I received this book from net galley/orbit in exchange for an honest review. Overall, a solid start to a new epic fantasy series, with lush world building, a fascinating magic system, and interweaving politics

Things I liked:
- the magic system. I love the concept of fallen gods and people’s magic being derived from the gods. It was intriguing but also not too complicated to understand
- The interplay between religion and government and the power dynamic between those two branches
- The characters. Bastion, Lore, and Gabe all came alive through the page

Things I disliked
- the pacing. The beginning of this book kept me curious and intrigued, and the ending kept me on the edge of my seat and made we not want to put the book down. The middle portion dragged a bit and could’ve been shorter
- The love triangle. I didn’t care for Lore’s relationship with either of the two love interests. Honestly I was more interested in the tension/broken friendship between gabe and bastian than any of the romance in this book

Rating: 4.3/5
Spice Level: 1/5

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Forbidden Romance, Love Triangle, Slow-Burn

What a wild ride! Darker fantasy featuring a poison smuggler FMC, a one-eyed pious monk MMC, and a prince who's father wants him dead. An interesting and refreshing magic system stemming from the uncontained power of dead gods, and accompanied by some fun prophecies.

FMC Lore can manipulate Mortem or death, which is illegal and strictly controlled by the priesthood of the Presque Mort, monks who gained the ability to control Mortem via near-death experiences. She gets sold out and forced (by the king and his brother, the Exalted Priest) into spying on the Sun Prince, Bastian, with the help of Gabriel, a member of the Presque Mort.

The worldbuilding is luscious and you really get drawn in to the overall atmosphere. The magic system is really intriguing, and I hope will become even more forefront in the next books. The darkness of the magic itself lends itself heavily to the poignant descriptions.

The court politics don't punch you in the face, but by the end you'll realize how subtle they really were and how many small happenings seemed innocuous in passing but in retrospect were very important. The religion comes into play very heavily as well, and I enjoyed that of the 3 MCs, not all of them bought into the zealotry, which allowed for some friction.

Lore, Gabe and Bastian as characters all have depth, though sometimes they act their age (early-mid 20s) and accurately display moments of immaturity. The banter, chemistry, differences and tension between the characters is beautifully handled. Also, don't be put off by the whole love triangle thing as it's portrayed well and didn't grate on me like most do. I'm curious to see how it continues to play out in the next books.

The story's pacing is fairly medium through the majority of the book, leaving the last 10% to be a mad sprint of action and revelations. The ending really cemented the fact that I'll be jumping in on the next books as soon as possible. I can't wait to see how the repercussions play out after

To sum up, if you like dark fantasy romances with a unique magic system, power hungry kings & priests, and some well-done love triangle angst, definitely add this to your TBR.

Overall enjoyed this book. It had decent world building and interesting characters. I found a few aspects of the plot and the love triangle to be a bit less enjoyable but not to the point that I didn't want to finish reading the book.

4.5 stars

Romantic epic fantasy? Sign me up! I was sold right from the start of the blurb because these three words together are magic for me. The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten was all it claimed to be and more.

I will say it was a bit of a slow start for me to get into this book. However, I feel like this can be pretty common for epic fantasy especially, and it didn’t deter me. It just took a few chapters before I was finally like, “alright, alright, now the story is getting going and I’m into it.” But once I reached that point there was no turning back and I did not want to put the book down once I reached that level of investment.

The idea behind this unique world was so cool. It’s a world immersed in poisons and the ability to not only sustain life, but increase the length of it with the correct doses of said poison. But more than this, if is a world of Mortem, the essence of death that has leaked out into the world and is forbidden. Lore was born with access to this more than frowned upon access to channel Mortem, which gives her the ability to bring the dead back to some semblance of life. Needing to keep this ability quiet from authorities, she works amongst the underworld of society as a poison runner, a position that could result in death or worse. However, she draws the attention of the King and is enlisted to work as a spy to find out if his son Bastian is working with the enemy. She does this alongside Gabriel, someone deemed a traitor at a young age because of his father, and who joined the Presque Morts as a result of his family being deemed traitors.

Political scheming abounds throughout the book, leaving it difficult to determine who Lore should or can trust which amps up the intrigue. She’s left with the duty of discovering who the traitor might be, learning new things about her power over Mortem, all while juggling figuring out how to navigate the high society she has been thrown into in order to get to the bottom of who is killing off entire villages and how.

