Unfortunately I was just bored throughout reading this. There was nothing that gripped me and wouldn't let go which is a shame because I loved the first book in this series so much!

This book is very plot driven and keeps the main characters apart for most of the book.

Nothing really happens until there are only 100 pages left. <spoiler>We finally get Bastian back 😍 Finally! very briefly</spoiler>

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Nightshade God was the perfect conclusion to a series I absolutely love, and I can know say for certain will be one of my top-tier favorites!

From the very first book, I had the distinct feeling that the author knew exactly where the story was going, and how it was going to get there, and I'm happy to confirm that that's what reading this third installment felt like. Each chapter brought the story forward, the pacing was even, with no great highs or lows, but slowly building up to a crescendo that tore my heart out and therefore making the book impossible to put down.

I loved every character in this, how they all felt differently about their godhood but still their struggles were the same, how they all came together to save each other and the world. The ending hurt (the good kind of hurt) and I only wish we could have had more time with Lore, Gabe, and Bas being happy together - can I beg for a novella? A bonus chapter?? A post-it note stuck to the fridge??? I will be happy with anything!

Seriously though, this series is the perfect gothic dark fantasy, and has cemented Hannah Whitten as an auto-buy author for me: from "For the Wolf" to "The Nightshade God" each book has been better than the last, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

As usual thank you to Netgalley, Orbit, and the author for the review copy

Didn't quite go as I expected/hoped. Not that it's a bad book, and I do think Whitten ties up the loose ends neatly, but I thought this was too meandering, focused too much on the gods, and not enough on Lore/Gabe/Bastian. I didn't care for the other POVs; while the events themselves were interesting, the story felt bloated.
I'm rounding this up to 4 stars, but it's more of a 3.75.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit, for the ARC.

♾️/5 ⭐

I don't think I can put into words just how much I loved this book, and this series, in general. I truly feel like I'm in mourning now that it's over.

As with the two books prior, The Nightshade God had me feeling every emotion possible - there were small glimmers of hope (ha!), beautiful romantic moments, devastating twists and the constant, underlying feeling of impending doom. The ending had me ugly-crying in the early hours of the morning after silently weeping for the final 10% of the book - and I'm not a crier - if that's any indication for the emotional turmoil I experienced.

Hannah's writing style is decadent yet easy to follow and well-paced. I had no issues dropping back into this world despite reading The Hemlock Queen nearly a year ago, thanks to the subtle reminders of what happened throughout the start of this book.

The world-building was fantastic, with each location featured in the book having a very distinctive feel and the ability to conjure a vivid image in my mind. The whole atmosphere of the book had the same dark, steampunk-meets-gothic feel that its predecessors had, which I love.

The religion and magic system were so unique and detailed, with the lore behind the gods and magic being one of my favourite parts of the series, so I enjoyed exploring that further in TNG. The way the gods' lives reflected the lives of the protagonists was a clever way to entangle their stories even more so than they already were.

The relationship between Lore, Bastian & Gabe was just stunning and the way that they come to terms with their feelings towards one another had me feeling giddy! The romantic moments were so gorgeously written after almost three books in the making.

The characters felt relatable - they're selfish, they have flaws, they make mistakes, but they grow and develop and it was a joy to read. The diversity of the characters and relationships in the trilogy was fantastic, and this effortless representation continued in TNG.

The side characters brought just as much to the story as the main characters and being able to witness their character arcs from the first book through to the end of the third was fantastic. Every side character had their own ending which I really enjoyed as it meant there were no loose ends at the end of the series.

It goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed The Nightshade God and I am truly devastated that the series is over - such a bittersweet feeling.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC.

what a great way to finish off the series!

I have been eagerly anticipating this book since I discovered the series last year and I was so happy to see that I got approved for the arc. being back in this world was amazing and no one can deny that Hannah Whitten is a brilliant writer - I fell in love with the prose all over again 🖤

what really worked for this book was the split between POVs and settings, because it lent the novel an air of urgency, of danger. plus, going along for the ride with beloved characters and witnessing their inner and outer turmoils elevated the reading experience so much!

the only reason this book is not 5 stars for me is because I wanted more interactions between Lore, Gabe and Bastian, especially towards the end. alas, this was still a great book and Hannah Whitten is officially an auto-read author for me!

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was everything I hoped for and more. The tone was intense from the beginning, and the emotions were so strong. Lore’s journey felt heavy and powerful. You can feel how much she’s changed and how much she’s carrying, and it made every moment with her feel meaningful. I liked how the story let her be strong and broken at the same time. Gabe really stayed in my heart too, his arc was emotional and complex in a quiet way. Bastian also surprised me, and I ended up caring for him more than I expected. The writing is so atmospheric. And when things got big, wow, the last part of the book was so intense. The ending hit hard. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

4.5 stars.

