What do you think?
Rate this book
In the Garden of Monsters
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…
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2024
110 people are currently reading
15369 people want to read
About the author
Crystal King
4 books585 followersCrystal King is the bestselling author of THE CHEF'S SECRET, FEAST OF SORROW and the upcoming novel IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS (Sep 2024). A culinary enthusiast and social media professional, her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language and culture of Italy. She has taught classes in writing, creativity and social media at Harvard Extension School, Boston University, Mass College of Art, UMass Boston and GrubStreet, one of the leading creative writing centers in the US. A Pushcart-nominated poet and former co-editor of the online literary arts journal Plum Ruby Review, Crystal received her M.A. in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMass Boston, where she developed a series of exercises and writing prompts to help fiction writers in medias res. She resides in Boston.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
May 11, 2024
⭐Although I read this back in March, I waited for today to post it as it's Dali's birthday today!⭐
“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.
“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.
Read
October 15, 2025There aren't enough words to express my thanks to all of you readers for diving into this wild book of mine. I fell in love with this garden and these characters, for all their faults. I hope you do, too. One little warning...don't read on an empty stomach!
October 8, 2024
My mind is still RACING thinking about everything I just read!
This story mixes the history of Salvador Dali and the love story of Hades and Persephone. The pacing of the story is similar to a thriller where you just want to keep turning pages. I didn't put this book down and read it in under 6hrs. I loved how the meals served followed the journey the characters were on. The attention to detail in each dish was EVERYTHING! Do not read this book on an empty stomach and keep a snack ready at your side!
I have been fortunate enough to visit the actual Monster Garden in Italy and the description of all the statues and landmarks is impeccable and brought everything back to life in my mind from my last visit. A must see if you are ever in Rome.
This story mixes the history of Salvador Dali and the love story of Hades and Persephone. The pacing of the story is similar to a thriller where you just want to keep turning pages. I didn't put this book down and read it in under 6hrs. I loved how the meals served followed the journey the characters were on. The attention to detail in each dish was EVERYTHING! Do not read this book on an empty stomach and keep a snack ready at your side!
I have been fortunate enough to visit the actual Monster Garden in Italy and the description of all the statues and landmarks is impeccable and brought everything back to life in my mind from my last visit. A must see if you are ever in Rome.
April 2, 2024
This was WILD and I loved every second of it. My head is still spinning, desperate to unpack every detail with someone. The story is stunningly written and powerfully evocative. I’m not too familiar with the myth, but I’m off to do a deep dive of both the story and the real life Monster Garden. I’d recommend this a million times over. Wow, wow, wow.
October 19, 2024
I'm actually at a loss for words. What even was this?
Julia is a nothing character; I guess one could make the argument that since Julia has amnesia, she would be a nothing character, but there's really no moments about her agonizing about how she doesn't remember her past, has no idea who her family is, etc. There's a little bit at the beginning, but it has no depth. It doesn't feel like it's fleshing out her character so much as checking the boxes for her backstory. And that's how everything feels with her. Her supposed knowledge and interest in art doesn't really feel authentic, it just shows up when she wants to point out that Dali is a prick. (On that note, Dali and Gala were both awful, but I'm not holding that against King as they were supposedly just terrible in real life. Artists, you know?)
At the end, Ceres--and I will rant about her in a hot minute--says that "true love [won]." Did... did we read the same book? Where was the true love? Because outside of Julia thinking that Ignacio is gorgeous, they have no chemistry. I kept waiting for him to actually be a character besides "hot guy who is hot and can cook and only has eyes for one woman." And look, yes, that is hot, BUT I NEED MORE THAT. He's obsessed with her, and she thinks he's a little intense, but hot. And that's it. Again, we can work with this, but it starts and ends there. THE BAREBONES OF THE RELATIONSHIP SHOULD NOT Be THE FINISHED PRODUCT. BUILD ON WHAT YOU HAVE AND GO FROM THERE. Do you know what people want in their Hades/Persephone retelling? Romance. Passion. A dash of forbidden love. You know what Ignacio and Julia don't have? Any of those things. She can have sex dreams all she wants about him, but I'm not buying their love.
In her author's note, King writes, "Why did I make Ceres Proserpina's lover? Why not? Tee hee." BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT, THAT'S WHY. Instead, you have the story of a jilted lover, which makes us want to side more with Ceres than the couple we're supposed to be rooting for. King really does nothing new with this change, except making Proserpina look kind of awful. Just keep her as a mother who doesn't want to let her daughter go. There's so many angles you can take there--maybe give the initial conflict some depth, there's an idea--all of which would have been far more interesting than "spurned lover wants to keep main (chemistry-less) couple apart."
