Julia has no memory of her past, but, despite that, she attended Accademia di Belle Arti and graduated. She wants to learn more about art and be an artist, but has to work to pay bills and when she’s offered to sit for Salvador Dalí as Prosperina or Persephone, she jumps on the opportunity for the money, but also to hopefully get art pointers from the artist.

They travel to a palazzo where there is a garden filled with monsters and a steward who is the most beautiful man she’s ever seen, who she finds familiar and yet has never met before. While staying there to model, things start to seem odd when Julia continues to experience a sense of deja vu, and seeing ghost and hearing whispers and begins to wonder whether she had been here before.

This book took me for a loop! I didn’t know who to trust and I always love figuring out the twist or connection in a twisty story like this. It definitely kept me reading just to understand what on earth was going on and who the bad guy was, not that there necessarily was one, but you get it.

This story did not go the way I expected. It’s dark, gothic, mysterious, suspenseful with thrilling moments, and that mystery you want to solve about these ghosts and whispers that Julia sees and hears. It made for a chilling and thrilling ride.

There’s a lot less romance than I expected there to be, which was okay. It was more of the journey Julia went on learning about herself and discovering her missing past. I just loved the mystery of it!

I loved the added touch with Salvador Dalí and his wife. I think that added something to the mystery creating confusion for the reader trying to figure out how this artists fit into all this.

It was a bit slow for me at first, and I mainly just didn’t understand what I was reading since we get right into it from the beginning, but as I read it, it made more sense and that’s what added to the mystery is the confusion.

If you enjoy the story of Hades and Persephone, or just love art and gothic stories, I would definitely recommend this unique take on their story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m not usually into mythical retellings, but I wanted to give this book a shot to convert me. I fear this book only made me want to double down and avoid retellings for a while. I just personally didn’t really connect with this take of the story or the characters. I also found it hard to stay interested as it felt the pace really slowed down at points. I completely understand that while I may not have been the audience for this book, I’m sure there will be interested readers.

In the Garden of Monsters offers a fresh and captivating take on the Hades and Persephone myth, standing out in a sea of retellings. Set in 1948 Italy, the story follows Julia, an artist and model who takes on a mysterious assignment at a remote palazzo renowned for its enchanting garden. Hired by none other than Salvador Dalí, Julia quickly finds herself entangled in a world of secrets that go far beyond the ordinary. As the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, she must solve these otherworldly mysteries before it’s too late.✨️

🤴 My opinion:

The author weaves an atmospheric tale, rich with vivid descriptions of the palazzo, the hauntingly beautiful garden, and mouth-watering Italian cuisine, transporting readers into a world dripping with gothic allure. For those who appreciate a touch of spice, there’s just enough to add heat without overshadowing the suspenseful plot.

What truly sets this book apart is its blend of history, art, and myth, all wrapped in a gothic paranormal mystery. Even without the Hades and Persephone myth, this novel stands on its own as a deeply immersive and engaging read. Fans of lush world-building, enigmatic characters, and intricate puzzles will find this book hard to put down. 🤴

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing @htpbooks , Mira, NetGalley, and The Hive @htp_hive, for the opportunity to read this enthralling story.

Julia has been commissioned as a model for artist Salvador Dali at the Sacro Bosco, Italy's Garden of Monsters but when they arrive there is a mysterious connection between her and the man who runs the estate. He seems to know her, and Julia is hyper aware of his every move. Julia is posing as the goddess Persephone, but finds Dali is extreme in his fanatical inspiration for his piece. Julia begins to question her own sanity, as she starts to believe she may actually be the goddess, and is the mysterious Ignazio is her Hades.

Thank you to netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

Hades and Persephone are one of my favourite myths, and I really enjoyed that element of this book! Crystal Kind did a great job of hooking the reader immediately with a compelling prologue, and the mysterious viewpoints of Julia's POV continue to drive the reader. The writing is both horrifying and beautiful, King evokes clear and haunting pictures for the reader. An absolute must read for any fan of mythical works!

Wow! What an intriguing premise for a novel. With artist Salvador Dali as a presence in the book, readers know that some odd and interesting things will happen to Julia.

This story takes place in two time periods. In each of these, a woman faces challenges. Readers will know more about Julia, Persephone and Hades as well as a garden by its end.

This is a unique historical/fantasy novel with Gothic elements. It will keep readers turning the pages.

