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The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun
Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir and Rebecca Thorne, this joyful debut follows a gardener fighting to secure her dream job in the Divine Gardens―manipulating God, antagonizing her attractive rival, and running afoul of a brewing rebellion along the way.
Cyprin grows perfect apples.
No other worker tends the orchards like she can. Sick of living in a Jenga-esque megacity where she’s never alone (there’s always a rat), Cyprin dreams of a job in the Divine Gardens, tending to the plants overseen by God.
Her only way in is winning an annual flower pageant―one that’s been dominated by the Divine Gardens’ head gardener for five years running: an insufferable woman with an undeniable affinity for plants. When Cyprin plays dirty (criminally dirty) and wins, she jumps headfirst into life in the gardens and her rivalry with the head gardener, who she just can’t stop thinking about.
Pranks, backstabbing, and a lot of heated glaring unite them, until they’re both drawn into a plot to take down God―who’s really just some guy with a great garden. As they spiral through layers of the city’s history and underground rebel group, Cyprin and her rival will find they understand each other like no one else does, even if there can only be one head gardener in the end.
But rise or fall, at least Cyprin will always have the rats.
A chaotically queer exploration of love, ambition, and toxic work culture, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is a romp of a science fantasy that will leave you gasping for more.
Cyprin grows perfect apples.
No other worker tends the orchards like she can. Sick of living in a Jenga-esque megacity where she’s never alone (there’s always a rat), Cyprin dreams of a job in the Divine Gardens, tending to the plants overseen by God.
Her only way in is winning an annual flower pageant―one that’s been dominated by the Divine Gardens’ head gardener for five years running: an insufferable woman with an undeniable affinity for plants. When Cyprin plays dirty (criminally dirty) and wins, she jumps headfirst into life in the gardens and her rivalry with the head gardener, who she just can’t stop thinking about.
Pranks, backstabbing, and a lot of heated glaring unite them, until they’re both drawn into a plot to take down God―who’s really just some guy with a great garden. As they spiral through layers of the city’s history and underground rebel group, Cyprin and her rival will find they understand each other like no one else does, even if there can only be one head gardener in the end.
But rise or fall, at least Cyprin will always have the rats.
A chaotically queer exploration of love, ambition, and toxic work culture, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is a romp of a science fantasy that will leave you gasping for more.
11 pages, Audiobook
First published August 18, 2026
About the author
Eli Snow
1 book48 followersEli Snow (they/them) is a speculative fiction writer, editor, and former medical geneticist, based in rural Australia with their two cats.
Their work tends to center queer and neurodivergent characters, as these are the perspectives they experience the world from. When not reading or writing, they should be checked for signs of life.
Eli also writes YA Fantasy under the name Elias Cold. Their YA debut, The Duke Steals Hearts, is available now from Page Street Kids.
Their work tends to center queer and neurodivergent characters, as these are the perspectives they experience the world from. When not reading or writing, they should be checked for signs of life.
Eli also writes YA Fantasy under the name Elias Cold. Their YA debut, The Duke Steals Hearts, is available now from Page Street Kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
August 17, 2026
Guys, I love gay people. I love stories about gay people, and plant magic, and enemies to lovers. I'm also quite gay. But for some reason, I just could not get into this book, and I'm upset about it!!!
I loved the main characters: they're complete opposites and their banter is quick-witted and funny, but I found the world and plot to be underdeveloped and confusing. It felt like the story did not truly begin until the 50% mark but by then, I had lost interest. The romance also read strange to me; Purcell and Cyprin would be thinking about how much they hate each other but then suddenly be like "wait, she's actually really hot," so the relationship came across as a little too "insta-lovey" and heavy-handed.
Publishing, I know that I wrote a pretty negative review but please publish more books about gay people having magical romps and falling in love in nature worlds!!!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!
I loved the main characters: they're complete opposites and their banter is quick-witted and funny, but I found the world and plot to be underdeveloped and confusing. It felt like the story did not truly begin until the 50% mark but by then, I had lost interest. The romance also read strange to me; Purcell and Cyprin would be thinking about how much they hate each other but then suddenly be like "wait, she's actually really hot," so the relationship came across as a little too "insta-lovey" and heavy-handed.
Publishing, I know that I wrote a pretty negative review but please publish more books about gay people having magical romps and falling in love in nature worlds!!!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!
November 28, 2025
I received an ARC of this book and didn’t know what to expect. I found it to be quite enjoyable. The rivalry between Cyprin and Purcell was fun. The magical world was different from what I have read before. I would recommend trying out this book.
December 2, 2025
If you love gardening (or even if you don't)...you'll love this romp! ;)
Eli Snow writes with hilarity, wit and wisdom...and her writing is just superb!
If you want one hell of a fun read...and get a great understanding of gardening...here you go!
Highly Recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is a sci-fi dystopian love story. I was immediately pulled in by the title and the concept of the gardener.
I am currently struggling with a nasty cold so I might not have had the full patience required to map out this world. However, I still found the story quite difficult to follow. I want to give kudos to the author for making plants and their properties the mainstay of the plot. The concept felt truly novel and that is reflected in my rating.
Unfortunately the rest of the book did not work for me. The story starts as if the reader already knows the inner workings of the world. It felt disjointed and clunky. I really wish I could have liked this one more.
Thank you to Saturday Books and St. Martin's Press for the copy.
I am currently struggling with a nasty cold so I might not have had the full patience required to map out this world. However, I still found the story quite difficult to follow. I want to give kudos to the author for making plants and their properties the mainstay of the plot. The concept felt truly novel and that is reflected in my rating.
Unfortunately the rest of the book did not work for me. The story starts as if the reader already knows the inner workings of the world. It felt disjointed and clunky. I really wish I could have liked this one more.
Thank you to Saturday Books and St. Martin's Press for the copy.
August 25, 2026
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is exactly the kind of wonderfully strange book that is equal parts quirky, cozy, and thought-provoking. The humor and absurdity early on made the more serious moments hit even harder, while specific throwback references to our own world made the futuristic setting feel oddly recognizable. Beneath all the weirdness is a story with a lot to say about society, progress, and what it really means to build something better.
Cyprin and Purcell both have plenty of baggage behind their actions and their pasts have heavily shaped the women they've become. Cyprin is cocky, stubborn, and fueled by a rooted need for revenge and plenty of unresolved anger. Purcell is sweet, determined, independent, and infuriatingly adorable, with her sights set on proving she’s still the best gardener in the Divine Gardens. Their histories are just as complicated as they are and their motivations run much deeper than they first appear.
Cyprin and Purcell’s dynamic is where so much of the book’s humor comes through. Seeing them constantly poke at each other, challenge each other, and try to one-up the other was so entertaining. Neither of them wants to be the first to cave and admit their feelings for the other resulting in an angsty, teasing slow burn. The romance is more like a thread woven through the larger story as their rivalry slowly starts to shift into an alliance—and eventually something more—neither expected.
The dystopian plot weaves together some really interesting ideas, particularly the story’s take on God and the Divine itself. What initially appears to be a celestial Eden reserved for the chosen gradually becomes something much less straightforward. The city’s literal construction reflects the larger issues within its society, with generation after generation continuing to build on top of the rubble of what failed instead of clearing it away to create something better. That idea carries throughout the story as the characters begin challenging what they’ve always known and working toward a future built on collaboration rather than continuing the cycle of destruction, erasure, and rebuilding.
The dual narration was such a great fit for these characters. Jess Nahikian gives Cyprin a gritty, sultry voice that matches her sharp edges, stubbornness, and underlying vulnerability. Ellie Gossage brings Purcell a sweeter, lighter, more optimistic tone that fits her warmth and determination. Both performances feel authentic to the women they’re portraying, and I loved how naturally each narrator settled into their respective character’s personality while still making the two voices distinct from one another.
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is clever, heartfelt, and completely unapologetic about being a little unhinged, with a surprisingly thoughtful message underneath all that chaos. Those ideas extend beyond the society Cyprin and Purcell are trying to change and are reflected in the ways they both have to question what they thought they knew and what they thought they wanted. It’s a story about breaking cycles, challenging assumptions, and choosing to build something better together, giving all the wonderfully strange chaos a surprisingly powerful purpose.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ALC!
Favorite Quotes:
"Each generation standing on the backs of successive generations sounded impressive until you realized everyone composted together and no one made it out of the dirt."
"None of us will ever make it out of the bucket if the rest always pull them back down."
"She was imagining the glorious power of erasing everything off the face of the map and starting from scratch. The only way to truly make life fair."
"She was thoroughly enjoying this—but also was deflecting to humor. Making fun of someone else’s feelings was a defense mechanism. If everyone was laughing their feelings off all the time, there’d be no more acute disappointments."
"You started at the top of the staircase and you think just because the steps look the same, it's no big deal for people that have to start from the bottom."
"[She] pushed her and challenged her. She saw her—all the pain and aspirations, the raw meat of her—and she had liked her despite all of this. That was something worth fighting for."
"The problem with being too radical was you forgot about people and started to love ideals. Ideals could never love you back."
"We don't 'believe in,' we allow for the 'possibility of'."
Cyprin and Purcell both have plenty of baggage behind their actions and their pasts have heavily shaped the women they've become. Cyprin is cocky, stubborn, and fueled by a rooted need for revenge and plenty of unresolved anger. Purcell is sweet, determined, independent, and infuriatingly adorable, with her sights set on proving she’s still the best gardener in the Divine Gardens. Their histories are just as complicated as they are and their motivations run much deeper than they first appear.
Cyprin and Purcell’s dynamic is where so much of the book’s humor comes through. Seeing them constantly poke at each other, challenge each other, and try to one-up the other was so entertaining. Neither of them wants to be the first to cave and admit their feelings for the other resulting in an angsty, teasing slow burn. The romance is more like a thread woven through the larger story as their rivalry slowly starts to shift into an alliance—and eventually something more—neither expected.
The dystopian plot weaves together some really interesting ideas, particularly the story’s take on God and the Divine itself. What initially appears to be a celestial Eden reserved for the chosen gradually becomes something much less straightforward. The city’s literal construction reflects the larger issues within its society, with generation after generation continuing to build on top of the rubble of what failed instead of clearing it away to create something better. That idea carries throughout the story as the characters begin challenging what they’ve always known and working toward a future built on collaboration rather than continuing the cycle of destruction, erasure, and rebuilding.
The dual narration was such a great fit for these characters. Jess Nahikian gives Cyprin a gritty, sultry voice that matches her sharp edges, stubbornness, and underlying vulnerability. Ellie Gossage brings Purcell a sweeter, lighter, more optimistic tone that fits her warmth and determination. Both performances feel authentic to the women they’re portraying, and I loved how naturally each narrator settled into their respective character’s personality while still making the two voices distinct from one another.
