Krause’s historical fiction is a fantastic murder mystery that adds just the right amount of death and magical horror. Readers will empathize with the protagonist (who has only known cruelty from narcissists) as she learns that love and kindness are not weaknesses but strengths. A captivating tale about the wild lengths people will go to achieve power.
—Booklist (starred review)
Inspired by multiple Shakespeare plays and Tudor history, as addressed in an author’s note, Krause (Before the Devil Knows You’re Here) blends gothic fantasy and courtly intrigue into a story of love, betrayal, and power. Playful repartee turns electric as Madalina and Aeric fight a growing attraction.
—Publishers Weekly
The fascinating worldbuilding makes this an engrossing read. . . .An ornate and thrilling tale of loyalty and betrayal.
—Kirkus Reviews
Madalina is a complicated but lovable heroine who grows from cold to vulnerable across the book. . . . Fast and tense, the exciting fantasy novel Grave Flowers follows a princess as she navigates the complications of love and political intrigue.
—Foreword Reviews
A multifaceted cultural backdrop, lyrical writing, and excerpts from the chilling "Guide to Grave Flowers for Tortures and Torments" add layers to the already impressive read. An enchantingly grim tale of duty, desire, and the darkness in between.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)
The story’s framework is creatively drawn from Hamlet, but Madalina is no tragic, simpering Ophelia. . . . Nods to other Shakespeare works throughout will satisfy fans of the bard, and while Kraus pulls back from a true tragic ending, there is still plenty of darkness for those who prefer their romances bloody and ethically questionable.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The characters are dynamic and sharp, as is their dialogue. The historical inspiration is well researched, creating a unique and compelling fantasy world that supplements and disguises the plot’s twists and turns. . . .A Gothic romantasy grounded in Tudor-esque worldbuilding and Shakespearean drama.
—School Library Journal
A twisty plot in an intricately wrought world—Grave Flowers is a romantic, botanical fever dream.
—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King
A sumptuously dark tale of revenge and atonement that beautifully explores the ties both duty and family use to claim us. From the first page to the last, I was dazzled.
—Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
If a book could take root and bloom, this one would. Brimming with wonder and treachery, love and magic, Grave Flowers is a beautiful and compelling garden of all the best delights fantasy has to offer.
—Laura Taylor Namey, New York Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
Both frightening and enchanting. Grave Flowers blooms with atmosphere and viciously throned prose. Readers will find themselves swept away in this gorgeously gothic fairytale, complete with doomed lovers, ghostly ballrooms, and bloodthirsty flowers.
—Skyala Ardnt, author of Together We Rot
Autumn Krause immerses us in this world so fully and forces us to care for these characters so deeply, that when betrayal inevitably comes, it feels visceral in its severity. Smart, twisty, and deliciously dark, with touches of sweetness in bloom, this story wrapped around my heart like clinging vines and holds it ransom even now.
—Angela Montoya, author of A Cruel Thirst
QUICK VIEW