In the Garden of Monsters is a surreal and atmospheric retelling of Hades and Persephone.

Julia Lombardi is an art student in Italy with no memory of her past. When the great Salvador Dalí asks her to be his muse, to pose as Proserpina for his next work, she can’t possibly refuse. She accompanies the Dalís to a historical manor in the Italian county side. The caretaker, Ignazio feels familiar somehow, and Julia can’t help but be drawn to him.

Set in post-war Italy, this fantastical historical fiction is part romance, part Gothic thriller. There is so much going on in this story, but it works really well. It is definitely one to read if you need an escape into a unique and richly imagined story. While I had a sense of the direction of the story, it is a retelling after all, but the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat as the mysteries kept unfolding. This is a haunting and beautiful tale about art, mythology, glorious food, and mysteries.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was attracted by the setting as Bomarzo, il Sacro Bosco and il Giardino dei Mostri, are very intriguing and fascinating.
I was also curious of reading a story featuring Dalì as he visited the park in 1948.
That said I found it an entertaining fantasy but quite far from the historical moment which was a bit more confusing and less nice. Plus I think that Gala was definitely a nicer woman even if a strong one.
I appreciated the style of writing and it's a entertaining fantasy.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this at the 52% mark. I think the writing style and descriptive language was beautiful and unique. The author did a great job setting the scene and building a creepy, yet gorgeous atmosphere. However, it took almost 150 pages for the plot to actually appear to have some sort of direction. The first 100 pages was just a lot of flitting around without much else going on. I was honestly bored to tears and debated putting this down by 1/3 of the way through. I think if you don’t mind a slow paced book that really takes its time setting the scene and easing into the plot, you would probably enjoy In the Garden of Monsters. This just wasn’t my cup of tea and I have way too many arcs to get through to force myself to finish this one.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy.

This book was real weird. Not necessarily in a bad way but also not in a good way? The plot was hard to follow yet it was interesting enough that I chose to continue reading but at times I wish I hadn't. I did, however, really enjoy the writing style which is what kept me going throughout the story but I never really found myself invested in this book at all. Overall, I think this story had a good idea but not so great execution.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

No one should be surprised that I'm reading another hades and persephone retelling at this point. I will forever read them all any chance I take. I absolutely devoured this book in two days. I have read so many retellings of this couple, but this book was something different all together. What a fun and bizarre twist on the myth. Very surreal, but what else do you expect when the Salvador Dali is in it. I was just transported with the writing and how it enraptured me. These grand scenes of dinners and food made me hungry. Every spooky thing that was happening in this castle. The author just took this myth and couple that I love so much and wrote it from a different perspective and way of thinking. This has been one of my favorite retellings. There was so much that happened I loved it all. I definitely want to read some of her other works.

In the Garden of Monsters had all the right elements—Italy in the ’40s, a model with memory loss, and a fresh twist on the Hades and Persephone myth. It sounds promising, but instead, the story felt like a slow, repetitive loop where nothing truly happens. By the end, it dragged on without leaving much of an impact.

The romance was almost non-existent until the very end, and even then, it felt like an afterthought. The author seemed to toss it in as a last-minute addition, with no tension or buildup to make it interesting. The lack of any real chemistry or development left it feeling flat and unremarkable.

While the concept had potential, the execution fell short. Fans of mythology retellings who don’t mind a slow-moving plot might appreciate it, but it ultimately lacked the romance or excitement to truly make an impact.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this. I am the target audience. Art? Italy in the 40s? Eccentric LOML Salvador Dali? Hades/Persephone? A cat named Orpheus? Dope!

I think the main problem is I assumed this would maybe be more of a fantasy, when instead it's more of a horror. Except it's not a horror book.

It doesn't really fit into a genre and I think the descriptions and marketing are going to be a little bit hard to hit the right audience. I'd comp it to Silvia Moreno-Garcia where it's just kind of it's own thing.

It's an interesting retelling, and for that I have to give it credit. It twists the myth, but with 80000 other retellings, especially of Persephone, it's kind of fun to have one so different.

I just wish there was MORE. I wanted more weirdness at the house, more horror, more hauntings. Everything seemed a little uneventful. And I wanted more romantic torment. This is classified as a romance but there's virtually no romance until the very end and even then it's just "they're together, they did it!" And I just wanted MORE.

A Hades and Persephone retelling that is absolutely captivating! It does have its own twist on the tale but it was mesmerizing none the less.

