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Argyrosi #2
In an Orchard Grown from Ash
Twisted political games and heart-rending relationship drama abound in this stunning conclusion of a mythic epic fantasy duology.
The Argyros family is torn asunder, their nation betrayed and taken over by former allies, and twins Rhea and Lexos are left standing on opposite sides of the now full-blown rebellion. Will they be able to reconcile--or will there only be a reckoning?
The Argyros family is torn asunder, their nation betrayed and taken over by former allies, and twins Rhea and Lexos are left standing on opposite sides of the now full-blown rebellion. Will they be able to reconcile--or will there only be a reckoning?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2023
28 people are currently reading
3953 people want to read
About the author
Rory Power
11 books3,144 followersRory Power grew up in New England, where she lives and works as a crime fiction editor and story consultant for TV adaptation. She received a Masters in Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
April 2, 2023
Y'all...
It's not every day that I read a book and am partially convinced that maybe I just might not be intelligent enough to understand what was happening. I like to think that my reading comprehsion skills are pretty well exercised, that I've been putting them skills I learned to ace my elementary school AR test to good use over the past few years...
But then I read this series and I just... Words fail?
I'm even more embarrassed but the girls were not fucking with this foray into adult fantasy by Rory Power, they were decrying it as one of the more lackluster fantasies of last year, and while I didn't rank it among some of the best fantasy I've ever read I did think that it was solid.
My lack of comprehension doesn't stem from me thinking that this book is necessarily bad... Just that I am struggling to understand the lens that the book is best viewed through. All fantasy is commentary to some extent, so you'll definitely get bits of that in this series. But I don't think that was the primary motivation. It's not exactly just vibes either, at least not in the introductory volume in the duology, the vibes definitely attempt to wrestle control here in the conclusion. Just pure enjoyment though seems to be the last thing that the series was gunning for.
As a story, this at least makes sense. I might have thought that this second book might be a little more explosive given how the last one seemed to be tripping over itself to get to the third act climax, and then this book is pretty even-keeled for the entirety of the time we spend in the story. Parts of that are definitely more annoying than others, and ultimately the book just sort of ends? Sort of memorably, but definitely not in the manner I would have expected going in? It might be the kind of story reads better on reread, when the destination is known and the journey there can be savored a little more. I'm not sure... I just know that this was a thing that I read and other than Rory Power I'm not quite certain who the audience is meant to be? At least at this time.
It's not every day that I read a book and am partially convinced that maybe I just might not be intelligent enough to understand what was happening. I like to think that my reading comprehsion skills are pretty well exercised, that I've been putting them skills I learned to ace my elementary school AR test to good use over the past few years...
But then I read this series and I just... Words fail?
I'm even more embarrassed but the girls were not fucking with this foray into adult fantasy by Rory Power, they were decrying it as one of the more lackluster fantasies of last year, and while I didn't rank it among some of the best fantasy I've ever read I did think that it was solid.
My lack of comprehension doesn't stem from me thinking that this book is necessarily bad... Just that I am struggling to understand the lens that the book is best viewed through. All fantasy is commentary to some extent, so you'll definitely get bits of that in this series. But I don't think that was the primary motivation. It's not exactly just vibes either, at least not in the introductory volume in the duology, the vibes definitely attempt to wrestle control here in the conclusion. Just pure enjoyment though seems to be the last thing that the series was gunning for.
As a story, this at least makes sense. I might have thought that this second book might be a little more explosive given how the last one seemed to be tripping over itself to get to the third act climax, and then this book is pretty even-keeled for the entirety of the time we spend in the story. Parts of that are definitely more annoying than others, and ultimately the book just sort of ends? Sort of memorably, but definitely not in the manner I would have expected going in? It might be the kind of story reads better on reread, when the destination is known and the journey there can be savored a little more. I'm not sure... I just know that this was a thing that I read and other than Rory Power I'm not quite certain who the audience is meant to be? At least at this time.
May 9, 2023
In a Garden Burning Gold is a brilliant political fantasy filled to the brim with complex characters and an intricate magic system that takes center stage. I was so upset when In an Orchard Grown from Ash did not meet the same level.
While In a Garden Burning Gold is not perfect (I found the plot to be a tad slow at times), I still enjoyed my time and its uniqueness in fantasy. The second book in this installment has none of the things that sparked my interest in the first. In fact, it actively removed what made the first book so compelling.
I was so excited to get all of the sibling's points of view in this book. With the explosive way things ended, I was eager to explore the tension that would bind the four together. However, I couldn't recognize a single one of the characters I had come to love. The twins are so different in this book. Lexos, who I thought of as the smartest character politically, just whines and bemoans his new state. Everything just happens to him, and he is more intent on complaining about his status than trying to fix it. This book completely wipes away his capacity to make clever decisions and countermoves to his opponents. Rhea is a shell of the person she used to be. While she definitely seems to be a little bit more active in this book, it doesn't count for much since she is actively getting pushback from the others, and unable to do much. Rhea always tried to turn the situation to her advantage in the first book, but she is too depressed to do much of anything in this one. Instead of using it to her advantage, she bemoans her state as a ruler. The dynamic I loved between Rhea and Michali is gone in the first few pages. While I expected things to change between them, I did not expect the book to start out with Rhea just hating him. Michali is just mindlessly in love with Rhea while she can't stand the sight of him. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of depth and nuance between the two of them. Overall, the well-beloved twins in the first book are a thing of the past here.
Chrysanthi and Nitsos didn't have any purpose to the story except for dragging out the plot. Nitsos could have been the most interesting character in the whole book. At the end of the first book, we discover just how deeply rooted Nitsos' desire for his father's approval is. He had such a focused goal in the first book but is just lost in this one. Chrysanthi was marginally better. I feel like she didn't have much of a personality in the first one, so I enjoyed exploring her identity more. However, her overall arc was slowed down immensely by her actions. She spends the majority of the book wandering around, without the capability to flourish. These two additional points of view ended up adding nothing to the book.
The plot lacks action. There is none of the political intrigue or magic system that made the first book incredible. It is so slow, that I felt like I was reading a hundred pages for every fifty. I couldn't read for more than half an hour at a time. Towards the end, things pick up speed, but by that point, I was too frustrated to really enjoy it. While the dark ending is unexpected, it did not make up for the long, boring journey to get there.
If you have read the first book and loved it, I would hesitate before picking up this one. It might not be the ending you were looking for.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
While In a Garden Burning Gold is not perfect (I found the plot to be a tad slow at times), I still enjoyed my time and its uniqueness in fantasy. The second book in this installment has none of the things that sparked my interest in the first. In fact, it actively removed what made the first book so compelling.
I was so excited to get all of the sibling's points of view in this book. With the explosive way things ended, I was eager to explore the tension that would bind the four together. However, I couldn't recognize a single one of the characters I had come to love. The twins are so different in this book. Lexos, who I thought of as the smartest character politically, just whines and bemoans his new state. Everything just happens to him, and he is more intent on complaining about his status than trying to fix it. This book completely wipes away his capacity to make clever decisions and countermoves to his opponents. Rhea is a shell of the person she used to be. While she definitely seems to be a little bit more active in this book, it doesn't count for much since she is actively getting pushback from the others, and unable to do much. Rhea always tried to turn the situation to her advantage in the first book, but she is too depressed to do much of anything in this one. Instead of using it to her advantage, she bemoans her state as a ruler. The dynamic I loved between Rhea and Michali is gone in the first few pages. While I expected things to change between them, I did not expect the book to start out with Rhea just hating him. Michali is just mindlessly in love with Rhea while she can't stand the sight of him. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of depth and nuance between the two of them. Overall, the well-beloved twins in the first book are a thing of the past here.
Chrysanthi and Nitsos didn't have any purpose to the story except for dragging out the plot. Nitsos could have been the most interesting character in the whole book. At the end of the first book, we discover just how deeply rooted Nitsos' desire for his father's approval is. He had such a focused goal in the first book but is just lost in this one. Chrysanthi was marginally better. I feel like she didn't have much of a personality in the first one, so I enjoyed exploring her identity more. However, her overall arc was slowed down immensely by her actions. She spends the majority of the book wandering around, without the capability to flourish. These two additional points of view ended up adding nothing to the book.
The plot lacks action. There is none of the political intrigue or magic system that made the first book incredible. It is so slow, that I felt like I was reading a hundred pages for every fifty. I couldn't read for more than half an hour at a time. Towards the end, things pick up speed, but by that point, I was too frustrated to really enjoy it. While the dark ending is unexpected, it did not make up for the long, boring journey to get there.
