I enjoyed this more than "For the Wolf," but it feels very similar in writing style and even in content. The world-building is pretty shallow and only seems to exist in order to further the plot. The general story itself was enjoyable, but I think some plot points were introduced ineffectively, so that threw off the book's pacing. Hannah Whitten has a lot of potential as an author, though, and I'm enjoying watching her skills improve.

This book started slow, and because of that it took me weeks to get 40% of the way through it. It picked up at 47% of the way through. I checked because I wanted to see how far I’d made it before I started to get invested. It stayed mildly interesting up until 80% through. Then all of the conflict and resolution was in the last 30 pages. Sigh.

Less time should have been spent on that beginning 47% and more time should have been put into the last 25% to more clearly portray everything that was going on and draw out the interesting part of the book more. Lots of details at the end were glossed over that could have been explored more. Everything from bigger things like Lore’s mom to the smaller things like the symbolism/history/magic of the hand carvings/scars.

For the most part the magic system and the world building were well thought out and constructed. The politics and the religion were interesting. I liked Lore. I liked Bastian. I loathed Gabe. Hated him. The hints of romance between Lore and Gabe were forced and should have just been left out.

I need the sequel like right now!

Hannah is so good at writing tension and the will they won’t they trope. That’s what I loved about her characters, not only in For the Wolf, but also in this book. The world building was easy to follow and figuring out how things worked in this world wasn’t hard to keep up with. She leaves you on your tippy toes not only in the relationships but also trying to peace things together. While there are some obvious things, it still leaves you second guessing who you can trust and wanting to read waaaayyyy past your bedtime.

I can’t wait to see how the story continues. Going based off of her track record I just know it’ll be just as good, if not better.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Foxglove King is Hannah Whitten's followup to her Wilderwood duology, and I've enjoyed seeing how she's grown as a writer between her debut and now. This one is about Lore, a necromancer (or a deathwitch) who dabbles in poison running and a little espionage before she's brought to the Sainted King's court and has to adjust to a new set of rules. There is also Gabriel, who is a warrior-monk with severe fantasy Catholic guilt, and Bastian, who is the slightly debauched heir to the throne. Also, people are dying mysteriously.

Whitten is one of those authors that understands that sometimes a book is simply about the vibes, and that sometimes you gotta lean into that. I thought the Foxglove King was fun and very readable, and while I don't think worldbuilding is Whitten's strong suit, this is a noticeable improvement from her first duology and I think with this being a trilogy she'll have a lot of room to expand the world of the Nightshade Kingdom. I also liked all her characters, with a few hangups here and there. The writing flowed very well and though this isn't particularly new, the story is very solidly Whitten's, and I felt like she knew exactly what she wanted to do with this series. She's hit upon things that are like catnip to me: corrupt churches, fallen gods, death magic, and whatever was going on in that boxing ring.

I have some quibbles, though, but none of them took away from my enjoyment in a significant way. First, the dialogue is strikingly modern despite the setting being based on Versailles. It was a bit jarring in certain places, but I found it didn't bother me too much. I also thought that while the setting was fun and what was going on was interesting, a lot of the world still felt a bit surface level—the court itself did not feel all that unique or different, but I think Whitten will have the opportunity to go a little deeper in the next book. Finally, I just wasn't sold on the love triangle (or that romantic feelings were being had in general), and at times I struggled to wrap my head around the ages of Gabe and Bastian because they just acted so... young? But it was nice to see Lore remained levelheaded in spite of their nonsense. Of course, I just don't really know how I feel about love triangles in general anymore if it's not ending in a throuple, but I know Whitten wants the love triangle to get weirder, so I am curious to see what she will do, and how she will develop the three of them on their own and their relationships to each other.

Overall I did quite like this: it was a fun read, and I like the cadence of Whitten's writing and her dedication to vibes. I'm interested to see where she takes the story next and while there are definitely parts of this that feel a bit underdeveloped and places where I wish she'd gone a little deeper, it was easy to get into. Whatever Whitten has going on here is doing to my brain what the CW's The Vampire Diaries did to my brain in the early 2010s, so that alone is a huge win for me.

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so excited to get this book! I wasn’t a huge fan of For the Throne but I had high hopes for this book and I wasn’t disappointed! This whole book felt like it flowed better than her last two.

It did take me about 20% to actually get really into it but once I did I couldn’t stop. Now I can’t wait for more.

4/5 stars and will definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelf.

