Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for honest feedback!

"This is what I saw, in the reflections of the tomb. It's what the goddess dreamed, but I thought I could prevent it. I thought I you would choose the world over yourself."
"I'm far too selfish for that."

While this book had some evident technical flaws in terms of the writing and could have used some more polishing, by the time I was one-third of the way into the story, I had that rare giddy feeling that I just never wanted it to end or stop reading because I was so infatuated by the characters and the world. Bastian Arceneaux is my new favorite disaster sunshine and I will be unequivocally shooting for him from now on.

Let's get into the one flaw in the novel that made me remove a star and that would probably make other reviewers remove MORE than one star: our main girl, Lore. Until the fourth act, she was quite a cliche, being all ashamed of her mysterious and super special inherited power, quipping and snarking here and there, attempting to girlboss her way through conflict without much success. I didn't dislike her, but she was giving me a bit too much Bryce Quinlan at times, but it's fine; she actually came around. But I think some reviewers will roll their eyes at a lot of her dialogue and narration.

Now as for everything else in the story: I loved it.

Lore, Gabriel, and Bastian. I have not giggled and rooted for three characters as I have with these losers in a hot minute. Like, Whitten really succeeded in making a very hot, layered, and morally complex dynamic with Gabe, Lore, and Bastian. The traumatized monk, the poison-running necromancer, and the fricking Sun Prince? Yeah, they pop off so hard. The balance between angst and affection and love and hurt between these three was my favorite aspect of the book. I don't wanna spoil, but you see THAT ending when you-know-who did the thing and said the thing to the other you-know-who to make a certain thing happen? Popped off. Slayed. My entire body broke out in chills.

The world. So, it's quite obviously set in a fantasy version of the French Court of Louis XIV, likely towards the end of the 17th century. Everything about the court, the world, the city, and the characters is so very French. If you liked Versailles (2015-2018) then you will adore this book. I really enjoyed the way religion, the Crown, the Church, and the mythos were interwoven in the story; it evoked the essence of the time period. Likewise, aesthetically, this book was so pleasing and fun. The history nerd within me just perked up as we got more descriptions of the Citadel and the court.

I would absolutely recommend this book to fantasy readers and romance readers, even though the romance factor isn't as heavy as you would expect. I already cannot wait for the sequel.

A highly anticipated 2023 read, the Foxglove King follows Lore, a young woman with death magic, as she navigates court politics & intrigue.

This book definitely started off slow for me & I found I struggled to get into it. The initial setting was very different to what I thought I was going to be reading but gradually seemed to settle into a cohesive vibe. I could feel the Versailles inspiration behind the world, but it did fall a little flat & forced, with the inspiration being nothing more than superficial. The magic system was quite interesting, but not particularly well described as I found it took me a while before I understood how it worked. I’m also not really a fan of magic & churches being intertwined, so make of that what you will. The pacing was a bit all over the place throughout the whole book & at times it did feel like it meandered meaninglessly.

Of the main characters, Bastian was definitely my favourite, golden retriever energy & the only one who wasn’t overly annoying. Lore was a stereotypical “not like other girls” girl & Gabe a brooding monk who acted jealous at the drop of a hat. Love triangles have to be done in a very certain way in order for me to like them, but the way it’s depicted in this book is not that way. The needless jealousy, miscommunication, distrust & being into someone because it’s “fated” & they just “know” each other.

Finally, I’ve seen a lot of tagging/marketing of this book being LGBTQIA+ rep, but it is only in the absolute loosest sense possible. The MC’s parents are both women & that’s it (there might also be a brief mention of an m/m relationship in the first chapter or 2 but again, so brief it barely registered). I assume it’s supposed to be written as a queer normative society as there are a couple of very very vague mentions to non-het propositions, but it felt very much performative & added in to tick that “diverse” box, rather than the world being intentionally built that way.

So why 2 stars? Because I finished it & because I can definitely see a lot of people liking it.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK/Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley + Hannah Whitten + Orbit for approving me of this ARC in return of an honest review .(littlebrownbookgroup_uk)

The gothic atmosphere was honestly delicious and I. ate. it. up. Mix in the court intrigue/secrecy, religious politics, and... the forbidden slow-burn romance... and WOW, you have yourself a haunting, dark, and complex start to a new fantasy series that will leave you desperate for book 2.

The magic system was so interesting to learn about. It's death magic and has a slightly paradoxical effect? You can use death to your advantage by keeping yourself on the cusp of death and in turn, increasing your life?

Lore is such a strong female mc and the WIT that comes out of her mouth was hilarious to read. The two love interests were also well flushed out characters and I found myself not being able to choose who I preferred, and we actually don't get a conclusion to the romance either, so all that tension is taking itself into the next book as well...

I dropped half a star for the pacing/plot as I did find it veryyy slow and not too much happening (but still enjoyable) it's a long build up for what happens at the end of the book! which by the way, prepare for the double twists...

4.5 / 5 stars

Please can I request book 2 already?😂

Having been a fan of Whitten's previous duology, I went into this with pretty high expectations. Expectations it completely exceeded. Lore spends he days as a poison runner for one of the many gangs in Dellaire, but when a job goes wrong, and her power as a Mortem wielder are exposed, Lore finds herself thrust into the path of the Presque-Mort, an elite group of warrior monks and, through them, the Sainted King. King August has a job that Lore is specifically suited for, one that will use both her skill as a spy as well as her skill with Mortem. Lore quickly finds herself swept up in the glittering court, and caught between two members, Gabriel Renault, the Presque-Mort assigned to watch her and Prince Bastien himself. So when Lore's past starts catching up with her, she will have to decide who to put her trust in, because there are bigger things at work here than a King hoping for war, and Lore has found herself slap bang in the middle of them.

If you've read Whitten's previous works you will know that one things she writes incredibly well are her characters. The Foxglove King is told entirely from Lore's POV and she is a character I bonded with almost instantly. She is someone who hasn't exactly lead a gilded life, after escaping from the cult she was born to in the catacombs, she finds herself working for Poison Runners, always on the wrong side of the law. She is feisty, knows her own strengths and weaknesses and is prone to swearing more than a lady should, something she has to temper down once she arrives in court. She really comes into herself in this book, she isn't a good person, entirely too selfish and she knows it, but she does care deeply for those she loves and would go to any depths to protect them.

Our two other main characters are Gabriel & Bastien and with them, Whitten treats us to more, brilliantly written, tortured men who you can't help but want to absolve of their sins. They have both had things happen to them they would rather forget, rather have not happened. One growing up with a distant father who would more likely kill him than help him, and the other branded a traitor due to the actions of his father when he was a child. These two have more in common than they would think, but that doesn't mean they work well together, past grievances keep them from being the friends they were as children, made all the worse when we throw their feelings for Lore into the equation.

Set in the court of Dellaire Whitten treats us to a wealth of politics, scheming and religion. There are multiple players and we're always kept on our toes, never sure who to trust. Whitten does a brilliant job of bringing the danger of religious zealotry into the light, of showing how blind loyalty and worship can bring about the downfall of countries. The people of Dellaire worship Apollius one of the old God's who was the light to Nyxara's darkness. Lore's powers come from Nyxara, allowing her to wield Mortem, the magic born from death, like no other. She also shows us the hypocrisy of the wealthy, and uses the Mortem to show this. For those outside of the walls of the Court, Mortem use is illegal, leading to a sentence in prison, if not worse. But for those inside the gilded walls, it is seen as something illicit, something fun, something to hopefully gift you a few extra years of life with little to no consequence.

Lore has spent her whole life shying away from her power, believing it to be a curse, but her time working for the King finds her experimenting with it more and more, learning the boundaries of it, as well as the strengths. It's a magic system that took me a little while to get my head around, but Whitten does a fantastic job of bringing it to life, ensuring you can visualise the scenes when it's in use almost like you're watching a movie. Her writing style keeps the lush prose from her previous stories, weaving in plenty of darkness and twists to keep us on our toes & her descriptions bring her characters and the world they inhabit to life.

Now, there is a love triangle, but I knew this going in so I'm not sure if that's why I didn't mind it as much. Lore only has eyes for one of our love interests for the majority of the book and, while we do have some of the typical male bravado scenes that are the reason I dislike love triangles, I didn't feel like there was an obvious winner. I obviously have my favourite who I would want her to get with in the end, but I felt like the story could go either way and I wouldn't be overly fussed. The romance itself was filled with steam, innuendo's and incredibly slow burn, but it also had a sweetness to it. These three people, all of whom have tortured pasts, just looking for somewhere to belong, someone to belong too, it heightened the tension, as well as the inevitable betrayal and I adored every second. I'll also admit the religion side brought out a kink I never really knew I had, but I loved seeing the pious man questioning his vows and testing them ( any fleabag fans might appreciate this).

