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The Garden of Delights

Published by Flame Tree Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

"Lyrical, philosophical, empathetic... perfect for fans of Usman Malik and Gautam Bhatia."

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 an 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.

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.

About The Author

Amal Singh is a writer from Mumbai, India. His short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Tor.com, Asimov's, Clarkesworld, and F&SF, among others. He is the author of 'The Garden of Delights' and was longlisted for the BSFA Award in 2021. His epic fantasy audio-drama is currently streaming on Audible.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Flame Tree Press (May 14, 2024)
  • Length: 384 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781787589087

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Raves and Reviews

From its opening words, The Garden of Delights weaves a spell with its exquisite prose and intricate world building. Amal Singh has created a lush new society featuring characters both human and godlike, who leap off the page and into your heart. With themes of anti-colonization, betrayal, and forgiveness, this captivating debut should cement Singh as a bold new voice in fantasy.

– S.B. Divya, Hugo and Nebula nominated author of MERU

The Garden of Delights is a sensory masterpiece. It is written with both verve and tenderness, its characters and the eponymous garden leaping off the pages to bewitch your mind. It is thrilling, imaginative and spellbinding. Amal, who has written some masterful short stories, proves he's equally adept with the novel form too.

– Prashanth Srivatsa

In the tradition of the stories of Sofia Samatar, Amal Singh's The Garden of Delights knits history, politics, myth, and magic into a mosaic of fantasy that will linger with the reader long after they have put this novel down.

– Gautam Bhatia

Lyrical, philosophical, empathetic... perfect for fans of Usman Malik and Gautam Bhatia.

– Samit Basu

Sharply relevant to today's world, this epic fantasy brews up its own Delight with a dash of science, a sprinkling of religion and a huge helping of the human heart. Endlessly imaginative and inventive, awash in gorgeous visuals and prose, and populated with gods, monsters and people who can be a bit of both, Amal Singh's The Garden of Delights delivers you the fascinating city of Sirvassa, where beauty and joy collide with a rot at the heart of all things. A wondrous tale that's as fresh, beautiful and transformative as the magical flowers the Caretaker tends.

– R.S.A. Garcia, Nebula award-winning author; Sturgeon, Locus and Ignyte award finalist.

A rich and magical tapestry awaits readers in these pages. Singh has created something that feels timeless and instantly mythic, like a story that has always existed.

– A.C Wise (Author of 'Wendy, Darling', and a reviewer of short fiction for Apex Magazine)

"In The Garden of Delights, Amal Singh confidently builds the operatic narratives of urban superhero comics and the baroquely detailed worlds of anime into the prose-paved world of epic fantasy, rooting it all in fertile thematic ground tilled by India's slide into authoritarian ethnonationalism. A vividly imaginative, animated debut, and a rousing interrogation of power."

– Indrapramit Das, author

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