Hannah Whitten has quickly become one of my favorite authors, as she never fails to sweep me away with her lush imagery, and deeply atmospheric tales. And this follow up to the Foxglove King was no exception. I was absolutely enthralled, and did not want it to end.

As always, the writing was an immaculate blend of fantasy and fairytale, and I felt positively immersed in the world that she built. The dialogue was genuine and engaging, filled with humor, banter, and one quotable line after another. And as with the first book, the characters are relatable and likable. The FMC, Lore, has her flaws and imperfections, and a darkness inside her that I can’t help but to adore. My love for Gabe continues to run deep and true, and Bastian has completely won me over.

As for the romance… the tension and angst are absolutely delicious. I love the dynamics that Lore has with both Gabe & Bastian, and I can’t wait to see what comes of these relationships in the next book.

The world building gets a little more in depth in this installment, which furthered my connection to the overall story. I just love the unique magic system, and all of the fantastical elements that feel so fresh and exciting. I wait with bated breath for the conclusion to this beautiful story- the third book cannot get here soon enough!!

A HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC of one my top anticipated reads of 2024 in exchange for an honest review.

*incoherent screaming and crying*

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten is a fantasy novel that is the sequel to The Foxglove King. The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right-hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the royal court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kirythean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian has changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s become reckless, domineering, and cold. And something has been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything. With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.

Me throughout this entire book: screaming, crying, more screaming, END. I have nothing else to say.

The Hemlock Queen is Hannah Whitten’s follow up to last year’s The Foxglove King. I was a big fan of her Wilderwood duology but I had mixed feelings about the Foxglove King. There were things I liked about it, but I found myself struggling to be immersed in the world fully. Even so I was invested enough to pick up this next volume in the trilogy, and I am so glad I did. I was much more invested in Lore and how much the deck is stacked against her here. I am not big on love triangles, and part of what made the first volume difficult for me was not really finding either Gabe or Bastion right for her. Now that Bastion and Lore are officially betrothed though, there is a whole new level of angst introduced in their relationship as they both are slowly losing themselves to the presence of God's in their minds slowly wanting to take control. What an impossible situation! I love the way Whitten represents the religious fanaticism in this world where magic and Gods are still quite real. I found my heart breaking for each of the three main characters throughout the story and I am eager to read the concluding volume.

I do plan now to go back and read Foxglove King to see what I missed previously. It is quite possible other things going on in my life then shaped my judgment of it and I will enjoy it more now on a second read (especially since I realized I didn't remember much jumping into Hemlock Queen). I mainly remember just being frustrated with Gabe. I mean the man needed to step up!

Overall, this series is well worth your time if you like romantasy with angsty characters and worlds that seem like everything is stacked against a FMC's happiness, and yet she dares to keep on surviving.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Orbit books for allowing me to read the Hemlock Queen as an arc! I will say I went into this not thinking the Foxglove King would be necessary to read (I have regrets) but it did not impact my reading experience at all! I loved Lore and strongly she fought for what was right and for those she loved. The writing drew me in the entire time and I was honestly living for the gothic, romantasy vibes I was getting throughout the book. I cannot wait to see if there is a third book (no spoilers to give here) and will 100% be going back to read the first book to get a better background of some of the characters!

This book was so good! It was a great sequel. The struggle that the characters face, with their powers, was gripping. The politics are gripping, and I loved every moment of this book.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Orbit Publishers for sending me this arc in return for an honest review.

First I would like to address that the plot and schemes we see in this book is just as fantastic as the first, and even more troubling with what our characters face. I love the magic, the plot, the history of the buried Goddess, and how everything keeps revealing through each book. For that it is exciting to see how the last book will unfold.

If it wasn't for the love triangle I would rate this book higher, but honestly I am not one for love triangles and it just frustrates me and can't keep me focused on the story of the book. For that reason I have rated it a bit lower, as well at times the pacing in this book was a bit slow.

Don’t get me wrong, The Hemlock Queen is still an entertaining read, and, as a writer, Whitten remains gifted at balancing romance and fantasy in her works in ways that feel both natural and necessary. (Her books are, for me, one of the best examples of what a true romantasy should be, and her writing deliberately refuses to privilege one half of the genre over the other.) Her characters are morally complex and emotionally complicated, even when they don’t necessarily get the focus some of us might like. Whitten’s prose remains lush and beautiful—her descriptions of everything from clothing to artwork are stunning—and she takes the chance to delve deep into this series’ magical system and religious lore and runs with it.

