I enjoyed the first book so I was highly anticipating this one. However, for the first half of the book, I felt it all moved a little slowly. But the second half definitely picked up and I was glad that I kept going.
I loved the continued development of Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. This relationship dynamic was all things I look for in a book. The way Gabe was constantly in a battle between his feelings and his loyalty to the church. The way Bastian and Lore's power developed together, and how they almost mirrored the dynamic of the gods. It is a very thematic book and I loved delving into these a second time.

After loving book one. I had high expectations for this. While it didn't meet those expectations I did still enjoy the book.
The direction the story went. The character development and expanding world.
I'm left interested enough for future book in this world.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and it didn't disappoint. I loved the first book and I very much loved how things progressed in the sequel here.
I'd say the story gets even more dramatic, the intensity of feelings between the three MCs - Bastian, Lore and Gabe - reaches a whole new level.
The court intrigue, the death and life magic that Lore and Bastian use - it's was all very engaging and kept me on the edge.
The whole aspect of gods' reincarnation was very well done. The exploration of divinity and how it relates to morality is a recurring theme in Hannah Whitten's book and I found it to be very intricate and thought-provoking here.
On a more mundane level, seeing Lore and Bastian and Gabe trying to figure our their feelings for each other while under the immense stress of ruling the kingdom and fighting with the good inside and outside, it made for some amazing romance. I love the angst Gabe struggled with, the sexual chemistry between Lore and Bastian, his vulnerability, the constant fight to be himself.
What stood out for me is also how the trio were not completely alone any more, they got a group of friends they could rely on, the trust between them didn't come easily but it did eventually and the sense they are not alone any more meant so much for everyone of them.
Regarding the romance, I get a strong feeling that those three will end up together. It seems the most logical, natural HEA for them based on the way their relationship is presented so far and I hope we will get that in the next book.
Overall, this is a worthy sequel to book 1, it's emotionally intense, full of intrigue and plot twists, most often than not things are not what they seem at first glance. It's a moving story that I devoured in one sitting and I am already anxiously waiting for the final book in the trilogy.

CW: per author's website alcohol and tobacco use; parental abuse; explicit sexual content; adult language; religious abuse; intimate partner violence; gore/violence (rather explicit)

The Hemlock Queen is the second installment of The Nightshade Crown trilogy by Hannah F Whitten that continues the story of our favorite former poison runner turned Queen—Lore and the two halves of her heart, Bastian and Gabriel.
Things pick up shortly after the events of book one ended, and we face the consequences the three of them have to face. Dancing around their problems and their relationship, sooner or later, they have to face the problems that are festering so they can avoid the looming war with the Kyrithean Empire and simultaneously, figure out how to save themselves and their kingdom from a threat much bigger than the war.
In the previous book the main dynamic revolved around Lore and Gabriel and I love that in The Hemlock Queen we see more of the relationship between Lore and Bastian what is their connection.
Furthermore, we have an intriguing backstory of how their powers came to be with a lot of history rewarding us with all the answers that were following us since book one.
When you put things together after gathering all the pieces on this immersive journey, the Gods role in all of this and their personality is intriguing and well implemented with the other characters.
As a character development, I, personally, loved Nyxara and was always curious about her reactions when she was in the picture.
When it came to Gabriel, I was a bit sad that he didn't as much time as I would've liked because since the beginning of the story he remained somewhat of an enigma for me—questioning how does he feel about numerous things and burning for answers. But it wasn't what the story needed and, like Lore, I'm greedy for both of them 😂🙈 so I'll shove my Gabriel addiction for book 3 that I can't wait to read!

(Social media posts and links to them will be added here near release date!)

I devoured the first book so it’s no surprise that I was eager to get stuck in to book two!

This book has a slow start, even though it picks up right after the dramatic events at the end of The Foxglove King. I spent the first half of the book waiting for something, I’m not sure what though. But the second half of the book really pulled it back for me.

I loved the way this book leant more into the fantasy elements of the story, building up the magic system and revealing more about Lore and Bastian’s powers. I also loved the development of their relationship too, in parallel and in spite of the relationship between Apollius and Nyxara.

I also really enjoyed the development of the tense and strange love triangle, which I really didn’t think I would, but the love all the characters feels really drives their actions and makes them selfish but also human.

One of the most interesting parts of this whole book was in the last third where we get to learn how the gods because who they were and how Apollius was able to build up a religion around himself using his power but also his charisma. The way he manipulated the truth and the people around him is what built his legacy, but also allows him to keep control even as Bastian.

This book was driven largely by the relationships and development of characters within the story, which really allowed the reader to get to know them more and invest in them. But this did mean that the packing was off at times, with too much exposition and not enough development based on the knowledge that characters have.

This book ended in a way that I didn’t expect and has left me eager to read the next book. I really enjoyed the final third of this book where events started to pick up and the stakes were getting higher. I am looking forward to discovering the repercussions of the ending and seeing how these characters work through the fight ahead. That being said, my reservations still stand and that’s why I’m rating this book 3.5 stars.

