Thank you to Orbit and Little Brown Book Group for this early copy of The Nightshade God, possibly my most anticipated book of the year, I screamed when I saw I'd been approved for this on Netgalley! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hannah Whitten is now an auto-buy author for me. I would read her shopping list. Her ability to create an atmosphere and her lyrical prose are unmatched. She also has an incredible ability of making me FEEL for her characters - Lore, Gabe and Bastian will forever have a special place in my heart!

Speaking of Lore, Gabe and Bastian - the bisexual YEARNING in this book was on another level. As a bisexual reader, I have never read a book that felt as validating as this. While I think The Foxglove King remains my favourite book in the trilogy, this is the book that I loved the most for its queerness. I don't want to spoil the ending but UGH these three have my whole heart.

Shall we talk about the ending? I cried buckets. Through the whole epilogue. It absolutely destroyed me in the best way.

Five stars, no notes. Finishing this has made me want to go and mark down all my recent five star reads because I didn't enjoy any of them as much as I loved this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a way to end this trilogy!

We start the book where we left off in the Hemlock Queen with Lore having been sent to the Burnt Isles, Bastian locked away in his own mind by Apollious and Gabe , fugitive in foreign lands!

The book slowly brought us back up to speed with a lot of changing POVs and details of each person's situation and plans, it was a lot to take in but it sets up perfectly towards the end of the book as all these different stories and plans all begin to come together!

More secrets are uncovered, the gods influence is slowly building in each of them as they are spread across the realm! Each group is searching for a piece of the Fount  to try and stop Appolious' plans! There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, all leading to an emotional battle for the world at the Golden Mount, which had me crying!!

This story was so well written with so many little details intricately woven throughout the trilogy!

Thank you to Orbit UK and Little Brown Book Group for the arc of this book through Netgalley 🖤

This is such a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy.

This book did not disappoint. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’ve followed The Foxglove King and The Hemlock Queen, then brace yourself because The Nightshade God will shatter your heart in the best way possible.

Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to read it first before it comes out in public.

Urgh what an ending!

So I cannot lie, this was not a series I had heard of, until I bought the book from Fairyloot, purely because I loved the edges!

I’m so glad I did because this series has been an amazing read and while I’m so gutted to say goodbye to these characters, I loved the read.

Whitten is truly amazing and is now an auto buy author for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eCopy to review

I’ve been following The Nightshade Crown trilogy since The Foxglove King, and while I’ve loved the dark magic, theological intrigue, and morally tangled characters, The Nightshade God—the final instalment—left me feeling a bit conflicted. It’s a solid conclusion with some powerful moments, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for.

🕯️ Plot Summary
After the devastating events of The Hemlock Queen, Lore is banished to the Burnt Isles, a brutal prison colony, while King Bastian—now fully possessed by the god Apollius—tightens his grip on the kingdom. Gabe and Malcolm flee to another realm, trying to stay ahead of Apollius’s reach. Meanwhile, Alie remains at court, walking a dangerous tightrope as Apollius’s influence grows.

The central quest revolves around reuniting the broken pieces of the Fount, the source of divine power. If Lore and her scattered allies can restore it, they might be able to banish the gods and reclaim their world. But with each character isolated and wrestling with their own demons—literal and figurative—the path to salvation is anything but straightforward.

⚖️ What Worked
Thematic Depth: Whitten continues to explore the corruption of faith and the dangers of blind devotion. The idea of gods as both saviours and tyrants is handled with nuance.

Alie’s POV: Her chapters were the most compelling for me. Watching her navigate the court under Apollius’s rule was tense and emotionally rich.

Bittersweet Ending: Without spoiling anything, I appreciated that the conclusion wasn’t neat or overly triumphant. It felt earned and thematically consistent.

Lush Prose: Whitten’s writing remains atmospheric and lyrical, especially in scenes involving the Fount and the Burnt Isles.

🐌 What Didn’t Work (for Me)
Pacing: The middle of the book dragged. With the main characters split across different locations, the momentum suffered. It felt like a long setup for a finale that only partially delivered.

Character Isolation: One of the trilogy’s strengths has been the dynamic between Lore, Gabe, and Bastian. With them separated for most of the book, that emotional spark was missing.

