I loved the book 4.5 ⭐️

I love mythology, so this was a great read!
The characters were amazing, some were very annoying not going to point fingers

Food was an important part of the story, pomegranates being very important! As in the mythology story! I was worried about the characters Pluto and jack, I had a suspicion about Jack and in the end how he played out was also important to the story I believe.

The ending was amazing I wanted to cry, I was worried, I was excited, I had so many emotions! In the end I was glad that we got a glimpse into the characters life’s after everything ended.

I highly recommend the book!

The best re-imagining of Persephone and Hades I’ve ever read. With a Kubrick-esque atmosphere and twisting lessons in various mythologies, this book had me hooked from page one. I am obsessed.

This was a fever dream of a story. I found the tension between the real world and the mythological world mesmerizing. For most of the story, you are left wondering with Julia what is really happening or what is a dream.

There is a lovely focus on food here that I think could benefit from being highlighted in the blurb. Moreso than Dali's insistence she eat the pomegranate seeds. The food really is just as important as the garden and the mythology of Pluto and Proserpina.

As far as romantic tension goes, this is surprisingly clean. Sex happens, but it's never explicit. It felt rather tame and more focused on the emotions and desire than the physical actions. Which is also surprising to say, given that the Dali couple are living their best poly life over there! (Maybe I've read too much erotica haha.)

Overall, if you want to read a Hades x Persephone retelling, but with a nice little twist, lots of delicious sounding food, and a famously eccentric artist, this is the one.

Breaking new ground in the gothic canon, Crystal King's IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS beguiled me from the very first page. This eerie, sensual, and inventive reimagining of the Persephone myth is a lush fairy tale painted in shadows on a moonlit night. I adored it!

“Attenti al mostro … Beware the monster.”

Since author Crystal King announced her ‘monster’ novel in September 2023, I’ve been patiently awaiting the chance to read it. It’s just as she described it: “Wildly fantastical, mythical and full of Dalinian surrealism.”

Pour yourself a Casanova cocktail and get lost in this Gothic novel, a spectacular retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone. It’s told from the point of view of a model, Julia Lombardi, whom the surrealist painter Salvador Dali brings to the Sacro Bosco (aka The Park of the Monsters) in Bomarzo to paint in 1948.

Location is the key to the success of this gothic tale and King has certainly utilized the power of place. The history of the setting began in the 1500s, when 66 stone statues of mythological beings and monsters were created in a spectacular Rennaissance-style Mannerist garden called Il Sacro Bosco (the Sacred Wood). It was then abandoned for 400 years until it was rediscovered in the 20th century. Above this garden is a medieval palazzo, both the gardens and the palazzo are the setting for this ghostly Gothic novel.

Julia is promised 75,000 lire a day for seven days if she becomes a muse, the physical representation of Proserpina (the mythical Persephone), for the eccentric and fanatic artist, Salvador Dali, at the Palazzo Orsini in Bomarzo. Curious about her history, Julia accepts the offer, hoping to unravel her past. It doesn’t take Julia long to discover that (1) the host, Ignazio, seems to know more about her than she realizes and (2) that she may actually have ties to the mythical queen of the Underworld. I was mesmerized reading King’s story set in a monstrous garden, the border between Julia and Ignazio’s worlds.

I appreciated King’s ode to food and that she paid homage to Dali’s love of food by incorporating recipes featured in his 1971 cookbook. I found myself on Google every page or so, trying to source the food and understand the references to the ancient gods. I must admit to being amazed when I Googled the reference to Meret Oppenheim’s ‘Breakfast in Fun’ and wary when I read of Dali’s insistence in ‘Persephone’ eating the pomegranate seeds. I don’t think I’ll eat another pomegranate without thinking of this book!

I didn’t know much about this infamous surrealist artist prior to reading this book except for seeing (1) (online) his abstract painting of Raquel Welch and (2) seeing (in-person) his 7-foot bronze sculpture of a melting clock, ‘Dance of Time I’ in person in Vancouver for a celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. This book solidified my understanding of this eccentric human being.

“Sometimes people don’t know what they truly want. Sometimes they are victims of the lies they tell themselves.”

This book, featuring one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, is one you’ll want to put on your TBR list immediately. Perhaps you’ll be amazed, as I was, at Dali’s great love of food.

I was gifted this copy by Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was such an insane, different book, but in the best way possible.
King has a way to make the thriller moments turn into scary moments, and there was multiple times I had to look over my shoulder or put the book down. The characters were so weird and eccentric despite not being involved with the mythological, ghost story at hand. I especially loved the author's note where King dives into her research into the Monster Park, the history of Dali and Gala, etc.
Overall this was a classic Gothic Thriller. It was mysterious, it was at times scary. It made me think and had MANY shocking moments where I out loud said "WTF IS GOING ON?!" In the end, I loved how everything was tied up and explained. I find that in most books that had me pausing, thinking, and confused throughout the first-half, never truly wrap up the story and leave me staring at the wall for days on end trying to figure out the meaning of life. This book did not do that! This book very easily explained the story, why things happened the way they did, why characters acted the way they acted and I LOVED IT.
For sure will be buying this once published.

THIS WAS AMAZING! I loved the gothic vibes of this, and I felt like I couldn’t read it fast enough. I’m obsessed and I want to buy the physical copy when it’s available. Absolutely fantastic and I want more from this author!

gorgeously hallucinogenic and gorgeously... well, gorgeous. tyssm for the arc and i found this so unique and recommendable