Grave Flowers

Pages: 400
Published: 2025
Language: English

Madalina Sinet, the overlooked twin princess of Radix, would rather tend her sentient, carnivorous "grave flowers" than face her cruel father's court. When her twin sister Inessa is married off to Prince Aeric of the rival kingdom Acus, Madalina expects to be left alone with her garden. Instead, Inessa returns as a ghost trapped between worlds, revealing she was sent to Acus to assassinate Aeric as part of a power grab that would also save Radix from famine. Madalina takes her sister's place to finish the job, only to uncover deeper conspiracies at court, and an unwanted, slow-building pull toward the prince she's supposed to kill. Autumn Krause's YA fantasy pairs court intrigue and body-horror-tinged magic with a forbidden, slow-burn romance.

Prose complexity: 4/10

Dark Tense Romantic Atmospheric

Forbidden Love Slow Burn Betrayal

YA Fantasy Fantasy Dark Fantasy

Autumn Krause

Autumn Krause lives in Orange County, California, with her husband and three children. A mixed-race author of Japanese and Mexican heritage, she often writes through the lens of her family history; her grandfather and great-grandmother were interned at the Gila River camp during World War II while her great-grandfather served in the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team. She is the author of A Dress for the Wicked, Before the Devil Knows You're Here, and Grave Flowers.