OMG Hannah Whitened does it again!!! I've adored her writing with the For the Wolf and For the Throne and she did it again with The Foxglove King! I can't stop reading her books!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There is a focus on character development and world building. I found the world that Whitten created fascinating. It felt dark, mysterious, and romantic. I do feel like there were many unanswered questions I had at the end though, especially regarding the Night Sisters. I wanted to understand more about their involvement. I look forward to the sequel.

This book was honestly such a fun ride, and it really held my interest the entire way through. The premise balances the use of death magic, or Mortem, with a couple of strong-willed young protagonists, and the setting is inspired by the court of the Sun King (Louis XIV of France). Lore has grown up on the streets, and works as a spy trying to avoid demonstrating the more dangerous parts of her illegal magic and propensity for Mortem. When things go awry, she finds herself in the court of the Sun King, asked to spy on his (young and hot) son and use her talents for a questionable cause. Her companion: a (young and hot) priest sworn to celibacy. :Direct Look to Camera:

Honestly, most of this book worked really well for me. Lore is spunky and lovable, and I found myself rooting for her to survive in the midst of the viper's nest. Yes there are some love triangle elements, but I've never had an issue with those if I feel like the setup makes sense to me, and this one worked well enough. Most of all, I really enjoyed the setting and the magic. I think that the way the magical elements are revealed throughout the book really works well, and I was super intrigued by the end which sets up a lot of potential conflict and action for the series.

I will say, as with Whitten's other book, this reads a bit young, despite the characters clearly being adults. However, unlike For the Wolf, I found the setting and magic system more detailed and uniquely drawn, and I can see myself remaining invested in this series!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶

Let me start off by saying @hwhittenwrites has grow a lot as a writer in this book. The Wilderwood Duology had too many characters falling flat for me, and not enough clarity with the world building. However, I enjoyed this so much more. I recieved an eARC in return for a honest review from @orbitbooks_us from @netgalley

I will be honest, the start of the book (first 50 pages or so) is a little slow, but it does pick up after that. There were a few areas that the plot/scene could have been better paced or improved world building. The MC, Lore's power of necromancy is interesting. The idea of Mortem (death magic) and Spiritum (life magic) is definitely intriguing, since this magic system and approach to magic is a little different than what we normally see in fantasy books. Especially since people use poisons to help them channel Mortem and extend their life. This concept has me wanting to know what Lore can really do as her power grows.

I enjoyed how religion was used in the book. And how the Tracts written at the start of the chapters related to the chapter and gave insight into the religion itself. I didn't quite catch how the book was supposed to be inspired by 17th century French aristocracy and Versailles, but I didn't get that vibe. The story questions religion. How it corrupts or be used for self-serving purposes. I like how this is such a large part of the court/politic intrigue of the book. Who is on the right side? Who can be trusted? Who is actually manipulating?

I enjoyed the love triangle between Lore, Gabe, and Bastian. I found myself rooting for all the characters and none of the characters at different points I the book. By the end I was trying to figure out how their relationship with each other will develop/change with the ending.

This book releases on March 7th. I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelf!

Wow oh wow. This book was so good! Lore is a poison runner in the streets who has a secret ability to control Mortem, or raw death. She is captured to be used for both her power and her skill as a spy among the courtiers of the Citadel.. The further development of her power and the relationships she has with Sun Prince Bastian and Presque Mort monk Gabriel make for an unputdownable book. I dearly pray that the next book comes out soon!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for letting me read an early copy.

In this story, we follow a young woman named Lore who has the ability to raise the dead. This magic is forbidden in a city ruled by a powerful king and his brother, the high priest of Presque Mort. But destiny has other plans for her as she discovers that she is part of a prophecy with the too casual Prince Bastian.

Lore’s magic is not easily comprehensible and it only gets easier as the book goes on. The plot however brings you deep in this medieval kingdom where treachery and new friendship form and dissolve. The author makes you feel the characters emotions and she lets you wondering how all of them will develop in the sequel, will they stay good or turn bad?

I enjoyed this read and probably will keep following Lore in the second book.

The gorgeous cover and the plot is what attracted me to this book. I thought someone with the power of the dead (necromancer) is not something that is overly used in fantasy stories so it felt refreshing. Add what sounds like a strong FMC and add to that an intrigue that includes mysterious deaths, politics and a court and I'm in.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book but some things made it hard for me to keep my interest from beginning to end which I will go through right now.