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is clever, heartfelt, and completely unapologetic about being a little unhinged, with a surprisingly thoughtful message underneath all that chaos. Those ideas extend beyond the society Cyprin and Purcell are trying to change and are reflected in the ways they both have to question what they thought they knew and what they thought they wanted. It’s a story about breaking cycles, challenging assumptions, and choosing to build something better together, giving all the wonderfully strange chaos a surprisingly powerful purpose.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ALC!
Favorite Quotes:
"Each generation standing on the backs of successive generations sounded impressive until you realized everyone composted together and no one made it out of the dirt."
"None of us will ever make it out of the bucket if the rest always pull them back down."
"She was imagining the glorious power of erasing everything off the face of the map and starting from scratch. The only way to truly make life fair."
"She was thoroughly enjoying this—but also was deflecting to humor. Making fun of someone else’s feelings was a defense mechanism. If everyone was laughing their feelings off all the time, there’d be no more acute disappointments."
"You started at the top of the staircase and you think just because the steps look the same, it's no big deal for people that have to start from the bottom."
"[She] pushed her and challenged her. She saw her—all the pain and aspirations, the raw meat of her—and she had liked her despite all of this. That was something worth fighting for."
"The problem with being too radical was you forgot about people and started to love ideals. Ideals could never love you back."
"We don't 'believe in,' we allow for the 'possibility of'."
August 21, 2026
This was so close to being 5 stars but that last third or so didn't quite stick the landing. Don't get me wrong - still a very good read, but ahhhhh if it just had a little bit more work done it could have really been great! One thing's for sure now - I am so excited to see what this author cooks up next after this debut.
The Divine Gardener's Handbook is set in a future where a densely packed city is overseen by a picturesque garden that exists to serve God, the Divine responsible for the sun rising and falling and all of the life it supports. Our main characters are Cyprin, who cheats her way into a position at the Divine Garden as part of a two-pronged revenge scheme against the man who abandoned her as a child and the Gardener who challenged her during her failed interview, and Purcell, the self-same Gardener who has just been appointed as Head, discovering that God is not quite who she expects. As the rivalry between the women escalates and the time for God to be "renewed" into a youth again approaches, the secrets of the Garden, its lies, and the city it supports are exposed.
Before I get any further, I want to make a criticism on the marketing of this book that will not affect my rating. I don't like holding authors accountable for these choices since they're rarely their own (except in the case of indies, but hmmm interestingly, you don't see this particular issue as much in marketing for indies), but this is the second book in a row I've read with a misleading tagline or subtitle. I commented on this already, but for anyone perusing reviews: the subtitle to this book does not become relevant until the final third of the book. As I explained in the original comment, I have nothing against dramatic irony, but in this case, the inclusion of the "Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun" implies that the book is about that "what to do." It's not. It's more about the lead up to the incident than anything else, and as I'll discuss later, I do think the "what to do" portion is the weakest section of the book. And the "girlfriend" thing comes even later than that. I can see this discrepancy between marketing and contents causing frustration with some readers, and unfortunately, I expect it will affect the ratings on this book even though there's a strong chance that this was not Snow's decision. So this is your warning if you haven't read it yet to please adjust those expectations.
To comment on the book itself, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is so much fun, defined by uniquely voiced POV characters and a truly one-of-a-kind concept. Cyprin and Purcell are such unapologetic gremlins in their own way, and watching them interact with and try to one-up each other is so very delightful. I have never read characters who are not explicitly stated to be neurodivergent who come of as relatably and organically neurodivergent as these two. Are they a little annoying at times? Yes, and I love that and can acknowledge that I also get a little annoying if you catch me in a specific mood or challenge me on specific topics. Let them be annoying! They deserve it! It's fun!
Also, I've commented on this already, but I do quite enjoy stories where God is just Some Guy™️. Honestly, shoutout to God, his trashy novels, his occasional overindulgence in alcohol, his desire to be loved, and his own specific brand of gremlin energy. (Because Snow really sat down and said, "I'm going to write a book with only the most trouble-seeking POV characters in the world." And they were so right.)
In terms of the secrets that our characters learn, and what that exposes about the worldbuilding.... Ohhhh, it's so interesting but nearly impossible to discuss anything besides the obvious without getting into late book spoilers! The way that was wonderfully seeded by repeated parallels the narrative drew was utterly exquisite. As for the city's history and the origin of the Gardens, I'm shocked how thoroughly I buy the explanation of , considering that I find that conclusion was significantly less well-seeded. And the fact that the solution to that was really, really works for me.
To revisit what I indicated about a portion of the ending being poorly seeded, particularly the background of and resolution to the more tangible plot of this novel... Despite feeling like the presented solution made a lot of sense within the context of the story, it was written in a way that it felt like the solution was being explained to us in a single go rather than organically uncovered by the characters. There were some elements that were hinted at, but nowhere near with the level of grace and skill as most of the story's other revelations. To that end, despite the resolution feeling fitting, it didn't land as wonderfully as it could have. It's a shame, because I think with just a few more revisions of the last third or quarter of the novel, it could have easily been there.
To name a read-alike for this book: if you enjoy The Locked Tomb series, particularly Nona the Ninth, I'd give this a try. The plotlines are dissimilar in most ways, but the story deals with some similar theme and the narration and knowledge level of the characters is evocative of Nona. Also, I do think Snow will end up resolving into a similar storytelling style as Tamsyn Muir if they keep publishing after this debut, with genre-bending worlds and out-of-the loop characters that refuse to explain themselves to the readers. Yes, there was a bit of a fumble at the end, but for the most part, this novel followed a similar trajectory, I had a lot of fun, and I have very high hopes for this author's future!
Absolutely give this one a shot!
The Divine Gardener's Handbook is set in a future where a densely packed city is overseen by a picturesque garden that exists to serve God, the Divine responsible for the sun rising and falling and all of the life it supports. Our main characters are Cyprin, who cheats her way into a position at the Divine Garden as part of a two-pronged revenge scheme against the man who abandoned her as a child and the Gardener who challenged her during her failed interview, and Purcell, the self-same Gardener who has just been appointed as Head, discovering that God is not quite who she expects. As the rivalry between the women escalates and the time for God to be "renewed" into a youth again approaches, the secrets of the Garden, its lies, and the city it supports are exposed.
Before I get any further, I want to make a criticism on the marketing of this book that will not affect my rating. I don't like holding authors accountable for these choices since they're rarely their own (except in the case of indies, but hmmm interestingly, you don't see this particular issue as much in marketing for indies), but this is the second book in a row I've read with a misleading tagline or subtitle. I commented on this already, but for anyone perusing reviews: the subtitle to this book does not become relevant until the final third of the book. As I explained in the original comment, I have nothing against dramatic irony, but in this case, the inclusion of the "Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun" implies that the book is about that "what to do." It's not. It's more about the lead up to the incident than anything else, and as I'll discuss later, I do think the "what to do" portion is the weakest section of the book. And the "girlfriend" thing comes even later than that. I can see this discrepancy between marketing and contents causing frustration with some readers, and unfortunately, I expect it will affect the ratings on this book even though there's a strong chance that this was not Snow's decision. So this is your warning if you haven't read it yet to please adjust those expectations.
To comment on the book itself, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is so much fun, defined by uniquely voiced POV characters and a truly one-of-a-kind concept. Cyprin and Purcell are such unapologetic gremlins in their own way, and watching them interact with and try to one-up each other is so very delightful. I have never read characters who are not explicitly stated to be neurodivergent who come of as relatably and organically neurodivergent as these two. Are they a little annoying at times? Yes, and I love that and can acknowledge that I also get a little annoying if you catch me in a specific mood or challenge me on specific topics. Let them be annoying! They deserve it! It's fun!
Also, I've commented on this already, but I do quite enjoy stories where God is just Some Guy™️. Honestly, shoutout to God, his trashy novels, his occasional overindulgence in alcohol, his desire to be loved, and his own specific brand of gremlin energy. (Because Snow really sat down and said, "I'm going to write a book with only the most trouble-seeking POV characters in the world." And they were so right.)
In terms of the secrets that our characters learn, and what that exposes about the worldbuilding.... Ohhhh, it's so interesting but nearly impossible to discuss anything besides the obvious without getting into late book spoilers! The way that was wonderfully seeded by repeated parallels the narrative drew was utterly exquisite. As for the city's history and the origin of the Gardens, I'm shocked how thoroughly I buy the explanation of , considering that I find that conclusion was significantly less well-seeded. And the fact that the solution to that was really, really works for me.
To revisit what I indicated about a portion of the ending being poorly seeded, particularly the background of and resolution to the more tangible plot of this novel... Despite feeling like the presented solution made a lot of sense within the context of the story, it was written in a way that it felt like the solution was being explained to us in a single go rather than organically uncovered by the characters. There were some elements that were hinted at, but nowhere near with the level of grace and skill as most of the story's other revelations. To that end, despite the resolution feeling fitting, it didn't land as wonderfully as it could have. It's a shame, because I think with just a few more revisions of the last third or quarter of the novel, it could have easily been there.
To name a read-alike for this book: if you enjoy The Locked Tomb series, particularly Nona the Ninth, I'd give this a try. The plotlines are dissimilar in most ways, but the story deals with some similar theme and the narration and knowledge level of the characters is evocative of Nona. Also, I do think Snow will end up resolving into a similar storytelling style as Tamsyn Muir if they keep publishing after this debut, with genre-bending worlds and out-of-the loop characters that refuse to explain themselves to the readers. Yes, there was a bit of a fumble at the end, but for the most part, this novel followed a similar trajectory, I had a lot of fun, and I have very high hopes for this author's future!
Absolutely give this one a shot!
June 30, 2026
This was a combo of too quirky and too cozy for me.
I was eager to read this because it was marketed as a book for those who love Rebecca Thorne (which I do heavily).
Plot:
How do I describe this? It was weird chaos. Okay, I try. Cyprin wants to escape her humdrum life for a chance to be the divine Gardner for god. She enters a flower pageant, historically won by Purcell, and plays dirty to secure her victory. They have a rivalry that slowly becomes a romance and they also team up to usurp God.
Thoughts:
Expanding on what I said above, this was chaos to me. Not only was the story one that I was uninterested in, but the relationships of the characters felt forced? Anytime romance was brought up, it didn’t feel necessary.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the alc and arc in exchange for my honest review.
I was eager to read this because it was marketed as a book for those who love Rebecca Thorne (which I do heavily).
Plot:
How do I describe this? It was weird chaos. Okay, I try. Cyprin wants to escape her humdrum life for a chance to be the divine Gardner for god. She enters a flower pageant, historically won by Purcell, and plays dirty to secure her victory. They have a rivalry that slowly becomes a romance and they also team up to usurp God.
