'Maybe it can start fixing things,' he said. 'But I don't think that putting a fountain back together, even a magic one, is going to right every wrong in the world. People have to be involved in that particular evolution.'


The Nightshade God is the much awaited final to the Nightshade Crown trilogy that started with The Foxglove King. I was curious to see if this book could live up to the first book. The second book couldn't quite get there. Luckily this book worked a little better again.

We start this book a little while after the ending of book 2 where Lore has been taken captive, Bastian has been taken over by Apollius, Gabe and Malcolm were able to escape while Alli had to remain behind. These are the 4 point of views we follow throughout this story. It helped feeling that the story was moving forward because some point of views moved slow at certain stages, especially the start. I disliked reading Gabe's pieces the most mainly because he was not my favorite character to begin with and he was so angry in this book.

It is a hard read in places. The things that Lore has to go through and her new companion, Dani. Bastian who is drowning in a very large Apolius sea. Gabe's anger. It is not an easy book. I knew it wasn't going to be. There was never going to be an easy answer to this hole they moved themselves towards. It was hard in that to see lore's desperation to want to fix it all. Because as a side character has rightly said in the quote that I started this review with, you can't. Magic can't fix what it didn't break. Humans have to be apart of that. It luckily added a deepening to the plot that was simply fix the fountain and put all the magic back in and then the world is fixed. From the point of view of our characters. I'm glad there was a deepening there. I'm sure the ending will not completely satisfy a lot of readers because of that but I think it is more realistic this way. There was never going to be a super happy ending here. She says as she tries not to spoil a thing as she has many thoughts about that ending.

I think Alli became a new favorite character in this book. Some of the choices she made. She wanted so much to believe the good in others while still guarding herself. She grew throughout the book though and she made some hard decisions that I admire her for.

I do have one bone to pick with this book and that is regarding the romance. This went from a long triangle in the first book to a polyarmorous romance which I think was great. However I'm just a little sick of not actually getting to see the polyarmorous relationship on the page. We got Lore-Gabe, Lore-Bastian, Bastian-Gabe. But because of the plot and the happenings we never got all three of them truly together and I found that incredibly dissapointing.

The Nightshade Crown is a great trilogy to read overall and Hannah F. Whitten has now become even more an author who I keep an eye on.

The mind blowing conclusion to this epic series is finally here and it was everything I hoped it would be! Full of action, thrills, heart break and emotion. Each character goes on a separate journey to find what they seek, some finding more than they bargained for. Danger is everywhere and trusting in each other is paramount. I really enjoyed reading from the different point of views and being apart of their journey. Each character brought so much to the story and it would not have been the same without them. I really hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did! Thank you so much to the author for creating such a unique and unputdownable story!

Thank you NetGalley, Orbit & Hannah Whitten for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review which I'm giving the title “Confused and underwhelmed, party of one—your table is ready.”

Look, I wanted to love this. I tried to love this. I even squinted real hard and turned the pages like I was decoding ancient prophecy, but alas—this finale left me more confused than enchanted. Should I have reread The Foxglove King and The Hemlock Queen before diving in? Probably. But in my defense, is a little "Previously on The Nightshade Crown" too much to ask? Especially after The Hemlock Queen ended with a intense level cliffhanger?

Instead of riding the high of that ending into a big, glorious payoff... I got lost... In the dark... With a broken lantern & blurry map.

The split POVs felt like someone hit the randomizer button on the plot. Lore, who I was dying to see react, grow, and maybe throw something dramatic at Bastian, got sidelined emotionally. Gabe and Bastian? Still angsty and complicated, but I needed more depth, more resolution, more of... literally anything that felt like a continuation of their tangled mess.

And then there's Alie. ALIE. Apparently the MVP of this book, except I didn’t even remember her until halfway through, when she suddenly became the only one with narrative momentum. The irony!

Don’t get me wrong, there are still glimmers of what I loved in the earlier books: gods meddling, institutions warping history, that juicy gothic atmosphere. But this time around, the pacing dragged, the stakes felt murky, and emotionally? I just didn’t care as much as I wanted to.

