All Comments on 'The Royal Garden Ep. 03'

Ok, so Act 1 is definitely going to have one more episode. Introducing a cast of characters/suspects is challenging in a short story format, but essential for a spy/intrigue story. The reader needs to understand the setting before the stakes make any sense.

Our heroine is finally where she needs to be to begin taking some proactive steps to resolve her situation. Escape? Find the spy? Something else? Act 1 needs to end with Orchid retaking control of her destiny. These episodes are short because I want Orchid to get a lot more agency a lot earlier than Hannah did in The Practice.

I like the vague and distant threats that keep the flowers in line. You'd think they would all hate King Eradis, right? There's probably more going on beneath the surface than Orchid realizes yet.

I liked the imagery of dozens of hands gently but firmly holding her down. With so many people, no one has to be rough, they can smother her with just the weight of their arms all over her body. Seems so intimate, yet claustrophobic and frightening.