Thoughts:
Expanding on what I said above, this was chaos to me. Not only was the story one that I was uninterested in, but the relationships of the characters felt forced? Anytime romance was brought up, it didn’t feel necessary.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the alc and arc in exchange for my honest review.
September 23, 2025
Sorprendentemente, devo dire che mi è piaciuto molto! Molto lontano dai sotto generi a cui sono abituata, ma l'autrice ha saputo caratterizzare bene ogni singolo personaggio presentato e il messaggio morale dietro al romanzo fa riflettere molto su ciò che sta accadendo oggi, nonostante tutti gli errori commessi più e più volte.
Giudizio positivo!
Giudizio positivo!
August 23, 2026
This is such a good book!!! ...As of about 65% in.
The first half is such an unfortunate bore, considering the second half is so good I couldn't put it down until I finished at 4:30am.
I had anticipated, in thanks to the title, that the MCs would be, y'know, girlfriends. I was wrong. They aren't girlfriends until the last few pages, and conversely spend a solid 70% of the book hating one another. Look; I love enemies to lovers just as much are the next guy, but this was a bit much, considering there wasn't even anything going on in the plot.
It certainly wasn't helped by the fact that, for the first 53% of the book, the two only see one another in the occasional passing; nor that they spend another very large chunk of the second half separated again. Thankfully, by that point, the plot has sped up, the stakes are dramatic, and the setting becomes so interesting it feels criminal to have left it untouched for so long.
The characters themselves are interesting and likeable, with Cyprell in particular feeling blessedly fleshed out and real. The narrators are well chosen and the voice acting is great.
Honestly, this book has soooo much potential to be the read of the season, but it wastes too much time meandering around establishing characters and living out a secondary, uninteresting plot with an abrupt, dramatic end. The second half is absolutely incredible, bumping it up to a 4 star that I wish I could give a 5 star to; but I can't ignore the absolute drag of the first half of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.
The first half is such an unfortunate bore, considering the second half is so good I couldn't put it down until I finished at 4:30am.
I had anticipated, in thanks to the title, that the MCs would be, y'know, girlfriends. I was wrong. They aren't girlfriends until the last few pages, and conversely spend a solid 70% of the book hating one another. Look; I love enemies to lovers just as much are the next guy, but this was a bit much, considering there wasn't even anything going on in the plot.
It certainly wasn't helped by the fact that, for the first 53% of the book, the two only see one another in the occasional passing; nor that they spend another very large chunk of the second half separated again. Thankfully, by that point, the plot has sped up, the stakes are dramatic, and the setting becomes so interesting it feels criminal to have left it untouched for so long.
The characters themselves are interesting and likeable, with Cyprell in particular feeling blessedly fleshed out and real. The narrators are well chosen and the voice acting is great.
Honestly, this book has soooo much potential to be the read of the season, but it wastes too much time meandering around establishing characters and living out a secondary, uninteresting plot with an abrupt, dramatic end. The second half is absolutely incredible, bumping it up to a 4 star that I wish I could give a 5 star to; but I can't ignore the absolute drag of the first half of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.
May 28, 2026
4.25⭐️ Cyprin lives in a dystopian future, one where she is part of a trodden-on class who lives in a crowded, dirty city while an upper class of people, Gardeners, live in a lush oasis cultivating a beautiful garden for the Divine Being. When an opportunity arises for Cyprin to change her circumstances (and get revenge on an old enemy in the process) she will stop at nothing to get her way. That is until the Head Gardener, infuriatingly adorable Purcell with a secret of her own, starts to complicate matters.
This book was refreshingly original and the perfect amount of bitter to sweet. Both main characters felt fully fleshed out and had plenty of character flaws and growth. The magic/sci-fi of the world was a little looser than I would have preferred, and there were quite a few awkwardly written scenes. But on the whole I greatly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes sapphic romance and sci-fi
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
This book was refreshingly original and the perfect amount of bitter to sweet. Both main characters felt fully fleshed out and had plenty of character flaws and growth. The magic/sci-fi of the world was a little looser than I would have preferred, and there were quite a few awkwardly written scenes. But on the whole I greatly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes sapphic romance and sci-fi
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
July 12, 2026
Thank you Macmillan audio for the ALC! This was unfortunately not for me. I really struggled with the narrators and the story premise. I followed along with our two man characters and was excited for a cozy queer fantasy book, but then some of the plot points got a bit weird and I was so confused and felt like things didn’t make any sense. I’m still a bit confused by the AI plot point and I just am not sure if besides all the funny lines I ever felt connected to the book!
Did Not Finish
August 21, 2026DNF at 30%. This was just too unserious to me and the writing style was overly silly and over the top. There wasn't ANY worldbuilding, which is a shame, because this seemed like such a unique world. There's little to no romantic chemistry and it seemed like it was going down the path of insta-love/insta-lust, which isn't for me.
Thank you to Saturday Books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review!
Thank you to Saturday Books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review!
August 23, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a digital and audio ARC of this title.
This is one of those times the cover got me. I really thought I would enjoy this book, but it just didn't keep my attention. There was too much going on. And the "romance" was kind of cringy.
I think the author had great ideas, and the writing style itself wasn't bad, but the author may need to reign themselves in with the next book and stick to just a few ideas.
This is one of those times the cover got me. I really thought I would enjoy this book, but it just didn't keep my attention. There was too much going on. And the "romance" was kind of cringy.
I think the author had great ideas, and the writing style itself wasn't bad, but the author may need to reign themselves in with the next book and stick to just a few ideas.
June 9, 2026
This was a book I was excited for but ended up disappointed. The summary made it sound like cozy fantasy vibes but what you get is dystopian sci-fi/fantasy mix. That in and of itself is a bit of a switch up but I could have liked that if it was the only thing.
The romance plot left a lot to be desired unfortunately. The main characters, Cyprin and Purcell, are generally unlikable throughout the book with little redeeming qualities, though I will say both characters are unlikable in vastly different ways. This I could live with if there was something else going for them like a good romance or redemption plot but I was left wanting for both.
The subtitle of the book (or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun) is very misleading because it implies the MCs are together or together early in the book. What you actually get is a enemies to lovers romance with no romantic chemistry between the leads. It was very instalust/love but there was literally nothing backing it up, especially for the love portion. I could have been happy if it ended with them being friends or even just working together but the romance felt super forced with no chemistry or connection to back it up.
The overall plot sounds interesting but was unfortunately not well executed. More world building in the first quarter of the book could have been done to help build a solid foundation for this book. Unfortunately I was left feeling like I was missing something throughout a lot of the book in regard to the world. Some of the plot points were rushed through or just unfinished by the end of the book. The pacing was also all over the place and it was very hard to figure out where you were in the timeline.
For me the narration was hit and miss. I didn’t like the narrator for Cyprin but did like Purcell’s. However I’ve definitely seen reviews that said they like both narrators so it’s very dependent on your tastes. I would definitely listen to a sample before deciding if you want to pick it up as an audiobook.
Thank you to the NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The romance plot left a lot to be desired unfortunately. The main characters, Cyprin and Purcell, are generally unlikable throughout the book with little redeeming qualities, though I will say both characters are unlikable in vastly different ways. This I could live with if there was something else going for them like a good romance or redemption plot but I was left wanting for both.
The subtitle of the book (or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun) is very misleading because it implies the MCs are together or together early in the book. What you actually get is a enemies to lovers romance with no romantic chemistry between the leads. It was very instalust/love but there was literally nothing backing it up, especially for the love portion. I could have been happy if it ended with them being friends or even just working together but the romance felt super forced with no chemistry or connection to back it up.
The overall plot sounds interesting but was unfortunately not well executed. More world building in the first quarter of the book could have been done to help build a solid foundation for this book. Unfortunately I was left feeling like I was missing something throughout a lot of the book in regard to the world. Some of the plot points were rushed through or just unfinished by the end of the book. The pacing was also all over the place and it was very hard to figure out where you were in the timeline.
For me the narration was hit and miss. I didn’t like the narrator for Cyprin but did like Purcell’s. However I’ve definitely seen reviews that said they like both narrators so it’s very dependent on your tastes. I would definitely listen to a sample before deciding if you want to pick it up as an audiobook.
Thank you to the NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
The prose is too clunky for me, and too often there were images that I couldn’t make any sense of. Please bear in mind that I’m quoting from the advanced reader copy, so there’s no telling what might change between what I read and the final version. Typos and things are often caught and removed before a book’s release day.
What does ‘mushroomy’ mean? You’ve already used ‘bioluminescent’, which makes ‘mushroomy’ a separate descriptor – this phrasing does not imply bioluminescent mushrooms, which would make sense. So if we’re not talking about bioluminescent mushrooms, how is a glow ‘mushroomy’?
When Cyprin pictures the Gardens being full of carbon-copies of this person she doesn’t like, we get this line
I have no idea what this means, and I say that as someone comfortable with how Tumblr warps language.
Don’t know what this means either. Is it winding like knocked the wind out of her? Or winding like twisting? Neither makes sense to me.
Hilarious image, I love it, but the chunk of sentence after the last comma is way too long. Needs more commas or rephrasing.
That ‘does’ pings as wrong to me. Shouldn’t it be ‘did’?
Awkward phrasing. Just removing the ‘doing’ at the end would help a lot.
That is an incredible comeback, especially given who’s saying it! But shouldn’t it be ‘me neither’, not ‘me too’?
Except we’re not talking about a liquid, so this makes no sense?
Velvet doesn’t sparkle.
Awkward phrasing.
I don’t think stifling is a verb, so I’m not sure what’s going on here.
This is all without going into how Cyprin’s reasoning for a) taking part in the flower show and b) her strategy for winning make no sense. Her reasoning is ridiculous, to put it mildly. And the jumps in reasoning from point A to point Q happen constantly, like Purcell’s reasoning for not telling anyone she can talk to plants because someday she will Fail At Life. What??? I need you to explain how we got from one thing to the other!
This reads like something trying to be bonkers for the sake of it rather than something that is, naturally and objectively, bonkers. The jokes either make no sense or are very weak (like the attempt at poking fun at Purcell because…she’s using manure as fertiliser? How exactly is that funny? She’s a gardener, it’s a very basic thing for a gardener to do, isn’t it? Calling it poo rather than fertiliser doesn’t make it funny). It’s entirely possible than there will be shocking revelations about the worldbuilding later, but from what I read there’s nothing too unusual about the setting if this isn’t your first SFF novel, so the attempts at Being Weird felt very forced, not justified by the premise or the characters.
Really disappointed, but this one’s definitely not for me.
The prose is too clunky for me, and too often there were images that I couldn’t make any sense of. Please bear in mind that I’m quoting from the advanced reader copy, so there’s no telling what might change between what I read and the final version. Typos and things are often caught and removed before a book’s release day.
