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This series has been such a ride. It follows Lore, a woman with a tangled past and the rare power to channel death. From the start, it's been dark and full of rich, layered worldbuilding. Whitten’s writing is truly so unique. Her description is vivid and emotional, and the way she captures atmosphere and feeling is unlike anything I’ve read before. The magic system is different from anything I've read, and the final installment delivers an ending that’s emotional, powerful, and more than I ever hoped for. 5 stars from me—and just a touch of spice. Highly recommend this series if you’re looking for something dark, beautiful, and unforgettable.

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6869055023

I posted my review on Goodreads and essentially everything that I said in the review is how I feel. I love everything about this story and I am so happy with how it resolved. While I would have also enjoyed a more “instant” or what I would consider a traditional HEA, I feel like the one that we got here is more in line with what I expected from Hannah Whitten given how For the Throne ended and it also felt more aligned with how the characters lives had gone up to this point.

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This book was such a wild and magical ride — I really enjoyed it! The Nightshade God had everything I love in a fantasy: lush world-building, intense stakes, and characters that made me feel so many things. Lore’s journey was emotional and empowering, and the way the story wrapped up felt really satisfying without being too neat.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very atmospheric book and a great continuation of this series. I loved this book and am a great fan of this series.

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This ending isn't what I wanted it to be. I think a lot of people will love this, but I am someone who is finding it harder and harder to enjoy romantasy. I felt this was slightly anti-climatic for me personally. I enjoyed the series as a whole, and will 10000% recommend this to people because there is a large subset of people who will enjoy this book and this series immensely! I am thinking I'm in the minority on this one. I think Hannah Whitten does a great job of closing out this trilogy, I just think it felt a bit flat to me. Not quite the ending I was hoping for, but a good conclusion nonetheless.

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Thanks, netgalley and orbit for this eArc!

After the events of the Hemlock Queen, our heroic group has been tossed to the winds- lore is trapped on the burning isles with a goddess still screaming in her head, but extremely limited abilities. Gabe and alie are still grappling with their own elemental spirits, gabe in a foreign country and alie in her own, under apollius/bastian's watchful eye and that of a perilous and possessive new suitor. They know their end game- to kill a god and set a world to rights, but need to overcome distance and violence to meet their end.

This book built slowly- there were so many twisted threads and it took a long time to weave the final scene, to the point where i was VERY CONCERNED about how we were going to wrap things up, but the way it finally came together was absolutely gorgeous and made me feel really hopeful about the state of the world im inhabiting, if lores could get better. I liked how each character grew more into themselves and their power in this book, and where there stories ended.

This is a series i can certainly see myself revisiting in the future, and i look forward to it.

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Hannah Whitten created an unforgettable finale in The Nightshade God, the conclusion to the Nightshade Crown trilogy, we all needed! This book is everything I hoped for and some how still more lush, lyrical, devastating, and ultimately redemptive.

Lore’s journey comes full circle in a way that feels as if she "finds" herself. Her internal struggles, the weight of her choices, and the blurred lines between love, power and obligation...My heart was wrenching throughout plenty of this finale. Whitten’s prose is nothing short of darkly poetic, emotionally rich, and soaked in atmosphere. Every page sings with a the gothic charm we got to appreciate in the previous two books.

The Nightshade God made me reflect on power and how imbalances in power can poison relationships, how our greatest strengths can so easily become our undoing, and how belief, especially when tied to institutions or divinity, can be twisted into something...dangerous.

The worldbuilding remains vivid and immersive, with divine stakes and political intrigue seamlessly woven into the emotional arcs. Relationships (Lore’s with Gabriel and Bastian) are explored with the same intensity and ambiguity - see previous heartwrenching. And the ending? Painfully perfect. Bittersweet and satisfying in the best of ways.

Thank. you to Hannah Whitten for this satisfying finale! Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for making me just a little more emotionally attached to fictional characters!

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I really enjoyed this book. It had a very different ending from what I was expecting.