The story picks up almost immediately after the events of The Foxglove King. Lore, Bastian, and Gabe have all survived the ritual meant to usher in the new age of the god Apollius and power has shifted in the kingdom of Auverraine. Bastian has now taken the throne as the new Sainted King, with deathwitch Lore at his side. With Anton imprisoned, Gabe has become the new Priest Exalted, the leader of the squadron of warrior priests known as the Presque Mort. Half of the court has been arrested for treason and the folks that remain don’t particularly trust Lore due to her command of the magical death force known as Mortem. Determined to protect her, Bastian does his best to keep her close, but he’s also been behaving erratically and his ability to control Spiritum, Mortem’s mirror and opposite, has grown in powerful and occasionally frightening new ways. Meanwhile, the unexplained voice in Lore’s head is growing louder and a dangerous enemy grows closer to the kingdom’s borders.
The story picks up almost immediately after the events of The Foxglove King. Lore, Bastian, and Gabe have all survived the ritual meant to usher in the new age of the god Apollius and power has shifted in the kingdom of Auverraine. Bastian has now taken the throne as the new Sainted King, with deathwitch Lore at his side. With Anton imprisoned, Gabe has become the new Priest Exalted, the leader of the squadron of warrior priests known as the Presque Mort. Half of the court has been arrested for treason and the folks that remain don’t particularly trust Lore due to her command of the magical death force known as Mortem. Determined to protect her, Bastian does his best to keep her close, but he’s also been behaving erratically and his ability to control Spiritum, Mortem’s mirror and opposite, has grown in powerful and occasionally frightening new ways. Meanwhile, the unexplained voice in Lore’s head is growing louder and a dangerous enemy grows closer to the kingdom’s borders.

But, thankfully, the final third of the book makes up for a multitude of sins, kicking off a breakneck race to the finish that’s full of unexpected twists, genuine danger, and surprising consequences that will leave you desperate to see how the next book in the series could possibly manage to wrap things up. The direct inclusion of previously supporting characters like Allie and Malcolm in the series’ larger plot is also a welcome change, and the interweaving of the gods’ stories with Lore, Bastian, and Gabe’s is compelling on multiple levels. And, of course, there’s that ending, which will leave everyone wanting more.

It’s not everyday that a sequel is just as good as the first book in the series and The Hemlock Queen definitely took me by surprise. I picked it up with the thought that I’d just read a couple chapters… and two hours later I had finished a quarter of the book already. I actually didn’t want to put it down and I feel like that feeling is getting rarer lately.

The Hemlock Queen picks up very soon after the unbelievably dramatic events of The Foxglove King and honestly, I loved everything about it. Bastian is now the Sainted King of Auverraine and he has openly declared that Lore, the deathwitch, is by his side. His friends Alie, Malcolm, and Gabe are now also installed in positions of power within the court, most notably Gabe who is now the High Priest. The kingdom is unstable and Bastian and Lore are uniting their magic at every opportunity to show their power to their own people, but to also show that they are powerful to the outside forces closing in on Auverraine. Unfortunately, this has the unintended side effect of making Apollius and Nyxara, the two gods they represent, more powerful influences over them and for Bastian especially this is a very bad thing.

Lore has risen from poison runner to the King’s right hand seemingly overnight, which has put an enormous amount of strain on her mental health. She spends the first part of the book feeling quite certain she’s going mad because she can’t accept that Nyxara the goddess of death and the night is whispering in her mind. I do feel like she had more agency and drive in the first book and this time around, it’s more things happening to her rather than her causing things to happen. Bastian is a complicated character, particularly since he has a guest in his head that continues to try to take more control anytime the sun is shining. It’s made really obvious when Apollius is in control of him and his actions are uncharacteristic (which makes sense) to the point that he’s a danger to be around. Alie, Gabe, and Malcolm have distanced themselves from Bastian and Lore both because they see what’s happening and everything gets very secretive and everyone is so untrustworthy. I totally loved the inter-character dramaaaaa! And though I got to the point that I hated love triangles, the thing going on between Lore, Bastian, and Gabe creates the most delicious tension between the trio and I am HERE FOR IT.