Pros: I loved the different characters. My favourites were Lore and Bastian. Lore has a will of steel and when someone she cares about is in need, she will be put herself in the line of fire to make sure they are ok. Bastian for me was a breath of fresh air compared to the other characters. While pretty much everyone had a darker vibe, Bastian was the light of the room, loud and always playing a role or making a plan to figure out what he needed. He was that one character for me who said I am taking my destiny into my own hands. I liked the world the author built once I got the hang of it and thought it was different than the books I've previously read which is nice.

Cons for me: It took me a bit of time to get the hang of the world building. There were so many terms and things happening at the same time in the beginning, it made it hard to grasp everything. I think it took me a while to really get into the book because of it. I felt like there were some downtimes where nothing really new happened or helped the intrigue that interest drop a bit. I would've liked to see more character development especially for Gabe and Lore with everything we learned throughout the story. The ending felt rushed a bit and fell flat for me but it did leave place for a sequel.

In the end, I enjoyed the book and would read the sequel if there is one. It is perfect for fantasy readers who likes a darker vibe with an intrigue and some plot twists.

I really enjoyed this book. The world building was amazing and great characters. Some twists to keep your attention and loved the dynamic between Lore, Gabriel (Gabe just doesnt fit him, lol) and Bastien.

I struggle a little bit a first with this one. My first thought was the similarities of a character from another book I was reading. Both strong female characters which I liked, but the pull wasn't there. I really did take about 50% for me to really feel the character development. I was waiting to connect to care about the characters. And it did finally hit. And so did the theories and the worries. I really ended up enjoying this book (especially already knowing it is a trilogy! Huge win in my book that we are committing to the right length out the gate!). Looking back I can see the story, the world and the magic building. I'm excited for the next installment!

The worldbuilding is excellent as is the magic system. Lore is a strong character who is faced with impossible situations while growing into her power. If you're expecting this to be more romance than fantasy, it's not. There is some sexual tension, but it's not the main focus of the book. It's more focused on political intrigue, magic, and the world's religion. Things are concluded as best they can be, but I will be reading book two since the ending was left fairly open.

This was an enjoyable read. The prose flowed, descriptions were beautiful, and the storyline is easy to follow. I particularly loved Lore’s character; unlike most fantasy heroines, she wasn’t unbelievably naive or helpless and actually knew what she was doing half the time.

While the Mortem aspect of the magic system is interesting, the magic system as a whole fell incredibly flat for me. It was like a greek myth/Catholicism parody which seems like ‘lazy’ writing because there was no creativity. Gabriel’s character had little to no development, and it would’ve been nice to dig a bit deeper into Bastian.

Overall I would recommend it to fantasy readers and I would read the sequel if the opportunity comes.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. It was confusing and I had zero connections to the characters.
I read half and could not complete my reading. I was hopeful but found it disorganized.

I thank the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I fell in love with this story. I came into it blind not knowing what it was about or any of the characters. Ms. Whitten’s first two books I rushed through. Not with this one. I found myself taking my time savoring the story getting to know the characters.
The characters were so well done. I was on TBR fence with Bastian. There were times I wanted to shake sense into both Lore and Gabe and that is what made them so compelling to me.
While I didn’t like the way the book ended I cannot wait for its sequel to see what happens.

I was so excited to read this book because of how much I loved the Wilderwood Duology, and The Foxglove King did NOT disappoint. In fact, I think I loved this book even more. The plot and world are really interesting and unique, and I loved the three main characters so much. I couldn't put it down, and I will be anxiously awaiting book two. I can't wait to see where Whitten takes it!

*Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With no disrespect to the author or her work, I think this is a case of wrong book for the wrong reader. I did not connect with the writing style. I found myself having to reread lines to understand what the author was trying to relay.
The world-building was all over the place and hard to follow. In some areas the author would go into too much detail about objects, making me lose connections to the characters.
The setting takes place in a fantasy religious-based world where only certain members of this church are allowed to have magic and all others are killed. Lore is a spy for a drug lord and somehow is able to hide her abilities. Until her boss sets her up to get busted. The king of this world/church needs her to whoo his son because he suspects him of spying. Which I found to be odd. Why would a king want a convicted drug runner to pretend to be a part of his court to spy on his son? Her choice is to either work for him or go to prison. The twist, she has to pretend to be noble. Yet she says things like "stuck to his ass" and no one has a problem with it. I finally stopped at the 30% mark as I felt like it just wasn't a story I would have enjoyed.