The characters. Characters are always a big maker or breaker of a book for me, and these characters were just so great. Lore as a main character was so smart and interesting just as far as learning about her powers. She had a badassness about her from a life spent fighting to survive and working for the kind of people that are one wrong move away from imprisonment or hanging. Gabe I loved instantly and was so happy with his role of watching over Lore because I knew it meant he’d be a major part of the book. He’s both tough and innocent, having spent so much of his life living as a monk. This makes Lore someone who tests him because she’s anything but innocent and has no problem saying things like they are. And just when I thought Gabe was all that mattered, in comes the sassy sun prince, Bastian, who surprising to me, also won my heart instantly. I don’t think I could pick a favourite between the two.

Then there was the ending. It was so fast paced and mind blowing in all that happened. I am honestly devastated that I have to wait for the sequel and that this book isn’t even technically out yet because I don’t know how to wait for more now. The ending definitely made up for what felt like a slower start to me and I just need more. More of these characters. More of this world. More of what I believe is about to come next. I had so many theories throughout the course of this book and I’m so looking forward to finding out if any of them end up being correct. Hannah Whitten has become a must read author for me with this series. I cannot recommend it enough for fantasy lovers!

Thank you to Orbit books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I originally struggled to get into Hannah's first book For the Wolf, I thought this was so much better. The first few chapters of this were laying the groundwork down and I was somewhat lost, but it found its footing shortly after. This was very religious-heavy, which wasn't a bad thing for me, but I can see how others may think it's a bit too much.

Lore, Gabe, and Bastian were such a fun trio, and I loved them a lot. Even though this was a love triangle, it was not "in your face" and didn't take away from too much of the plot. The dynamic Lore has with everyone was so fun to read about, and she is an awesome MC.

Very excited to see where this goes next!

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Orbit Books, Orbit) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

I actually requested this book on NetGalley before I realized that I had read books by Hannah Whitten already! For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) and For the Throne (Wilderwood #2) were very good so I was happy to have another Whitten in my hands.

But also, I am really loving this theme of death and necromancy that seems to be taking hold of the fantasy genre lately. Skeletons, zombies, channeling the power of death – yes please and thank you. It’s fascinating.

What is this book about?

Lore is a criminal in a city that sits on top of a fallen god (the god of death). Mortem (the power of death) seeps out of the buried god, and through near death experiences some humans are able to channel that power. Lore is discovered to not only have the power to channel Mortem, but also the ability to remove death from someone/thing, bringing it back to life in gruesome fashion. She is discovered by the royalty, who force her to help them root out the cause for some murders along the border as well as a mole, who is suspected to be the crown prince.

It’s the classic street-rat-becomes-court-darling story with magical twists. I love to read about people, especially women, who are used to having a certain street sense and then discover that they are WAY out of their depths when it comes to court politics and spy skills. It’s also the kind of story that makes you suspicious of EVERYONE, which I enjoy. I like it when I can’t figure out the whodunnit so I can fully enjoy the twist/reveal.

What is notable about this story?

This plot is thick with prophecy and mythology, two things that usually take all the control out of the characters’ hands and take them on a thrill ride where they can only hold on for dear life. Whitten’s writing seems to set up this kind of viewpoint, where everything is out of the characters’ hands and maintaining the status quo is enough. But then something happens and suddenly everyone begins to utilize their own decision making, their own free will, taking control of their lives, prophecy and gods be damned. Just like her work in For the Wolf and For the Throne though, the characters will eventually have to learn that even though they have a choice, they still have to play by some of the rules because magic always has rules and a price. The transition from helplessness to power to uncertainty in this first novel in a series was beautifully done, and I am ready to pounce when book two hits NetGalley because I have to know what happens next.

Representation for LGBTQIA+ is abundant here and treated as a normal part of society. I am ALWAYS going to say that is notable because the more our stories reflect this, the better.

Was anything not so great?

Lore’s turning twenty-four at the eclipse, did you know?
It’s her 24th birthday, the day of the eclipse, the day of her Consecration, she’ll be 24 years old.
The entire second half of the book reminds you about this every 4 sentences and IT WAS IRRITATING. A small quibble to be sure, but still something to remark on.

I’m not a fan of love triangles. This one was well done, there was tension there, but I’m just not a fan of dudes fighting over a main character who is a woman. It’s kind of gross. It reminded me a lot of the prince/soldier/Aelin triangle that plays out across the first three books of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series. If you’re going to spend 3 entire books making me invest in a certain pairing, don’t pull a switcharoo on me 4 books in. I am nervous that this will happen here, I am kind of invested in Gabriel+Lore sooooo…yeah. Again, a small quibble, especially at the end of book one, but I’m just warning you that things are in flux and I don’t like it.

What’s the verdict?