If you have read the first book and loved it, I would hesitate before picking up this one. It might not be the ending you were looking for.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 17, 2023
Wowowow. After my absolute love of In A Garden I cannot believe I’m saying this, but this may be one of my least favorite books of all time.
I do wonder if the level of my disappointment has a direct correlation with my love of the first one and my year-long anticipation for this conclusion. I even reread In a Garden immediately before diving into this so I could reacquaint myself with the world and all the political maneuvering taking place.
So how was this book a disappointment? Oh, let me count the ways…
To start, it felt like everything I loved in the first book was nonexistent in this one. The magic system was not really further explained. Past world events weren’t clear, and character motivations made absolutely no sense. Certain characters who I thought would come into larger focus in book two completely fell off the page and had no role whatsoever (here’s looking at you Stavra. And Zita. And Tarro. And basically anyone who wasn’t an Argyros child….). And finally, and perhaps most notably, there was no political intricacy in this book whatsoever. Not between the children, not between the Stratagiozi, not even explained in terms of the past! Anything going on within the broader fantasy world happened completely off-page and so far out of sight that it literally had no impact on the plot or our characters.
After In A Garden I was excited to see more of the siblings and how the roles they had slotted themselves into would impact them moving forward- ultimately to whatever conclusion lay ahead. And while I was excited to learn that all four Argyros children would have a POV in this book, my excitement turned to sheer apathy at about the 20% mark. While each sibling was set on their own path, they were all doing the same thing. Like, the exact same thing. So each chapter read felt like nothing was gained for the reader. And this made the book feel like it didn’t MOVE. It takes a lot to put me into a reading slump, but this one managed within the first 40ish pages and never let up, even to the very last page.
As I mentioned, nothing was really happening for the characters. Sure, some of them were moving from place to place, but they weren’t doing anything and as the reader, I felt no urgency in their movements or the potential implications of them moving around the map. With regards to the characters themselves, they almost didn’t even feel like the same set of siblings from book one. So here are my little angry thoughts on each:
Nitsos’ chapters were absolutely pointless. What was to be gained from them? What was expressed to the reader in his chapters that we weren’t already getting from the other siblings? His fate was so stupid, and his abilities weren’t used in the slightest. I wanted backstory on how he came to his semi-power position, but we never even saw him have a single meaningful interaction, not with a sibling, or anyone else either.
It felt like Lexos had no agency whatsoever. What was his plan? To just keep clinging to coattails in the hopes of an opportunity presenting itself? That says some interesting things about power and how it is attained and kept close, but after the first book where every move he made was calculated, and self-lead In an Orchard felt like a completely different Lexos altogether, most importantly one I couldn’t root for at all because he wasn’t doing anything…at all. He felt stupid in this book, like he couldn’t put the pieces together, while in book one he was thinking three steps ahead.
Rhea made no sense either. I hated Michali and Rhea’s interactions. Every single one. Michali quite literally was not a character in this book, which I understand from a theming perspective, but honestly, I just couldn’t deal with it. If she hated him so much, I don’t know- kill him again? SPEAK to the poor guy? And while her gifts (new and old) should have been interesting in this book, she didn’t do anything with hers either. She just wandered around, slowly crumbling, uselessly trying to lash out at her siblings. Like, okay if that’s what you want I guess?
Chrystanthi felt the most whole in this book. She definitely shines the brightest, but still, in retrospect, she had the most chapters, but someone please explain to me what did she actually DO the whole book? Up until the last 2 or 3 of her chapters, she’s also just wandering around.
Plotwise I’m fine with a grim ending, but if you’re going to give me a sad conclusion it still needs to feel satisfying. But thinking back on the nearly 500 pages of this book- what was accomplished? Why did it matter? Again, I get that’s probably a commentary on the nature of power itself but that doesn’t make it any better.
I’m curious to see how this book is received by readers who loved the first installment. For me, there was just nothing to latch onto or get excited about. The siblings barely interacted during the entire book. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. There were maybe 5 chapters where two of the siblings were even together on page?? And when they weren’t together I didn’t really feel any connection between them.
I can usually structure my thoughts with what worked or didn’t work for me in a book, but with this one, absolutely nothing about it worked for me. I have so much more to say, but I’m not sure it’s even worth saying to be honest. This book deserves no love from me, and as soon as my visceral rage starts to fade I hope promptly to put this book out of my mind and never think about it ever again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I do wonder if the level of my disappointment has a direct correlation with my love of the first one and my year-long anticipation for this conclusion. I even reread In a Garden immediately before diving into this so I could reacquaint myself with the world and all the political maneuvering taking place.
So how was this book a disappointment? Oh, let me count the ways…
To start, it felt like everything I loved in the first book was nonexistent in this one. The magic system was not really further explained. Past world events weren’t clear, and character motivations made absolutely no sense. Certain characters who I thought would come into larger focus in book two completely fell off the page and had no role whatsoever (here’s looking at you Stavra. And Zita. And Tarro. And basically anyone who wasn’t an Argyros child….). And finally, and perhaps most notably, there was no political intricacy in this book whatsoever. Not between the children, not between the Stratagiozi, not even explained in terms of the past! Anything going on within the broader fantasy world happened completely off-page and so far out of sight that it literally had no impact on the plot or our characters.
After In A Garden I was excited to see more of the siblings and how the roles they had slotted themselves into would impact them moving forward- ultimately to whatever conclusion lay ahead. And while I was excited to learn that all four Argyros children would have a POV in this book, my excitement turned to sheer apathy at about the 20% mark. While each sibling was set on their own path, they were all doing the same thing. Like, the exact same thing. So each chapter read felt like nothing was gained for the reader. And this made the book feel like it didn’t MOVE. It takes a lot to put me into a reading slump, but this one managed within the first 40ish pages and never let up, even to the very last page.
As I mentioned, nothing was really happening for the characters. Sure, some of them were moving from place to place, but they weren’t doing anything and as the reader, I felt no urgency in their movements or the potential implications of them moving around the map. With regards to the characters themselves, they almost didn’t even feel like the same set of siblings from book one. So here are my little angry thoughts on each:
Nitsos’ chapters were absolutely pointless. What was to be gained from them? What was expressed to the reader in his chapters that we weren’t already getting from the other siblings? His fate was so stupid, and his abilities weren’t used in the slightest. I wanted backstory on how he came to his semi-power position, but we never even saw him have a single meaningful interaction, not with a sibling, or anyone else either.
It felt like Lexos had no agency whatsoever. What was his plan? To just keep clinging to coattails in the hopes of an opportunity presenting itself? That says some interesting things about power and how it is attained and kept close, but after the first book where every move he made was calculated, and self-lead In an Orchard felt like a completely different Lexos altogether, most importantly one I couldn’t root for at all because he wasn’t doing anything…at all. He felt stupid in this book, like he couldn’t put the pieces together, while in book one he was thinking three steps ahead.
Rhea made no sense either. I hated Michali and Rhea’s interactions. Every single one. Michali quite literally was not a character in this book, which I understand from a theming perspective, but honestly, I just couldn’t deal with it. If she hated him so much, I don’t know- kill him again? SPEAK to the poor guy? And while her gifts (new and old) should have been interesting in this book, she didn’t do anything with hers either. She just wandered around, slowly crumbling, uselessly trying to lash out at her siblings. Like, okay if that’s what you want I guess?
Chrystanthi felt the most whole in this book. She definitely shines the brightest, but still, in retrospect, she had the most chapters, but someone please explain to me what did she actually DO the whole book? Up until the last 2 or 3 of her chapters, she’s also just wandering around.
Plotwise I’m fine with a grim ending, but if you’re going to give me a sad conclusion it still needs to feel satisfying. But thinking back on the nearly 500 pages of this book- what was accomplished? Why did it matter? Again, I get that’s probably a commentary on the nature of power itself but that doesn’t make it any better.
I’m curious to see how this book is received by readers who loved the first installment. For me, there was just nothing to latch onto or get excited about. The siblings barely interacted during the entire book. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. There were maybe 5 chapters where two of the siblings were even together on page?? And when they weren’t together I didn’t really feel any connection between them.
I can usually structure my thoughts with what worked or didn’t work for me in a book, but with this one, absolutely nothing about it worked for me. I have so much more to say, but I’m not sure it’s even worth saying to be honest. This book deserves no love from me, and as soon as my visceral rage starts to fade I hope promptly to put this book out of my mind and never think about it ever again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2024
Al comenzar, planeé darle a este libro 3 estrellas.
