What is The Ballad of Never After About? Full Summary and Ending Explained

The Ballad of Never After is the second book in Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon a Broken Heart series, which is set in the same magical universe as her Caraval trilogy. This series follows Evangeline Fox, a romantic dreamer who believes in happily-ever-afters—until she makes a deal with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, a Fate known for his deadly kiss and unpredictable nature.

The Ballad of Never After Summary

After her wedding day curse left Prince Apollo in a coma, Evangeline Fox is desperate to break free from fate’s cruel grip. To do so, she reluctantly allies with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, even though she knows he’s dangerous and incapable of love. Together, they seek the Valory Arch, a legendary gateway rumored to hold powerful magic.

As they journey through a world of curses, deception, and forgotten history, Evangeline uncovers shocking truths about herself and her past—truths that could change everything. But in a world where fairy tales twist into nightmares, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.

The book ends on a heartbreaking cliffhanger, leaving Evangeline’s fate uncertain and Jacks’ true motives a mystery. Full of romantic tension, betrayal, and enchanting magic, The Ballad of Never After is a whimsical yet dark sequel that keeps readers on edge.

Part 1

Evangeline Fox searches for a way to save her poisoned husband, Prince Apollo, in the royal library of Wolf Hall. She hopes to find answers behind a sealed door, but instead, she discovers the Valory Arch, a legendary structure thought to be broken and hidden. When she touches it with her blood, a prophecy begins to glow, confirming its power. An old librarian appears, urging her to find the four missing stones—Luck, Truth, Mirth, and Youth—to unlock the arch before vanishing into smoke.

Still determined to save Apollo, Evangeline visits LaLa, the Unwed Bride, who mysteriously encourages her to consider Jacks’ offer to open the arch. However, Evangeline refuses to trust Jacks, especially after he admits to poisoning Apollo. But when she visits Apollo, he suddenly grabs her, revealing a new curse that ties their fates together—any harm done to one affects the other. Before Evangeline can process this, Apollo’s successor arrives early, and to her shock, it’s Luc, her first love, who has since been turned into a vampire. Luc tries to bite her, but Jacks saves her.

Later, in the gardens, Apollo appears—awake, but different. Without warning, he shoots Evangeline, gravely wounding her. Jacks rushes her to Chaos’s castle, where she is bitten by a vampire to heal. Once she recovers, she flees the castle, only for Apollo to hunt her again. Jacks intervenes once more, revealing that Evangeline and Apollo are also cursed with the Archer’s Curse—a fate where one is doomed to hunt the other. With no other option, Evangeline finally bargains with Jacks to find the stones and open the arch, hoping to break the curses.

Their first clue leads them to Chaos’s secret library, where they uncover the Luck stone. However, Chaos catches them in the act and wrestles it away. As Evangeline researches further, she discovers that history has been altered by magic, obscuring the truth about the Valor family and the arch’s origins. She finds a cryptic tale of three young men—Prince Castor Valor, Lyric Merrywood, and a mysterious archer, hinting at deeper secrets behind the arch’s creation.

When news of LaLa’s engagement surfaces, Evangeline realizes that a gathering of powerful families—who may possess the missing stones—will take place at the Slaughterwood estate. Despite Chaos’s warnings, she and Jacks plan to attend the engagement party in secret. As she prepares, she stumbles upon an old portrait of Jacks—but instead of the Fate she knows, he appears ordinary, mortal, and part of the mysterious trio from history. When she confronts him, the book turns blank, leaving more questions than answers.

Part 2

On the journey to Slaughterwood, Evangeline pieces together Jacks’ connection to a trio from history—Prince Castor Valor, Lyric Merrywood, and the mysterious Archer. Could Jacks be Prince Castor, executed but somehow still alive? Or does he have his own past hidden within this story?

As they pass Merrywood, Jacks wakes and reveals the tragic tale: Lyric fell in love with Aurora Valor, but she was promised to Vengeance Slaughterwood. When she left him at the altar, Vengeance slaughtered House Merrywood, killing Castor in the process. Jacks shares this story with an uncharacteristic sadness, making Evangeline wonder where he fits into it.

At Slaughterwood Castle, Evangeline reunites with LaLa, who introduces her to Robin Slaughterwood, her fiancé. Over dinner, Jacks keeps his past vague, fueling Evangeline’s curiosity. When she sees him flirting with other women, she feels a surge of unexpected jealousy—is it her emotions or the influence of a magical stone?