Quest Fatigue: The search for the Fount pieces felt repetitive at times, and the stakes—though high—didn’t always feel urgent.

🧾 Final Thoughts
The Nightshade God is a thoughtful, well-written conclusion to a dark and ambitious trilogy. While it didn’t quite hit the highs of The Hemlock Queen for me, it still offered a satisfying (if slow) wrap-up to the story. If you’ve been invested in Lore’s journey, it’s worth seeing through to the end.

The final book in the Nightshade Crown trilogy and what a book it is. We pick up straight after the Hemlock Queen with our main protagonists split, with Lore banished to the Burnt Isles, Gabe and Malcolm in Caldien, Allie in Dellaire engaged to Emperor Jax, and Bastian trapped in his own body by Apollius. The chapters follow each of the characters and weaves their stories together as they reach towards their final goal of restoring the Fount and returning the power lent to them.
First on the list is to find all the pieces of the broken Fount. Lore, Gabe and Allie are all in the perfect positions to search for the scattered pieces, however to find them will take nerve and use of their God powers to locate. Gabe and Malcolm have been resisting using their fire and earth powers as they fear being subsumed by the Gods for whom they are avatars. Allie has been surreptitiously using her powers over air to listen in to conversations, but however sneaky she feel she has been Apollius seems to be aware of her actions. Lore has lost her power over Mortum but now can manipulate Spiritum, traditionally Apollius power, and this is causing a diminishment of the latters power, allowing Bastian to retain some control.
Reaching the conclusion of a trilogy is always a fine balance and Nightshade God does not take the most straightforward route. The ending is right and fits the characters motivations, ultimately it is about transformations, patience, love and humanity.
I would recommend this series to all, so my thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC. All views are my own

3.5 rounded up for goodreads and netgalley.
It was probably my most anticipated read of the year, and it did not disappoint me. The first book is still my favorite, but I think this last book could be my second favorite of the trilogy. I liked the variety of the points of view, it gave multiple layers to the overall story to make it deeper and more complex. Lore was still a character that I like, and so was Bastian, but I did like Gabriel a little less. The plot was well-rounded and its pace steady — I was not bored. The ending was quite unexpected, but I didn’t mind it.
I would definitely recommend this trilogy, it is criminally underrated.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

🔎𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀
It all began with 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴, where Lore, living in the catacombs, discovers her forbidden necromancy and is thrust into a glittering, deadly court. In 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗺𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻, she supports Prince Bastian’s rise to power against mounting threats. And now, in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱, the gods themselves have poisoned the throne, and Lore must fight divine corruption across the continent to save her loved ones and restore balance

🥀𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Banished to the Burnt Isles—with nothing but grit, street instincts, and a fraying moral compass—Lore is pushed beyond survival into revolutionary territory. Each lesson she learned in the court, every bond she forged, gets set on fire and reborn under divine scrutiny. The urgency? Pulsing. The world-building? Epic, lush, and ruthless. Fans of found-family romance, bleeding-edge court intrigue, and morally complex quests: this is your apocalypse.

I felt every echo of Lore’s guilt, her ripping determination, and the slow-burning panic as Bastian fought the god inside him. Watching Gabe and the rest fight to gather the broken Fount made my heart race like a war drum. This is the kind of conclusion that doesn’t just close a story—it rearranges your soul. If you haven’t started only to say “OMG should’ve begun earlier,” you’re doing life wrong. If you’ve been here since book one, prepare to weep and cheer in the same epic moment.

I certainly was not planning on staying up until four am to finish this book, yet here I am, and I am in tears.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again — Hannah Whitten is a mastermind. The way she weaves religion, magic, love and horror together is something that will never be matched.

In this magnificent trilogy that I will surely be rereading in the future, my personal favorite is the second book (a rather unpopular opinion, from what I gather), but even as I rate the finale a 4.5/5, it does not in any way diminish just how incredible this book is.

For me personally, the rating was affected by the pace which felt a little too quick in the first two thirds of the book, and by the slight lean into almost cosmic horror at a point. However, I could scream about all the things I adored about it and about the trilogy as a whole for hours, most likely. No words to describe the things Bastian had done to my heart, from the very first scene of him in the Citadel gardens (when we’re not even introduced to him yet) and all the way to the final pages. Gods, I love him.

