A monk, a necromancer and a prince walk into a bar…wait, that’s this book.

Short Synopsis:
Lore has a secret power to raise the dead. She’s been hiding it all her life, but when the royal court discovers it, she’s whisked away to court and given a secret mission - one that involves her getting close to the snarky and sexy prince.

My Thoughts:
This one started off slow for me, and felt like it took forever to read. But I think that has a lot to do with the world-building and making sure I full grasped everything.

I really loved Lore and Bastian. The snarky comments were everything. Gabe not so much. 😂 It was a fun, spooky world, and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Read it You Like:
💀 Love Triangles
💀 Court Intrigue
💀 Sexy Princes
💀 Forbidden Romance
💀 Gothic novels
💀 Epic Fantasy adventure

This book is so easy to read. While the plot wasn’t my favorite - just simply wasn’t that engaged, it wasn’t my cup of tea - I can recognize an objectively well-written book when I read it. The story was intriguing and the concept wasn’t something I had ever heard of before. It was truly one of the most unique ideas for a story that I have ever read. At first, I didn’t find myself enjoying the main character for some reason - I don’t even have a reason for this, but I felt like the choice of opening scene wasn’t necessarily the most exciting for me and felt like an odd choice. However, as I read on, I realized that it did have some really interesting suggestions into who she was and how she would grow and develop as a person.
I definitely recommend this book to any readers who are looking for something unlike anything else they have read.
Thank you for the ARC!

This felt like a bit of a slow start to the series, but I'm quite intrigued by where it's going and it was a very fun, easy read overall.

I was cautiously excited about this book- Whitten's For The Wolf didn't capture me and, in turn, I never moved forward to read For The Throne because I simply wasn't interested. What I will say is that this book feels like it's written by an entirely different person. I'm honestly very surprised by the voice of this book as it felt so much more nuanced and fleshed out than my previous experience with Whitten's writing. The concept of the magic and the world were all really interesting to me and are what kept me reading. But it didn't end up being as deep as I'd hoped- it felt a little surface level. Lore is a character I'm interested to see more of, for sure. I am always a fan of gritty, strong FMCs- so she was a treat to read.
I think it's likely I'll pick up the second book when it happens as this was lots of world building and set up and I imagine following books will feel a little less slow now that all of the background is out of the way.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this book.

Was excited for this because I loved Hannah Whitten's previous series, but this was just not for me and I ended up DNFing around 27%

So bummed, but I just did not connect with the story or characters

There are parts of The Foxglove King that I really enjoyed, and other parts that would normally lead me to DNF'ing a book.

The thing that got me through the entire book was the relationship between Lore, Bastian, and Gabe (I kind of want them all to smooch? But also I hate Gabe) and moments where I felt like Lore was a really cool, badass heroine who defied stereotypes. I'm usually a massive hater of love triangles, but I was somehow pulled in by the relationship between Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. I'm definitely 100% on the side of Bastian, but I also sometimes get the appeal of Gabe. Sometimes. I read about 70% of the book within 2-3 days, which I completely attribute to my needing to find out who Lore smooches.

As for the plot and the setting, I felt like there was real potential, but it just didn't pull through for me. It felt like there was no subtlety. I found the magic system to be intriguing, but I knew massive 'twists' from the get-go just because the author made it so obvious. It read kind of like a young adult novel, which is not what I expected or wanted. And the ending was lackluster, in my opinion.

I'll read the next book just because I want more smooches. I'm hoping that the next book will be more subtle and have more interesting twists, but I have strong doubts. 3/5 stars, and thank you NetGalley and Hannah Whitten for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The line between death and ecstasy is thin in Hannah Whitten's The Foxglove King, an enthralling fantasy novel of court intrigue, forbidden romance and necromancy. In the city of Dellaire, twenty-three year old Lore is doubly hunted--she's worked in the illegal poison trade for a decade and she possesses the ability to manipulate Mortem. Though it leaks steadily from the catacombs beneath the city, the use of Mortem--the magic from death--is forbidden to all but the Presque Mort, an elite group of religious warriors tasked with dispelling it. When a drop goes wrong and Lore resurrects a horse in the middle of a street full of guards, the Sainted King and his brother, the Priest Exalted, seize the opportunity to compel her to use her gifts for their ends.
As with her Wilderwood duology, Whitten excels at building a dark and unique magic system and complex characters. Whitten's royal court is poisonous in the expected social and political ways, but poison in her world is also the path to temporary ecstasy and even prolonged life. Risk death and reap the rewards. Lore must work with brooding Presque Mort Gabriel to spy on the power-mad king's dashing son, pretend to be part of the treacherous Citadel society and defend her people from a conquering empire. Adult readers of Adalyn Grace and fans of Ava Reid, Tasha Suri and Jennifer L. Armentrout will want to pick this up.

This review will be posted at Shelf Awareness around publication date and will be edited before publication.

