Returning to The Magnificent North with Stephanie Garber’s “The Mirror of Infinite Endings”

Returning to Stephanie Garber’s Magnificent North is always such a treat for me. When I first picked up Once Upon a Broken Heart a few years ago, I had no idea how much this world and these characters would mean to me. The series follows the romantic Evangeline Fox and the antihero, the Prince of Hearts, also known as Jacks. Their love story throughout the main three volumes in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series has yet to be dethroned by any other fantasy pairing. And the worlds that Garber is so adept at creating and inviting her readers into feel much more like home than any other fictional world I’ve entered. As soon as I pick up any of Garber’s books, I feel transported into a magical cozy inn, complete with a roaring fire and flying cupcakes. 

Beginning The Mirror of Infinite Endings was no different. I’m currently studying abroad in France and every time I’ve been anywhere near a bookstore, I’ve gone in and checked for a copy. Six shops had informed me they were sold out, which came as no surprise. The French have a well-known reputation for good taste. Last weekend, I was able to visit the famous Shakespeare and Company in Paris where I was delighted to find one copy left. Arguably the most magical thing to have happened to me the entire weekend. 

My family and friends all know how eager I’ve been to read more of Evangeline and Jacks’ story, and I ended up reading this novella in one sitting. The cover art is as stunning as the rest of Garber’s oeuvre is, and the interior illustrations by Lydia Elaine (LotusBubble) do an incredible job at bringing this novella to life. The magic within the artworks pair beautifully with the magic in the written words on every page.

In this novella, Evangeline and Jacks are preparing to reopen The Hollow, a magical inn for travelers where the couple retired to after the events of A Curse For True Love. Evangeline joins LaLa on a trip to acquire last-minute additions needed for the grand reopening, where she stumbles across The Mirror of Infinite Endings. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Evangeline travels into an alternate reality. We discover later that this mirror provided a test for Evangeline as part of a deal Jacks made with a fairy. If Evangeline can find her way back to her Jacks from this alternate timeline, she will have passed the test and be given the chance to bind her life to Jacks’, making her as immortal as she could be. 

The magical artifacts and places we are introduced to in this novella, such as the Emporium of Else, create the perfect atmosphere for a comforting fall read. The ever-growing adoration between Evangeline and Jacks is as strong as ever, and we are also let into more of the romance between LaLa and Chaos. Fans of the series have been optimistic about the possibility between these two side characters from the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, and the epilogue of this novella suggests a possible novel focusing on the two of them.

With the title The Mirror of Infinite Endings, it seems only fitting for Garber to publish different versions of this epilogue. Depending on which edition you purchase, readers experience alternate endings (or possibly beginnings) to LaLa’s story. It will be interesting to see how this plays out if Garber decides to write a novel focusing on her and Chaos. Between their role in The Mirror of Infinite Endings and the overwhelming demand from fans, it seems highly likely that Garber already has something in the works. 

Overall, this novella is a wonderful, fantastical read filled with love and the happily ever after long overdue for Evangeline and Jacks. As I said before, the Magical North and Garber’s menagerie of characters will forever hold the most special place in my heart. If you haven’t yet been introduced to the worlds of Once Upon a Broken Heart or Caraval (or Alchemy of Secrets!), I highly suggest allowing yourself to fall in love with this world as much as I have. And if you do decide to pick them up, start with Caraval! You’ll thank me later.