The bioluminescent mushroomy glow of a headlamp
What does ‘mushroomy’ mean? You’ve already used ‘bioluminescent’, which makes ‘mushroomy’ a separate descriptor – this phrasing does not imply bioluminescent mushrooms, which would make sense. So if we’re not talking about bioluminescent mushrooms, how is a glow ‘mushroomy’?
When Cyprin pictures the Gardens being full of carbon-copies of this person she doesn’t like, we get this line
Cyprin pictured them as little marshmallows she would pop in her month one by one until she was sick.
I have no idea what this means, and I say that as someone comfortable with how Tumblr warps language.
Purcell gasped and stepped back, winding herself on the wall.
Don’t know what this means either. Is it winding like knocked the wind out of her? Or winding like twisting? Neither makes sense to me.
Purcell edged closer, her fingertips on the tools in her pockets, ready to quick-draw her pliers gunslinger-style in case he tried any plant-god nonsense like in the stories where he became a golden shower and harassed some poor girl.
Hilarious image, I love it, but the chunk of sentence after the last comma is way too long. Needs more commas or rephrasing.
Her home needed mood lighting, the way a good soap opera does.
That ‘does’ pings as wrong to me. Shouldn’t it be ‘did’?
Amanda let herself in and started nosing around the apartment, the way only a person who’d known Purcell from childhood could get away with doing.
Awkward phrasing. Just removing the ‘doing’ at the end would help a lot.
“Right. I’m not in the mood for games.” Cyprin stood up and brushed the crinkles out of her knees, reading to leave.
“Me too, but no one seems to ever let me off the board.”
That is an incredible comeback, especially given who’s saying it! But shouldn’t it be ‘me neither’, not ‘me too’?
the spirit of blood and rubies distilled
Except we’re not talking about a liquid, so this makes no sense?
petals so lush and hydrated they sparkled like velvet in the sun.
Velvet doesn’t sparkle.
He sounded like he was trying to be jokey and put her at ease, but the words rubbed salt into all Cyprin’s psychological wounds.
Awkward phrasing.
Then the day recommenced stifling.
I don’t think stifling is a verb, so I’m not sure what’s going on here.
This is all without going into how Cyprin’s reasoning for a) taking part in the flower show and b) her strategy for winning make no sense. Her reasoning is ridiculous, to put it mildly. And the jumps in reasoning from point A to point Q happen constantly, like Purcell’s reasoning for not telling anyone she can talk to plants because someday she will Fail At Life. What??? I need you to explain how we got from one thing to the other!
This reads like something trying to be bonkers for the sake of it rather than something that is, naturally and objectively, bonkers. The jokes either make no sense or are very weak (like the attempt at poking fun at Purcell because…she’s using manure as fertiliser? How exactly is that funny? She’s a gardener, it’s a very basic thing for a gardener to do, isn’t it? Calling it poo rather than fertiliser doesn’t make it funny). It’s entirely possible than there will be shocking revelations about the worldbuilding later, but from what I read there’s nothing too unusual about the setting if this isn’t your first SFF novel, so the attempts at Being Weird felt very forced, not justified by the premise or the characters.
Really disappointed, but this one’s definitely not for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh, how I wanted to love this one. The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun unfortunately fell flat for me. I didn't really connect with it, it didn't really grasp me like I want my books to do, and it ultimately wasn't for me (or maybe I wasn't the right audience for this one).
I was psyched for the queer cozy romantasy/sci-fi vibes promised in the synopsis, but instead I got a strange, dissatisfying amalgamation of fantasy botanical horror-esque sci-fi with an unconvincing romance, AI/Bots, genetic mutations, and magic. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all of these aspects individually, I just don't think they worked well together here and that there was far too much going on. At about an hour left in the audiobook and 5-ish minutes remaining in the chapter I was up to, it felt like the story could have been ending in a ridiculously dissatisfying/not what I was expecting and very confusing manner. Like there's so much happening, but not enough? Like the characters are flat and the world building is more implied than shown.
Sometimes being in a characters head was confusing; I as a reader/listener knew what was happening, but the character was trying to convince themself (and us) that another thing was happening, but their delusion was convoluted and forced. There are other things that happen with characters in the plot that I just don't understand and are probably unnecessary, but were how the author got from Point A to Point B. There were two characters that were looped into something else later in the plot that I found strange. Like I understood the reason it was happening, why the author did it that way, but I couldn't connect why the character themself would have done it.
I could not for the life of me find the chemistry between Cyprin and Purcell. There was a strange insta-lust and insta-hate that didn't really make sense to me thrust upon the reader in such a redundant manner that I just stopped caring about it. The subtitle of "Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun") feels misleading as there was no real relationship between the two MFCs for the majority of the book. It's a grab-tactic that sucked me in and left me wanting.
I also had issues with the timeline in the story. Things felt to drag on, go so quickly, have a deadline that was arbitrary or not mentioned again, and I had a hard time keeping up with the "when" of the plot. There were so many places we went to where the time to travel there and back was brushed off, never mind the description of where we were felt lacking to me. I just couldn't picture it.
While on the hunt for the "why" (literally part of the story), I was left asking "why" about so many things myself. I still sit with so many questions that I cannot go into detail about because of potential spoilers.
The narration was done very well and I liked the cadence of the audiobook. I think it was well produced, the sound quality was consistent between the perspective changes, and I'm glad I had a change to give this one a listen.
In my effort to avoid spoilers, some of my above statements may be confusing in their vagueness and I apologize for that. This was a little rambly, but I'm just trying to get all my thoughts down and not miss anything while it's fresh. Overall I struggled with rating this read; the vibes of this one were maybe a 3 if I include my hopes and dreams of what this could have been, but the execution was a 2, so I'm going with a 2-star rating. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to read this one and I'll look for other things Eli Snow puts out in the future as this is a debut, but I'm sat about the results here.
I was psyched for the queer cozy romantasy/sci-fi vibes promised in the synopsis, but instead I got a strange, dissatisfying amalgamation of fantasy botanical horror-esque sci-fi with an unconvincing romance, AI/Bots, genetic mutations, and magic. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all of these aspects individually, I just don't think they worked well together here and that there was far too much going on. At about an hour left in the audiobook and 5-ish minutes remaining in the chapter I was up to, it felt like the story could have been ending in a ridiculously dissatisfying/not what I was expecting and very confusing manner. Like there's so much happening, but not enough? Like the characters are flat and the world building is more implied than shown.
Sometimes being in a characters head was confusing; I as a reader/listener knew what was happening, but the character was trying to convince themself (and us) that another thing was happening, but their delusion was convoluted and forced. There are other things that happen with characters in the plot that I just don't understand and are probably unnecessary, but were how the author got from Point A to Point B. There were two characters that were looped into something else later in the plot that I found strange. Like I understood the reason it was happening, why the author did it that way, but I couldn't connect why the character themself would have done it.
I could not for the life of me find the chemistry between Cyprin and Purcell. There was a strange insta-lust and insta-hate that didn't really make sense to me thrust upon the reader in such a redundant manner that I just stopped caring about it. The subtitle of "Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun") feels misleading as there was no real relationship between the two MFCs for the majority of the book. It's a grab-tactic that sucked me in and left me wanting.
I also had issues with the timeline in the story. Things felt to drag on, go so quickly, have a deadline that was arbitrary or not mentioned again, and I had a hard time keeping up with the "when" of the plot. There were so many places we went to where the time to travel there and back was brushed off, never mind the description of where we were felt lacking to me. I just couldn't picture it.
While on the hunt for the "why" (literally part of the story), I was left asking "why" about so many things myself. I still sit with so many questions that I cannot go into detail about because of potential spoilers.
The narration was done very well and I liked the cadence of the audiobook. I think it was well produced, the sound quality was consistent between the perspective changes, and I'm glad I had a change to give this one a listen.
In my effort to avoid spoilers, some of my above statements may be confusing in their vagueness and I apologize for that. This was a little rambly, but I'm just trying to get all my thoughts down and not miss anything while it's fresh. Overall I struggled with rating this read; the vibes of this one were maybe a 3 if I include my hopes and dreams of what this could have been, but the execution was a 2, so I'm going with a 2-star rating. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to read this one and I'll look for other things Eli Snow puts out in the future as this is a debut, but I'm sat about the results here.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review from NetGalley
I made it through to 79%, couldn't even round it to 80% with 2 hours and 25 mins left. I WANTED to DNF at 59% but was hanging on to a blade of grass hoping it would get better.
I really tried with this one. The title, cover, and premise all sounded so interesting I was hooked. The delivery? Flowers you got from your aunt that she bought last night (and didn't put in water but left them on the kitchen counter) and then kept in the hot car for hours before she gave them to you for being in the school play where you were Tree Number One. Pretty at very first glance but immediately wilt before you even get home, and are dying by the next day.
I found myself tuning out, dreading turning this back on, and not caring if the two wildly erratic FMCs got their shit together. I HATE DNFing a book and have suffered through worse, but I sadly have to say Please Save Your Money and don't read this.
I made it through to 79%, couldn't even round it to 80% with 2 hours and 25 mins left. I WANTED to DNF at 59% but was hanging on to a blade of grass hoping it would get better.
I really tried with this one. The title, cover, and premise all sounded so interesting I was hooked. The delivery? Flowers you got from your aunt that she bought last night (and didn't put in water but left them on the kitchen counter) and then kept in the hot car for hours before she gave them to you for being in the school play where you were Tree Number One. Pretty at very first glance but immediately wilt before you even get home, and are dying by the next day.
I found myself tuning out, dreading turning this back on, and not caring if the two wildly erratic FMCs got their shit together. I HATE DNFing a book and have suffered through worse, but I sadly have to say Please Save Your Money and don't read this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Divine Gardener's Handbook is described as being for those who like their fantasy books weird, heartfelt, and a little unhinged, and that is... highly accurate. This was really odd (mostly in a good way, I think?), and it's a book that feels completely unlike anything I've ever read before. Between the sentient plants, a sprawling city built on the remnants of an old world, political unrest, and a sapphic romance, there's no shortage of imagination. I admired how ambitious this story was, even if it didn't always come together for me. I definitely still appreciate it for what it was trying to do.
The biggest strength of the book is easily how original it is. Eli Snow builds a world that's strange, colorful, and filled with fascinating ideas. The Divine Gardens, the mysterious figure at the center of them, and the blend of science fiction and fantasy elements made me constantly curious about what was really going on. It's the kind of world that doesn't hand you easy answers, which can be rewarding once everything starts clicking into place towards the end.
Cyprin and Purcell had an entertaining, interesting dynamic. Their rivalry was full of stubbornness, pride, and just enough underlying attraction to keep me invested. I enjoyed watching their perspectives slowly shift as they were forced to work alongside one another, and their relationship felt earned by the end. I just wish the romantic development had been a little more prominent earlier on, as the larger plot often took center stage. It was hard to feel invested in something that didn't feel like it was meant to be an important part of the story.
