In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel By Crystal King

In post-war Italy, 1948, Julia Lombardi is a captivating enigma, haunted by amnesia and drawn to the allure of the unknown. When she accepts an invitation from the eccentric artist Salvador Dal to serve as his muse in the surreal Sacro Bosco—Italy's Garden of Monsters—she hopes to unlock the secrets of her past.

The garden, alive with haunting statues and oppressive shadows, holds an intoxicating beauty that masks its dangers. Here, Julia meets Ignazio, a charismatic yet unsettling figure who seems to know her innermost self. As she poses for Dal, embodying Persephone, the boundaries between reality and myth blur. Dal's obsession with his art deepens, urging Julia to consume pomegranate seeds, promising a return to her lost identity.

Caught in a web of unsettling familiarity and whispered warnings from the garden itself, Julia grapples with her connection to Ignazio and the dark truths of her past. As the lines between the living and the dead dissolve, she must confront her own identity and the haunting possibility that she may indeed be the queen of the Underworld.

This hypnotic Gothic fairytale entwines a sinister romance with a lush exploration of memory, identity, and the consequences of desire, inviting readers into a world where every shadow whispers secrets waiting to be unveiled.