A fantastic conclusion to a brilliant trilogy - Lore and Gabe battle to free Bastian from possession by Apollius. It has a quest theme that I loved and the ending was so unexpected. Loved every bit of it.

So, I didn't write my review right away when I finished this a month ago and now I will probably forget some of the points I wanted to mention but all the points I cover now will be ones that stood out for me the most.
This is the final book in the trilogy and I was so looking forward it because honestly, I couldn't image how the author will make the love triangle from the first three books work in the end. And she did find a way, a rather unexpected one.
First thing first, though, the story picked right where the previous book ended and it wasted no time in moving forward. I liked the different plotline and seeing what is going on with everyone and there are quite a few characters that the reader needs to keep track of. I really liked how the characters grow and change in this book. It felt very natural follow up of book 1 and 2. Allie who was not particularly memorable in the previous books really stood out here.
I want to say a bit more about the main heroine, Lore. We see her battling with her own power, taking responsibility but ultimately learning forgiveness and most importantly giving herself grace, allowing herself to want less pain, less suffering, more joy, love in life. I love a strong rebellious heroine, someone who overcomes all obstacles but lately, I have become weary of making the heroines go through literal hell en route their happiness. Like, I feel the physical pain that is inflicted on these young women is just too much. I realise it is all part of their character growth but it is becoming increasingly hard for me to read it. Don't get me wrong, it is not that the male protagonist do not go through hell here, my heart broke for Bastian and Gabe more than one, it just feels that Lore's pain was so much worse.
Now, about that ending. It was unexpected in a way but it also made sense for the plot and the characters. I really wish we saw the three main characters together, they spent basically the whole book apart, just brief episodes of them together in twos, never the three of them. Still, I am pretty happy with how the series ended and definitely would read more by Hannah F. Whitten. Her writing and her stories just work for me.

CW: violence, death, physical pain

The Nightshade God is the thrilling conclusion to The Nightshade Crown series. With ruthless gods, deadly prison colonies and the struggle to rebuild the Fount, this finale has everything.

Hannah Whitten has created a wonderfully gothic fantasy world with this series. With a focus on corrupt deities, these books look at the dark side of magic and immortality. It is dark, but at the heart of this story is the love these characters have for each other and their world. This book is especially driven by the character’s individual struggles. As they are all separated, there are different plot points that converge at the end of the story. This means that the plot is dense and full of action, which is great for a finale!

Wow. What an ending to a truly unique trilogy. I've adored every step I've taken with Lore, Bastian and Gabe and without giving away too much, this is the PERFECT ending.
I was on the edge of my seat throughout, as Lore and Gabe battle to free Bastian from the clutches of Apollius. The world building is again exquisite. The characters and the love story are so beautifully rent. I completely loved the whole trilogy and I'm bereft at leaving these characters.
A real must for anyone who loves darker romantic fantasy.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

Well, shit.
This is one of those cases in which you don't finish the book, the book finishes you.
It's how I found myself sobbing, now, bawling my eyes out at half past midnight.
The ending is something else, something you must live through (it's not quite the first one I've read that uses that trope-of-sorts), just so those who read it already have someone to drag along in the aftermath.
I think this is probably the book I liked the most in the entire trilogy - which, honestly, doesn't suffer the infamous second book syndrome and completely enraptures you from start to finish.
It's the book of finnallys, when finally you have them together again, when finally there's an ending in sight, and when it finally ends and you're basically void of emotions. What a way to go, though.
No, all jokes aside, the writing is magnificent, the perfect blend of “modern” as well as antique, drawing you into the tangle of emotions of our beloveds and settling you into the world Hannah created.
I can't spend much on my babies, because I would totally risk spoiling something and I absolutely don't want that. They come full circle, both within the story and with themselves, especially Gabe. If the first book was about Lore, the second about Bastian, this one was about Gabe. Mostly. A smidge more than the others, there.
I love them, unconditionally and forever.
As I will love this trilogy.
How fitting that I absolutely adore something that tore me apart and put me back together, it seems like the whole point of the book as well as the characters’ journeys.
Go figure.

This series was a case of stubborn love. I always felt it never reached its full potential, but I kept reading it, waiting for, THE moment, you know? So I didn’t know what to expect of this last book but, I knew for sure, that, I wanted to know how this story was ending, for the better or worst. Hannah Whitten said in her acknowledgments this was her favorite book and I’m so relieved to say: mine too Hannah, mine too.

The Nightshade God was everything I wished for this series. In so many ways, is so different of the other two books but kept all that I loved about it. The way the plot evolved and how fast paced it turned out, it was so surprising that I couldn’t believe it. Seeing this world reaching its full potential, finally grabbing its story and showing how extraordinary it could be, took my breath away. I will not deny it, I felt avenged. I love to be right about something and I knew, I knew this series had in it.

There was just something in the final that I thought it was a bit exaggerated for dramatic ends. There were so many things detailed excessively in the other books, and, I don’t believe I’m saying this, that should have been done in these last chapters. These were the parts I wanted in detail Hannah, how could you have done this to me?! But well, it was a good ending, I happily conceded on it.

Lore, Gabe, Bastian, I will miss you. Thank you for keeping me reading your series. It was because of you that I did it. Hannah, we will see each other again in your next book. Don’t disappoint me, we both know what you can do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Group UK for giving me an eARC in exchange of an honest review

An interesting end to the trilogy! Where a lot of fantasy books can feel a bit cookie cutter, I did feel like this was something a bit different, particularly the ending.

I enjoyed some of the messages about the role of dictators and the importance of democracy - it feels very poignant given the current landscape!

It's very fast paced - big things happen, and then you've already moved onto the next before you have time to process; there are pros and cons to that.

One thing I found challenging is that there isn't all that much depth to the characters, and I feel like the necessary grief was mentioned then brushed over (arguably like a lot of emotions throughout) - I think was more upset than the characters were. With the description of the shining realm at the end, I'm sad she wasn't reunited with everyone she lost at that time - but that would be a different story.

Initially I felt dissatisfied, but actually, it's given me a lot to think about and I felt a lot of things - so if you like to ponder the world and human nature it could be one for you.

I’m such a massive fan of this series, and book three truly did not disappoint! It’s quite normal for fantasy novels to have a very clear-cut hero or heroine fighting an evil villain of unsurmountable power, but it’s much harder to pull off an exploration of the temptations of power for those who are unused to it, and we see both Gabe and Lore grappling with what they have become. I loved Alie’s quiet strength, Bastian’s charm (as ever) and the introduction of Finn, but the last third (and the ending in particular) made it for me and had me in tears.

The perfect ending to a fantastic trilogy.

When I started this series, I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with it. I was therefore really looking forward to this series finale. Luckily I could request a digital review copy through Netgalley and luckily Orbit granted my request.

This finale was everything I had hoped for and maybe even a little bit more! I was especially pleased that we're really following all the key players. We see what they're doing, how they work together, how they plan and how they make everything work in the end. We all see the emotional impact of everything that is happening to them. And that emotional impact is quite a lot. This is not the kind of story that has a happily ever after waiting for you.

I also love how this book deals with the heavy and relevant underlying themes. In a way this is a book about religion, how the truth can be twisted to gain power, how humans can become gods and how that impacts the world. And therefore it's also pretty much a book about humanity. It's a book about choices, about responsibility, about love, about goodness. Love might not save the world, but it does make it a place worth saving.

I was also, and that rarely happens, touched by the afterword. The author explained extremely well why she wrote this book and what message she was trying to bring across and I couldn't agree more with it. Which explains why the book resonated so much with me. Despite the fact that planning things takes time and despite the fact that the characters are apart from pretty much the entire book, I did enjoy it from start to finish.

Let's be clear first off: I LOVED the first two books in this series. I'd not read anything by Hannah Whitten before, and am now all in to watch whatever she does (and catch up with her past titles). I was so looking forward to this finale after the cliffhanger of 'The Hemlock Queen'.

Unfortunately, 'The Nightshade God' was disappointing for me.

The strength of the previous books lay largely in the relationship between the three main protagonists; this book separates EVERYONE. Perspectives jump from one chapter to the next, which is fine except that so much is going on in each that it can be very jarring to pull oneself from one state of emergency to another in a different country.

The fact that there is a sense of urgency running through the book also proves a problem, because for the majority of it, everything takes so very long to do. The writing is as lovely as ever, but with a lot of description, internal dilemmas and characters literally stopping mid-fight to have a heart-to-heart, I found myself frustrated until the final third or so, when the inevitable conclusion finally hoves in sight.