My biggest struggle was the pacing. The first half felt dense with world-building and lore, and I found myself rereading sections to make sure I hadn't missed something important. While I appreciate books that trust readers to piece things together, there were times when I felt more confused than intrigued. Once the story reached the second half, though, everything became much more engaging, and I was far more invested in both the mystery and the rebellion unfolding around the characters. I also think this book tried tried to juggle one too many ideas. Between the political intrigue, the mythology, the history of the city, the botanical magic, and the romance, some storylines didn't receive quite as much attention as I wanted. A little more focus could have made the emotional moments hit even harder or make me feel more invested.
That said, I never doubted the author's creativity and the purpose behind the book. This is the kind of fantasy that takes risks instead of following familiar formulas, and I'll always appreciate that. It's quirky, heartfelt, occasionally funny, and filled with memorable imagery. Even though this wasn't a perfect fit for me, I'm glad I read it, and I definitely think it'll be the perfect thing for someone else. If you enjoy fantasy that leans into the weird, love intricate world-building, appreciate slower-burn rival romances, and don't mind being dropped into a story that expects you to keep up, I think you'll find a lot to love here. It didn't completely win me over, but it definitely convinced me that Eli Snow has a wonderfully imaginative voice, and I'd be interested to see what they write next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's | Saturday Books for this eARC!
The biggest strength of the book is easily how original it is. Eli Snow builds a world that's strange, colorful, and filled with fascinating ideas. The Divine Gardens, the mysterious figure at the center of them, and the blend of science fiction and fantasy elements made me constantly curious about what was really going on. It's the kind of world that doesn't hand you easy answers, which can be rewarding once everything starts clicking into place towards the end.
Cyprin and Purcell had an entertaining, interesting dynamic. Their rivalry was full of stubbornness, pride, and just enough underlying attraction to keep me invested. I enjoyed watching their perspectives slowly shift as they were forced to work alongside one another, and their relationship felt earned by the end. I just wish the romantic development had been a little more prominent earlier on, as the larger plot often took center stage. It was hard to feel invested in something that didn't feel like it was meant to be an important part of the story.
My biggest struggle was the pacing. The first half felt dense with world-building and lore, and I found myself rereading sections to make sure I hadn't missed something important. While I appreciate books that trust readers to piece things together, there were times when I felt more confused than intrigued. Once the story reached the second half, though, everything became much more engaging, and I was far more invested in both the mystery and the rebellion unfolding around the characters. I also think this book tried tried to juggle one too many ideas. Between the political intrigue, the mythology, the history of the city, the botanical magic, and the romance, some storylines didn't receive quite as much attention as I wanted. A little more focus could have made the emotional moments hit even harder or make me feel more invested.
That said, I never doubted the author's creativity and the purpose behind the book. This is the kind of fantasy that takes risks instead of following familiar formulas, and I'll always appreciate that. It's quirky, heartfelt, occasionally funny, and filled with memorable imagery. Even though this wasn't a perfect fit for me, I'm glad I read it, and I definitely think it'll be the perfect thing for someone else. If you enjoy fantasy that leans into the weird, love intricate world-building, appreciate slower-burn rival romances, and don't mind being dropped into a story that expects you to keep up, I think you'll find a lot to love here. It didn't completely win me over, but it definitely convinced me that Eli Snow has a wonderfully imaginative voice, and I'd be interested to see what they write next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's | Saturday Books for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Actual Rating: 3.5
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the eARC, this review is my own opinion.
This was certainly an interesting read. I loved the first ~2/3 of it, and then the final third got messy and kind of floundered along until the end.
The setting was so inventive and fun, it reminded me a lot of the first season of Miracle Workers - the people working in the Divine Garden are just people with jobs in a relatable capitalist theocratic city-state ("God was a part of life, like gender and the twelve-hour workday, that she had never questioned"; "Gods couldn’t be real, not in a world where people worked all their daylight hours for the privilege of just living to work another day."). Eli Snow created a heaven, purgatory, and hell as totally believable social classes where heaven is blissfully unaware of how well they've got it in their beautiful garden of plenty while people struggle to get by in the city or scrape away an existence in the undercity (the undercity is even referred to as the twelve hells).
Cyprin and Purcell were ridiculous (affectionate). These goofy-ass lesbians circling each other like cats, Purcell's self-absorbed and conceited attitude a perfect counter to Cyprin's absolute chaos drive (very Jason Mantzoukas' "destroy, dismantle, engulf in flames"). Their meet-cute? A nightmare. This is the kind of forced proximity where they're going to make it everybody else's problem as well and while I'd hate them in real life, on page I love them. I also appreciated that Snow gave Cyprin and Purcell solid reasons to be the way that they are - a chaotic character is fun but only if there's a reason for it, otherwise it just becomes mindless flailing; and an uptight, hyper-obsessive character gets boring real fast when we don't get to see the tiny cracks threatening to shatter (or explode). Snow did not make them likable, but they definitely made them fun!
My favorite character in the book was God/Saul. He was just so genuinely charming (his introduction to both main characters was hilarious and his PoVs brought so much life to the book), and .
I think this story might have been better served as a duology, because it felt like the first 2/3 was one book and the final third was a rush to a conclusion that introduced too much for the amount of space and conclusion-ing it needed to fulfill. There was just too much new stuff going on that when a major event occurred , I had to flip back to make sure I hadn't missed something (I hadn't, it was just too major a shift to come into play with nowhere nearly enough setup). It made the ending kind of unsatisfying and felt more like an exposition than a story's proper conclusion.
So generally speaking yes, this is a cool book. Is it one I'll reread? No. But I loved the premise and the characters and the overall plot, which is enough for a good time!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the eARC, this review is my own opinion.
This was certainly an interesting read. I loved the first ~2/3 of it, and then the final third got messy and kind of floundered along until the end.
The setting was so inventive and fun, it reminded me a lot of the first season of Miracle Workers - the people working in the Divine Garden are just people with jobs in a relatable capitalist theocratic city-state ("God was a part of life, like gender and the twelve-hour workday, that she had never questioned"; "Gods couldn’t be real, not in a world where people worked all their daylight hours for the privilege of just living to work another day."). Eli Snow created a heaven, purgatory, and hell as totally believable social classes where heaven is blissfully unaware of how well they've got it in their beautiful garden of plenty while people struggle to get by in the city or scrape away an existence in the undercity (the undercity is even referred to as the twelve hells).
Cyprin and Purcell were ridiculous (affectionate). These goofy-ass lesbians circling each other like cats, Purcell's self-absorbed and conceited attitude a perfect counter to Cyprin's absolute chaos drive (very Jason Mantzoukas' "destroy, dismantle, engulf in flames"). Their meet-cute? A nightmare. This is the kind of forced proximity where they're going to make it everybody else's problem as well and while I'd hate them in real life, on page I love them. I also appreciated that Snow gave Cyprin and Purcell solid reasons to be the way that they are - a chaotic character is fun but only if there's a reason for it, otherwise it just becomes mindless flailing; and an uptight, hyper-obsessive character gets boring real fast when we don't get to see the tiny cracks threatening to shatter (or explode). Snow did not make them likable, but they definitely made them fun!
My favorite character in the book was God/Saul. He was just so genuinely charming (his introduction to both main characters was hilarious and his PoVs brought so much life to the book), and .
I think this story might have been better served as a duology, because it felt like the first 2/3 was one book and the final third was a rush to a conclusion that introduced too much for the amount of space and conclusion-ing it needed to fulfill. There was just too much new stuff going on that when a major event occurred , I had to flip back to make sure I hadn't missed something (I hadn't, it was just too major a shift to come into play with nowhere nearly enough setup). It made the ending kind of unsatisfying and felt more like an exposition than a story's proper conclusion.
So generally speaking yes, this is a cool book. Is it one I'll reread? No. But I loved the premise and the characters and the overall plot, which is enough for a good time!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
First, the shelf value of this book is extremely high! Look how gorgeous the cover is. Even the electronic copy is beautiful; I bet the physical copy is going to be exquisite.
Secondly, the premise is super intriguing. As a perpetual fantasy reader, I am always looking for creative story-lines. There’s only so many ways to dress up the same old tropes. For readers looking for something different and a little strange, the Divine Gardener has a lot to offer.
Told through dual perspectives, Purcell and Cyprin are rival gardeners, both seeking an elusive position within the Divine Garden. To achieve a position, they compete in a flower pageant, where the winner will be rewarded with access to garden secrets and a god overseeing the garden.
Throughout the book, a complex story unfolds where readers learn more of Purcell and Cyprin’s histories filled with abandonment and expectations while learning more about the garden which perhaps is not living up to its original intent.
Things I enjoyed: The world-building. It’s really complex and honestly hard to follow sometimes. I had to re-read some sections to digest the information. I like the challenge because the book community has become a bit of a pipeline for plots: enemies to lovers + fae + shadows = great book. I’m definitely a fan of those books as well but it’s refreshing to get something so completely different. I also enjoyed the writing; it’s whimsical and quick. There is a lot of silly and dry humor. It’s hard to catch sometimes but I liked the small details added. And the garden setting is really creative; again, nice world-building choice.
Things I could have enjoyed more: The sapphic aspect, which was a draw for me, but was not super evident. They spend a lot of time in the ‘rivals’ category and with the whole…potential apocalypse / life endangerment thing happening. I get that it cannot be front and center given everything they’re dealing with. But it seemed like an afterthought sometimes. Some romance (whatever that could look like given the circumstances) would have smoothed both of their edges a bit. Additionally, the plot is a little topsy turvy. I like creative and complex world-building but not at the sake of the plot and sometimes I felt like things came out of nowhere or were forgotten and brought back towards the end as an “oh yea”. It feels sometimes like too much was put in when it could have been saved for a sequel.
Overall, an enjoyable read with a unique storyline. I think fans of Legends & Lattes, She Who Became the Sun, Gideon the Ninth, and Black Sun will really appreciate the world building, relationships, and conspiracy.
First, the shelf value of this book is extremely high! Look how gorgeous the cover is. Even the electronic copy is beautiful; I bet the physical copy is going to be exquisite.
Secondly, the premise is super intriguing. As a perpetual fantasy reader, I am always looking for creative story-lines. There’s only so many ways to dress up the same old tropes. For readers looking for something different and a little strange, the Divine Gardener has a lot to offer.
Told through dual perspectives, Purcell and Cyprin are rival gardeners, both seeking an elusive position within the Divine Garden. To achieve a position, they compete in a flower pageant, where the winner will be rewarded with access to garden secrets and a god overseeing the garden.
Throughout the book, a complex story unfolds where readers learn more of Purcell and Cyprin’s histories filled with abandonment and expectations while learning more about the garden which perhaps is not living up to its original intent.