If it wasn't for the presence of Dali, I would have forgotten that this took place in 1948. Also, Lillian doesn't seem like a real person? It's not that I want her to be like, "Julia, you're crazy," but she just accepts everything right off the bat, no time needed to digest anything. And again, there is nothing wrong with her believing Julia and dropping everything to help her, it's just that she acts like the archetype of the perfect best friend rather than an actual character.
Also, this book completely falls flat at being anything gothic. It really just reads as the author went on an amazing Italian vacation and just wanted people to know about it.
I need for goodreads to start letting me rate things zero stars because one star is already more than this book deserves.
(And I'm judging every single author who gave this book glowing reviews.)
Julia is a nothing character; I guess one could make the argument that since Julia has amnesia, she would be a nothing character, but there's really no moments about her agonizing about how she doesn't remember her past, has no idea who her family is, etc. There's a little bit at the beginning, but it has no depth. It doesn't feel like it's fleshing out her character so much as checking the boxes for her backstory. And that's how everything feels with her. Her supposed knowledge and interest in art doesn't really feel authentic, it just shows up when she wants to point out that Dali is a prick. (On that note, Dali and Gala were both awful, but I'm not holding that against King as they were supposedly just terrible in real life. Artists, you know?)
At the end, Ceres--and I will rant about her in a hot minute--says that "true love [won]." Did... did we read the same book? Where was the true love? Because outside of Julia thinking that Ignacio is gorgeous, they have no chemistry. I kept waiting for him to actually be a character besides "hot guy who is hot and can cook and only has eyes for one woman." And look, yes, that is hot, BUT I NEED MORE THAT. He's obsessed with her, and she thinks he's a little intense, but hot. And that's it. Again, we can work with this, but it starts and ends there. THE BAREBONES OF THE RELATIONSHIP SHOULD NOT Be THE FINISHED PRODUCT. BUILD ON WHAT YOU HAVE AND GO FROM THERE. Do you know what people want in their Hades/Persephone retelling? Romance. Passion. A dash of forbidden love. You know what Ignacio and Julia don't have? Any of those things. She can have sex dreams all she wants about him, but I'm not buying their love.
In her author's note, King writes, "Why did I make Ceres Proserpina's lover? Why not? Tee hee." BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT, THAT'S WHY. Instead, you have the story of a jilted lover, which makes us want to side more with Ceres than the couple we're supposed to be rooting for. King really does nothing new with this change, except making Proserpina look kind of awful. Just keep her as a mother who doesn't want to let her daughter go. There's so many angles you can take there--maybe give the initial conflict some depth, there's an idea--all of which would have been far more interesting than "spurned lover wants to keep main (chemistry-less) couple apart."
If it wasn't for the presence of Dali, I would have forgotten that this took place in 1948. Also, Lillian doesn't seem like a real person? It's not that I want her to be like, "Julia, you're crazy," but she just accepts everything right off the bat, no time needed to digest anything. And again, there is nothing wrong with her believing Julia and dropping everything to help her, it's just that she acts like the archetype of the perfect best friend rather than an actual character.
Also, this book completely falls flat at being anything gothic. It really just reads as the author went on an amazing Italian vacation and just wanted people to know about it.
I need for goodreads to start letting me rate things zero stars because one star is already more than this book deserves.
(And I'm judging every single author who gave this book glowing reviews.)
April 25, 2024
In The Garden Of Monsters is a love letter to surrealism and fine cuisine. Part mythology retelling, part artistic experience this novel was a unique experience.
The story follows Julia, a young woman with no past but a keen knowledge of history and a passion for art. Julia finds herself invited to the Garden of Monsters - the Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo, Italy - as the great Salvador Dali's muse. She is to act as Persephone, his Proserpina, modeling as the goddess among the stone creatures of the mysterious garden.
But odd things begin to happen upon the arrival of Dali's group to the small village's grand estate overlooking the garden. Their host, Ignazio, smells of smoke and seems to mesmerize everyone around him, the servants don't speak, earthquakes shake the land, and every dish of food seems to contain pomegranate seeds.
Will Julia let herself fall into the sway of Ignazio's charms or will the terror of the monstrous garden be her downfall?
