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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: violence
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber is book one in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy and is a spin-off of the Caraval series. This book I felt was more romance than the Caraval series. Where Caraval had some great world-building and intricate magic systems, this one felt barebones and so did the characters.
We follow Evangeline, a girl with rose gold hair who is watching as the boy she loves plans to marry her stepsister. The beginning of the story reads like a twisted Cinderella retelling, until Evangeline seeks out the Fated Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and everyone knows you can't trust Jacks.
After Evangeline saves the wedding party from being stone, Scarlett and Donatella send her and her stepsister north to attend a ball called Nocte Neverending to be their ambassador. Lots of magical hijinks, twists, and mysteries abound. A lot of themes on fate, trust, and the nature of love. For some reason, though I loved Caraval, the vibes just weren't there for me on this one. I thought Evangeline was annoying and a terrible MC. She didn't have nearly enough growth, and the other characters felt very one dimensional. I wanted more from the world building and magic systems, but I thought those were pretty glossed over.
I didn't hate it, but I won't be picking up the rest of the books in this series.
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber is book one in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy and is a spin-off of the Caraval series. This book I felt was more romance than the Caraval series. Where Caraval had some great world-building and intricate magic systems, this one felt barebones and so did the characters.
We follow Evangeline, a girl with rose gold hair who is watching as the boy she loves plans to marry her stepsister. The beginning of the story reads like a twisted Cinderella retelling, until Evangeline seeks out the Fated Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and everyone knows you can't trust Jacks.
After Evangeline saves the wedding party from being stone, Scarlett and Donatella send her and her stepsister north to attend a ball called Nocte Neverending to be their ambassador. Lots of magical hijinks, twists, and mysteries abound. A lot of themes on fate, trust, and the nature of love. For some reason, though I loved Caraval, the vibes just weren't there for me on this one. I thought Evangeline was annoying and a terrible MC. She didn't have nearly enough growth, and the other characters felt very one dimensional. I wanted more from the world building and magic systems, but I thought those were pretty glossed over.
I didn't hate it, but I won't be picking up the rest of the books in this series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence