About the Book
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Book of Fall 2024
“A sinister romance and hypnotic Gothic fairytale—surreal and luscious with a fascinating twist on the story of Hades and Persephone.” —Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
A woman with no past. A man who seems to know her. And a monstrous garden that could be the border between their worlds…
Italy, 1948
Julia Lombardi is a mystery even to herself. The beautiful model can’t remember where she’s from, where she’s been or how she came to live in Rome. When she receives an offer to accompany celebrated eccentric artist Salvador Dalí to the Sacro Bosco—Italy’s Garden of Monsters—as his muse, she’s strangely compelled to accept. It could be a chance to unlock the truth about her past…
Shrouded in shadow, the garden full of giant statues that sometimes seem alive is far from welcoming. Still, from the moment of their arrival at the palazzo, Julia is inexplicably drawn to their darkly enigmatic host, Ignazio. He’s alluring yet terrifying—and he seems to know her.
Posing for Dalí as the goddess Persephone, Julia finds the work to be perplexing, particularly as Dalí descends deeper into his fanaticism. To him, she is Persephone, and he insists she must eat pomegranate seeds to rejoin her king.
Between Dalí’s fevered persistence, Ignazio’s uncanny familiarity and the agonizing whispered warnings that echo through the garden, Julia is soon on the verge of unraveling. And she begins to wonder if she’s truly the mythical queen of the Underworld…
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Excerpt
Prologue
Bomarzo, Italy, 1547–1560
It took me years to find Giulia Farnese, but no time at all to win her confidence. I did so with an unassuming cherry rose tart. It had been nearly a hundred years since I last looked upon her face, but from the moment she pulled the golden tines of her fork away from her lips and she looked to me, not her husband, I knew my influence had taken hold.
“You truly are a maestro, Aidoneus,” she said, closing her eyes to savor the sweet, floral flavors. “And a welcome addition to our kitchen.”
“Madonna Farnese, you flatter me.” I gave the couple a polite bow, my gesture more fluid than human custom, and turned back to my earthly duties.
“It seems you will eat well when I am gone,” Vicino joked behind my back. “But don’t eat too well, my beauty, or you won’t fit into those lovely dresses.”
Giulia laughed, and my heart warmed. Oh, she would eat well, I vowed. Very well.
* * *
The next day, as Vicino Orsini gave his wife a peck on the cheek and vaulted onto his horse, I watched from the rooftop terrace, my gaze lingering on the horizon where earth met sky—a threshold I knew all too well. Then, with a flick of the reins, he led his men down the road into the valley. They were headed to Venezia to escort the Holy Roman Cardinal, Pietro Bembo, to Rome. Afterward, Vicino would depart for Napoli and Sicilia on business for Papa Pio IV.
Jupiter had blessed the region of Lazio with a warm spring, and a week after Vicino left, Giulia asked me if I wanted to take a walk. I suggested we explore the wood in the valley below the palazzo. She readily agreed, which did not surprise me. It was impossible for her to ignore the aphrodisiac qualities of my food, let alone the timbre of my voice, and the brush of my hand against hers. The first time she startled at my warmth— no human runs as hot as I—but she did not ask me to explain. In all the centuries past, she never has. This alone stoked the fire of hope within me.
She led me on a thin path through the verdant tapestry of the forest, where sunlight, diffusing through the emerald canopy, dappled the woodland floor with patches of gold. Beneath our feet, a carpet of fallen leaves, still rich with the scent of earth, crunched softly. We moved through clusters of ancient evergreen oaks, their gnarled limbs reaching out like weathered hands, and past groves of squat pomegranate trees with their ruby-hued fruits catching the sunlight and casting a warm, inviting glow.
Upon reaching a clearing surrounded by several large tufa stones jutting up through the grass and weeds, I was immediately drawn to one of the stones embedded in the hillside. The exposed side was round and flat, and it hummed, a song of the earth, a low vibration that warmed the deepest depths of me.
Giulia could not hear the humming, but she was surely aware of it in some hidden part of her, for she turned to me then.
“I love this wood,” she said, her arms outstretched toward the stone. The early morning light brightened her features, making her blue eyes shine.
“I can see why.”
She twined her hand in mine. “I come here often to bask in the feeling. The moment I arrived in Bomarzo, I felt like I had been called home, to my true home. And this wood, this is why. It re-minds me of a fairy tale, or a place from the ancient, heroic myths.” It was then that I had the idea. The stone—it hummed be-cause the veil to the Underworld was thin there. Perhaps…yes… if the wood was enhanced, and energy from the darkness was better able to pierce the surface into this realm I would no longer have to spend years attuning to Giulia when she reappeared in the world. Instead, she would be drawn closer, and I would find her faster. It would work. I was sure of it.
“Vicino doesn’t like me walking here alone. Too many wolves and bears, he says.”
I could sense a wild boar in the far distance, but no wolves or bears. “I think we’re safe here.” I gestured toward one of the big misshapen rocks. “Sometimes I like to imagine rocks as mythical creatures. Like that one. It could be a dragon poised to fight off danger.”
