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The Nightshade Crown #1
The Foxglove King
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romantasy (2023)When Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city.
Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.
Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne'er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.
But the life she left behind in the catacombs is catching up with her. And even as Lore makes her way through the Sainted court above, they might be drawing closer than she thinks.
In this lush, romantic new epic fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten, a young woman’s secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.
Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.
Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne'er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.
But the life she left behind in the catacombs is catching up with her. And even as Lore makes her way through the Sainted court above, they might be drawing closer than she thinks.
In this lush, romantic new epic fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten, a young woman’s secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.
467 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
3529 people are currently reading
165524 people want to read
About the author
Hannah F. Whitten
8 books4,380 followersHannah Whitten has been writing to amuse herself since she could hold a pen, and sometime in high school, figured out that what amused her might also amuse others. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, making music, or attempting to bake. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in a house ruled by a temperamental cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,397 reviews
March 8, 2023
This was and wasn't as bad as I'd suspected it would be.
Has Hannah Whitten improved as a writer with this book? Yes, and noticeably so.
Has Hannah Whitten kept her weaknesses as a writer with this book? Also yes, and noticeably so.
I'll go with the positives first: the author has become a better storyteller. She had this raw talent that shows in her first book, but she wasn't that good at writing or at characterisation. Her writing was very tropey and meandering, with basic prose though lovely descriptions, and she would stretch a plot for too long. But at the same time she had intriguing ideas and was able to set up the atmosphere and world with little effort, she excelled at description and at immersing you in her stories, which compensated for her weaknesses.
She also writes unpretentiously, she isn't a belle prose writer, she writes like a contemporary person talks. Her dialogues are very modern, with slang and turns of phrase very typical of American English, and she doesn't pretend it to be anything else. This book might be inspired by Louis XIV's Versailles, but the people's attitude and language are those of modern Americans and she doesn't want it to be otherwise. She doesn't pretend they're "people of the times." I think it's quite bold. Personally, I prefer that when authors take a European setting as inspiration, they keep to the European feel, but I'm not a stickler for it in Fantasy as I am for Historical Fantasy; so long as it's not excessively modern as to include street slang, it's fine by me. This book isn't quite Versailles, it doesn't have the customs and culture and mores and protocols that characterised the Sun King's court, and to be honest if you hadn't told me this was inspired by Versailles, I'd not have made the connection. Because the world isn't all that developed, it's kind of generic Urban and Court setting, with all the typical tropes and expectations.
So, if there's nothing especially spectacular about the setting and writing, what does set this book apart? The plotline. It has an interesting magic system based on Mortem, a power to raise the dead that has a counterpart in Spiritum, the power of life. This power is highly regulated, only the Church can wield it, so when they catch Lore, an unauthorised Mortem user, she has to work for Church and Crown to uncover some mysterious deaths in which this magic is suspected to have been used. Forced into espionage, she is escorted around by Gabriel, a Presque Mort or priest that can channeld this magic, and comes to be close with Bastian, the Sun Prince she's supposed to spy on. What these three uncover is unexpectedly more than they thought but not quite shocking as you could already see that final development from afar.
Personally, I didn't care much for the magic system because, to be frank, the whole fallen gods and Church storyline reads like Catholic Church fanfiction written by someone who isn't Catholic. And because of that, it relies on stereotypes. I can tell the author comes from an Evangelical background based on how she has created her in-world Church. Compare it to Margaret Rogerson, who has a Catholic background and also used the Church for her fictional one in her books, but you can tell she knows the institution inside and out. Whitten doesn't, and it shows. The whole religion arc in this book isn't well handled, it's made up very superficially and based on stereotypes anyone can come up with.
It's this superficiality what's bothered me the most from this book. The feeling that nothing here goes beyond skin deep. Versailles? Superficial inspiration, we don't see how the royal palace is like beyond a few generic descriptions. Louis XIV-like king? Hardly a nod or two and mostly in copying his titles. Court life? Very cliché, indistinguishable from any generic Fantasy court regardless of time period. The aristocracy? Cliché, and they have no set of rules of behaviour and a court culture beyond the generic "decadent nobles" trope. The commonfolk? You don't see anything but the generic fighting & drug dens and a few lowlifes here and there, no overall feel for what kind of society this is. The ethnicities? Generic whites and the distant exotic and evil peoples... It's all so superficial.