The majority of 'The Nightshade God' is a fetch-quest, which surprised me. Characters having to be moved around the board to get where they need to be with the key items to stop the apocalypse. New people pop up suddenly, only to be killed off once their usefulness is over. The body-count is actually lampshaded, which is appropriate because it is considerable! And the politics just got confusing.

It feels as if the humanity of the key figures is lost beneath the overlong adventure parts, and I wonder if this series could've been two longer books rather than three as is. At the conclusion, I absolutely understand what the author was aiming for, but I question whether it needed to take so long to get there.

I was glad to see things resolve, but was sad with this drawn-out final stage of the journey.

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.

This trilogy began with a girl who made her living as a poison runner, in a world where poisons are used as drugs. By the time we reach this third, climactic installment, it's clear that there are far greater poisons in this Gods-driven world: the heady drug of power, the hypocrisies of faith, the way that fear can twist both of those into something selfish and deadly. These are all explored as Lore and her friends - exiled, escaped, and walking the tightrope of the Auverraine court - have to somehow rescue their world from an increasingly powerful god.
For much of the book the main characters are separated, and with the multiple points of view it feels very much like a complicated game of chess with pieces being moved into position. There's a lot going on, but because of all the groundwork laid in the previous two books, it doesn't get confusing or overwhelming, and when new characters are introduced they're given enough story to advance the plot. For me, Alie really comes into her own in this book, and her developing relationship with Jax is unexpected in many ways. Malcolm continues to provide the driest humour alongside some heavy themes. And then there's Lore, Gabe and Bastian, all locked in both external and internal battles - I suspected what would happen with them at the end of the last book and I'm glad I was right, but it would have been nice to see a little more of the three of them in one place. The tension builds inexorably to a spectacular, shattering and in many ways shocking conclusion that completely dragged me in... and then. That epilogue. Quietly heartwrenching, and yet full of healing and humanity and hope. Honestly, if fantasy novels are your thing, I can't recommend this trilogy enough.

The Nightshade God is a fitting conclusion to Hanna Whitten's epic Nightshade Crown Trilogy , following directly from the dramatic conclusion of the Hemlock Queen which saw our three main characters separated and facing very different and very difficult challenges. This is a book series tha needs to be read in order so if you have not read the previous books I highly recommend starting with The Foxglove King and making your way from there. I think this third book is an improvement on the Hemlock Queen which I thought suffered from middle book syndrome, it felt like a plce holder with minimal character development, by contrast in this book I really saw the growth in the characters which made the emotions of the story much more resonant for me as a reader. In some ways there was less of a focus on romance in this book, practically a given I guess since the characters were physically separated for much of the book, but what we did get was beautiful and seeing the culmination of the romantic tensions between Lore,Gabe and Bastien was possibly even more of a pay off given how long we waited.
As always in this series the world building is top notch with vivdly described locations and a depiction of the intersection of religion and magic that is one of the most interesting I have found.
I was not sure how much I woulld enjoy this book having read Hemlock Queen but my faith has been restored and I feel like readers of the trilogy to date will find much to enjoy here.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

What a satisfying conclusion to The Nightshade Crown trilogy. The whole series has been an absolute masterstroke from Hannah Whitten, whose earlier duology, The Wilderwoods, I found solid but not breathtaking. Here though, she truly knocks it out of the park.

The Nightshade God concludes the story begun in The Foxglove King (2023) and continued in The Hemlock Queen (2024). While the cast is full of well-developed and compelling characters, the focus remains on Lore, Gabe, and Bastian - a trio of flawed young people already shaped by trauma when we meet them. Whitten doesn’t let up, putting them through the wringer across the trilogy.

I loved all three of the core group and was obsessed with their relationship - the way Lore becomes the missing piece that reveals the romantic and sexual connection between her, Gabe, and Bastian. Watching them navigate these feelings is both heated and heartbreaking.

Whitten’s world is rich and immersive without relying on heavy exposition. We see even more of it in this final book - finally travelling to the Burnt Isles, long alluded to, and ultimately to the fabled Golden Mount itself, the original source of the pesky Gods who are growing increasingly overwhelming in the minds of Lore, Bastian, and even Gabe.

I followed this journey unquestioningly, just as I had from the start. I tore through the books, hooked on the characters, the world, the lore, and the dramatic, ever-escalating narrative. It was an absolute pleasure, and I’ll definitely be revisiting this trilogy - as well as picking up anything else Hannah Whitten writes.