WARNING: This is not a series that you can piece together! I read book 1 and 2 back to back. Then I waited many many months before reading book 3. With the amount of side characters, it was difficult to truly feel the full impact of this storyline. So I recommend reading it in one go.

Overall, truly unique story and I really enjoyed it! A good ending to the series.

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This was definitely an emotional end to the series. I can honestly say I was not anticipating the emotional turns that this book took and some aspects of the story had me completely caught off guard. While I wish the stars of the story had more time together, it was interesting to see how there individuals adventures unfolded.

A good end to the series.

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The way I've sobbed at the almost end of this book should be illegal. I love the way this trilogy progressed and ended and Hannah Whitten just proved to me what an amazing author she is. This trilogy addresses such controversial and heavy topics in a way that's tangible and understandable. All of the characters are layered and feel incredibly real. I love the amount of different perspectives we've gotten in this book and I loved how evenly paced the whole entire book was. Nothing felt rushed, the details were where they were supposed to be and everything just wrapped up so beautifully. I loved seeing Bastian, Lore and Gabe evolve in such a realistic way and Allie's character development was breathtaking aswell. Such a well rounded, thoroughly thought out trilogy.

**DISCLAIMER: I was gifted this as an ARC by Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

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A stunning conclusion to one of my favorite series I've ever read! Hannah Whitten knows how to gut punch you with emotions.
Excellent world building, multi pov (which was my favorite thing about this book), plot and pacing was slow and steady for most of the book but things picked up in the last 20% and it was soo good. The epilogue broke me but also healed me 💔
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

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The Nightshade God is the triumphant conclusion to an epic trilogy. I was SO excited to read this after finishing book two. Lore, Bastian, and Gabe are back to finish what began in book one. As the stakes rise higher than ever, they will need to work together like never before to defeat the gods and save the world as they know it.

I loved The Nightshade God! Hannah Whitten’s prose is beautifully haunting. At the same time, some of her dialogue is simply hilarious. Whitten has expertly built on the relationships between the trio, while still writing interesting side characters who you feel invested in. I loved seeing how the love between the trio played out and their ending (no spoilers!). I am so impressed with Hannah Whitten’s ability to write a vast magical world and create such an intricate political and magical plot. The Nightshade God is a satisfying end to the trilogy and I cannot wait to read what Hannah Whitten writes next.

Readers who love rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and a satisfying conclusion will love The Nightshade God.

Thank you to Hannah Whitten, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

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4.5 rounded up

What a great ending to one of my favorite trilogies. I do wish that we had more time with our crew together, but I am incredibly satisfied with how this story concluded. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I take everything back I said when I didn’t like Book 2. This last book makes up for any flaws from previous books. It’s to the point that I would like to reread them knowing what I now know.

((I read the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.))

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 stars, I would give more of I could

This book is HAUNTING. The imagery of light and dark and woven tapestries will stick with me. I’ve always loved the characters and I loved seeing each one’s growth. Putting more spotlight on Alienor helped keep the story moving such a fresh perspective.

Small SPOILERS BELOW

THE METAPHORS!! Gabe burning off his eye patch. Lore going from endings to a long awaited beginning. THE ALIENOR SCENE ON THE BOAT. I was flabbergasted. I gasped out loud. Suuuuuch a genius scene! Lore’s birth mother. Lots of commentary on exploring faith and religion in general. I was so invested that I cried when they cried.


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Private feedback:
1) I forgot about the “Mort” with Gabe since reading the last book. It confused me when D used it.
2) The last page… they saying “our lady love” to refer to Lore and I was super sad because it gave me the ick. It gave me the imagery of an older lady who just gave them a carmel from her granny bag. Please change that to a nickname or something sweet… maybe goddess or patient or long-suffering love.
3) The first paragraph of Chapter 45 (page 366) is a run-on sentence that is confusing. I read it a few times through and I think maybe two sentences or thoughts were combined, but not sufficiently to make a coherent thought.

Thank you for letting me read this book!!!! It was a great experience. So excited for the book to release so I can have a gorgeous book trophy.