Safe to say I loved this one. Every new book I read by Whitten just makes me love her and her writing more, and I am desperate to get my hands on the next book.

Do I agree that The Foxglove King reads a bit like YA instead of adult fantasy or with the fact that the dialogue sounds too modern for a Versailles inspired court piece? Yeah, there is a contrast between Hannah Whitten´s beautiful descriptions and how the characters spoke, and many readers may find it unbearable, but I did not pay it too much attention. On the contrary, I found the dialogue funny and refreshing. Plus, what's the point of creating a whole fantasy universe if you cannot play with how people there speak? This is not historical fiction which would have to follow all the period drama rules. Overall, I felt these things too, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it very much.

The Foxglove King is a very engaging dark fantasy with an intriguing magic system based on death magic called Mortem and life-force Spiritum, ever present poison, court debauchery, religion centered plot, a protective and bit brainwashed monk (he gets out of it, don't worry) and dark-haired prince charming (who knows how to take a punch).

“Heresy,” he said, voice hoarse from shouting.
“Evil!” “Melodrama.” Lore’s lips felt numb, and so did the rest of her.

I thought the magic system was unique, and I enjoyed reading about that. Necromancy magic may not feel THAT special, but the way it was described here was definitely original. Just imagine a death magic wielder, who can sense death in all objects around as well as dead animals and people, and can pull the essence of death out and then give it back to revive the dead, making them essentially zombies that can be given instructions to follow. Not to forget that people of Dellaire live with a literal decaying death goddess Nyxaria underneath their city, occasionally leaking out deadly magic which the warrior-monks from Presque Mort have to stop. It was so cool! I love how Hannah Whitten works with fantasy religion and the sub-themes that it brings.

“The Bleeding God knows our plight and gives us benediction to do as we must in His service.”

The story also focused on the use of magic/poison to prolong one’s life and how it slowly and literally transforms greedy people into monsters. The imagery of how manipulating Mortem affected the body was amazing. I loved how dark and macabre it got. Generally, I love when the use of magic has its consequences and here it is one of the important themes, with a bonus of showing how the highborn and rich can easily circumvent the laws as far as their benefit is concerned. Yeah, this court may seem all gold and glitter, but it's actually rotten to the core.

I loved Lore. She is unapologetically taking care of herself to the very end. She is thown into the royal court to get close to the Sun Prince Bastian Arceneaux and spy on him for his father, the Sainted King August, and his uncle Anton, the Priest Exalted. To provide a cover for her, a Presque Mort monk-slash-duke Gabe returns to court to pose as her cousin helping Lore with the introduction to high society. I loved how cautious she was about all of it.

“Lore was selfish. If it came down to her or the world, Lore chose herself.”

Gabriel is a brooding bodyguard with an eyepatch covering one eye and a celibacy vow which does not stop him from looking at Lore as no cousin and monk should. Despite wanting to yell at him to wake up and not to believe the church and Priest Exalted so blindly, I could not help but to get to like him.

The court's heir, prince Bastian, was so compelling. He's got long dark hair, tends to make dirty jokes and tends to wander around half undressed. Plus, he's got layers and I could not help but be intrigued by him. Watching him navigate the court while tending to his own plans was so much fun. I craved more scenes with him and the only thing I wish for when it comes to the next book is to get more of him.

“I have been told I possess magic fingers, but the context wasn’t anything holy.”

Since both of the male leads captured my interest, I did not mind the romantic triangle at the center at all. The trio of determined spy heroine, tormented monk and rebel prince works perfectly together. All three of them are reluctantly drawn in court politics and machinations in the end finding unexpected allies in one another. The suspense between them was SO exciting. They absolutely work the best when they are all together. I simply love dynamics like this one.

Overall, The Foxglove King was a fast and very entertaining read for me. The ending was AMAZING! I can't wait to see where the story will go in the next installment. I am excited for the trouble our main trio will surely cause.

