Reading this book felt very nostalgic (the irony--if you read it, you'll get this joke), like when I was first getting really into fantasy books as a teenager and would make the love triangles, kingdom politics, and characters' powers my entire personality. Good thing I outgrew that, right? Right...

I've never read any of Hannah Whitten's books before, and this one took me a couple of chapters to get into (the world-building was a little chonky in parts) but once I was into it I was INTO IT. It has death magic, life magic, light and dark metaphors abound, political intrigue and scheming, allusions to past lives, gods/goddesses, religious trauma and manipulation, flawed characters that should kiss (like all of them), sarcastic banter, a disaster bi prince, and a foul-mouthed monk.

Y
E
S

The story centers around Lore, a 23-year-old with (secret, obviously) death powers, who escaped a cult as a child and is now a poison runner and spy. In this universe, poison is used as both a recreational drug and to bring people closer to death (and ergo death magic). But of course, it's illegal, and of course, Lore gets captured on a run by the royal court of the Sainted King and his weird (and weirdly hot?) warrior monks.

Entire villages have been dropping dead for no apparent reason, pushing the kingdom closer to war with neighboring realms, and the king and his creepy #1 priest blackmail Lore into using her death magic and ~wiles~ to figure out how and why. She's tasked with getting close to the Sun Prince, Bastian--the aforementioned disaster bi boy--who may or may not be involved with the murdery plots.

Bastian definitely IS involved with lots of parties and pretty much every person at court in a wink/nudge way. So Lore has no choice but to participate in (as another reviewer phrased it) "Versailles (derogatory)" with her court-appointed-weirdly-hot-warrior-monk-guard, Gabriel, at her side. Why yes, I am obsessed with Gabe, thanks for asking.

I don't want to say too much, because I went into this knowing nothing but the blurb and was totally absorbed. But I will say that I highlighted 34 lines from this book and forced my friends to read some against their will while sporting total crazy eyes, so do with that what you will.

I will just be over here breathing into a paper bag as I wait for the next book in this series to come out, because that ending. THAT ENDING. Send help.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review of #TheFoxgloveKing

this book reads like ya, i had really high expectations which is unfortunate because i didn’t like the previous book by this author. i find her books very boring and dull.

It took me a while to get into this book and in the end I did enjoy it. However I don't necessarily think this is the most interesting/best written fantasy book I've ever read and wished it had a bit more of drama and intrigue in it.

okay, this was so good and it’s one of those books that feels hard to explain why. just, when it hits it hits, you know? this felt unique in a genre where everything tends to blend together or follow the same formula. at the same time, it felt like a combination of Serpent & Dove and Throne of Glass, and what could be wrong about that?! Bastian is SUCH a Dorian and I adore him. I like that at this point we don’t have a real sense of who Lore will end up with romantically, it’s more fun when it’s unpredictable and feels very SJM. most of the way through this I was thinking it would be 5⭐️ but the last 15% or so did get a little formulaic/fell into one of my least favorite overdone tropes. still, this was great, and I’ll look forward to the next one. definitely recommend! thanks to @netgalley for this gifted digital copy ✨

4 stars

Thank you, Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

I really like Hannah Whitten's books! I knew immediately that I had to read this after finishing For the Wolf.

I liked the world and the story line. After the ending, I am in desperate need of the sequel!

I'd recommend if you like Fantasy.

Hannah Whitten blew me away in her Wilderwood duology, and I was highly anticipating The Foxglove King when it was announced. I'm thrilled to say that this book was just as lush and atmospheric as the Wilderwood series, while still being it's own separate thing. The worldbuilding really drew me in, similar yet different from the raw magic of the Wilderwood. Politics, magic, and religion intertwine to make a really engaging fantasy setting, with top-notch banter from the characters. I really enjoyed Lore, Bastian, and Gabriel and their ever-shifting relationships, strained as they may be. I eagerly anticipate The Hemlock Queen and how these characters get themselves out of the mess they've created.

This was a really neat idea for a book! Something like the power of death isn’t done often and I really liked how the author hashed that out!

I was sure that I’d love this one - beautiful cover, fantasy with an interesting magical system
For some reason it didn’t click for me though, and I struggled to get through all the world building
Admittedly I am a mood reader, so maybe this is an issue of right book wrong time. I’ll likely try it again some time in the future because I feel like this should have been a fav

I found this book on Netgalley and instantly fell in love with the cover! I mean, gorgeous! The description sold it--a romantic fantasy surrounding a female necromancer, a rebellious prince, and a pious knight. Yes, please! I immediately requested a copy. I'm about 80% of the way through and so far loving it! All the build-up is about to hit, and I can't wait. The characters are all 24ish, and I believe it's an adult fantasy, but so far it feels very YA too, so I think both audiences will enjoy! So far, no spice, though maybe there will be in later books. Fingers crossed, ha!

UPDATE: I finished it and the ending definitely delivered. Twists twists twists. Definitely recommend!

This is one I honestly kind of forgot about reading. Thinking back about it I can remember the plot but what overshadows it is the love triangle. This one was particularly heavy and often drew me out of the book. Despite that fact the ending left me on such a cliffhanger that I will probably end up reading the next book just to see what happens next.

