The Foxglove King is Hannah Whitten's new adult fantasy debut starring main character, Lore. After Lore's power to channel death is accidentally revealed, she's recruited by the crown to help investigate why entire villages have been suddenly dying overnight. To do so, she has to work with a surly one-eyed Monk, Gabriel, and the King's possibly traitorous heir, Bastian. As Lore gets pulled deeper into the mystery, and as she grows closer to Gabriel and Bastian, Lore begins to realize she may be unable to trust anyone.

Whew! What a novel! This was my first Hannah Whitten novel and wow. I was not disappointed! I can't wait for book 2.

Here's what really worked for me in the novel:
- It was dark! I loved how dark this was. It really set this novel and the atmosphere of it apart from other novels. From raising a dead horse to a dead goddess leaking gases to entire village's dying off, the book pulled no punches. I've been looking for more adult fantasy reads and this definitely fit that bill!
- Lore. I really liked Lore as a main character. She was tough, smart, and didn't spend the whole novel swooning over a love interest.
- All of the characters really. They felt pretty fleshed out and deeper than is often found in fantasy novels.
- That ending! So Well written! I was hooked for the entire book, but the last 30% really kicked it into high gear.
- A unique magic system that felt different from a lot of what I've read previously.

A couple things I would change/adjust:
- The magic system took a while for me to pick on. I think between the Mortem, Spiritum, and poison, I got a little confused at times. Aside from healing, I don't fully understand the magic of Spiritum.
- Love triangle. First off, I am not a fan of a love triangle. Like, at all. So I am as surprised as anyone that I didn't hate this one. For the most part, I actually didn't mind it at all. It wasn't too angsty and Lore had good relationship development with both men.
So with this praise, one might be asking why it's under the category of things that I would change. Here's my issue with the love triangle - you're always going to have factions rooting for specific love interests and they will often like the book less when their "team" loses. While this is only book 1, and who knows where books 2 and 3 will go, by the end of this book I already felt like I was on the "losing team." At least at this point, the character that Lore feels more interested in is NOT the guy I'm rooting for.
In a single love interest story, a character who has toxic actions (such as betrayal or being disgusted by the FMC) can grow and the reader may come to like him because there's no alternative. But in a love triangle, there is an alternative, so the reader has jumped on the alternative team rather than waiting for the other character to grow. That's where I found myself. I wanted Lore to have more self-respect and not allow Gabe to treat her that way, and not forgive him so easily after the fact. Even though I didn't fully feel Lore and Bastian's chemistry yet, I'm Team Bastian all the way.
- Bastian seemed different at the very end and I can't figure out if he was just hiding his ruthless nature throughout the rest of the novel. So I wish the writing surrounding that was more clear.

Overall, this was a strong series debut and I can't wait for the next book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

This book has a phenomenal premise and the writing is well done - however, it’s longer than it needs to be; it starts out fast-paced before slowing to a snail’s pace through the exposition, only for the ending to com crashing together in a flash. So the problem, I think, was pacing.

The characters were both generic and interesting, depending on the part of the book you’re in. The plot, while overly long, was interesting (although I easily guessed most of the big plot twist). The world building was fine, nothing revolutionary - rich live big while the poor get poorer.

But for me, the magic system, if you can call it that, is really where this book shines. The concept of Mortem and how someone gains the ability to channel it (near death) and how people use poison to thin the veil between Spiritum (life) and Mortem (death) to get high and possibly lengthen their “life” is fascinating and I really enjoyed learning more about it throughout.

Oh, and for a book advertised as “romantic”…there was very little of it - the love triangle was obvious and present, but more as a point of argument/tension/aggression between the 2 MMCs and less as a true plot point.

I will say the ending was strong enough to keep me invested and I’m very interested in the sequel. I think Hannah Witten’s writing is strong and I loved her concept; I think it just needed a bit more work on pacing.

I received an ARC of The Foxglove King from Netgalley for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I haven't yet read any of Hannah Whitten's other books, but I have copies of them, and they've just moved up higher on my list of books I need to read next because of The Foxglove King.

Honestly, anything involving death magic will automatically pique my interest. Magic of the darkest sort is always curious because I never know how the author will handle it. I thought that Hannah Whitten did a fantastic job of this. She created a whole society that deals with the magic of death, and I enjoyed the world. I thought it was creative and something I hadn't read before. Though I was a little confused at times, especially with all of the information about the gods, it wasn't terribly hard to follow what was going on, and the information didn't take me out of the story or feel like an info dump.

