7 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/09/10/in-the-garden-of-monsters-by-crystal-king-review/

Historical fiction—historical ROMANCE—is about as far from my comfort zone as it gets. There’s very little fantasy about this, although it’s not entirely bereft. There’s intrigue, mystery, romance, and what pretty much amounts to food-porn (understandable considering the author has previously written two books, both of them food-fiction—a genre I was legitimately unaware of before now), with but a touch of fantasy realism throughout. Mostly you’ll notice it at the end, but that doesn’t mean the story is boring. After all, this utilizes frickin’ <i>Salvador Dalí</i> as a main character. And the dude was anything but dull.

In her afterword, the author said she was concerned about including Dalí at all. After all, Dalí was… well, ‘eccentric’ is probably an understatement. ‘Polarizing’ is likely closer. Honestly, I think she made the right call. Because—to take nothing away from the story itself—the inclusion of Dalí pretty much made the book.

As a personal aside: I’m not a great art lover. I like nature, and some landscapes, but “fine art” bores me a bit. Dalí, while certainly skilled, is just a man, to me. A highly profound man—if by “profound” one means “chaotic”. I do know about him; mostly his life, his career, his eccentricity, his marriage to Gala. And the inclusion of him in this story was key—in part because the author seemed to capture his essence so well. The mystery was made oh so much better by his polarizing presence, both at times a great boon as it was a frustrating distraction. It made the mystery seem deeper, the tale itself darker, and the story (essentially one where a grown-ass woman has convinced herself that if she will die if she eats any pomegranate arils) that much more tense and believable.

The setting was fantastic, if a bit over the top, particularly where the magical realism comes in. To be honest, I probably would’ve liked it better toned back a bit on some of the more outlandish scenes, instead focusing on the provocative ones. Though the romance itself was at times similarly absurd. The food-porn was also a bit much, but—acknowledging the author’s history—I think it’s probably fair.

TL;DR

In the Garden of Monsters may be a book well outside my usual comfort zone, but there was more than enough within these pages to enjoy, and more than enough to recommend. The mystery and intrigue were quite something, if, at times, a bit over the top. The setting itself was amazing, particularly the imagery the scenes invoked, which matched up so well with photos of the actual Sacro Bosco itself. The inclusion of Dalí made the book—or, at least, added a greater element of chaos to an already complex plot. The food-porn wasn’t something I’d ever have gone for by itself, but it did usually make me hungry. All in all, quite good, but with a tendency to overdo. So, maybe check this one out when it drops later this month—but always remember to keep a snack handy while reading.

Very interesting take on Dali and his work as an artist. When Julie wakes up in modern times, she can’t remember anything about herself or her life. But could she really have been living the same death over and over again? The story is interesting and compelling about reincarnation and true love. The story was different than what I expected. The mythology of the characters was a new take and I did enjoy the book.

3.5 stars

This haunting, atmospheric novel is inspired by the myth of Hades and Persephone. Aspiring artist Julia pays her bills by modeling, and is hired to sit for Salvador Dali in the role of Proserpina. When she arrives, however, Dali is obsessed with casting Julia as the perfect springtime goddess - feeding her pomegranate seeds and refusing to call her by her real name. In addition, she is being followed by ghosts that look just like her and share her name, and seeing spooky lights in the garden. Throughout the book are terrifying events in which it’s difficult to ascertain what is real and what is not. An overall intriguing read, though Ignazio was impossible to sympathize with and the Ceres sub-plot made very little sense.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King is a first person-POV historical fantasy reimagining of Hades and Persephone. When Julia, an art student, is hired by the famous painter Salvador Dali to be his muse for a new painting, she leaps at the chance to learn from an artist held in such high regard. When she arrives, she meets Ignacio, who is much more than he seems and so is his home and Julia herself.

I rarely comment on covers, but I adore this cover. I love the blue, I love the minimal color palette and how bold each color is, I love how it conveys the Hades and Persephone details with the pomegranates but feels almost horror, it’s painterly. It’s a brilliant way to say exactly what the book is and its themes and probably one of my favorite covers for the month of September.

I struggled to categorize In the Garden of Monsters because it’s definitely a historical fantasy given the time period of Salvador Dali in his prime and with the Greek myth detailing. But it also has this atmosphere that feels almost horror or like a psychological thriller. The genre-blending was handled really well and I love a book that knows how to blend genres. It’s not a romance, but there are erotic elements and this dark romantic thread that continues throughout.

