Night of Death and Flowers by Rebecca L Garcia
(Night of Death and Flowers Duet Book)
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 26 June 2024

For most, Dahryst is a sanctuary for witches, protected by the gods from human hunters. But for Calista, her home is fraught with danger.

Possessing a power meant only for the God of Death, she must hide her ability or face execution.

When Calista decides to halt the Harvest—a deadly tournament held on the sacred ground of Tenenocti Island—she risks exposing her secret and becoming a target of the elders, while also endangering her best friend’s life.

The return of Azkiel, the God of Death, after a century-long absence, unveils an ancient prophecy predicting his downfall at Calista’s hands. As secrets unravel, Azkiel is compelled to ally with Calista, binding their destinies together.

Can she resist the darkness within, uncover ancient mysteries, and thwart a vengeful god to protect herself and her loved ones? Or will the quest lead her to sacrifice everything she cherishes?

Tropes:
Slow Burn
Enemies to Lovwers
Deadly Tournament
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Multi POV
Morally gray FMC

This dual POV dark fantasy delves into the realms of witches, gods, and a perilous tournament, brimming with action, betrayal, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and magic.

The author has meticulously crafted a rich and immersive world, taking the time to unveil its depths. Their descriptive writing style ensures the plot flows seamlessly, neither too sluggish nor too hurried, allowing readers to truly engage with the narrative.

Calista and Azkiel, the two main characters, captivated me, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next instalment of this duet, especially after the tantalising cliffhanger ending.

Romance does play a supporting role in the narrative, skilfully executed with a gradual build-up that culminates in a memorable, climactic scene as the story reaches its conclusion. Although the book contains a touch of spice, it's introduced later in the story, enhancing its intrigue and depth.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the author, Rebecca L. Garcia, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This one is for the eldest daughters who never felt good enough.

The Harvest is upcoming--a trial where those of age are placed on an island where they kill each other and absorb the power of those they kill until there is one left standing who becomes a new Elder. It's barbaric, and Calista is determined to end it. The problem? The God of Death is waking up now too, and he's convinced she's going to bring ruin to everyone and everything if she's allowed to live. The next problem? He kinda sorta maybe has a thing for her.

Calista puts herself in harms way to save the village, and more importantly, her sisters and best friend Drake from the harvest. When that doesn't go according to plan, she inserts herself into the Harvest to protect them at all costs. She doesn't care that her parents can't stand her, or that she wants love more than anything. She's going to take care of her family, no matter the cost to herself. If that doesn't scream eldest daughter energy--I don't know what does. I loved her characterization and arc, and how she grows from the start to the end of this first book. I related to her SO much, and it was great seeing her come into her own and accept herself. I loved the Harvest, and I loved how not only did we have a magic system, but plants/flowers were just as important to survival.

The love story was a bit "insta love" for me, and not as enemies to lovers as I would have liked--but I also love true mortal enemies to lovers more than the average person. Azkiel's POV was a lot more "tell" than "show," and I feel as though a few of his chapters could have been removed without losing the story, or reworked so it felt like something was HAPPENING rather than him just remembering something 5 times over. But overall I really loved this story and am super looking forward to book two!

Night of Death and Flowers by Rebecca Garcia is an epic fantasy romance. This is the first book of a duology and does end on a cliffhanger. I loved the characters of this book. However, it was very slow in the beginning and did not pick up for me until about half way in. Once it picked up it was very enjoyable! The plot twists were fun and kept the story interesting. I had to keep reading to find out what was going on. Calista is bad ass and I absolutely loved her as a FMC. What an ending! I will have to keep an eye out for the next book to find out what happens next.

Man, what a gem. I can't believe how quickly I devoured this book because it was so good.
If you're looking for something different than everything else that's buzzing, but at the same time you're a lover of good Divergent or Hunger Games style stories, this book is for you.

I love female characters with character like Calista is, I love stories about witches and covens, and this story is definitely supremely well told.
I want a dark death god like Azkiel, who talks obscenely to me like he does.
I can't wait to read the denouement of this.