Even without a full re-read of the first two books, The Nightshade God completely pulled me in. From the opening chapters, the tone is raw and intense—gods, power, grief, and survival all woven into something that feels both epic and personal.

Lore’s journey in this book is powerful. She’s angry, grieving, and determined—and you can feel that weight in every decision she makes. The writing is so atmospheric and emotionally charged that even in the quieter moments, there’s still this constant underlying tension. Hannah Whitten knows exactly how to hit you in the chest with her characters’ choices.

The romantic tension is incredible—complicated and heartbreaking in all the right ways. There’s longing, betrayal, loyalty, and love all tangled up in a way that hurts in the best possible way. Gabe’s arc especially stuck with me, and the resolution to that triangle was emotional without being over-dramatic.

The ending completely wrecked me. It felt earned, and it stayed true to the tone of the series. It was emotional, bold, and beautifully done. I genuinely didn’t expect it to hit me so hard, but it did.

⸻

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely—but definitely read the series in order. This isn’t one you can jump into without the emotional build-up from the first two books. But as a trilogy ender? It delivers.

'The Nightshade God' is the final book in this excellent dark fantasy trilogy, and it's a fitting finale to a very strong set of novels. It is best to read all three in order, but readers who need their memories refreshing after the second book will find that Whitten includes enough information to jog your memory.

As is usually the case at the start of final books in fantasy triples, our heroes are in a seemingly hopeless situation and all split up. The novel is told from multiple perspectives (with separate chapters for each, labelled with the character name), enabling us to follow all the different threads. Although Lore is still the central character, it is more of an ensemble piece than the previous books. Lore has been exiled to the 'Burnt Isles', whilst her friends Gabe and Malcolm along with her mothers have escaped the vengeful God-King to the neighbouring country of Caldien. Back at the palace, her husband Bastian is trapped in his own body by thoroughly nasty divine being Apollius, and Bastian's sister Alie is also trapped figuratively if not literally, promised in marriage to the warmongering Emperor Jax. The characters soon have their quest made apparent - find the scattered pieces of a broken divine fountain and put them back together on the central Burnt Isle, in order to rid the world of its unwanted deities.

Like all of this series, it is exciting and hard to put down, with non-stop cliffhangers and adventure. I cared about all of the characters and wanted them to succeed in their apparently hopeless missions. However Whitten is a clever writer and even when the characters appear to be getting their way, you know it's unlikely to be as simple as it seems. Despite being dark and gory - verging on horror - the central message of the book is one of hope and compassion - that people should try to do better and be kind to each other. In fact, an extremely simple message for such a complex and involved set of tales. Like Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials', Whitten is taking on the difficult topic of religion, and how abuse of power and the replacement of true feeling with rigid ritual can turn it into a negative thing. Not that the story is anti-religious, simply thought-provoking in terms of whether the sort of power a God can wield can ever not corrupt.

But the deeper meaning aside, it's mostly just an exciting story with really likeable characters and lots of magic and action. It also has a well thought out ending - not something you can always say for books that promise much, but this one was perfect. If you enjoy fantasy adventure and dark fantasy, this trilogy should definitely be on your to-read list.

7.5/10

After reading “The Hemlock Queen”, on the one hand I couldn’t wait for the conclusion of the trilogy, on the other I started to fear it a bit. Will the finale meet my expectations? Can the story surprise me with anything at this point? I really liked what I got, although I’m not sure whether I fully enjoyed it.

The story, scattered between the perspectives of several characters, is quite slow-paced, seemingly not much happens, but there are many things important for world-building. Jumps between plots and points of view, although they expand the context and add weight to subsequent events, at the same time sometimes throw off the rhythm – there are a lot of them, and you must be prepared for the fact that an exciting moment can be suddenly interrupted and put aside until its turn comes again. What may surprise you is the last hundred pages, when the "simmering" turns into a raging, boiling pot - plot twist follows plot twist, and one "shocking resolution" follows another - a bit of a stunning, but interesting experience.

The forced separation of the team, which occurs in the finale of the previous part, on the one hand limits the development of relationships between its members, on the other hand the reader has the opportunity to get to know characters who have previously played a more secondary role a bit better. People and gods are given time to develop and present their motivations and goals - we will like some of them more thanks to this, we will lose some trust in others (sometimes rightly, sometimes not). The "love polygon", although probably even more visible than in the previous parts, is still an element of the plot, not its center, and the fantasy-romance scales constantly tip in favor of the former, which I personally appreciate. We get the necessary closure and explanations, but alongside the "main mission", not instead of it.

The conclusion to the trilogy is not what I expected, I'm not sure if it's what I wanted... but at the same time the bittersweet aftertaste it leaves behind seems like the perfect conclusion. I'll miss this world!

