While the companion novel to this, The Second Duchess, is a standard historical mystery with a secret that needs cracking open and a villain the reader is trying to identify before it's too late, Loupas's third novel, The Red Lily Crown is more of a historical thriller. The Medicis are an omnipotent and omniscient family. They see everything and can get away with murder. Literally. It's not secret to either our heroine or the reader just who the bad guys are. It's more just a slow descent into chaos until the reader is gripping the book, wondering what the hell is going to happen next.

There are three narrators in this novel: Chiara is a teenage alchemist from the streets who cares about her skin and the skin of her family more than anything else. As the outsider to the Medici court, readers are made to identify mostly with her. If only we could all be so tenacious. Ruan is an English alchemist who can't stand Francesco de Medici but bides his time while slowly becoming more entangled with Chiara. I know the synopsis makes it sound like he can't be trusted, but come on. We all know where this is going.

Finally, there's Francesco de Medici himself. He doesn't narrate often, and he was my least favorite narrator. He kind of served as an expostion narrator and explained how his glamorous world worked to readers. When he wasn't doing that, he was fantasizing about all the bdsm stuff he was going to do to his mistress. I really didn't need those parts.

Other than that, this book is filled with thrills both exciting and terrifying. The stakes keep getting higher, and the cast of characters is so insane and insanely memorable. You'll definitely feel like you just stepped into a whole new world. ( )

This book skirts historical romance but I really wasn't convinced by the relationship between our heroine and the alchemist hero. It's still an interesting read with alchemy and the Medicis and complex politics along with complex gender politics. Most of the women have a terrible time but our heroine Chiara has to maintain her virginity for the magic working she is helping with. Along with her is the Cornish alchemist, known as Ruanno. The two of them are attracted and they have to deal with the issues caused by her having to remain virginal. They also have to deal with the issues caused by Medici politics.
It's readable but the romance felt somewhat lacking, I wouldn't read this for the romance but for the complex politics. ( )

I love fiction set in this time period for all the over-the-top disregard for laws among the elite, and The Red Lily Crown has all the secret romance, murder, family backstabbing, and illegitimate children one could possibly dream up. There’s a pretty high body count (because you have to off a few rivals to make it to grand duke of Florence. Or mistress of the duke, for that matter. Or cardinal. Or a Cornish miner studying alchemy at the Florentine court. There is a lot of murder, is what I’m saying).

Without giving away too much, The Red Lily Crown has all my favorite de Medici elements. The only way it could have been more perfect is if the characters had spent a little more time commissioning art, but it was probably hard to find the time with all the assassinations going on.

From my review on (The) Absolute. ( )

A gripping tale of Renaissance Italian politics, the author shows us a tale of shifting loyalties, murderous family dynamics, and two souls just trying to survive it all. I found myself drawn in quickly and thoroughly, not being released until the very end. While there were fantastical elements that seemed out of place, they didn’t drag the book down too much.

Ruan and Chiara are fantastic leads. Two individuals from identically poor and harsh backgrounds, they made a life for themselves through hard work, intelligence, and cunning. With similar motivations and goals, their journeys dovetail into a powerful duo. They play off each other well, making the reader care for them as individuals and as a pair.

I also enjoyed the attention paid to the other characters fleshing out this story. The Medicis in all their autocratic glory are present, front and center. The author paid attention to all the major and minor players of this family: emotional Isabella, despotic Francesco, psychopathic Pietro, scheming Bianca, and clever Ferdinand. The way they plot and move their metaphorical pieces across the board of life keeps the reader enthralled.

The attention to detail is phenomenal in this work. From the little to the big, the setting and historical details breathe with life. The intricacies of court life, beautiful Renaissance clothing details, the polar opposites of rich/poor living, and the different power plays keep the reader reading from page to page rapidly. I also loved all the alchemy details: learning how the emphasis was on more than just finding the Philosopher’s Stone and making gold (though those seemed to be the main reason), how these practices impacted our character’s lives, and how ultimately alchemy was the key to the whole story.

The one issue I have with this book is the few instances of the fantastical the author weaves into it. Usually this wouldn’t be a problem for me; after all, I was a huge reader of fantasy in high school and love it with my historical fiction nowadays. Yet, it felt with all the emphasis on the historical drama of the Medici family politics and its impact on those in their circle that these instances were out of place with the rest of the story.

Despite that one detail, I’d still consider this book a strong look at Renaissance Italy, its politics, and the daily lives of those forced to live/work under the Medici yoke. Loupas proves she knows how to write a gripping, intense tale with strong characters that make you live their lives with them. Highly recommended for lovers of the Renaissance subgenre! ( )

A good mix of history and fiction set in Renaissance Florence. The heroine of this tale becomes embroiled in the scheming Medici court after she attempts to sell her deceased father's alchemical equipment to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. She in turn becomes a partner in the grand duke's pursuit of the philosopher's stone, a position which allows her to observe the inner workings of the Medici court, complete with the murders and intrigue which haunted the primary figures. Good reading, with a little alchemy thrown in for fun. ( )