I just finished The Nightshade Crown trilogy, and overall it was an entertaining and intriguing read. The first two books didn’t fully hook me, but the third was definitely the strongest and left me the most satisfied. The story felt original, and I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, though I’ll admit there were parts that dragged a little and were harder to get through.
This series is very much a slow-burn fantasy, with almost no smut, which I think will appeal to readers who prefer romance to develop gradually without being too explicit. Personally, I liked the tension and buildup, though I found myself wishing for a bit more closure at the end—an epilogue showing the characters’ lives together would have been perfect.
In the end, I gave the final book 3.75 stars and the trilogy as a whole 3.5. It’s a creative and unique series that I would recommend to fantasy fans looking for something different, even if it’s not one I’d plan to reread often. Still, Whitten’s imagination shines through, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It was always going to be tricky for Whitten to tie up all the loose ends satisfactorily in this book, and while she does manage, the ending is a bit trite for my liking and some of the characters don't get their proper serving of development. The Fount is a bit of a McGuffin and the fact that both Bastian and Gabe had to sacrifice themselves for Lore (but then of course get to come back) just felt quite contrived. Not a perfect ending for me but I'm sure it'll have its fans.

After the end of The Hemlock Queen, I was eager to read the final book in the trilogy and find out how our heroes would get out of the dire situation they found themselves in. With Apollius in control of Bastian’s body, Lore is arrested and imprisoned for treason on the Burnt Isles. Their friends, exhibiting the powers of the other gods, are in exile, trying to find allies to save Bastian and Lore, and prevent Apollius’ dream of a holy Empire coming to pass.

There were multiple surprises in the second book, and The Nightshade God picks up from the shocking revelation that Apollius has been plotting with none other than the Kirythean Emperor Jax Andronicus, enemy of Dellaire and the man who tortured and maimed Gabe. Revealed to be Bastian’s half-sister, Alie finds herself forced into a betrothal with Jax and left to deal with Apollius alone at court. As a result, Alie is one of the narrators of this book, alongside Lore, Bastian and Gabe, providing a well-rounded account of events as they unfold.

I’ve had mixed feelings about this trilogy from the beginning, with book one not quite meeting my expectations and the second book exceeding them. The third book falls somewhere in between, mostly due to the ending. I can see what Whitten was looking to achieve, but it just didn’t work for me personally. It felt out of place with the rest of the trilogy in some ways, and felt as though Whitten was trying to do too much within the framework she created. Or perhaps, I just read things differently than they were intended.

I read The Nightshade Crown trilogy for the plot; however, I also liked the romance and spicy scenes. Disappointingly, an MMF scene was tantalisingly hinted at, and did not come to pass. While it wasn’t a requirement for me to enjoy this book, I’m not a fan of having something hinted at and then having an author not deliver. The spicy scenes in The Nightshade God were fun, they just weren’t of the same calibre as the first two books, and personally, I expect the final book in the trilogy to up the ante considerably.

The final battle was incredible and showcases Whitten’s writing beautifully. I felt every wound, every heartache, and I was hooked from start to finish. I think that is what made the actual ending so unsatisfying for me. I do recommend reading this trilogy, as it’s a wonderful theology-based fantasy series with well-written characters. It just didn’t quite hit the right notes for me.

Get your tiny hearts ready for the third and last instalment of this serie. This is a nicely tied up finale full of adventures, suspense and longing.
The Gods are ruthless and the pain characters don't plan to let them have what they want without a good fight.
Many twists and turns I didn't see coming, I love the inclusive cast and would have loved one more chapter about what comes after...
But all in all a satisfying ending, even though sad to let those characters go.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for access to the ebook against a honest review.*

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

Before I start, I just want to say that I still think the first book has so much more potential than the following two novels have explored. The whole "gods taking over people" thing completely clouds the interesting potentials of the original premise, which I still think is a shame.

My feelings about this final book and the ending can be summed up as "eh". My expectations sunk very low during the filler of the second book, and still managed to be disappointed.

A major gripe for me is that we have no build-up of Gabe and Bastian's relationship. Gabe even says that "at some point" his hatred changed to love but apparently we the readers are not allowed to understand where and why this changed, other than a convenient triad to avoid love triangle complications.

There's also just so many random new characters, and some are important, and some aren't, and I could barely keep track of any of them. Characters coming out of the woodwork and it was very confusing and overwhelming. And for some reason, they're all desperate to be possessed and no one seems to have heard the phrase "ultimate power corrupts ultimately", There is literally no voice of reason in this story, Alie is the closest thing but even then, she is also making extremely permanent choices on, like, a whim.

If there ever was a story that proves that teenagers should not be in positions of power, it's this. Lore and Gabe and Bastian are all terrible rulers who ultimately don't care about their country or their people, and I'm not really sure why I should be rooting for them at all? Also, Mortem and Nyxara randomly disappear, and the Fount is like a character, and it's just all so convoluted. Also, also, why are they all just totally cool with murdering at the drop of a hat??

Finally, the ending. I mean, it was an ending. There's almost definitely no more to this series, which is probably a blessing but... everyone seems to have ended up in like the weirdest possible outcomes? Alie's ending in particular is a big yikes. Lore and the boys get to be together in the end so I guess that's good? I don't know, man, I just don't understand how we got from that exciting first book to here. I'm honestly really disappointed.

If you want to read a great first book, I still think the Foxglove King is a really fun read, but I would highly recommend ignoring the other two books. Your imagination will do a better job. Two stars for the promise of the first story.

It's been nearly a year and a half since I read The Hemlock Queen (book 2) so I had pretty much no memory of who was who or what was going on. I tried to google a summary of what had happened in books 1 and 2 but it didn't help me too much so I would say unless you've got a good memory, it'd be best to read this closer to the others.
That being said I still enjoyed this book and it was easy to follow what was going on in this book even without remembering much of the history.
There was a nice amount of action, one spicy scene I think and I thought a lovely conclusion.

This book was far better than the second. The limits of the magic seem to be endless, as are the boundaries of the character development. I felt that this book was trying very hard to fix issues from the previous one, and lost its identity as a result. The last third of the plot was fairly interesting, but ultimately the ending was quite disappointing.

Ok, wow. What an ending! I was left a little disappointed after book 2 feeling very much filler but my gosh it was worth it. I had hoped for a different ending but I am not disappointed in what we got. It was certainly unexpected.

Overall this is a great fantasy series with fun, lovable characters and an ending that is very satisfying, tying up all loose ends.

I love the first two books in this series so much, and couldn't wait for the third in the trilogy to come out. That said, I was a bit disappointed by this one. The trilogy ended things in a beautiful, heartbreaking way, as I fully expected. But my actual reading experience wasn't nearly as good as when reading books 1 and 2. The pacing was difficult, especially with the characters all in different locations. I did appreciate more character POV's, but really had trouble staying motivated to read this one. Which is unusual and unexpected. Hannah Whitten will remain a gothic vibes queen, and one of my auto-read authors.

The Nightshade God is the final book in Hannah Whitten’s The Nightshade Crown trilogy, a mix of fantasy and romance that concludes the story of Lore and her intricate world, filled with gods, intrigues, and supernatural powers.

On the positive side, I have to say that the world-building and characterization of the gods is really interesting: Whitten knows how to make these figures powerful and complex, and the dynamics between Apollius, Nyxara, and Hestraon feel believable and engaging. The ending, overall, didn’t disappoint me: it wraps up some of the main storylines in a satisfying way and delivers some genuinely emotional moments, although other plot threads and certain resolutions feel a bit rushed.

