In an Orchard Grown from Ash

Power’s blood-soaked and tragic conclusion to the Wind-Up Garden duology (after In a Garden Burning Gold) follows the four royal Argyros siblings—Rhea, Lexos, Nitsos, and Chrysanthi—in the wake of personal and political loss. As Rhea struggles with inheriting her father’s power over death, she vows to hunt down and kill Nitsos for using his power to manipulate her choices. She sends Chrysanthi after Nitsos as part of her bid for revenge, but Chrysanthi’s real goal is to reunite her family. Lexos, eager to regain power of his own, allies himself with Ettore, a member of the rival Domina family. Meanwhile, Nitsos seeks to locate the mysterious saint’s graves, a goal that soon sweeps up everyone on the continent in a race to either obtain or destroy the fabled power the graves contain. All the siblings independently converge on the saints’ final resting place—where doom awaits the family. The author probes even deeper into her series’ exploration of power and corruption, but adds a hopeful note amid all the tragedy and destruction that makes the bloodshed feel worthwhile. Series fans will find this a satisfying conclusion. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (May)