Le estoy dando 4 porque aquí hay una muerte anticlimática pero creíble.
Me he divertido haciendo esta reseña.
Yo no me divierto haciendo reseñas.
¿Qué diablos?
...Me da risa esa parte en la que los 4 hermanos, pese a haber tomado caminos distintos, de alguna manera se las arreglan para terminar en Agiokon… al mismo tiempo.
En una nota relacionada y aunque no diré nombres, creo que experimenté el amor a primera vista durante un instante, sí…
Thyzakos está bajo el control de los Dominas y los Argyros están dispersos y enfrentados…
A Alexandros Argyros le han arrebatado su don y se ha visto hecho prisionero de Tarro Domina. Él, comprensiblemente, no se encuentra feliz con su situación.
Lamentablemente, sus rutas de escape son inexistentes… hasta que ya no lo son y se transforman en… ¿un amigable extraño que dice ser pariente distanciado de los Domina y que le ofrece un plan para huir?
Correcto. Alexandros trabajará con él y se convertirá en lo más cercano a indispensable que pueda llegar a ser. Y, puesto que realmente necesita ayuda, seguirá junto a Ettore incluso si el tipo trata de abandonarlo el día de la huida… O si resulta que el hombre es más poderoso de lo que le pareció en un principio…
Rhea Argyros es adorada como una santa por muchos de los Sxoriza… mas su voz no es oída por los líderes de la organización, Nitsos todavía representa una amenaza para ella, su consorte ha cambiado y el matagios capaz de provocar muertes únicamente con pronunciar una oración que perteneció a su padre —y que no se suponía que pasaría a pertenecerle, no— la atormenta incansablemente…
Y para colmo debe lidiar con preguntarse por qué, en nombre del universo, Alexandros aparentemente no deja de intentar enviarle un mensaje usando una constelación…
Michali Laskaris ha sido traído desde la muerte por Rhea. Ella lo eligió a él, su consorte, aun cuando eso significó no realizar el cambio de estaciones… y las cosas deberían marchar bien. Después de todo, Michali sigue siendo aquel que la ama y cree en ella de forma inquebrantable… solo que no van bien porque Laskaris es distinto, su mirada se vuelve más oscura por momentos y parece que no puede ser el líder fuerte de antes…
Luego de que Nitsos Argyros controló (literalmente) a Rhea y la colocó en el camino que quiso, siente que hacer eso no fue suficiente. Él desea poder, poder propio. Y si para conseguirlo ha de encontrar las tumbas de antiguos santos utilizando rastros que fueron dejados en historias… bueno.
Tras enterarse de que Alexandros asesinó a su padre y Vasilis a su madre, de que dicha madre era una santa y de que Nitsos y Rhea se han vuelto enemigos, Chrysanthi Argyros ha tenido que adaptarse y rápido, porque el desmoronamiento de su familia no le dio otra opción… y lo estaba llevando relativamente bien; y entonces, por supuesto, Rhea decidió pedirle que fuera en busca de Nitsos. A ella, que del mundo no conoce prácticamente nada… pero de acuerdo, Chrysanthi irá —a un lugar lleno de soldados no amigables— y encontrará a ese hermano suyo.
No disfrutará haciéndolo, claro, y sin embargo lo hará. Por su hermana.
Y también por Nitsos… quizás.
Andrija Tomic simplemente será arrastrado al viaje, de verdad.
¿Cómo negociará por una paz que ninguno de sus 2 hermanos quiere, de todos modos?
Ahora, algo triste:
"—Lo siento —se escuchó a sí misma decir—. No sabía que sería así.
—Si lo hubieras hecho, ¿me habrías dejado descansar?
Algo en su voz sonaba extraño; cuando levantó la vista, él estaba llorando, con lágrimas grises y desdichadas brotando de sus ojos oscuros.
«Él desearía que yo lo hubiera hecho —pensó—. Podríamos habernos enterrado juntos».
—¿Hay algo para ti aquí? —ella dijo.
—Aquí estás tú —respondió Michali—. Tú, sólo que estás huyendo de mí, me estás mintiendo y odias verme; no me digas que no, porque lo sé. Porque te amo, Rhea, te amo, pero también odio verte. —Cerró los ojos con fuerza por un momento, como si le costara mucho seguir adelante—. Me quitaste algo. Y ni siquiera quieres lo que queda."
Le estoy dando 4 porque aquí hay una muerte anticlimática pero creíble.
Me he divertido haciendo esta reseña.
Yo no me divierto haciendo reseñas.
¿Qué diablos?
...Me da risa esa parte en la que los 4 hermanos, pese a haber tomado caminos distintos, de alguna manera se las arreglan para terminar en Agiokon… al mismo tiempo.
En una nota relacionada y aunque no diré nombres, creo que experimenté el amor a primera vista durante un instante, sí…
Thyzakos está bajo el control de los Dominas y los Argyros están dispersos y enfrentados…
A Alexandros Argyros le han arrebatado su don y se ha visto hecho prisionero de Tarro Domina. Él, comprensiblemente, no se encuentra feliz con su situación.
Lamentablemente, sus rutas de escape son inexistentes… hasta que ya no lo son y se transforman en… ¿un amigable extraño que dice ser pariente distanciado de los Domina y que le ofrece un plan para huir?
Correcto. Alexandros trabajará con él y se convertirá en lo más cercano a indispensable que pueda llegar a ser. Y, puesto que realmente necesita ayuda, seguirá junto a Ettore incluso si el tipo trata de abandonarlo el día de la huida… O si resulta que el hombre es más poderoso de lo que le pareció en un principio…
Rhea Argyros es adorada como una santa por muchos de los Sxoriza… mas su voz no es oída por los líderes de la organización, Nitsos todavía representa una amenaza para ella, su consorte ha cambiado y el matagios capaz de provocar muertes únicamente con pronunciar una oración que perteneció a su padre —y que no se suponía que pasaría a pertenecerle, no— la atormenta incansablemente…
Y para colmo debe lidiar con preguntarse por qué, en nombre del universo, Alexandros aparentemente no deja de intentar enviarle un mensaje usando una constelación…
Michali Laskaris ha sido traído desde la muerte por Rhea. Ella lo eligió a él, su consorte, aun cuando eso significó no realizar el cambio de estaciones… y las cosas deberían marchar bien. Después de todo, Michali sigue siendo aquel que la ama y cree en ella de forma inquebrantable… solo que no van bien porque Laskaris es distinto, su mirada se vuelve más oscura por momentos y parece que no puede ser el líder fuerte de antes…
Luego de que Nitsos Argyros controló (literalmente) a Rhea y la colocó en el camino que quiso, siente que hacer eso no fue suficiente. Él desea poder, poder propio. Y si para conseguirlo ha de encontrar las tumbas de antiguos santos utilizando rastros que fueron dejados en historias… bueno.
Tras enterarse de que Alexandros asesinó a su padre y Vasilis a su madre, de que dicha madre era una santa y de que Nitsos y Rhea se han vuelto enemigos, Chrysanthi Argyros ha tenido que adaptarse y rápido, porque el desmoronamiento de su familia no le dio otra opción… y lo estaba llevando relativamente bien; y entonces, por supuesto, Rhea decidió pedirle que fuera en busca de Nitsos. A ella, que del mundo no conoce prácticamente nada… pero de acuerdo, Chrysanthi irá —a un lugar lleno de soldados no amigables— y encontrará a ese hermano suyo.
No disfrutará haciéndolo, claro, y sin embargo lo hará. Por su hermana.
Y también por Nitsos… quizás.
Andrija Tomic simplemente será arrastrado al viaje, de verdad.
¿Cómo negociará por una paz que ninguno de sus 2 hermanos quiere, de todos modos?
Ahora, algo triste:
"—Lo siento —se escuchó a sí misma decir—. No sabía que sería así.
—Si lo hubieras hecho, ¿me habrías dejado descansar?
Algo en su voz sonaba extraño; cuando levantó la vista, él estaba llorando, con lágrimas grises y desdichadas brotando de sus ojos oscuros.
«Él desearía que yo lo hubiera hecho —pensó—. Podríamos habernos enterrado juntos».
—¿Hay algo para ti aquí? —ella dijo.
—Aquí estás tú —respondió Michali—. Tú, sólo que estás huyendo de mí, me estás mintiendo y odias verme; no me digas que no, porque lo sé. Porque te amo, Rhea, te amo, pero también odio verte. —Cerró los ojos con fuerza por un momento, como si le costara mucho seguir adelante—. Me quitaste algo. Y ni siquiera quieres lo que queda."