I personally thought this installment was great, but I know it’s not going to work for everybody. I’ve seen a couple reviews where people go on about this having middle book syndrome and they didn’t like the way Lore has changed, so keep that feedback in mind as well if you’re thinking about picking this up. I’m really glad that all of these things worked for me at the time I was reading this and I can’t wait to check out the third book!

I love the world-building of this series. The religion and magic system is a nice change from what I've been reading lately. I love Bastion so much and he deserves the world, but I'm still rooting for Gabe, not sure why but there is something there. Getting more into the vessel situation is getting super interesting and I really need book three like tomorrow. This plot has me on the edge of my seat and screaming and I have no idea whats going to happen, I'm beyond excited so see what happens.

I had a similar physical ARC copy of Foxglove King that I absolutely cherish so when I was able to receive an e-ARC of Hemlock Queen…I screamed some. I was so ready to continue Hannah Whitten’s journey with characters she created so vividly. Hemlock Queen was everything I expected; fast-paced, action, dark and mysterious. I’m never a fan of love-triangles usually but this one worked when so I’ll make the exception for those three characters. Definitely excited to see what else Hannah has for us as she continues writing.

I love the way Hannah expanded upon the lore of this world. I also enjoyed the deeper character dynamics and relationships. Overall, I think it was a solid sequel and after that ending? I need the next book NOW.

I liked that this one had more world building as far as the gods and their power. I still love the love triangle but there were some parts of the story that was slow I wished would have picked up but other than that I enjoyed it. Looking forward to book 3

I am not against fun fantasy books (though fun doesn't quite fit the vibe here). The first book in this trilogy, The Foxglove King, is the exact type of mindless fantasy I enjoy: sassy female leads, lots of political intrigue, and pining.

The Hemlock Queen threw all that away and replaced it with Lore's internal monologue about how "she loves them both."

I detest love triangles, but in the first book, it wasn't that bad. Bastian, Lore, and Gabe were fleshed out well enough as individuals that the love triangle was on the back burner. But, oh boy, in this book? A paragraph couldn't go by without mentioning Lore's repetitive spiral of wanting to be with both of them.

A solid plot would have made up for the abysmal romance, but nothing happened til the last quarter. Lots of intriguing back story is finally dropped to explain how magic and gods came to be. It would have been more engaging if it was evenly spaced throughout the book. For the most part, Lore is just going for walks and ruminating.

It's a shame this book falls prey to second-book syndrome, but hopefully, the third one will be more action-packed like the first. If you liked the first book and love constant pining, this one will be a better fit for you than it was for me. Even so, I will be reading the third one. The ending was just good enough to hold my attention.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I liked The Foxglove King, but I loved The Hemlock Queen! We jump right back into the action. I feel like everything from the first book was amped up. There was more, more court intrigue, more magic, and more romance. Oh, and more of the gods. I feel like I got to know the characters better and I may or may not have changed my opinion on characters and tropes that I wasn’t loving before. I’m normally not big on a love triangle, but this one got me. I had my favorite picked out, but I’m not sure who Lore will end up with.
Hannah said the second book wanted to kill her, but it did not suffer from second book syndrome. I am so looking forward to the third book and I cannot wait to see what happens!

Thank you to Orbit for my review copy.

"The Hemlock Queen" by Hannah Whitten delivers another enthralling installment in her epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, romance, and dark magic. Whitten's lush prose and intricate world-building transport readers back to the glittering and dangerous world of the Sainted King's royal court, where power struggles and hidden secrets abound.

In this sequel, Whitten deftly explores the aftermath of Prince Bastian's rise to the throne and the challenges he faces as he tries to enact change in a kingdom plagued by corruption and unrest. Alongside him is Lore, a necromancer and former smuggler, who finds herself torn between her love for Bastian and the dark whispers that hint at hidden truths and untapped power within her.