4 stars on Goodreads and I am ready to find out what comes next. If you are a fan of fantasy epics with clearly defined magic systems this series will definitely be for you. This also continues the necromancy theme that has been strong in fantasy the past few years, so if you like zombies, raised dead, animated dead, skeletons, etc then oh boy this book should get on your TBR right away. Highly recommend!

The Foxglove King is a dark fantsay romance from Hannah Whitten. You can expect necromancy, poison dealings, lost gods, court intrigue, and a love triange. The story follows the main characters Lore, Prince Bastian, and Gabriel who is a monk. This book was such a fun surprise for me. I went in knowing nothing and came out invested in these characters and eager for the next books in the series. One of the selling points of this book is necromancy and since Lore seems to be the only lving person with the ability, every time it happened was interesting to read. It brought in the right amount of gothic vibes and creepy feelings. I also liked the mystery aspect of this book with the characters trying to figure out why entire villages were dying at once. While the plot was interesting, I was mostly invested in the main characters Lore, Gabe, and Bastian. Wanting to know what would happen to them kept me going. I will say that I was not expecting a love triangle in this book and they are not always my favorite. I only expected the love interest to be Bastian so I was surprised when that was not the case. I do not know who I would be rooting to end up with Lore but I know that I prefer Bastian's character. This is because Bastian is written well with interesting layers and all the masks he has to wear for court life and as a Prince. It seems like the author favors him too because she wrote him in a way that was much more interesting than Gabe. Thats not to say I don't like Gabe because I do. However, I am not sure where this love trangle is going to go given how the book ends. This only thing I struggled with in this book is the worldbuilding. I was so confused for most of it because it was all over the place. I was also confused about the magic system for a while until I saw more of it as the book went on. This made the first half of the book drag for me because I could not fully understand the story. I think thats why I connected so much with the characters because I would not connect to the plot/world. I also feel like the poison aspect of the book needed to have more depth. It felt like a side plot that had very little impact but just kept coming up. I hope to see that plotline expand more in the next books. Overall, this was a great start to a fantsay romance series and I am excited to see where it goes next! Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this eARC!

This book was solid, just a little slow. I didn’t feel truly interested until the last 25%, which isn’t great. I’m not sure about this author as I didn’t like For the Wolf and refused to continue that series but at least this was a bit of an improvement. I did like the death magic. I thought that was really cool and creepy. But I’m not sure I’ll read the next book. I’ll probably wait and see what everyone says about it before I do.

Also, don’t get me started on the love triangle. It made me want to gauge my eyes out. One love interest actually understands Lore and doesn’t judge her for her powers and the other judges her for it a lot! She also feels comfortable sharing her past with one but not the other. So there shouldn’t even be a competition here but unfortunately there is (or at least was). Also why I’m not sure I want to read the next book.

This book is absolutely unique, which is a rarity in this genre. The magic system, the world building, political posturing... I was drawn in and could. Not. Stop. I loved our FMC confidence! She was well developed and written. I had a distinct perception of who she is, her goals, and where her plot thread might take her. I lived for the angst! The love triangle? Not so much, but that's just personal preference, not the fault of the author. Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend!

Lore is a poison runner and necromancer who has found herself dragged into court politics. The Exalted Priest and the Sainted King want to use Lore's unique talents to help solve the mystery behind the sudden death of several entire villages and to spy on the Sun Prince, who they suspect of working with a hostile neighboring kingdom.

I loved this book! I got off to a slow start but then once I hit my stride, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely cannot wait for book 2! A rundown of what I liked and didn't like below.

Things I liked:
• I thought the magic system was easy to understand. I could see it getting more complex in book 2 potentially if things are going the direction I suspect.

• I enjoyed the main characters. Lore is easy to root for, and Gabe and Bastian are complicated and interesting.

• The romance was definitely a subplot, but I just love a slow burn; give me all the tension! Note - there is no spice in this one.

• The story felt unique and intriguing. I can't wait for book 2!

Things I didn't love:
• There were a few parts of the book where a word would be used repeatedly. It's a pretty minor gripe and I don't usually notice, but if it's something that annoys you, be prepared.

• Some stuff was so heavily hinted at that the reveal was not really needed. There were some things I didn't guess though, so still a good balance.

4.5⭐️
edit: this was my first hannah whitten book and it did NOT disappoint!! this book is very much if reign and the infernal devices series had a baby. court politics, masquerade balls, forbidden love- oh and don’t forget a necromancer fmc! i can’t wait for book 2

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
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AHHHHHHHHHHH this book!!!

