It was interesting to see the myth of Persephone and Hades set in a vastly different way than most of the remakes.

Most of the reinventions of the myth involve Persephone and Hades fighting to be together overtly and not letting absolutely anyone tear them apart, besides themselves obviously. But in In the Garden of Monsters, the premise is that Julia, or Persephone, doesn’t feel entirely at ease with Ignazio, or Hades, and in fact attempts to avoid being alone with him at all costs.

And that part fascinates me. The underlying thread of the myth is still there. It’s not overt and at times, I completely forgot that it was supposed to be a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. But it was there and I really liked it. I kinda preferred this kind of retelling, at least this go round, in the way that the story itself stood out on it’s own and didn’t need that myth to carry it.

The way that King was able to reimagine the Hades and Persephone myth against a weird time in history was phenomenal.

The characterization was pretty interesting as well. The setting, leaping of the page, was a weird time frame. During that time of World War II, the Italian countryside and the characters, like Salvador Dali, were all at once famous and not the greatest to be around.

King made me feel the uncertainty and terror that Julia felt. It got to the point where I couldn’t read it at night, which slowed my progress since that’s when I read the most.

I genuinely loved it. The imagery and opulence that leaped off the page in every single chapter were amazing.

In the Garden of Monsters is a Greek retelling the idea is interesting but its just like an other retelling.

While I respect the depth of this novel, I didn't care for yet another Persephone rehash. I feel often that this market is saturated, and even with the unique time period and setting, I felt the story fell flat.

A very unique retelling. I’m a sucker for a good Greek mythology story. As much as I wanted to love it….Sometimes the story felt a bit slow and I couldn’t keep my attention on it. In the most respectful way possible, I don’t think this book was for me. It just felt repetitive and didn’t feel like it was going anywhere…. I am so grateful for netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, but I look forward to reading and reviewing other books by this author in the future.

If anyone has looked at my “read” books on any of my accounts, you’ve probably seen that I have a variety of Persephone and Hades romances. I love the stories and the different takes on it. So, I was excited for this!
Ya’ll, I wanted to love it, but ,(purely my opinion) it was so slow. Trying to puzzle out what the actual threat was, who our FMC truly was, what the hell was happening- it dragged for me. I’m all for suspenseful, but this was beyond that. That said, the author truly adored her topic and it was vivid. The food descriptions alone are worth a star! And the Garden of Monsters was beautifully described. In total, this is more like 3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
*** Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. **

This was an interesting concept, but unfortunately the writing style did not capture me. Maybe it was the historical fiction aspect that wasn’t gripping me, but the world building was very detailed. I was excited for a hades/persephone retelling, but unfortunately this was not my favorite.

I’ll preface this with saying, I will read anything that has to do with Hades and Persephone. The retellings or reimagings, and “based on” books will forever be something I’ll pick up. This goes across genres – I won’t discriminate. I like the dark stories and the unique ways that authors create the Underwold (will it be like mythology, more modern as organized crime, etc.) and how they illustrate these characters (of course, they aren’t always named the same, which I almost encourage). Anyway, enough about that, on to this story!

Set in 1948 Italy, we meet our main character, Julia. She is a model and has a rather mysterious life, in that she doesn’t remember anything of her life prior to being in Rome. When she meets the famed artist Salvador Dalí, he convinces her to accompany him to Sacro Bosco (Italy’s Garden of Monsters) to be his muse. Something about their dark and captivating host, Ignazio, is drawing Julia in and she can’t quite place it. As she poses as Persephone for Dalí, he begins to truly believe she IS the real Persephone.

IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS brings us the best in terms of setting, mythology, and historical fiction. King sets the scene and you feel like you’re in that garden with the giant statues and you experience the same discomfort as Julia. I think this would be an incredible place to visit and you better believe I did some research on it, because how could I not? The intoxicating pull between Julia and Ignazio was all consuming and you could feel their chemistry and it was definitely reminiscent of the Hades and Persephone tales. I loved this and highly recommend to those who love mythology and retellings/reimagings like this!

This book is trying to do a LOT and none of it is done all that well. By the author's own note, it wants to be a gothic horror. In addition, there is Greek and Roman Mythology roped in. Also, Salvatore Dali is there. Also, it takes place during a real week that Salvatore Dali spent in the actual Gardens of Bomarzo. Also, it's post-ww2 Italy. Also, there is a great deal of emphasis on the food being eaten. There is also a mystery about the main character, Julia's origins. Lots of people are also sleeping together... I think so many of these elements are great ideas, but it's all too much when mixed together and it all becomes kinda... slogging. This was such a disappointment because many elements here would have become great on their own. Instead, a lot of the book feels shoe-horned together.

4.25 stars

I'm an absolute sucker for mythology retellings. Add in a little Salvador Dali? Oh you got me hooked! I loved Crystal King's writing and her take on Persephone and Pluto. What a joy to read!

A big thank you to Crystal King, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

This was a fresh take on the Hades x Persephone/Pluto x Proserpina myth. I haven’t read too many Roman iterations of the myth so this was a new look at it for me. I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the book and the use of some real life historical figures.

The best part of the novel was the setting. The setting was like a secondary character in the story. The small Italian village, massive palazzo and the garden of monsters made the story eerie and ominous. I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy myth retellings but want one that is out of the box!

The story follows the life of a young woman, Giulia, who is sent to live with her powerful and notorious uncle, the Duke of Ferrara, in a grand yet unsettling palace. Surrounded by beauty, politics, and scandal, Giulia becomes entangled in the dark secrets of her uncle’s court, where nothing is as it seems, and the lines between loyalty, betrayal, and survival blur.