The mixture of politics, religion, and magic was also an interesting way to go about the magic. I wouldn't say that the three were balanced (the religion definitely won, which I wasn't expecting), but I did think that all three were used well. As I mentioned before, I wasn't expecting religion to play as big a role as it did. While that may put some people off, I thought it was well done, and since it was such a big part in the world's structure, I suppose it makes sense that it has such a prominent role.

The only bad thing I have to say about The Foxglove King is that there were a couple of parts that were too over my head for me to understand. It wasn't that I was confused, per se. It was more that I didn't understand all the technical terms and how they related to what was going on. But other than that, I greatly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dark, death-riddled fantasy story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was packed with some of my favorite fantasy tropes, but I loved the intrigue that the gods and magic system added to the story. This is the first book I've read that expanded on necromancy magic and I think the way the magic was tied up with religion made for a robust history and magic system to explore. There is so much room for character development in the coming books. I'm especially looking forward to diving deeper into the magic of this world and watching the relationships between characters continue to evolve across the series. I'll be patiently waiting for their release!

Thank you to Orbit for sending me this ARC. All reviews are honest reflections of my own opinions, always.

Lore pours out the remainder of the morning coffee, black as pitch. Ten years on the run. Ten years of looking over her shoulder, of running poisons, of dangerous smuggling. But Lore hides bigger secrets than her illicit work.

Mortem. Death magic.

With it, Lore can raise the dead. A power that will earn her nothing less than a pyre in the kingdom of Dellaire.

When a run goes sideways, Lore is forced to reveal her powers. The only thing that can save her life now is a bargain struck by the King himself. Surrounded by a court of sharp edges, Lore trusts no one, including Prince Bastian. Now she must raise the dead, or take her place among them.




A highly anticipated read from Whitten, who's 'For the Wolf' I enjoyed & found gritty & original. 'The Foxglove King' on the other hand fell short. Billed as a lush, romantic, & epic story, the book was little of any of these. A DNF at roughly half.

The book opens in what feels like a greasy motel/hovel scene. Rooms where you can literally feel the nicotine and coffee stains. A rather confusing setting for something that was meant to be an epic fantasy world. The dialogue also throws the reader off, with common language & frequent foul mouths. I personally feel that if a writer cannot convey emotions without excessive swearing, it's a reflection of their skills in general. Overall, the worldbuilding gives off some conflicting vibes.

Lore is somewhat grating. Meant to come off as tough, capable, a fighter who can handle her own yet yearns for more. Other reviewers have compared her to Sarah J. Maas' main lead, (TofG Series) which depending upon the reader may or may not be a positive commentary. For me, Lore was irritating. The addition of a weak love triangle, forced proximity, enemies to lovers tropes were expected & felt more like fillers to the story. While these can be a lot of fun, the characters themselves lacked dimension & therefore basic interest.

As for the plot... I cannot say I understood it. Nor did much of it stick in my memory. There are some holes (which I will not cover to keep the review spoiler free), which are rather glaring, plus some open ended questions concerning Lore's power itself, and how useful it actually is to her given situation.

Overall, the book was not for me, but this won't discourage me from picking up Whitten's work in the future & giving it a go.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I hoped I would. I’m bummed because I enjoyed Whitten’s debut duology, and I was so looking forward to this new series. However, I couldn’t get into the story, I didn’t like the love triangle, and the world-building was a bit lackluster.

Lore is a well-developed protagonist, and I like how strong and fierce she is. That being said, Lore is also in the middle of a love triangle, which is one of my least favorite tropes. Love tringles rarely end well, and they have do be done really well for me to enjoy them. This one fell flat for me, though I did enjoy the dialogue and banter when all three of the characters were together. .

The story has a lot of mystery, magic, and religious extremism, and a little romance, but the plot is slow, and I wanted more with the world-building. There are parts that felt info dumpy, and other parts where I wanted more detail. The religious aspect was not my favorite, but I tend to avoid books with religious themes and messages. Also, the setting and language didn’t seem to fit. A lot of the language used seems so modern and appropriate for our world, but it seemed out of place in this fictional world.