“Ooo, I can see it. The big open mouth, ready to take on any wolf, or even a lion.” Her enthusiasm was exactly what I had hoped for.
I waved my arm toward the large, round, smooth rock be-hind it. “And that should be a great big orco, with a mouth wide open. And it eats up and spits out secrets.”
“An ogre that spits out secrets?” Giulia laughed.
“Oh yes. This orco would tell all. Ogni pensiero volo.” I made my hands look like a fluttering bird.
She wore a wide grin. “All thoughts fly! How perfect. But if he eats up secrets, there should be a table inside this orco. It could be his tongue.”
As we wandered through the wood, dreaming up new lives for the monstrous rocks left eons ago by a force of nature, I was delighted to see how invested she was in the game.
“There are so many stones,” she said, clapping her hands together. “We could make a whole park of statues. I will write Vicino tonight.”
I did not expect it would be quite so easy. Usually it took a long while to convince Giulia of the merit of my ideas. But the pull of the Underworld was strong here and my influence was far greater than it would have been in Paris, or some backwater hill town in the wilds of Bavaria or Transylvania.
On the walk back, she paused by another enormous stone that jutted out of the ground, the size of a giant. She leaned against it. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked coyly.
“Of course.”
“This secret is only for you.” She leaned forward and grasped the edge of my cloak, pulling me toward her. Our lips met and she melted into me.
In the years following, as Vicino began work on the garden, a change was palpable in the air. Each evening, as the twilight deepened, a subtle energy began to emanate from the heart of the valley. I found contentment not just in the evolving grove, but also in my closeness to Giulia. Our time together, so abundant and intimate, felt different. I had never waited so long to make my attempt, but I nurtured this earthly bond, knowing it was essential for the garden’s growth.
The day finally arrived when Vicino ushered Giulia into the heart of the Sacro Bosco—the Sacred Wood—the name he had fondly bestowed upon the garden. As she crossed the threshold, I sensed it—a strengthening of our connection, more profound than ever before. It was time.
That night, the chicken with pomegranate sauce I prepared was met with Giulia’s usual lavish praise, although I knew she took in the single pomegranate seed garnishing the dish as a courtesy, not a desire for the fruit. As she savored each bite, I felt a loosening in the ethereal shackles binding her heart. A vivid, red-hued hope blossomed within me.
Post dinner, I retreated to the palazzo’s highest balcony, my gaze drawn to a nascent light in the wood below. The light, though barely perceptible, was imbued with a power that seemed to bridge the realms of mortal and divine. A faint green luminescence that whispered of unwanted things to come. It pulsed like a languid heartbeat, beckoning to something—or someone.
I was immediately compelled to find Giulia. Amidst the soft murmur of the salon where she played with her children, I enveloped her in my senses and the flower of hope within me withered. Her heartbeat, steady and unsuspecting, echoed the rhythm of the garden’s glow.
Excerpted from In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King © 2024 by Crystal King. Used with permission from MIRA/HarperCollins.
Review
In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel by Crystal KingMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, all opinions are my own.
This follows Julia, a model and artist, who has been selected as a muse for Salvador Dalí's latest set of paintings inspired by the goddess Proserpina. She is whisked off to the Sacro Bosco, also known as the Garden of Monsters, where she feels a connection unlike anything she has known before. You see Julia cannot remember her past or how she came to be in Rome. Once they arrive at the Garden, Julia is not only drawn to the place but their host Ignazio and his dark and alluring presence. Her stay at the palazzo is filled with strange encounters and dreams that she can't explain. Dalí insists she act the part of Proserpina for her entire stay and eat pomegranate seeds at each meal, yet something is trying tell her not to. The conditions prove difficult but Julia needs the money she is promised for the job, and something is compelling her to stay. She is determined to unlock her memories and the mysteries of the garden before she loses her sanity.
This was a really interesting retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone or in this case it steers more to the Roman version of Pluto and Proserpina. You can tell that the author put her time and care into the research of this book when it came to the Garden. She weaves actual events from its creation by Vicini for his wife into the story as well as Dalí's visit in the late 40s into the story while creating a unique retelling. I think she did a wonderful job describing the Garden, the palazzo, and the food which played a large part in the book. I love a well researched book and really appreciate that she paid homage to Dalí's love of food and tried to stay true to what Dalí and Gala's personalities and relationship were like while telling Julia's story.
I did find this to be a bit slow paced for my personal taste, however I did switch over to the audiobook on release day and that really helped me with the pacing issue. I don't think it was an issue with the plot, the book is very detailed and descriptive which sometimes slows things down for me in print. The narrator is wonderful and does different accents for all of the characters. I highly recommend the audio.
If you like Greek/Roman mythology retellings, this has an unexpected twist with great world building and some very interesting characters. The real world historical elements mixed with the fantastical made for a compelling read. I've added the Garden of Monsters to my list of places I want to go visit one day.
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