Special thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of "The Hemlock Queen' in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded down for "The Hemlock Queen". I had a fun time with this sequel to "The Foxglove King". I especially love how we got a lot of information about Lore's powers and the relationship between Apollius and Nyxara. I think the magical lore is quite strong and fascinating, and I enjoy the way Apollius and Nyxara's toxic relationship plays into their power use. I think my favourite aspect of the lore in the book is the way we get to see how Apollius "built" his own religion using charm and manipulation - very reminiscent of cult leaders throughout history. He's a great villain, I won't lie.

I also enjoyed Lore and Bastian's relationship in this book, from his *cough* situation to her internal conflict about her place in the world. I also must say: Chapter 35 was everything I wanted and more. I was giggling hard during all of Bastian's scenes... even when [redacted] was happening to him. Which is concerning, but... he's just so pretty!

I gave this book 3.5 stars because it was way too slow in its middle portion. Too much exposition and too much repetition on the internal monologue plane. I would have liked to get more plot and dialogue than Lore... thinking the same things over and over. But overall, not a bad read, and something I'd definitely recommend to persons who like romantasy.

I loved the foxglove king so much, and I loved the hemlock queen just as much, maybe more!
Such a great great series.
Well written, so atmospheric,
Can’t wait to read more by Hannah Whitten!

I read this book immediately after reading the first and fell in love with the series. I liked trying to guess what was going to happen but I was still wrong! I hadn't realised this would be a trilogy so the ending left me a little gobsmacked and I need the next in the series asap please. I found this book easy to follow and even though there are lots of characters I didn't ever get confused about who was who or what they were supposed to be doing. I'm very excited to see what the third book brings to see how everything will resolve, if at all!

Hannah Whitten returns with an absolute bang with the second installment in The Nightshade Crown series. All of the incredible elements of the first book - the politics, court intrigue and tangled web of feelings between the core trio - are elevated further in The Hemlock Queen, as well as the stakes being higher, and more key players being introduced. The magic system and worldbuilding is developed much further in book two, and I love the way in which it was done.
The narrative itself remains cut-throat and fast-paced the whole way through, right up until the exhilarating climax.

Lore is one of the most refreshing and likable protagonists I’ve read in such a long time. She is so nuanced and multi-faceted, she has real flaws and character motivations, and even when she is dealing with complicated and unwanted feelings, she does not shy away from them. She owns her desires, both romantic and simply in her personhood.

Speaking of romance, I am someone who typically does everything in my power to avoid love triangles, but the one in this series is fantastically done. Whilst I definitely have my preferences (a certain tortured monk), the care and detail Whitten puts into developing them as three distinct people who truly cherish each other makes the triangle a complex dynamic to explore rather than an angsty trope.

I really treasured every moment I spent reading this book. It’s the first one in a long time that gave me that ‘6 star book’ feeling, of wanting to do nothing but delve back in, reading in every spare minute I could. I am so excited for others to read The Hemlock Queen when it comes out in April, and to see what book 3 has in store for us.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC, All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Little, Brown and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

The Foxglove King was a bit of a fun romp full of religious imagery and pretty dresses, but didn't have enough meat on its bones to carry into a series. The imagery and dresses remained, but sadly the fun didn't. The first 100 pages are spent having pointless conversations and going absolutely NOWHERE. You need to really care about the three protagonists and their dynamic to carry you through, and there wasn't enough substance there to support it.

Flicking to the end, I feel you could skip this book entirely and still make sense of the last book in the trilogy. This series is fluffy, cliche and predictable, but I think there are better guilty pleasure reads out there. At this point I don't think Whitten's books are really for me, but I hope her books find their audience!

An excellent sequel with a typically infuriating cliffhanger. The same characters you know and love dealing with the fallout from the last. Predictable but still satisfying

Received as an ARC. I read The Foxglove King as an ARC and I really enjoyed it. This book, I loved! The development of the characters is brilliant and all the plot twists I just did not see coming! I already can't wait to read the third book!

EEEEEEEK! THAT ENDING! WHAT!? I wasn't sure if this was a duology or trilogy so I was getting distressed by how it would wrap up towards the end but so glad there will be another book!

This is such a tense book, had me hooked on the edge of my seat, so much going on, I'm intrigued as to how it will all play out in the next book! I really enjoyed this, it was fantastically written and definitely one of my favourite series now!

I found the world building in the first book to be a bit lacklustre and I struggled to get into it but thought that this would be a bit easier given it’s the second book and would give the author time to work on the plot, however, I couldn’t get into this one and struggled even more. Wasn’t one for me I’m afraid and I don’t think the author is either.

I was lucky enough to be approved for an arc for this book however all my opinions are not due to this!

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I truly think I loved this book more than the first! It’s spicier than the last but not too spicy. The plot is easy to follow but not predictable.

I loved that the author has done amazing character development and additionally hinted towards to many plot twists throughout the book but you do not realise until they happen they were foreshadowed!

Enemies to lovers in the first book…. Lovers to enemies in the second! And oh my god is this my favourite trope.

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100% recommend for anybody looking for a gothic fantasy

I liked returning to these characters as I loved the first book, I did think the pacing was slightly off in this as it dragged at points - not sure it needs to be as long as it is but I still enjoyed this. I wish we had more of the ‘throuple’ that we are being teased with and really hope there is more romance in the last book of the trilogy.