Travel to the beautifully written land filled with small curiosities and tremendous secrets. In a world full of dragons, sprawling gardens, and bejeweled courts, readers will be swept away from the very first sentence. Blast Taylor Swift’s song, “Mastermind” and get the tissues ready, because once you have turned that first page, there is no going back. There is no stopping from falling into the world of the Magnificent North. 

Welcome to the third and final installment of the beloved fantasy series: Once Upon a Broken Heart, written by bestselling author Stephanie Garber.

All her life, Evangeline Fox had dreamt of living the life only a fairytale could offer, and after the events of the sequel, The Ballad of Never After, she is swept under the illusion that her dream had become a reality. As a princess in the Magnificent North and married to the handsome Prince Apollo, what more could she ask for? 

Stop here for spoilers if you have not read the first two novels in the series! The only catch: her “beloved” Prince Apollo reveals to her that her memories have been taken away by Jacks, her real true love. Unbeknownst to Evangeline, Jacks is the only person she really can trust. Apollo is determined to hunt down Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, and will stop at nothing to ensure Evangeline never discovers the true reason her memories were taken…let the story begin. 

Prepare for your heart to shatter in the tragic love story meticulously developed by Garber over the past few years; one that defies fate itself. A broken prince, Jacks, broody and misunderstood, is a twisted version of the picture-perfect Prince Charming, and the lovely Evangeline is the furthest thing from a damsel in distress. They have to find their way back to each other in a world where stories are ever-changing and history is constantly being rewritten. Despite some of the atrocities committed by the characters for love, readers cannot help but sympathize for the immortal Prince of Hearts, who had his heart broken for all eternity, and is forced to wander the Earth alone because a curse had been placed upon him by an unrequited love that has turned his kiss deadly.

Although their love story is one to rival almost all young adult books, it gets overshadowed by the awful-nature of Prince Apollo, as his point of view seems to engulf a third of the book, plaguing it with his overly sinister thoughts. If readers were hoping for some kind of redemption arc for the black-hearted prince, revoke all hope now! His quest for immortality and obsessive thoughts of ensuring Evangeline's place at his side, seems inconsequential and repetitive. Although some might argue that having the “real villain’s” perspective would be a unique twist to the story, Apollo proves to be an overall useless character in the grand scheme, that is Jacks and Evangeline, and the tremendously beautiful world building. 

Despite the exquisite conclusion to one of my favorite series, the second novel still champions over the slightly slower-paced and lackluster plotline that results from having the characters reconnect over way too many obstacles. However, it is against my nature not to love a charming fantasy with an enemies-to-lovers trope and morally gray characters! Escape the everyday struggles of school and enter Garber’s enticingly deceptive world!