If you've been hanging around the particular bookish side of the internet lately, you've probably seen a summary of once upon a broken heart popping up everywhere. It's one of those publications that people just can't stop referring to, mostly because it's a whimsical, somewhat dark, and completely addictive fairy tale that doesn't play with the usual rules. Written by Stephanie Garber—who you might know from the Caraval series—this story will take us back to a world where miracle is real, the Fates are dangerous, and a broken heart often include do some pretty careless things.
Where the Heartbreak Begins
The story moves off with the protagonist, Evangeline Fox. Today, Evangeline is a total romantic. She's the kind of person who feels in "happily actually after" with each fiber of her being. But her world completely falls apart when the girl discovers that the love of the girl life, Luc, is about to marry her stepsister, Marisol.
Evangeline is convinced that will Luc has been cursed or enchanted because there's simply no way he'd keep her for Marisol on his own. In a moment of genuine, raw desperation, the lady decides to perform the one point everyone tells a person never to perform: she seeks out there a Fate.
She goes to the Church of the Fated in order to pray to Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. In this particular world, the Fates aren't your helpful neighborhood deities. They're ancient, powerful, and notoriously cruel. Jacks is known intended for a kiss that is literally fatal to anyone except his one true love. Evangeline doesn't care about the risks, though. She just wants the particular wedding stopped.
The Deal with the Prince of Hearts
Jacks actually is found, which usually is her 1st mistake. He wants to help her stop the wedding ceremony, but of training course, it comes along with a price. This individual doesn't want the girl soul or anything at all cliché like that. Instead, he requires for three kisses. He reaches select who she smooches and when she kisses them. It sounds simple, maybe actually a little romantic in a twisted way, but if you've ever examine a fairy story, you know that will deals with marvelous beings are never simple.
Evangeline agrees, and Jacks stops the wedding. Yet he doesn't perform it by persuading Luc to arrive back with her. Rather, he turns the particular entire wedding party—including Luc and Marisol—into stone statues. It's a classic "be careful what you wish for" moment. Evangeline is horrified, and also to save them, she ends up drinking a potion that turns her to rock for 6 weeks while the others revert to human type.
Whenever she finally wakes, she's hailed as a hero since people think the lady sacrificed herself to prevent some sort of plague or curse. But Luc will be gone, Marisol is usually miserable, and Evangeline is left with a reputation she didn't earn and a debt the girl still owes to a very dangerous boy.
Shifting to the Magnificent North
The story then shifts equipment and moves to the Magnificent Northern. This is where the world-building really starts in order to shine. The North is a place where rumors possess power, stories are magic, and the environment is perpetually wintry but enchanting. Evangeline is invited right now there as part of a royal wedding hunt. The North's Prince Apollo wants a bride, also because of Evangeline's "heroic" reputation, she's a top contender.
Jacks shows upward again, looking since moody and good-looking as ever, and he's ready to collect on these three kisses. This turns out he or she has their own plan in the North. He's looking with regard to a way to open the Valory Arch, a famous gate that's intended to hold historic treasures—or ancient dangers, depending on who else you ask. In order to open it, this individual needs a "Valory Weapon, " plus he thinks Evangeline might be the particular key.
The Games and the Kisses
Whilst in the North, Evangeline attempts to navigate the court national politics and the strange magic of the land. She begins to develop an authentic connection with Royal prince Apollo, who appears like the ideal fairy-tale prince. He's kind, handsome, and actually appears to like her for who she is, not just the girl "Savior of the particular South" title.
But Jacks is usually always within the background, pulling strings. He or she uses the first of the three smooches to make Evangeline kiss Apollo during a public event. This isn't simply a random impulse; the kiss is usually enchanted. It makes Apollo fall madly, obsessively deeply in love with Evangeline. It's not the "true love" she's always dreamed of, but a pressured, magical version of it that feels hollow and incorrect.
As the story progresses, we see more of Jacks' character. He's definitely not a main character, but he's not a flat villain either. He's biting on, sarcastic, and eats a lot of apples (which is usually his thing). There's a strange chemistry between him plus Evangeline that shouldn't be there, especially since he's continuously putting her at risk.
The Secret of the Valory Arch
The plot thickens even as we learn more about the Valory Arc and the background of the Northern. There are legends about a girl who could open up the arch, plus Evangeline starts to realize that her very own family history may be more complicated compared to she thought. The girl mother was from the North, plus there are strategies buried in the girl past that link her to the particular magic of the particular land.
Jacks continues to make use of Evangeline to get closer to his goal. The 2nd kiss happens under even even more tense circumstances, plus it becomes obvious that Jacks will be willing to break Evangeline's heart—and the girl spirit—to get what he wants. He's looking for a way to change their own fate, and doesn't care which he has to step on in order to do it.
However, things begin to go sideways regarding Jacks' plan. Various other players are on the board, which includes other Fates plus mysterious figures that want the power of the Arch for themselves. The "happily ever after" Evangeline wanted is looking less like a dream and more such as a nightmare.
The Breaking Stage
The orgasm of the reserve is a flutter of betrayals and reveals. Evangeline realizes that she can't trust anyone, least of all the Knight in shining armor of Hearts. The lady finds out that will Apollo's love for her isn't just a hassle; it's part of a much larger, deadlier scheme.
Without offering away every single spoiler, the ending involves a major passing away, a shocking betrayal, and a cliffhanger that will make you reaching for the sequel immediately. Evangeline finds herself in a position exactly where her heart is more broken than it was in the beginning of the publication, but she's also stronger and more aware of the dangerous world she's stepped into.
Jacks' true motives remain a little bit of a mystery, but it's apparent that his connection to Evangeline will be deeper than simply a bargain. Whether that connection is some thing good or some thing that will ultimately destroy them each is the big question.
The reason why This Story Sticks with You
What makes this book function so well is usually the tone. It feels like a temperature dream. Stephanie Garber has this way of describing things—dresses made of starlight, shops that sell luck, and cursed apples—that makes the particular world feel extremely vivid. It's a very sensory reading experience.
Evangeline is also an interesting protagonist because she's so stubbornly positive. In an entire world full of cynical Fates and scheming royals, her desire to have love is her greatest weakness but also her greatest power. You can't help but root for her, even when she's making obviously awful decisions (like producing works with Fates).
And after that there's Jacks. He's the supreme "morally gray" love interest. He's mean, he's selfish, and he's literally is not capable of love (or so he says). But there are these small moments exactly where you see a flicker of something else, and that's what keeps readers hooked.
Final Thoughts around the Journey
This summary of once upon a broken heart only scratches the surface of the magic and messiness in these web pages. It's a story about the price of wanting some thing too much and the realization that will sometimes, the evil doers of our stories are the types we're most drawn to.
If you like stories that feel like dark fairy stories, where the magic has teeth and the romance is usually a small bit toxic although very compelling, you'll probably love this particular one. Just don't expect a neat bow on the end—this is only the start of Evangeline's trip, and as the girl learns the tough way, magic always demands a price.