Whitten's Nightshade Crown series falls into that elusive group where I found each book in the series a little more lackluster than the first, a little less interesting, unfortunately making this explosive ending not quite live up to my expectations.

Don't get me wrong, it was good, I enjoyed it. There were a few plot holes, but as a whole it's a great fantasy series, I just couldn't find myself getting as invested in this one as I wanted, and I think a large reason for that is the splitting up of our main characters for the majority of the story. The Nightshade God picks up a few months after the ending of The Hemlock Queen, Lore has been banished to the burnt Isles after her unsuccessful attempt at saving Bastian from the God sharing his body. Gabe is on the run desperate to help the people he loves whilst also stopping the God he carries from taking over his body and Bastian's body is being used by Appollius whilst he scrambles to gain back control. Their separation did mean we got to see them more as separate entities than the merged mess they were together, but I kind of lived for that mess. And I loved the few scenes we got to see them spend time together.

Their romance, whilst overwhelming in parts, is the linchpin of this series. The thing that ties everything together, both in the present timeline and the time of the Gods, so the lack of it in this book was a little jarring. That being said, the bits we did get treated too were delicious, filled with drama and the final culmination of three books worth of romantic tension. I was so glad when Whitten finally allowed them to acknowledge their feelings for each other, finally accepting their ability to love more than one people, and my only gripe was I felt she copped out on giving us the throuple sex scene we deserved... did you see me say three books of tension?!?

Some parts of the story felt a little too easy? I'm not sure if that's the word, more convenient, and I did feel there were a few plot holes, especially in the bargain Lore makes towards the end of the book, but if there's one thing you can't deny it's Whitten's ability when it comes to world-building. This was the first book where we really travel out of Dellaire, and I enjoyed seeing how other countries viewed the Gods. This also allowed the addition of a few new characters, some I loved and others I didn't trust at all. Despite our main characters separation, Whitten still keeps us hooked to the story thanks to some well placed plot twist, as well as her ability to end most characters chapters on cliffhangers, making me desperate to get back to them so I could find out what happened.

It is an emotional read. You can't have read this series and not become emotionally invested in at least one character, and Whitten really drew on those connections, not just between the reader and the characters, but the characters themselves. Whilst it has been a romance heavy series, Whitten never slowed down on the development of other relationships, namely the one's Lore created through the series, as well as the one's she started it with. All of these relationships become important in one way another, be they romantic, familial, even hate, and Whitten uses them all to pull on our heartstrings, to make sure were invested, so when the climax hits, it really does destroy you emotionally.

This was probably my least favourite book of the series, but there were still so many parts of it I loved. Whitten has made a firm fan of me, and I will absolutely be picking up whatever she writes next.

2.5⭐️

This one just fell so short for me and I feel like if it wasn't the last in a series I would have just DNF'd it.

I felt quite bored throughout the majority of the book, after having enjoyed the first two this was a disappointment. I also don't know if it's just me but I felt confused through parts and I feel like some parts needed just further development. It felt quite YA to me, which is fine but wasn't really what I wanted.

I really enjoyed the characters and the dynamic between the 3 main POVs, however having the 3 of the apart for 90% of this book really hindered it in my opinion. I'm also not totally sure I like where they went with the relationships. I would have liked to have seen more Bastian throughout as I really enjoyed his character in the previous books and I did enjoy Alie's POVs this time around.

And finally I feel like the ending didn't have the impact it desired with then having that epilogue. If you're going to do something stick to it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the e-arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Hannah Whitten for gifting me this eARC, it has truly be an honour - as quoted by Liam Mairi in Fourth Wing.

I was lucky enough to receive Foxglove King as an eARC which started me on this incredible story and I absolutely devoured that book, each book has only just got better. This is how you finish a trilogy and I am absolutely gutted that it's done now but also, what a perfect way to end a beautiful story?! These books have been a great escapism for me and I am truly a huge fan of Hannah's writing and how her stories develop.

Nightshade God was everything and more. It shattered my heart and the characters hold a special place in my heart. I will forever be recommending this series on and you just need to read this story, like now. You will need tissues though as she isn't afraid to destroy your heart and put it back together again.