This was a unique take on the Hades and Persephone story. I enjoyed the author's vivid descriptions of the garden, the food, and art - though at times there seemed to be more exposition than character development. I was thoroughly invested in the overarching story and will definitely be picking up the Crystal King's other works, as her prose was vivid and delectable - she has an obvious passion for food, art, and history that is entirely engaging.
The story follows Julia, a young woman with no past but a keen knowledge of history and a passion for art. Julia finds herself invited to the Garden of Monsters - the Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo, Italy - as the great Salvador Dali's muse. She is to act as Persephone, his Proserpina, modeling as the goddess among the stone creatures of the mysterious garden.
But odd things begin to happen upon the arrival of Dali's group to the small village's grand estate overlooking the garden. Their host, Ignazio, smells of smoke and seems to mesmerize everyone around him, the servants don't speak, earthquakes shake the land, and every dish of food seems to contain pomegranate seeds.
Will Julia let herself fall into the sway of Ignazio's charms or will the terror of the monstrous garden be her downfall?
This was a unique take on the Hades and Persephone story. I enjoyed the author's vivid descriptions of the garden, the food, and art - though at times there seemed to be more exposition than character development. I was thoroughly invested in the overarching story and will definitely be picking up the Crystal King's other works, as her prose was vivid and delectable - she has an obvious passion for food, art, and history that is entirely engaging.
January 5, 2025
If I could draw one huge compliment and takeaway I grasped immediately after finishing this wonderful gothic fantasy novel. Was how incredibly well written, learned, researched, and expressed every major plot point in this remarkable and imaginative blend of history and mythology. I mean bringing in Salvador Dali and his wife Gala alone was intriguing, but to them literally use and reference major shocking and surprising factual portions of his life and works, the amazing castle setting ( that made me low key dream of exploring and getting lost into someday) that just oozed both magic and art. Then she goes and throws in such well described and divine sounded dishes page by page, that made me on more than one occasion need to reach for a snack of my own before continuing, all finally bundled up with honestly a worth while and profound ending that I happily couldn’t have guessed before she led me there. You have made a fan of me today, I look forward to reading your other back catalog hopefully in this new year. 4.25/5
August 16, 2024
Saying this book is surreal is a cop-out because what can you expect with a book that features Salvador Dali as one of the characters? But it is surreal in the most wonderful ways. This retelling of the story of the goddess of the underworld, Persephone, takes place in 1948 in the Garden of Monsters, which is a real locale in Italy. Julia, an art student, is hired for a ridiculous amount of money to model for Dali. They go off to Sacro Bosco where strange things happen. Julia is drawn to the house's host, but in a dangerous way. Lots of twists. Lots of hallucinogenic happenings. This gothic novel is beautifully and hauntingly written. And, as in all of King's books, there are ample descriptions of food. An incredibly inventive novel that I truly enjoyed.
February 11, 2024
gorgeously hallucinogenic and gorgeously... well, gorgeous. tyssm for the arc and i found this so unique and recommendable
September 8, 2024
In the Garden of Monsters had two of my very favorite things: Greek/Roman mythology and art. It's a reimagining of the Persephone and Hades myth (or Proserpina and Pluto) but also involves Salvador Dalí, which is something I would never have seen coming before reading this story. So how could I resist reading it? And as per usual with a Crystal King book there were lots of eloquent descriptions of the delicious food.
The story is set in 1948 in Italy and features Julia Lombardi who is a painter that supports herself by modeling. What nobody knows about her is that she has amnesia and no idea where she came from or how she came to live in Rome. When she receives an offer from no one other than Salvador Dalí, one of the biggest artists of the time, to model for him as the goddess Proserpina (also known as Persephone) she knows it's too good to turn down. And off they go to The Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo. Once there she meets their host, Ignazio and is strangely captivated by him. Who is he and why does his touch so bewitching to her?
Not gonna lie, this book was straight up weird. And not necessarily in a bad way as I did enjoy the story and the weirdness for sure fit in with it all. If I would describe it all I would call it a surrealist painting in the shape of a fictional story. The story was beautiful written, especially the descriptions of the bountiful food, which the author has a passion for. I also enjoyed learning about The Sacro Bosco aka the Garden of Bomarzo, which is a real place that I would love to visit someday.
Now the things I enjoyed less were the characters themselves and some choices that the author made towards the actual mythology. Firstly, the characters. I didn't actually like any of them. Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala, especially were the actual worst. I like Dalí's paintings but I don't know very much about his or Gala's life yet I feel like this story made them out to be worse than was necessary. I could be wrong, of course but the interactions between them and the other characters were overly dramatic. At first this was entertaining but started getting boring fairly quick. Also, the phrase Dalinian was used way too much in my opinion.
