In The Foxglove King, Lore and Bastian survived a prophecy that would have seen Lore dead and Bastian’s body taken over by a god. Bastian is about to be crowned King, Gabriel is now Priest Exalted and Lore, a former poison smuggler, has been elevated to Bastian’s right hand. As Bastian begins to rule the Court, Lore starts to notice changes in his behaviour and fears the worst. Something is whispering in her ear, and she’s beginning to wonder what or who is whispering in Bastian’s ear…

The Hemlock Queen is everything I hoped that the previous book would be, and I loved every moment of it. The character development was much better for a start, and the overall plot was more interesting to me. It’s a lot less religious-based, and leans more towards mythology and folklore, which is what I tend to expect from Whitten. It was a wild ride of suspense and emotion, and I can’t wait for book three!

I jumped into The Hemlock Queen without doing a reread of The Foxglove King first - I do not recommend this. While you do get enough of a recap to gradually inch your way back into the world I think it would be a much better idea to go back to book one and fall straight into book two. For me, the lack of reread led to a slightly slower start but the page-turning nature of the latter half of the book leads me to believe had I had the time for a reread the whole book would have been a real win.
The Hemlock Queen feels in many ways like a classic fantasy trilogy sequel with love triangles and 'oh no the consequences of my actions'. I can see influences from various books including (dare I say) some similarities to Sarah J Maas' second books? Perhaps? But all of that coalesces into something that has the comforting tropey nature of those other books while daring to do some different things. Where some books push their heroines into love triangles Hannah Whitten repeatedly asks 'why do we have to choose one person?' which felt refreshing. I continue to enjoy the exploration of death magic and I liked that this book leaned into some of the more horrifying aspects of the magic in this world.
I think the strongest aspect of this as a sequel was the main character Lore, who manages the transition into book two without losing the strong sense of identity she had in book one. I've seen characters like Lore fall into nothingness in sequels so many times but in this instance I felt she only got stronger and more certain of her identity despite all the various goings on of the book.
I was not necessarily anticipating planning on reading book three when it eventually comes out but I am once again proved wrong by an Orbit sequel - their second books have been *killing* it lately and anyone stopping at book one is a fool. I am very excited to see how the series concludes.
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book was a great follow up to the first. The stakes definitely upped and as we spent more time with the characters, getting to know them better, it was easy to get swept up in the fantasy of it all. The author does a great job of keeping the reader engaged. Now, I need the conclusion ASAP!!

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the advance copy of The Hemlock Queen to read for an honest review.

The Hemlock Queen is the sequel to The Foxglove King. Following King August's death Prince Bastian has taken over the thrown with Lore as his right hand side they hope to help the people of Dellaire but there is a lot of dissent and unease in the court and challenges from other empires. Bastian is changing due to this becoming more calloused, cold and reckless.

And Lore has a voice whispering in her ear dark and haunting saying maybe there is more to this story than she knows.

The coronation is fast approaching and Lore must work out how to protect herself, Bastian and the kingdom before it is too late.

A strong sequel to book one which goes abit more in depth into the magic system and answers questions left over from the first book.

It feels like the romance with Gabe took abit more of a backseat for the plot and to build up the bond between Lore and Bastian further. However there was a lot of building up of the love triangle started in book one as foreshadowing for the next book potentially.

I particularly am a fan of gothic fiction and interesting magic systems so this series has been a joy to read and after such a cliff hanger ending I can't wait to see what the third book will have in store for the characters.

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

Even though the romance was wayyyy more slow burn for my taste I loved the Hemlock Queen. I found characters I missed and loved, met new. It was a really good book. Was it a happy one? No. But it didn't fail to catch my attention. I can say with clarity that Hannah Whitten is a fave author of mine.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved the first book and was worried about second book in the series let-down. But this was even better than the first! Lore's character development in this story arc was incredible, and she became even more relatable and likeable than she was before. Not looking forward to the year wait for the final book in the trilogy.