Well, this certainly was one hell of a ride. As my first Whitten book, I went in completely blind, and I was pleasantly surprised. This has all the makings of a crowd roaring fantasy romance, if only but a few chinks here and there. Mostly, it is a gripping read from beginning to end, one with tested loyalties and forbidden love at its core, driven by a colorful and complex cast of characters that will enchant readers throughout.

Taken from the grimy and dangerous world of opium running, our dark heroine is suddenly thrust into the deceitful and much more perilous royal court, landing right in the middle of a power struggle where she becomes a pawn of both the Sainted King and the Crown Prince. Aided by the brooding and self-righteous Gabe － a warrior monk sworn to protect the kingdom from a luring darkness, yet now forced to lead this girl through her new life － Lore must use the dark powers she barely understands herself in order to uncover the truth behind the mysteriously wiped out villages in the realm. Constantly hindered by the cunning and ever charming Prince Bastian, she soon finds herself tangled between dangerous secrets, unbidden passion, and a world of magic she has tried to escape from all her life.

Lore proves herself to be a pretty capable and well-realized leading lady, facing every obstacle head-on and keeping a fighting spirit throughout her imposed fate. Her development is subtle but steady, showing growth in moments when she needs most to step up. However － as charming, bordering on arrogant, sly yet broken boys always are － the real scene stealer is Bastian. Everybody loves a rascal, but this Prince is much more than what he lets on, and uncovering his layers is the most absorbing and intriguing experience throughout the book. He is alluring, imposing, and passionate, leading scenes (and his main counterparts) with ease and enticement, creating an undeniable pull for both the characters and the readers.

Regarding Gabe, I understand that his point is to be contradicting － warring between his past and present life, and the beliefs attached to them －however, I felt it was at times too much, not being veritably anchored nor showing real devotion to either. It felt unreliable, which AGAIN I know was part of the point, but it was too unmoored to honestly root for him in any circumstance. The worst part is, he has so much potential. Out of everyone, he was the character that initially struck as most complex to me, particularly because of his warring inner conflict. Nevertheless, he ends up coming across as fickle rather than merely troubled, which was a big disappointment for me, as he proves in certain scenes that he can garner just as big a pull as Bastian does. All that said, I still have hopes that in the next installment he is more thoroughly and carefully explored, and becomes as well-realized as his counterparts.

Now, in other matters, I know some may cry at the posing of yet another love triangle. However, Whitten paces the interactions and colors the dynamics of the trio with careful thought, allowing a smooth transition between pairs, and better yet, adding enough tension between the three to make the prospects even more interesting. The trio dynamics always feel tangible and exciting, the characters feeding off each other in every scene; and at the end of the day, it will be what takes the front page over a sometimes dull plot. That said, the magic system still draws attention and keeps you curious as to how it will manifest and evolve in the future.

With how things concluded, I am definitely excited to see what is coming up for the characters. Dynamics will shift, power will grow, relationships will be tested, and the stakes may just as well make everything fall apart. I can’t wait!

3.5 ⭐️ Rounded up to 4!

This is my Third book by Hannah Whitten and I will say while I did love For the Wolf. I was not to fond of For the Throne. This is a new series by Hannah Whitten and I devoured this one so fast that,. The written is better. The storytelling overall is much better then For The Wolf…at least for me. I am excited to read more about this world and find my self putting it under my “Highly Anticipating” books to watch out for.

Thank you to Orbit books and Netgalley for having sent me a copy of The Foxglove King. Let me just start off by saying how beautiful the cover is. It definitely catches your eye right away. If you want a good fantasy romance to check out and read then you should definitely check this one out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! While there are some recognizable tropes present in many fantasy books, such as the commoner woman secretly harboring intense power and being sent to the palace to get close to the Prince, that really is where the similarities end. Rather than falling into these tropes, however, the story uses them to bring the reader in and springboards from there. Lore is an incredibly unique character who is afraid of her power, yes, but also doesn’t shy away from using it when she has to. I love that she knows she is selfish and has a desperate need to live. Too often, female protagonists in fantasy are overly self-sacrificial and I loved that Lore was the exact opposite of that. I enjoyed the Court intrigue and the tension as she acted as a spy, but even more so I loved the tension when she discovers Bastion knew all along. Both Gabriel and Bastion were complex characters that I am pleased get to act as Lore’s love interests for the series. Gabriel frequently struggles with internal battles over faith, loyalty, and grief and I appreciate that because of those struggles, that he makes mistakes. Bastion is at first glance a typical prince archetype, overly-confident and flirtatious. But as we get to know him more we see that he also struggles with what he knows is right and what power he actually has. Also, it’s not exactly relevant to the plot, but that fact that Bastion—a main character and potential love interest—is queer is enough for this book to be recognized as queer as well.
I loved how the story gradually marched towards its climax, which part of I guessed but others remained a complete surprise. I would say that at times following the descriptions of Mortem became a little difficult as it is a very complex magic system. But for the most part you can understand it fairly easily.
An excellent first installment to a new series and I can’t wait to see where it picks up in the sequel! For fans of Shadow and Bone and Serpent and Dove, this adult fantasy is not one to be missed.

