I really wanted to like this book. Really. I mean, reading the synopsis I was like, ok, necromancers and catacombs and a monk, so maybe forbidden love? Not bad. What can go wrong? Oh, never challenge the universe.

Lore grew up in the catacombs of the Citadel with a very powerful and dangerous gift. She is a necromancer. Using Mortem, the power of death leaking from the body of a dead goddess, she can bring dead things to life. But her power is noticed but a power hungry king and the head priest of the Church devoted to worshiping the god of life, bringing her into the palace and exposing her to the Citadel's rotten core and a prince and a monk who will test her in more ways than one.

Let’s start with the good parts. I loved the premise, the foundation of the worldbuilding. A Citadel full of debauchery and wealth and common people suffering. Poison running in the streets as a drug, destroying those who use it from desperation and used recreatively from those who have nothing else to do with their time and money. Excellent mirror of many modern societies actually.

I was always fascinated with duality and the author uses it amazingly. There are two gods in this book representing that duality and of course certain religious factions devoted to each. There is a dead goddess (Nyxara) whose buried body leaks literal death and there is another kind of power, very rare, that is the god of life's (Apolius) power of life. This part of the book I actually enjoyed and every scene where Lore uses her power to channel Mortem is very visual to the point where I can actually see what she sees and feel the way she feels. But the good part unfortunately ends here.

The first half of the book was an endless back and forth around the same thing peppered with a few bits of information and small revelations here and there that were required to further the plot. Said plot doesn’t really move a lot though until the final 100 pages. What you will find in the first 200 pages? Literary descriptions of debauchery (and opulence, a word used one too many times I think), how much the two male leads hate each other, how the one male lead is attracted to Lore and how the other one maybe, kinda, likes her too? To make things worse, the three of them are supposed to share a "mystical" connection no one understands and I'm afraid no one ever will. Honestly the hinting of chemistry alone can only take a reader so far.

The three main characters were also not particularly interesting to expore individually either. We learn certain things about Lore, our female protagonist, her past and her abilities but her character arc doesn’t let us like or dislike her. She is definitely a shade of morally grey though which I personally liked about her. As for Bastian, the Prince, and Gabe, the monk… I should mention here that I loathe the love triangle trope. That being said, I didn’t like either of them. Both were very mainstream characters with certain standard characteristics that didn’t let me root for one or the other or get passionate about. Gabe was boring and too stuck up and Bastian too vain and irritating.

Romance levels were extremely low and don’t expect any spice from this read or you will be disappointed. More of a hit and miss in the fantasy romance category, this book centers on political intrigue, religious fanatism and moral issues. I appreciate the effort but "The Foxglove King" left a lot to be desired.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of the book.

Church, crown, poison and death
The concept of this book is really intriguing: an unconventional FMC, a dark and sinister magic system, lots of court intrigue, protagonists trapped between church and state and the hint of a love triangle...kinda.
However, none of these aspects seem fully developed, which had made me wonder what kind of story this ultimately wanted to be. To me the writing felt inconsistent and some of the characters half-baked. In addition, the theme of foxglove / plants / poison seems a bit shoehorned in and not on par with other contemporary fantasy novels using a similar theme.
Sadly there are plotholes within the book that are a bit annoying. I'm always prepared to whistle past these problems if vibe and character arcs make up for it, but for me here they don't.
The pace picks up towards the end of the book which made me invested again thankfully.
All in all I have tried to love this book as much as I wanted to, but even though it has some really good aspects and passages, overall it was just disappointing to me.

First 5 star read of 2023 in the bag.

Oh my goodness I absolutely fucking LOVED this!! It’s the new Throne of Glass I can sense it.

First of all let me start by saying thank you for the ARC copy of this. The characters were so well written and the backstory was EXCELLENT!

Lore:
I loved her character. The way she was shown as a strong leading FMC but still had some weaknesses (e.g she can’t brawl to save her life. Literally) was really powerful because often in these sorts of books the FMC is good at everything with the cherry on top being emotional trauma and character development. Don’t get me wrong, Lore had those in bucket loads but it was just nice to read someone who wasn’t amazing at everything they turned their hand to.

Bastian:
I LOVED HIM. MARRY ME. PLEASE. The façade he put on as a royal was written exceptionally well. Usually people write the royal prince to be extravagant, always drunk, ladies man etc. and doesn’t realise the brutality of real life until some tragic event but Bastian was fully aware which made him a much better character. His relationship with his father (the King) was predictable but also had some unexpected turns to it. He was giving Dorian from Throne of Glass so no complaints. I loved the way he interacted with Lore as well because they had a good banter as well as the emotional support of someone you are learning to trust.

Gabe:
I started off loving him, the way he treated Lore in the beginning was hinting at enemies to lovers but his inability to see what Anton was really like became frustrating to read. Ignorance is bliss and all that but there comes a point when characters need to see other characters for who they really are. What he does to Lore and Bastian (both together and respectively) really pissed me off and so as the book went on I liked him less and less. However I do think he was good to help the development of Lore and Bastian.

I don’t want to go into the other characters too much because it will be a huge spoiler but this book was amazing and one of the best ARCs I’ve read! World building was really good and similar to the way S J Maas writes so if you like her books you’ll love this one. Obviously not for everyone but I would recommend if you are a seasoned fantasy reader.

At times, the plotting comes off as incoherent and contrived, the pacing is stagnant for a large portion of the middle, and the protagonist isn't likeable enough to make up for everything else. Lovely writing, though.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved this book it’s was everything I wanted and more! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As I read this book I was taken with the depth of imaginative fantasy story telling found in book one of The Nightshade Kingdom. This for me is going to be a must read series. It amazes me that Hannah Whitten, the author, has taken very familiar fantasy ideas and themes but presents them in her own exciting and unique world setting. There are twists and turns so I was kept guessing as to the moral compass and response of the characters right up to the exciting climax. Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group Uk and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This was just amazing, the world building and depth of characters were so well written. The Foxglove King truly transports you to another world especially with the profundity of lore (I especially loved the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter) so Dellaire truly felt like a real place rich with a dark, gothic magic, mystery and religion all wrapped up in one spell binding read. You truly never know who to trust and there's so many twists and turns that take you on an adventure and an emotional journey. I just loved this so much and the characters, they all have so many layers (especially in that cliff-hanger) I just need more.

I highly recommend if you like darker, more gothic, fantasies with romance and mystery.

"The Foxglove King" by Hannah Whitten is a gothic, high-fantasy novel that immerses readers into a world of dark magic and political intrigue.
The story follows Lore, a young woman with the ability to sense Mortem, a powerful magic that is controlled and sanctioned by the Church and Crown. When she gets caught up in the Presque Mort, a group of monks who use Mortem, Lore finds herself at the centre of a dangerous plot that threatens to uproot her life.

The first half of the book is a strong start that draws readers in with Lore's self-discovery and the intriguing dynamic between her and her companions, Gabriel and Bastian. However, the real excitement doesn't truly commence until the final stages of the book, as the author has spent the novel world-building and creating a rich, gothic atmosphere that perfectly sets the stage for the story's climax.

From the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire to the court of the Sun King, "The Foxglove King" is packed with haunting imagery and spine-tingling moments that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Lore's vulnerability throughout the book adds an intriguing layer to her character and makes her all the more relatable as a protagonist. Her snappy comebacks and strong-willed personality are a joy to follow, even as readers want to smack her at times for her reckless decisions.

The forbidden romance between Lore and Gabriel is also a highlight of the book, with tension so strong that readers will find it hard to put the book down. The love triangle with Bastian, while drawn out towards the end, adds another layer of complexity to the story and keeps readers guessing until the final pages, I am not normally a fan of a triangle but Hannah Whitten you got me on this one.

"The Foxglove King" is a must-read for anyone who loves dark, gothic stories with a touch of romance and magic. The book's world-building is immersive and impressive, with a unique magic system that adds depth to the story. The tension and intrigue will keep readers hooked until the very end, and the promise of more to come from this world is exciting. .