Well this wasn't a happy book but i enjoyed it 😂
Lots of background lore which I really enjoyed. The extra pov was great and a welcome reprieve from the mc's constant woe and tiredness. I felt it suffered a tad from middle book mauldalin but was never the less still quite invested and the ending was great!
Looking forward to the next installment.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for an arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

A fantastic follow up to The Foxglove King. Lore and Bastian have overthrown the corrupt king, August and everything seems hopeful for a brighter future for their people. But Bastian is no longer himself and both are at risk of losing control of their minds and bodies to the banished gods of night and day.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this latest instalment and can't wait for the next one.

Whilst there were some passages where the pace dropped, overall I enjoyed this sequel. In particular I thought the final act was brilliant! I loved Lore in the first book but didn't find her quite as compelling this time - I'm generally not a fan of love triangles so definitely think her indecision in this area influenced my opinion a bit, but she did start to find her strength again towards the end and I think HW has set up nicely for the next book!

The Hemlock Queen has all the glittering mystery, suspense and court intrigue as the foxglove king with double the romantic tension.
Bastian is still a cinnamon roll, Gabe is somehow even more broodier and Lore forever tied with them both.

I loved learning more about the backstories of the god in these books and that ending!! I need the next one immediate pls. Hannah Whitten was not playing around when she wrote this sequel.

Thank you to Littlebrown group uk and Netgalley for letting me read this one early. I can't wait to get my hands on the final book in this gothic fantasy romance trilogy.

This book was extremely slow paced. I don't mind slowly-paced books if it gives worthy results.
Lore was very much a passive participant,. She wanted to take a back seat and be taken care of, but the way it was presented didn't make for an interesting read.

The romance was also a slow burn. The spice is mild. YA readers looking to try adult fantasy might enjoy this series.

After reading The Foxglove King last year via NetGalley, I was so glad to receive an arc copy of book #2 also, The Hemlock Queen.
I thought TGK provided such a great set-up for a fantasy, a really strong world of politics and religion whilst establishing a clear set of characters. In THQ, I only found myself liking Lore more over the course of the story, as well as many of the other characters. The love triangle is also doing the most in this instalment! This series has such an interesting world and the fantastical elements that Whitten has created are so fascinating and finely tuned.
There isn't much I can say about a sequel without spoilers but wow, what a strong second book this has turned out to be. It was a good length for a fantasy, with great pacing and a nail-biting ending.
I am looking forward to the third and final book in this fantasy series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and Hannah Whitten for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and rating to be posted to Instagram at the end of April.

“Six broken, battered cups, when there should only be one. The cycle has begun, now.

3.75 ⭐

I really love the premise of this series and while I am reading the book I am enjoying myself and intrigued to find out what is happening, but then when the book finishes I kind of just feel... 🤷 neither here nor there. I do think this is a good book, it's well written, the prose is interesting, the snippets of banter are fun and like I said, the idea of the storyline is great, but there is just something about this series that is not gripping me like I wish it would, but I can't seem to put my finger on it. The Hemlock Queen picks up a few weeks after the events of The Foxglove King and sees Lore, Bastian and Gabe all stepping into positions of power within their realm. War is still imminent with the threat from the Kirytheans on their borders, the politics of court life are still as convoluted as ever, with the courtiers trying to decide whether they support their new king and his deathwitch, and the other courtiers who had been part of the betrayal in the first book either on house arrest or shipped to the Burnt Isles, and Lore is trying to find her place amongst all this mess.

The first part of this story is pretty slow going, we spend a lot of time following the politicking and frivolous partying leading up to the Summer Progress, a lot of time in Lore's head as she monologues about her dreams and her love for Gabe and Bastian, and a lot of time world building up to the main part of this book revolving around the pantheon of gods returning to the land. This part of the story took me a really long to read, my motivation was low but I pushed through. I wasd was glad when a few interesting events started occurring and from then on the rest of the story was relatively fast paced and I was hooked again. The revelation and history about the gods was probably my favourite thing about this story, the way the religion was built right from the beginning on a base of betrayal, half truths and corruption really drives both the past and present POVs of this story, history is repeating itself and it's up to Lore, Bastian and Gabe to change the outcome.