Things I enjoyed: The world-building. It’s really complex and honestly hard to follow sometimes. I had to re-read some sections to digest the information. I like the challenge because the book community has become a bit of a pipeline for plots: enemies to lovers + fae + shadows = great book. I’m definitely a fan of those books as well but it’s refreshing to get something so completely different. I also enjoyed the writing; it’s whimsical and quick. There is a lot of silly and dry humor. It’s hard to catch sometimes but I liked the small details added. And the garden setting is really creative; again, nice world-building choice.
Things I could have enjoyed more: The sapphic aspect, which was a draw for me, but was not super evident. They spend a lot of time in the ‘rivals’ category and with the whole…potential apocalypse / life endangerment thing happening. I get that it cannot be front and center given everything they’re dealing with. But it seemed like an afterthought sometimes. Some romance (whatever that could look like given the circumstances) would have smoothed both of their edges a bit. Additionally, the plot is a little topsy turvy. I like creative and complex world-building but not at the sake of the plot and sometimes I felt like things came out of nowhere or were forgotten and brought back towards the end as an “oh yea”. It feels sometimes like too much was put in when it could have been saved for a sequel.
Overall, an enjoyable read with a unique storyline. I think fans of Legends & Lattes, She Who Became the Sun, Gideon the Ninth, and Black Sun will really appreciate the world building, relationships, and conspiracy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sadly, I do not think this is the book for me. I finished this book and immediately thought I'm not sure what I read. And I sat with it for a few days and I'm still not positive on what I read. Parts of the story I loved and other parts didn't hit in the way I was hoping.
One of the best parts about this book was Cyprin and Purcell. They are the epitome of opposites attract when it comes to lovers. Cyprin has a devil may care attitude and Purcell is rule follower to the depths of her soul. They shouldn't work but in their own way they absolutely do work. But where I struggled was the lack of development of the relationship between the two characters. There were glimmers in the enemies to lovers snark and sass. There were glimmers in each character's quiet moments of reflection and vulnerability. But I don't feel it fully came to fruition and it made it hard to root for them as a couple. But as separate entities I had fun with both of them. I enjoyed Cyprin and her lackadaisical attitude. She also appealed to me in her desire to simply find her place, her home, and the people who will love her. Purcell and her rule following heart had me itching to give her a hug. I wanted her to step outside of her boundaries so bad. And when she did it was so epically bad, you couldn't help but love that Purcell wanted to fix it in the way she was accustomed to. I also felt for Purcell because she had the weight of familial expectations and history weighing her down. So much so that it felt that Purcell didn't know if she was allowed to be her own person or have friends. And that broke my heart.
Where this book truly fell short for me, was the dystopian world and plot. I don't feel that I got enough time to spend with the world to truly understand it. I wasn't sure if I understood about the "Divine" and their purpose. I wasn't sure about how we got to the dystopian world and the world order that had been established. Was I supposed to hate the gardener's? Root for those outside of the garden? Was there another government entity pulling the strings that was the actual big bad?
I wish that there had been a solid through line throughout the story. But instead, it felt a bit chaotic. I wasn't sure what was up and what was down. I definitely felt that there was times where I was invested in the story. Primarily the story between Cyprin and Saul. I wanted to know more. I wanted that story to expand and grow. It was those small glimmers of the story beneath that had me reading on and hoping I would find more. It had a lot of promise, but in the end, this book did not deliver for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the early release digital arc. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.
One of the best parts about this book was Cyprin and Purcell. They are the epitome of opposites attract when it comes to lovers. Cyprin has a devil may care attitude and Purcell is rule follower to the depths of her soul. They shouldn't work but in their own way they absolutely do work. But where I struggled was the lack of development of the relationship between the two characters. There were glimmers in the enemies to lovers snark and sass. There were glimmers in each character's quiet moments of reflection and vulnerability. But I don't feel it fully came to fruition and it made it hard to root for them as a couple. But as separate entities I had fun with both of them. I enjoyed Cyprin and her lackadaisical attitude. She also appealed to me in her desire to simply find her place, her home, and the people who will love her. Purcell and her rule following heart had me itching to give her a hug. I wanted her to step outside of her boundaries so bad. And when she did it was so epically bad, you couldn't help but love that Purcell wanted to fix it in the way she was accustomed to. I also felt for Purcell because she had the weight of familial expectations and history weighing her down. So much so that it felt that Purcell didn't know if she was allowed to be her own person or have friends. And that broke my heart.
Where this book truly fell short for me, was the dystopian world and plot. I don't feel that I got enough time to spend with the world to truly understand it. I wasn't sure if I understood about the "Divine" and their purpose. I wasn't sure about how we got to the dystopian world and the world order that had been established. Was I supposed to hate the gardener's? Root for those outside of the garden? Was there another government entity pulling the strings that was the actual big bad?
I wish that there had been a solid through line throughout the story. But instead, it felt a bit chaotic. I wasn't sure what was up and what was down. I definitely felt that there was times where I was invested in the story. Primarily the story between Cyprin and Saul. I wanted to know more. I wanted that story to expand and grow. It was those small glimmers of the story beneath that had me reading on and hoping I would find more. It had a lot of promise, but in the end, this book did not deliver for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the early release digital arc. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I don't think I really knew cozy dystopian could be a thing until now.
Purcell is a nepo baby gardener with awkward hall monitor energy who has a massive case of imposter syndrome and the ability to communicate with plants.
Cyprin is a chaotic reality tv loving feral-raccoon-style human(complimentary) from the city who crimes her way up into the Divine Gardens.
The two meet when Cyprin is blessed with the opportunity to interview at the Divine Gardens, which she has wanted FOREVER, and Purcell tells the admin team to reject her application because she doesn't like Cyprin's clothes and Cyprin interrupted her conversation with her friend.
So, Cyprin decides to steal Purcell's roses; temporarily kill her rosebush so she doesn't have any, and enter the prize winning roses into the competition that makes the winner a gardener for the next year. Obviously, she wins; and the two of them embark on an adventure of enemies-style rivalry that would put "What is This Feeling?" to shame. The loathing is strong, and so are the feelings that feel a lot like cuteness aggression.
Through this, they uncover a conspiracy; may or may not accidentally be involved in the death of god and change the world forever.
Snow's writing is incredibly entertaining in its quirkiness, and I enjoyed both of the main characters along with Saul. The conspiracies around the Petaled Divine were shocking, and there were moments where this got really dark. While I enjoyed reading it, the payoff just wasn't really there for me by end and I would have liked to see more of Asperia and the gardens picking up the pieces of everything.
As far as romance goes, this is the slowest of slow burns. It is pretty rare for me to say that rivals reach the level of enemies, but I think this is one of the rare cases where they do. While both Purcell and Cyprin can be super petty, some of the things they do in their rivalry are a bit brutal. For both of them, but Cyprin especially, their thoughts about each other can rise somewhat to nonsense levels which is really fun if you are also a person who enjoys that.
Asperia and its different Undercity levels kind of reminded me of a landfill, and with that plus the gardening, the allusions to this being sometimes in the distant future, and some other things that occur later in the book there was a bit of a environmentalist vibe to the world. So this is will also be good for you if that interests you.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books, and Eli Snow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
I don't think I really knew cozy dystopian could be a thing until now.
Purcell is a nepo baby gardener with awkward hall monitor energy who has a massive case of imposter syndrome and the ability to communicate with plants.
Cyprin is a chaotic reality tv loving feral-raccoon-style human(complimentary) from the city who crimes her way up into the Divine Gardens.
The two meet when Cyprin is blessed with the opportunity to interview at the Divine Gardens, which she has wanted FOREVER, and Purcell tells the admin team to reject her application because she doesn't like Cyprin's clothes and Cyprin interrupted her conversation with her friend.
So, Cyprin decides to steal Purcell's roses; temporarily kill her rosebush so she doesn't have any, and enter the prize winning roses into the competition that makes the winner a gardener for the next year. Obviously, she wins; and the two of them embark on an adventure of enemies-style rivalry that would put "What is This Feeling?" to shame. The loathing is strong, and so are the feelings that feel a lot like cuteness aggression.
Through this, they uncover a conspiracy; may or may not accidentally be involved in the death of god and change the world forever.
Snow's writing is incredibly entertaining in its quirkiness, and I enjoyed both of the main characters along with Saul. The conspiracies around the Petaled Divine were shocking, and there were moments where this got really dark. While I enjoyed reading it, the payoff just wasn't really there for me by end and I would have liked to see more of Asperia and the gardens picking up the pieces of everything.
As far as romance goes, this is the slowest of slow burns. It is pretty rare for me to say that rivals reach the level of enemies, but I think this is one of the rare cases where they do. While both Purcell and Cyprin can be super petty, some of the things they do in their rivalry are a bit brutal. For both of them, but Cyprin especially, their thoughts about each other can rise somewhat to nonsense levels which is really fun if you are also a person who enjoys that.
Asperia and its different Undercity levels kind of reminded me of a landfill, and with that plus the gardening, the allusions to this being sometimes in the distant future, and some other things that occur later in the book there was a bit of a environmentalist vibe to the world. So this is will also be good for you if that interests you.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books, and Eli Snow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
TW: Death, child imprisonment, death of a parent (On page), mass riots
I was pleasantly surprised with this novel, even after a bit of a frantic first chapter.
But first, the plot: Cyprin lives in a megacity, where rats are some of her best friends (she doesn't have many). She desperately wants to leave her sunless existence, and dreams of working for The Petaled Divine in his Garden, and in the meantime, find her father. To accomplish this, she steals a flower from the Head Gardener of the Garden. However, the Head Gardener Purcell doesn't appreciate this (hot and infuriating) upstart coming in and wrecking things. Can she keep the garden from this new threat? Can Cyprin find her guardian? And what is with the secret area of the Garden no one is allowed to go to?
The setting makes this book. The massive not built for humans after several layers of habitation city contrasts with the perfect Gardens. Anyone who doesn't work in the Gardens is both physically and mentally trapped. However, the city does contrast with the Garden, and that contrast, also shows the Garden to be a gilded age, which is reflected in its perfect environment. Since flowers and plants are a huge part of the book, the language is suitably vivid.
I also appreciate the queer representation, as both Cyprin and Purcell are queer. Their relationship was believable to me. There was a lot of humor in their reactions with one another, and I found myself laughing aloud a few times. This is not a romance novel, but Purcell and Cyprin both have erotic fantasies so be warned. As an ace person, they were well written and okay to read.
The first chapter had a breakneck pace, dropping you right into the action. However, this can be a problem, as I had to page back and forth between PoVs because the pacing was very quick. However, once you get the names straight, the story moves forward in a very flowing way. I could also see the characters being very divisive. Purcell starts the story hating Cyprin, and she is quite nasty to her at the start. She does improve later (this is a genuine enemies to lovers story) but be warned.