The food takes a real center stage, going back to the pomegranate seeds of the original myth. Julia, Dali, Gala (Dali’s wife), Paolo (a photographer), and Jack (an American who is also serving as a model) are served elaborate, multi-course feels that ultimately are designed to get Julia to eat six pomegranate seeds, which she is very resistant to due to her personal dislike of the grittiness and then because she knows something will happen if she does, but she’s not exactly sure what will happen to her. Ignacio has the food prepared and is very determined to have Julia eat the seeds but doesn’t eat the food himself without Julia directly prompting him.

As a POV character, I liked Julia a lot. She’s very passionate about art and she’s honest with herself about how she feels getting Ignacio, Jack, and Dali’s attention and how she’s getting the attention. Ignacio and Jack are both very much romantically interested in Julia (much to Gala’s annoyance), while Dali’s attention is more focused on her eating the seeds and as a muse but some of his comments are inappropriate. I don’t know a lot about Dali beyond his art, but I believe it is entirely possible he was like this in real life.

I would recommend this to fans of Hades and Persephone reimagings that want less romance, readers looking for a Greek mythology base in a different time period, and those looking for a genre-blending novel

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - below is my review of the book!

succulent, suspenseful, deliciously written. these are the first words that come to mind when reflecting on Crystal King's 'In The Garden of Monsters'.

take a stroll through a mysterious garden riddled with sculpture, prophetic mystery & dynamic character involvement. I chose to request an ARC for this book based off of the sheer fact that Salvador Dali & his wife Gala are key players in its story - I quickly fell in love with the FMC, Julia & her story as it unfolded in the Garden of Monsters. I truly adored how King tied in the historical story of mythology & created a sapphic twist in this Hades & Persephone retelling.

Although i enjoyed this story, it fell short for me near the end. A couple of moments felt rushed or underdeveloped & sometimes felt unnecessary for the overall plot. Overall, i enjoyed reading this book.

If you enjoy ancient Greek mythos, suspenseful mystery, romance, delectable descriptions of food, wonder & creepy musings from one of arts most controversial creators, then this book is for you! King did an incredible job researching Dali & Gala, traditional foods of the era & place, the actual garden itself & the stories behind the the monsters in the garden.

I like this author because she typically writes a fiction story with food as the backdrop to her books. The descriptions of each meal are a pleasure to read. In this novel, the author deviates slightly and instead weaves a story of mystery and suspense involving the tale of Persephone. Food is still a feature of the book, just not as much.
The book takes place in 1948. Julia is a young model who is hired by the famous Salvadore Dali to sit as a model for one of his paintings. Julia and Dali's wife, and retinue of helpers, head to a place called the Garden of Monsters. While here, strange visions and "ghosts" appear to Constance.
What follows is a suspenseful, imaginative tales that takes place is the real-life location of the Garden of Monsters. I received a complimentary eBook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

3.5 ⭐️rounded up to 4 I’ll never look at a pomegranate the same again! Lots of descriptive meals that sound so delicious and beautiful passages describing the stone animals in Sacro Bosco, Italy’s garden of monsters, make for a very atmospheric setting! Gorgeous over as well.

While the gothic retelling of myths is not my favorite type of story, this one is well written and has some interesting characters, as well as culinary masterpieces!

1948, Julia Lombardi is a young artist with amnesia. She takes a lucrative job to model for the famous artist Dali in a remote villa in Italy. But something is not right! His horrible wife Gala hates her, and the host Ignazio gives her creepy vibes as well as feelings of deja vu. There are ghosts, visions and a murder, and lots of pomegranates!!! All comes to fruition at the end in a retelling of the Greek Persephone myth.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Crystal King for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out SO strong. I was immediately drawn in by the premise, and enraptured by the dialogue surrounding women in the arts, thinking that this was going to be a seductive and gothic romance with relevant commentary regarding the male dominated industry.
What started out as a critique of Dali's character and his blatant sexism, turned quickly to sympathy for him by the end of the book, which turned me off. Why are we sympathizing with a raging sexist who consistently belittled our main character and her ambitions to thrive as an artist? No thanks.

