In A Garden Burning Gold
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- Create Date：2022-03-21 09:51:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rory Power
- ISBN：1789096235
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Summary
Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver meets Game of Thrones in a mesmerising and unputdownable Balkan fantasy novel of family and survival from the instant New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls。
Rhea and her twin brother， Lexos， have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small， unstable country， using their control over the seasons， tides， and stars to keep the people in line。 For a hundred years， they've been each other's only ally， defending each other and their younger siblings against their father's increasingly unpredictable anger。
Now， with an independence movement gaining ground and their father's rule weakening， the twins must take matters into their own hands to keep their family—and their entire world—from crashing down around them。 But other nations are jockeying for power， ready to cross and double cross， and if Rhea and Lexos aren't careful， they'll end up facing each other across the battlefield。
Rhea and her twin brother， Lexos， have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small， unstable country， using their control over the seasons， tides， and stars to keep the people in line。 For a hundred years， they've been each other's only ally， defending each other and their younger siblings against their father's increasingly unpredictable anger。
Now， with an independence movement gaining ground and their father's rule weakening， the twins must take matters into their own hands to keep their family—and their entire world—from crashing down around them。 But other nations are jockeying for power， ready to cross and double cross， and if Rhea and Lexos aren't careful， they'll end up facing each other across the battlefield。
Reviews
Emily Starr
，
In a Garden Burning Gold started in a confusing manner。 It opens with one of the main characters， Rhea， returning home from killing her most recent husband。 She was greeted by her twin brother and youngest sister。 The twins act both very mature and very childish， even though they are well over one hundred years old。 The youngest sister， also over one hundred， is treated as a young child。 The second brother， Nitsos， is regarded as useless and childish by their father。 Their relationship with thei In a Garden Burning Gold started in a confusing manner。 It opens with one of the main characters， Rhea， returning home from killing her most recent husband。 She was greeted by her twin brother and youngest sister。 The twins act both very mature and very childish， even though they are well over one hundred years old。 The youngest sister， also over one hundred， is treated as a young child。 The second brother， Nitsos， is regarded as useless and childish by their father。 Their relationship with their father is quite questionable， and their fear of him is very misplaced。 A lot of the vocabulary in the novel was quite difficult to pronounce。 The royal hierarchies do not make much sense because it does not appear the reigning powers have any control over their subjects or so much control that the subjects feel the need to become refugees in different parts of the world。 The reigning powers apparently have stewards？ It is never truly explained what role they have in this world。I believe the author attempted to write a revolution， but it was anti-climatic and uninteresting。 The rebels played no role in the revolution and the focus is solely on the siblings。 And then at the end someone important it brought back to life in the shortest resurrection scene I have ever read。There were quite a few moments that had me paying more attention to the plot， but I was overall underwhelmed。 。。。more
Mrs。 Kenyon
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Rhea knows her duty。 She must choose a consort who will ensure a prosperous season and then she must kill them。 This is how it must be … or is it？ An independence movement is taking root in their country and the power her father once had is diminishing。 They have power over the seasons， tides， and the stars， but do they have the power to keep their country intact？ In a Garden Burning Gold is the first book in the Argyrosi series。 This is a fantasy series that includes a lot of world-building， bu Rhea knows her duty。 She must choose a consort who will ensure a prosperous season and then she must kill them。 This is how it must be … or is it？ An independence movement is taking root in their country and the power her father once had is diminishing。 They have power over the seasons， tides， and the stars， but do they have the power to keep their country intact？ In a Garden Burning Gold is the first book in the Argyrosi series。 This is a fantasy series that includes a lot of world-building， but it is this same complex world that makes the storyline so captivating。 Rhea must face family deception head-on as she becomes her own person instead of the power wielded by her father。 Power has created a story that has the potential to be an epic adventure as the characters learn their strengths and overcome the many obstacles set before them。 In a Garden Burning Gold is the first book and readers will finish wanting to know what happens next。 。。。more
Chantal
，
This book had so much potential but unfortunately ended up being a DNF for me because of a confusing plot and limited worldbuilding。 The novelty of an original magical premise and expansive setting quickly wore off and I struggled to stay engaged in a story that had absolutely no direction。 When my kindle died about 33% in I couldn’t bring myself to continue reading because I wasn’t invested at all in the conflict or the characters。
Alyssa
，
Thank you to the publisher Del Ray for providing an e-ARC via Net Galley for an honest review。 It’s a hard pill to swallow when one of your most anticipated releases of the year underwhelms， but In a Garden Burning Gold did exactly that。 The concept of a Grecco-Roman inspired political fantasy novel by an author I already know and love was everything I could have hoped for。 And I was even more intrigued because this was such a hard pivot from what Rory Power had published in the YA speculative f Thank you to the publisher Del Ray for providing an e-ARC via Net Galley for an honest review。 It’s a hard pill to swallow when one of your most anticipated releases of the year underwhelms， but In a Garden Burning Gold did exactly that。 The concept of a Grecco-Roman inspired political fantasy novel by an author I already know and love was everything I could have hoped for。 And I was even more intrigued because this was such a hard pivot from what Rory Power had published in the YA speculative fiction space - two novels very different in subject matter but both marked by her distinctive writing style。 Oddly enough， I feel that her expansion into high fantasy lacked a lot of that flavor and character I had come to associate with Power as an author。 If anything it felt… dry somehow。The magic system here was very loose， to the point where I felt I barely understood it。 And I am not someone that hyperfocuses on hard rules on magic systems in fantasy。 But with the actual fantasy aspect downplayed here - the focus becomes much more on the politics in this world， which then demands a strong cast of characters。 Unfortunately， I felt absolutely no chemistry between Rhea and her suitor， which made her chapters a bit of a slog to get through。 The romance between them - and how quickly her loyalties turned - seemed completely unwarranted。 And I’ll only pardon that somewhat for an explanation given at the very end of the book， because that explanation is left very open-ended。 For all the time taken to paint Rhea as this strong， hardened individual who has come to terms with her （baffling） role as a daughter that must be constantly married off to suitors she is required to kill， this is not the actual character her actions in the book itself demonstrate。 And if Rhea’s chapters were somewhat of a drag， Lexos POV was almost painfully so。 He is unfortunately burdened by the majority of the infodumps in the book。 And his character journey is largely just a slow spiral into dejection as he repeatedly fails to repair a gross infraction he made as the result of some big brain political maneuvering he thought he was making。 I didn’t understand him as a character - not his motivations， nor his loyalty to his father， and especially what he was trying to accomplish in the endless series of meetings and dinners his chapters seemed to comprise。 His one interesting moment comes at the end of the novel in a climax I can wholeheartedly say was the saving grace of this book。 The twins’ other siblings， and most of the other characters frankly， could have been cardboard cutouts for all the impact they left on me。 With this being a series， I can only hope they get more development beyond the mere sliver of pages they were granted。 Because if Nistos story is any indication， there is potential there。 It was all very underutilized。 I almost feel like this first book could have been a prologue novella for how strong the conclusion was to the slow， plodding build of the first 300+ pages。 And it would have seemed less unbalanced in the focus taken on the twins versus every other character in the novel。In the end， I don’t think I would recommend this for fans of Rory Power who have come to expect a certain type of writing and story from her as an author。 Perhaps if you enjoy intensely political fantasy with only vague elements of an even vaguer magic system thrown in， you may love this。 But to me this lacked the quirky， distinctive style of Rory Power’s previous works that had set her apart in the oversaturated market of YA fantasy。 And I’ll admit I came away disappointed。 。。。more
Donna Bull
，
I love when a book surprises you and you become thoroughly engaged with the story and its characters！！ That's exactly what happened here！ Right from the start， I just wanted more of Rhea， Lexos， Michali， the magic， the history of the world， and all of the political moves and countermoves。 Some terrific twists too！ The story is set in Thyzakos， a country ruled by the Argyros family and lead by Vasilis and is told through two POV's， Rhea and Alexandros（Lexos）。 They are Vasilis' oldest children and I love when a book surprises you and you become thoroughly engaged with the story and its characters！！ That's exactly what happened here！ Right from the start， I just wanted more of Rhea， Lexos， Michali， the magic， the history of the world， and all of the political moves and countermoves。 Some terrific twists too！ The story is set in Thyzakos， a country ruled by the Argyros family and lead by Vasilis and is told through two POV's， Rhea and Alexandros（Lexos）。 They are Vasilis' oldest children and twins who are very close。 As head of Thyzakos， the Stratagiozi， Vasilis has different powers that he passes on to each of his children。 As the oldest， Lexos is Vasilis' heir and is responsible for the night sky， stars and tides。 Rhea is the Thyspira， responsible for the changing of the seasons by taking a new consort at the beginning of each season and then killing them to end the season。 Each family member is blessed with extremely long life span compared to regular citizens。 There are，of course， parts of Thyzakos that are not fairing well and so are not happy with the Argyros rule。 So as each member of the family schemes， plots， and sets plans in motion， all seems to be coming apart both within the family and outside the family。What a terrific world to be drawn into and I loved the world building。 You can tell there is still so much more to see and learn about the magic and history and how it will impact the characters and their choices。 If you enjoy complex fantasy worlds with characters that don't always make the best of choices， and lots of intrigue， pick this up！！ 4。5 stars rounded to 5Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Siavahda
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This was my first Rory Powers book， and I was so in love with it in the beginning！ The magic is properly magical – mysterious， its mechanics unexplained but exquisitely beautiful， like the way Lexos has to embroider the stars on the sky every night！ And the prose describing that magic is utterly sworn-worthy。But this read for more like unsophisticated YA than what I expect of Adult Fantasy。 Thea and Lexos are meant to be over 100 years old， but they behave and think like teenagers， and that’s ju This was my first Rory Powers book， and I was so in love with it in the beginning！ The magic is properly magical – mysterious， its mechanics unexplained but exquisitely beautiful， like the way Lexos has to embroider the stars on the sky every night！ And the prose describing that magic is utterly sworn-worthy。But this read for more like unsophisticated YA than what I expect of Adult Fantasy。 Thea and Lexos are meant to be over 100 years old， but they behave and think like teenagers， and that’s just something I’m so tired of seeing。 Not even the excuse that they’re both quite sheltered explains or excuses it; particularly Rhea， who， as she says herself， is constantly leaving home to spend weeks or months all over， and thus should have been exposed to all sorts of different experiences。Then there’s the fact that Lexos and Thea just。 don’t。 TALK to each other， and I’m sorry， that trope is just Tired。 I am tired of that trope。 Especially after having read several Adult Fantasies this year where the characters act like actual， mature adults and communicate with each other even when it’s difficult。Beautiful magic aside， this just feels like YA， with a lot of the usual YA tropes， and it just couldn’t hold my interest。 The narrative wasn’t complex or sophisticated enough to pull off what Powers was trying to do for an Adult audience， in my opinion。 I could see the twists coming from miles away， and that’s just not fun to read， not in a book that isn’t supposed to be light and fluffy and escapist。I do think it’s unfair for other reviewers to critique the worldbuilding as a poor example of this place/that place/whichever place， when Powers specifically mentions in the author note that her world isn’t meant to be an analogue of any real-world country or culture。 （Other critiques of the worldbuilding are more valid， although personally I was comfortable with the level of detail and explanation we got。）If I’d read this a decade ago， I might have loved it， and I’m sure there will be plenty of readers who do enjoy it – readers who are much happier with YA/Adult blends than I am will likely have no problem with Garden Burning Gold at all。 。。。more
Joy
，
I really wanted to like this book， a lot more than I did。 The title is *chef’s kiss*—so much so， I added it to my Want to Read shelf， before I even learned the synopsis—and I loved the cover。 Heavily inspired by ancient Greco politics， architecture， and society， IN A GARDEN BURNING GOLD follows a complex sibling dynamic that has been manipulated by their Baba’s abusive behavior， who find themselves on opposite sides as they try to save their family from inevitable downfall。 There’s a lot of expo I really wanted to like this book， a lot more than I did。 The title is *chef’s kiss*—so much so， I added it to my Want to Read shelf， before I even learned the synopsis—and I loved the cover。 Heavily inspired by ancient Greco politics， architecture， and society， IN A GARDEN BURNING GOLD follows a complex sibling dynamic that has been manipulated by their Baba’s abusive behavior， who find themselves on opposite sides as they try to save their family from inevitable downfall。 There’s a lot of expository information and repetition in the first 25% of the book， that really slows the pacing down。 I was so much more interested in Nitso， the cast-off sibling， as a character that I kept hoping we would get his perspective at some point。 Though I understand how important it was to read this story from the twin’s perspectives to understand their decisions and their actions—as terrible miscommunication kept driving a wedge between them。 I would have loved more showing than telling—especially when it came to the strained sibling dynamics and the father’s terrible treatment。 By the time the plot picks up and the characters start to take action rather than just talking， it’s hard to be invested in what they’re doing and why。 I loved Power’s beautiful command over her prose and her lush descriptions of the setting， and I was invested enough to finish the book though I am not entirely certain I am going to read the sequel。 I received an advanced e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Moon
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I've been thinking about this book， days after I finished reading it。 I'm pondering the twists， reveals， and ending and trying to work it all out。 In a Garden Burning Gold's beginning is an attention grabbing one， but not too much later I found myself worried about the slowing pace。 It wasn't until after about 25% when I noticed things picked up again， and I'm glad I stuck with the book。I was really impressed by Rory Power's world building and how well the story unfurled。 I thought I knew the tw I've been thinking about this book， days after I finished reading it。 I'm pondering the twists， reveals， and ending and trying to work it all out。 In a Garden Burning Gold's beginning is an attention grabbing one， but not too much later I found myself worried about the slowing pace。 It wasn't until after about 25% when I noticed things picked up again， and I'm glad I stuck with the book。I was really impressed by Rory Power's world building and how well the story unfurled。 I thought I knew the twists， but even then I was surprised time and time again。 And the characters！ I found myself enamored with the twins， who also happen to be the narrators。 It was fascinating seeing their twin dynamic and how it changed as the story progressed。 I really loved the themes explored in the story。 I don't know if Rory Power's next book is a continuation of this story， a spin-off， or something entirely new， but I know I'll be looking forward to whatever it is。 。。。more
Donna
，
DNF
Sequoia Cron
，
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing/Del Rey for allowing me to read this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。I should have known I wasn't going to enjoy this book。I have tried to read Rory Power's other books like Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down and couldn't get through them。 The premise for this book sounded right up my alley， just like the others did， but I was fooled once more。 Maybe it's her writing style， maybe the execution， maybe I'm just not a fan of Rory's way o Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing/Del Rey for allowing me to read this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。I should have known I wasn't going to enjoy this book。I have tried to read Rory Power's other books like Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down and couldn't get through them。 The premise for this book sounded right up my alley， just like the others did， but I was fooled once more。 Maybe it's her writing style， maybe the execution， maybe I'm just not a fan of Rory's way of words but this book was a miss for me like the other two and I did not finish reading the book。The book had so much promise and I've read the previous reviews to see if maybe I should keep going but I have too much on my shelves （and on Netgalley） to force myself to continue。 I do love Greek myths and that's what drew me in in the first place。 The pacing is terribly slow and there's just too much info-dumping in the first part of this book to trudge through。 Power's other two books are YA while this one is an adult debut。 I've noticed an uptick in a lot of YA authors creating Adult books and most have been hits but， like I said， this one was a bit of a miss。I may go back and try again when the book releases but at this time， I'm putting this one down。2 stars for what I have read so far。 。。。more
Katherine
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The Stratagiozi families hold power throughout the land， using their magical gifts to control every aspect of daily life。 Twins Lexos and Rhea serve their father diligently， Lexos serving days as his father’s second and spending his nights moving the tides and sewing stars into the night sky， while Rhea takes a new consort every season， knowing that consort must die to usher in the change from fall to winter， winter to spring。 It’s been over a hundred years they’ve lived this way， but now their The Stratagiozi families hold power throughout the land， using their magical gifts to control every aspect of daily life。 Twins Lexos and Rhea serve their father diligently， Lexos serving days as his father’s second and spending his nights moving the tides and sewing stars into the night sky， while Rhea takes a new consort every season， knowing that consort must die to usher in the change from fall to winter， winter to spring。 It’s been over a hundred years they’ve lived this way， but now their father’s control seems to be slipping， and his lapses in judgement make Lexos certain that enemies will gather to overthrow the family seat and kill them all。 Together， Lexos and Rhea will fight to keep their family safe， even if that battle draws them to opposite sides of the world， and ultimately opposite sides of their own plans， before they see an end to their troubles。 I received an advanced reader copy of In a Garden Burning Gold from Del Rey Books in exchange for my participation in a virtual book club discussion。 This book was complex， rich with magical history and built on the blood and death of the old saints to boost a small handful of ruling families to power。 It’s clearly inspired by Greek language and history， but rather than falling into the common trope of the major pantheon from Greek mythology， instead relies on politics and the balance of power， both magical and territorial， to keep the story moving。 For a book that’s pitched as being about the bonds of family and siblings who work together to keep their family safe， In a Garden showcases an incredibly dysfunctional group of siblings who’ve been manipulated by their father and continually set at odds with one another。 Lexos and Rhea have poor communication throughout and lack trust in each other when it most counts， leading them to make some decisions with powerful， if not immediately apparent， consequences。 It sets them completely at odds and I was disappointed to see a hundred years of love and trust blown away so easily。 The younger two siblings of the family are practically ignored by both the twins and their father， and while I understand the decision not to give them any POV chapters I hope they each get a chance in the next book， they’ve certainly both got lots to say and have lived very different lives under their father’s rule from the elder siblings。 The front half of the book dragged somewhat while all the players were being moved into position， like a chess game where half the true pieces are obscured。 It was harder to follow and I wished there was more consistent action， or more understanding of character motivations from both Lexos and Rhea。 However， also like a chess game， once the stage was set， the second half of the book was lightning fast， choices being made and people falling left and right under the mad scramble to maintain power。 It was interesting， but not revolutionary， although I’m still curious to see how this terrible mess from the end of the first book can be satisfactorily resolved in the next。 Thank you to Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read In a Garden Burning Gold。 。。。more
The Reading Raccoon
，
Book Review: In A Garden Burning Gold by Rory PowerIn A Garden Burning Gold is the adult debut by author Rory Power。 This high fantasy novel explores the issues of magic， power， politics and family on an alternate earth。 Rhea is a twin who alongside her family has controlled aspects of the natural world in their part of the country for over 100 years。 Magically gifted by her father Rhea brings on the seasons by accepting a new “consort” （spouse） and then killing him four months later。 This act o Book Review: In A Garden Burning Gold by Rory PowerIn A Garden Burning Gold is the adult debut by author Rory Power。 This high fantasy novel explores the issues of magic， power， politics and family on an alternate earth。 Rhea is a twin who alongside her family has controlled aspects of the natural world in their part of the country for over 100 years。 Magically gifted by her father Rhea brings on the seasons by accepting a new “consort” （spouse） and then killing him four months later。 This act of sacrifice gifts prosperity to the land the consort came from which usually means there are several vying for her hand。 When her brother asks her to marry the son of a noble from a bordering area rumored to harbor rebels Rhea finds herself questioning her family， her legacy and how much she is willing to sacrifice to keep her family in control。 Although In A Garden Burning Gold isn’t the easiest and most fun filled read among recent fantasy releases it’s power is in how completely unique the world building is and how the author allows it to unfold without a giant info dump in the beginning。 The story is able to slowly build until it reaches its crescendo in the the last 20% of the book。 Even though Rhea has killed hundreds of spouses in her 100 years the reader will root for her as she tries to navigate both saving her family and doing right by the hungry and desperate people around her。 There is also a touch of romance as Rhea starts to fall for her latest “consort” as they both work on two completely different agendas。 The story is also told in the POV of her twin Lexos as he tries to put out the fires his father has ignored or started himself。 Left behind at home are their younger siblings Nitsos and Chrysanthi who are mostly cut-off from the political maneuverings of their father and the twins but have powers of their own。 I found In A Garden of Burning Gold to be a well-plotted and fantastical entry into the adult fantasy genre。 Readers who enjoy high fantasy along with political intrigue， complicated family dynamics and powerful magic will enjoy this novel。 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Abigail Singrey
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"A week is too long to be a widow。" Talk about a killer first sentence！ This book was hard to put down。In this fantasy tale， Rhea and Lexos are twins and children of the legendary Stratagiozi， whose powers can be split apart and gifted to his children。 Lexos controlled the stars and tides， while Rhea had to change the seasons。 Her task took her far from home， as each season， she married a new consort， who had to be killed to change the season to the next。 She had found her fall consort hard to k "A week is too long to be a widow。" Talk about a killer first sentence！ This book was hard to put down。In this fantasy tale， Rhea and Lexos are twins and children of the legendary Stratagiozi， whose powers can be split apart and gifted to his children。 Lexos controlled the stars and tides， while Rhea had to change the seasons。 Her task took her far from home， as each season， she married a new consort， who had to be killed to change the season to the next。 She had found her fall consort hard to kill and put it off longer than she should have， delaying winter and facing her father's anger。 So she's determined all go well with the selection of the winter consort， but Lexos has political reasons for wanting her to cross her father again。 This book alternates between a beautiful love story and an intense political drama。 Rhea finds herself falling for her winter consort， as they both surprise each other。 Meanwhile， Lexos tries to secure his father's failing grip on the throne， even going behind his back to shore up alliances and make bargains。 But there's a player no one has counted on who has their fingers in everything and will change their world forever。 I fell for the siblings。 Rhea's both fierce and tender as she struggles to decide how much responsibility she really bares for the way things are。 The younger sister Chrysanthi， who paints the colors in the world and brings happiness to everyone around her， is an absolute delight， albeit very naive and sheltered。 Lexos is the type who thinks he's the smartest one in the room， but he's not always right as he gets outmaneuvered more than once。 This book is the start of a series， and I cannot wait for the next book！ I want to spend more time with Rhea and her family。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nola
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Thanks to Titan for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review。 A political fantasy intricately woven and set in an ancient-greek inspired world that explores the ties of family， love and power。Rhea and Lexos are twins and the children of a less than loving father who’s lust for power makes him unpredictable and prone to using the siblings for his own gains with no concern for their personal wellbeing。Our story begins as a rebellion is taking root in the snowy north and Lexo Thanks to Titan for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review。 A political fantasy intricately woven and set in an ancient-greek inspired world that explores the ties of family， love and power。Rhea and Lexos are twins and the children of a less than loving father who’s lust for power makes him unpredictable and prone to using the siblings for his own gains with no concern for their personal wellbeing。Our story begins as a rebellion is taking root in the snowy north and Lexos and Rhea- both intentionally and unintentionally- become tangled up in the unfolding conflict。The cast is diverse and well characterized， from scheming brothers to defiant sisters and unflinching fathers， each character has their own ambitions and beliefs and these intersect and clash over the course of the story。Though Rhea was quite well developed i felt we could have had even more of that depth and multi-dimensional development early on in the story whereas i found i could only connect to her towards the last few chapters。Some of the non-familial relationships felt a little underdeveloped and I hope if we get a sequel we can see these fleshed out more fully。But the ties and loyalties between the twins， their younger siblings and their father were incredibly realistically written and often heart-wrenching to read。The same goes for the world building， which despite being detailed and easily visualized in some parts felt flat and undeveloped in others， I would really have liked to see more of the former。I really appreciated the entirely unique magic system that I have seen， quite accurately， described as a grown-up Encanto。 The world lore and magics within it are interlinked beautifully and I particularly enjoyed the twists and reveals that brought new aspects of these to light。 The pacing was somewhat slow at the start but I did not find myself bored at all and the last third packs in enough action to make up for it。 The writing style was easy to follow and i found I read quite quickly though overall it wasn’t to my personal reading taste。 Plot wise the intrigue and politics were delightfully intricate and the foreshadowing subtle enough to go unnoticed if you aren’t paying attention - I was paying attention and very happy to have my theories proved correct。Overall this is a well thought out political fantasy and I hope it will have a sequel to flesh out and give more development to a cast and world that has lots of potential。 。。。more
Iris
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In a world where power is concentrated within a council composed of a few families with the abilities to control various aspects of nature， corruption， deceit， and betrayal are everywhere。 Rhea exerts particular control over the seasons。 For over a hundred years， she has been tasked to both welcome and bid farewell to the turns of the weather through her marriages and the murders of her chosen consorts。 Her siblings， father， and the other ruling familes have their own types of magic， presiding o In a world where power is concentrated within a council composed of a few families with the abilities to control various aspects of nature， corruption， deceit， and betrayal are everywhere。 Rhea exerts particular control over the seasons。 For over a hundred years， she has been tasked to both welcome and bid farewell to the turns of the weather through her marriages and the murders of her chosen consorts。 Her siblings， father， and the other ruling familes have their own types of magic， presiding over their own kingdoms with iron fists。 Rumblings of dissent and the growing presence of a rebel movement as well as turmoil within Rhea's family threaten the order of their world and she must protect her loved ones at all costs。 Thanks so much to Del Rey for this engrossing book！ I'm a little bummed that now I have to wait for the next installment because it was so good！ The political machinations， sibling rivalry， and world building all came together for me and made it really hard to put down！ I lost a little bit of sleep while reading for hours。 Rhea， Lexos， and Nitsos were the characters that were the most developed。 Chrysanthi was a little one dimensional， but I'm assuming she gets more pages in book 2。 So excited to participate in the Del Rey Book Club and discuss this title！ 。。。more
Paola
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3。5 RTC
Indre
，
Well dang， does the title make sense after all。 *A minor spoiler* I guess。 Ok， here we go。 This is totally different from what Rory Power rights。 This is such a political intrigue， family drama， mixed with well with fantasy。 It is a new world， full of history and power， saints， and those that came after。 Rhea and Alexandros are what they call Thyzakos。 They are a kind of upperclassmen， where their family among others rule the lands。 The only difference is they have certain powers that their fath Well dang， does the title make sense after all。 *A minor spoiler* I guess。 Ok， here we go。 This is totally different from what Rory Power rights。 This is such a political intrigue， family drama， mixed with well with fantasy。 It is a new world， full of history and power， saints， and those that came after。 Rhea and Alexandros are what they call Thyzakos。 They are a kind of upperclassmen， where their family among others rule the lands。 The only difference is they have certain powers that their father gained when he killed the previous Stratagiozi。 Their powers are different， but they bring seasons， rule the life and death， create stars， etc etc。 Some though still believe those powers come from the earth， and want to change how this ruling is happening - taking too much， not giving enough back to the people。 We follow the story of Rhea and Alexandros， twins who are so alike and who's only goal is to serve and save the family from being over thrown or worst case， killed。 Rhea is sent to the North， with her newest consort to be a spy for Alexandros and learn more about these rebels who are bent on destroying the family。 Meanwhile Alexandros is left to deal with their cruel father， and other Stratagiozi's who would love nothing more than see Argyros family thrown off their throne。Like I said previously， this is a story about politics。 Lots of scheming， lying， strategizing， etc etc。 There's not a lot of world building， which I found disappointing， but the family drama kind of made up for it。 The family dynamics， the abuse， and still the want and need to please hit too close to home （personally）。 I liked how it all went in circles and in the end weaved this intricate plan。 Definitely a lot of character building， a lot of history building， a new world and tiers in ruling。 It seemed like a lush world with a deep culture that I felt was cheated and not enough was shown for。 In the end I fell for Rhea in particular， and loved the last twist （that I literally saw coming only an hour before the end） and how her life turned when all was done and said。Interesting take for the author， but I don't mind it。 Will definitely pick up the next book from her。 Thank you to the publisher for the early copy， and to PRH audio for audio version of it。 。。。more
Christina
，
3。75 ⭐️ but rounded up to 4 here In a Garden Burning Gold is a beautifully tragic fantasy that introduces the world from two POVs: the not-quite-immortal twins Rhea and Lexos。 They are part of the Argyros family， and their father is a Stratagiozi who can control death and is the seat of power in their country。 Each sibling has their own power， like controlling the tides， the stars， or ushering in each season。 A huge part of this story is their father’s tyrannical rule and what each child will at 3。75 ⭐️ but rounded up to 4 here In a Garden Burning Gold is a beautifully tragic fantasy that introduces the world from two POVs: the not-quite-immortal twins Rhea and Lexos。 They are part of the Argyros family， and their father is a Stratagiozi who can control death and is the seat of power in their country。 Each sibling has their own power， like controlling the tides， the stars， or ushering in each season。 A huge part of this story is their father’s tyrannical rule and what each child will attempt to do to win his favor and stay in his good graces。 After some world building， the plot picks up when Rhea goes against her father （on advice of her twin） to take a consort in a region where a rebellion is gaining a following， in order to find information that can be used to quash this uprising， and thus stop the threat against her father’s seat of power。 A large chunk of the beginning of this book introduces the magical gifts of the family， the sibling/familial dynamics， and a geopolitical world setting。 The world building can definitely feel overwhelming and a bit slow at times， and it truly took me too long to understand exactly what Rhea’s gift controlled and the purpose of the family’s responsibilities。 The imagery throughout is quite beautiful， particularly Nitsos’s creations， the kymithi， and Chrysanthi’s gift。 Her world painting seemed quite beautiful， and I would’ve loved to see a little more of that and have a clearer understanding of her magic。 The last third of the book picked up the pace， and I really enjoyed each twins’ attempt to find their place and do what they believed is necessary for the family。 For Lexos that meant power plays and political networking。 For Rhea， she explored beliefs that had been forbidden， and is forced to grapple with the idea that the beliefs of the rebellion and the beliefs of her father Baba and his tyrannical rule seem like two sides of the same coin。 This idea of questioning one’s belief and what is truly right or wrong- whether we have the free will to choose- was very compelling。 It is also very much a critique on society， colonialism， and government。 I also loved that almost every character is totally unreliable， and no character was mostly good or mostly bad。 There were some twists that I did not anticipate， and the cliffhanger left me wanting the second book already。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC！ 。。。more
Dusty
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RATING:3。5 STARSWhen I saw the opportunity to join Del Rey’s virtual book club for In A Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power， I jumped at the chance。 I became even more excited once I received a full invitation。 I absolutely love the premise of the book， and while there are a few issues it was ultimately an enjoyable read。 The dual points of view for the book were quite interesting。 It helped move the story’s action along and give a well-rounded perspective to the events that were occurring。 I RATING:3。5 STARSWhen I saw the opportunity to join Del Rey’s virtual book club for In A Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power， I jumped at the chance。 I became even more excited once I received a full invitation。 I absolutely love the premise of the book， and while there are a few issues it was ultimately an enjoyable read。 The dual points of view for the book were quite interesting。 It helped move the story’s action along and give a well-rounded perspective to the events that were occurring。 I found it unique to have the point of view narrators be twins; their relationship was central to the story and thus added another layer by highlighting the differences between them。 One interesting quote about this issue is; “Rhea had never answered in kind， and Lexos had always privately thought it was because Rhea was complete without him in a way he was not without her。” Each twin's approach to love is very unique （In Rhea’s case， I think it's because of the number of consorts she’s had to watch die over the years）。 Rhea and Lexos also have different ways of “taking care” of their family （both their immediate family and the Stratagiozi as a whole）。 The other family members have their quirks， but my curiosity was the most piqued whenever the mother （Vasilis' wife） came up。 Her role in the story made her the most interesting character， in my opinion， even though she’s dead。 Like many epic fantasy books， the author includes a lot of worldbuilding in In A Garden Burning Gold。 I loved how the setting was reminiscent of the Mediterranean and inspired thoughts of Byzantine culture。 I was also impressed by the unique language， political structure， and magic system Ms。 Power thought up， though it was a lot to keep track of at times。 Thankfully， there is a reference guide to help keep everything straight but I could see how the amount of worldbuilding could be off-putting to those who are not used to it。 It got kind of exhausting to flip back and forth from my page in the book to where the reference guide is。 One suggestion （unrelated to my review） that I would have to fix this problem in future books in the series would be to include a smaller version of the map at the start of each chapter where it is important。 I've seen other books do this， and it worked out well。 While I don’t believe the characters were intended to resemble one particular culture， the messiness and the complications of the family politics in the book reminded me a lot of the gods and goddesses in Greek Mythology。 A major theme of the book is parental abuse and trauma （which is very present in Greek mythology）。 Rhea in particular is regularly subjected to her father’s machinations and whims。 Her twin Alexandros touched on the subject in this way， “Instead she let Baba hurt her and insisted， at the same time， that he had done no such thing。 And it was left to Lexos， then， to open her eyes， to show her the scars on her skin。 Not a job he’d ever asked for， and not a job anybody wanted him to do。” The family and generational trauma in the book is on a larger scale than most， given the extended lifespans of the Stratagiozi。 However， I had some issues with the execution and the explanation of this aspect of the story。 In a story like Disney’s Encanto， the root causes of the family conflict are quite clear （years of expectations put on the shoulders of children， a sense of unworthiness for those who are not part of the “miracle”， and isolation just to name a few）。 I can’t say the same for this book。 Baba clearly rules the family with an iron fist， but what were the offenses that made his children so afraid of him？ What happened in Patrassa that made Rhea lose her father’s favor？ How did the isolation of the other three siblings （who rarely if ever get to leave home） factor into the actions that readers witness in the book？ Without questions like these answered， it was much harder to fully invest myself in their story。 All things considered， this was a very entertaining read。 Despite the minor issues here and there， I’m still looking forward to reading the sequel once it’s out。 I can’t wait to get answers to the questions that In A Garden Burning Gold left me with。 Thank you to the author， Del Rey Books， and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the virtual book club。 I appreciate the opportunity immensely。 Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed In A Garden Burning Gold。 All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way。 CONTENT WARNINGS （From the Author’s Website）: Emotional and physical abuse by a parent， Death， Manipulation/discussion of loss of agency， Discussion of state violence and war， Mention/Description of Blood 。。。more
Nicole Field
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This book seemed to have a similar fascination with death and magic as both Gideon the Ninth and In the Ravenous Dark。 This book seemed to have a similar fascination with death and magic as both Gideon the Ninth and In the Ravenous Dark。 。。。more
Bethany
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Switching genres and age categories can be rough and In a Garden Burning Gold was definitely a bumpy ride。 Rory Powers has written YA horror/thrillers but this is a Greek inspired adult fantasy， which is quite a departure from what she has done in the past。 At its best this book has interesting ideas， fraught family relationships， and deadly power plays。 But too much exposition， very uneven pacing， and characterization issues made this a struggle to get through at times。 The first 15% of the boo Switching genres and age categories can be rough and In a Garden Burning Gold was definitely a bumpy ride。 Rory Powers has written YA horror/thrillers but this is a Greek inspired adult fantasy， which is quite a departure from what she has done in the past。 At its best this book has interesting ideas， fraught family relationships， and deadly power plays。 But too much exposition， very uneven pacing， and characterization issues made this a struggle to get through at times。 The first 15% of the book is almost entirely info-dumping and unnecessary exposition， but even after that we frequently get long， needlessly descriptive passages and a lot of telling rather than showing （please， have these characters DO something， not just sit around and talk！）。 Then the last 25% or so is action packed， high stakes， and pretty solidly written。 This book should have been significantly shorter with more action and a faster moving plot。 And it's worth noting that it is NOT a standalone。 It ends on kind of a cliffhanger and the fact that so much of this book could have been cut makes that frustrating。We get two perspective characters- twins who look 20 but are supposedly much older （though their characterization did not make that age feel believable at all）。 Their father is a ruler， almost like a deity， with magical powers。 They also have some abilities， but he's abusive and pretty awful。 Rhea has spent decades marrying someone new and then killing them in order to make the season change， but now things are about to be different。 I thought the most compelling part of this book was the family relationships- four siblings with an abusive father who terrorizes them， but who they all want to impress。 I wish this had spent more time on characterization and family relationships， less time describing things that aren't super important， and less time on this romantic subplot that feels completely unbelievable and very young/immature for being between adults， one of whom is supposedly almost a century old。 As a reading experience， this book was a roller coaster。 When it was good， it was very good。 But the rest of the time I was bored or annoyed。 Rory Power is great at writing dark， disturbing family relationships and creepy twists， so when she focused on that I was into it。 The epic fantasy piece， unfortunately didn't hit so well for me。 I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Nicole
，
This book was definitely out of my comfort zone。 While I wouldn’t necessarily say it is a bad book， it was just not the one for me。 I felt bored and I didn’t wanna fall into a reading slump。 With that said I DNF it at 30%。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review。
Susan McGrath
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I received a digital advance copy of In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Powers via NetGalley。 In a Garden Burning Gold is scheduled for release on April 5， 2022。In a Garden Burning Gold follows Rhea and her twin brother Lexos。 They live with their two younger siblings and their father as rulers of their small country。 All of the family are near-immortal， and have the ability to control everything from the tides， to the stars， to the seasons。As Rhea starts the new winter season with a new consort， I received a digital advance copy of In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Powers via NetGalley。 In a Garden Burning Gold is scheduled for release on April 5， 2022。In a Garden Burning Gold follows Rhea and her twin brother Lexos。 They live with their two younger siblings and their father as rulers of their small country。 All of the family are near-immortal， and have the ability to control everything from the tides， to the stars， to the seasons。As Rhea starts the new winter season with a new consort， Lexos is working to maintain the control their family has over their country。 Neither sibling fully understands the complications of what they are working for， and neither has the slightest clue what the other twin is up to。In this novel， Power gives us a very different world than Wilder Girls。 This novel is infused with magic， and seems to be on the border of Greek mythology。 While none of the characters in the story are established mythological figures， there are echoes of Greek myths in the characters， their powers， and their interactions with the world at large。For me， this closeness to Greek mythology made this a challenging read at times。 I struggled at times as my brain tried to tie the novel into the Greek myths I know。 When they didn’t fit together， it created a disconnect with the story as I fought to separate the world of the story from the world it did not quite belong in。 I think I would have enjoyed the story more if there were more distance between the novel and Greek mythology。Power gives us four distinct siblings in this novel， though we get to know Rhea and Lexos the best。 As they are both point of view characters in the novel， this makes sense。 The distance from the siblings also makes sense， as they are not involved in the plots the older siblings are working through。 This distance allows us as a reader to gain information about the younger siblings at the same time the older siblings do。 The result is some twists in the story that took me by surprise。Overall， In a Garden Burning Gold is a well-written and enjoyable story drawing on many aspects of Greek mythology。 。。。more
Sarah Bahm
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~3。5 stars~In a Garden Burning Gold centers around twins Lexos and Rhea， who are essentially deities in a Greek/Byzantine-inspired world。 Facing a world of political instability， they each embark on diverging courses to save their family and their world。 Some things I loved about this book: firstly， the idea that the home of these deities functions as a microcosm of the real world。 I have never read anything like this before， and I was intrigued to learn each of the sibling’s individual talents ~3。5 stars~In a Garden Burning Gold centers around twins Lexos and Rhea， who are essentially deities in a Greek/Byzantine-inspired world。 Facing a world of political instability， they each embark on diverging courses to save their family and their world。 Some things I loved about this book: firstly， the idea that the home of these deities functions as a microcosm of the real world。 I have never read anything like this before， and I was intrigued to learn each of the sibling’s individual talents and how they translated into the mortal world。 Also， I love love LOVED the Thyspira-and-her-suitors business。 It was like a really crazy version of the bachelor except the winner is ultimately killed （not a spoiler）。 Also， the writing is just beautiful and I can’t say enough about the author’s stunning descriptions。 This concept is fascinating， the plot is full of betrayals and surprises， and overall I found the characters to be multifaceted。 I did find that I much preferred Rhea’s chapters to Lexos， though that may have been simply because I found the hint of romance refreshing amidst the dense politics of Lexos’ chapters。 Admittedly， this is a SLOW-paced novel。 I would say it took about a hundred pages before I felt grounded in the world。 The pace did pick up somewhere in the middle; about the 50-75% chunk of the book stood out as the most entertaining; I could hardly put it down！ I would say that the slow pace did hinder my reading experience some， especially during the beginning。 Additionally， the “big twist” – I don’t want to spoil it – was very predictable。 All in all， I enjoyed In a Garden Burning Gold！ I would recommend it to someone who is well-versed in high fantasy and complicated worldbuilding and doesn’t mind a slower pacing。 I am intrigued to explore the author’s YA writing as well。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Kristin
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Thank you Netgalley & Publishers for my e arc copy of "In a Garden Burning Gold"， （Argyrosi #1） by Rory Power。A high fantasy novel involving complex family dynamics， magic， political plots， betrayal， love， etc。 A mythic epic Mediterranean fantasy novel， very original。 Summary: "Rhea and her twin brother， Lexos， have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small， unstable country， using their control over the seasons， tides， and stars to keep the people in line。 For a hundred years， th Thank you Netgalley & Publishers for my e arc copy of "In a Garden Burning Gold"， （Argyrosi #1） by Rory Power。A high fantasy novel involving complex family dynamics， magic， political plots， betrayal， love， etc。 A mythic epic Mediterranean fantasy novel， very original。 Summary: "Rhea and her twin brother， Lexos， have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small， unstable country， using their control over the seasons， tides， and stars to keep the people in line。 For a hundred years， they've been each other's only ally。。。if Rhea and Lexos aren't careful， they'll end up facing each other across the battlefield。"I would recommend to lovers of complex or high fantasy and political fantasy。 。。。more
Melinda
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I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley （thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine）。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。Do ya'll see this cover？！ I had to read this book。 I'll be honest when requesting this I didn't know what it was about and I've never read anything by the author， but that is a STUNNING cover！ In a Garden Burning Gold is a dual POV fantasy novel following twins Rhea and Lexos。 Each twin and their other siblings have very unique powers to do things like con I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley （thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine）。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。Do ya'll see this cover？！ I had to read this book。 I'll be honest when requesting this I didn't know what it was about and I've never read anything by the author， but that is a STUNNING cover！ In a Garden Burning Gold is a dual POV fantasy novel following twins Rhea and Lexos。 Each twin and their other siblings have very unique powers to do things like control the seasons and tides， fill the night sky with stars， and paint the colors of the world。 This book definitely is the first act of a greater story， one I am really interested in seeing unfold。 I love the set up of the greater world with leaders of different countries having powers that allow them to influence aspects of the world everyone lives in。 I enjoyed some of the twists the story took and did not see them coming。 Rhea was an intriguing and wonderful perspective to follow。 On the opposite side I felt like the pacing in Lexos' chapters was a bit slower and harder to remain invested in。 I really liked how their main drive was to protect the family， but their personalities and ways of doing this were very different。 There is a fair bit of political maneuvering and intrigue going on in the book， but I feel like this was an area it fell flat for me。 I struggled to keep track of who each character was， where they were from， and their motivations。 There was a character list with this information provided at the beginning of the book， but I did not feel like it was helpful until I finished the book and looked back over it。 I'm curious to see how the story unfolds in the next book。 。。。more
Dustin George-Miller
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I received a pre-release ARC from Netgalley in exchange from an honest review。In A Garden Burning Gold is different than anything Rory Power has released to date， and readers should be aware of this fact going in。 Her first two novels -- 2019's critically acclaimed Wilder Girls and 2020's Burn Our Bodies Down are both dark and twisty YA-focused novels with unsettling quasi-supernatural elements and from the POV of young female characters。 In A Garden Burning Gold has some （unexplained） magic and I received a pre-release ARC from Netgalley in exchange from an honest review。In A Garden Burning Gold is different than anything Rory Power has released to date， and readers should be aware of this fact going in。 Her first two novels -- 2019's critically acclaimed Wilder Girls and 2020's Burn Our Bodies Down are both dark and twisty YA-focused novels with unsettling quasi-supernatural elements and from the POV of young female characters。 In A Garden Burning Gold has some （unexplained） magic and magical realism elements but trades in the creepy fantastical for more of a rote fantasy appeal。 Lexos and Rhea are twin siblings in an ancient Greek-analogue fantasy world of city-states ruled by their despotic and totalitarian father， known colloquially as Baba。 As acknowledged leader of his empire， Baba has powers that controls everything from the seasons to the stars in the sky， the weather to machines。 He rules with an iron fist， but must always be wary that his vassals don't get above their station and conspire to tear him down。 Baba has the ability to transfer some of his powers to his four children， and has done so selectively， dishing out the choice bits of power and the bulk of his attention on the twins to the exclusion of his other two children， Nitsos and Chrysanthi。 But it's Rhea and Lexos who he is clearly grooming for eventual rule。 Lexos can "stitch" the stars and moon into the sky， while Rhea is able to choose favored suitors （which are later ritually murdered） from other houses in order to ensure favor and good harvests。Baba is distant， quick to anger， quick to punish perceived wrongdoings。 It's no wonder that there are elements in his empire that are conspiring to tear down his family and replace it with something more egalitarian （or， at least different。 Rhea finds herself embroiled in a plot， hatched by Lexos， to infiltrate the Sxoriza separatist movement by choosing one of their known leaders from a northern kingdom as her seasonal consort; meanwhile， Lexos finds himself conspiring with other powerful houses， potentially against the wishes of his father， in order to save his own house and legacy。 Eventually these conflicting goals and desires result in the siblings， inextricably tied together by blood， unsure if they ever really knew their twin at all。This is a political book。 There are elements of romance and some mild magic， but there are plenty of Machiavellian machinations， lies， half-truths， and backstabs to keep one guessing throughout the book。 Readers should understand this going in， as those who prefer less political novels may be disappointed。 The pacing is slow， the quasi-Hellenic trappings didn't resonate with me in the same way that Power's other books drew me in。 It is well written， but it did not hold my attention as much as I was hoping。This appears to be the first book in a series， but I'm uncertain if I will return to Power's world in this novel。 She continues to be a young author with whom I hold in a very high esteem; this was simply a book that wasn't for me。 。。。more
Ariel
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In A Garden Burning Gold is a slow burn。 Takes some patience to figure out， but rewards with resolved mystery through intriguing twists and turns in the end。The details are very well done。 The author clearly places you in settings that are easy to imagine with how they are described。 Character personalities shine through。 No one left flat。The politics of the book are messy。 Took me a good portion of the story to understand and keep them straight。 Mainly trying to figure out who was from where an In A Garden Burning Gold is a slow burn。 Takes some patience to figure out， but rewards with resolved mystery through intriguing twists and turns in the end。The details are very well done。 The author clearly places you in settings that are easy to imagine with how they are described。 Character personalities shine through。 No one left flat。The politics of the book are messy。 Took me a good portion of the story to understand and keep them straight。 Mainly trying to figure out who was from where and why they mattered。 A map honestly would have helped。 From what I could surmise， Thyzakos is a more northern country。 Merkher to is south， Trefazio and Amolova on the east and west （exactly which on east or west， idk）。 Each ruler， at the least， has one or more mystical powers。 Whomever the deign with in their immediate bloodline （ sons， and daughters） can acquire their powers as they wish， or automatically after they pass。 Absorbing the last of a bloodline if there is violent takeover。 This is all explained in the book。。 The extent of what powers there are and who has them is never revealed。 You only learn what Rhea and Lexos know。 As the book is from their point of views， chapters flipping back and forth， changing to keep the timeline between the two twins consistent。Even though the book is about the twins， Alexandros and Rhea， it mainly seems to be Rhea's story。 Her struggle between choosing her brother or fathers side。 When in the point of view of Lexos （Alexandros）， feels more about clearing up the messy politics so that her story makes more sense。 Rhea has the power to change the season， only there is a catch。 She must kill her newly betrothed when a season is scheduled to end， and mix their blood with the earth to initiate the start of the next season。 The city/state from which her sacrifice is plucked from， usually compensated with a prosperous season （good weather， harvest， etc。）。 Her father usually picks， keeping in mind how Thyzakos can benefit from the cities picked， but this time Lexos thinks he knows better and asks his sister to pick differently。 Setting in motion her journey to self discovery。I enjoyed the parts from Rhea much more。 Felt for Lexos， but with him being politically motivated， there was more disconnect with him。 Whereas Rhea seemed to follow her heart more while trying to honor her father。 More care taken in her relationships with her other family， instead of dismissal like from Lexos。 Very mirrored personalities。。 or as Lexos called Rhea， his kathroula。 There is a lot of subtle hinting。 Some as minor as that， some even bigger， that helps the story in the end。 Lots of secrets to unwrap。The main dilemma of this story is solved btw。。 with some left open for the second book to come。 The ways it is left open， I feel the second may be even better。 Without reading it， I can't say for sure if sorting through the politics （slower pacing） in this one is worth it， but it is for sure making for an interesting wait。 。。。more
LHW
，
*Received a free Netgalley copy from Del Rey - thank you！*In a Garden Burning Gold had some great ideas， but the ultimate execution didn't work for me， in part due to characters I didn't like and/or didn't quite believe in。 This is more likely to be a hit for people who enjoy books with plotting and betrayal and grey characters aplenty， especially if they don't need all the plotting/betrayal to always be particularly intelligent。 Some positives:- Absolutely killer first line。- The magic system h *Received a free Netgalley copy from Del Rey - thank you！*In a Garden Burning Gold had some great ideas， but the ultimate execution didn't work for me， in part due to characters I didn't like and/or didn't quite believe in。 This is more likely to be a hit for people who enjoy books with plotting and betrayal and grey characters aplenty， especially if they don't need all the plotting/betrayal to always be particularly intelligent。 Some positives:- Absolutely killer first line。- The magic system had the potential to be absolutely fascinating。 The book starts off explaining little about how the magic works， where it comes from originally， etc。， but reveals snippets more as the book proceeds。 There wasn't quite enough detail revealed to satisfy me， but I would have loved a more thorough history and explanation。 The world in general had a lot of promise for me。 - Sometimes the novel nailed the shock moment， that moment of "this world that these characters live in operates from entirely different norms than my own。" （view spoiler）[The murder of Gino？ The reactions afterward？ Spine-chilling。 （hide spoiler）]Some negatives:- I found Lexos an irritating character on several fronts （self-righteous， entitled， so sure of himself yet sometimes so far off the mark） and really wished we didn't have to spend so much of the novel in his head。 I found Rhea's narrative more interesting， but she also might not have made it to my top POV choices。 I feel like this story could have been more riveting with different POVs chosen。- Some of the characters' choices felt a little forced， a little too sudden， which robbed them of the emotional punch they might have otherwise had。 （view spoiler）[ And no， I'm not talking about the twist about why Rhea chose Michali （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Dagmar
，
This is my first book by Rory Power， and I have to say， I'm so impressed！ The world building was first-class， and the character development kept me intrigued。A tale reminiscent of the Greek tragedies （or Shakespearean） in form and outline， In a Garden Burning Gold is about family feuds， lust for power， and the battle between doing what the family demands vs what you think is right。 Fans of S。A。 Chakraborty and Sabaa Tahir will appreciate this first in a series。 I thank Del Rey/Penguin Random Hou This is my first book by Rory Power， and I have to say， I'm so impressed！ The world building was first-class， and the character development kept me intrigued。A tale reminiscent of the Greek tragedies （or Shakespearean） in form and outline， In a Garden Burning Gold is about family feuds， lust for power， and the battle between doing what the family demands vs what you think is right。 Fans of S。A。 Chakraborty and Sabaa Tahir will appreciate this first in a series。 I thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=In A Garden Burning Gold
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=In A Garden Burning Gold&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft