Grave flowers

Madalina Sinet, the teenage princess of Radix, prefers tending carnivorous, sentient grave flowers over attending court and enduring her king father's cruelty. When her twin sister Inessa is betrothed to Prince Aeric of Acus, Madalina assumes Inessa's role as heir to the Radix throne. Then Inessa appears to Madalina as a spectral apparition trapped in limbo-like realm Bide. She reveals that she was sent to Acus to assassinate Aeric in a plot that would enable his mother and uncle to seize power, simultaneously promising profits that would save Radix from starvation. To rescue her sister and her kingdom, Madalina takes Inessa's place to complete the deadly task. But Madalina finds more than one dark scheme at work, and as secrets unfurl, she's unexpectedly drawn to Aeric. 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. Depictions of grave flower species and character journal entries are interwoven in the narrative. Madalina is described as mixed-race. Ages 14--up. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary. (Sept.)

In this work that's loosely based onHamlet and the saga of the Boleyn family, a princess becomes entangled in power struggles and travels to a foreign kingdom on a deadly mission. Princess Madalina Sinet prefers tending to her grave flowers--the magical (and occasionally carnivorous) blossoms that are unique to her kingdom of Radix--over getting drawn into her politically ambitious twin sister Inessa's plotting and scheming. But after Inessa is sent to Acus, a more powerful neighboring kingdom, as the intended wife of Prince Aeric Capelian, Madalina's life gets complicated. Inessa's ghost appears to her, revealing that she's been poisoned in Acus and asking Madalina to avenge her. Their father, who's involved in machinations of his own, also has plans for Madalina: He wants her to become Prince Aeric's replacement bride and then poison him on their wedding night. Madalina has always shied away from the Sinets' violence and brutality, but she knows she must act in order to save her family and her kingdom--as long as she can avoid falling in love with Aeric. As elaborate and ambitious as the Boleyn family's own intrigues, this gothic fantasy's many twists and turns may occasionally leave readers feeling overwhelmed, but the roughly familiar storyline coupled with the fascinating worldbuilding makes this an engrossing read. Madalina and Inessa are cued as being fantasy-world biracial, and the Acusan people have light, sun-bleached hair. An ornate and thrilling tale of loyalty and betrayal. (author's note, glossary)(Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.