Now about Julia and Ignazio... I was never certain what to think about them. I had my suspicions about who Ignazio really was, which wasn't hard to figure out. Often times Julia was scared of him or scared to be alone with him so I thought he was going to be the villain of the story. I never found anything about them to be romantic. Honestly, it was all a bit messy. The real villain of the story ended up being someone I didn't expect or was in the story very much and it definitely changed the whole Hades-Persephone/Pluto-Proserpina myth. And I didn't like that at all. Which of course is a personaly thing and others might enjoy this twist.
In the Garden of Monsters was a different kind of mythology retelling. It didn't turn out quite as I expected or wanted and it wasn't my all time favorite story but it was a very quick read and I did enjoy the descriptions of food and landscape as well as the historical setting.
The story is set in 1948 in Italy and features Julia Lombardi who is a painter that supports herself by modeling. What nobody knows about her is that she has amnesia and no idea where she came from or how she came to live in Rome. When she receives an offer from no one other than Salvador Dalí, one of the biggest artists of the time, to model for him as the goddess Proserpina (also known as Persephone) she knows it's too good to turn down. And off they go to The Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo. Once there she meets their host, Ignazio and is strangely captivated by him. Who is he and why does his touch so bewitching to her?
Not gonna lie, this book was straight up weird. And not necessarily in a bad way as I did enjoy the story and the weirdness for sure fit in with it all. If I would describe it all I would call it a surrealist painting in the shape of a fictional story. The story was beautiful written, especially the descriptions of the bountiful food, which the author has a passion for. I also enjoyed learning about The Sacro Bosco aka the Garden of Bomarzo, which is a real place that I would love to visit someday.
Now the things I enjoyed less were the characters themselves and some choices that the author made towards the actual mythology. Firstly, the characters. I didn't actually like any of them. Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala, especially were the actual worst. I like Dalí's paintings but I don't know very much about his or Gala's life yet I feel like this story made them out to be worse than was necessary. I could be wrong, of course but the interactions between them and the other characters were overly dramatic. At first this was entertaining but started getting boring fairly quick. Also, the phrase Dalinian was used way too much in my opinion.
Now about Julia and Ignazio... I was never certain what to think about them. I had my suspicions about who Ignazio really was, which wasn't hard to figure out. Often times Julia was scared of him or scared to be alone with him so I thought he was going to be the villain of the story. I never found anything about them to be romantic. Honestly, it was all a bit messy. The real villain of the story ended up being someone I didn't expect or was in the story very much and it definitely changed the whole Hades-Persephone/Pluto-Proserpina myth. And I didn't like that at all. Which of course is a personaly thing and others might enjoy this twist.
In the Garden of Monsters was a different kind of mythology retelling. It didn't turn out quite as I expected or wanted and it wasn't my all time favorite story but it was a very quick read and I did enjoy the descriptions of food and landscape as well as the historical setting.
June 7, 2024
NetGalley gave me this book for free... but that doesn't mean I won't be honest.
Slow, repetitive, tedious...
The payoff isn't worth the time cost. I can usually finish a book in a night. This one took me a week. The characters gave me no incentive to come back to them. The one I should have connected with was entitled, boring, judgy, and whiny. You know things are bad when you say to yourself "Oh my gosh. I wish she had written a book about that maid. What's her deal?!" Basically I didn't care about any of these people enough to put this at the top of my little pile but when my pile was empty, I read it.
In the Garden of Monsters told me where it was going before chapter 6 and then just took its sweet time getting there. It revealed more about itself later and continued to drag and drag and drag. Soon, I was saying "Oh, another lavish dinner... Is Julia going to complain about pomegranates? Is Is Julia going to pout because Dali doesn't respect women as artists?"
Julia has friends who can drop their lives for her. Julia has all the guys vying for her. Later, the Julia who is scared for her life is the same Julia who says "Yeah I know they're abusing me but, gosh it's so much money!" Julia is gonna come out of this fine...
By the time the ultimate secrets were revealed I didn't care anymore and I just wanted it to be over. I was tempted to skip to the end. Why not? I knew who was going to die because the author told me... Over and over.
Foreshadowing. Pre foreshadowing. Pre-gaming the pre-fordshadowing. Why, though.
