Ok I have so many thoughts!! I’m so sad that this trilogy has come to an end…I loved it. Nobody weaves an intricate, intimate, and lush world like Hannah Whitten.

The plot: Lore has lost everything - her king/lover, her city, and her freedom. Her friends have fled across the world while she is exiled and imprisoned on the Burnt Isles. To fight back against the gods that threaten humankind, Lore and her friends must find the shards of the Fount, the source of all magic, and reunite them on the Burnt Isles. In this quest to vanquish evil, Lore finds her power (and its seductive pull) growing stronger and stronger… can she give up her magic for the greater good?

My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book but struggled with some plot elements. This book was much more interior focused (within the minds of individuals) and light on relationships. The story suffered a bit in my opinion in having the characters all dispersed - we lost the magic that happens in group scenes. For example, the book didn’t have a singular scene with Lore, Bastian, and Gabe together… and those scenes lent a spark to the first two books that was lacking here. Several characters conquered inner turmoil, from Gabe finally accepting love (and who he is,) to Alie embracing her power and Lore fighting against pretty much every personal demon there could be. I liked that the ending was bittersweet, with Lore making the ultimate sacrifice to create a new world… but it made me sad that Gabe and Bastian essentially partied in paradise for the 500 years she suffered! An “after” novella with Lore, Bastian, and Gabe living their lives together would cure the unease I’m feeling. We never truly got to see them live their relationship and it feels like a stronger culmination to the series and the tensions that built across the three books,

Overall, the book was still very strong and Hannah Whitten remains an auto-buy for me. She is one of the very best in fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I couldn't put this book down. Everything just moves along so quickly and the different character viewpoints is great for seeing all sides of what is happening in this final book. Love that Alie gets more page time. This book concludes the trilogy nicely and the ending that I was hoping for happened. Great job by the author on this book. 4.5 stars

I would say this book is a 3.75 for me. I REALLY hated the ending of the book, the choices Lore made did not align with her character the entire rest of the book and I am sorry, but she could not have made that big of a character change in one book. I really loved the first two books and felt that for once we got a selfish FMC who would NOT sacrifice herself for everyone else. This was what drew me into the books but then in the end when she becomes like every other FMC it ruined it. Besides Lore's ending behavior this book was fairly good. I think overall this could have been a four-book series as there was A LOT going on in this ending book and most of it felt rushed. I really loved seeing everyone as Gods and the magic system with that. Seeing them in that environment a little while longer would have been cool to see. Everyone else's character seemed to stay the same and grow within the character's bounds. I was sobbing at the end of this book, and I was so mad by it, I felt that this could have ended so differently, and Hannah did not have to do that to me. Involving the other kingdoms in this final book was an interesting choice and I enjoyed seeing how the other kingdoms worked in their democracy or monarchy. The potential love choice for Allie being Jax was enjoyable to watch and the ending to that story I thoroughly enjoyed. Allie's growth as a character was my favorite part, she really gained the strength and confidence in herself through her powers. I was a big Allie fan at the end of the series and knew if it were not for her, the rest of them would not have succeeded in the mission to put the Fount back together. It was an ending to the series but not the ending I was looking for. I am still not 100% on how I feel about it all.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so delicious and wonderful and everything I ever wanted out of the finale (and more!)
I have NEVER been a why choose girlie until this series. Also, I loved the relationship Between Gabe and BASTIAN in this one, the epilogue Had me in absolute tears !! Cannot recommend this one enough thank you Netgalley!

Full disclosure, I think I lost momentum with this series, so I felt completely lost going in. Ended up DNFing a few chapters in. May come back to it at some point if/when I’ve had time to refresh myself on the series,

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

To be honest I’m not sure how to review a series finale (especially when the books are actually connected) without spoiling everything…

If you’re like me and have a bad memory I’d recommend looking up a recap of the previous book. There’s very limited info provided to remind the audience who the characters are and what’s going on but after the first few chapters it started coming back to me.

It took me a while to read this because I was on a very busy vacation but I blew through the second half of this book once I finally got a chance to sit and read.

I’m thrilled that we finally got the throuple, the decades of love triangles had me questioning myself throughout this series but I’m really glad the author decided to go a different path and give us (me) what I really wanted.

Alie was a total badass and I love the push and pull between her and Jax. When he started talking about world domination it really felt like a bucket of cold water poured over me and I really respect Allie for making a snap decision in that moment instead of dragging it out.

I love this trilogy and I’m really satisfied with the ending. I was leaning 4 or 4.5 stars for most of this book but that epilogue was so good I cried. Great ending to the series and I’m looking forward to whatever the author puts out next 5 stars

The Nightshade God is the exciting, emotional, romantic, action-packed conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies. I absolutely loved this series, and The Nightshade God definitely provides the epic ending that I so desired! The book picks up right where book two left off. Lore is headed to the Burnt Isles, Apollius has completely taken over Bastian, and Gabe and friends are on the run. Hannah Whitten expertly balances romance, action, theology, and politics in her books. Her world-building is masterful, and the characters and their various relationships are so well thought-out. In particular, I absolutely loved the development and complexity of the relationship between Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. I really can't say enough about these books. Easy 5 stars!

Foxglove King was one of my favorite reads of the year, and although Hemlock Queen lost some of the magic for me as the plot expanded to include a bigger focus on the gods, I still enjoyed the story and was looking forward to the conclusion. Whitten’s writing continues to be beautiful in its descriptions and is one of the main reasons I continued through the story. Unfortunately, this story seemed to pull even further away from the main trio, with most of the focus being on the gods that possess them instead of their own relationships and individual development. This was exacerbated by the addition of other POVs, and I did feel like the first two thirds of the book dragged before the somewhat rushed conclusion. Overall I was satisfied with the conclusion, but I was sad that we didn’t see as much of Lore, Bastian, and Gabe and I struggled with the pacing. If you loved the first two, I definitely think it’s worth it to read this conclusion, especially if you enjoyed the previous book‘s expansion of the world to focus more on the gods and religious themes.

[3/5/5] THE NIGHTSHADE CROWN is the final installment of Hannah Whitten's The Nightshade Crown trilogy. After trying to save King Bastian from Apollius, Lore finds herself banished to the Burnt Isles. There she keeps her head low to survive the harsh conditions while figuring out how to leave such a desolate place. Alie remains at court, trapped in a political engagement. And Gabe and Malcolm are now in another kingdom running from the authorities. Somehow these friends must come together to reunite the broken Fount and save the world.

While I enjoyed THE FOXGLOVE KING and THE HEMLOCK QUEEN, unfortunately I didn't find this finale as engaging. I found myself oscillating between enjoying certain points of view and tiring of them as each character moved onward in the plot. I thought Alie's POV the most consistently engaging since she has front row seats to Apollius's takeover of Bastian. She definitely has to figuratively tiptope around since Apollius can decide whenever he wants to force the goddess from her. This also allows the reader to see how the court capitulates to Apollius even though they realize He is not as good as they believed. (Though, what can one do against a god who can literally kill you?)

Lore's POV starts off interesting. The reader gets to see what the Burnt Isles are like and how she keeps herself out of trouble. But as the story progressed it felt a little too quest-y, which is ridiculous of me to say since the characters are on a quest to reunite the Fount. But, alas. Lastly, I found Gabe's POV relatively uninteresting. It provides the reader with a look into another kingdom. But it felt like a lot of the time Gabe wallowed in self-pity and easily became hot around the collar. This is all completely understandable since he has few choices. Regardless, the middle felt relatively slow, probably owing to needing to find the Fount pieces. The characters really shine when they can interact with each other. Obviously, they cannot do when each of them is in a different location.

Even though I wasn't as engaged with this book, it remains well written. Despite my feelings about the slower pace, I liked the bittersweet ending. No spoilers, of course, but I thought the ending fitting. It really highlights the main theme of the trilogy, which is the perversion of religion to justify selfish motivations. Many people genuinely believed in the gods, only to have their faith shaken when Apollius acts antithesis to what they expected. And, after the dust settles, how does one put back together a shattered belief system?

Overall, THE NIGHTSHADE GOD is a satisfactory ending to the trilogy. While I found it slower than the previous two books, that doesn't mean everyone else will as well.

