Author Spotlight: Stephanie Garber

Nicole Haynes Culture Writer

Studying English Literature has introduced me to a wealth of “literary” texts, but sometimes I just want to curl up on the sofa with a book and escape into another world. Recently, one author has stood out to me as the queen of fantasy romance and subversive world building: the increasingly popular, Stephanie Garber.

Her immersive and extensive world building is a stand out feature of her works that only becomes more expansive with each book she writes. Currently, her five novels take place within the same universe, allowing for deeper exploration of her fantastical world in each book.

With this year’s upcoming release of A Curse For True Love, the finale to her Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy, I wanted to celebrate this author’s impact on the fantasy genre.

Caraval Series

Garber’s debut series introduced readers into the magical world of Caraval. The three books that make up this series, Caraval, Legendary and Finale, follow two sisters who flee their domineering father and escape into the world of Caraval.

Caraval is an enchanting game created by the mysterious Legend with his group of travelling performers. The trilogy follows the sisters as they meet various performers and encounter increasingly magical places.

These books are magical. The narrative is fairly well paced, especially in the final book, and interesting elements are introduced regularly enough to keep a reader engaged. Admittedly, occasional sentences or phrases can feel a bit awkward or comically juvenile, but this honestly just add s to the playful reading experience.

The romance and twists in the narrative make these books compulsively readable. Personally, I think you can notice Garber improving as an author with each book. The first two books follow each sister’s perspective in turn, whereas Finale combines the two perspectives creating a spirited dual-narrative.

Finale is definitely my favourite book in the series, perhaps because it delves away from the game-play formula of the first two books and instead looks at the wider impact of the characters actions and relationships.

Narratively it feels most similar to Once Upon A Broken Heart - my favourite book by Garber.

Once Upon A Broken Heart Series

Once Upon A Broken Heart is the book that made me fall in love with Garber as an author. This novel can cure any reading slump due to its fast-paced narrative, intriguing characters and whimsical world building.

Our protagonist, Evangeline Fox, grew up believing in magic and the mythical immortal fates. When she finds herself in trouble, she turns to the infamous Prince of Hearts to make a deal and save her destiny. However, the Prince of Hearts has some tricks up his sleeve, and this is where our story begins.

My favourite read of the year so far, this book brought me back to my childhood love of books and fantasy. Garber’s magical world combines fairytales, danger, romance and fantastic storytelling.

I was beyond invested in these characters - so much so that I immediately bought the sequel, The Ballad of Never After upon finishing the first book. The sequel picks up where Once Upon A Broken Heart ends, providing even more twists and turns for readers to enjoy.

Albeit embarrassingly, upon finishing the sequel, I needed to take a few days to emotionally recover from the series. From the extraordinary character arcs to the remarkable world-building, this series is pure escapism. Garber has mastered her craft here and I cannot wait for the final instalment.

The highly anticipated final book in the series, A Curse For True Love, is released in the UK in November 2023 - I certaintly cannot wait for this.

Sammy Andrews

Music Critic

The anticipation that has built surrounding a new Paramore album has built an entire mythology surrounding their return to music, and This is Why is nothing short of a confirmation of this mythological status. This is Why sees Paramore at some of their best, blending their past roots with new influences, and spanning some of their most vulnerable themes yet. In their search to navigate the modern world, Paramore reckon with, embrace, and confront the messiness of it all.

The title track ‘This is Why’ opens the album and propels you into the swirling examination of the human mind that the album takes you through. The catchiness of its hook sees influences drawn from the likes of Talking Heads and Bloc Party, ensuring it will get stuck in your head. Meanwhile, lyrically, it introduces a central theme of the album: paranoia and self-isolation. In this haze of disillusionment with the world, we are then taken over to ‘The News’ – a brasher and louder exclamation of fear at the state of the world that leads into ‘C’est Comme Ca’s’ wry and brutally relatable open-

Luke Cookson

Music Critic ing line ‘in a single year

Hitting the stage of the Birmingham O2 Institute for the eighth leg of their Lobes tour, American pop-rock trio We Are Scientists energised the crowds with an exceptional performance. With a setlist that showcased the best of their latest album whilst satisfying the audience with classic fan-favourites, We Are Scientists once again proved their musical prowess, over two decades after first performing. Looking youthful as ever, lead vocalist Keith Murry and bassist Chris Cain kicked off the gig with a high-octane performance of ‘Lucky Just to Be Here.’ This track really highlights the unwavering vocal virility of Murry, who seemingly ages in reverse.

I’ve aged one hundred.’ find ‘the future and the past connected.’

Editors’ Songs of the month:

The Music Editors choose their Song of the Month: moments with ‘Big Man, Little Dignity’ and ‘Liar’ and then propelled forwards with the insanely strong two track run of ‘You First’ and ‘Figure 8.’ ‘You First’ finds swirling guitar effects circling around your head and then pulling out to isolate Williams’ vocals before once again pushing into a punk infused chorus that could have fit comfortably on Brand New Eyes. And just when you think they have reached their peak on the album, ‘Figure 8’ continues this swirling punk infused confrontational energy.

Bas Bevan Heaven - Niall Horan

Emma Gardner

Struggle - The Lathums

Faith Parker Smoke - Caroline Polachek

Upcoming Events:

This is quintessentially a postcovid album, and Paramore have delivered a deeply relatable and necessary interrogation of the human condition in a post covid world.

Moving from wider concerns at the state of the world, Paramore also balance the internal and personal in This is Why. ‘Running Out of Time’ sees Williams confront her own flaws, backed by infectiously groovy guitar riffs from Taylor York. Similarly, ‘Crave’ is a deep dive into nostalgia and the inclination to romanticise life, ultimately seeking to

The album searches for connections and reconsiders them, constantly constructing and destroying what it lays down, only to rebuild it stronger the next time. We are taken into melodic and atmospheric and honest

Connecting the past and the present, with the constant push and pull of the modern world, This is Why sees Paramore reaching new heights. Between the grooviness of York’s guitars, the push of Farro’s drums and William’s simultaneously vulnerable and confrontational vocals This is Why continuously offers something new to the listener, whilst feeling warmly familiar and relatable. ‘Thick Skull’ in its melodic building to a euphoric burst at its end could not close the album better, lingering on the line ‘a thick skull never did nothing for me, same lesson again?’

Rating: 10/10