SJM ruined the surprise of the "Everyone is cursed and a dumb girl has to pass a ridiculous test to save us" trope when Feyre got the ultimate prize in a Beauty and the Beast retelling despite a profoundly illiterate Belle. Nothing shocks us anymore. We can see it coming...
Something took me out right at the beginning, and then really took me out at the end. How can a book could be so well researched and the author not know that the word "polyamorous" wasn't used until at earliest the1960s. Here's her character was using it in 1948.
Anyway, not my favorite, but not terrible. If you want to read another Persephone retelling, this is one. You could do worse.
Slow, repetitive, tedious...
The payoff isn't worth the time cost. I can usually finish a book in a night. This one took me a week. The characters gave me no incentive to come back to them. The one I should have connected with was entitled, boring, judgy, and whiny. You know things are bad when you say to yourself "Oh my gosh. I wish she had written a book about that maid. What's her deal?!" Basically I didn't care about any of these people enough to put this at the top of my little pile but when my pile was empty, I read it.
In the Garden of Monsters told me where it was going before chapter 6 and then just took its sweet time getting there. It revealed more about itself later and continued to drag and drag and drag. Soon, I was saying "Oh, another lavish dinner... Is Julia going to complain about pomegranates? Is Is Julia going to pout because Dali doesn't respect women as artists?"
Julia has friends who can drop their lives for her. Julia has all the guys vying for her. Later, the Julia who is scared for her life is the same Julia who says "Yeah I know they're abusing me but, gosh it's so much money!" Julia is gonna come out of this fine...
By the time the ultimate secrets were revealed I didn't care anymore and I just wanted it to be over. I was tempted to skip to the end. Why not? I knew who was going to die because the author told me... Over and over.
Foreshadowing. Pre foreshadowing. Pre-gaming the pre-fordshadowing. Why, though.
SJM ruined the surprise of the "Everyone is cursed and a dumb girl has to pass a ridiculous test to save us" trope when Feyre got the ultimate prize in a Beauty and the Beast retelling despite a profoundly illiterate Belle. Nothing shocks us anymore. We can see it coming...
Something took me out right at the beginning, and then really took me out at the end. How can a book could be so well researched and the author not know that the word "polyamorous" wasn't used until at earliest the1960s. Here's her character was using it in 1948.
Anyway, not my favorite, but not terrible. If you want to read another Persephone retelling, this is one. You could do worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
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 passsges describing the stone animals in Sacro Bosco, Italy’s garden of monsters, make for a very atmospheric setting! Gorgeous cover!
While the gothic retelling of myths is not my favorite type of story, this one is well written and has some interesting characters.
1948, Julia Lombardi is a young artist with amnesia. She takes a lucrative job to model for the famous artist Salvadore 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.
While the gothic retelling of myths is not my favorite type of story, this one is well written and has some interesting characters.
1948, Julia Lombardi is a young artist with amnesia. She takes a lucrative job to model for the famous artist Salvadore 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 entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
I wanted more, and not in the way that keeps you hanging. I wanted more secret passage ways, more mythology, more green glow… the cat was the most interesting character ok!?
September 25, 2024
What a gorgeous and Gothic like take on Hades and Persephone. There was such an edge to the writing that, at times, had me gasping like I was turning the pages of a thriller. There is definitely darkness to this retelling. The scorned lover. Ceres. Demeter. Instead of a mother as we knew her. Loved the Italian setting. All the intricate foods. The garden of monsters. This was pretty perfect.
I wish we'd seen more of Ignazio. I wanted to read Hades off of his character and I didn't quite get that.
I wish we'd seen more of Ignazio. I wanted to read Hades off of his character and I didn't quite get that.
January 11, 2025
I decided to pick up In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King based on the amazing cover not realizing I have read this author before. It turns out I read King’s The Chef's Secret back in 2021 and I really enjoyed it. I guess going into this one I didn’t realize it was a retelling steeped in history. Honestly, I don’t even know why this was a DNF other than possibly not being the right time for me. I wasn’t into the story at all even though there wasn’t anything wrong with it either. I didn’t love the romance piece and the stuff with the pomegranate seeds was just so bizarre.
I was listening to this on audio and liked Carlotta Brentan’s narration a lot, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep me going and I had to set this down. I might give this a shot at a later date and probably read the content at the back first (author’s note + a note about some of the history). I normally rate a DNF one star but considering I didn’t see anything actually wrong with it, I am putting a pin in this at a three.