April 30, 2023
My head hurts because I read this 460 page book in less than a day. I have no regrets. This book is not one to savour. I mean, the writing is beautiful, the characters complex, and the plot vast...but I had to drink it all in quickly to understand the full width of the novel. Set up beside the first one (In a Garden Burning Gold), this is such a powerful duology. I don't think I've ever read a duology that packs as much as this one does. Wow. Now that both are out, I would recommend reading them back to back. I had to dig into my memory to remember some of the events of book one, but wow was this worth it.
I definitely almost cried at the end.
I definitely almost cried at the end.
2023
June 14, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey
May 11, 2023
In an Orchard Grown from Ash takes all of the potential of the first book and flushes it straight down the toilet. The thing I thought most while reading this book was “what is the point?”
Rhea resurrected her husband, Michali, at the end of book 1 but there was really no point because he’s a complete non-entity in this book. In the first book, he was an actual character with a personality and hopes and dreams but in this one he’s just there. They have about two conversations in the whole book and then he just disappears from the story. What a waste of a plot point.
Nitsos, the youngest brother from book one might as well have died at the end of that book for all he did in this one. Despite his novel changing machinations revealed at the end of the book, he just wanders around for a bit and then dies before Rhea can confront him for what he did. What a waste of a plot point.
Lexos’ story also ends up utterly pointless as he spends the novel wandering around with various characters until near the end. He had a little bit of character development but not enough to save him.
Rhea was completely annoying and spends the novel slowly losing her mind and not allowing anyone to help her. She has surface level relationships with all of the characters and does very little else.
Chrysanthi is possibly the only character to get any real fleshing out and that’s only after she’s been sent out on a side quest and half the novel has passed.
In an Orchard Grown from Ash was a huge disappointment. It doesn’t build on the first book and the full blown rebellion I was promised in the blurb was a complete damp squib. By halfway through the book, I was completely bored and, even though I’m a fan of downer endings, this one did not feel earned in the slightest. I wouldn’t bother with it, even if you were a fan of book one.
Rhea resurrected her husband, Michali, at the end of book 1 but there was really no point because he’s a complete non-entity in this book. In the first book, he was an actual character with a personality and hopes and dreams but in this one he’s just there. They have about two conversations in the whole book and then he just disappears from the story. What a waste of a plot point.
Nitsos, the youngest brother from book one might as well have died at the end of that book for all he did in this one. Despite his novel changing machinations revealed at the end of the book, he just wanders around for a bit and then dies before Rhea can confront him for what he did. What a waste of a plot point.
Lexos’ story also ends up utterly pointless as he spends the novel wandering around with various characters until near the end. He had a little bit of character development but not enough to save him.
Rhea was completely annoying and spends the novel slowly losing her mind and not allowing anyone to help her. She has surface level relationships with all of the characters and does very little else.
Chrysanthi is possibly the only character to get any real fleshing out and that’s only after she’s been sent out on a side quest and half the novel has passed.
In an Orchard Grown from Ash was a huge disappointment. It doesn’t build on the first book and the full blown rebellion I was promised in the blurb was a complete damp squib. By halfway through the book, I was completely bored and, even though I’m a fan of downer endings, this one did not feel earned in the slightest. I wouldn’t bother with it, even if you were a fan of book one.
June 15, 2023
I was hopeful that the magic system and political intrigues of the first book would come to fruition in this sequel. Unfortunately, the story instead devolved into a convoluted mess wherein four traumatized siblings destroy themselves and one another. This about-face to focus on the aftermath of familial abuse could have worked I suppose, but it felt like a disappointing bait and switch here. Many of the ongoing storylines were also left unresolved.
Read
May 21, 2023DNF 30%
Life is too short for me to suffer through this.
This book was a journey, at least the parts I managed to get through. It was a journey I spent most of the time thinking, "I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep doing this."
The first quarter is spent following two characters traveling to and from places, while the other two mostly just stayed in place and bemoaned their situations.
Lexos is no longer a brilliant strategist. Rhea is utterly indifferent to Michali as if they were never in love. Like excuse me, why am I even here then?
I'm so disappointed because I really enjoyed the first book, but it feels like all magic from the first book disappeared in this one. I kept thinking maybe I should try to finish it. But I skimmed a few reviews from trusted Goodreads mutuals and it appears it does not get better. So I'm going to cut my losses.
Extrapolating here, but if you want to read a long book in which very little happens this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Life is too short for me to suffer through this.
This book was a journey, at least the parts I managed to get through. It was a journey I spent most of the time thinking, "I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep doing this."
The first quarter is spent following two characters traveling to and from places, while the other two mostly just stayed in place and bemoaned their situations.
Lexos is no longer a brilliant strategist. Rhea is utterly indifferent to Michali as if they were never in love. Like excuse me, why am I even here then?
I'm so disappointed because I really enjoyed the first book, but it feels like all magic from the first book disappeared in this one. I kept thinking maybe I should try to finish it. But I skimmed a few reviews from trusted Goodreads mutuals and it appears it does not get better. So I'm going to cut my losses.
Extrapolating here, but if you want to read a long book in which very little happens this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
April 21, 2023
Thanks to Del Rey Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
I remember after finishing In A Garden Burning Gold how much I was looking forward to the conclusion. I very much enjoyed the premise, politics, magic and characters in that story. After reading this, the only word that keeps repeating in my head is "unsatisfying". I was certainly expecting more machinations, betrayals and all the backstory of the saints, which was mentioned so often in this story.
The strongest arc in the story is Chrysanthi's and I liked her growth and the developing relationship with Andrija. Unfortunately I can't say that about the other siblings stories. What seemed ripe for political conflict just ended up with Lexos and Rhea wandering around and not accomplishing anything. Nitsos finished the prior book as the man behind the curtain manipulating everything and then he's basically invisible here. And the end of his arc......still baffles me honestly. I still keep thinking about all I would have loved to read here.
I remember after finishing In A Garden Burning Gold how much I was looking forward to the conclusion. I very much enjoyed the premise, politics, magic and characters in that story. After reading this, the only word that keeps repeating in my head is "unsatisfying". I was certainly expecting more machinations, betrayals and all the backstory of the saints, which was mentioned so often in this story.
The strongest arc in the story is Chrysanthi's and I liked her growth and the developing relationship with Andrija. Unfortunately I can't say that about the other siblings stories. What seemed ripe for political conflict just ended up with Lexos and Rhea wandering around and not accomplishing anything. Nitsos finished the prior book as the man behind the curtain manipulating everything and then he's basically invisible here. And the end of his arc......still baffles me honestly. I still keep thinking about all I would have loved to read here.
September 14, 2023
Mmm... I hated it. The first book of this duology, In a Garden Burning Gold, was quite a chore to read, but I gave it four stars because I liked Rhea's love interest and I was very intrigued that she brought his dead corpse back to life at the end of the book. THAT was the story I was hoping to follow here, with In an Orchard Grown from Ash. But that's not what happened. They spent the entire book hating each other for what she did, and you never even find out what happens to him because she gets a new lover and forgets all about him. The one thing I cared about was trashed and stomped on in this book. And everybody else essentially died, as well, so...what was the point of it all? I have no idea. I despised this book. A couple interesting things happened around the middle, but on the whole it was far too long and entirely pointless. There was no story here. I wasted so much time! At least I gave up reading my e-arc from NetGalley and switched to audio from the library and was able to speed it up to force my way through it. What a disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
Part two in the exciting and exhilarating epic fantasy story. A fascinating political thriller with family issues to the extreme!
When we last were together, the Argyrosi twins, Rhea and Lexos were complete opposites and become warring factions. In book two, the final chapter, all four siblings are at war and working separately to regain the power their family once held. We have pov from all of them with Chrysanthi at the head.
Like all great sagas, their is familial love and betrayal but the heart of the story is power and who will run the planet. This is a book as beautiful as it's cover and I am sure you will love it!
#RandomHouse #InandOrchardGrownFromAsh #RorryPower
When we last were together, the Argyrosi twins, Rhea and Lexos were complete opposites and become warring factions. In book two, the final chapter, all four siblings are at war and working separately to regain the power their family once held. We have pov from all of them with Chrysanthi at the head.
Like all great sagas, their is familial love and betrayal but the heart of the story is power and who will run the planet. This is a book as beautiful as it's cover and I am sure you will love it!