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I just loved getting to enter this world. I just loved getting to meet these characters and see what they are currently getting themselves into. This book was just a really fun read. I just lost myself in this great story and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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This book was absolutely brilliant. Hannah Whitten weaves such intricate and agonizing stories that leave you gasping and cheering and crying. I will read anything she writes.

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Fantastic ending to an amazing story. The ending tore my heart out and then put it back together. I will miss these characters.

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My boyfriends are boyfriends, FIVE STARSSSSSS

Now that that's out of the way, I loved this series so much but fun fact I actually didn't like the first two books on my first read but once I did a reread in preparation for this arc I actually fell in love with the series. My biggest gripe from the first time around was completely eradicated in book three, and The Nightshade God was the perfect conclusion with a BEAUTIFUL ending that made me cry for the whole last 10% for both happy AND sad reasons. No notes on the ending, it was that good.

The Gods' histories were more embellished on in this book which was something I felt was needed, and the political intrigue was even that much more so important in book three after the obvious crescendo at the end of book 2/beginning of book 3 and it involved some new big pawns and something I really loved about this book was that there were more POV's than there were previously with the story still very much being Lore's story.

If you love political intrigue, gods, romance, friendship and found family, and an incredibly unique magic system you should very much give this series a try!

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I read the entire trilogy in the matter of a month and I think reading them one after the other was the perfect way to read the trilogy. These books definitely got better as they went along with this final instalment being my favourite of the three. I liked the unique magic system of the elements including life and death. I loved the love triangle and feel like it was the best possible outcome 🤭 This series has fantastic found family aspects which I loved and it was also high stakes which I find is uncommon in a fantasy with an strong romance plot (read: this is not romantasy). At some times I did find the plot a bit chaotic, one aspect hadn’t been wrapped up before another was presented, sometimes it felt there was plot points that were much too easily remedied and I unfortunately…. Didn’t like the ending 🙃 the bargain that was made just didn’t do it for me. Despite these things I absolutely recommend the trilogy especially if you’re looking to read more fantasy-romance rather than the romantasy we are seeing so much of these days!

As always, thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book!

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The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten

5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and Hannah Whitten for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one of my most eagerly anticipated reads for 2025, so I was thrilled to receive an eARC. And let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint! This book picks up where the first two books left off, delving deeper into the dark, gothic fantasy world that Hannah has meticulously crafted. It’s a whirlwind of action, adventure, a touch of romance, and so much more. I remain utterly obsessed with this unique and captivating world and its intricate magic system. What truly sets this series apart is its unparalleled originality. This book served as a satisfying conclusion to the series, and it was honestly just SO GOOD!

Our main characters are separated for most of this book, so there’s not as much romance as in the previous two. However, I don’t think that detracts from the book at all. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wanted Bastian, Lore, and Gabriel reunited so badly throughout the book, but the storylines for each character were so captivating and well-crafted that I couldn’t put it down and didn’t feel like I missed the romance much. These three characters are the literal definition of a true of a love triangle. After the first two books, I did not know how their love triangle would end up, and I was definitely satisfied with the conclusion in this book!

One aspect I love about this series is how the lives of the gods and the main characters mirror each other so closely. Additionally, Hannah’s writing is commendable as she explores various themes in this book, such as overcoming prophecy, maintaining faith in humanity, the delicate balance of power and love, the fear of death and what comes after, and the different thoughts of religion. Her prose is eloquent and thoughtful, encouraging readers to contemplate these concepts deeply. Observing how each character grapples with these themes is truly thought-provoking, and I believe her writing is expertly crafted. 

The ending of this book was COMPLETELY heart-wrenching. I was a sobbing, blubbering MESS. . Despite the emotional impact of the last few chapters and the epilogue, I must say that the ending was genuinely beautiful and unexpected. It was honestly a perfect conclusion to this series. If you’re seeking your next fantasy/romantasy read, I highly recommend picking up the first book in The Nightshade Crown series. This book is set to be released on July 15, so you have plenty of time to read the first two books to prepare for it!

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