I was listening to this on audio and liked Carlotta Brentan’s narration a lot, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep me going and I had to set this down. I might give this a shot at a later date and probably read the content at the back first (author’s note + a note about some of the history). I normally rate a DNF one star but considering I didn’t see anything actually wrong with it, I am putting a pin in this at a three.
September 15, 2024
A wonderful mix of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery!
"A woman with no past. A man who seems to know her. And a monstrous garden that could be the border between their worlds…"
Julia doesn't remember her past and when she is invited by Salvador Dali to model for him, it presents an opportunity to learn more about herself. She is his muse, his Persephone, in the Sacro Bosco—Italy’s Garden of Monsters (I fell down a wikipedia hole! this is a real place he painted at and even made a short film) but their host, Ignazio is dark, mysterious, and seems to know her.
I really enjoyed the totally different concept of this book! It was engaging and mysterious but also fantastical and romantic. Highly recommend to people who love Hades x Persephone stories, historical fiction, food, and art.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
"A woman with no past. A man who seems to know her. And a monstrous garden that could be the border between their worlds…"
Julia doesn't remember her past and when she is invited by Salvador Dali to model for him, it presents an opportunity to learn more about herself. She is his muse, his Persephone, in the Sacro Bosco—Italy’s Garden of Monsters (I fell down a wikipedia hole! this is a real place he painted at and even made a short film) but their host, Ignazio is dark, mysterious, and seems to know her.
I really enjoyed the totally different concept of this book! It was engaging and mysterious but also fantastical and romantic. Highly recommend to people who love Hades x Persephone stories, historical fiction, food, and art.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
September 20, 2024
Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.
No one should be surprised that I'm reading another hades and persephone retelling at this point. I will forever read them all any chance I take. I absolutely devoured this book in two days. I have read so many retellings of this couple, but this book was something different all together. What a fun and bizarre twist on the myth. Very surreal, but what else do you expect when the Salvador Dali is in it. I was just transported with the writing and how it enraptured me. These grand scenes of dinners and food made me hungry. Every spooky thing that was happening in this castle. The author just took this myth and couple that I love so much and wrote it from a different perspective and way of thinking. This has been one of my favorite retellings. There was so much that happened I loved it all. I definitely want to read some of her other works.
No one should be surprised that I'm reading another hades and persephone retelling at this point. I will forever read them all any chance I take. I absolutely devoured this book in two days. I have read so many retellings of this couple, but this book was something different all together. What a fun and bizarre twist on the myth. Very surreal, but what else do you expect when the Salvador Dali is in it. I was just transported with the writing and how it enraptured me. These grand scenes of dinners and food made me hungry. Every spooky thing that was happening in this castle. The author just took this myth and couple that I love so much and wrote it from a different perspective and way of thinking. This has been one of my favorite retellings. There was so much that happened I loved it all. I definitely want to read some of her other works.
March 13, 2024
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.
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.
May 9, 2024
Unique, atmospheric story. It has a very gripping way of pulling you in as a reader with suspense and engaging dialogue. It's a unique retelling of the Roman gods Proserpina (Persephone) and Pluto (Hades). The story has a very gothic, sinister vibe that keeps you wanting to know more of what's going on. It's very character driven and although there isn't much growth (timeline is very short) it shows the strong independent characters without being dull. Wonderful reading experience would totally recommend to anyone who loves Greek retellings of Hades and Persephone story.
Thank you NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest opinion
Thank you NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest opinion
July 8, 2025
This book actually defied my expectations. AND the author wrote it while going through treatment for breast cancer?????
I actually loved the myth intertwined with Dali here. It was bizarre, spooky and an epic page turner for me! Very gothic.
I actually loved the myth intertwined with Dali here. It was bizarre, spooky and an epic page turner for me! Very gothic.
January 15, 2025
I should have loved this Gothic novel set in Italy with the Spanish painter Dalí as a character and based on Greek mythology. This has "Donna" written all over it! She even includes passatelli (a Bacchiocchi family favorite!) as one of the many foods consumed in the novel. But, sadly, it just didn't come together for me and I probably would have rated it 2.5 stars but I appreciated the effort so rounded up.
March 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up!
I was excited to read this retelling of the Persephone/Demeter myth and it didn’t disappoint! I loved the setting and the dreamy quality of the narrative. I wasn’t so keen on some of the repetitive aspects of the story, and the amount of exposition near the end. I would have preferred more aspects of the relationship between Persephone/Demeter/Hades to be revealed through out the novel. That being said, this was an enjoyable read and I would love to read more by this author!