#RandomHouse #InandOrchardGrownFromAsh #RorryPower
January 27, 2023
5/5 stars! I CANNOT with this book. I am SCREAMING! This book was utter perfection. I can't get over the laters of finesse and intricacy that took place throughout this book. I sadly couldn't finish it in one reading because it is a long, complex story. But I quickly finished it the next morning. Rhea and Lexos were both fully developed characters with their own hopes, dreams, and fears. I need more of them and more of this book. Everyone that enjoys heart-wrenching YA fantasy needs to pre-order this book immediately.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
March 22, 2023
Well, that was a downer. Power is a strong storyteller, but she took her story to a much darker and more gruesome place than I expected or wanted. If dark and gruesome is her thing, that's fine; it just isn't my thing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy.
June 14, 2023
In the end, this was an okay sequel but didn't live up to the first book. It felt like a lot of filler, with characters just sort of floating around without accomplishing much. I think quite a bit could have been cut out and still given us the same story, but at a faster pace.
Rhea was the most disappointing, she was coming into her confidence and power in the first book and now she's demoralized and barely holding things together. She's been set aside and is mostly a figurehead, so I found her chapters to be pretty boring. I was also sad that her relationship with Michali was barely there and mostly filled with guilt and resentment.
Lexos's chapters were okay and had some action and interesting parts. He was kind of whiny though and I wanted him to start being the cunning man we saw before and take hold of his life.
Chrysanthi was my favorite of the story. She didn't necessarily do much until the end, but I liked seeing her explore on her own and have a nice romance.
Nitsos may as well not have been in the story for all that we saw of him. What a waste.
The ending wasn't unexpected, but I hoped things would play out in an exciting way instead of just dwindling to a stop. This came across as lackluster and I wanted more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the copy.
Rhea was the most disappointing, she was coming into her confidence and power in the first book and now she's demoralized and barely holding things together. She's been set aside and is mostly a figurehead, so I found her chapters to be pretty boring. I was also sad that her relationship with Michali was barely there and mostly filled with guilt and resentment.
Lexos's chapters were okay and had some action and interesting parts. He was kind of whiny though and I wanted him to start being the cunning man we saw before and take hold of his life.
Chrysanthi was my favorite of the story. She didn't necessarily do much until the end, but I liked seeing her explore on her own and have a nice romance.
Nitsos may as well not have been in the story for all that we saw of him. What a waste.
The ending wasn't unexpected, but I hoped things would play out in an exciting way instead of just dwindling to a stop. This came across as lackluster and I wanted more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the copy.
July 11, 2023
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this eARC!
This book follows In a Garden Burning Gold, which had an incredible twist at the end and had me excited for the sequel. While the first book follows only Lexos and Rhea, this book also follows Nistos and Chrysanthi, which I think both adds and subtracts from the sequel.
I was a bit confused about the first book's goal. It felt like Game of Thrones but only following one family and the dynamics between them as they fought for power both without and within. The beginning of this book, then, confused me, as the family was no longer physically together and the political goals outside of the family seemed to be emphasized.
This book had me searching for the bigger picture until the end, and I mean that in a good way. I have read Rory Power's Wilder Girls, and I can tell that she is not a writer that wants to hold the reader's hand. Not everything is going to be explained, and not everything has to have its ending tied up in a bow. This was disappointing to me in Wilder Girls, where I felt the ending lacked any sense of completion. Here, however, I felt like the reader can learn a lot from what Power chooses to leave out.
I was really enjoying this book throughout, more so than I did the first, but the ending is something that I think is going to stick with me for awhile. If you enjoyed the first book at all, I would recommend this one.
This book follows In a Garden Burning Gold, which had an incredible twist at the end and had me excited for the sequel. While the first book follows only Lexos and Rhea, this book also follows Nistos and Chrysanthi, which I think both adds and subtracts from the sequel.
I was a bit confused about the first book's goal. It felt like Game of Thrones but only following one family and the dynamics between them as they fought for power both without and within. The beginning of this book, then, confused me, as the family was no longer physically together and the political goals outside of the family seemed to be emphasized.
This book had me searching for the bigger picture until the end, and I mean that in a good way. I have read Rory Power's Wilder Girls, and I can tell that she is not a writer that wants to hold the reader's hand. Not everything is going to be explained, and not everything has to have its ending tied up in a bow. This was disappointing to me in Wilder Girls, where I felt the ending lacked any sense of completion. Here, however, I felt like the reader can learn a lot from what Power chooses to leave out.
I was really enjoying this book throughout, more so than I did the first, but the ending is something that I think is going to stick with me for awhile. If you enjoyed the first book at all, I would recommend this one.
May 15, 2023
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
(This review does not do the book justice, but I plan to reread it in June, so I should have a much more coherent and cohesive review later on. This book is a lot!)
Well, now I’m suitably upset and heartbroken.
This books is a significant departure from book one in all respects: setting, character, motivations, plot, vibe, and more. And yet, I still loved it. This book is much more politically and relationship focused which I loved, but it didn’t quite have the sustained five-star feel that book one did. This book pivots to the siblings as a whole in its casting, with the addition of Chrysanthi’s and Nitsos’s POVs. I really appreciated this and grew to love and understand everyone on a deeper level, however I wish that Nitsos’s POV was expanded past the 250 page mark (in the UK edition) as he was so fun to read from. Also, go into it knowing that Rhea and Lexos take more of a backseat so that Chrysanthi can flourish - you will come to adore her, and the reason will make sense in the end.
Now, the writing was, perhaps, the most significant change in the book. ‘In a Garden Burning Gold’ had writing that was used to create a specific summery, Greek-inspired vibe, whereas this book’s writing was geared to the political machinations and psychological/belief shift. It was interesting to see how book one focuses on ownership on the sentence level, and this one focuses on additional information and intel. It’s hard to explain as I don’t know all of the correct grammar terms, but it’s so cool in regards to its effect on the wider themes! As for the magic-writing, I wish we had explored it more as I feel I understand less than I did in book one with the addition of Saint’s powers, but that’s just my preference for a more concrete magic system.
This book had so many twists, all of which caught me off guard! Also, let it be known that I went into a coughing fit after some events with Ettore and Falka. It kept each plot beat fresh and continually exciting, even though this story reads as fairly low-stakes, it is the individual decisions and character psychology that heightens them subtly. I wish that the Saint’s lore was explored more to heighten the shock factor, but it’s still pretty shocking if you ask me!
I understand why it ends the way it does, however, the plot seemed to have lost itself and went in a majorly different direction as to how I expected it. I would’ve preferred a more concrete ending as there were many loose-ish ends. I would definitely benefit from a reread, which I feel I will do soon, so that I can understand the bigger picture and more minute decisions the author and characters made! The ending is particularly brutal and heartbreaking, so how I will do a reread knowing the outcome of my favourite characters, I am unsure.
Overall, this is a fantastic duology but I feel like it hasn’t found it’s audience quite yet. You really need to trust the author as they know what they are doing, and it is amazing.
(This review does not do the book justice, but I plan to reread it in June, so I should have a much more coherent and cohesive review later on. This book is a lot!)
Well, now I’m suitably upset and heartbroken.
This books is a significant departure from book one in all respects: setting, character, motivations, plot, vibe, and more. And yet, I still loved it. This book is much more politically and relationship focused which I loved, but it didn’t quite have the sustained five-star feel that book one did. This book pivots to the siblings as a whole in its casting, with the addition of Chrysanthi’s and Nitsos’s POVs. I really appreciated this and grew to love and understand everyone on a deeper level, however I wish that Nitsos’s POV was expanded past the 250 page mark (in the UK edition) as he was so fun to read from. Also, go into it knowing that Rhea and Lexos take more of a backseat so that Chrysanthi can flourish - you will come to adore her, and the reason will make sense in the end.
Now, the writing was, perhaps, the most significant change in the book. ‘In a Garden Burning Gold’ had writing that was used to create a specific summery, Greek-inspired vibe, whereas this book’s writing was geared to the political machinations and psychological/belief shift. It was interesting to see how book one focuses on ownership on the sentence level, and this one focuses on additional information and intel. It’s hard to explain as I don’t know all of the correct grammar terms, but it’s so cool in regards to its effect on the wider themes! As for the magic-writing, I wish we had explored it more as I feel I understand less than I did in book one with the addition of Saint’s powers, but that’s just my preference for a more concrete magic system.
This book had so many twists, all of which caught me off guard! Also, let it be known that I went into a coughing fit after some events with Ettore and Falka. It kept each plot beat fresh and continually exciting, even though this story reads as fairly low-stakes, it is the individual decisions and character psychology that heightens them subtly. I wish that the Saint’s lore was explored more to heighten the shock factor, but it’s still pretty shocking if you ask me!