The second thing that bothered me the most was the love triangle. There's an underlying "fated to be together" theme to this book's triangle. Why does Lore feel attracted to Gabriel? She doesn't know, she feels like she "knows" him since forever. Why does Lore feel attracted to Bastian? She doesn't know, she feels like she "knows" him since forever. And of course, the two men feel the same because they just "know" her. In other words, there's no earned trust, no earned respect, no earned love. It all happens because those two men are hot and she "just knows" in her gut that they're destined for something. And conveniently, a prophecy is revealed at the eleventh hour that confirms that these three are fated for something grand. Yeah, right. You can't choose, so you need a prophecy to validate your indecisiveness.
To her credit, Whitten doesn't drag the angst and hand-wringing for too long. Oh, there is angst, but it's subdued. And yes, she does resort to lame excuses to have Lore kiss both men at different points. Whoever says the author handled the triangle very well must have a high tolerance for triangles or they're just thankful this isn't so bad as your typical YA triangle. Yes, this isn't as bad as YA love triangles go, but that's a low bar. Comparatively, it isn't so bad. On its own, it is bad.
Characterisation-wise, this book has a better female lead than her previous duology, and this together with the improved storytelling is why I say Whitten has improved as a writer. Lore is a freer woman, more sure of herself, less burdened by silly mindsets. She's very refreshing in that sense, and that makes it all the more irritating that she's brought low by a triangle. Someone like her shouldn't be lusting after two guys; she's the type to bed 'em and kick 'em afterwards, a no-nonsense gal who is comfortable with her sexuality and isn't ashamed of it. So why does she have to be subjected to this triangle for no apparent reason other than Fate? Why can't authors not resist the need to undermine a woman's confidence by making her go stupid in the presence of two hot dudes?
The book ends on a cliffhanger, although not one that particularly bothers me because I could see it coming and can guess where it's going, but in case there's other readers out there that don't tolerate cliffhangers, I'd say wait until the next book is out to start this. This first book is a lot of set up, it's not quite a standalone, it is slow at the start, and Whitten's stories are generally better when you read all the books in a row.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Has Hannah Whitten improved as a writer with this book? Yes, and noticeably so.
Has Hannah Whitten kept her weaknesses as a writer with this book? Also yes, and noticeably so.
I'll go with the positives first: the author has become a better storyteller. She had this raw talent that shows in her first book, but she wasn't that good at writing or at characterisation. Her writing was very tropey and meandering, with basic prose though lovely descriptions, and she would stretch a plot for too long. But at the same time she had intriguing ideas and was able to set up the atmosphere and world with little effort, she excelled at description and at immersing you in her stories, which compensated for her weaknesses.
She also writes unpretentiously, she isn't a belle prose writer, she writes like a contemporary person talks. Her dialogues are very modern, with slang and turns of phrase very typical of American English, and she doesn't pretend it to be anything else. This book might be inspired by Louis XIV's Versailles, but the people's attitude and language are those of modern Americans and she doesn't want it to be otherwise. She doesn't pretend they're "people of the times." I think it's quite bold. Personally, I prefer that when authors take a European setting as inspiration, they keep to the European feel, but I'm not a stickler for it in Fantasy as I am for Historical Fantasy; so long as it's not excessively modern as to include street slang, it's fine by me. This book isn't quite Versailles, it doesn't have the customs and culture and mores and protocols that characterised the Sun King's court, and to be honest if you hadn't told me this was inspired by Versailles, I'd not have made the connection. Because the world isn't all that developed, it's kind of generic Urban and Court setting, with all the typical tropes and expectations.
So, if there's nothing especially spectacular about the setting and writing, what does set this book apart? The plotline. It has an interesting magic system based on Mortem, a power to raise the dead that has a counterpart in Spiritum, the power of life. This power is highly regulated, only the Church can wield it, so when they catch Lore, an unauthorised Mortem user, she has to work for Church and Crown to uncover some mysterious deaths in which this magic is suspected to have been used. Forced into espionage, she is escorted around by Gabriel, a Presque Mort or priest that can channeld this magic, and comes to be close with Bastian, the Sun Prince she's supposed to spy on. What these three uncover is unexpectedly more than they thought but not quite shocking as you could already see that final development from afar.
Personally, I didn't care much for the magic system because, to be frank, the whole fallen gods and Church storyline reads like Catholic Church fanfiction written by someone who isn't Catholic. And because of that, it relies on stereotypes. I can tell the author comes from an Evangelical background based on how she has created her in-world Church. Compare it to Margaret Rogerson, who has a Catholic background and also used the Church for her fictional one in her books, but you can tell she knows the institution inside and out. Whitten doesn't, and it shows. The whole religion arc in this book isn't well handled, it's made up very superficially and based on stereotypes anyone can come up with.