Later, Evangeline sneaks into Glendora Slaughterwood’s tomb, suspecting she was buried with the mirth stone. She finds a stone on a chain, but before she can escape, Luc appears, having followed her from the scandal sheets. With his vampire strength, he helps her open the coffin. Taking the stone, Evangeline returns to her room, where she sees Petra Youngblood sneaking out of Jacks’ chambers. But when she checks, Jacks is nowhere to be found.

The next day, LaLa hosts a Famous Couples-themed ball, leaving a Fox costume for Evangeline—a cruel joke, she thinks. Before the ball, she overhears Jacks and LaLa talking. To her horror, she learns:

1. LaLa cursed Apollo and Evangeline with the Archer’s Curse to force Evangeline to open the Valory Arch.
2. Tiberius has escaped and may be coming to kill her.
3. Jacks refuses to admit he cares about Evangeline, claiming he only wants the stones.

Heartbroken, Evangeline flees to the ballroom, where Petra leads her into a secret passage. But then, the stone around Evangeline’s neck glows—it’s not the mirth stone but the truth stone, forcing Petra to reveal the truth:

• She is another key, with pink hair like Evangeline.
• She found the youth stone and faked her death to escape Chaos, who only cares about the stones.
• She knows the true power of the stones, but before she can say more, she tries to kill Evangeline.

In the fight, Evangeline kills Petra in self-defense. Jacks finds her in shock and tells her to pack while he disposes of the body. Taking Petra’s youth stone, they flee to an enchanted inn in Merrywood, where magic suppresses all curses.

At the inn, Evangeline discovers four names carved into the wood: Aurora, Lyric, Castor, and Jacks, followed by a fifth name—The Archer. Could Jacks actually be the Archer? He insists he was only friends with Castor and Lyric, but Evangeline isn’t convinced.

She later finds Aurora’s diary, confirming she was in love with Lyric Merrywood—who was actually LaLa’s brother. This makes LaLa’s obsession with opening the arch even more suspicious. Before she can figure it out, Jacks returns, gravely wounded, covered in gold and red blood. He refuses to explain and instead pulls her into his bed, melting her resistance with words and touch. Evangeline gives in to her growing feelings.

That night, she dreams of a handsome stranger who knows Jacks well and calls her “Jacks’s first fox.” In the dream, LaLa appears, revealing that she stabbed Jacks out of anger—because he disapproves of her marrying a Slaughterwood, the family that murdered her brother. LaLa warns Evangeline: Jacks has the mirth stone and is clouding her judgment.

Upon waking, Evangeline searches the inn’s magical clock and finds the mirth stone inside, warping everyone’s emotions, including hers and Jacks’. Though it pains her to let go of the peace and happiness she feels with him, she locks the stone away—breaking its hold on them both.

Part 3

The moment Evangeline locks away the mirth stone, the magical warmth of the inn fades, and Jacks’ demeanor turns cold once more. Now that they possess three of the four stones—youth, truth, and mirth—Jacks is eager to leave and retrieve the final piece from Chaos. Though hurt by his detachment, Evangeline takes Aurora’s diary, determined to uncover more about the stones’ purpose.

On the way back to Chaos’s castle, Jacks finally reveals Apollo was brought there after his whipping but warns her not to visit him—he is still cursed to hunt her down. That night, in a moment of weakness, Evangeline briefly pulls out the mirth stone to soothe her pain but quickly puts it away. Moments later, Apollo enters her room. At first, he seems calm—almost gentle—before suddenly lunging at her, strangling her. She barely escapes, restraining him just in time.

Seeking comfort with Jacks, she finds herself drawn to him, and they share a heated moment—but just as quickly, he pulls away, his walls slamming back into place. He finally tells her the truth about the stones:

When combined, they allow a person to go back in time.

Jacks plans to use them to return to the moment he met Donatella, the only girl immune to his lethal kiss—his supposed true love—who ultimately chose another and stabbed him in the heart. If he succeeds, everything Evangeline experienced with him will be erased. She will be happily married to Apollo, never remembering Jacks, while he ensures they never cross paths again.

Evangeline desperately protests, but Jacks silences her with an intense confession: if he stays in her life, he will eventually kill her—just like he killed the Fox.

