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Clara’s magic has always been wild, but it’s never been dangerous. Now, it may just be deadly. With a simple touch, Clara’s magic causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father’s chest, and the only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control.
The only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from the sweet, shy child she remembers into someone who is distant and mysterious. Xavier’s help isn’t free, though. He asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers just how many secrets he’s hiding.
As Clara continues to hunt for the truth — both behind Xavier’s secrets and her father’s curse — she discovers the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom. Only Clara’s wild magic may be powerful enough to stop it, and only if she can first learn to control it.
Flowerheart has been described as a cottage-core fantasy, and its quaint country setting and flower magic certainly delivers that aesthetic. It has low stakes and a slow pace and feels underdeveloped at times, but it’s truly a lovely read.
I liked Clara a lot as a character. She’s impulsive and emotional, and it was nice to see a heroine who was allowed to be imperfect. In fact, her negative self-talk closely mirrors my own when I’ve struggled with my own anxiety spikes, making her journey at least a little cathartic.
Overall, this story gives off strong Hayao Miyazaki vibes that takes the cottage-core angle in a slightly darker, more body-horror-ridden direction. Is it a perfect book? No. Is it charming? Definitely! Its sense of whimsy really transforms the story into something new and magical, making it the perfect comfort read for a rainy day.
Rated: Mild. There are just a few instances of profanity: 3 uses of British (ar-) and 1 use of the British (bl-). Violence includes general peril and the threat of a person’s magic being forcibly removed. Characters kiss. One character mentions having kissed both boys and girls during their school years.
