Chiara Nerini is the young daughter of a dead bookseller, and her family is starving. In attempt to save them, she tries to sell her father's alchemy equipment to Grand Duke Francesco, a man rumored to be obsessed with the magical science. Instead of just buying the tools, Francesco forces her to be part of his alchemy, and thus dragging her into political plots and a world full of Medici drama. Fellow alchemist Ruanno seems to be the only person Chiara can trust, but even he has his own plans. Chiara has to walk a careful line or it may mean her death.

1500s Italian history isn't something I'm extremely familiar with, but Elizabeth Loupas crafts a stunning and deadly portrayal of it with THE RED LILY CROWN. From the first chapters, you will feel surrounded by a time and place where loyalty is nearly nonexistent and alchemy is a dangerous art. Loupas puts excellent details into the clothing, political movements, and culture from the time that form the setting perfectly.

The main character, Chiara, first wants to save her family and as she journeys, she goes through incredible growth. She gains strength as she is loaded down with new weights of life and has to learn the best way to carry them. The other important characters around her like Ruanno, the Grand Duke, his wife, and his mistress are so wonderfully psychologically complex and make the story incredibly rounded and deep. It is dramatic, sometimes romantic, sometimes tragic, and occasionally terrifying.

I completely loved THE RED LILY CROWN, and Elizabeth Loupas gives it a phenomenal ending that feels so right to the story and characters. It is a breathtaking novel, and I highly recommend it for historical romance fans who want to get (or continue their fascination with) swept up into Medici Florence.