Sadly, The Nightshade God missed the mark for me.
I struggled to connect with the characters that I fell in love with in book one.
Honestly, I miss the atmosphere and the vibe of the first book, and it gradually disappeared halfway through book 2.
Book three was mostly plot-driven getting the characters from A to B and concentrated mostly on the gods and their memories, leaving no space for developing properly the characters and emotions between Lore, Gabe and Bastian, so I felt kind of disconnected with them.
All the decisive moment between them that we waited to happen were like an afterthought between their traveling, and all the emotions that should've hit you hard just weren't there.
I think Lore was my biggest disappointment as a character because in the end, despite her penance, I found it challenging to forgive her mistakes and her selfishness that cost the lives of her closest people.
I am sad that I didn't get to witness more of their life together when they finally acknowledged their feelings and can be together.

Thank you to NetGalley & Little, Brown Book Group UK for this ARC!

3.75/5 ⭐️ I have very mixed feelings 😩 I could not figure out how this trilogy was going to end at ANY point in this final instalment. A fact that I LOVE and HATE. The anxiety it had me feeling all through reading it about whether or not there would be a HEA or if I was going to be left broken at the end of it all just....

It's hard to put into words without spoilers the parts I enjoyed. It was an emotional journey full of lots of little adventures!

The Nightshade God started out slow and took me a while to get into which was not an issue I had with the first two books. I've put this down to having so many POVs to follow and Hannah having to take the time to piece each of their stories together. I also expected more use of their powers throughout the book and particularly in the final battle.

I'll be buying the Fairyloot edition when it becomes available to preorder next month!

Well, that was a rollercoaster of a last book! I honestly had no idea where things were going to go at numerous points. I gasped out loud far too many times and ugly cried at least twice.

This is how you end a trilogy.

As with the first two books, the world-building is absolutely brilliant. All of the descriptions make you feel like you're there walking beside all of the characters and experiencing the same discomfort they are. This book also builds on the gods' history even more, making it richer.

The multiple POVs were perfect and kept things moving at a good pace. No matter whose chapter it was, I was happy and there was so much happening that my blood pressure absolutely rose with each page. It also showed just how much each of the characters has grown throughout the books.
The last quarter of the book was especially unrelenting, filled with so much and tying up so many ends - the stress was very very real and I had to stop at 90% for a break.

No spoilers but the end was not what I expected and yet it was perfect. It was stunningly bittersweet rather than a simple happy ending, and this was what Lore needed.

Hannah Whitten has absolutely delivered and now I will be spending a few weeks piecing myself back together.

I had a thrill with the ending of this trilogy but I feel like the pacing just found its rhythm towards the second half of the book. For most people who are used to fast-paced endings, this might be an issue and I feel like this could've been a duology instead of a trilogy so the plot points would've been more interesting to follow. The characters, however, are amazing and now that I got to the end I wish I could re-read it all over again. Can't wait to read more of Hannah's books!

“𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙥 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩”

after not loving book two, i was sceptical about how much i’d enjoy this one - and i have to say, i struggled a little. the story picks up a few weeks after the end of the hemlock queen, and the shift to multiple povs caught me off guard. it took some time to get used to, and while it gave a wider view of the world, it also slowed things down

the writing felt very similar to book two - overly descriptive at times, and while the prose was beautiful in parts, not a whole lot actually happened. in my opinion, this book could’ve been half the length and still hit the same story beats

what kept me going was the plot itself - i was genuinely invested after that cliffhanger in book two and needed to see how it would all end

with the main characters now scattered across the continent, i really missed seeing them all together. i wish we had more of those shared moments. especially with the bittersweet ending… and yes, it made me cry HARD - and don’t even get me started on that epilogue 😭 i’m still recovering

i really enjoyed the side characters - lore’s mums, michal, jax and even jean-paul - they each played a crucial part in the story and were well woven into the narrative. learning more about the gods, their pasts, and the reasons behind the apocalypse was interesting, even if it felt a bit predictable at times

and the love triangle? it had me. the love between lore, bastian, and gabe was so raw and genuine. it didn’t feel forced or dramatic, just deeply emotional - and it absolutely broke my heart in the best way

“𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙”

4.5 rounded up. An excellent conclusion, as well written as its predecessors. My only criticism is the neat (although not easy) end. I will miss these characters

The Nightshade God was everything I could have hoped for—and more. This stunning conclusion to the trilogy completely consumed me, leaving me breathless and in awe of how perfectly everything came together. From the vivid worldbuilding to the unforgettable characters, this book delivered an intense, emotional, and heart-wrenching finale that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

The stakes were higher than ever, and every decision carried weight. The emotional turmoil was raw and beautifully written, with Whitten’s prose balancing dark, gothic atmosphere with moments of resilience and hope. I was completely invested in every character, and watching their individual journeys—scattered across different places—seamlessly weave back together was so rewarding.