That said, I can’t ignore a few flaws that left me a bit puzzled. The polyamorous relationship between Lore, Gabe, and Bastian, for example, feels rushed. It comes almost out of nowhere and lacks the gradual build that would have made it truly believable. Thinking about it, if the second book had included Gabe and Bastian’s POVs, their dynamic would have had much stronger roots. With more focus on politics and power struggles, the groundwork for the third book would have been better set, giving more room to develop the relationships. Then the third book could have focused on possession and intrigue without having to improvise the romantic aspects. This way, everything—politics, relationships, gods—could have been handled more organically, maybe with a fourth book or a transitional novella to fill in the gaps.

I appreciated the introduction of additional POVs in the third book, but some character handling, like Alie’s, felt a bit rushed. It’s a shame because with more space and development, the story could have been much more solid and satisfying.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the trilogy: it’s a good and enjoyable read, with interesting world-building and exciting fantasy moments. Still, given the setup, I expected a better handling of the romantic component, which falls short, especially for the three main characters, who are overshadowed by the gods—figures that really should have stayed more in the background.

In summary, The Nightshade God is a satisfying conclusion for those who have followed the trilogy, but some narrative and relational choices leave something to be desired. With different handling of the POVs and relationships, it could have been an excellent finale.

I think this was an okay ending to what was an amazing series, but compared to the other two books I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment for me. It felt a bit messy and rushed, and not really the same energy as the previous books in the series. I do, however love Hanna Whittens writing and I think this is still an amazing world with interesting characters, and overall, it's a very good series that I recommend everyone to read.

I was so so so excited to get to this book in the series, as soon as I saw I could request it, I did. And I was NOT dissapointed. It was perfect, the story just made so much sense, and I will forever be thinking about Lore, Gabe and Bastien.

I am sure this book will find lots of delighted readers, but it just wasn’t the book for me. I enjoyed The Foxglove King. It was fun and fast-paced and I liked the different characters. As the trilogy has gone on, the tone has felt much more serious, and the fact the characters were spread across so many locations made the pacing feel much slower. I don’t mind a love triangle but the conclusion was not what I would have chosen either. Like I said, I am sure there are other readers who will like this, but ultimately it was not the trilogy for me.

Thank-you to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eArc.

What a fantastic ending! Wow I absolutely loved this series and I’m so sad it’s over! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

A decent conclusion to the trilogy. I enjoyed what felt like an alternative ending, was quite refreshing and brutal. The gothic vibes were still lush and in abundance, the characters still thoroughly depressed and suffering. Alie shone in this and was a bright spot within all the doom and gloom. Bastians constant battle with Apollius was also compelling. I have really enjoyed the characters throughout this series.
For all it's dark gloomy vibes this trilogy felt original and the take on God's was intriguing and addictive. The tortured love triangle and other romances were intense and aching. I did miss that a bit here as its not as present as in the previous books due to our love interests being separated for the most part. Considering the woe begone vibes I have raced through each of these books, there's a lot to like in this trilogy.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the arc opportunity, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

In The Nightshade God we catch up with Lore, Bastian and Gabe s they are now separated and fighting to find a way back to each other. Lore has been sent to the Burnt Isles while Gabe is fighting on distant shores and Bastian still battles internally with Apollius.
This is a good conclusion to the story and pulled everything together well. We get more of an understanding of the gods and the past and their influence on the characters. The wealth of characters in this series is immense but they all play such an important and pivotal role. Alie for me is a stand out char eater, she almost comes into her own here and her relationship with Jax, although not really needed really brings out her determination and intelligence in working through what’s happening.
I missed all of the characters being together in this book. It did feel a little bit like a filler even though it was the last book and it did slow in parts for me.
The ending was unexpected and I’m still out on whether it’s where I wanted it to go. I felt like the 500 Years rule was a really interesting concept but it sped through it. I think to create something like that you should have taken the opportunity. Detail how the world changed and how lore changed, but saying that I thought it was a good ending and the characters being united was satisfying but I would have liked to have seen past that.
Overall I enjoyed it but it wasn’t quite the story I wanted.