I understand why it ends the way it does, however, the plot seemed to have lost itself and went in a majorly different direction as to how I expected it. I would’ve preferred a more concrete ending as there were many loose-ish ends. I would definitely benefit from a reread, which I feel I will do soon, so that I can understand the bigger picture and more minute decisions the author and characters made! The ending is particularly brutal and heartbreaking, so how I will do a reread knowing the outcome of my favourite characters, I am unsure.
Overall, this is a fantastic duology but I feel like it hasn’t found it’s audience quite yet. You really need to trust the author as they know what they are doing, and it is amazing.
Read
May 25, 2023thought maybe it was me, that I hadn't picked the book at a good time, as it happened to me the first time i read the first one on the duology. but nope. i did enjoy the first one but this one... what were the caracters doing, exactly? walking around doing what? Rhea has everything taken away from her, the resistance so to speak have remoed her and she seems to wander aimlessly confiding on people she doesn't know and hating on the guy she loved so much she brought him back from the dead.
Lexos keeps bemoaming his situation but does nothing but to follow people around, people who maybe he wouldn't judging by how he was on the first book?
and Nixos? i imagined he was going to offer a more interesting POW but... what is he doing exactly? traveling to know more about the saints?
and chris... traveling to find nixos and also doing nothing
i don't know, it might be a case of it's not the book, it's me... specially since rory power was a favorite author of mine, but... i don't care a jot about anyone on this book...
Lexos keeps bemoaming his situation but does nothing but to follow people around, people who maybe he wouldn't judging by how he was on the first book?
and Nixos? i imagined he was going to offer a more interesting POW but... what is he doing exactly? traveling to know more about the saints?
and chris... traveling to find nixos and also doing nothing
i don't know, it might be a case of it's not the book, it's me... specially since rory power was a favorite author of mine, but... i don't care a jot about anyone on this book...
May 5, 2025
This fell flat for me. Not very much plot at all, just 450+ pages of the internal monologue of some siblings as they descend into madness because of their power. Andrija was the most interesting character. The book felt overwritten at times - did I really need to know everyone’s inner thoughts? - but at the same time, there was nothing else to carry the plot. Might check out more by this author in the future, but was not impressed by this book.
July 20, 2025
I am sorry that I took the time to finish this series. The second book was worse than the first. I ended up not understanding the motivations of the characters as the story went on. It was like they changed for no real reason and everything they thought was important previously became irrelevant. I ended up not caring about any of them or their fates which is a real death sentence for a book. The reader needs to stay vested in the story to be a successful tale.
August 25, 2025
This book was such a disappointment. With how the first book ended it had so much potential especially regarding Nitsos but it all fell apart. Alexandros turned into a whiny little brat and Rhea was completely lost. The ending made sense but with all it took me to get there I wasn’t amazed. The only reason I am giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because I genuinely think Rory’s writing is good and legible but the story itself has so much wasted potential.
January 12, 2024
I enjoy Rory Power’s writing and will continue to pick up her books in the future, but this was a confusing and messy read. The pacing was all over the place - it felt like each event just rolled out without any difference in narrative value. At parts, I was briefly pulled in but overall I’m underwhelmed and unaffected.
April 22, 2024
I'm actually so sad. I love all other books I've read by Rory Power, but this series was just not it for me. And reading this book I realized that I actually liked the first book in the series much more. I honestly don't understand the point that this book was trying to make, and to me it basically undid all the build-up of the first book.
August 23, 2024
The writing style is nice but I couldn’t get into this the entire book! I loved the In a Garden Burning Gold but I felt actually lost during this second instalment. The end was… ok.
I think this book would have really benefited from the classic map in the beginning for some perception of scale.
Didn’t land for me.
I think this book would have really benefited from the classic map in the beginning for some perception of scale.
Didn’t land for me.
July 11, 2023
Like succession but with magic. So obviously I loved it
May 22, 2024
what is worse than just a simple bad book, is a great idea with tons of potential turned into a bad book. i regret going onto rory power's instagram looking for meaning and instead finding everything this book wanted to be and could've been.
the prose, i couldn't stand it. it was so dry like straight out of a textbook. for a world that's like a mix between ancient greece and the byzantine empire and a ton of other cool empires and cultures across the world (and time), there should have been encircling descriptions and vivid details and i needed to feel like i was being soaked in this world. bc i just finished The Oleander Sword and that's exactly what tasha suri achieved. but this? we'd get a whole page dedicated to describing the inn room like that mattered. like i cared. it was so dry and barebones. to her credit, she did put her heart and soul into her pinterest boards so i can see how she was picturing it, but it didn't quite translate to the written page.
the plot was real bad. genuinely what was the point of anything any of the characters did? it felt like rather than them DOING things and being their own agent, every one of them had things done to them. 50% of this book was boring bc i didn't care about nitsos OR chrysanthi (i'm just like baba i guess) and chrysanthi was the author's favorite character! haha rip! she set this up to be a tragic fantasy telling of angsty family dynamics, especially siblings. it was tragic, but not in any meaningful way or a truly sad way like idk romeo and juliet. in like a pointless way which ik some can argue that tragedy can be pointless and sometimes that's the meaning. but just trust me when i say there was NO point to this book except to give chrysanthi time to develop a love interest. in fact, those last 30 pages could have just been attached to the first book and it would've made perfect sense. and icb she left the ending like that ugh.
rhea: ok so confirmed she's bisexual so that's where the queer rep comes in. and yeah it's explored a bit more in this book but it's so out of pocket it kinda feels like the opposite. we could've had a bit more buildup before she kissed [redacted] but i guess it was more interesting than 90% of the plot. so rhea fretted a lot in her POVs. she was supposed to be a saint for her rebels but she really just worried all the time, while everyone around her was so done with this saint business. i wanted her to have a complete rejection of baba, if not her siblings. we ARE supposed to be examining complex family relationships right? and siblings are difficult to give up but she did write off 2/3 of them. so why did she end up going back? tragic, possibly. or just a plot device to fling her around and destroy what could have been. her, taking baba's seat and disintegrating into madness like he did.
lexos: oh, alexandros, the man child that you are. the man you could've been. perhaps his schemes and his big brain failed him bc all he could do was grab on tightly to a more powerful person and hope they didn't let him drown. rory power ruined his potential bc he could've been up there with all the other male mcs that get their praises sung on booktok, booktwt, and tumblr. in the words of terry jeffords (b99), "he needs to smoke some weed" or get laid. bc while i want him to be human and normal and laugh and smile, i also love him wound up, angry, violent, and bitter. bc i laughed (in my head ofc) the most during his POVs partly bc of his new friend, but mostly bc he's so sarcastic - i love dry humor. and ofc his father dies and the first thing he does is try everything to find another man to serve, grow a SPINE alexandros.
chrysanthi: oh boy was she power's favorite character every time i thought i was done with her POV lo and behold i would flip the page and get another whole chapter from her perspective. not that i hated her ofc. she was the kindest best character. but her entire journey was boring. blame it on the prose maybe for making it sound like a foresting navigation pamphlet. it was all just to spark a romance between her and andrija. it was fine i suppose. just boring. i'm glad she has someone unlike the rest of her siblings, maybe she can be normal finally.
nitsos: now seriously what was the point of nitsos. everything had incredible setup just to be let down, crushed like he was. no reunion with his siblings. no even manipulation with his machines and creations. just wandering around the world gathering information and then gets killed off. like lexos, he had so much potential. so so useless when he could've been everything, had everything. it's like they all wasted a century doing squat and then in the end it's all for naught.
michali: i'm not upset at how he ended up. yeah he's a hollowed out version of himself but that's bc he's literally died and come back to life. i miss the old him, sharp and smart, but this new version is like not terrible.
spoiler time. . tragedy isn't just killing everyone for fun we could have had better relationships discussions and meaningful resolutions and toxic intricate dialogue. my god we really have been robbed.
i want to discuss what rory power added to her story bc this is what made me truly angry. that she had the ideas in her brain to make this fabulous, but it didn't. UNHIDDEN SPOILERS AHEAD
a less angry luke and a less caffeinated lorelai: so i've never watched gilmore girls so idk what she's talking about but i assume she means chrysanthi and andrija?
us: we're like the same person it's great? everybody else: yeah that's why it's the worst idea in the fucking world: gun to my head i couldn't guess what this is about. rhea/lexos being twins? rhea pretending to be a saint? the author relating to chrysanthi? TELL ME rory power!!
