Price:** R477
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

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- **What is this?** The Ballad of Never After: the stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Once Upon A Broken Heart
- **How much does it cost?** R477 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/535809243-the-ballad-of-never-after-the-stunning-sequel-to-sunday)

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## Description

Evangeline Fox teams up with the Prince of Hearts to uncover a terrifying curse in the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 NY Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart.

Review: brilliant sequel - 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!
Review: A middle book with a satisfying trajectory and strong plot - 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.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 20,921 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 50 in Fairy Tales (Books) 68 in Myths & Fairy Tales 175 in Romantic Fantasy |
| Book 2 of 3  | Once Upon a Broken Heart |
| Customer reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (25,339) |
| Dimensions  | 12.8 x 3.6 x 19.6 cm |
| Edition  | Heruitgave |
| ISBN-10  | 1529381002 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1529381009 |
| Item weight  | 288 g |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 416 pages |
| Publication date  | 29 Jun. 2023 |
| Publisher  | Hodder & Stoughton |

## Images

![The Ballad of Never After: the stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Once Upon A Broken Heart - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1SHu8gerlL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ brilliant sequel
*by H***S on 28 July 2025*

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!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A middle book with a satisfying trajectory and strong plot
*by B***M on 20 September 2023*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pure fun!
*by J***S on 28 September 2025*

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!

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Ballad of Never After: the stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Once Upon A Broken Heart
- A Curse For True Love: the thrilling final book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series
- Once Upon A Broken Heart: Stephanie Garber

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-01-23*