The multiple POVs were handled with such skill. Each perspective added depth and complexity to the story without ever feeling overwhelming or disjointed. Every twist and reveal hit hard, and just when I thought I knew where things were headed, everything would turn on its head. The pacing was relentless, and the final chapters had me on edge, heart pounding, completely lost in the story.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I love these characters. Their growth, their struggles, their bonds—I wanted to talk about them endlessly and their relationships are so layered and real.

The Nightshade God is the perfect, devastating, and beautiful conclusion to this trilogy. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you completely satisfied yet desperately craving more. I can’t wait to see what Hannah Whitten writes next.

OH MY. THIS ENDING. The last 25% of this book absolutely wrecked me and solidified my belief that this is the perfect conclusion to a truly remarkable trilogy.

The Nightshade God picks up exactly where the last book left off, keeping everything we loved from the previous installments – rich lore (expanded even further here), political intrigue – and adding new layers. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of multiple POVs. It works so well and feels like the only logical way to move the story forward, especially with the main characters being separated for most of the book.
Thanks to this structure, we get a chance to spend time with characters who didn’t play such prominent roles before. Alie, who gets her own POV, is a prominent example. But it was a real pleasure to get to know both familiar faces (Malcolm, Michal, Jax) and new ones (Finn, Raihan) through different perspectives.

That said, even with the many viewpoints, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that at its core, this is still Lore’s story – even more so than in the previous books. It’s no secret that Gabe is my favorite character in the whole trilogy, and I was so ready for him to shine in this book. While he doesn’t take center stage like he did in the first installment, narratively it makes sense – and the same goes for Bastian, whose role is a bit more subdued compared to book two. But plot-wise, that’s honestly okay.

Some readers might feel the first part drags a bit – even though the pacing is solid and the characters are constantly in motion, there's not a ton of immediate excitement. This author has shown before that her stories tend to start slow, but here, the final act is so phenomenal it more than makes up for any quibbles you might have had along the way.

And we have to talk about the love triangle. I usually can’t stand them, and I know a lot of readers feel the same. But wow. Hannah Whitten nailed it. The relationship between Lore, Gabe, and Bastian is everything. It evolves in such an organic, natural way that you can’t help but fall in love with it. I think most of us have been waiting for what finally happens in this book since the very first one. And it delivers.

Then there’s the ending. I’m sure it’s going to defy a lot of readers’ expectations. Yet I have so much respect for the author for not taking the easy way out. There’s no cheap fan service here. She makes us feel the pain. And I think it’s brilliant. The emotional payoff is intense. I cried, and I almost never cry over fantasy books. At the end of the day, even though I had moments of doubt, wondering if this was really the best direction or if it could’ve been a bit more gripping from the start, I’m glad I trusted the author’s vision. The payoff is so, so worth it.

I can now confidently say this is one of my favorite romantasy trilogies. It’s smart, emotional, beautifully written – and it stands out in a genre full of tropes and sameness. I think a lot of readers are going to love it just as much as I did.

A superb sequel which carries the gothic mystery of its predecessor to new heights. An immersive, full throttle tale that will have you on the edge of your seat.

WOW! I devoured this in one sitting. What an incredible conclusion to The Nightshade Crown series! The Nightshade God absolutely blew me away. From the very first page, I was hooked, and the book didn’t let go until the very end.

Hannah Whitten’s storytelling is next-level. The plot is so intricate and full of twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Lore’s journey is nothing short of epic as she navigates a world of magic, betrayal, and heart-wrenching choices. The stakes are higher than ever, and it felt like every page had something new and exciting that made me gasp.

The character development in this book is phenomenal. Lore has grown so much since the first book, and her internal struggle, strength, and determination were so powerful. And the romance? Let’s just say Whitten knows how to write chemistry, but what really impressed me was how she handled the relationship dynamics. Without giving anything away, I was blown away by how it all came together in such a satisfying way.

I also have to talk about the world-building—it’s rich, immersive, and beautifully complex. From the Burnt Isles to the mysterious forces lurking beneath the city, every setting felt alive and filled with danger and magic. Whitten has created a world that is so easy to get lost in.
By the time I turned the last page, I was speechless. The Nightshade God is the perfect finale to a series that has kept me captivated from start to finish. It’s action-packed, emotional, and everything I wanted from a conclusion. If you’ve read the first two books, you won’t be disappointed—it’s worth the wait

.*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was the perfect conclusion to this series. It was impossible to predict where it would go next, and yet everything felt like it fit together perfectly. I loved it so much.