The Foxglove King is a perfectly twisted fantasy tale with a beautifully constructed magic system based on life and death.

We follow our main character Lore, a former poison runner with a unique power as she’s enlisted to help the Citadel investigate strange happenings on the outskirts of Auverraine and it’s prince. It perfectly entangles settings of crown, court and religion and has everything you’d want: secrets, betrayal and romance.

The magic system in this book is one of my favourites I've ever read, as the imagery creates a great mental illustration and there is even more it can delve into in the next installments of the series.

If you’re a big fan of love triangles you’ll love this book. So much tension (in some cases quite racy) and complicated emotion. I did leave wanting more in the romance department but have no doubt this will come later on.

Overall the only criticism I feel for this book was the ending but that may just be sadness that the next is not out yet. The ending did feel slightly rushed with a lot of information coming at the end of the book with a lot to wrap your head around but i’m definitely excited to learn more and will be keeping tabs on Hannah Whitten’s future work

I feel terrible about giving such a low rating to a book, but I tried so hard to like it, and ultimately, I just felt it was dragging forever. The book starts with some solid storytelling and interesting world building, but at some point, everything becomes too info-dumpy.
I didn't personally feel invested in the characters and the plot didn't capture my attention. Lack of foreshadowing and suspense overall, so basically, I couldn't find enough of a motivation to keep reading it. Lastly, the romantic elements felt forced to me too.

I do believe there's a lot of potential in this book, and I might give a try to the author again; but at this moment in time, this specific book was just not for me.

I loved For The Wolf and will read anything Hannah Whitten writes.

The Foxglove King is no different. I cannot wait to see what happens!

The writing, story and magic system are well written and don't have you feeling too lost. While I'm not usually a fan of love triangles, I didn't hate this one (didn't love it, but I never will..).

Go read everything Hannah has written!!

In the city of Dellaire, the lower orders groan to support King, clergy and nobles who will have the best of everything for themselves.

In the city of Dellaire, bored, decadent aristocrats dose themselves with deadly poisons obtained form illicit death-dealers.

In the city of Dellaire, in vaults deep below the Citadel, a death cult guards the body of a cursed goddess.

And war is coming.

I loved the world building and sheer gothicness of Whitten's new novel, from the seedy docksides to the gilded chambers of the Citadel, all shot through with the odour of death. Woven into the narrative is a divine tragedy - it's certainly not a divine comedy - tracing the city's history and that of its religion in extracts from sacred texts. They describe a war between the gods, whose effects remain very real and very important centuries later. In practical terms, that war left the world contaminated with a substance called 'mortem", the very essence of death, which has to be managed and channelled by a special order of monks, the Presque Mort.

Others are forbidden to meddle with it, although few have the talent in any case. One who does though is Lore, a young woman who is part spy, part poison trafficker and generally a rogue through and through. Towards the end of this book, in a crisis, Lore takes a momentous decision for reasons which are, she freely admits, completely selfish. That's basically Lore in a nutshell: you're not going to guilt her into doing the right thing for the greater good - she needs to be bribed, blackmailed or coerced, the latter being the method chosen early in the book by those who wish to use her.

Given that background and that character, I must admit that I was a little disappointed by what followed. Lore - basically a sewer rat from the bad part of town who's been working as a spy for one gang of traffickers, embedded (um, literally) with another - is introduced into the wealthy setting of the Citadel with orders to spy on a nobleman. What follows is a series of social and religious engagements, with plenty of conversation between Lore and a slew of nobles, but actually little in the way of action, apart from a couple of set piece events, for most of the middle part of the book. It's established early on that Lore is an experienced and accomplished spy. Also that she has dark abilities (in one memorable scene she raises a dead horse). Yet so much of the story is confined to mildly probing questions of those around her. Even when Lore makes some allies and her investigation switches up a gear, a great deal of time is spent in the library rather than in snooping or other more spy-y activity. Yes'm we get Lore's rather frustrated inner monologue, and there is a love triangle going on, but I felt there was little in this section to advance the plot.

I must add that the book does lift in its final third, when a number of plot threads come together. There is action. There is hair-raising peril. There is dark magic. Also, multiple levels of betrayal, the revelation of hidden hands and one particular reveal about Lore herself and her role in things that I really hadn't seen coming.

But still, I felt that this book could have been more. And that's not because of the difference between The Foxglove King and Whitten's previous novels - For the Wolf and For the Throne. I get that they are meant to be different - while those books are darkly romantic, tainted fairytales, and yes, I love that kind of thing, I also enjoy more conventional fantasy which The Foxglove King is albeit with a nice gothic edge. They're not meant to occupy the same genre space, and that's fine.

Still, if you enjoy a competent, cool heroine and a setting that has something of the night about it, this may well be just what you need to read.

Really loved this book, the characters are well drawn and the story keeps you hooked all the way through.. This is the first book I have read by this author, but will definitely be looking for more.

This is a fantastic, fast paced fantasy. Set in a world where poison can be used as a drug to lengthen lives, Lore has the ability to channel Mortem, a type of death magic. When she's arrested she's forced to spy on the king's wayward son, Bastian the Sun Prince. Lore is guarded by the closed off Monk, Gabe while the three of them try to find out who or what has been killing off whole villages and not knowing who they can trust.

I loved the necromancer angle of this novel and thought the world building was great, but sometimes a bit confusing. The characters are brilliant and develop well throughout the book. There's a hint of a love triangle, which I think will develop through this series.

I really enjoyed this novel and give it a solid 4 stars. I'm really looking forward to reading the next one in this trilogy

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc in return for an honest review.

5/10

This is that kind of book, not you, only didn't work for me!
This was the wrong choice, I wasn't in the mood for a young girl new to the luxurious life of the court, gossip, handsome king's son, love triangle and bad kins.
I didn't read Wilderwood series, maybe its her style, but I felt sometimes lost track, or couldn't know who is the storyteller now!

Overall this wasn't a bad tale, I'm not regretting reading this but happy it finished (a little too long) I even may want to read the next book.

So what we have here, is a world where the Sainted King has a group of church warriors who use magic for the king. Mortem is the magic that powers to raise the dead.
Lore has been born with this magic and dark, with death beside her. She has to help to King and Church for finding the cause of the poison and dead that spread among the villages. Also, has to find who can be spies, even the Sun Prince himself.

You see, there are many to like but just wasn't for me. Hope you enjoy it more!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown #1) by Hannah Whitten, I have given my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I went into this book without any idea of what it was about - powers of raising the dead / manipulating life, love triangles and church vs crown politics. I think that potentially hindered how quickly I was able to understand what on Earth was going on, but it also meant I was hooked as I tried to unscramble all of the players in the game.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and the powers the main characters had I thought were really original. It was also well written and the pacing was pretty sound too. My only real complaint with this book is the love triangle. I just couldn’t get behind either of the love interests & definitely not the one who is the current “front runner” who is so predictable it hurts. It felt simultaneously neglected and beaten to death like the author focused too hard on it and lost the intrigue. Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good romance but I was underwhelmed by this triangle for sure.

In saying that, it’s a unique, well written story that I did enjoy reading (for the most part) and I will definitely be waiting eagerly for the next.

I really enjoyed the storyline and use of magic. Some of the characters felt a little flat in my opinion and aspects of some relationships felt forced. Overall this is a good fantasy read and I'm looking forward to following as Lore, Bastian and Gabe develop more.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

First off, just a quick warning, there is some body horror and animal death in this book. It gets pretty visceral so just know that going in if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.

I really enjoyed this book! Lore is a fun protagonist and Bastian and Gabe are nice secondary leads. There is a love triangle vibe in this book, which was annoying because <spoiler> I immediately liked Bastian way more than Gabe, but we delved too much into Gabe's psyche so I think he's the real love interest which is sad because Bastian is a much more complex, fun character. I find Gabe pretty boring and pretentious, and also, he's pretty much brainwashed which is a real drag. </spoiler>

There are very real conversations about death, afterlife, and religion in this book. Even though they're within the context of this fantasy world, they feel incredibly real and relevant. It's really enjoyable to read a fantasy book that so well examines a topic that so many people deal with, and examine it well through multiple perspectives.

There were some things that were pretty easy to predict, like <spoiler> Bastian's spiritum or Lore's mom </spoiler> but it didn't take too much away for me. I still really enjoyed.

Also, Lore's moms are great and I love them. Especially Mari.

I have no idea where this story is going, which is very fun, and I'd really like to follow the ride! 4 stars from me.

WHAT A FANTASTIC BOOK! I neeeed The Hemlock Queen now! Gave me small vibes from Belladonna but nothing major just a poisoning thing. I've also loved this so much more than For The Wolf!

I'm in love with Bastian and Gabriel, Lore is a great main character, I've enjoying seeing her develop over the course of the book. The plot was interesting and I'm looking forwards to seeing where it goes in book two!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was hooked from the beginning. The magic system was unique. I really liked the focus on life and death. I can't wait to see what role necromancing will play in the future. But I also can't wait to see how Lore, Bastian and Gabe are going to navigate their lives.

An interesting take on the politics of Power and the interaction between Life and Death! A maniac king who is dying and is arguably being kept alive by Belladonna which happens to stave off death and extend Life - but at a cost. A woman of untested powers that is able to "control" the force of Death (Mortem) whilst interacting with the force of Life (Spiritum). Add in a prince who believes his father the king is almost certainly trying to get rid of him and a priest or two who are relatives to the king and prince. There is, of course, a complicated and largely unrequited love interest.

The net result is a well made and well told story that I enjoyed and I believe you will too.