Thank you to #Netgalley & #Orbit for an eARC copy of #TheFoxgloveKing by #HannahWhitten in return for an honest review.
I am a fantasy fan & was excited to read #TheFoxgloveKing.
Lore is an agent for a drug running group in Dellaire & is surviving in a city where there is harsh punishment for ordinary people who break the law. Lore is a practictioner of a death magic known as Mortem which ties her to the city.
Lore is betrayed by her foster mothers & finds herself forced to act on the King's behalf to find proof that his heir Bastian is a traitor. Lore is assisted in her task by Gabriel a duke turned monk whose father betrayed the King.
#TheFoxgloveKing is a dark almost gothic magical fantasy. It has all the ingredients of high fantasy - mad kings, obsessed puritanical clergy, a magical heroine & two very different men who are neither heroes nor antiheroes. What is unusual about #TheFoxgloveKing is that it is mostly narrated by Lore. Usually at the start of a new series the world building is usually narrated by various main characters however in this case I really liked a singular narrator.
There are a few weaknesses in the story but a lot of fantasy novels are built over a series, so I'm willing to overlook that. I found #TheFoxgloveKing to be a pageturner & I really look forward to the 2nd part of the series. Highly recommended if you like fantasy.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Oh wow.this was totally unexpected. I have not read this author before but it has definitely left me wanting more.There is a lot of effort put into the world building which is great but I like it more when the focus is on the plot rather than descriptions themselves. Nothing wrong with it just my preference.Also, the love situation is not one of my favourites so I'm looking forward to the book 2 to see how it all plays out.

dnf at 18%

so the story was quite promising at first… but i lost interest quickly because there’s soooo many descriptions of everything. i blocked out whole scenes because i lost my focus. for example there was a mention of the main character seeing a guy (who turned out to be the prince) kissing a woman in a garden and i’m like… what guy? what garden? what kiss? i literally don’t remember that and i must’ve read that scene no longer than 24 hours. so yeah i’m just not interested in continuing this… this book is for people who have more patience than i do.

i received the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for providing me an e-arc to review

The Foxglove King is a fantasy, with magic, evil kings, religious zealotry, and, of course, prophecy.

Lore, our main character, is a smuggler and spy of sorts, as well as having an ability to use Mortem, a type of death magic that is illegal in the world. When a job goes wrong, she is inducted into the Royal Court - a place of politics, opulence, and gluttony. Here, she is charged by the King with finding out why whole villages have seemingly died overnight by employing her skills as a spy. Alongside this, there is also a love triangle to navigate, the need to hide her powers while being scrutinised by the religious order and the prophecy.

The plot, although intriguing, fast becomes inconsistent with far too many threads being dangled in this first book. This was similar when it came to the characterisation. Lore is a strong and appealing character, but it was a shame she was not provided room to develop more in this story with focus turning instead towards a love triangle of sorts. This again was notable when we learn her nature was well known by the Court for many years (why did they not bring her in earlier?) and the fact her highly sort after skills as a spy are lacking at best.

The premise for the story was enticing, and the writing at times was immersive. I would be keen to read the next entry to the series to see whether the issues are ironed out to allow the characters and the story to breathe.

Overall I enjoyed this book though not as much as For the Throne (which I also enjoyed more than For the Wolf). It is fun and fairly fast-paced, with a unique magic system that was, for me, the highlight of the book. I wanted more angst in the love triangle, a little more heat overall, but the last chapter has me looking forward to book 2. I had a feeling this might be what was happening, but I did wish that the ending had been better plotted through subtext and the lore that was included - for example, the extracts included at the beginning of each chapter would've been the perfect place to include this subtext. I felt these extracts more aligned with the theme of each chapter rather than led to payoff at the end. For me this felt like a missed opportunity with the structure, but there was a lot to enjoy about the book. If you liked the Wilderwood Duology then I'd recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this book, I felt immersed in the story and the world the author built. The plot kept me guessing all the way through and I wasn’t sure which road the author would take which added to the excitement of the book. I eagerly await the next book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

To be honest I didn't like this book. First of all I really hate when the plot starts to a book and you have a lot of characters without being introduced. I mean who was Lore? In the beginning? And Michal? Secondly this book, at least to me, it appeared as a first draft. The world building was not good, it had political statements all over the place and when I thought we were going somewhere, it turned out to be nothing at all. I though about dnf it but I kept reading for something to happen. And don't get me wrong, it got somewhere but in the last couple of chapters in the end. Do I want to know what happens next based on those last chapters? Yes. Do I want to wait for book 2 even though I didn't like the first book? No. And honestly I won't. Hence the 2.5 stars. And 2.5 for the last chapters. So, yeah this book was not for me at all.