This book has a decent plot and characters, and is a bit tropey, but by the end I mostly just feel like it's a vibe that you either get or you don't. I had a great time, but am struggling to articulate exactly why.

What I liked:
- Lore, specifically Lore's dialogue. She's blunt and gives zero cares about societal hierarchy in her conversations with people, and it was great.
- Bastian. Anyone who has ever read a romance book knows exactly who Bastian was right off the bat. He's That Rich Jerk, who is secretly deeper Once You Get To Know Him and he's great at it.
- Magic System - interesting and easy to understand.

What was OK:
- Gabe - Gabe started off strong, but then just sort of stalled out on development.
- Lore's background - would have liked it a little fleshed out and/or brought in earlier.
- Predictability - everything in this was broadcast well in advance, but towards the end it felt like there was supposed to be a Big Reveal, but it wasn't a surprise so that set up was a little moot.

What could have been better:
- Ending: Felt a bit rushed after a but of meandering in the middle. I wish more time had been spent on the ending and a less in the middle section
- Lore's role at the Citadel: They had been watching Lore for years. Both her and Bastian's powers would have been stronger if they were in proximity to each other. Wouldn't it have made more sense from either Augustus or Anton's plans to bring her in much sooner rather than for just a few weeks?

Honestly, this book needs to be gayer 😂🌈 If this love triangle doesn't resolve as either a throuple or a couple and their queer platonic friend, I'm going disappointed 😆

I had a good time, but it's mostly just a feeling that it gave me. I have friends that I know I could rec this to, who would appreciate it, and others I know that it wouldn't match.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the book in there series, because I'm hooked!

3.75 out of 5

I was a little confused to start with. I don’t know if a “history” type prologue would have helped me to get a better understanding of the world or not. As I read, things started to make some sense, but I still had an underlying, “what caused all this?”

I liked Lore, Gabriel, and Bastien, even if Gabriel frustrated me with his tunnel vision and unquestioning devotion to the leader of his order. The twists and turns in the story keep you interested. I am invested enough to read the next in the series to find out what happens and would recommend the book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and Hannah Whitten for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

I have enjoyed Hannah Whitten’s books For the Wolf and For the Throne in the past, and this book continues that trend! I really loved the world building, the tension between Church and Crown, and the history behind the powers. I loved Lore as a main character, and enjoyed the development of Bastian and Gabriel. The only reason why I am giving this book 4 stars instead of 5, is because I found some of the twists to be obvious; some of the reveals were hinted at many times throughout the book. I also found that the quotes at the beginning of each chapter tend to spoil some of the contents of that chapter. With that being said, I still really enjoyed this book and am excited to see where it goes with the rest of the trilogy.

Absolutely loved it! This is my first book by the author and I am intrigued to read more from Hannah Witten. This high fantasy book was slow to start, however it picked up for me mid-book and I couldn’t put it down. I was intrigued with the characters and the magic system within this universe. Excited to see what’s to come next in this series. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book early

This book can be categorized as dark fantasy for Adult readers. However it kind of reads like YA with the characters ages adjusted and a whole lot of profanity.

The concept and magic system for this story are quite interesting. I like that it's pseudo setting in King Louis the XIV France both kind of in fashion, and french names. The court politics are kind of vaguely royal without a whole lot of custom and manners. I like the contrasting dark and light magic without either being necessarily good or bad. I absolutely love the power completion between the King and the Clergy.

Unfortunately the setting and the religious politics it reads like something very badly researched or just not cared that much about which is kind of disappointing. If you're going to write your own version of something based in truth, I think it's important to get to know that truth before distorting it.

The pacing of the story was meandering in a way that was a bit frustrating. It was a lot of words that didn't do a whole lot. I kept thinking that something needed to happen to raise the stakes at certain points. I think Alie's character served to do nothing. She was a rival that wasn't really a rival. The "love triangle" wasn't even a true love triangle because I'm not even convinced that Bastian likes Lore more than friends, and I think his real preference is strictly men.

I want to like Hannah Witten's books so much, but they just seem to miss the mark for me. Like a decent meal but the cut of meat is fatty, and it really needs to be seasoned. The story is there, the talent is there, the execution is just a bit flat.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received an ARC through Orbit books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.