When Larkspur becomes queen of the Kingdom of Ore and Flowers, she won't only inherit the Flower Crown. She'll also get the garden—the magical source of all life and prosperity in her kingdom, where all the plants are made of precious metals and gems. But after watching her father decline into madness, she has nothing but fear for the garden and the secrets it whispers.

Wil's da has spent the last year in a tavern instead of working, forcing him to strike a deal with his da's partner to keep a roof over their heads. He must climb the hundred-foot wall around the magic garden and draw the mysterious plants whenever Herron demands. Herron uses the drawings to create the finest jewelry in the kingdom. But when the palace commissions a replica of the Flower Crown itself, Wil's time is almost up. They know he's seen the garden, and if he doesn't disappear before they collect their crown, he's bound for a dungeon.

Before the replica is completed, the king dies, simultaneously killing every magical and mundane plant in the kingdom. Wil and Lark have the same impulse: use the chaos to escape the lives they never wanted. If only the timing wasn't so convenient. For what use is a replica crown, unless you know the real crown is about to die?

The garden didn't just die on its own. Someone killed it. And they need to find out who—and how to bring the garden back—before the whole kingdom dies with it.