THE FOXGLOVE KING is the newest fantasy from Whitten who, in her previous books, deftly built atmospheric worlds with turns of phrases that made my writer-heart ache. Here, all the pieces come togetherin absolute perfection: the characters are complex, flawed, and mesmerizing. The world has such layers and events happening “in the next room” that it feels lush and real. I love reading an author’s books and seeing if they improve with each story. Whitten has, and this is a masterpiece.

Annndddd…the trio at the center. When I tell you that I was so conflicted, pulling for Lore to choose Bas, then to choose Gabe - it wrecked me! Whitten pulls all the heartstrings, never giving us enough of what we want and dangling the possibilities just out of reach. I imagine that she is cackling above an all-seeing orb as my heart withers and squirms as I read, and then delighting as the ending just…well, there was a lot here I didn’t see coming. If you love Court intrigue, magic systems, romance, high stakes…well, this is what you need to pre-order.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I had read some of Hannah Witten's other work and enjoyed it. I liked this just as much as everything else I've read by her. The author has a way of weaving a rich vibrant world with her words. The way she describes things, especially disgusting or horrific things, makes everything seem so tangible and lifelike. I really enjoyed this book a lot and I've already recommended it to a couple of my friends in real life already. I can't wait till it is officially published and the masses can read it.

Over all I enjoyed The Foxglove King. I think the story has potential, but I tended to get lost in the details and the story moved a bit slowly at times. I loved the magical system that was set up in the story, and thought that Lore was a unique character with an interesting power. I wish the dynamic between Lore, Gabe and Bastian had moved a little more quickly and was steamier. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2!

I really enjoyed this book!

I love the necromancy in it.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.

Thank you to @netgalley, @orbitbooks_us, and @hwhittenwrites for granting my request for an advanced copy. I LOVED it!!!

This book had many of my favorite elements: powerful female MC, creative world building, royalty, and just the right amount of wit & snark. It felt fresh, new, and creative while still drawing appropriate inspiration from the fantasy genre so those of us who love fantasy feel right at home. There were a few points where I felt the pacing was a bit slow and they could have cut the length a bit, but I’m hoping that extra length will pay off in future books in the series (it usually does, I’ve found). Overall, I’d absolutely recommend to lovers of fantasy, I think you’ll love it and I CANNOT wait for the next book in the series. Seriously, I am kinda sad I read it early because now I have to wait longer for the sequel. 🤣

Content Rating: PG-13, some violence and romantic elements

5/5⭐
Oh my god, what was that? I don't even know how to start this review, seriously, this book was so amazing! I was expecting something good and was really excited to finally read, but when I did it? I'm speechless.
The narrative was so well written, Hannah Whitten did an excellent job in the character's development!
I can't wait for more of her work in the future!

3.5 stars

I wanted to love this book, but I ended up just liking it fine.

Lore is a fascinating character, but I think the book suffers from an underdeveloped setting and a borderline lazy love triangle.

I didn't know that this setting was inspired by Versailles until I read another review that pointed it out, that's how underwhelming the setting is. There's nothing really remarkable to me about the setting, which is disappointing because I believe this had potential to be really great.

The fated connection thing is also really tired and I think it's a lazy way to avoid actually building chemistry. (Which we know Whitten can actually do)

I did find the worldbuilding really interesting with the concept of old and new gods dying and leaking magic for humans to use. I don't know how I feel about the pseudo-anti-Catholicism, it's definitely been done before and kind of frustrating to see when there is no room in the narrative for middle ground between the two opposing ideologies.

As always, thank you NetGalley and Orbit books for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

The Foxglove King is Hannah Whitten's adult debut and the first in a new trilogy. Death magic? check. Strong female main character? check. Cheeky banter? check. Interesting magic system and a dash of a religion that is similar to a cult? also check. This book checked all the boxes and I absolutely devoured it. It was my most anticipated read of 2023, and it did not disappoint. TFK follows Lore, who is able to channel death magic of Mortem and raise the dead. This power lands her right into the middle of a political plot in the Sainted King's court. Lore needs to decide quickly the rules of the game she has suddenly become a pawn in, and to uncover the secrets lurking beneath the court. She must decide who she can trust, whether the brooding duke-turned-monk working through his survivors guilt, or the deceptively aloof sun prince. I loved the world building in this book, and to see Hannah Whitten's growth as an author from her first series to this one. The banter between our three main characters. The ending of this book has me not-so-patiently waiting for book two, and I can't wait to make this book my entire personality for the next few months as I recommend it to all of my friends.

I really enjoyed this first book in the series. Whitten weaves politics, religion, romance, and character development into a well-formed world. I really enjoyed the 3 MCs and their unique voice, motives, and personality. I am eager to see what is next for each of the three characters. It was refreshing to read a "love triangle" that felt authentic, exciting, and justified. At times, the magic system and exposition were confusing and hard to me to get a clear understanding of what was going on. I found this especially true towards the end of the book with the side-character revelations.

