Review Detail

Princess Madalina and her twin sister Inessa share one thing. A scar that is the only remnant of them being attached to the hand at birth. While Inessa is ambitious, her sister is quieter and enjoys watching the deadly grave flowers. That all changes when her sister is murdered and their roles are changed. Princess Madalina is now responsible for carrying out the task given to her by her father to murder Prince Aeric. Only things are more complicated than she thinks. Madalina finds intrigue, dark secrets, and a growing chemistry with the very man she's supposed to kill. Plus, her sister's ghost haunts her and begs to be released from Bide, a purgatory. Madalina must resist her attraction to Prince Aeric if she's to free her sister from Bide and complete her mission.

What worked: Treachery and revenge follow this dark fantasy where Hamlet meets the Tudors with killer flowers and ghostly guests. This twisty tale of twin sisters is haunting and eerily beautiful.

Both sisters grow up in a world that thinks kindness is a weakness. Their king father is ruthless and only has one objective: to marry off his daughters to Prince Aeric to gain a wealthy nation. Princess Inessa is only shown as a ghost, and even then, she shows contempt and vengeance. In death, she's not too nice to her sister.

Madalina, though not as ambitious, does want approval from her distant father. Even if that means taking over the plot to kill Prince Aeric. She's also curious, and this leads her to question who might have poisoned her sister. Madalina is also able to outsmart her enemies in court. And there are lots of people who wish her harm.

This story develops slowly through describing the two different kingdoms and the grave flowers, which are also characters. I was intrigued by the journal entries of a mad king who tries to torture prisoners with different flowers to achieve immortality. All of this is linked back to the sisters.

The ghosts that follow Madalina give a Hamlet twist to this slow-burning fantasy. Nothing is what it seems. Prince Aeric also has his own secrets. Madalina is wise not to trust anyone, including her servants, family, and the Prince.

Betrayals are everywhere. Who to believe? One thing is certain. Don't fall in the garden of grave flowers that have an insatiable appetite.

Enchanting dark fantasy where secrets haunt every corner, and the Princess who must follow her heart without fear of deadly consequences.