The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

---

Read: January 31, 2026 - February 09, 2026

Okay, I have so many thoughts. There were so many moments in this book that had me in a chokehold.

To start, I was WAITING for him to go back to blonde, and I'm so glad he did... because smash. Jacks' being a Merrywood and an archer... LOVE. I had a feeling that he was going to be the archer if I'm being completely honest, but I'm glad that Garber had Evangeline questioning everything, going back and forth with trusting him, and then his final confession that he was the actual archer.

I knew from the very beginning that them meeting wasn't a coincidence and that he felt so much more for her than he was letting her see. Seeing him very slowly lower his guard with her... ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE'S HURT, AND HE'S BANDAGING HER. Chaos being Castor... get out... I was not expecting that at all. Or that all of the Valors are actually alive... like okay..??

Jacks literally altered time and history for her. "There is nothing of equal value to me." GET OUT. JUST GET OUT. This man deserves love, holy moly.

5 stars.