Caraval Books in Order: Stephanie Garber's Complete World (2026)
How to read Stephanie Garber's interconnected world in order — the Caraval trilogy and the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy — plus where they overlap and the best place to start.
Stephanie Garber’s books are some of the most beloved in young-adult fantasy romance — lush, magical, and built around games where nothing is quite what it seems. What confuses many new readers is that Garber has written two interconnected trilogies set in the same world: the original Caraval trilogy and the later Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. They share a world, a magic system, and at least one unforgettable character, and the order you read them in matters. This guide lays out the complete path.
The short version: begin with Caraval. Everything else flows from there.
Stephanie Garber’s World at a Glance
| # | Title | Year | Trilogy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caraval | 2017 | Caraval #1 |
| 2 | Legendary | 2018 | Caraval #2 |
| 3 | Finale | 2019 | Caraval #3 |
| 4 | Once Upon a Broken Heart | 2021 | Once Upon a Broken Heart #1 |
| 5 | The Ballad of Never After | 2022 | Once Upon a Broken Heart #2 |
| 6 | A Curse for True Love | 2023 | Once Upon a Broken Heart #3 |
Best starting point: Caraval — it establishes the world, the magic, and the character of Jacks who becomes central to the second trilogy.
Start Here: The Caraval Trilogy
The Caraval trilogy follows sisters Scarlett and Donatella Dragna, raised under a cruel father on a remote island, who are drawn into Caraval — a once-a-year, immersive magical game run by the enigmatic showman Legend, where the line between performance and reality dissolves and the stakes turn out to be far more dangerous than a game.
#1 — Caraval (2017)
Caraval is Garber’s debut and the entry point to her entire world. Scarlett receives a long-awaited invitation to Caraval, and when her sister Tella vanishes into the game, finding her becomes the year’s central mystery. The world of velvet, candy-colored magic, and shifting rules established here is the foundation everything else is built on, and it introduces the magic and the mythology that the later trilogy expands.
#2 — Legendary (2018)
Legendary shifts perspective to Tella, whose own secret bargain drives a new game with even higher stakes. It is here that the Fates — powerful, dangerous immortal beings — move to the center of the story, including the magnetic and morally slippery Prince of Hearts, Jacks. For readers who go on to Once Upon a Broken Heart, Legendary is essential groundwork.
#3 — Finale (2019)
Finale concludes the sisters’ story, resolving the romances and the conflict with the Fates that the trilogy has built. It brings the Caraval arc to its close and sets the stage, thematically and mythologically, for the world Garber returns to in her next trilogy.
Continue with Once Upon a Broken Heart
The second trilogy follows a new heroine, Evangeline Fox, a hopeful romantic who strikes a bargain with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, to stop the wedding that has broken her heart — and discovers, as everyone who deals with a Fate does, that the price is never what it seems.
#4 — Once Upon a Broken Heart (2021)
Once Upon a Broken Heart launches the new trilogy and brings Jacks fully to the foreground. Readers who met him in the Caraval books will recognize the danger beneath his charm immediately; the bargain at the heart of the book sets Evangeline on a path through curses, kisses, and betrayals.
#5 — The Ballad of Never After (2022)
The Ballad of Never After deepens the relationship between Evangeline and Jacks and complicates the trilogy’s central conflict with new betrayals and revelations. The stakes rise, the romance grows thornier, and the mythology of the Fates expands.
#6 — A Curse for True Love (2023)
A Curse for True Love concludes the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, resolving Evangeline’s story and the long game with Jacks. It closes the arc of the second trilogy and, with it, the larger story Garber has told across her shared world.
How to Read Stephanie Garber’s Books
The cleanest path is publication order, which is also chronological and preserves every reveal: Caraval, Legendary, Finale, then Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love.
While Once Upon a Broken Heart technically follows a new protagonist and can be picked up on its own, it is built on the foundation the Caraval trilogy lays — especially the character of Jacks and the mythology of the Fates. Reading the trilogies in order means his appearances land with full weight rather than as background, and you avoid small but real spoilers. For first-time readers, Caraval is unambiguously the place to begin.
If You Love Stephanie Garber, Read These Next
Garber’s blend of magical games, swoony romance, and morally gray love interests pairs well with several other romantasy favorites. For another atmospheric, romance-forward fantasy, try Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. If you want a darker, more dangerous love interest, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black delivers court intrigue and a thorny enemies-to-lovers arc. And for readers ready to move into adult romantasy, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is the natural step up.
More Romantasy Reading Guides
- Books Like Fourth Wing: 11 Romantasy Reads for Dragon-Rider Fans
- For the best of the genre, see our guide to the best fantasy books of all time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I read Stephanie Garber's books?
Read the Caraval trilogy first — Caraval, Legendary, Finale — then the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy: Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, and A Curse for True Love. Both trilogies are set in the same world and share characters, most notably the Fate known as Jacks, so reading Caraval first gives the second trilogy its full emotional weight.
Do Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart connect?
Yes. Once Upon a Broken Heart spins directly out of the Caraval world and features Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, who first appears in the Caraval trilogy. While Once Upon a Broken Heart follows a new heroine, Evangeline Fox, and can technically be read on its own, you will appreciate Jacks and several reveals far more if you have read Caraval first.
Can I read Once Upon a Broken Heart without reading Caraval?
You can, because Once Upon a Broken Heart follows a new protagonist and a self-contained romance, but it is not recommended. Caraval establishes the world, the magic, and the character of Jacks, and reading it first prevents minor spoilers and deepens the payoff of the second trilogy. For the best experience, start with Caraval.
Is the Caraval world finished?
Both core trilogies are complete: the Caraval trilogy concludes with Finale, and the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy concludes with A Curse for True Love. Together they tell a complete arc across the shared world. Check Stephanie Garber's latest announcements for any new projects set in or beyond it.