I don’t tend to read much fantasy but really enjoyed reading this!
It took me a little while to get my head around the setting and some of the more intricate details of the beliefs etc of the characters but I think was more down to me not reading this genre very often.
The powers described were unique and not something I had read before and enjoyed that it was a bit on the darker side. I really enjoyed the interactions between Lore (the main character) and Gabe and Bastian. Bastian in particularly I loved as his sarcastic humour added to the conflict between him and Gabe. The dash of romance between Lore and the two male characters was a good addition and didn’t seem forced. The plot was intriguing - I was never quite sure what the resolution would be, thinking it would be one thing before changing my mind as new events happened. I believe this is the first in a series so it will be interesting to see how the story progresses as there are no obvious signs of what could happen in the next book.
I’ll definitely be looking out for the next book!

Without a doubt, the best part of this book is the writing.

I think it was Stephanie Garber who described this book as a 'lush, dark gem' and it really is. The writing is pretty and descriptive without being flowery or patronising and honestly was the main reason I wanted to keep reading.

That being said. It took me nearly three weeks to read this – and you'll see why. It felt like there were no stakes in this book. Or if there were, they didn't seem all that. So I wasn't on the edge of my seat. But, because there were no stakes in this, most of it read like a nice holiday in the palace, going to teas and balls and having a grand old time. Which was nice to read 😄

A slow start and a bit of a drag in the middle, but the end picked up enough to pique my interest. Nice!

After reading Hannah Whitten first duology I was quite happy to read this book that is more adult fantasy. I am always a sucker for necromancy and books that pull on the theme of death so this seemed like a great fit for me.

We meet Lore in her role as a spy, that she took on for her found family. Her special abbility to sense mortem and use it stands out. When she gets taken in by the Presque Mort, a group of monks that use mortem as sanctioned by the king himself, a plot revolving around herself seems to be making itself clear.

I thought the first half of this book was rather strong. Lore draws you in with her along the story that she is discovering herself. Gabriel and Bastian make an interesting dynamic next to her. But nearing the end it started to fizzle a little. The court was interesting but we actually got extremely little of Lore in court and interacting with those in court. And the focus seemed to shift a little more to the little love triangle that was starting. It felt a little drawn out nearing the end there.

Lore is 23 and initially seems like a tough ass nails kind of a girl. But in fact there is a small girl in there that always had to be guarded and didn't truly get to be a kid. Yet nearing the end of the book she seemed so trusting and crushed those she barely knew would betray her. I'm not sure where her false sense of security seemed to come from. But that didn't deter me from wanting to root for her. There is a vulnerability in her throughout the book that I found quite interesting to follow.

Bastian was an interesting addition as he saw right through all the supposed spying. He pretty much knew from the start which explains why he zoned in on her like he did instead of some foolish notion of instant attraction or other like it. As for Gabriel, I'm not sure how I feel about him considering the end. He initially seemed like a heart broken boy but the ending changed a lot.

I was quite captivated as I was reading. I wanted to know who really was killing those villages. And what do Lore's Mortem powers really mean. The catacombs and the cult.

All in all I did enjoy reading this book and I want to find out more about what will happen now.

Lore has been running poisons for the cartel that took her in, avoiding the attention of the law, and keeping her illicit affinity for death magic a secret. 

When a job goes wrong and Lore is captured she expects death. King August however has a different plan. Entire villages have been dying overnight and Lore can either use her magic to find out what's happening - or face death. King August believes his son Bastian has something to do with the deaths of the villages and tells Lore she needs to get close to his son and find out the truth.

I had a love hate relationship with this book. It took me a while to get into it and whilst I found the middle part intriguing the latter part dragged for me. I just couldn’t find myself liking the characters other than Lore. The ending was good and leads well for a sequel. Having said that this book would be perfect for those who favourite genre is fantasy.

The Foxglove King is a romantic and haunting story that had me hooked from the very beginning.

Packed full of court intrigue and beautifully woven high fantasy setting, this book has captured my heart and I cannot wait for more from this world. The forbidden romance was so gripping, and I honestly couldn't put the book down because the tension was so strong. I needed to binge read it.