Final thoughts: If you’re going to tackle this one, maybe revisit the earlier books first and prep a murder board to track plot threads. Otherwise, you might end up like me: wandering through the Burnt Isles of confusion, wondering where all the magic went...

What an ending. This book was a really good ending to this story. All the emotions. If you liked the first two, you will still enjoy this, and hopefully think it’s a good ending. I did wish for more Bastian, Gabe, and Lore, but all in all, I really enjoyed this. Just one last thing, that epilogue.

4,5/5

The Nightshade Crown trilogy is in my opinion one of the most intriguing series of the past several years, with a very cool, unique world building and lore and very compelling characters. Needless to say, the last volume in the trilogy was one of my top 3 most anticipated books of the year.

In terms of plot, this last volume does a good job at wrapping up the story arc, leaving little to nothing unanswered. However the way it does that isn’t as compelling and powerful as it could have been, and I personally found that most of the book lacked impact.

The book picks up right where The Hemlock Queen ended, almost as if it were another chapter of the same book rather than the beginning of a brand new one. Admittedly, a reread might not have been out of place, as the book doesn’t include a recap in any form, even as a Dramatis Personae; and one would have probably come in handy, since in addition to the numerous characters we have already met, the book introduces quite a few more.

Our main characters are all in separate locations for most of the book, which does a bit of a number on the pacing, regularly breaking up the narrative thread by constantly shifting not only perspective but locale, circumstances, and the surrounding cast of side characters — in other words, we have 3, almost 4 separate stories developing on their own and at their own pace, and are trying to keep up while waiting for them to weave back with one another again.

The character with the most page time is, ironically, Alie — I say ironically because she is one character whose existence for some reason I kept forgetting about in between books. Giving such a vital role to a secondary character with relatively little importance until fairly recently in the story was a peculiar choice in my opinion. Sure, a case could be made for her being the underdog and finally carving her own space, and maybe that’s commentary on its own; but that certainly came at a steep price, as it diluted the impact of the MCs’ roles in the story.
This really affected my enjoyment of the book, because this story had been heavily character-driven until now, and the bond established with the MCs in the two previous books was left to dangle unfulfilled for most of this one.

Gabe’s chapters were the most impactful, but they felt like they went by in a heartbeat; and despite knowing that the story was technically moving forward, most of the rest felt surprisingly like filler. I don’t know if it’s because of the pacing, or the less impactful interactions (because they mostly involved secondary characters with marginal roles) or something else, but the book felt longer than its 464 pages, and 70% of it was just not compelling or engaging, despite the fact that what was happening on the page should often have made it so. I blame most of that on the fact that the MCs felt like they had been mostly relegated to side characters in what had started out being *their* story.

It’s not a bad book per se, and I appreciate having a the story wrapped up without unanswered questions; however I find myself frustratingly unsatisfied with too many aspects of this last portion of the characters’ arcs for me to be able to rate it above 3 stars.

Thank you for my ARC copy
I received this book as an ARC and was really looking forward to the conclusion to this trilogy but unfortunately it didn't quite meet my expectations, it fell flat for me.
We start the book with all the main characters being separated and a GOD holding all the power and this situation doesn't change any time soon. In fact at the halfway point nothing much had really happened. Hannah has a beautiful descriptive writing style but unfortunately I felt this made the pace of the story slower for me and felt like at times it could have been condensed which may have helped the pace and lessen the feeling of the storyline stalling.
After book 2 l had I expected action and adventure I wanted more Lore, Bastian, and Gabe and their banter and we got none. That ending just jarred for me unfortunately, and felt a little almost out of place.
If you enjoy a very slow paced book with an exceptional amount of beautifully written descriptive work then this book will be for you, unfortunately there just wasn't enough action and adventure for me this time. For
others this book will be exceptional and I would recommend still recommend to others

I absolutely loved this book, it was everything I hoped for and more. As the final instalment in the trilogy, it delivered a deeply satisfying and emotionally charged conclusion to the story. The pacing kept me hooked from beginning to end. It’s rare that a series finale lives up to expectations, but this book truly did. A perfect conclusion to a trilogy that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Can't say too much about the third in a trilogy, but what I can say is I have loved this journey.