And speaking of Bastian — I WILL NEVER get over the fact that in this story, we have been blessed by a love triangle that resolves INTO A THROUPLE. Bisexual men are truly my biggest weakness, and while Gabe never managed to steal my heart away quite like the Sainted King, I was kicking my feet and giggling when everything finally fell into place with three of them. The idea of a whole being comprised out of three parts rather than halves has rigged at something in me from the very beginning, perhaps due to me also feeling, at a point in my life, that there are two people that complete me.

For the last thirty pages of the book, I was just permanently in tears. Not kidding, at certain points I had to stop and just wait for the screen to resolve into a coherent shape again, because it was so blurred that I couldn’t make out the words. My heart was in my throat so many times.

This story is truly so much more than what the blurb makes it out to be, and as I followed it over the years, it had become one of my favorite narratives I’ve ever read. It truly holds a special place in my heart and I will come back to it many times. Simply magnificent in every sense of the word.

My deepest thanks to NetGallery and Hannah Whitten for providing me with a free copy ahead of the publishing date. I literally screamed when I saw that my request was approved and I got to learn how the story ends two months in advance.

I will be eagerly awaiting Hannah Whitten’s new books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am bereft. I am devastation personified. This series is just so so perfect, and this final book really got me deeply in my feels. The world Whitten has crafted is so beautiful, so intricate and wonderfully gothic with this gorgeous magical system and world lore. And the characters? Gods dead and dying! Lore, Bastian and Gabe really went through it in The Nightshade God. They spend most of the book separated but desperately trying to get back to each other. Honestly pure throuple goals (and I usually don't like a Why Choose/throuple situation, but this was done so well and made total sense). The ending was deeply satisfying and I actually can't wait to read everything else this author ever writes!

The Nightshade God was possibly the book that I was most looking forward to reading this year. I loved the plot, the world building and the three main characters in the previous two books. Was it everything that I had hoped for? Not quite but it was still a good read.
The Nightshade God opens where The Hemlock Queen finished. Lore has been imprisoned on the Burnt Isles, Gabe together with Malcolm and Lore’s mothers have escaped to neighbouring Caldien and Bastien has almost completely been taken over by Apollius. And that for me was the main problem with this book. I loved the relationships between Lore, Gabe and Bastien and the fact that they were miles apart for virtually the whole book meant that this aspect was missing to a large extent.
It might have been OK if the story lines had developed other relationships in place of the main one but I didn’t really feel that this happened. I enjoyed the multiple POV and the fact that we saw things from other perspectives than just Lore’s. Surprisingly to me, Alie and her storyline was my favourite element in the book. She was powerless and had no way of influencing her fate so she just got on with doing what she could on the basis that the worst was going to happen anyway. She gave us a very clear view of what was happening at the court and how Apollius was exerting his power. I loved the way that she grew in confidence both in herself and in her godly powers and the moment when she literally grabbed her fate in both hands made me want to cheer.
Alie’s POV had an emotional depth to it which I felt was lacking with Gabe’s and Lore’s. The relationships they developed in this book didn’t really mean very much to them and so their parts of the story felt a lot more plot driven which I never find as engaging as when the characters are emotionally involved. I did enjoy the dual POVs when the gods were involved and liked the fact that each of the characters felt differently about having a god in their heads. There were definitely some interesting points about worship and the power that religion can have.
Hannah Whitten’s writing and world building is every bit as good as it has been in the previous two books. I especially loved the depiction of the Burnt Isles and the desolation compared to how it would have been before. She is able to really convey the sense of a place and I enjoyed the wider world that we saw in this book.
One of the things that I was most looking forward to reading was the resolution to the love triangle. I thought that the way the author built this up in the previous two books was brilliant and loved how Lore loved both Bastien and Gabe. I was really intrigued how this was going to be resolved but sadly, I wasn’t convinced. I don’t want to spoil anything so won’t go into details but I just didn’t feel that the way it was sorted out really fitted what had gone on previously.
And what about the actual ending? Apart from the way the relationship between Lore, Gabriel and Bastien was resolved not really working for me, the epilogue almost made up for any disappointment in the actual story. It really tugged at the heart in a way that some of the earlier story hadn’t. I thought that the end of the story as a whole was really fitting with what had gone before. I loved the development of the Fount and while the resolution was bittersweet, that felt right seeing how dark some of the preceding story had been. My one gripe is that I don’t think that Finn deserved his good fortune. She could have done better!
This was a fitting ending to a brilliant story and while I wished that some of it had been written differently, I still enjoyed it.
Huge thanks as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If there was one book I was looking forward to this year it was absolutely this one!

