Synopsis:

In the city of Sirvassa, where petals are currency and flowers are magic, the Caretaker tends to the Garden of Delights. He imparts temporary magical abilities to the citizens of Sirvassa, while battling a curse of eternal old age. No Delight could uplift his curse, and so he must seek out a mythical figure. A god. When a Delight allows a young girl the ability to change reality, the Caretaker believes he’s at the end of his search. But soon a magical rot takes root in his Garden, and the Caretaker must join forces with the girl and stop it from spreading. Even as he battles a different rot that plagues Sirvassa, he learns that Delights are always a precursor to Sorrows.

Review:

The Garden of Delights by Amal Singh weaves Indian myth into a dreamy world where flowers hold magic and petals are currency.

The Caretaker tends the Garden and creates Delights from its flowers that allow regular people to use their magic. A young girl, Iyena, arrives in the city and her Delight unlocks something much more powerful than a simple piece of magic.
Both of these characters were so well written. The Caretaker is so endearing, and you can’t help but feel for him as he suffers first with his curse, and second with the horror of the rot spreading through his beloved garden. Iyena is sharp and determined, her story very much a coming-of-age and discovery of who she wants to be.

The worldbuilding too was wonderful, again thanks to Singh’s writing. The Garden itself is described so vividly, with lyrical prose that transported me there. This prose followed through the rest of the book, painting the city of Sirvassa with such a whimsical light, allowing the reader to revel in the discovery of its many wonders.

That the writing was lyrical does not mean that the story is easy or even light. We have stories within stories here: peeking into the past of the Caretaker, snippets from his assistant’s journal and Iyena’s slow understanding of political turmoil within the city while trying to acclimate to her new surroundings. All these layers and threads build up gradually and meet at just the right moments. It is a story that takes a little patience, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Overall this was a Delight to read, a real thought-provoking tale that I’ll be thinking about for a little while yet. Thank you so much to the author for sending a copy my way via @flametreepress