An ok young adult fantasy.
Wanted to love it, but didn’t blow me away. The concept was good and the magic system was interesting but for some reason I found it really hard to be invested. I’m also not a fan of love triangles, unless done exceptionally well!

☆☆☆☆

I really enjoyed this one!! I got a little stuck with the pace sometimes and found myself dipping in and out quite often, but the storytelling and plot kept drawing me back in. I thought the magic system concept was quite unique and enjoyed the politics and court culture. In terms of character/world-building - I got a bit lost at times but didn't find it too heavy.

I didn't feel toooo invested in the romance/love triangle - in my opinion, there wasn't enough angst or reasoning behind the connections, they just kind of happened.

Overall I'm looking forward to the next instalment and seeing where Hannah Whitten is going to take the rest of the series.



Reviews to be published on Goodreads and Storygraph February 23rd

Favorite character: Bastian / Lore
Three words: complex / twisted / captivating
Favorite quote: Lore was selfish. If it came down to her or the world, Lore chose herself.

Mortem, the essence of death, exists within everyone and there is only one way to use it and extend someone's life - to almost die. The favored way to bring the body to the brink of death is poison, but the use of Mortem is strictly forbidden by the king. Only the elite monks, the Presque Mort, are allowed to channel and use it. Their job is to guard the city Dellaire from the leaking Mortem from the body of the buried goddess Nyxara, who is buried in the catacombs beneath the citadel.
Born in the Catacombs with a special ability to channel Mortem, Lore did not escape the cult she was born into until she was thirteen. Since then she has found a new family in Mari and Val, poison suppliers, and works for them as a spy and smuggler. When a delivery goes wrong and Loren is arrested by the Presque Mort, her power is revealed. Instead of being executed like the ones before her with the same powers, she gets an offer from the king. Instead of being sentenced to death, she could use her powers and work for him. Entire villages along border are dying overnight, and the king suspects the rival kingdom and a traitor from his own court to be responsible. The king is convinced that the traitor is his own son and heir, prince Bastian, and Lore has to confirm it.
With the help of Gabriel, a Presque Mort and former duke, Lore infiltrates the court as his cousin, but soon she becomes entangled in the twisted lies and scheming of the court.

The Foxglove King was much more complex than I expected and it took me a while to understand the religious beliefs and magic of the "Mortem". Somehow religious fanatics always make me unreasonable angry and I can't stand characters like that, but still the religious background with the old dead gods leaking magic was super interesting. You only really get to know two gods, but I hope there will be more in the next book.
I'm really not the biggest fan of love triangles and I'm unsure about this one (although it's just beginning to develop and there is very little romance) because I like all three characters individually. So far I'm not sure if I like both, Bastian or Gabriel, as a love interest, I just don't feel a romantic connection between Lore and either of them, but maybe that will develop in the next book. After the end of book one I favor Bastian, he has many layers and he's so witty and entertaining, Gabriel just didn't have enough character development and I'm really not into the whole religious belief he has going on. Unlike most other love triangles, I liked the scenes where all three of them were together the most! The banter between Bastian and Gabriel was just enjoyable and I would have liked to read a lot more of it.
I really hope the author doesn't take the stereotypical way with the chosen one trope and the fated lovers... I have high expectations for the next book and can't wait to read it!

Whilst I quite enjoy Hannah Whitten's descriptive prose I really struggled to get engaged with this one. It felt like every cut and pasted fantasy novel currently out with very little deviation.
We have the usual Kingdom with its patriarchal hierarchy with a governmental system based on pseudo Catholicism, an evil king, a religious zealot, a prophecy and more uses of the phrase "Bleeding God" than you really need.
There is an heir apparent who is a dissolute playboy hiding a secret intelligence and keen fighting prowess, an ex-noble with religious celibacy issues and a chosen one who can't chose between them (despite Gabe being the most boring, self-effacing, brooding 'hero' trying to atone, I mean he gives Angelus a run for his money). The love triangle is based on a 'feeling' that they've known each other forever and is, of course, prophecy related.
Other than the use of necromancy in the magic system there was little to separate it from any other modern YA fantasy.
However the last chapter does turn things on its head and the abrupt change of direction has me thinking that the second book might be worth reading.

3.5 Stars

I was kindly given this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read, with an interesting world built up by Whitten. I loved the idea of death and life magic, and the story telling around the gods was very cool. I really enjoyed the characters and that it was a character-driven story, though I felt that some of it was very similar to things we'd seen before. The love-triangle of sorts was very reminiscent of Throne of Glass, for example.