Hannah has become an author that I will auto buy now, because not a single book has let me down.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

And the trilogy is finished!! What a journey this series has been, when I read the first book I think I was just starting out at university and loved getting to know Lore and her boys, and the complex myth and legend of the Gods.
Book 2 was the first eARC I received where I had read and loved Book 1 which felt huge to me at the time. So to then receive Book 3 and complete the set was such a joy.
For me, the split perspective worked perfectly and kept the pace of the plot light and quick, never lingering overlong in one kingdom's politics. I was rooting for Lore and Bastian and Gabe this whole series, and at every turn I was stressed for my golden trio.
As expressed in other reviews, I think books that tackle religion through fantasy are so fascinating and this trilogy never shied away from it and allowed the reader to hold the issue up to the light and examine it from so many moral and ethical standpoints!
A very satisfying conclusion to this epic series

This is an ending which is how a trilogy should end. The beginning took a bit of brainpower, who is who and what happened, but after that it was a enjoyable journey. The journey follows Lore - a poison runner, Bastian - a prince and Gabe – a devoted priest and their battle with the gods.

Lore had my hart in this book, and the struggles and pain she goes through to make it right, to make up for her mistakes and flaws. The love the characters felt for one another held this book together.

Is the book perfect, no, but it made me cry and feel for the characters, soooo yeah, 5 stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Little, Brown Book Group/Orbit for the arc.

The Nightshade God brings Hannah Whitten’s trilogy to a close with everything I’ve come to expect from this series—lush prose, complicated gods, aching desire, and characters who walk the line between power and ruin. While the middle book (The Hemlock Queen) remains my personal favorite, this was still an incredibly satisfying conclusion that’s going to live rent-free in my head for a long time.

Lore is at her most feral and compelling here, stranded on the Burnt Isles, deep in survival mode, and haunted (literally and metaphorically) by everything she’s lost. Her arc, from abandoned girl to near-divine force, felt earned, and I loved watching her grapple with how seductive power becomes when you’ve always had to fight to be heard.

The decision to split the main trio across different places for most of the book initially frustrated me, because one of the strongest elements of the first two books was that electric dynamic between them. But once I leaned into the structure, I appreciated how it allowed for deeper character development, especially with Alie, who ended up being a standout. Her quiet, determined presence at court under Apollius's growing influence was just chef’s kiss. Her journey from a frightened pawn to someone who takes control of her fate gave the story emotional depth where it might’ve otherwise gotten lost in the lore and magic.

Speaking of which, Whitten’s worldbuilding continues to be top-tier. The Burnt Isles are bleak and broken, but written with a reverent sort of beauty, and the evolution of the Fount and divine influence was fascinating. The whole gods-as-parasites theme has been simmering since book one, and it reaches some truly wild (and weirdly poetic) places here.

The final 100 pages were honestly devastating in the best way. The emotional payoff might not have been the cleanest resolution to the love triangle, but it was bold and weirdly tender, and I respected the choice, even if part of me still wanted a few more scenes to flesh it out. The epilogue, though? Genuinely moving, and a perfect capstone to everything this trilogy has been about: grief, rebirth, and refusing to choose between the parts of yourself that make you whole.

If The Foxglove King was the spark, and The Hemlock Queen the storm, then The Nightshade God is the slow, glowing aftermath: bleak and beautiful, with just enough hope to break your heart.

"The Nightshade God" by Hannah F. Whitten is the last book in "The Nightshade Crown" series.

I received an advance reader copy from Little, Brown Book Group UK.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

I had the first two books, but I'm glad that I waited to read the whole series.
There is an interesting fantasy world, with magic, gods and morally gray characters with a great development.
This is a bit dark and I recommend checking the content warnings.

The story continues after the end of the 2nd book, with Lore banished to the Burnt Isles, Bastian fully possessed by Apollius, Gabe fled to another realm. Ali remained at court as she is suppose to marry Jax.
While the first 2 books only had Lore's POV, in this one there are multiple POVs.
I think that this was necessary, as the characters are in different places for most of the book.
Ali's POV was a surprise for me, but I liked a lot her story.

The pacing of the story was not consistent and it felt a bit too long.
As I was used to Lore, Gabe and Bastian interacting a lot, it was strange to have them separate so much.
The last part had a fast pace, action and it was intense.
There were a few plot twists and emotional moments.
I am not very happy with the actual ending as it was bittersweet.

Overall it was a good end to the trilogy, but I would have liked to have more Lore, Gabe and Bastian together.