Lore, Gabe, Bastien (et all) have been through so much and this book is no exception. With the Gods taking over, they must fight with all they have to try and set things right.

Rollercoaster of emotions and great end to a series!

Highly recommend, especially if you want a completed series as this is out now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown/Orbit for the review copy... all opinions my own.

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one smashed it out of the park and ended up being my favourite book of the trilogy. The build-up from the first two books leads to a tense yet incredibly gripping conclusion that brought me to tears numerous times. The stakes are so high in this book, and I wasn't ready for the emotional rollercoaster of what happens.

I loved being back with these characters and seeing where this book would take them as they all find themselves in extremely difficult situations. Their character growth, especially for Lore, is just perfection and getting to see the journey told from each of their POVs just added to it.

I honestly wish I could say more about this book, but I don't want to spoil it and think you should all go read it. Full of twists and turns, this series is truly amazing and one I absolutely recommend picking up! I'm so excited to read whatever Hannah Whitten writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This series, although took a bit for me to get into, I have loved the progression and storyline for all involved.

Their journeys individually and together make the story for me. Although I wish to have seen more of the three of them together. It was alluded to, and not specifically delved into but I would have loved to have seen that on page.

Although a little frustrating with the ending..it still is a fitting way to end the series. It's come full circle really.

Definitely dont sleep on this and pick it up ASAP!

What an end to a series!

I truly love Hannah’s writing and she has created a series with everything I could possible want and more.

I had already been recommending the first two books to all my friends and now I can confidently recommend the full series.

I will be dreaming of Lore, Gabe and Bastian and the love they share for each other for evermore <3

4 stars
Content warning: death, murder, enforced marriage, body possession, religious zealotry and trauma, blood, injury detail, PTSD, emotional trauma and manipulation

Thank you to the author and publisher via NetGalley for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

This series has been such a ride for me. I've wanted to love it more than I have overall, but I've been left with some conflicting thoughts about The Nightshade God. Let's start with the good: I really love the three core characters. It took me quite some time to warm up to Gabe, but getting his POV in this book helped further cement him for me. I had always loved Bastian and Lore so much, yet ending The Nightshade God in love with all three of them, and wanting them to have the best throuple relationship was quite the turnaround for me. The pockets of time with the three of them showing just how much they cared for each other, and being unashamed of their love being as deep for two other people instead of one was the highlight for me. If anything, I yearned for more time to see this develop further and am bereft that we were barely given a taste. I was very vocal about not liking the why choose element in this world previously. So this feeling surprised me; however, that's because it felt natural and well-written for the trajectory of these three characters. I have always enjoyed Lore's and Bastian's storylines, so of course, these continued to deliver strength and emotional damage in Whitten's punchy style of making the hurt feel so good. As I said above, I liked Gabe's addition this time round, and the pain was what kept me enduring this tale to the bittersweet ending.

However, I wish this third book had offered more. I struggled through the constant POV changes, mostly because it affected the overall pacing of this story. A lot of the scenes lacked urgency, and the tension that was built often became jarring with another character POV switch. The slow pacing has been an issue for this series from the beginning for me, and usually, the emotional impact is what carries me through, but I did struggle to read this book because it felt like nothing was happening or the conflict was stagnant. That said, I did appreciate the culmination of Apollius' power-hungry regime and how the Gods of old played into the current characters. I just wished for a way to tell the story without it feeling impossible to get through faster than an arduous slog. With so many moving characters, and my not rereading to remember who some of them were, I did find it hard to justify some earlier actions, though. This was very much so a me problem for not refreshing my memory from before. Dani especially was the biggest problem for me because I couldn't remember for the longest time who she was and what her role meant to Lore in her part of the story.

Overall, I really liked the emotional rollercoaster Whitten took me on, but I do feel like some of the storytelling could have been better paced to make it more interesting. Or, in the very least, more time for the three focal characters to have moments together, even though I'm aware that Whitten is the queen of making readers suffer alongside the characters! I absolutely loved the ending of this book and series, and will be eager to see what the author releases next.

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.