Oh I wasn’t expecting to cry. What an ending to this trilogy.

The actual ending to this was just…gorgeous. It was heartbreaking, and raw, and perfect. The relationship between the three of them felt so rich and beautiful - the love they had for each other jumped right off the page, it was incredibly well written.

In terms of the writing - there were some pacing issues again. Not anywhere near as bad as Hemlock Queen, but there was definitely a few bits in the middle which got quite slow. But the plot was 10/10 - the twists and turns, all the little threads that had been expertly weaved from the very beginning, how everyone came together in the end.

4.5/5 because of the pacing issues, but rounding down because I can’t justify 5* here.

It took me a while to find the courage to start this book because I was afraid of how it would break me. And by the gods dead and dying, it really did. It utterly broke my soul.
I am so sad to say goodbye to these characters that I fell in love with in the first two books. They felt like family and I was rooting for them all to find happiness so hard that it was difficult to see them stumble at times.
This third book gave us all the answers we wanted and wrapped up the story in the best way. I LOVED how Lore and all the others were so raw and real and human, despite everything.
The only thing I was disappointed with in this last book was the fact that the romance was not more explored. The characters were not physically in the presence of each other and I expected more from this perfect alchemy they have.
That being said, I will never stop recommending this series to everyone because it will remain one of those Roman-Empire series for me.

The Nighshade God is the final book in The Nightshade Crown trilogy. It picks up where we left off at the end of The Hemlock Queen with all the main characters separated and there is an introduction of Allie’s pov. Lore, Bastian and Gabe are still plagued by the Gods that possess them. Appollius has completely taken over and is ruling as a vengeful and cruel King.

The pacing is a little slow at the start, especially for a third book in a series, but it does pick up.

The ending was bittersweet and beautiful. If you’ve ever read Whittens For the Wolf series, the ending has a similar vibe. Everyone eventually gets what they want but the cost for that is brutal.

This book also explores a love triangle where all of the points meet.

Thank you NetGalley for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.

The first thing I’d say is – whatever you do, don’t pick this one up if you haven’t at least read the previous book in the series. Whitten doesn’t hang around to explain to those who haven’t already had the pleasure of her world who is doing what to whom.

We plunge straight back into the action. Though Whitten does remind readers of her main protagonists’ motivations and who and what they care about. Following Lore’s grim existence on the Burnt Isles and seeing what Bastien has to undergo at the hands of ruthless Appollius – we have a ringside seat at how these dramatic events play out. Pages flew by as I was hooked into the savage dynamic that Whitten unremitting puts her main characters through.

When we got to the denouement, my stomach twisted – I couldn’t see any kind of ‘happily ever after’ for the main protagonists. Indeed, Whitten didn’t seem to aiming for it, either. I gritted my teeth and continued – because each of these people have endured terrible losses, both physical and emotional and I wanted to see some sort of win for them. And then came the ending…

It’s a major task, wrapping up any series so that all the loose ends are sufficiently tidied away and the characters’ continuing journey after the story stops feels true. It’s also emotionally harrowing – as an author I have never completed a series without breaking down and weeping. So Whitten has my complete sympathy, given the emotions in this particular series are dialled up so very high and her characters all pay such terrible costs. That said, I wasn’t totally happy with the ending of The Nightshade God. The ending was drawn out – unrealistically so. I won’t say too much, because I don’t want to risk Spoilers – but five hundred years – really? And the ending is overly sentimental, given that Whitten doesn’t have much sentiment running through most of the story over the three books. I found the change in tone jarring. However, I’m also aware that my views are in the minority. And it doesn’t take away from the fact that the series overall is a tour de force and is one of the most memorable I’ve read in a long while – and as you can see from my score, my misgivings weren’t a dealbreaker. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy series featuring sympathetic characters and a savage antagonist with a strong romance. While I obtained an arc of The Nightshade God from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10