One of the highlights of "The Hemlock Queen" is Whitten's skillful characterization, particularly in her portrayal of Lore and Bastian. Both characters undergo significant development, grappling with their own inner demons and external pressures as they navigate the complexities of ruling a kingdom on the brink of collapse. Their evolving relationship adds depth and emotion to the story, keeping readers invested in their journey.

Additionally, Whitten excels in building tension and suspense throughout the narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with twists and turns that lead to an explosive climax. The stakes are higher than ever as dark forces threaten to unravel everything Lore and Bastian have worked for, making for a thrilling and captivating read.

While some readers may find the pacing to be slow at times, particularly in the early chapters, the payoff is well worth the wait as the story builds to a gripping conclusion. Overall, "The Hemlock Queen" is a worthy successor to its predecessor, showcasing Whitten's talent for crafting immersive and compelling fantasy worlds. Fans of the series will be eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Unfortunately this one was just not for me. After trying to read the first novel, I had to DNF and I thought if I read the style of this one I could push through for the first novel and I just couldn't get into either stories.

We pick up where we left off from The Foxglove King. Lore is still alive, Bas is king, and decides to make Lore his future queen. Rebuilding trust with the people comes at a price with the relationship with the nobleman. Things soon spiral out of control when Lore is hearing a voice telling her and guiding her to answers of things that should not be possible. As forces threaten everything they have worked to build, Lore must seek help and answers in those she trust most.

I enjoyed this one far more than the first one. The relationship between characters really helped strengthen this novel. There was so much more world building and explaining of the history and myth of the realm. It was truly such a strength of a second novel and showcased a lot of what the author can bring to the novel writing craft.

The Hemlock Queen was a fantastic sequel to The Foxglove King. And I can’t wait to read the next book!

The Hemlock Queen picks up where the Foxglove King ended. This is fantasy, magic, gods/goddesses, love, thriller, and mystery all rolled into one book. If you enjoyed the Foxglove King, I highly recommend continuing Lore’s adventure.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the first book in this series, and was thrilled to receive this! The first book has to balance between world building and character development, which allows this sequel to focus on the characters and political intrigue. It was not as fast paced as the first book, but I can tell a lot is building up for the next book. Excited for this to continue!

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

The novel was overall an enjoyable read, but for about the first hundred pages, some may find it lacking excitement and direction. But after a slow beginning, something happens that causes a chain reaction where our main characters of Lore, Bastain, and Gabe will never be the same. It may be difficult for readers to continue with the book after the slow beginning, but those that do will find a wonderful dark romantic fantasy that will be difficult to put down until the final pages are read. And once completed, you will be eager and disappointed that you must wait before there is an opportunity to read the final novel of the trilogy.

As this is the second novel of a trilogy, it is recommended to have read the first novel before reading this novel. The novel begins three weeks after the events at the end of the first novel with Lore and Bastian getting accustomed to how to use their growing powers. The main magic system involves two threads: one of Mortem- a magic of death and darkness and Spiritum- a magic of life and light. Lore is a master of Mortem and is known by some as a deathwitch. Bastian, her companion, is now the Sainted King and a master of Spiritum, and the protector against Mortem.

While we continue the story of the love triangle with Gabe, Bastian and with Lore in the middle, it was a nice surprise of bringing in another supernatural complication to Lore finding happiness. It was clever how the author brought this love triangle to also a spiritual, supernatural plane of existence. This is where the novel becomes an enjoyable experience. Too bad It takes more than a quarter of the book to get there.

On the romance side, while some readers may be disappointed in the lack of physical intimacy, I found it quite enjoyable how the author built up for when the moment happened. It made the chapter so much more powerful and exciting.

While it takes time to get going, after the first quarter of the book, I was thoroughly entertained with the court intrigue, murders, and treachery within these pages. In any good novel, I love when the author surprises us with her decisions. Also, the supernatural influence on Bastian and a certain character that we are reunited in a greenhouse was horrific and engrossing. The author has a great touch with the macabre in this novel.

Some of the minor characters are not as well developed and at times seem to disappear within these pages to where you are not as enthralled in their plight. Sometimes it can be difficult when a novel is told from the perspective of one character to be able to fully develop those characters that are always in the shadow of the main character.

Now that I have finished the second book of the trilogy, as any good middle novel does for a series, I wait eagerly for the final novel to see where it will all end.