Ultimately, if you want a relatively cozy read with some bite, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is your bouquet of flowers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Check out my drink parings and other reviews at: https://theredreaderreviews.blogspot....
I was pleasantly surprised with this novel, even after a bit of a frantic first chapter.
But first, the plot: Cyprin lives in a megacity, where rats are some of her best friends (she doesn't have many). She desperately wants to leave her sunless existence, and dreams of working for The Petaled Divine in his Garden, and in the meantime, find her father. To accomplish this, she steals a flower from the Head Gardener of the Garden. However, the Head Gardener Purcell doesn't appreciate this (hot and infuriating) upstart coming in and wrecking things. Can she keep the garden from this new threat? Can Cyprin find her guardian? And what is with the secret area of the Garden no one is allowed to go to?
The setting makes this book. The massive not built for humans after several layers of habitation city contrasts with the perfect Gardens. Anyone who doesn't work in the Gardens is both physically and mentally trapped. However, the city does contrast with the Garden, and that contrast, also shows the Garden to be a gilded age, which is reflected in its perfect environment. Since flowers and plants are a huge part of the book, the language is suitably vivid.
I also appreciate the queer representation, as both Cyprin and Purcell are queer. Their relationship was believable to me. There was a lot of humor in their reactions with one another, and I found myself laughing aloud a few times. This is not a romance novel, but Purcell and Cyprin both have erotic fantasies so be warned. As an ace person, they were well written and okay to read.
The first chapter had a breakneck pace, dropping you right into the action. However, this can be a problem, as I had to page back and forth between PoVs because the pacing was very quick. However, once you get the names straight, the story moves forward in a very flowing way. I could also see the characters being very divisive. Purcell starts the story hating Cyprin, and she is quite nasty to her at the start. She does improve later (this is a genuine enemies to lovers story) but be warned.
Ultimately, if you want a relatively cozy read with some bite, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is your bouquet of flowers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Check out my drink parings and other reviews at: https://theredreaderreviews.blogspot....
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Divine Gardener's Handbook is a chaotic novel in a way I really enjoyed. It has multiple POV characters, some we stay with for only a chapter or two, but the heart of the book is the two main characters, Cyprin and Purcell, and the relationship between them. Most chapters are from one of their perspectives.
Cyprin is a young woman who would do anything to escape her cyberpunk city life to move into the Divine Gardens. Purcell, the head gardener in the Divine Gardens, has earned the job on her merits but was born into the role, living a life of privilege and pressure. The two instantly dislike each other as soon as they meet, but chemistry sparks off from the beginning of the book as well. Their enemies-to-lovers arc is heavy on the snark. I enjoyed watching them lust for each other and eventually love each other.
The worldbuilding in this novel was really interesting. It's science-fantasy, where science has evolved far enough (while being understood little enough) to essentially become plant magic. There's a false "God," who society is built around, but it turns out he's just some guy who wants answers as much as Cyprin and Purcell do (or possibly more). I was engaged with all the revelations, though this book doesn't answer every question.
This book is billed for fans of Tamsyn Muir, which excited me as a huge fan of The Locked Tomb series. I did see echoes of Griddlehark in Cyprin and Purcell. While that's the most obvious parallel, there's also similarities in their fake divine, having their civilization be built on top of the ruins of old Earth, and the general air of mystery as the book unfolds. If what you liked about The Locked Tomb was angsty lesbians who don't want to like each other but can't help themselves, you'll likely be happy with this book.
I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook for this and I recommend it fully. There are two narrators, each taking one of our main characters, and they bring distinct voices to each role. I would recommend the audiobook for enjoyers of the format.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and chance to listen to this one early.
Cyprin is a young woman who would do anything to escape her cyberpunk city life to move into the Divine Gardens. Purcell, the head gardener in the Divine Gardens, has earned the job on her merits but was born into the role, living a life of privilege and pressure. The two instantly dislike each other as soon as they meet, but chemistry sparks off from the beginning of the book as well. Their enemies-to-lovers arc is heavy on the snark. I enjoyed watching them lust for each other and eventually love each other.
The worldbuilding in this novel was really interesting. It's science-fantasy, where science has evolved far enough (while being understood little enough) to essentially become plant magic. There's a false "God," who society is built around, but it turns out he's just some guy who wants answers as much as Cyprin and Purcell do (or possibly more). I was engaged with all the revelations, though this book doesn't answer every question.
This book is billed for fans of Tamsyn Muir, which excited me as a huge fan of The Locked Tomb series. I did see echoes of Griddlehark in Cyprin and Purcell. While that's the most obvious parallel, there's also similarities in their fake divine, having their civilization be built on top of the ruins of old Earth, and the general air of mystery as the book unfolds. If what you liked about The Locked Tomb was angsty lesbians who don't want to like each other but can't help themselves, you'll likely be happy with this book.
I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook for this and I recommend it fully. There are two narrators, each taking one of our main characters, and they bring distinct voices to each role. I would recommend the audiobook for enjoyers of the format.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and chance to listen to this one early.
August 2, 2026
Going in, I was not expecting to read a sci-fi dystopia, but the more I read, the more I fell in love with The Divine Gardener’s Handbook and both our sapphic disasters, Cyprin and Purcell.
I don’t know why I was expecting a cosy sapphic rivals-to-lovers fantasy with some gardening, but immediately in the first chapter, this felt more sci-fi than fantasy. Then I checked the blurb and saw the comp to Tamsyn Muir, and realised I must have gotten the wrong impression somewhere along the way. I’m so glad I picked this up, because The Divine Gardener’s Handbook completely exceeded my expectations!
I loved Cyprin right from the start, and grew to love Purcell along the way. The book starts off on a lighter note, focusing on the rivalry between our two main characters, while still showing us glimpses of the dystopian world they live in. However, the plot really starts to shine in the latter half, when Purcell accidentally turns off the sun and stars and everything goes horribly wrong. At this point I could also see why somebody had thought of Tamsyn Muir, because even though this is very different from Gideon the Ninth , it gave me the closest feeling to that book that I've had while reading anything else. When Cyprin and Purcell explore the city of Asperia, it feels very much like the crumbling First House in Gideon.
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is not a romance novel, although there is a romance between the main characters. It’s an apocalyptic sci-fi dystopia, with messed-up but lovable main characters who need to save the world, and who find themselves and each other in the process. Highly recommended!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher (St. Martin's Press / Saturday Books) for the ARC.
I don’t know why I was expecting a cosy sapphic rivals-to-lovers fantasy with some gardening, but immediately in the first chapter, this felt more sci-fi than fantasy. Then I checked the blurb and saw the comp to Tamsyn Muir, and realised I must have gotten the wrong impression somewhere along the way. I’m so glad I picked this up, because The Divine Gardener’s Handbook completely exceeded my expectations!
I loved Cyprin right from the start, and grew to love Purcell along the way. The book starts off on a lighter note, focusing on the rivalry between our two main characters, while still showing us glimpses of the dystopian world they live in. However, the plot really starts to shine in the latter half, when Purcell accidentally turns off the sun and stars and everything goes horribly wrong. At this point I could also see why somebody had thought of Tamsyn Muir, because even though this is very different from Gideon the Ninth , it gave me the closest feeling to that book that I've had while reading anything else. When Cyprin and Purcell explore the city of Asperia, it feels very much like the crumbling First House in Gideon.
The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is not a romance novel, although there is a romance between the main characters. It’s an apocalyptic sci-fi dystopia, with messed-up but lovable main characters who need to save the world, and who find themselves and each other in the process. Highly recommended!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher (St. Martin's Press / Saturday Books) for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Divine Gardener's Handbook by Eli Snow.
I kept hearing about this book when reading about 2026 releases, and I do think it is a book that cozy fantasy readers will enjoy.
For me, it ended up being a bit of a miss. I thought it was going to be more of a what the summary states - a woman who is trying to get her dream job with some workplace shenanigans and romance in a divinely based garden setting while tackling a rebellion -- it reads like it is supposed to be a comedy. The sub title line also makes it sound like it's much more about the dating of the main character's and trying to save the world in a whimsical way.
Instead it was about one woman set on revenge for trauma she refuses to process, and another woman who is elitist and obsessed with her own legacy and trauma she refuses to process, a god who is manipulating both of them to find a larger truth about their world, multiple plots to control the city/overthrow ruling parties, historical issues with AI, and more. While it does make a cohesive storyline, much of the subplots and character developments felt minimally thought out -- enough to get from point to point, but without the depth to truly think about the implications and issues and history and meaning behind the way this world is structured and how Cyprin and Purcell deal with their own personal histories. And, considering some of these developments are very dystopian and fairly dark, I wish they weren't couched in jokes about marshmallows and office work competition. Maybe I'm just struggling with if this is meant to be cozy and suspending disbelief about the horrors of a world without sun, or if it's meant to be a deeper cut on on a dystopian level with a romance for levity.
It's okay that it wasn't a fit for me, and, again, I think there are many readers who will really enjoy this, it just wasn't quite what I expected.
I kept hearing about this book when reading about 2026 releases, and I do think it is a book that cozy fantasy readers will enjoy.
For me, it ended up being a bit of a miss. I thought it was going to be more of a what the summary states - a woman who is trying to get her dream job with some workplace shenanigans and romance in a divinely based garden setting while tackling a rebellion -- it reads like it is supposed to be a comedy. The sub title line also makes it sound like it's much more about the dating of the main character's and trying to save the world in a whimsical way.
Instead it was about one woman set on revenge for trauma she refuses to process, and another woman who is elitist and obsessed with her own legacy and trauma she refuses to process, a god who is manipulating both of them to find a larger truth about their world, multiple plots to control the city/overthrow ruling parties, historical issues with AI, and more. While it does make a cohesive storyline, much of the subplots and character developments felt minimally thought out -- enough to get from point to point, but without the depth to truly think about the implications and issues and history and meaning behind the way this world is structured and how Cyprin and Purcell deal with their own personal histories. And, considering some of these developments are very dystopian and fairly dark, I wish they weren't couched in jokes about marshmallows and office work competition. Maybe I'm just struggling with if this is meant to be cozy and suspending disbelief about the horrors of a world without sun, or if it's meant to be a deeper cut on on a dystopian level with a romance for levity.
It's okay that it wasn't a fit for me, and, again, I think there are many readers who will really enjoy this, it just wasn't quite what I expected.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 ⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!
Yes, I picked this up because the first thing in the description was “Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir”, and that’s me, I’m the fan who keeps falling for books being marketed for fans of Tamsyn Muir/Gideon the Ninth/The Locked Tomb series. A lot of the times they end up disappointing me, but sometimes books are marketed this way because they are weird and different, and those are the books I’m looking for.