let's make out one more time before i die: is this chrysanthi/andrija? they made out and idk what happened to chrysanthi, if she was meant to sacrifice herself as well. or is this rhea/falka but i don't think they had this convo.
we should not have gotten back together but we did and it would be embarrassing to tell all our friends we already broke up again so we're just digging in our heels: i assume this is rhea/michali? i think so. and this is such a funny idea, sentiment, snippet. she should have explored it more!! fake dating but fr this time bc they can't stand each other anymore. if this is really how it went down i must've missed it but it's incredible. for the millionth time, wasted potential.
i just really want to impress this wealthy, mysterious, hot gentleman for political reasons and i will never examine this further thank you goodnight: alexandros is that you? bc the only other wealthy man we ever meet is luca right... and lexos is so obsessed with impressing other people. and he's the political one. so couldn't we have gotten more of luca cooking for him and racing each other and them swimming before he dropped lexos like a hot potato. (and rip to lexos for everyone dropping and abandoning him). said it before and i'll say it again, alexandros needs to get laid which is wild he's not romantic given his 100 years of existing and rhea going off with her suitors every other season. let lexos get almost constipated with unwanted attraction.
and i dont even know how the countries are faring after all this. now that luca is in charge what happens to everyone else? what happens to the rebels? what happens to the saints? are we gonna get answers or is the setting just a flimsy prop to be taken off stage once rory power has no use for it anymore.
anyway it was those dynamics rory power gave to us through instagram rather than through her actual books. it's like out of the thousands of routes and possibilities she could've taken with this book she picks the absolute worst one. like i want to know what truly went through the process of the incredible thought process to the book that i read. it was not the same thing, friend. with great power comes great responsibility. the only thing left for me is to wistfully wonder what could have been had this concept been executed just a bit better. if rhea had struggled with keeping michali alive and her attraction to falka and her desire to please a long dead baba and her will to use her death powers to regain her family's throne while also being a saint for the rebels. if lexos had idk been more willing to kill people, less eager to be the 2nd to any powerful rando who popped along, if he had hardened himself against his family and actually tried to kill them. if nitsos had been a touch more manipulative and survived. chrysanthi was fine, i had no problem with her discoveries (it was just boring). i'm going to be plauged by this book and maybe that's the tragedy. maybe i should give this 5 stars and applaud rory power for writing such a bad book it itself is the tragedy. she should've just given us all her little snippets and dynamics and published THAT instead of this. i don't really know. all i know is that i loved alexandros and everything he had been, was, and could've been. i loved the idea of him, his devotion to stitching the stars into the sky and controlling the tides (which i wanted more of), his political machinations that gave him nothing but grief, his aversion to beauty, his desire to survive. for all that they were a century old, they really were just children. and now i'm sat here, mad as hell fr with the knowledge of this. potential wasted. wonderful ideas vanished. all i can do is keep lexos locked in my brain, headcanon-ing him as perhaps what rory power had. ugh.
the prose, i couldn't stand it. it was so dry like straight out of a textbook. for a world that's like a mix between ancient greece and the byzantine empire and a ton of other cool empires and cultures across the world (and time), there should have been encircling descriptions and vivid details and i needed to feel like i was being soaked in this world. bc i just finished The Oleander Sword and that's exactly what tasha suri achieved. but this? we'd get a whole page dedicated to describing the inn room like that mattered. like i cared. it was so dry and barebones. to her credit, she did put her heart and soul into her pinterest boards so i can see how she was picturing it, but it didn't quite translate to the written page.
the plot was real bad. genuinely what was the point of anything any of the characters did? it felt like rather than them DOING things and being their own agent, every one of them had things done to them. 50% of this book was boring bc i didn't care about nitsos OR chrysanthi (i'm just like baba i guess) and chrysanthi was the author's favorite character! haha rip! she set this up to be a tragic fantasy telling of angsty family dynamics, especially siblings. it was tragic, but not in any meaningful way or a truly sad way like idk romeo and juliet. in like a pointless way which ik some can argue that tragedy can be pointless and sometimes that's the meaning. but just trust me when i say there was NO point to this book except to give chrysanthi time to develop a love interest. in fact, those last 30 pages could have just been attached to the first book and it would've made perfect sense. and icb she left the ending like that ugh.
rhea: ok so confirmed she's bisexual so that's where the queer rep comes in. and yeah it's explored a bit more in this book but it's so out of pocket it kinda feels like the opposite. we could've had a bit more buildup before she kissed [redacted] but i guess it was more interesting than 90% of the plot. so rhea fretted a lot in her POVs. she was supposed to be a saint for her rebels but she really just worried all the time, while everyone around her was so done with this saint business. i wanted her to have a complete rejection of baba, if not her siblings. we ARE supposed to be examining complex family relationships right? and siblings are difficult to give up but she did write off 2/3 of them. so why did she end up going back? tragic, possibly. or just a plot device to fling her around and destroy what could have been. her, taking baba's seat and disintegrating into madness like he did.
lexos: oh, alexandros, the man child that you are. the man you could've been. perhaps his schemes and his big brain failed him bc all he could do was grab on tightly to a more powerful person and hope they didn't let him drown. rory power ruined his potential bc he could've been up there with all the other male mcs that get their praises sung on booktok, booktwt, and tumblr. in the words of terry jeffords (b99), "he needs to smoke some weed" or get laid. bc while i want him to be human and normal and laugh and smile, i also love him wound up, angry, violent, and bitter. bc i laughed (in my head ofc) the most during his POVs partly bc of his new friend, but mostly bc he's so sarcastic - i love dry humor. and ofc his father dies and the first thing he does is try everything to find another man to serve, grow a SPINE alexandros.
chrysanthi: oh boy was she power's favorite character every time i thought i was done with her POV lo and behold i would flip the page and get another whole chapter from her perspective. not that i hated her ofc. she was the kindest best character. but her entire journey was boring. blame it on the prose maybe for making it sound like a foresting navigation pamphlet. it was all just to spark a romance between her and andrija. it was fine i suppose. just boring. i'm glad she has someone unlike the rest of her siblings, maybe she can be normal finally.
nitsos: now seriously what was the point of nitsos. everything had incredible setup just to be let down, crushed like he was. no reunion with his siblings. no even manipulation with his machines and creations. just wandering around the world gathering information and then gets killed off. like lexos, he had so much potential. so so useless when he could've been everything, had everything. it's like they all wasted a century doing squat and then in the end it's all for naught.
michali: i'm not upset at how he ended up. yeah he's a hollowed out version of himself but that's bc he's literally died and come back to life. i miss the old him, sharp and smart, but this new version is like not terrible.
spoiler time. . tragedy isn't just killing everyone for fun we could have had better relationships discussions and meaningful resolutions and toxic intricate dialogue. my god we really have been robbed.
i want to discuss what rory power added to her story bc this is what made me truly angry. that she had the ideas in her brain to make this fabulous, but it didn't. UNHIDDEN SPOILERS AHEAD
a less angry luke and a less caffeinated lorelai: so i've never watched gilmore girls so idk what she's talking about but i assume she means chrysanthi and andrija?
us: we're like the same person it's great? everybody else: yeah that's why it's the worst idea in the fucking world: gun to my head i couldn't guess what this is about. rhea/lexos being twins? rhea pretending to be a saint? the author relating to chrysanthi? TELL ME rory power!!
let's make out one more time before i die: is this chrysanthi/andrija? they made out and idk what happened to chrysanthi, if she was meant to sacrifice herself as well. or is this rhea/falka but i don't think they had this convo.
we should not have gotten back together but we did and it would be embarrassing to tell all our friends we already broke up again so we're just digging in our heels: i assume this is rhea/michali? i think so. and this is such a funny idea, sentiment, snippet. she should have explored it more!! fake dating but fr this time bc they can't stand each other anymore. if this is really how it went down i must've missed it but it's incredible. for the millionth time, wasted potential.
i just really want to impress this wealthy, mysterious, hot gentleman for political reasons and i will never examine this further thank you goodnight: alexandros is that you? bc the only other wealthy man we ever meet is luca right... and lexos is so obsessed with impressing other people. and he's the political one. so couldn't we have gotten more of luca cooking for him and racing each other and them swimming before he dropped lexos like a hot potato. (and rip to lexos for everyone dropping and abandoning him). said it before and i'll say it again, alexandros needs to get laid which is wild he's not romantic given his 100 years of existing and rhea going off with her suitors every other season. let lexos get almost constipated with unwanted attraction.
