Reading order
Once Upon a Broken Heart Reading Order
Read Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, and A Curse for True Love in that order. These three novels complete the main trilogy.
This page avoids plot spoilers. Each linked recap contains full spoilers for its book.
Main trilogy
| Order | Book | Recap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Once Upon a Broken Heart | Full spoiler recap |
| 2 | The Ballad of Never After | Full spoiler recap |
| 3 | A Curse for True Love | Full spoiler recap |
The sequels continue the same story and reveal earlier endings, so keep the main novels in order.
After the trilogy
The Mirror of Infinite Endings is the later illustrated companion about Evangeline and Jacks. Place it after A Curse for True Love. The recaps above cover the three main novels.
Where Caraval fits
Caraval, Legendary, and Finale take place in the same world and provide Jacks's earlier history. They are optional background for following Evangeline's trilogy.
If you plan to read both series, read the Caraval trilogy first to experience that history before this series refers to its outcomes.
Related guides
Once Upon a Broken Heart series guide · Stephanie Garber author guide · All book recaps
Publication references: Macmillan's series page and Gollancz's companion listing. Updated October 27, 2026.