Staff Pick
If you can’t tell by the cover, this is a cottagecore, flower-filled read. Clara is the sweetest main character, whose magic is abundant, chaotic, and inextricably a part of her. When her magic turns deadly, her ex-best friend agrees to help her, but only at a cruel price. Reading this feels like being transported into a Studio Ghibli movie. This slow-burn romantic fantasy is one you’ll want to cozy up with to read in one sitting. Recommended By Charlotte S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
"Flowerheart is like a garden in full bloom: vibrant and sweet, whimsical and wondrous." — Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
Perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Tamora Pierce, this standalone YA debut is a stunning cottagecore fantasy romance about a girl with powerful and violent magic which she must learn to control — or lose everything she loves.
Clara's magic has always been wild. But it's never been dangerous. Then a simple touch causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father's chest.
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who's grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.
Xavier 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 how many secrets he's hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that's taken hold in the queendom--a darkness only Clara's magic is powerful enough to stop.
Review
"Wholesome, sweet, and warm — this book swept me into a magical, whimsical world with delightful characters and compelling stakes. Make a space for Flowerheart on your shelves." — Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author
Review
"A gorgeous debut — as fresh and beautiful as the flowers its protagonist grows with her magic." — Cyla Panin, author of Stalking Shadows and Beguiled
Review
"Flowerheart is like a garden in full bloom: vibrant and sweet, whimsical and wondrous. With warm, lovely prose and a charming cast, Bakewell's YA debut is guaranteed to be fantasy fans' new comfort read." — Allison Saft, New York Times-bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
About the Author
Catherine Bakewell is a writer, artist, and opera enthusiast. She has lived in Spain and in France, where she romped through gardens, ate pastries, and worked on her novels.