It's this superficiality what's bothered me the most from this book. The feeling that nothing here goes beyond skin deep. Versailles? Superficial inspiration, we don't see how the royal palace is like beyond a few generic descriptions. Louis XIV-like king? Hardly a nod or two and mostly in copying his titles. Court life? Very cliché, indistinguishable from any generic Fantasy court regardless of time period. The aristocracy? Cliché, and they have no set of rules of behaviour and a court culture beyond the generic "decadent nobles" trope. The commonfolk? You don't see anything but the generic fighting & drug dens and a few lowlifes here and there, no overall feel for what kind of society this is. The ethnicities? Generic whites and the distant exotic and evil peoples... It's all so superficial.
The second thing that bothered me the most was the love triangle. There's an underlying "fated to be together" theme to this book's triangle. Why does Lore feel attracted to Gabriel? She doesn't know, she feels like she "knows" him since forever. Why does Lore feel attracted to Bastian? She doesn't know, she feels like she "knows" him since forever. And of course, the two men feel the same because they just "know" her. In other words, there's no earned trust, no earned respect, no earned love. It all happens because those two men are hot and she "just knows" in her gut that they're destined for something. And conveniently, a prophecy is revealed at the eleventh hour that confirms that these three are fated for something grand. Yeah, right. You can't choose, so you need a prophecy to validate your indecisiveness.
To her credit, Whitten doesn't drag the angst and hand-wringing for too long. Oh, there is angst, but it's subdued. And yes, she does resort to lame excuses to have Lore kiss both men at different points. Whoever says the author handled the triangle very well must have a high tolerance for triangles or they're just thankful this isn't so bad as your typical YA triangle. Yes, this isn't as bad as YA love triangles go, but that's a low bar. Comparatively, it isn't so bad. On its own, it is bad.
Characterisation-wise, this book has a better female lead than her previous duology, and this together with the improved storytelling is why I say Whitten has improved as a writer. Lore is a freer woman, more sure of herself, less burdened by silly mindsets. She's very refreshing in that sense, and that makes it all the more irritating that she's brought low by a triangle. Someone like her shouldn't be lusting after two guys; she's the type to bed 'em and kick 'em afterwards, a no-nonsense gal who is comfortable with her sexuality and isn't ashamed of it. So why does she have to be subjected to this triangle for no apparent reason other than Fate? Why can't authors not resist the need to undermine a woman's confidence by making her go stupid in the presence of two hot dudes?
The book ends on a cliffhanger, although not one that particularly bothers me because I could see it coming and can guess where it's going, but in case there's other readers out there that don't tolerate cliffhangers, I'd say wait until the next book is out to start this. This first book is a lot of set up, it's not quite a standalone, it is slow at the start, and Whitten's stories are generally better when you read all the books in a row.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2022
im honestly quite shocked that this is written by the same author who wrote ‘for the wolf.’
i struggled with ‘for the wolf’ because it had terrible and unoriginal world-building, but this book does not have that problem! the world-building is still not perfect, some readers would consider it info-dumpy, but its lightyears better than HWs debut novel. and its so unique! the different death powers, religious orders, political posturing, and threat of war make this highly enjoyable.
i had no problems understanding the magic system, the positions of court nobles, or character motivations. the story feels like HW has a very clear idea/intention with how the series is going to go, which is something i did not get from ‘for the wolf.’
so a really great start to what i hope will be a very promising series and it makes me so happy to see how much HW has grown and improved as an author!
thank you, orbit books, for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
i struggled with ‘for the wolf’ because it had terrible and unoriginal world-building, but this book does not have that problem! the world-building is still not perfect, some readers would consider it info-dumpy, but its lightyears better than HWs debut novel. and its so unique! the different death powers, religious orders, political posturing, and threat of war make this highly enjoyable.
i had no problems understanding the magic system, the positions of court nobles, or character motivations. the story feels like HW has a very clear idea/intention with how the series is going to go, which is something i did not get from ‘for the wolf.’
so a really great start to what i hope will be a very promising series and it makes me so happy to see how much HW has grown and improved as an author!
thank you, orbit books, for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
February 9, 2025
me, the hot monk (?), and the arrogant prince who somehow forced his way into our secret mission to undermine the crown. what if we all held hands?
Read my full review
The Foxglove King is a knife-sharp amalgamation of court intrigue, high fantasy, and forbidden romance that captured my heart and held it captive until its glorious finish. Hannah Whitten is an adept storyteller, and her Nightshade Kingdom series is certain to be the world's next epic fantasy sensation.
Bookstagram | Blog
Read my full review
The Foxglove King is a knife-sharp amalgamation of court intrigue, high fantasy, and forbidden romance that captured my heart and held it captive until its glorious finish. Hannah Whitten is an adept storyteller, and her Nightshade Kingdom series is certain to be the world's next epic fantasy sensation.