With The Nightshade God, Hannah Whitten brings her sweeping trilogy to a stunning and emotional conclusion, one that is as tender and raw as it is mythic and grand. This final installment cements the series as a standout in the fantasy genre, delivering everything fans have come to expect: intricate worldbuilding, hauntingly lyrical prose, layered characters, and big, thorny questions about love, godhood, and the power (and peril) of belief.

Whitten’s world remains one of the most unique and atmospheric in modern fantasy. It is shadow-drenched, lush, and alive with a sense of divinity. The inclusion of diverse identities and experiences gives the cast real breadth and depth, and characters often speak not only to each other but to something universal in us: our ache to be seen, our fear of being unworthy, our fragile hope that we might be more than the sum of our pain.

Themes of godhood, faith, and the capacity for religion to either corrupt or redeem are explored with nuance and care. Whitten never gives easy answers. Instead, she offers a meditation on what it means to be worshipped, what it means to believe, and how belief can shape or shatter a broken world. There’s plenty to unpack here, and the book practically begs for discussion, particularly in the way it blends mythic stakes with intimate emotional truths.

The use of multiple points of view is handled skillfully, giving each character their space to breathe and arc. That said, the middle third does slow somewhat under the weight of all that longing and introspection. There's a great deal of yearning, romantic, spiritual, and existential, and while it enriches the emotional landscape, it may test the patience of those eager for plot momentum. But once the final act begins, the pace surges forward like a tidal wave. The last 30% is utterly gripping: action-packed, emotionally devastating, and impossible to put down.

And yes, you will cry. Whether it's during a quiet moment of grace, a crushing revelation, or the gut-punch epilogue (which will haunt you in the best way), The Nightshade God leaves a mark. The conclusion is epic and bittersweet, a perfect, aching farewell that feels both inevitable and earned.

This is a finale that doesn't just end a story; it also marks the beginning of a new one. It elevates everything that came before. When you turn the final page, you’ll feel an irresistible urge to go back to the beginning, to see how every thread was spun, how every choice led to this heartbreakingly beautiful end, an unforgettable close to a truly remarkable series.

I honestly think Hannah Whitten will forever be one of my new favorite authors.

What. An. Ending. To. This. Whole. Thing. Seriously, Hannah saved the best for last with this one. It was truly incredible.

This book was so gripping, intricate, emotional. It was nearly impossible to put down, not that you’d even want to from the instant you pick it up.

I felt like there was such a great balance in this book… light happy things and feelings… then dark sad things and feelings. The last several chapters were INTENSE. The complexity to literally every single character on this page… the amazing world building… it all ended in a way that had me staring at my screen then at the wall for twenty minutes just trying to gather myself, and put my feelings into words.

I cannot wait to read more by this author. Hopefully soon!

4.5 /6
I am so so glad I got this book as an arc!
(Full disclosure, I did preorder this book as well, but getting this arc pushed me to read the Hemlock Queen instead of continuing to put it off). It picks up just a few days after Hemlock Queen ends and our characters have a lot of work to do to right things. Because this is the final book in a trilogy, I don’t want to give too much away, but there were points where I had no idea how a happy ending was going to happen!
Though to be honest, it wasn’t the ending I wanted, but it was a good enough ending to the story that I rated it a 4.5 lol. I’m writing this review like 2 days after I finished the book and while I really enjoyed my time, I don’t know if I’ll be rereading any time soon.

(Sadly, my ship both did and didn’t sail lol. Also, I didn’t really care for Gabe as a love interest, I preferred Bastian).
The series of epilogues were nice, I liked getting to see glimpses of the futures of the characters, but they also kinda fell a little flat, only telling the truth every 100 years, for a total of 5 times? Doesn’t seem like enough. Plus we didn’t actually see how the world recovered, we were just told that it was as we waited with Lore. Congrats to her though! She solved the puzzle and won.

I guess I was just hoping for more political intrigue from the series, and I think there was more in the first book, but not too much in the second and third as the priorities shifted.

I’m not cancelling my preorder! Looking forward to getting that in the mail in a few weeks so it can sit on my shelf like the trophy it is!!

The long awaited conclusion to the Nightshade Crown series is one that will leave you stunned and absolutely loving the ending. I stumbled upon the Foxglove King through a friend and have followed the series since that time. After two books of painful buildup (in a good way) and increasing tension we finally come to an end that leaves you breathless.