I don't think Hannah Whitten could ever disappoint. So, I know I'd love THE FOXGLOVE KING, but I didn't realize how differently I would love it. FOR THE WOLF, will forever have a place in my heart, but FOXGLOVE has stamped itself in me. From Hannah's atmospheric dark voice, to her absolutely incredible very-alive characters, it is impossible to choose what I love best, because it all just works together in some kind of bookish symbiosis. If ever a book felt like a movie in my head, it was this one. And I'll read it again and again. I can't wait to read book two. If I could, I'd rate this 6 stars!

Firstly I’d like to thank Net Gallery and the Publisher for my e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lore is a poison runner, it helps to provide for her and keep her feeling relatively safe. However Lore is far more than she appears, and when one of her jobs goes sideways, her whole world turns upside down as she is forced to solve a mystery for the king and high priest.

I really enjoy this one! I’m sad to say it took me far longer than it should have for me to read this book. It took several attempts to get into the story but once I did I was hooked! I enjoyed really enjoyed the relationships, the mystery, the romance, but although it was interesting I’m not sure I truly liked the magic system. It made sense and was interesting but it was a bit darker than I am used to. I think I might have enjoyed this better closer to Halloween. I feel like Hannah Whitten’s writing has grown quite a bit since her previous works and I definitely plan to continue with this series!

Such a relaxing read, a get lost in the book kinda vibe, escape the real world and dive completely into a different one. The kind of book you’ll need to by a copy of to add to the trophy collection I mean bookshelf

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a stunning start to a new series, with deep lore and gorgeous prose.

THE FOXGLOVE KINGb by Hannah Whitten was the moody, dark, and slow burn romance that I was craving.

I was completely captivated by the world Hannah. Related. Necromancy, court intrigue, and forbidden romance. Her writing is so atmospheric and beautiful that it really was hard to put the book down.

The magic and religious aspects were definitely intriguing. The story, seen through the eyes on the three main characters, makes you question everything.

Lore is a great MC and I felt torn so many times by what she was going through. Her connections to Gabriel and Bastian are slow building and I’m sure many of you have your favorites !

What an exciting start to a new series and I cannot wait for The Hemlock Ueen.

While I liked Whitten's other series, this was not for me. The writing and story were fine, I just did not find it as enjoyable as her other books.

This is my first book that I read of Hannah Whitten.

She has created a very fresh, dark fantasy world, with interesting death magic.
I loved the tension she created between Lore, Bastian, and Gabriel. Lore was a relatable character for me, and I think we can will see a big change from her in the next book. After meeting Hannah in person for a book signing- I heard sneak peak of what we can expect in Book two. So I am super excited!!

This reminded me of Bridgerton but with dead gods, and death magic.

I'm obsessed with Hannah's writing ever since I read "For the Wolf". I expected something similar but was pleasantly surprised but something completely different. Where For the Wolf always felt like a familiar fairy tale, this was completely new, and I absolutely loved it. Her writing style is so immersive and the characters have so much depth. Often, I find that many writers push their characters through things to get development, without really letting the reader feel what the character is feeling. That's not the case here, as you feel absolutely everything. Seriously am instabuy author now.

This book was so fun! I love a good dark fantasy and this book has the best worldbuilding. For my full review check out my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64OKmKV02Iw

Things I loved about this book:
- The worldbuilding, I want to visit Dellaire
- The magic system based around death and the religion that controls it
- The main character with a criminal past
- Court politics
- The brooding bad boy love interests

Things I didn't love:
- This book was missing the steaminess I was expecting since it was marketed as adult fantasy romance
- The main character kept gaslighting herself!
- The mystery plot elements resolved in a very unsatisfying way

I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I definitely recommend this if you want a fun fast paced new adult fantasy.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Fascinating premise, challenging execution.

I want to like this book so bad. The plot promises intrigue, unique worldbuilding, characters- but no matter how hard I try, and boy have I tried, this one continues to pull me from the story. On my first attempt I found myself needing to read and reread passages in order to understand who is who, what is where, and more importantly- what information is relevant to the story. Most of the characters we meet in the first third end up disappearing or becoming oddly irrelevant, or so it feels.

The second attempt was more an attempt to understand the world through the lens of an unreliable narrator, which is probably my favorite way to go about it. Character growth, moral ambiguity- sound great, right? Except Lore's understanding of her own world is so convoluted that it took her interactions with others to really begin questioning what was real. And who was right. If you quizzed me about basics like politics, magic, and law- I would be hard-pressed to tell you any details with certainty.

On my third and final attempt before putting her back on the DNF pile, I couldn't get past how little I liked Lore as a character. Often times, like ACOTAR, if I don't relate to the protagonist I can at least hold out for a secondary storyline, or for the MC to grow to the point of understanding. But Lore continued to frustrate me with her contradictory nature- knowing what was likely to get her killed after 'years on the streets' and flagrantly charging ahead while barely considering the stakes anyway. But what really cinched it for me was the feeling that she wasn't taking an active role in her own story. Things were 'happening to' her her whole life, nothing really came back to decisions or consequences beyond trying to be unlikable. Pushing others away, putting on masks, plodding along without clear motivation.

That said, now that the sequel is available for pre-order, it sounds like the changes between book one and two are all for the better. Since Foxglove King is such a different approach to the genre I will try ONE last time to push through and see if that is true. Afterall, it wouldn't be the first series to improve after the first installment. However, for now, I'm going to let it sit and come back when I can be more objective.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]