Overall, I feel like the premise is good, but the delivery wasn’t everything I hoped for. The first half of the book was a bit of a slog to get through, it was inconsistent, and not much happened. Though there was some intrigue and a few twists (though they weren’t super surprising), I just never really felt fully immersed in the story or invested in the characters.

The Foxglove King
by Hannah F. Whitten
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC

Lore was born in the catacombs and because of that, she was gifted with Mortem, death magic created from death. To survive on the streets she became a runner of a drug made from Mortem, and other drugs, along with spying. But when her power is discovered, she is captured and taken to the church where she expects to die, but instead, she is ordered to spy on the prince.

Another YA book about life in a court, how easy it is to lie and pretend to be something you're not with the right man at your side, which is what happened to Lore, chaperoned by Gabriel, an ex-duke, now monk, in order for her to get close to the prince, Gabriel's once ago best friend.

Sadly this book didn't keep my attention, and I found myself skimming most of it, or falling asleep as the kindle read it back to me. The politics of court life and all that was boring, and at the first hint of 'romance' I jumped pages, but from what I caught they weren't graphic. But the 'drug' use, Mortem, is very front and center, as it has to do with the plot, so I don't think this book is suitable for readers under sixteen.

The main plot was interesting, but the subplots, especially the love triangle, were lame. The action wasn't really active. Mostly hurried through as if life in the castle was the most important plot of the story. If the next book removes the court politics and sticks with the 'magic' part, it would make for a better, more interesting, and attention-keeping plot, but I still doubt I'll read it.

It was ok, but it could've been a lot better if the action was as descriptive as the dresses, castle decorations, and food.

2 Stars

A poisoner runner, a monk, and a prince - 3 people all raised in different walks of life get thrust together in a story of betrayal, magic, friendship, and love.

I could not put this book down! Every chapter just left you needing and wanting to know more. The author did an amazing job developing the characters making you feel like you could feel what each of them were feeling. Foxglove King puts you into a world of dark magic leaving the reader rooting and sometimes screaming at the MCs. The book truly blew my mind and I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the series to be released.

While the book was exceptional! I do think that the end felt a little rushed. I also have been seeing a lot of mentions of the book being a fantasy full of romance and I would say it was more a fantasy with a small sprinkle of romance still loved it and can’t wait for the next book to come out.

Thank you to the Publisher, Author, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the ARC for my honest review.

2.5 stars.

Overall, this book was just ok for me. I agree with other reviewers: it was an interesting idea with poor execution.

While I struggled with the world building, I thought the magic system was an original and different take on necromancy. It was clear to me that Whitten put more effort into developing her magic system than the world in which her story was set, which I found to be generic and uninspired. That being said, the magic system involving a buried Death god leaking destructive magic that only certain people can channel and a victorious god who disappeared but whose chosen one can heal, amongst other things, was interesting. Too bad it wasn't accompanied by a more captivating setting.

Another thing that missed the mark for me was the characterisation. Of our three main characters, only Bastian really sparked any interest for me. And that was until the last 5% of the book when he suddenly became a different person without explanation. Gabe was a huge miss for me. Between his overprotectiveness, lack of support for our female character, and open disgust about "non-pious" actions and upbringings, his character really fell flat. Lore was somewhere in the middle. At times I was rooting for her, but as the book went on I found myself feeling kind of ambivalent toward her.

My biggest issue, like others, was the love triangle. I did not feel like it was done well and the "we are drawn together" thing was not compelling. In fact, it was more like a love square, with a former fling, who also is portrayed as a sweet and wonderful friend, is added to the mix. For me, this addition frustrated, more than added to, the overall story, and detracted from my enjoyment of the mystery.

All that being said, the pacing was fast and the mystery was intriguing. In the end, it read as more of a YA book as opposed to an adult one, primarily because of the lack of depth in world-building and characterisation. So, a pretty average rating from me.

4⭐️

Lore, a young woman born in the catacombs beneath the city, has the ability to feel and control Mortem-the essence of the dead. The possession of this is a one way trip to the Burnt Isles, if not the pyre. Lore works as a spy and poison runner for her adoptive mothers, her power kept a secret from everyone. That is until a mission goes wrong and Lore is arrested. She expects death, but the Sainted King has other ideas: Lore will work for him as a spy to bring him information about his son, Bastian, who he expects has betrayed the kingdom.