Being the final chapter of the trilogy I was afraid of how the story would be handled but,instead ,I found it perfect! The author knew how she wanted the story to go and to achieve that she gave every sentence, moment, situation and character a specific purpose and depth and made them fit together perfectly.

Throughout the book, the protagonists are in different places and each of them follows his or her own path, but despite this, each storyline is deeply interconnected with one another.

Thanks to different POVs, the author managed to make each character the protagonist of the story by highlighting their development both individually and with all the others, managing to get us inside their heads.

I found the conclusion bitter sweet and I would have liked to see them spend more time together and I would kill to have a novel about them, but at the same time I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion!

✨in the end these were three books of emotions, suffering and characters you can't get attached to perfect for lovers of gothic fantasy!

as always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy✨

The Nightshade God is one of my most anticipated reads this year. Following the ending of The Hemlock Queen, I have been eagerly waiting to see where our diverse cast of characters winds up and how they will defeat Apollius now that they are scattered to the wind. The Hemlock Queen hit me differently, and I didn't love it as much I loved The Foxglove King, but I still NEEDED to know how it all ended. And reader, let me tell you, it was absolutely worth the wait.

The Nightshade God drops right into where we left off. There isn't a dull moment to be had, but the pacing of the book doesn't feel off or rushed at all. The characters continue to stay true to themselves, with motivations and thoughts that seem distinct to each and offer perspectives across the map. Sometimes it felt like watching them head towards a train wreck as they struggled to deal with very human emotions surrounding the pain of loss and the anger that rises afterward. Some of the plot felt predictable and I did guess a couple of reveals, but overall I could not have guessed the ending.

The ending to this novel instantly put it into one of my top trilogies of all time. It was emotional, heartfelt, and absolutely wrecked me. I don't often cry at the end of novels, but this one had me in tears. Hannah Whitten has masterfully ended this trilogy in a way that feels satisfying, and this novel has put her straight into the list of my all-time favorite authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Little Brown Book for providing me with a copy in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.

Not me holding back tears towards the end of this.

The Nightshade God follows on from The Hemlock Queen, they're all scattered to the winds, Bastian (Apollius) is still not himself and only becoming The Worst, Lore is banished to the burnt isles, Gabe, Alie and Malcom are just not having a good time either.

Did it drag a bit? A little, did it pay off though? Absolutely.

Alie's character development was beautiful, that girl could not and would not care in the end and honestly? Respect it.

The ending of this felt like Hannah Whitten herself was repeatedly punching me in the stomach, making me tear up and just feeling like she was going to leave a hole in my chest. I loved the Poly relationship aspect and how it played out, the epilogue, my god, talk about leaving a lasting impression.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for this eARC in return for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book, much appreciated.

3 stars from me for this series and this book. I tried to enjoy the plot line and the side story’s of this book because I really was not a big fan of the 3 way relationship between Lore, Gabe and Bastian. Alie quickly became my favourite character in this book, she’s just so relatable and I think her character developed the most, also she gives no f*cks lol. I liked the general plot of this series, but it did feel a bit confusing in this book, like they were trying to get it all out in 3 books so quite a lot happened. The ending was a little sad how Lore had to watch all her friends and family pass on as she carried on protecting the magic but I am glad she finally got the happiness she wanted at the end, even if I wasn’t a fan of it.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I massively enjoyed The Foxglove King and The Hemlock Queen, so naturally I was delighted to receive and arc for the Nightshade God. I love Hannah Whitten's writing, her worldbuilding is lush but accessible, her characters feel real and the multiple POVs handled well. I was truly invested in their journey, there is a lot of action to keep you turning the pages (last 30% was unputdownable!) and overall I thought it was a brilliant conclusion to the series and for the fans of the series - you will love this. For the fans of the genre, this is a solid choice, if you haven't picked it up yet!

