In a Garden Burning Gold

One

Rhea

A week was too long to be a widow. Even after all her marriages, Rhea had never got used to it. The black, the singing, the veils ­it was enough to drive anybody mad. At least no one ever expected her to cry.

She leaned forward in her seat as her carriage rattled up the road toward her father s house, Stratathoma, where it was perched on the edge of a sheer black cliff. From here she could only see the thick perimeter wall and above it the peaks of the stone-­shingled roof. Somewhere inside, past the courtyards and double doors, were her siblings. Of them all, Alexandros would be most glad to see her, and she him; it was always strange being separated from her twin, no matter how many times they parted. Nitsos, their younger brother, would have barely noticed her absence, tucked away as he was in his workshop from morning until night. And Chrysanthi would be excited to see her, if only for the stories Rhea brought back from her trips.

Little Chrysanthi ­although, Rhea reminded herself, they were none of them so little anymore gathered up the stories Rhea told about her consorts and kept them in a small tin box by the side of her bed. Sometimes, if Rhea listened closely during the night, she could hear Chrysanthi open the box and munch contentedly on a story or two, leaving crumbs strewn across her bedsheets. Well, she wouldn t be disappointed this time. Rhea had a few stored up with just the right flavor. A flavor: a sweet, spicy autumn sort of crispness. Those were Chrysanthi s favorites.

At last the carriage reached the double doors breaching Stratathoma s perimeter wall, their gnarled surface painted a deep blue, the color most closely associated with their family name, Argyros. Rhea s father was quite proud of their name and insisted that his children and his house bear his colors whenever possible. He was the country s Stratagiozi, her father, in charge of all of Thyzakos, and as his children she and her siblings each had their

Rory Power lives in Rhode Island. She has an MA in prose fiction from the University of East Anglia and is the New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down.

Tremendously surprising . . . beautiful language and developing mysteries . . . a very smooth and enjoyable read. The New York Times Book Review

Distinguished by a stunningly crafted world, a fascinating magic system, and nail-biting political intrigues, In a Garden Burning Gold is a vividly woven tapestry of love, power, and betrayal. Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn

Unapologetically vicious, with gorgeous, searing prose and a world that left me reeling . . . Rory Power has crafted my favorite kind of story, in which love and betrayal are one and the same. Heather Walter, author of Malice

Full of lush writing and deeply detailed worldbuilding . . . [a] rich fantasy landscape and an almost Shakespearean feel. Paste

Set against a dazzling Mediterranean backdrop, In a Garden Burning Gold is a strikingly original and thoughtful fantasy. BookPage

Alternating points of view between Rhea and Lexos highlight the emotional arcs of children wanting to both secure their parent s love and remove themselves from his control. Immersive prose, Greek-inspired worldbuilding, and political machinations . . . Power constructs a world of magical families with layered secrets. Library Journal

Power creates a distinctive magic system and has a steady hand with the complex geopolitical intrigue, building a fascinating, lived-in world. Publishers Weekly