Divinity is never destroyed. It is only echoed.

Lore, Gabe and Bastian are an interesting group of main characters, their love triangle is a lot of fun but also a little bit one dimensional. I love the dynamic between these characters, how they all love and care for each other but also butt heads and can't stand each other at different times. But I also can't really see what is drawing them together because honestly I don't think their relationships were really developed in this book as much as they should've been. I feel like they were all at the same level as they were at the end of the first book and nothing had really changed. I do like that it's not clear who Lore is going to choose, or if she's even going to choose at all and this might turn into a "why chose" story with a power throuple, but I really do think their feelings for each other are rather superficial. I also think most of the storyline was quite predictable, I figured out what was happening quite early and got frustrated that Lore was intent on remaining in denial, which drew the book out a bit too much, but then I wasn't expecting some other twists and that definitely kept me intrigued enough to finish this book and I am glad that I did.

Overall, I am still entertained by this series and I will definitely be picking up the third one when it is out. I think maybe this book suffered a bit from middle book syndrome, but also I think maybe Whitten's writing just doesn't connect with me as deeply as I was hoping it would. Many of the same points I made in my review of the first book and still points in this book that hold it back. I do think this will cement itself a strong middle ground series where people either like it or dislike it but don't ever really feel to strongly about it on either side. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for this copy of the book, even if I was a bit behind schedule reviewing this, I really appreciate it!

The girl Nyxara had been, who loved Apollius enough to follow Him into ruin. The goddess She became, who ripped out His heart.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for providing me this arc.

The Hemlock Queen is the second installment and the middle book of this trilogy. After The Foxglove King introduced us to the world of Mortem and Spiritum, of Lore, Gabe and Bastian, The Hemlock Queen continues the story.

This book could've been a good bit shorter than it was, I sometimes skipped over whole paragraphs because the story bored me and there was nothing of interest happening. I had to go back and reread several times.

I also didn't like the mistrust trope, half of the book could've been solved instantly if the people talked with each other. The excuses were flimsy at times.

There wasn't anything shocking, what should be the plot twists was very obvious since the beginning and I got angry at Lore for not getting it earlier.

The author did a disservice to Gabe - after the end of book 1 nothing in here made me want to forgive him at all. Most of the other characters didn't get fleshed out more which should've happened with all these pages.

Nonetheless I love Hannah Whittens writing style and how easily she weaves the relationship drama - why can't we have both? The glimpses we get of our prince made me swoon.

I really liked to discover more of the gods and how they became what they are and I still want to know how this is going to be resolved in the last book.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten is book two in the The Nightshade Crown series and the sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller, The Foxglove King.

It's a dark romantic fantasy with political intrigue, court corruption and devious gods at play.

Lore, a necromancer and former smuggler, continues to explore her abilities and harness both Mortem and Spiritum whilst an ominous voice whispers inside her head. She is now the Sainted King's new newly deathwitch, working closely with Bastian to cut out the rot that continues to fester in the royal court and help the people of Dellaire.

I adore the deliciously dark undertone and sinister atmosphere Whitten has established throughout the series so far. The Hemlock Queen picks up immediately after The Foxglove King and increases the stakes dramatically. The love triangle element continues to gently simmer seductively in the background. I'm still not sure who I'm rooting for as both love interests demonstrate a significant amount of appeal. I'm secretly holding out for a throuple to develop. The ending was also fiendishly good and left me desperately wanting to read on.

This was a solid sequel that sets the stage for wider conflict whilst establishing a devilishly awful villain. I enjoyed reading about the origins of the Gods and learning more about their hierarchy and despicable intentions. I have no idea how the series will conclude and I love that.

I loved the Foxglove King and this book was a fantastic sequel following Lore as she gets used to life as not only the vessel for a goddess but also a future Queen.