Thank you to Hannah Whitten, The Little Brown Book and NetGalley for this review copy, all opinions are my own.

With The Nightshade God, Hannah Whitten brings her sweeping trilogy to a stunning and emotional conclusion, one that is as tender and raw as it is mythic and grand. This final installment cements the series as a standout in the fantasy genre, delivering everything fans have come to expect: intricate worldbuilding, hauntingly lyrical prose, layered characters, and big, thorny questions about love, godhood, and the power (and peril) of belief.

Whitten’s world remains one of the most unique and atmospheric in modern fantasy. It is shadow-drenched, lush, and alive with a sense of divinity. The inclusion of diverse identities and experiences gives the cast real breadth and depth, and characters often speak not only to each other but to something universal in us: our ache to be seen, our fear of being unworthy, our fragile hope that we might be more than the sum of our pain.

Themes of godhood, faith, and the capacity for religion to either corrupt or redeem are explored with nuance and care. Whitten never gives easy answers. Instead, she offers a meditation on what it means to be worshipped, what it means to believe, and how belief can shape or shatter a broken world. There’s plenty to unpack here, and the book practically begs for discussion, particularly in the way it blends mythic stakes with intimate emotional truths.

The use of multiple points of view is handled skillfully, giving each character their space to breathe and arc. That said, the middle third does slow somewhat under the weight of all that longing and introspection. There's a great deal of yearning, romantic, spiritual, and existential, and while it enriches the emotional landscape, it may test the patience of those eager for plot momentum. But once the final act begins, the pace surges forward like a tidal wave. The last 30% is utterly gripping: action-packed, emotionally devastating, and impossible to put down.

And yes, you will cry. Whether it's during a quiet moment of grace, a crushing revelation, or the gut-punch epilogue (which will haunt you in the best way), The Nightshade God leaves a mark. The conclusion is epic and bittersweet, a perfect, aching farewell that feels both inevitable and earned.

This is a finale that doesn't just end a story; it also marks the beginning of a new one. It elevates everything that came before. When you turn the final page, you’ll feel an irresistible urge to go back to the beginning, to see how every thread was spun, how every choice led to this heartbreakingly beautiful end, an unforgettable close to a truly remarkable series.

Really enjoyed this conclusion to Hannah Whitten's trilogy.
It was really well written, and I adore the world and the characters she created so much!
Can't wait to see what she brings out next!

A Gripping and Emotional Finale: "The Nightshade God" by Hannah Whitten

"The Nightshade God" by Hannah Whitten is a truly stunning conclusion to her trilogy, and I'm so grateful to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book dives even deeper into its dark, gothic world, rich with religious undertones. It's wonderfully atmospheric and doesn't shy away from the shadows, perfectly fitting for fans of immersive dark fantasy.

What stood out was the inclusion of more character POVs, which added incredible depth and broadened the story. I was utterly on the edge of my seat throughout, desperate to know who would survive and how it would all end. The emotional impact, especially towards the powerful climax, was immense.

"The Nightshade God" is an unforgettable, brilliant end to the trilogy. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys complex dark fantasy, gothic themes, and deeply emotional reads.

The Nightshade Crown Trilogy has come to an end and what an ending it was. I went into this book apprehensive as I didn’t enjoy book 2 as much as I enjoyed book 1, but from the get go this book completely knocked my expectations out of the water. Whitten’s story telling was exemplary in this book and the incorporation of multiple POVs was timed perfectly to be introduced in the finale. As someone who’s loved every character in this series, I really enjoyed the opportunity to dive into each one. The twists were so well done I didn’t even see them coming! You’re truly taken on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. The humour was subtle but noticeable, enough to make you chuckle but not to derive from the plot. The ending well and truly gutted me, I was trying to read through my tears for the last 40 or so pages. It felt bittersweet seeing it all come together in the end, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. The concept of the Fount was perhaps my favourite reveal of the book- it really cast the story in a new light for me and closed the chapter of this trilogy well. Overall, this is a thrilling, gut wrenching and superbly written finale to a series I will hold close to my heart.