I can see the elements that made them put the “for fans of Tamsyn Muir” in the description, but they weren’t really enough to make me enjoy this book. To start, the first half of the book felt very focused on the two main characters and their “romance”. I found these two characters so annoying. Their relationship was barely developed. They weren’t enemies or rivals, they just insta-hated each other on first sight, and after a couple days of lusting and hating each other were in love. They were maybe supposed to give Gideon x Harrow vibes, but that did not really work for me.
There was also a “God” character who was just a guy and gave mild Jod vibes, but felt underdeveloped. A lot of the world building (after getting through the first half of the book) was interesting, and if that had been more of a focus than the romance, developed a bit more, this could have been a really cool/weird post apocalyptic world. I appreciated that there wasn’t a ton of beginning of story info dumping, but by the end of the book it just felt like the world wasn’t actually that developed. The ending was…. unpredictable, I guess, but also a bit sudden, and then the last couple of chapters were rushed and a bit generic feeling. A lot of elements didn’t really feel resolved either.
Overall, there were elements of this book that felt creative and interesting and original, but they did not feel like the focus, which was instead to me a not very enjoyable romance story.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!
Yes, I picked this up because the first thing in the description was “Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir”, and that’s me, I’m the fan who keeps falling for books being marketed for fans of Tamsyn Muir/Gideon the Ninth/The Locked Tomb series. A lot of the times they end up disappointing me, but sometimes books are marketed this way because they are weird and different, and those are the books I’m looking for.
I can see the elements that made them put the “for fans of Tamsyn Muir” in the description, but they weren’t really enough to make me enjoy this book. To start, the first half of the book felt very focused on the two main characters and their “romance”. I found these two characters so annoying. Their relationship was barely developed. They weren’t enemies or rivals, they just insta-hated each other on first sight, and after a couple days of lusting and hating each other were in love. They were maybe supposed to give Gideon x Harrow vibes, but that did not really work for me.
There was also a “God” character who was just a guy and gave mild Jod vibes, but felt underdeveloped. A lot of the world building (after getting through the first half of the book) was interesting, and if that had been more of a focus than the romance, developed a bit more, this could have been a really cool/weird post apocalyptic world. I appreciated that there wasn’t a ton of beginning of story info dumping, but by the end of the book it just felt like the world wasn’t actually that developed. The ending was…. unpredictable, I guess, but also a bit sudden, and then the last couple of chapters were rushed and a bit generic feeling. A lot of elements didn’t really feel resolved either.
Overall, there were elements of this book that felt creative and interesting and original, but they did not feel like the focus, which was instead to me a not very enjoyable romance story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In the Divine Gardener’s Handbook, we meet Cyprin as she works to break free of her post-apocalyptic megacity home, dreaming of a job in the Divine Gardens. Her one shot out of the megacity is to win the annual flower contest, and she will do anything, dirty tricks included, to succeed. Her competition is none other than the other main lead in the Divine Gardener’s Handbook, the neurotic, perfectionist head gardener Purcell. Unfortunately for the both of them, their petty rivalry isn’t the biggest issue facing the two, as readers will soon find out.
The story jumps in swiftly to the action, without spending too much time meandering about with lengthy, expansive sci-fi worldbuilding. We promptly meet both Cyprin and Purcell, and get a good read on their general characterization equally as quickly. The beginning of the book is a fast, fun romp, with enough plot intrigue to keep you wanting to turn to the next page.
As we reach the latter half of the book, my enjoyment becomes a lot more shaky. The “romance” seems to flip from insta-hate to insta-love without much development, leading me to not feel connected to that part of the story enough for the emotionally-reliant plot beats to feel compelling as they should. At the climax of the story, plot points switch from horrifying to lighthearted in a flash, giving a sense of tonal whiplash that makes it difficult for me to place this book. Is it cozy? Is it a bleak dystopian? It varies from page to page.
Overall, this book feels like two potentially great books patched together into one. A lighthearted and cozy enemies-to lovers tale, combined with the classic dystopian “take down the oppressors at any cost” plotline. It just doesn’t know quite where to land, and that’s where it suffers.
In the Divine Gardener’s Handbook, we meet Cyprin as she works to break free of her post-apocalyptic megacity home, dreaming of a job in the Divine Gardens. Her one shot out of the megacity is to win the annual flower contest, and she will do anything, dirty tricks included, to succeed. Her competition is none other than the other main lead in the Divine Gardener’s Handbook, the neurotic, perfectionist head gardener Purcell. Unfortunately for the both of them, their petty rivalry isn’t the biggest issue facing the two, as readers will soon find out.
The story jumps in swiftly to the action, without spending too much time meandering about with lengthy, expansive sci-fi worldbuilding. We promptly meet both Cyprin and Purcell, and get a good read on their general characterization equally as quickly. The beginning of the book is a fast, fun romp, with enough plot intrigue to keep you wanting to turn to the next page.
As we reach the latter half of the book, my enjoyment becomes a lot more shaky. The “romance” seems to flip from insta-hate to insta-love without much development, leading me to not feel connected to that part of the story enough for the emotionally-reliant plot beats to feel compelling as they should. At the climax of the story, plot points switch from horrifying to lighthearted in a flash, giving a sense of tonal whiplash that makes it difficult for me to place this book. Is it cozy? Is it a bleak dystopian? It varies from page to page.
Overall, this book feels like two potentially great books patched together into one. A lighthearted and cozy enemies-to lovers tale, combined with the classic dystopian “take down the oppressors at any cost” plotline. It just doesn’t know quite where to land, and that’s where it suffers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review Details?
-no spoilers!
-ebook (ARC)
-3.75 (out of 5)
Fanta-SciFi-ness?
-the world we visit in The Divine Gardener's Handbook leans toward soft sci-fi in that the world is driven by character choices and decisions, though we ultimately have a central problem/solution rooted in technology.
-the story takes us to a few core locations in a large city split into haves and have-nots. the descriptions and world-building elements of this book are some of its absolute highs. that said, though the book is vivid and fun in its presentation, the language used can sometimes work against the feeling of immersion (e.g., "shoot your shot").
-the sci-fi system is a fun one, though it is never completely clear what its core rules are.
-with just a few small edits, one chapter near the end of the book (Chapter 42) could stand alone as a very gripping short story.
Complexity?
-we (mostly) follow 2 central characters, Cyprin and Purcell, who are rivals with an attraction. they both have interesting moments, but I felt that the characters--both individually and as a duo--mostly hit the same notes until the final 1/5 of the book. it is all subjective, but I would have liked to see a more linear progression. in addition to these two, we follow some core secondary characters who are fairly engaging (especially Saul).
-the overarching plot is an interesting one, but it is straightforward and easy to follow.
Keep it Coming?
-despite any gripes I may have, I ultimately felt a hunger to keep reading. again, the world and its lore are fun and fascinating.
-chapters seemed to be roughly 5-10 pages for the most part, including chapter breaks, which helped to stoke the "just one more chunk before bed..." feeling.
-no spoilers!
-ebook (ARC)
-3.75 (out of 5)
Fanta-SciFi-ness?
-the world we visit in The Divine Gardener's Handbook leans toward soft sci-fi in that the world is driven by character choices and decisions, though we ultimately have a central problem/solution rooted in technology.
-the story takes us to a few core locations in a large city split into haves and have-nots. the descriptions and world-building elements of this book are some of its absolute highs. that said, though the book is vivid and fun in its presentation, the language used can sometimes work against the feeling of immersion (e.g., "shoot your shot").
-the sci-fi system is a fun one, though it is never completely clear what its core rules are.
-with just a few small edits, one chapter near the end of the book (Chapter 42) could stand alone as a very gripping short story.
Complexity?
-we (mostly) follow 2 central characters, Cyprin and Purcell, who are rivals with an attraction. they both have interesting moments, but I felt that the characters--both individually and as a duo--mostly hit the same notes until the final 1/5 of the book. it is all subjective, but I would have liked to see a more linear progression. in addition to these two, we follow some core secondary characters who are fairly engaging (especially Saul).
-the overarching plot is an interesting one, but it is straightforward and easy to follow.
Keep it Coming?
-despite any gripes I may have, I ultimately felt a hunger to keep reading. again, the world and its lore are fun and fascinating.
-chapters seemed to be roughly 5-10 pages for the most part, including chapter breaks, which helped to stoke the "just one more chunk before bed..." feeling.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*
Normally, I'm all for a sapphic romance and, going into this book, that was the primary draw for me. Unfortunately, that was one of the things I liked about this book the least (which feels terrible). Cyprin and Purcell--the two main leads--are both absolutely insufferable in vastly different ways. If their relationship only developed into a grudging friendship (or at the very least, respect), I actually might have liked this a little better. Unfortunately, the two of them didn't really have that romantic chemistry I was hoping for. Instead, there was inta-lust, for seemingly no good reason? The two of them had good reason to dislike one another, though Purcell was, by far, the more infuriating of the two. Her character archetype is very much like Rachel Berry from Glee--haughty, nosy, and frustrating to be in the head of. There was an attempt by the author at a character redemption arc, but I feel like it fell very flat.
Which leads into my second biggest issue: the pacing. The pacing was a little all over the place. I think there was an interesting story underneath the romance, but because I didn't like the romance (which ended up being a large focus), it felt like the more interesting plot beats got side-lined. Honestly, even if I had liked the romance, I would have wanted a bit more world-building and plot development; it just felt more egregious to me because the romance felt like it dragged.
Overall, this was not my vibe. The tone also felt a little dissonant at times and both the romance and ending felt rushed. I think the concept was interesting, even if I didn't enjoy the execution.
Normally, I'm all for a sapphic romance and, going into this book, that was the primary draw for me. Unfortunately, that was one of the things I liked about this book the least (which feels terrible). Cyprin and Purcell--the two main leads--are both absolutely insufferable in vastly different ways. If their relationship only developed into a grudging friendship (or at the very least, respect), I actually might have liked this a little better. Unfortunately, the two of them didn't really have that romantic chemistry I was hoping for. Instead, there was inta-lust, for seemingly no good reason? The two of them had good reason to dislike one another, though Purcell was, by far, the more infuriating of the two. Her character archetype is very much like Rachel Berry from Glee--haughty, nosy, and frustrating to be in the head of. There was an attempt by the author at a character redemption arc, but I feel like it fell very flat.
Which leads into my second biggest issue: the pacing. The pacing was a little all over the place. I think there was an interesting story underneath the romance, but because I didn't like the romance (which ended up being a large focus), it felt like the more interesting plot beats got side-lined. Honestly, even if I had liked the romance, I would have wanted a bit more world-building and plot development; it just felt more egregious to me because the romance felt like it dragged.
Overall, this was not my vibe. The tone also felt a little dissonant at times and both the romance and ending felt rushed. I think the concept was interesting, even if I didn't enjoy the execution.
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