There is so much tension in this book as well as twists that I was unprepared for.

We had a lot less of Gabe in this book as Lore and Bastian learn to discover who they are to one another. I’m desperate for the next book already.

Thank you NetGalley, Hannah Whitten and Gollanzc for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Middle books are always hard and I thought this was a duology, my own fault for not checking, so I thought the whole time that it was weird that it wasn't wrapping up in the way most books that are ending do.

Overall, I enjoyed learning more about the characters and the gods and how they all fit together, but it still suffered from the middle book syndrome as it is sometimes refered as.

Spoiler alert:

I got a little tired of the "Woah is us" we have gods in our minds and the but I love everyone vibe... I am all for a good polyamorous relationship. But we only get our main character Lore who goes back and forth and it feels like she is going to have to choose but then we get told that Gabe and Bastian do care for each other, but love is a stretch. In both books they barely have any interaction and then seem to be pitted against each other for Lore's affection.
Also the book titles really don't make sense as poison barely plays any part in these books ... First one she was a poison runner and people were taking it as a drug. But this one hemlock is mentioned once being in a garden.

I didn't not like the book but I did not love it as much as I wanted to after the first book. I do want to see how it ends but won't be rushing to read it.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten is the second book in The Nightshade Kingdom trilogy. Whitten notes in the acknowledgements that sequels are difficult to write and she found this sequel particularly difficult to pull together and unfortunately it shows.
This book was far longer than it needed to be: it didn’t seem to know where it was going for the first half and delivered three chapters of unnecessary flashbacks in the second half after introducing four extra characters very suddenly.
Our group of main characters showed gradual progression, but their decisions were hard to justify and overall they felt like puppets who were only there to do whatever it took to further the plot. This story manages to simultaneously have a world that is too big and too small, and the same small nuggets of information were hammered home in every chapter until the framework of the story splintered.
Die-hard fans of this series will enjoy the continuation of the entertaining dynamics between some of the characters, but overall this felt like a bit of a flop.

Bastian has taken the throne and Lore is his right-hand person. They are trying to make things better for all their people but not everyone is happy with the changes. Bastian, who seems mysteriously different, is making dangerous decisions while the Kirythean Empire is breathing down their necks. Something dark is whispering to Lore about her power, about a buried truth. She must figure out how to protect everyone before that dark power is unleashed.

It's been about a month since the crazy that happened at the end of book 1 and we claim our comfortable seating in Lore's life again. Seeing that world through her eyes is always interesting, a narrative so subtly observant and intensely visual. Intimate and raw with emotion. Always colored with an appetite for wit. The writing breathes a hinted note of ethereal in its figurative speech, words spun together in often breath-stealing descriptions.

The relationship between our fave trio is more fragile now. If you thought that lovely mess of a situation was resolved you've got another thing coming. And that tension? Yowza! I have always liked the depth which this author gives to her characters, that they are never just one thing. You may not always agree with their decisions, the desire to shake some sense into them is quite strong and often, but you certainly care.

I was quite taken with how the story was built, brick by compelling brick, foreboding its mortar. I must admit it did require a little time to really grab me, lagging in the beginning, in my opinion. When we got more of the voice and started to understand it better, was when the story really started to soar. The suspense became palpable. The intrigue is amped with the court, political and downright self-serving machinations. I really enjoy trying to figure out what is going on along with the protagonist. We do get several shocking revelations and answers.

This is about believing in yourself, finding faith again and trusting in one's feelings. It is about controlling fate. Power and balance are important ingredients of this marvelous sequel vibing with pleasant unpredictability, gut-wrenching intensity and general awesomeness. It changed everything, bringing the storytelling to new heights.

An excellent read that picks up immediately from the end of the last one.

I love the expansion of the lore and the backstory. We get more of the worldbuilding as we find out more about the gods in this sequel.

We also see the effects that the rituals have on all of the main characters in the book, including the emotional toll it takes on Lore, especially.

A solid read, and I'm really looking forward to the next one.