Not a great fan of fantasy books but I must say this one had me hooked from the very first page.
Amazing characters with interesting story lines .
So glad this is the first of a trilogy and can’t wait to see where the three main characters Lore, Gabriel and Bastian go.

"Bleeding Gods" that was good!! I really liked he magic system and the necromance part of it. Loved that the author didn't add a love triangule. Lore was an intriguing character, in a good way. I'm excited to know what it will happen next.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ❤️😘

The Foxglove King tells the story of Lore, a woman who has a secret, when she was 13 she escaped the catacombs and now she has the power to bring the dead back to life. It’s called Mortem and it’s illegal in the city of Dellaire where Lore lives. Lores life has always been one of living on the fringe - getting money from poisons keeps her and her secret safe. But when a poison run doesn’t go to plan Lore is taken by the Presque Mort, a group of Monks who work for the Sainted King, to work for them. It seems that entire villages on the outskirts of the city are being completely wiped out overnight totally at random. There are no survivors to question so it falls to Lore to to find out the truth or choose the alternative, die. Lore is pushed into the world of the Court of King August with her guide, Gabriel, a Monk who was once a Duke (lots of issues there guys) and August’s Heir, Bastion. How will Lore fair when she comes up against court politics, religion, poison, forbidden lust and lots and lots of death?

For me, The Foxglove King didn’t really warm up until a couple of chapters in and then boy did it!! This book is exceptional!! It’s dark, tempting, captivating and provocative. When you’re reading it every chapter peels back a little more until you get to what you think is what’s happening…and then the next chapter gives you a little more.

I can’t go without saying how AMAZING all the sexual tension in this book is 😍😍 The word tantalising sums it up I think.

This book is already one of my favourites of the year. I’m dying for the next book please!! 😭😍 5✨

At thirteen Lore was found on the streets and taken in by a gang of poison-dealers, helping spy on their rivals. So far she's much like any other abandoned child on the streets of the city, but she also has a hidden, untapped ability to work highly illegal 'death magic'. She keeps this talent closely hidden, until one day a seemingly everyday drug drop goes wrong and she attracts the attention of the Presque Mort, the king's warrior monks. Arrested, she expects death or banishment but King August has a use for her - to uncover who or what has been killing the inhabitants of scattered villages, and to spy on his son, Bastian. Thus, Lore finds herself thrown into the strange (to her) world of the court, with its protocol and parties, where no one can be taken at face value or trusted - least of all, perhaps, Prince Bastian, and the Presque Mort monk Gabriel instructed to keep an eye on Lore and initiate her into the ways of the Court.

Having read Hannah Whitten's For the Throne, I'd rather expected something similar - a fairytale setting in which the foxglove king would be a flower-surrounded fairy - but instead the setting is more urban (though still that never, never time of fantasy novels) and the foxgloves are not the beautiful purple flowers but the drug derived from them.
The story is just as compelling though. There are so many things to love about this book. The world building is brilliant - both the overall religious set up of quarreling gods and sainted kings, with a magic system which derives its power from death (mortem) and life (spiritum), and the in detail political divide between the rich and the poor, where the poison which brings relief is freely available to the rich, but only obtained illicitly by the poor. The plot is a twisty intrigue-filled thriller, with Lore uncertain whose version of events to believe, and to further muddy the waters there's a love triangle.thrown in, as Lore finds herself torn between stiff, repressed Gabriel, and idle, pleasure-loving Bastian.
I really enjoyed it and look forward to book 2 of the series.

Sorry this review delayed due to Covid :(

The Foxglove King
Fantasy
Hannah Whitten
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The world building in this book is really good, although there are some info dumps and I'm not a fan of those. Some of the language used doesn't really fit in with the setting and the era it's inspired by though.

The magic system was very interesting and it made me so curious. I hope it gets explored more in the following books.

I did like the characters but some of the relationships felt forced and lacked chemistry sometimes. I love a good enemies to lovers plot line but it didn't feel like they were really enemies to begin with.

The pacing was ok. The book started quite slow and then only picked up speed a little bit towards the end. I did find the plot twist predictable but I did enjoy the ending and how the book was left.

Overall, I found this book just "ok". That being said, I would give the next book a chance.

*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

This was a thoroughly enjoyable story.. Slow start but once it got going is was non stop action to the end. Some great characters and a very inventive storyline that sucked me right in.. Looking forward the the sequel.

This started off so strong! I was sucked in for the first 20% and then found it began to drag a little.
I expected so much more from Lore, Gabe and Bastian - especially as the writing seemed like it could be a new adult fantasy romance. Like it's pegged as forbidden romance...there's one kiss!! THAT'S IT!
The magic system was slightly confusing and I'm still not 100% sure on what was going on at the end.
I will wait and see reviews after book 2 to see if any romance develops that's worth talking about. I didn't even care that it was a love triangle I'd have still taken it 😂