In an Orchard Grown from Ash

March 6, 2023
Power’s blood-soaked and tragic conclusion to the Wind-Up Garden duology (after In a Garden Burning Gold) follows the four royal Argyros siblings—Rhea, Lexos, Nitsos, and Chrysanthi—in the wake of personal and political loss. As Rhea struggles with inheriting her father’s power over death, she vows to hunt down and kill Nitsos for using his power to manipulate her choices. She sends Chrysanthi after Nitsos as part of her bid for revenge, but Chrysanthi’s real goal is to reunite her family. Lexos, eager to regain power of his own, allies himself with Ettore, a member of the rival Domina family. Meanwhile, Nitsos seeks to locate the mysterious saint’s graves, a goal that soon sweeps up everyone on the continent in a race to either obtain or destroy the fabled power the graves contain. All the siblings independently converge on the saints’ final resting place—where doom awaits the family. The author probes even deeper into her series’ exploration of power and corruption, but adds a hopeful note amid all the tragedy and destruction that makes the bloodshed feel worthwhile. Series fans will find this a satisfying conclusion. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management.

Starred review from April 1, 2023

Driven from their home and with their father dead, the Argyros siblings find themselves separated by distance and distrust. Lexos is a political prisoner of the Domina family, left on an island alone--almost. His twin Rhea continues to work with the rebel Sxoriza as the other powerful families battle to fill the power vacuum that's left behind. Rhea is also searching for their younger brother, Nitsos, who is responsible for the death of her husband. The youngest, Chrysanthi, always sheltered from much of the world, sets out to find Nitsos too, with concerns he plans to attempt to regain the family power for himself. As the four siblings journey on their own paths of truth, what lies at the end can either free them from the destructive legacy their father left or destroy them all. Revolving points of view highlight the familial love, betrayal, and emotional arcs of the siblings. VERDICT The duology's conclusion (following In a Garden Burning Gold) is a raw, emotional journey of a family created and broken by the consequences of their actions.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 14, 2023
Power wraps up this duology as the Argyrosi siblings attempt to rebuild their lives. Twins Lexos and Rhea chose opposing sides during In a Garden Burning Gold (2022), as they faced off against their father after a century of abuse. Lexos is imprisoned by the Domina family, his magical ability stolen by Falka, while Rhea deals with inheriting their father's power and having broken her own vow by reviving her dead consort, Michali, causing an extended winter. Presented as a saint by allies who distrust her and exclude her from the decision-making process, and dismayed by Michali's personality shift after his revival, Rhea sends their sheltered younger sister, Chrysanthi, on a quest to locate their brother Nitsos under the guise of a familial reconciliation. Through chance and manipulation by the Domina family, all of the siblings find themselves near the supposed grave of the original saints, who were all killed by Luco Domina centuries earlier. Power keeps the reader wondering if these flawed characters can possibly redeem themselves before the end.

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