Overall, I enjoyed this book even more than Whitten's debut series and am excited to see where this series goes! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Foxglove King is the beginning of a new fantasy series and is sure to leave you wanting more by the end! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and already need the 2nd book ASAP.

I have not personally read 'For the Wolf' so this is my first read by Hannah Whitten. I loved the very unique magic system (mortem), although it did take me a minute to understand it. The World Building wasn't too heavy but easy to grasp (your usual court system, countries who want to take over other countries). I felt it was pretty easy to understand the world and the magic system started to make sense about 20% in so it just took me a little time to grasp.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characters and their dynamics. I am not usually one for a love triangle but I was all in on this one and can't wait to see where it goes. I also appreciated the wonderful slow burn as you could feel the tension pretty easily between the characters. I felt that the characters were really the shining star in this book. I also liked the very modern language they used even though this is a "court" world. I didn't expect it to be written that way but I actually really enjoyed the way the characters spoke and even cursed a bit. It felt adult but kept with the theme of the characters being in their 20's.

Overall, I am glad I read this book and cannot wait for the sequel!

for fans of fantasy, romance fantasy, love triangles, slow burn, unique magic systems, and court politics!

thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for the E-ARC!

In a world of fallen gods, forbidden magic, intrigue, betrayals, murder and the political dance of religion and court/government makes this book an interesting read. The book seemed slow at times, but I think this was to add more to the development of characters and to flesh out the story, making it more real. This was both a benefit and detriment as at times it seemed a bit too much.

I loved the characters. It seems the author somewhat set up a potential love triangle -and I believe the book description even hints to this with the phrase "forbidden romances". However, I didn't really find romance in this book - it was hinted at, but then it was so complicated that.....well it sort of fell apart and left me, as a reader, disturbed and uneasy. So if you are looking for any romance - don't look here, it's too complicated to even really sort out.

After all the build up I felt the end of the book was rushed and thrown together. Ultimately I felt that while major issues (the king's activities, the prince's activities/motives, and the high priest's motives) were for the most part tied up the other elements that the story spent so much time on are left in ragged, unraveled ends. I can only think that this was intentional as these relationships (Lore and the Sun Prince, Lore and Gabe, Gabe and the Sun Prince, Gabe/Lore/and Sun Prince, Allie and Gabe) will find conclusion and fleshing out subsequent installments of this series.

I seriously felt cheated that there was not any real answers to relationships at the end - as far as where they stood, what was happening. Does the Prince love Lore or is it just this bond they have because of their magic? Will Gabe act on his feelings and finally break free of his guilt? Who does Lore love? Or - is this author setting this up as some sort of reverse harem or crazy three-way relationship that will somehow also involve Allie?

And what of the High Priest? Seriously? I guess it makes sense if Mortem turns things to stone then Spiritum turns them to living plants??? And....sorry, but hello?!!! Did we get an answer to the army of raised from the dead villagers?? I mean it ends with the Sainted King and his "equal" looking at pardons and dealing with the aftermath of the eclipse ritual but there is nothing about this massive army of raised from the dead villagers that is tied to Lore's power. Did I miss something?

All in all I liked the book - I will be reading the rest of the books because I want answers. And I will be reading it because, although other reviewers did not like Whitten's writing style I do. I enjoyed the book , in fact I stayed up late reading it two nights in a row. I like the rich characters, even the super complicated relationships and hinted at romance. I appreciated the world building.

This was such an interesting read! I don't read as much Fantasy lately, but this is definitely a story that stands out in the genre and that I'm sure will be loved and talked about for months all over Instagram.

What stands out the most is the writing style. It has that rich, beautiful, whimsical quality that is both dark and gripping. Actually, the entire vibe of the story is more on the dark, gothic side, just what you would expect in a world centered around death, poisons and nightmare-ish situations.

The heroine was probably my favorite part - so fierce, so strong, so kick@ss! She was thrust into a world where she is one of the most powerful characters, but she's powerless because of a rotten, backwards system, where there are enemies everywhere and she cannot trust anyone- not even the friends and allies she makes along her journey.

Not a fan of the love triangle and all that monks, death and catacombs, Church vs Royals power plays, but it was definitely all well done. If you enjoyed Belladonna, you will love this darker, more adult version.

Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy!

4.5/5

Okay, I really enjoyed For The Wolf, but it's sequel, For The Throne left me dnf'ing it QUICK. I'm not sure what happened in between that duology, but whatever it was, Whitten definitely resolved it with The Foxglove King. This book was extraordinary, a fantasy woven with mystery, magic, and all the sexual tension in the WORLD. While not typically a fan of love triangles, this one was 👌. I can say for certain I'm whole HEARTEDLY rooting for one specific man, and all be damned if she doesn't pick him in the end.

Mortem and the magic system associated with it was so unique, albeit a bit confusing in the start, but it was a refreshing concept that helped in breathing life to this dark, intricate story. Sure, the book had some flaws in its world building and plot points, but all in all this amped up to be an wonderfully enjoyable read, despite my slow reading of it.