A fantastic gothic and romantic tale of love and loyalty, this is an absolute must read for any romantic fantasy lover.

okay so i’d seen the words ‘high fantasy’ and immediately requested an arc. i liked this book a lot but i think it was just a bit too slow for me. the world-building just took a while, but i loved lore pretty early on! she’s a very strong character who doesn’t lose her diligence and personality throughout the book/as a result of love interests. the magic system is also pretty cool and easy to understand. i think i would read book two and i’d love to see how hw will progress with the established themes of this book.

also a good love triangle that did not make me want to rip my hair out as per what usually happens.

The Foxglove King is the first novel in the 'The Nightshade Kingdom' series by Hannah F Whitten.
The story tells us about Lore, a young woman who has spent over ten years hiding from the cult that dwells in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. She had been secretly using her powers to earn a living but is caught by the Court. Expecting to face death for her powers, Lore is instead given an ultimatum - to use her powers to investigate the mysterious deaths occurring in the kingdom or pay the price.
The build up is slow and the actual excitement only truly commences in the final stages of the book as the author has been spending the novel world-building and creating her Kingdom and magic system. There are some strong similarities between this system and Christian religious beliefs (but I'd rather not focus on that topic as it's not my area of expertise) .

The Foxglove king by Hannah Whitten
Release date 7th March
Rating 4.5
I really enjoyed this book, I must say I went in blind with this not knowing that I was going to enjoy it but as soon as necromancy started to be used I knew that this was going to be my kind of book because I often enjoy books with a necromancer.
I enjoyed Lore and her snappy comebacks and worth although there were times, I wanted to smack her because of what she wanted to do or was going to do but for her she is stuck by the need to do thinks because she knows that people think her a witch because of what she holds.
I am a little in love with Gabe I am not going to lie and I hope we see more of him in the way I hope but I don’t know I have a bad feeling that I may not get the pay-out I want.

This book has a great setting where you are swept up at a time of the sun king and what that means if you added magic into the mix and I will be looking forward to where this series goes and what possibly could happen after the ending it had in book one.

If you like magic, strong women characters and necromancy with a sprinkling of potential love interest than look no further than this book. I am looking forward to more people reading it so I can discuss with them what they think about the book also.


please not Instagram post will go up 24th February

"Those Born to darkness will carry it in their nature, they will carry sin in their very selves, body and mind and soul" - The Book of Mortal Law

The premise of The Foxglove King is captivating, Lore is a poison runner in the city of Dellaire where deep beneath the streets in the catacombs the body of a Goddess is leaking death magic called Mortem and deeper still in these tunnels are secrets that threaten to uproot Lore's life. Lore has a strong affinity for this magic, which is controlled and sanctioned by the Church and Crown, only to be wielded by the warrior like monk's called the Presque Mort. When a poison run goes awry she finds herself in the clutches of nobility, forced to help unravel a number of mysteries under the threat of the pyre or being sent to the Burnt Isles. Lore becomes entangled in the politics of court, in relationships with people she never thought she'd have anything in common with and espionage.

I really loved the intrigue of this novel, around every corner Lore was faced with fascinating adventures, myths, rumors and people with layers upon layers of secrets. The idea is something we have definitely seen before, a street urchin gets thrust into life at court spying for the royal family while the city outside the Citadel walls struggles to afford to survive - but the truly eye-catching part about this story is the magic system. It was easy to understand and had a great basis - the idea of channeling death from a once living being and displacing it made sense, the descriptions of how Lore's appearance changed as she used the magic and about what had happened other times she'd used it were spooky and thrilling. I really enjoyed the darker mystery side of this novel.

The modern language did halt me a bit unfortunately, I read that this was meant to be a Versailles-esque (the TV show) inspired story but I think the writing did bring me out of the world a bit - the way people acted and spoke didn't quite match the feeling of the setting - which could've been really strong if a bit more attention to detail had been paid. The superficiality of the court system and religious system also made this book feel slightly under researched due to how basic and modernized these areas were, but I think that could also work in it's favor for younger readers who are wanting somewhere to start in the fantasy YA genre. It gave me the same feeling as watch series (TV & books) like Reign or Bridgerton with it's more simplified understanding of the time.