I was excited to read this retelling of the Persephone/Demeter myth and it didn’t disappoint! I loved the setting and the dreamy quality of the narrative. I wasn’t so keen on some of the repetitive aspects of the story, and the amount of exposition near the end. I would have preferred more aspects of the relationship between Persephone/Demeter/Hades to be revealed through out the novel. That being said, this was an enjoyable read and I would love to read more by this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2024
This book is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that will leave you mesmerized. It boasts a surrealistic vibe infused with elements of Greek mythology and enigmatic characters such as Salvador Dali and his wife, Gala. The book is so captivating that you won't be able to forget it easily. Once you're done reading, you'll be compelled to research all of the bizarre people and places that you've been introduced to.
Thanks to MIRA books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to MIRA books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2025
It feels like this book was written just for me.
✔️ Author is obsessed with the significance of food in its historical and cultural context
✔️ Author clealry loves art history and has interwoven that knowledge and passion inextricably from plot
✔️ Author became fixated on a real-life fantastical garden and used it not just as inspiration but as an actual setting for her book
✔️ Author absolutely douses this story with reincarnation and Greek and Roman mythology
✔️ Bonus points for cute guys, secret passageways, magic cats, and making me feel like I was in the room with Salvador Dalí
I've added her other two books to my TBR and also need her to write many, many more.
✔️ Author is obsessed with the significance of food in its historical and cultural context
✔️ Author clealry loves art history and has interwoven that knowledge and passion inextricably from plot
✔️ Author became fixated on a real-life fantastical garden and used it not just as inspiration but as an actual setting for her book
✔️ Author absolutely douses this story with reincarnation and Greek and Roman mythology
✔️ Bonus points for cute guys, secret passageways, magic cats, and making me feel like I was in the room with Salvador Dalí
I've added her other two books to my TBR and also need her to write many, many more.
June 22, 2024
Absolutely wild. This book has everything: mythology, surrealism, art, great writing, engaging story. Loved it
April 23, 2024
I'd like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book prior to release.
Hades and Persephone stories are interesting, especially stories which don't follow the original myth. In this case, the summary drew me in because you have a woman who has a strange background, foggy memories, and a creepy inkling over a man she may have met before. (We as readers know she is the reincarnation of Persephone, but we just don't know why or how. We also know our mysterious man is Hades, but we don't know if he has died or if he has remained Hades through hundreds of years.)
The story is this: girl offers to pose naked for Dali, to be his muse, for photos in a garden on an estate that is linked to that of Greek Mythology. He wants to focus on the Persephone tale, so for 75,000 dollars she will be his Persephone model. He brings along his wife, a camera / photographer and an American assistant (who is having a threesome? with Dali and his wife.)
Upon arriving at the estate, we meet our mysterious owner who is graciously letting them use his estate grounds as backdrop and inspiration for Dali. He also starts honing in on our female lead, making her try to eat Pomegranate seeds every night.
This is a gothic tale, where you should find a creepy angle to it all while you watch this story unfold. However, seeing that the author wrote two previous books about food... had no idea how much FOOD would be the focus. While 'pomegranates' and 'Italy' play a part in it all, naturally, food is there as a decoration of sorts (and to lean into spoiler territory, a main key into understanding what is going on in this estate with Hades and Persephone)... the story becomes nothing but food. I felt like at times I was watching / observing an article about food than a gothic tale.
When the story was not about food, the writing was ... well, bland and hollow. It consisted of moments where Dali would do something whiny and eccentric, followed by his wife oggling over the hired help and bitch slapping out FL, then, Julia wondering why she has sexual a sexual pull over a man she hardly knew. Variations of the same scene happened over, and over, AND OVER. In the original Beauty and the Beast novel, the Beast would ask Belle every night to marry him and there was always a no, but a subtle change to the no as to the inner or outer character development. Our Julia (FL's name) doesn't really have any character development. One can argue that she DOES have character development, she is trying to solve the mystery... the mystery that goes on far too long than it should and her actions and reactions repeat far too often.
I guess with the historical research I expected a prose / depth to match it. It is perhaps a story that MIGHT hit harder for those who will obsess over the historical references or look for hidden meaning beyond the Pomegranate and Dali's obsession with the garden. But as soon as we come to the crux / reveal of why things the way they are, gone was the tone... and there was a juvenile prose that attempted to get me to understand the meaning behind it all. Almost as if a mask was removed and the author's true writing came about.
