Neri
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
I don’t even know where to start with this book. I have been yet again driven and taken by Garber’s narrative in a fairy tale world that didn’t disappoint.
There are a great deal of things to comment about this book but I’ll try to summarise it by talking about those I feel really passionate about.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
First af all, covers are nowadays an essential part of the publishing process; and although it is a pity that writers don’t usually take part in those discussions, the designs they came up with were BRILLIANT. I couldn’t be more in love with the whole design team on both the UK and US publishers’ and the work they have done in creating these covers for Garbers’ works.
Not only that, her preorder campaign in the UK consisted of secret undercovers for the first print run which makes it exclusive, interesting and very intriguing for the reader – it even feels like a game, a gamble, out of the Caraval world. In case you’re curious and haven’t had the chance to look at the designs, here you have the 4 secret covers:
I was lucky enough to get the dragon’s but oh how I wish I could get them all!
But, what is The Ballad of Never After really about? Be careful becuse moving onwards there are bound to be spoilers. Remember that this book is the second installment in what was previously thought to be a duology (sadness and excitement fightning within me, and yes Garber, I AM looking and thinking about you).
“After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again”. Or at least that is what she promised herself. However, when a curse is revealed to Evangeline, she is forced to set her differences, or rather inconveniences, of working with Jacks and they kinda make a deal. This time she will have to learn to trust Jacks since her life is pretty much on the line.
So, without further ado…
SPOILERS AHEAD, BEWARE!
This is the first time I ever keep taps for a novel and if I had to comment every single one of them, we wouldn’t finish. So, in general lines, I loved to be back in The Magnificent North and getting to read about Evangeline and Jacks for a little while longer (longer than expected that is – still not complaining that we’re getting a THIRD boook!).
I honestly fell in love with Jacks even more than in the first book. We get to see and hear so many things about him and it is really exciting to peel all those layers and try to find the real Jacks – the one Evangeline always thought existed.
Making again another paranthesis, I need to talk about how good Stephanie Garber is at describing clothes and especially dresses. It is a pleasure to read them and it makes me wanna try and sew them myself – even if I have absolutely no idea how to do it. And on another note, it is so interesting how Garber weaves these fairy tale stories between one another. I feel like a little child reading these stories again but they have such a nice twist, a darker plot that makes you invested in the story.
I’m still puzzled and scared for the future of Evangeline and Jacks beacuse of something her mother told her:
“I think there’s a happy ending for everyone. But I don’t think these endings always follow the last page of a book, or that everyone is guaranteed to find their happily ever after”.
The Ballad of Never After (Stephanie Garber, 2022)
Excuse me but we need to talk about the bickering Jacks and Evangeline had going on in the novel, especially the former. I mean, one of the first ones was “glad to know you’re thinking about me when you kiss your husband”. I could die happily if only the story finished there but Stephanie killed me with the ending. And to that I will only say “there is nothing of equal value to me”.
Lala… she’s just such a pure character. I do feel bad for her and her fate and I wish we could see more about her story and character. I was expecting to see her angry at Jacks so that quickly put me on alert at the beginning of the book.
On another note, I really was expecting Luc and Apollo to die, sorry… But I do like the twist of it… I thought I hated Luc and he is kinda making mends but god I wish the other was DEAD.
And Chaos… I don’t even know what to say. His story and his family’s is something I don’t know how to wrap my head around and I don’t understand how everything will be dealt with in one more book; so, I’m crossing my fingers so that Stephanie will make one more.
This book totally destroyed me and it was everything I could have hoped for. Stephanie has definitely become one of my favourite authors; and I love how much her writing has evolved, and I truly can’t wait to see what comes next.
Credits for the fanart to @rosiethorns88
Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/59808071-the-ballad-of-never-after?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_25
Instagram: @stephanie_garber