and i dont even know how the countries are faring after all this. now that luca is in charge what happens to everyone else? what happens to the rebels? what happens to the saints? are we gonna get answers or is the setting just a flimsy prop to be taken off stage once rory power has no use for it anymore.
anyway it was those dynamics rory power gave to us through instagram rather than through her actual books. it's like out of the thousands of routes and possibilities she could've taken with this book she picks the absolute worst one. like i want to know what truly went through the process of the incredible thought process to the book that i read. it was not the same thing, friend. with great power comes great responsibility. the only thing left for me is to wistfully wonder what could have been had this concept been executed just a bit better. if rhea had struggled with keeping michali alive and her attraction to falka and her desire to please a long dead baba and her will to use her death powers to regain her family's throne while also being a saint for the rebels. if lexos had idk been more willing to kill people, less eager to be the 2nd to any powerful rando who popped along, if he had hardened himself against his family and actually tried to kill them. if nitsos had been a touch more manipulative and survived. chrysanthi was fine, i had no problem with her discoveries (it was just boring). i'm going to be plauged by this book and maybe that's the tragedy. maybe i should give this 5 stars and applaud rory power for writing such a bad book it itself is the tragedy. she should've just given us all her little snippets and dynamics and published THAT instead of this. i don't really know. all i know is that i loved alexandros and everything he had been, was, and could've been. i loved the idea of him, his devotion to stitching the stars into the sky and controlling the tides (which i wanted more of), his political machinations that gave him nothing but grief, his aversion to beauty, his desire to survive. for all that they were a century old, they really were just children. and now i'm sat here, mad as hell fr with the knowledge of this. potential wasted. wonderful ideas vanished. all i can do is keep lexos locked in my brain, headcanon-ing him as perhaps what rory power had. ugh.
May 4, 2023
In this part two of the Argyrosi duology we follow the siblings of the Argyrosi family after the event that changed their lives forever. The loss of their home, normalcy, security, and alliances sends them each on their own path ultimately navigating to the same point. And each evaluates what it means to have power, love, family or none at all.
Truly a wonderful novel at the core. The relationships between family is the thread that weaves through this novel. Sometimes it is making it in your own and discovering yourself, other times it is recognizing the value of what you have. I really enjoyed experiencing each path that the siblings take to its ultimate end. You cannot help but feel for this family. And it all is set in an interesting and engaging world. 5 stars.
Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley. Thank you!
Truly a wonderful novel at the core. The relationships between family is the thread that weaves through this novel. Sometimes it is making it in your own and discovering yourself, other times it is recognizing the value of what you have. I really enjoyed experiencing each path that the siblings take to its ultimate end. You cannot help but feel for this family. And it all is set in an interesting and engaging world. 5 stars.
Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley. Thank you!
May 2, 2023
In an Orchard Grown From Ash returns to the tangled world of the Argyros family. Twins Rhea and Lexos are torn apart after inherited power does manifest as expected and a betrayal occurs. The youngest brother Nitsos has an unexpected depth to his power and seeks strong allies. Chrysanthi will do anything for her siblings- but how much will her siblings ask of her? All four siblings will reckon with the price of their magic and must choose whether the cost is worth it.
I enjoyed this sequel to In a Garden Burning Gold. This book took on a darker tone, with more tragedy woven into the plot. The Argyros siblings and the dynamics between them are fascinating. Chrysanthi and her journey was my favorite, as she was such a loyal sister who was also able to see the cracks in the foundation. Chrysanthi and her companion’s journey was one of my favorite threads to follow in this book.
Rory Power makes it clear that magic always comes with a price and the characters must make difficult choices as the true cost and origin of their gifts are revealed. The new characters were gripping and insidious, especially Falka and Ettore. The world-building is intricate and stunning, such as the unusual library where they go to seek more information. I loved the creativity of the siblings' gifts, particularly Lexos’ gift of arranging the stars in the night sky.
I would recommend this duology to anyone who enjoys vivid world-building, complex sibling stories, and cinematic dark high fantasy. This would be perfect for readers who enjoy Tara Sim (The City of Dusk), M.A. Carrick (The Mask of Mirrors), and Game of Thrones.
Thank you so much to Rory Power, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this sequel to In a Garden Burning Gold. This book took on a darker tone, with more tragedy woven into the plot. The Argyros siblings and the dynamics between them are fascinating. Chrysanthi and her journey was my favorite, as she was such a loyal sister who was also able to see the cracks in the foundation. Chrysanthi and her companion’s journey was one of my favorite threads to follow in this book.
Rory Power makes it clear that magic always comes with a price and the characters must make difficult choices as the true cost and origin of their gifts are revealed. The new characters were gripping and insidious, especially Falka and Ettore. The world-building is intricate and stunning, such as the unusual library where they go to seek more information. I loved the creativity of the siblings' gifts, particularly Lexos’ gift of arranging the stars in the night sky.
I would recommend this duology to anyone who enjoys vivid world-building, complex sibling stories, and cinematic dark high fantasy. This would be perfect for readers who enjoy Tara Sim (The City of Dusk), M.A. Carrick (The Mask of Mirrors), and Game of Thrones.
Thank you so much to Rory Power, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2024
was this book finished? was this meant to be a trilogy and then she had to cut it short at the last minute? i desperately want to know what happened here publishing-wise.
any theme established in the first book is so meticulously deconstructed by this second book that i'm confused as to why this was written, and you could not convince me that rory power knows why either. neither the world, nor any single character grows or changes, which is weird because they do in the first book, and then all that change is carefully negated in this one.
i've seen this series compared to a magical YA-ish version of Succession, and i do get that in that it's about powerful-but-inept traumatized adult children self destructing, but Succession succeeded in tragedy and catharsis. i like tragedy. i like stories about vicious cycles. this just was not one - a cycle implies motion, albeit in a circular pattern. here, absolutely nothing moved.
any theme established in the first book is so meticulously deconstructed by this second book that i'm confused as to why this was written, and you could not convince me that rory power knows why either. neither the world, nor any single character grows or changes, which is weird because they do in the first book, and then all that change is carefully negated in this one.
i've seen this series compared to a magical YA-ish version of Succession, and i do get that in that it's about powerful-but-inept traumatized adult children self destructing, but Succession succeeded in tragedy and catharsis. i like tragedy. i like stories about vicious cycles. this just was not one - a cycle implies motion, albeit in a circular pattern. here, absolutely nothing moved.
November 12, 2024
Important: Go in with the right expectations! Book 1 is all about slow gentle detailed world building & some character work in the background. Book 2 is all about the characters’ emotional journey & the after-effects of family trauma.
3.5-3.75🌟
Main themes: Family dysfunction, resentment, guilt, obligation, (all very typical for Balkan society that this fictional world in based on), regret, rebellion, and how consuming those things can be.
Prose & pacing: Less descriptive, more urgent, with a significantly darker tone. More action, but it’s also more meandering.
(Possible vague spoiler for Book 1): I really think the hummingbird & the wind-up garden are a metaphor for the main theme of the book - how the way we have been raised (wound-up) can affect all the decisions we make and rob us of our agency, even destroy us if we’re not careful.
Criticism: I liked Book 2 less than Book 1, it had a different & way darker tone, way less world building, politics and magic. Also, there are some characters whose arcs finished too abruptly, and things left unfinished. But looking at Book 2 as a character study depicting the effects of family trauma, really made me appreciate it because it does that well.
I think that the duology would have been better as one book. The two feel too different in pace and tone, which would have made better sense in one go as a form of development of the story. Plus they could have been a bit shorter
3.5-3.75🌟
Main themes: Family dysfunction, resentment, guilt, obligation, (all very typical for Balkan society that this fictional world in based on), regret, rebellion, and how consuming those things can be.
Prose & pacing: Less descriptive, more urgent, with a significantly darker tone. More action, but it’s also more meandering.
(Possible vague spoiler for Book 1): I really think the hummingbird & the wind-up garden are a metaphor for the main theme of the book - how the way we have been raised (wound-up) can affect all the decisions we make and rob us of our agency, even destroy us if we’re not careful.
Criticism: I liked Book 2 less than Book 1, it had a different & way darker tone, way less world building, politics and magic. Also, there are some characters whose arcs finished too abruptly, and things left unfinished. But looking at Book 2 as a character study depicting the effects of family trauma, really made me appreciate it because it does that well.
I think that the duology would have been better as one book. The two feel too different in pace and tone, which would have made better sense in one go as a form of development of the story. Plus they could have been a bit shorter
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