I don't know. It's probably just me, since I'm the one who gave this two stars instead of 4 or 5. But, it's a shallow book that reads more like a historical tourism plug to go visit Italy than a fictional story about Greek gods.
Hades and Persephone stories are interesting, especially stories which don't follow the original myth. In this case, the summary drew me in because you have a woman who has a strange background, foggy memories, and a creepy inkling over a man she may have met before. (We as readers know she is the reincarnation of Persephone, but we just don't know why or how. We also know our mysterious man is Hades, but we don't know if he has died or if he has remained Hades through hundreds of years.)
The story is this: girl offers to pose naked for Dali, to be his muse, for photos in a garden on an estate that is linked to that of Greek Mythology. He wants to focus on the Persephone tale, so for 75,000 dollars she will be his Persephone model. He brings along his wife, a camera / photographer and an American assistant (who is having a threesome? with Dali and his wife.)
Upon arriving at the estate, we meet our mysterious owner who is graciously letting them use his estate grounds as backdrop and inspiration for Dali. He also starts honing in on our female lead, making her try to eat Pomegranate seeds every night.
This is a gothic tale, where you should find a creepy angle to it all while you watch this story unfold. However, seeing that the author wrote two previous books about food... had no idea how much FOOD would be the focus. While 'pomegranates' and 'Italy' play a part in it all, naturally, food is there as a decoration of sorts (and to lean into spoiler territory, a main key into understanding what is going on in this estate with Hades and Persephone)... the story becomes nothing but food. I felt like at times I was watching / observing an article about food than a gothic tale.
When the story was not about food, the writing was ... well, bland and hollow. It consisted of moments where Dali would do something whiny and eccentric, followed by his wife oggling over the hired help and bitch slapping out FL, then, Julia wondering why she has sexual a sexual pull over a man she hardly knew. Variations of the same scene happened over, and over, AND OVER. In the original Beauty and the Beast novel, the Beast would ask Belle every night to marry him and there was always a no, but a subtle change to the no as to the inner or outer character development. Our Julia (FL's name) doesn't really have any character development. One can argue that she DOES have character development, she is trying to solve the mystery... the mystery that goes on far too long than it should and her actions and reactions repeat far too often.
I guess with the historical research I expected a prose / depth to match it. It is perhaps a story that MIGHT hit harder for those who will obsess over the historical references or look for hidden meaning beyond the Pomegranate and Dali's obsession with the garden. But as soon as we come to the crux / reveal of why things the way they are, gone was the tone... and there was a juvenile prose that attempted to get me to understand the meaning behind it all. Almost as if a mask was removed and the author's true writing came about.
I don't know. It's probably just me, since I'm the one who gave this two stars instead of 4 or 5. But, it's a shallow book that reads more like a historical tourism plug to go visit Italy than a fictional story about Greek gods.
December 27, 2024
What a bizarre book. The story premise seemed so promising. But unfortunately it didn’t live up to it. I was continuously waiting for the story line to get good, but most of the book was huge descriptions of their meals and her posing for his paintings. The meat of the story line happened in the last 50 pages. Quite a disappointment unfortunately.
May 3, 2024
Wow. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect going in to this book. Mythology retelling are some of my favorites so I figured I’d give this a go. A twisting, turning, eerie, beautiful story. There were plenty of gothic horror vibes and sweeping story telling that ebbed and flowed to keep the reader engaged. At times you felt the tension and stress for Julia. Her feelings for Ignacio were almost palpable. But, let’s be honest, finally an author that gives us all the details of the food! Including links to recipes at the end.
There were times that I forgot the main story was set in the 1950s and it seemed more modern, but that didn’t distract from the overall enjoyment of the book. I will absolutely be reading more from Crystal King.
Thank you to Netgally and Crystal King for the opportunity for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
There were times that I forgot the main story was set in the 1950s and it seemed more modern, but that didn’t distract from the overall enjoyment of the book. I will absolutely be reading more from Crystal King.
Thank you to Netgally and Crystal King for the opportunity for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 1, 2024
I had the pleasure of getting to read this one early! Crystal King's IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS is a brilliant and original reimagining of an ancient story. In King's deft hands, the myth of Hades and Persephone becomes a sumptuously Gothic page-turner, at once as eerie as the Underworld and as surreal as a Dalí painting. One taste, and readers won't be able to leave this story until they have turned the final page.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews