This is my first book by Rory Power, and I have to say, I'm so impressed! The world building was first-class, and the character development kept me intrigued.

A tale reminiscent of the Greek tragedies (or Shakespearean) in form and outline, In a Garden Burning Gold is about family feuds, lust for power, and the battle between doing what the family demands vs what you think is right.

Fans of S.A. Chakraborty and Sabaa Tahir will appreciate this first in a series.

I thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. ( )

This book was about a magical family where each individual child had special powers over the seasons, the tides, and the stars and the children's powers were used by the father to rule the region. The father became increasingly erratic and the children had to find a way to keep peace in the land

I really had a hard time getting through the book. The children's characters were difficult at times to comprehend and the writing was very choppy. ( )

I couldn't get into this novel and didn't finish it. I read about 150 pages. I think I just wasn't in the mood. ( )

This read is a tough one. There were a few aspects that I liked and many that niggled.

My first impression, right off the bat was: "who the hell ARE all of these people??" It felt like an IQ test that I was failing. Not only was it confusing but it was also rather boring. It did manage to find its pace after a (looong) while and it turned out to be an enjoyable foundation book... if you're into that sort of thing... first books where the pull is the setup... whose sole reason for existing is to build a solid foundation for book #2 to flourish in. If that sounds like your cuppa then you'll be excited because this story is a model example of all that. BUT be aware, it does not come off as a book that can stand on its own. Yes, there are political machinations, uneasy alliances, familial magic, toxic daddy issues and betrayl. It has all of that and still managed to feel a bit tedious. The genre it is labeled as is a bit deceiving too, it reads more as a YA book than Adult. Also, if you're the type of reader that likes to be immersed in a lush world where feelings are coaxed and compelled out of you due to the descriptive nature of the writing instead of being TOLD to feel then maybe this book isn't for you.

This book is primarily an Epic Fantasy who, on a very fundamental level, asks: What/how much does Family mean to you? Where are you willing to draw the line for yourself? The Greek political aspects were confusing so for ~ the first half of the book it felt like I showed up ready for a final exam and then BAM... what I studied was all the wrong material... never a good feeling! I was lost in the sauce. There were huge bouts of info dumping. I almost threw in the towel just from that alone.

Then there was the family drama whose dynamics felt off kilter especially with its disingenuous sibling interactions. For a family that had been in each other's gravity for nearly 100 years, it sure felt... off. The romantic subplot was a fail, mainly due to the PG interactions between "supposed" adults... one almost ancient yet still very adolescent.

Overall:
Rory Power writes pretty prose depicting disturbing family relations, creepy twisty turns (which I liked best) and 2 decent characters... the rest I couldn't care one whit about. The uneven pacing was distracting (to say the least) and then there was the massive info dumping... THAT was extremely frustrating! BUT when the story was good, it was great! It was exciting and made me want to know what was going to happen next. Too bad these sections weren't more abundant.

Don't let this review's vibe fool you though... this book's ending made HUGE retaliatory steps in the right direction... the setup for book #2 makes it seem like an epic followup is in the works. See?? A review that gives with one hand and takes away with the other. Oh well... I might be on the hunt for book #2... depends on what other books come out and catch my attention.

~ Enjoy

*** I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. *** ( )

In a Garden Burning Gold is a beautifully crafted tale set in a world where certain families hold the magical powers taken from the land that control the nature of the world around them. They are known as the Stratagiozi. Their father, Vasilis and his four children, twins Rhea and Alexandros, Nitsos and Chrysanti all hold different gifts that affect the world around them. Rhea takes a new consort each season to bring a new season, she must kill them to end the season. Alexandros weaves the stars into the sky each night and controls the tides of the ocean, Chrysanti paints the plants and flowers to change the colors of the world and Nitsos, the black sheep of the four, is confined to building mechanical flora and fauna that remains inside the home.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Rhea and Alexandros in alternating chapters. Alexandros knows that there is unrest in a remote area of the country and wants Rhea to choose her next consort from that area so that she can infiltrate the resistance and be a spy for him. Rhea finds that she has chosen this man without having really made that decision. Nevertheless she goes with Michali, where she unexpectedly falls in love with this consort whom she is expected to kill at the end of the season. While Alexandros, who is also his fathers second, tries to shore up support for his family due to his fathers increasingly erratic behavior.
Overall a fantastic read for fans of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy or Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver book. Loved it. Highly recommend and definitely looking forward to the next book in this duology! ( )