Fantastic. I absolutely love Elizabeth Loupas's novels. This book, in particular, seems to defy genre. It's very staunchly historical fiction, but it's not just that. I wouldn't exactly call it a mystery, but there is a lot of suspense and a lot of thrills. Even at its toughest moments, I couldn't put the book down! There's also a fantasy element due to the flower reading. In an interview, Loupas admits that she ended up making up most of the system on her own, which is incredible, if you ask me. There's also an unsuspecting romance, which is the best kind.

Marina Leslie/Rinette is a lady-in-waiting and prophetess first to Mary of Guise and then Mary of Scots. Readers are introduced to the beginning of Mary's reign as queen, which are turbulent yet glamorous. Marina has no interest in the glamour, though. She wants to find out who murdered her husband, and she plays a dangerous game when she bargains with Mary of Scot. See, Marina holds a special prophecy from Mary's mother written by the famed Nostradamus. Marina was supposed to hand this over as soon as Mary landed in Scotland, but one thing after another kept getting in the way, leading to her husband's untimely death. However, blinded by grief, Marina will resort to anything to have justice, including teaming up with the enigmatic and somewhat androgynous Nico de Clerac, an advisor first to Mary of Guise and then her daughter.

Marina is quick-thinking, romantic, headstrong, and not afraid of taking risks if the reward is the guaranteed safety of her loved ones. She was fascinating to read about, and the writing was so well done that I felt like I was next to her every step of the way.

The supporting cast was vibrant and really made the story come to life. Nico de Clerac is the epitome of the French diplomat: de-escalating situations with his words all while wearing earrings and fancy clothes. Queen Mary is in her late teens/early twenties throughout the story, and she comes off as very mercurial, the exact opposite of Saorise Ronan's portrayal in the biopic. Personally, I didn't mind this interpretation. According to Loupas, Mary of Scots was actually quite temperamental in real life, so it was interesting reading about this. The rest of the Scottish court is full of menacing men in what I imagine to be dark mustaches all vying for power and chafing at the fact that a young woman is queen while another young woman the same age holds Scotland's greatest secrets in her hands.

Indeed, women's rights, women's places in marriage, and women's roles in general take center stage in this novel. The reality is that women in this time period had very little power, and while both Marina Leslie and Queen Mary exercise great power over the course of the novel, they are both often shown to be quite powerless, and the results are often near fatal. However, the novel is overall very triumphant. It's definitely worth the read, as all of the trials and tribulations make the end that much sweeter. While we know the fate of Queen Mary of Scots does not end well (that isn't shown in this book but it is heavily implied), the fate of Marina Leslie is glorious. The heroine saves herself time and time again, making her the most inspirational of all of Loupas's heroines, in my opinion. And so, if you read any of Loupas's books, let it be The Flower Reader. ( )

A fascinating time period to begin with, I greatly enjoyed reading about life in Tudor Scotland, and both the compelling characters and the use of floromancy added to my interest and enthusiasm for this novel. ( )

What a great read! Filled with court intrigue and constant action, it was never boring. The characters are wonderful. ( )

MQoS is awful in this book. She's created to be nothing more than a spoiled, stupid child. While I'll admit she made some pretty questionable choices, there's not a part of me that believes she was as obviously stupid as this author would lead you to believe. She was nothing more than a caricature surrounded by a bunch of brutish Scottish thugs with titles. ( )

I really liked this book. I am so impressed by the historical fiction that is being written these days. Pretty much every book is well-written and captivating and The Flower Reader is definitely up there with them.

This is the first novel I have read which features Mary, Queen of Scots. I was not overly fond of her in this book. I realize that this is an author's portrayal of her and may not be entirely factual, but Loupas is so good with her character development, I'm quite convinced that Mary may very well have been this sort of person. Of course, royal personages were often impertinent due to their social standing, especially female rulers who always had to stay a step ahead of the men who would try to place them under their thumbs. The behavior might very well have been a front to conceal weakness. All this being said, I am very interested in reading more fiction featuring Mary in the future.

The main focus of the story is Marina Leslie of Granmuir, called by her nickname, Rinette. Rinette was raised by Queen Mary's mother, Mary of Guise, and this fact leads to a rivalry between Mary and Rinette which manifests in Mary's ill treatment of Rinette after her mother's death. Mary of Guise entrusted a precious object meant for her daughter only to Rinette and it is this action that is the center of the story. There is much intrigue surrounding this object and Rinette is caught in the middle of it all. After her husband is murdered, she is determined to find out who murdered him and to also hold on to her precious Granmuir. Rinette is a strong woman who goes after what she wants and uses the object as a bargaining chip to that end. Rinette is also a flower reader. She can read 'prophecies' in the flowers. This adds another interesting element to her character. Is she really reading fortunes in the flowers or is it just her subconscious speaking to her? At one point, she even questions this herself.

"I was never entirely sure whether what I heard was truly the flowers, or just my own secret thoughts and hopes and fears rising up out of my heart when I stilled myself to listen."

The Flower Reader is rich storytelling and its characters are real and interesting. The historical details were obviously meticulously researched. Throw in some intrigue and scandal and we have a book that will appeal to all readers, not only fans of historical fiction. I look forward to future offerings from Ms. Loupas.
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