I also just felt like the overall momentum completely dropped off about 40% of the way through. I was expecting so much more, and I was definitely let down. Great potential, failed in execution.

I will say that the worldbuilding and the food descriptions were top tier, though!

I love a good story that involves Greek mythology, especially Hades and Persephone. This was so intriguing and rather mysterious, and I enjoyed it a lot! Also, the cover is gorgeous, so I really may need a physical copy to show off on my shelf!

This book!!!! I read it slowly because of other life things, but if I was about to, I would have binge read it.

It was such an interesting take on the Hades/Persephone myth, and I absolutely loved it!

I thought the characters were well thought out and the addition of ghosts and different timelines was brilliant!

I wish there was more backstory for Hades/Persephone and why/how they ended up in this loop, and I really enjoyed the idea of Ceres as a jealous lover.

My heart ached at points for the characters, and the character development was done so well. I was emotionally attached!

Highly recommend this book!

Crystal King's In the Garden of Monsters is a captivating blend of sinister romance and hypnotic Gothic fairytale. This surreal and luscious novel offers a fascinating twist on the classic tale of Hades and Persephone. The story is sure to linger in my mind long after I finish reading it.

Hades and Persephone retelling taking place in the 1940s.

The setting was really cool. I could definitely understand how it would help inspire this book.

As a romance reader, I felt the romance was lacking. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters.

The story was interesting it just wasn’t really holding my attention.

I really enjoyed this book! I have enjoyed all of this author’s books. I would love to see this book adapted to film and would love to read more but it’s like this one.

A really unique and compelling Hades and Persephone retelling. Setting it in the Sacro Bosco and including Salvador Dali added realism and grounding to the otherwise mythical plot. I really enjoyed reading this book and was completely surprised by the ending. My only small complaint was that sometimes the narrative voice felt more modern that the 1950's setting, but it was easily overlooked as I got further into the story.

Update:I don't want to give more info because I think going in with as little knowledge as possible is best, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book and need everyone to read it!

Julia Lombardi has amnesia- she feels that she simply burst into existence one day and has no recollection of her life before we meet her. She is an aspiring artist who moonlights as a muse for established artists to make ends meet, which places her under the surrealist eyes of Salvador Dali. We then immediately join her on a week-long trip with Dali and his wife to the very real Sacro Bosco, where she begins to be haunted by barely there memories of her previous selves.

In the Garden of Monsters is dark perfection. Crystal King has created the most luxurious, haunted, sumptuous world of Roman gods among mortals. I've seen a few negative comments about how much food becomes the focus of the story, but for me? That's one of the best qualities here. The way the meals are described is SO sensual and so decadent, and the relevance of this becomes clear as you progress through the book. The characters are flawed and lovely, the atmosphere is heavy, the scenery is SO vivid with the additional bonus of being a real place with real photos to reference as you read. With just the right amount of Gothic beauty and romantic tension, this currently holds my number one fiction slot of the year. I cannot wait til September when I can purchase a copy and recommend it to everyone I know. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC- this is truly something special.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. This was a lovely and mysterious read that made me feel extremely hungry. I loved the mysterious nature of the story, it was compelling and I desperately wanted answers. I'm also very hungry.

This book was surreal and a unique retelling of Hades and Persephone. I absolutely enjoyed the addition of Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala to this story. It was laden with their love of food and oddities. Their eccentricities truly added a layer to this fever dream of a book. Ceres was a nice surprise as well and loved the author’s take on her character. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for this arc.

Posted to Goodreads on 6/24/24.

A page turner, from the beginning. I knew nothing about this garden, about Dali, about surrealism, but once I started I couldn’t stop. A fantastic and unusual gothic adventure that had me questioning everything and trusting no one. For fans of traditional gothic romances, mythology, and fantastic descriptions of food.

Absolutely wild. This book has everything: mythology, surrealism, art, great writing, engaging story. Loved this book

In the Garden of Monsters

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(4/5)

This was a truly unique experience. What a crazy ride, there was so much to love! This is a book that will make you feel something, a little unease, a little mesmerized, very intrigued!

For anyone who likes mythology, food, or Salvador Dali!

I loved the interweaving of mythology into a story of surrealism and art. If you’re a fan of Hades and Persephone retellings, this is one version that you absolutely must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC!