Ella Matherne '28

Stephanie Garber: the woman, the myth, the legend. She has written multiple books throughout her career as an author, and all of them have been nothing short of astounding. Because they are all so good, fans often struggle to rank her books, sparking significant debate on this topic. Starting with Caraval and ending with Spectacular, today we will find the answer readers have been looking for: which book in the magical Caraval universe reigns supreme?

Coming in at number 7 is Spectacular. Spectacular is the fourth book in the Caraval series and is a holiday Novella. This book follows Tella as she attempts to find a magical gift for Legend, exploring various magical tricks along the way. As this is happening, we also get to read about Scarlett planning the Great Holiday celebration amidst various mishaps. This book was a welcome addition to the series and made for a great holiday read. I enjoyed seeing the lives of the characters after the initial wrap-up of the series, and I appreciated having illustrations to gain a better sense of the vision Stephanie Garber had while writing. However, I just didn’t find it as engaging as the others, and so for that reason, it is at the bottom of my list.

Next is Finale, the third book in the Caraval series. This book follows both Tella and Scarlett after Tella unleashed the fates, and the sisters must work together to stop them. Tella also finds herself in a love triangle with Legend and the Prince of Hearts (Jacks from OUABH); then Scarlett must choose between her original love interest, Julian, and the man she was supposed to marry in an arranged marriage. While juggling difficult choices, both sisters must make sacrifices and reveal shocking truths to save The Magnificent North. This book was an easy read for me because each chapter was filled with new things, and all of the plot twists were well-thought-out. I really liked this book, but it just didn’t give me the same magical feeling as the other books, and I felt that the plot was too centered around Donatella.

The next book in my ranking is Legendary, the second book in the Caraval series. This book follows Tella (Scarlett’s sister). She enters the game of Caraval in order to find out Legend’s real name, and is doing this because she must repay her debt to the mysterious criminal who helped her save Scarlett from their father. As she is playing, she falls into dangerous games and must untangle the web of secrets surrounding Legend to repay her debt before time is up. I like how we got to see more of Tella’s story throughout this book, and we got to see what she really sacrificed in order to help her sister. This book added a lot more depth to her character and made me understand why she is the way she is. However, I was not a fan of the romance in this book because, while it was nice at times, it was somewhat inconsistent. It depends on what style each person has because when I asked Sophia Marcotte about the romance in this book, she said, “I loved seeing Tella and Dante’s story because it showed how strong they each were.” Overall, though, this book was engaging and magical in the most perfect of ways.

At number four is A Curse for True Love, the third book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. This is the final book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, and it follows Eva after Apollo erased her memories of Jacks, as she realized she was in love with him. As Eva grows increasingly suspicious and Jacks starts to reappear in her life as a stranger, she realizes her “happily ever after” may not be what it seems. I feel that this book had a great ending for the series and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the plot. However, I think there was too much of the book centered around Apollo’s point of view because those chapters sounded almost repetitive, as they focused on Apollo stressing that Eva would find out he was lying to her. However, once Jacks is reintroduced, the book becomes very engaging and brings me on a ride through the ending of the series.

In third place is Once Upon a Broken Heart, the first book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. This series is connected to Caraval in that they have overlapping characters and are in the same world. This book follows Evangeline as she is in love with Luc, but he suddenly has a change of heart and wants to marry her stepsister, Marisol. Eva goes to Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, and asks for help. In exchange, he turns the entire wedding to stone until Eva puts herself in their place to save them. When Eva is saved, she is a hero and is sent to the magnificent north, where she finds Jacks and realizes she still owes him a debt for helping her. Through this debt, Eva meets Apollo, who is under a spell, and gets married, but must find a way to break Apollo's spell with Jacks’s help. This book was a good start for the series, incorporating past characters in a way that helped transition the stories, but didn’t get too hung up on Caraval. I loved reading about the new worlds and characters, which showcased Stephanie Garber's creativity in her writing. My favorite quote from the book that shows Garber’s writing style is, “I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings.” Along with a beautiful writing style, the plot was thoughtfully developed, and it is evident that she carefully considered how each action might affect how readers perceive a character. 

In second place is Caraval, the first book in the Caraval series. In this book, two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, go through a rollercoaster ride to escape their abusive father. Scarlett has always dreamed of attending Caraval, and it is only now that her letter to Master Legend has been answered, including tickets to the upcoming game. Although Scarlett is reluctant to go due to her father’s possible reaction, Julian and Tella trick Scar into going, and Tella is taken as part of the game. Scarlett must solve the clues and win the game to rescue her sister, while also avoiding detection from their father. I love this book because it really tricked me as I was reading it, and I had a hard time determining what was going to happen. They made it a point that everything was fake, yet the way Stephanie Garber wrote this book makes the reader completely fall victim to the tricks, so they feel like they’re actually in the story. 

My absolute favorite of her books is The Ballad of Never After, the second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. In this book, Eva and Jacks team up to find the four magical stones needed to open the valory arch. Eva thinks it will help cure her husband's cursed state, but Jacks has other plans. As the book progresses, more and more is at stake, including Evangeline’s heart. After reading it, this book deserves first place in every way shape and form because all the chapters were intriguingly page-turning, and really made me feel for Eva and Jacks. It didn’t matter what was happening in the book; Garber described it in such a magical way that it made me feel like I was experiencing the story firsthand. Every person I have asked has had varying responses when it comes to ranking the books, but one thing they all had in common was that they put this book at number one. When asked, Piper Backburn’s response was, “Once Upon a Broken Heart: The Ballad of Never After has to be my favorite. I loved seeing Eva’s journey through the Magnificent North, and her learning about all the magical things in store for her.” 

As a fun addition to ranking the books, I also asked my friends to rate the different love interests shown throughout the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. When asked, Sophia Marcotte said, “My ranking is Jacks number one, then Julian, then Legend. Jacks is my favorite because he literally rewinded time for Eva so she could live, even if it meant she might not remember him. Also, he said ‘There is nothing of equal value to me’ when referring to Evangeline, which is the sweetest thing ever.” I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with her, and that people should also give Julian more credit because he was so kind to Scarlett and helped her through everything in the game when he was supposed to just drop her off and leave.

At the end of the ranking process, all of the books were spectacular, which made it very hard to say that one was better than the other. It truly depends on the reader’s preference when it comes to books, but no matter what, each book deserves to be read because of the obvious care put into writing them. If someone is a fantasy fan, these books offer a compelling story. If someone is a romance fan, these books will bring them on a heart-racing ride. The most evident thing is that all of Garber’s books in the Caraval universe are amazing options for both new and old readers.