I loved the friendship that was built between the three central characters - Lore, Gabriel and Bastian. It angled towards a love triangle which is a very popular trope in books these days and I think the connection between these three was really well done. Bastian was an obvious showstopper - his character was intricate and easy to like. Lore was a slightly stereotypical heroine with the snarky, scrappy attitude and Gabe was a flawed and likable but slightly one dimensional 'bodyguard' type friend. This made the dynamic between these three a lot of fun to read when they were all together in scenes.

Overall, this was a great fantasy-lite read, a tiny bit tropey and predictable but not to a level that ruined the story - I can see this being a popular read along the lines of Kingdom of the Wicked and From Blood and Ash. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel - it’s unique from other done and dusted fantasy stories. Lore as a main character is fantastic- she’s dark and flawed but without falling into the not like other girls trope. I was confused at the lack of context in the opening however all was explained pretty quickly and I enjoyed that it jumped straight into the action.

Lore can sense and use Mortem: the essence, the magic of death. She had escaped the catacombs and was now a poison runner. When one of those runs goes wrong, her ability to use Mortem, to raise the dead is discovered. She is captured by the Presque Mort, the warrior monks that use Mortem for the king. Lore expects to burn, but the king decides to use her instead. Whole villages are mysteriously dying overnight. Can she survive the Sainted King's cutthroat court and her past coming back to haunt her?

The book jumps right into Lore's life and captivates you instantly. Information is given as the story moves along, no longwinded info dumps for the plot to commence, rather observational thoughts, beautiful musings and memories. The descriptions are vivid as is the figurative speech, intense imagery that strikes a chord. There is an undercurrent of passion and melancholy surrounded by a temperament of lyricism. The world-building and mythology have sturdy foundations as they flourish with the author's imagination, details painting luscious images. Full of attention-grabbing characters, each with their own distinct voice. I loved the way the narrative delved into their emotions with seemingly simple but obviously clever wordings.

Lore is a young woman of snark and sass with a good heart, determined, tough and vulnerable at the same time. Who knew that an honorable, strong-willed warrior monk with an eyepatch would be instant love for me, but Gabriel was. And Bastian who was introduced to us with a wink, always playing games or scheming, full of smirk-worthy mischief. Is he the traitor he is suspected to be? Their encounters are all the money, banter-heavy or/and heart-seizing. I love it when characters are thrown into awkward and unexpected situations, so a smile was plastered across my face for a few doozies. Don't get me wrong, there are dangerous situations to deal with too. Laugh aloud moments and moments of holding your heart — anticipation and intrigue coloring the narrative.

The matter of faith is deeply ingrained in the story: religious, in humanity, in those around you, in yourself. Questions about life and death and the desire to make things equal, fair and right for everyone, the world a better place.

Unpredictable to the point of you gasping at the revelations and an author presenting a wonderful sense of adventure, intrigue and humor gives us the epicness of what will surely be one of the best fantasy books of the year.

I firstly want to thank Hannah Whitten, Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this story early.

Now I want to start of by saying I think the authors writing has improved! I had read some of her books before and wasn't as keen on the writing but she has definitely improved from this story.

It did start off slow but I found the middle very interesting and intriguing. I liked the idea of how Mortem (the magic used to potentially extend someone's life (if you want to call it life)) when really it turns people into desperate evil monsters.

I had mixed feelings about Lore as the main character some points I really liked them other times they irritated me! But in a sense that is good that I was experiencing this.

I really liked Bastian I found him very likeable and not just cuz he seems nice to look at... Although I do seem to have a type when it comes to characters. I liked his jokes and how he interacted with the other characters. Gabriel Was ok! I didn't hate or dislike him. He had his part to play in the story.

I did really enjoy this story and I liked how I haven't read anything like this before.
The author has definitely improved their writing. I probably will read the rest of the series though. the premise was really interesting and I was enjoying it about 70% of the time.

I did find it odd how it was marketed as bing lgbtqia+ but it only seemed very hinted at. Which I found a little underwhelming personally.