King’s writing brings the lush, dangerous world of Renaissance Italy to vivid life, from the political intrigue of the court to the rich textures of the setting. The tension builds steadily as Giulia uncovers uncomfortable truths about her family, her relationships, and herself. The novel expertly explores themes of power, manipulation, and the complexities of family dynamics, all against a backdrop of stunning art, architecture, and historical events.

I just came back from Italy and this was a great immersive read. Crystal King’s skillful storytelling and rich historical details make this a compelling read that transports readers.

This book is an experience! I love twists on classical mythology. I love the descriptions in this book. I didn't know anything about the actual Garden of Monsters, but had to look it up because of this book. So cool! I want to go there. My sister is trying to move to Italy right now, so maybe someday I'll get a chance. The inclusion of Dali and Gala as characters added to the surreaity of the story. I haven't done any research on Dali as a person (or Gala) but I could absolutely buy King's portrayal of him. I liked the bits of magic and they weren't overdone. The descriptions of food and drink in this book are otherworldly! I don't even eat most of what was described, but the way King does it makes your mouth water anyway!
This retelling of Hades and Persephone is definitely worth the read!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance copy of this book for review.

5/10

I’m a fan of art, and mythology and the surreal mind of Salvador Dali. I am a foodie and love Italy. In theory, everything about this book connects with me.

Too bad I didn’t connect with any of it.

The story is a creative retelling of Persephone and Hades, set in a garden in Italy Salvador Dali and his entourage. The main character is Julia, a model for Dali. Julia arrives at the garden and is haunted by ghosts of the past who warn her not to eat pomegranate seeds.

The first fifty pages of this book were really engaging and I was eager to see where it went.

Unfortunately, it went absolutely nowhere and it took its time getting there.

That sentence above where I say “ arrives at the garden and is haunted by ghosts of the past who warn her not to eat pomegranate seeds”, that’s the entire story. There is no 2nd or 3rd act. It’s just the same monotonous story that leads absolutely nowhere you don’t expect.

I really couldn’t wait to finish this book and if it weren’t for the graciousness of the publisher and NetGalley, I would’ve abandoned it a lot sooner and never felt an ounce of guilt over that.

I hope my future memories of this book fall more in line with what I hoped it would be and less of what it actually was.

#netgalley #inthegardenofmonsters

It is a unique retelling with exciting characters and a thrilling mystery. I enjoyed the fusion of historical figures with the classic Greek mythology. I have not seen that in another book, and I found that fusion very well written. The pacing was a little slow for me, but overall, I enjoyed the book,

I love greek mythology, I love psychological confusion thrillers, I loved this book! While it was a bit repetitive at times, the premise pulled it through to stay enjoyable.

Bomarzo, Italy, 1547-1560. After nearly a century, Ignazio has again found his love. He has discovered that the veil to the Underworld is thin in the woods around Palazzo Orsini, and this will make it easier to always find his Giulia. With his aphrodisiac culinary arts, it doesn’t take Giulia Farnese long to fall under his influence. As the pair walk through the woods, they envision the unusual stones transformed into mythological statues. So, Giulia’s husband brings their vision to life, building The Sacro Bosco – the Sacred Wood.

World War II is over, and Julia Lombardi finds herself in Rome bewildered, remembering nothing of her past. As a struggling artist in 1948, Julia cannot turn down an opportunity to model nude for Salvador Dalí in the Sacro Bosco. Julia, Dalí, his wife Gala, and his assistants, Paolo and Jack, travel to the ancient Palazzo Orsini and its garden of monsters for Dalí’s work. He insists on calling Julia, his muse, Proserpina (Persephone). The handsome and mysterious Ignazio is their host. His dazzling, seductive cuisine wows his guests. Julia is intensely attracted to him yet very fearful. Is he part of the past that she still can’t recall? Something makes her resist the constant pressure to eat the pomegranate seeds served with every meal.

Weaving in the tale of Pluto and Proserpina (Hades and Persephone), King writes a gothic, magical retelling that keeps the reader suspended and poised for something inevitably sinister to happen. As the enigmatic Ignazio and his eerily silent staff attend his guests, we are regaled with decadent, sumptuous details of food that will delight any foodie. Dalí’s wife Gala is a cruel and malicious character, and Dalí, the dreamy, flighty artist, is hopelessly in love with this opportunistic woman. Cleverly mirroring the surreal and bizarre of Dalí’s art, this rich, dark fantasy delivers a delightfully spine-tingling read.

Historical Novels Review, November 2024

This one was a little convoluted. I love the concept and I was invested, but there was just a lot to follow along the many possible lives of Julia. Perhaps if I were more knowledgeable of Roman gods/mythology (I mostly am aware of Greek) I would have done better. Overall, a fascinating tale of mythology, death and art. Julia is invited to be a model for Salvadore Dali in Sacro Bosco and she travels there excited for the possibility to model and hopefully learn from the famous surrealist. What she does not expect is the inexplicable feeling that she knows the place, the malice of Dali’s wife, Gala, or her attraction to the owner of the estate, Ignazio. What unfurls over the course of what amounts to be a week-long(ish) house party is nothing short of a nightmare for Julia as she must find out what is real and what is myth.

Overall, interesting and inventive while a little overwhelming to follow at times.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this title!

Atmospheric, enticing, and mysterious. This book swept me away with the scenery and memorable characters.