Lore is partnered with Gabriel, a former duke turned monk after his own father betrayed the kingdom. Gabe had been a childhood friend of Bastian’s until he joined the Presque Mort and embracing his title as a Duke and pretending Lore is his cousin is the in they need. Lore feels like she has a connection with both Gabe and Bastian that she can’t explain, considering they’ve never met before. She must look at these connections and figure out what both the Sainted King and his brother are up to and what it has to do with the attacks on local villages.

I really like The Foxglove King. I liked the magic included and that it’s not always just something you’re born with. Everyone involved know the Presque Mort have this magic ability due to dying and coming back, but how many more have that aren’t apart of the church? I also liked that there was one betrayal after another, so you’re never quite sure who you can trust.
I especially enjoyed that while this had a high fantasy setting, all of the language was not stuffy, high fantasy. I like that blend of urban and high fantasy.

I did feel like the world building was missing some things that can’t narrow down, but I’m hoping the next book will fill in those holes. The love triangle also felt a bit forced-Lore apparently feels a “connection” with both Gabe and Bastian, but the only one she has chemistry with is Bastian. I’m not sure how long this series will be, but I’m hoping not to have more awkward pining for Gabe.

Thank you Netgalley & Orbit Books for providing this ARC to me!

Typically, everything about this would be ideal for me. Macabre death magic, court intrigue, a side plot murder mystery, and an MC whose had to live life on the edge to survive.

However, this had a bit slow of a start where I didn’t feel like anything grabbed my attention. The magic is a bit confusing and could have used some more information over the current citadel and system I’m still not sure I understand what Mortem can and can’t do. As for the power system, I get the leanings and inspiration of the Catholic Church and its corruption, but more information on the background and history would have made encountering the Morts later on a bit easier. We get snippets as chapter titles / starts, a common way of introducing history in nuggets throughout, but I felt like I was dropped into everything and never really recovered. The Buried Watch, the Presque Morts, the Exhalted Priest, etc. all could have used with a smoother introduction and explanation.

However, at the same time, this also felt a bit too verbose and drawn out with a lot of things overexplained to the point that they felt confusing and convoluted unnecessarily. I ended up having to skim quite a bit over parts that didn’t add value but just felt like filler.

All the characters felt a bit stiff and archetypal. They seemed to just be very standard character tropes without any sort of distinctive personality that helped them stand apart or be memorable. Also for being adult (Lore is 23, turning 24 the 1 other mains are 24 and above), the characters felt very young and one dimensional. With all the complex power machinations and manipulations they’re subject to, I expected Lore, Gabe, and Bastian to feel more layered and cunning, unfortunately they just didn’t.

Lastly, the romance element was….almost too subtle and forgettable. I know this is the start of a series so there’s maybe more to come on all these fronts, but this just didn’t blow me away or make an impression. Add to that that a lot of the reveals and twists felt obvious and idk, I just never really felt the excitement or engagement.

This might be due to my mood, so maybe I’ll consider coming back to this series when the next book drops.

Rating: 2.75/3, rounding up to 3.

DNFed at 31%

Sadly I can’t get into this book. The writing style is not it for me and the story is kind of confusing. I can’t get a sense of the world building which is a bit messy. It’s honestly one of those books were you would enjoy if it’s a physical copy because of the layout. On kindle, it’s all jumbled up so you don’t know where it ends or starts which makes a huge difference on getting the full experience. I also wasn’t connecting with the MC and felt that the summary didn’t so far promise what it was about. Overall the the writing style was just not for me but could be for others. I’m going to give it another try whenever my special edition comes in so will update you guys in the future.

I enjoyed a lot of what I found here, and I am really pleased with that. Given what a good friend of mine had to say after a read of For the Wolf, I was a little worried. However, I find that much of this was comfortable to the casual reading part of my brain in the way that YA and Fanfic manage. Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with this title.