Each book in this series got better and better. I really connected to the characters in this book and was happy with the storyline, even if the ending was more tragic than I typically like. I wish we could have got more time with Lore, Gabe, and Bastian. The heavy basis on religion was such an interesting parallel. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will add the paperback to my collection when it comes out!

Wow, what an ending!!!

Live your life, little goddess. Make it full and beautiful and kind, Lore. We will keep this world, and watch it become better.

My heart has been ripped out, shredded, and put back together just like the Fount.

I binged this entire series in less than a week. I cried (sobbed really), got angry, laughed, smiled, and was asked 100 times by my mom if I was okay as she looked between me and my books/kindle.

Plot - 10/10 ⭐️
Spice - 3/10 ⭐️
Emotional - 100000/10 ⭐️
World building - 10/10 ⭐️

——————

Even the Gods need rest.

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten is a lush, lyrical dive into a world where gods walk among mortals and nothing is as it seems. Whitten’s prose is hauntingly beautiful, weaving together romance, myth, and darkness with effortless skill. The main characters are compelling and complex—each carrying secrets and scars that slowly unravel as the story builds toward its breathtaking climax. The atmosphere is rich and gothic, the tension deliciously slow-burn, and the emotional payoff absolutely worth it. If you love fantasy with teeth, a touch of the divine, and a romance that feels earned, The Nightshade God is a must-read.

I absolutely loved the end of this trilogy! When I first began the series, I didn't anticipate there being Gods and possession of the main characters. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the direction it was going. This final installment brought both storylines (Lore, Gabe, and Bastian's as well as the the god's) together so well. The end was heartbreaking but I will always applaud an author who pursues an umcomfortable finale, as opposed to the lovely, eays one. The series also showcased the improvement in Whitten's craft. Her writing has only gotten better with time and the Nightshade God is evidence of that!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautifully brutal, bittersweet goodbye to one of my favorite fantasy trilogies.

Huge thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten, the final installment in the trilogy. I’ve been clinging to this series for the characters, the gothic atmosphere, the divine magic, and the heartbreak—and this conclusion did not disappoint.

First off, wow. This book hurts in the best way. Whitten doesn't shy away from the consequences of everything that’s come before—this is a story about gods and power, yes, but also about grief, sacrifice, and survival. The stakes are higher than ever, and Lore’s arc is so gutting and gorgeous. I loved her in The Foxglove King, admired her resilience in The Hemlock Queen, and here? She’s transcendent. Complicated, sharp, deeply human even as she brushes up against godhood. Watching her reckon with her identity, her power, and what it means to choose hope over annihilation was everything I wanted from this finale.

And let’s talk about the relationships. Lore and Bastian’s dynamic is so layered—tender, haunted, heartbreaking—and Gabe absolutely wrecked me in this book. His chapters added a whole new emotional depth I didn’t know I needed. The way all three of them circle each other, shaped by fate and faith and failure, was written so achingly well. There’s no cheap drama here—just raw, real emotion and earned catharsis.

Whitten’s writing remains stunning. There’s something ethereal and dangerous about the world of Dellaire that she captures so vividly. The divine magic system, the court politics, the rot beneath the surface—it all wraps you in this haunting, intoxicating atmosphere that lingers long after the last page.

I won’t spoil anything, but I will say this: The Nightshade God gave me the kind of ending that breaks your heart and mends it in the same breath. It's not about everything being tied up neatly, but about letting things end with meaning. With weight.

If you’ve been following this trilogy, this finale is absolutely worth the emotional devastation. And if you haven’t started yet? Run, don’t walk.

For fans of: morally gray heroines, god-tier angst, lush gothic worlds, and endings that leave you both ruined and healed.

AMAZING!!!!!! What a way to end this trilogy!! I loved this. After Hemlock Queen, this was precisely what I needed. This felt like nonstop action to me, but also ended up being so romantic. That epilogue had me in tears😭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced digital copy to read and review!

Gothic fantasy is my favorite kind. I love Hannah whitten. This was an epic conclusion to this trilogy and I am still thinking about it. Definitely one of my all-time favorite series and I’ll be rereading in the future!