It finally clicks. Jacks is the Archer.

Evangeline tries to reason with him—what if the Valory Arch holds the key to breaking his curse? But Jacks bitterly reveals the tragic end of The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox: The Archer tried to leave, unsure if his love was real, but the Fox chased him, believing in their love. When he finally kissed her… she died. Every girl after her has met the same fate—except Donatella, making her Jacks’ only chance at love.

Before she can process this, Chaos arrives, declaring it’s time to open the Valory Arch and let Jacks use the stones. Evangeline begs Chaos to change Jacks’ mind, but even he believes it’s better for Jacks to let her go.

As they travel to Wolf Hall, Evangeline realizes the monster from the scandal sheets—the one said to rip out throats—is Chaos himself. He confirms it, revealing that the Valor family cursed him, but he insists he hasn’t been a monster for a long time—he only seeks to remove his cursed helmet.

Upon reaching the arch, they insert the stones—without Jacks. Evangeline presses her bloodied hand to the arch, slowly unlocking it. Behind it, a thick wooden door appears, and as Chaos opens it, he cuts a lock of Evangeline’s pink hair, thanking her for her help. Before she can question him, he steps through.

Following Chaos’s footsteps, Evangeline discovers a row of people lying on the ground. She recognizes Aurora Valor from old portraits and soon realizes the others are Honora and Wolfric Valor. The Valory Arch wasn’t just a treasure vault—it was a prison, locking away the Valor family themselves.

Honora awakens, immediately addressing Chaos as Castor, embracing him as he calls her Mother. Everything falls into place—Castor didn’t die in the Slaughterwood massacre. The Valor family never created a monster to avenge his death—Castor became the monster.

At that moment, Evangeline realizes how she can save Jacks—she simply needs to tell him she loves him. If she confesses, maybe he will believe in a future with her instead of rewriting the past. Maybe Honora can break not just Apollo’s curse, but Jacks’ as well.

Just as she turns to find him, Honora breaks the helmet from Chaos’s head.

Evangeline watches in shock as the Handsome Stranger from her dreams is revealed beneath the helm. Chaos sees her, smiles, and thanks her warmly… before sinking his fangs into her throat.

As her blood and life drain away, Jacks appears, catching her in his arms. Evangeline struggles to tell him she loves him, but before the words can escape her lips…

She dies.

The Ballad of Never After Ending Explained

The story ends with a scream. A scream so raw and agonizing that it shakes the very fabric of fate itself. Jacks cries bloody tears as Chaos apologizes and walks away, leaving Evangeline lifeless in his arms. Desperate, Jacks begs Queen Honora Valor to bring her back, but she refuses. She once used that kind of magic to revive Castor, only to see him turn into a monster—she will not make the same mistake again.

Refusing to accept this fate, Jacks carries Evangeline through the Valory Arch and begins removing the magical stones, determined to use them to rewrite time. The queen warns him—time always demands a price of equal value—but Jacks doesn’t care. Nothing is worth more to him than Evangeline.

Time resets to the moment Chaos arrives to take Evangeline to the arch. Events unfold as before, but Evangeline feels an eerie sense of déjà vu. When Chaos takes the lock of her pink hair, Jacks suddenly turns cold and cruel, ordering her to leave. Desperate and confused, she demands to know why he’s pushing her away. Jacks finally breaks, shouting that she must go—if she stays, Chaos will kill her again.

Evangeline begs him to come with her, but he refuses, insisting they can never be together. Heartbroken, she starts to leave, but realization strikes—if she can tell Jacks she loves him before he uses the stones, she can save him.

She races back to the arch, only to find gold-flecked blood splattered across it. Panic grips her—what has happened to Jacks? But before she can react, Apollo steps through.

His curse is broken, and he is himself again—or so he claims. When Evangeline frantically asks about Jacks, Apollo silences her, declaring that Jacks is the reason they both suffered. Before she can fight back, he grabs her, pressing his fingers against her head.

One by one, he erases her memories.

Evangeline struggles, begs, and cries, trying to hold onto something—anything—but her mind fades into emptiness.

When she wakes, her strong, handsome husband is beside her. She doesn’t know him, but he holds her close, soothes her, and assures her that everything is fine.

She is safe. He is here.

And he will never let her go.