Food was a very important point to the story, pomegranates being at the top. I loved the infusion of art themes in with the story.

This makes a great fall read and is being released at the perfect time!!

In the Garden of Monsters is a darkly compelling retelling of Hades and Persephone, set in post World War 2 Italy. Julia Lombardi is a recent art school graduate and an amnesiac. When Salvador Dalí invites her to model for him in Bomarzo, a town north west of Rome, Julia cannot refuse the exorbitant pay or the opportunity to meet Dalí. But after the group arrives at Palazzo Orsino and its garden of mythical statuary, the situation begins to shift and danger seems to lurk at every corner. Between Dalí’s inability to separate Julia from her role as Proserpina and their host, Ignazio’s, insistence on feeding her pomegranates, Julia has to figure out what is happening and how her forgotten past plays into it.

King has written a fascinating version of the story of Hades and Persephone, one that will leave you questioning what is happening and who Julia can trust. This fantasy novel is steeped both in post-WW2 concerns regarding facism, racism, and sexism while also giving Persephone’s story a haunting twist. I highly recommend In the Garden of Monsters to anyone who enjoys Greek myth retellings, dark academia romances, and stories like Hadestown.

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King releases next week on Tuesday, September 9th. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

In the Garden of Monsters is a psychedelic fever dream of a novel that strayed too far into the abstract for my liking, but nonetheless represents a highly unique take on the Hades and Persephone myth. My biggest issue was a persistent feeling that the quality of the prose did not match the brilliance of the storytelling. At times the prose feels juvenile and contrived, a disappointing contrast to the expert plot. The story is also a dedicated work of historical fiction in addition to its magical elements: I enjoyed learning about Italian history and the life of the elusive Salvador Dali.

You need not know the story of Persephone and Hades or Salvador Dali to enjoy this gothic novel set largely in 1948 Italy but I'd recommend a quick zip through wikipedia to most fully appreciate it. Julia, who can not remember her past, is working as a muse for Dali under the watchful eye of Ignazio- sort of. There's a garden with statues, there's odd happenings and you'll question whether Julia is fully sane but keep reading because it's quite a journey. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Very different from King's earlier work but a very good read.

Italy, 1948. Salvador Dali, a model/artist named Julia who cannot remember her past, and a garden full of monstrous statues that may be of another world.

This book was a STRUGGLE to finish. I’m honestly shocked I made it the whole way through. The dialogue was so odd (and not just from Dali, which was to be expected), the plot was repetitive, and parts just didn’t even make sense, even for a mythological/fantastical storyline. Great concept, poor execution. The best parts of the book were the meals, which is to be expected given King's background.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderful mix of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery!

"A woman with no past. A man who seems to know her. And a monstrous garden that could be the border between their worlds…"

Julia doesn't remember her past and when she is invited by Salvador Dali to model for him, it presents an opportunity to learn more about herself. She is his muse, his Persephone, in the Sacro Bosco—Italy’s Garden of Monsters (I fell down a wikipedia hole! this is a real place he painted at and even made a short film) but their host, Ignazio is dark, mysterious, and seems to know her.

I really enjoyed the totally different concept of this book! It was engaging and mysterious but also fantastical and romantic. Highly recommend to people who love Hades x Persephone stories, historical fiction, food, and art.

A great mix of ancient myth, modern history, and classic mystery. This book keeps you in place and in suspense for most of the story but in a way that gives bread crumbs and very slowly opens to new characters or connections between them.

The author does a great job painting a picture of the villa and the woods, keeping the model story and the lost past in perfect balance.

She is clearly inspired by the source myth material but not afraid to reinterpret and make smart changes to fit the story and our time.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, I had to dnf this one about 20% in. It supposedly takes place in 1948 but it reads like a 2014-era social justice tumblr post, with modern language, modern culture, etc. I think it’s more than fair to go into historical fiction expecting not to find rampant, unabashed racism and homophobia, but I think it needs to at least stick to how people spoke and thought back then. This…does not. She could have set this in 2020 and I wouldn’t bat an eye.

I’m also not interested in Greek mythology so the Hades and Persephone was more than a little lost on me lol. I requested this ARC because it sounded like a book I might enjoy, lack of interest in mythology notwithstanding, but it’s so heavy-handed and out of place that I couldn’t immerse myself in the story at all. Not a fan, will not be continuing.