Thank you to Net Galley for sending me an eARC of The Foxglove King. I was so excited to get my hands on one of my most anticipated reads of 2023! For me, the highlights of this book were the main character, the magic system, and some of the descriptions. I found the main character, Lore, likable and overall badass. Lore reminds me in a way of Aelin, from Throne of Glass. Tough and bold and clever. I think the author also put a unique spin on death magic as the magic system. I’ve never read anything quite like this, and I appreciate that the authors seems to have put a lot of thought into fleshing out the world and magic system in this story. I also just enjoy the style of Hannah Whitten’s writing.
Now for what I didn’t enjoy.. To me the story itself felt disjointed. It just didn’t satisfy in the way I expected it to. I do realize that some loose ends will likely be addressed in the later books, but still it felt choppy. I also did not like the love triangle. I still trying to decide if it was simply personal preference or something with the characters. Possibly both? The romance aspects felt very forced and rushed to me. I think I might have liked some depth there.
I do plan on continuing with this series. I think there is definitely potential for the story and characters but it was a rocky start for me.

I honestly don't know how to review this. I sat for a few hours after closing the book, notepad in hand, and I still don't have the proper words.

This started as a bit of a slow read for me because there was a lot of world and character-building to get through. I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. But once I got a feel of the world and to know Lore, Gabe, and Bastian, it was easier to become invested in them. I love how magic works in this world. How Lore wields Mortem is unique, and I enjoyed watching her discover her capabilities.

There's a bit of a love triangle happening, with a "will they, won't they," but it's not heavy and doesn't take the book's focus. I love that even though this is a book 1, we have a 'happy for now' ending, which I'm thrilled about. This book became such a fun read. Many thanks to Orbit Books for the ARC.

Hannah Whitten’s writing is getting better with each book (and I’ve enjoyed all of them, don’t get me wrong). In this series, she does a nice job evoking medieval France vibes without pinning it so closely that I’m reading for historical parallels. Though death magic isn’t exactly a new concept, Mortem is a fairly unique take on it; I look forward to the characters learning more about the rules and limits of it as a magic system in future books so we get to, too.

There is some classic-to-the-genre love triangle-ing, and while I’m not typically wild about an instant connection trope, I think it works fine here.

Overall, I’m very annoyed with myself for reading this as quickly as I did, because now I will have to wait EVEN LONGER for the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

The world building in this book was AMAZING! The characters are dynamic and have exciting character arcs, and I like that the romance is very low-key to the main story. This might change in future books in the series, but at least for book one, romance isn't the focus. The focus remains on Lore and her transitioning magic abilities. I won't go into details since I don't want to spoil anything, but the book ended on an interesting note, and I can't wait to see where the story goes. I give The Foxglove King 5/5 stars.

The premise sounded great but it fell flat. World building was clunky, the emotional attachment between characters didn't start happening till the end when the plot twist happened (which I felt would've been better if the characters were more involved with each other sooner rather than later), and it was wordy in some parts which made the book feel overly long.

The Foxglove King had a intriguing, dark, and unique premise. I thought the use of Mortem and its origin story surrounding old gods was fascinating. Unfortunately, most aspects of this book left me wanting. I found the romantic relationships and magic system to both be frustrating, but the biggest issue holding me back from liking this book more was how much I struggled to connect to our main character! In a dark fantasy such as this, I am used to our MC keeping me rooting for them through a passion; a search for revenge or power, love, family, etc. Lore never seemed to have any higher stakes grounding her decisions, only an aloof attempt at aiming for survival. I can see a lot of readers connecting more personally with Lore, and the male main characters were great: they had the backstories, the drive, and the intricacies I was so badly searching for in Lore. I loved Bastian and Gabriel and can easily see readers eagerly awaiting the continuation of this series. It was not for me.

Throughout the whole book, Whitten's writing kept me intrigued with what was happening and the different aspects of the magic system and the world building. I like the MC's personality and what she was trying to do. The relationship she has with the prince and one of the monks are interesting to see develop. While there is a love triangle in the story, it wasn't just a way to cause unnecessary tension between the two love interests, it was just that they are two different people that the MC connects with on different levels.

I really liked the way Whitten used Mortem as a new death magic and the way she described how it was used both from the wielder's POV and how it effected the outside world. The world she created utilizes both the normal fantasy world of walled of palace and the commoner towns outside while also having a whole underground catacomb world that I think she tied really well to the MC's backstory and magical abilities.

I wanted to rate this higher, but the story didn't change pace for me and stayed at the same suspense level from start to finish. I feel like certain points in the middle of the book could have been minimized to expand more time and explanation for the ending of the book. That being said, I am still excited to see what Book 2 has in store and I'm excited to see where Whitten takes this story and the characters.

3.75 stars