*Mild spoilers below*

I think that Whitten lost herself in some of the lore she created, such as in the stone garden they discuss how something like this had never happened to a souled creature before, but later talk about the after effects of trapping a human in stone from the few times it has supposedly happened. Those moments really pulled me from the story and are part of the reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I could.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, it just needs a touch more finesse and originality.

I went into this relatively blind, going off of the short synopsis provided on Netgalley, but it wasn't a bad read. A quick, fast-paced fantasy.

I wasn't massively fond of Lore. She was childish at times and aggravating at others.

The worldbuilding was a little messy and all over the place. Whitten also did something with her writing that I cannot stand, which knocked a star off as soon as I saw it. She created this huge complex world with it's own magic system, so far removed from the modern world, and had her characters using modern speech and sayings. I mean, fantasy is whatever you make it, but why not just have a low fantasy book if you want your characters to talk like you do?

On top of that, there were several plot points that were either missing entirely or done in such a way they didn't make sense. The King telling Lore that he'd known about her illegal power since she'd been little? Wouldn't it have made more sense for him to have taken her back then and raise her as his spy? Wouldn't the whole thing have made more sense and been easier if she'd been on side from the get go?

Also - the foreshadowing? Cumbersome. Not necessary. I'd have enjoyed this better without the painful epigraphs. I've read books with these at the start of each chapter before, but nothing like this. It was baffling and annoying.

Overall not a bad book, but not without it's fault. I would probably pick something else up from this author and I wouldn't at this point say no to the second book either.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
I'm torn. I liked bit yet i found myself missing something.
Hannah Whitten has improved so much as an author, i have yet to read for the throne but... Ok so the world building is amazing and i cant really explain it cause it was so confusing yet so well crafted, so interesting. The basis is we follow Lore who escaped from the catacombs and ten years later she is "captured" and threatened to help the King to spy on the prince to prove he is behind the killing of villages. But there is more to that, Lore can manage or control Mortem which is like the essence of death, only the ones who have experienced a near death experience can do that. She hasnt had one.

The thing is, i expected more plot?? But at the same time more scenes, like it all felt disconnected at some points. i feel like i didnt get to know Bastian and Gabe that much and that Alie was put there just because the author lacked characters?? Bastian seems like such an interesting character yet i wanted more. To be honest, i feel like there was not really that much to have a romance YET there was?? It was confusing as fuck.
The world building once again, is amazing and i kinda liked the dark rage twist thing at the end. Lore is fascinating and i want to see her rage and i want her to be a villain i dont care.
I also felt like the author tried to write New Adult but still used some YA plot and techniques there. A lot of the situations were at least to me, expected.

I am giving it a 3,5. I just now that the second book will be better and please please give us RAGE i want GABE to SUFFER.

This book was so fun!

I read the author's previous two books and... hadn't loved them. They felt too heavily focused on being 'literary' fantasy (though they're not) and the plot had felt so slow. I'm a completionist so I'd pushed on to the second one but I skimmed my way through both books and just wanted them to be over.

I didn't think I'd be interested in any of this author's future books, and then I read the synopsis for The Foxglove King! It sounded so good so I decided to take a chance and I'm so glad I did!

The plot moves much more swiftly this time and I didn't find it dragging at all. Lore is our protagonist, a 23 year old poison runner with secret dark magic powers who gets pulled off the streets and into a court intrigue. I should say that it felt like she was only 23 years old so that the author could categorise her work as Fantasy instead of YA Fantasy, because otherwise it follows the beats of a YA coming of age story (except the lead makes reference to a past sexual history, which isn't always typical in YA). But yeah, if you like YA fantasy or just read fantasy then this works as a crossover for either.

I didn't particularly care for the love interest (and - be warned - I don't think they even kiss until 75% of the way through the book). I didn't feel the chemistry between them and it felt like Lore was surrounded by characters saying "hey, Gabe's into you" and you as the reader are expected to go along with it because if you put two straight characters of the opposite sex next to each other in a book then you know the drill. So no, didn't really care for that and if I'd picked up the book on the basis of the forbidden romance I'd have been disappointed. Really hope Lore's interests shift in the next book.

However, I picked up the book because of the dark magic and poison and on that front there was nothing to disappoint me. Really engaging, and I'm excited for the next in the series.