Bookstagram | Blog
March 31, 2024
Re-read March 2024: I somehow forgot just how addicting this book is I love it so much. THE NECROMANCY! THE COURT MACHINATIONS! THE ANGST! Anyway I’m really glad I decided to re-read before diving into book 2.
Also I’ve been in a month+ long reading slump unable to get pulled into much and I’m typing this as I’ve just finished it at 2 in the morning because I couldn’t put it down. Did this cure me?
ORIGINAL REVIEW FEBRUARY 2023
Bleeding gods dead and dying I am in love with the fantasy worlds Hannah Whitten writes.
The Foxglove King is a lush gothic fantasy story full of necromancy, court politics, espionage, hidden identities, polytheistic religious fervor, the intersection of theocracy and monarchy, and a very fun romance plotline. Reader beware that it is in the realm of love triangle, BUT as someone who doesn't particularly like the classic love triangle I was having so much fun with this one.
The main character has a strong sense of self that you feel from the very beginning which I always really appreciate, and that personality, flawed though it may be like anyone's, doesn't make drastic changes for no reason *cough*for the introduction of male characters*cough*. There's a lightness and a humor that maintains through the story and balances out the darker aspects nicely and really had me falling in love with these characters. I love a good bit of banter.
I think this book is also a marked improvement in some ways on her previous work, which I also really enjoyed (I've read the first in her previous duology but not yet the second). I found the magic system and the overall world more concisely discussed and didn't find myself playing catch up with the plot the way I occasionally did in For The Wolf, while still leaving room to explore it more in the other books. There's still a sense of mystery in how some things work or can be done differently than how we might expect.
The Foxglove King is SO MUCH FUN and I cannot wait for this series to continue.
Also I’ve been in a month+ long reading slump unable to get pulled into much and I’m typing this as I’ve just finished it at 2 in the morning because I couldn’t put it down. Did this cure me?
ORIGINAL REVIEW FEBRUARY 2023
Bleeding gods dead and dying I am in love with the fantasy worlds Hannah Whitten writes.
The Foxglove King is a lush gothic fantasy story full of necromancy, court politics, espionage, hidden identities, polytheistic religious fervor, the intersection of theocracy and monarchy, and a very fun romance plotline. Reader beware that it is in the realm of love triangle, BUT as someone who doesn't particularly like the classic love triangle I was having so much fun with this one.
The main character has a strong sense of self that you feel from the very beginning which I always really appreciate, and that personality, flawed though it may be like anyone's, doesn't make drastic changes for no reason *cough*for the introduction of male characters*cough*. There's a lightness and a humor that maintains through the story and balances out the darker aspects nicely and really had me falling in love with these characters. I love a good bit of banter.
I think this book is also a marked improvement in some ways on her previous work, which I also really enjoyed (I've read the first in her previous duology but not yet the second). I found the magic system and the overall world more concisely discussed and didn't find myself playing catch up with the plot the way I occasionally did in For The Wolf, while still leaving room to explore it more in the other books. There's still a sense of mystery in how some things work or can be done differently than how we might expect.
The Foxglove King is SO MUCH FUN and I cannot wait for this series to continue.
April 13, 2024
★ 3.75 stars
“The air around him almost seemed to glimmer, gold dust in the dark. Moonlight made him more beautiful, yes, but in the same way that darkness emphasized a flame. He didn't belong in it; Bastian Arceneaux was antithetical to night.”
The Foxglove King follows Lore, who escaped from a cult when she was younger and is in hiding. She relies on poison running to get by as her death magic, known as Mortem, keeps her within the city borders. Lore is found but the Presque Mort and is required to work for the Saint King to use her magic to uncover why villages full of people are dying overnight.
This was a solid start to the trilogy and gave me the gothic vibes I'd be searching for. The romance was the main appeal in this book for as the world building was confusing at times. There's a lot of concepts introduced here and I would have liked some more insight on the poison running, stakes and politics.
“Men generally preferred you to be a set piece in the story they made up, rather than an active player"
Lore is a strong FMC, she's confident in herself. I love that the author didn't make it her a 'weak, frail, naive girl' like romantasy's often do. She's very much the source of power and knowledge in this story and is given respect. She has some abandonment issues from her past so I loved seeing the found family aspect to this story, I just hope she won't be taken advantaged by the politics.
“They'll force you to be stronger, and then break you down. Reduce you to nothing but a womb for magic they can't make. But only if you let me. Even when you ascend, you must remember that you are wholly your own.”
I love Gabe, he's the brown haired MMC after all and the forbidden love aspect adds to the angst as he's a a monk. I'm curious to see how this will unfold in the future and if this is more than lust or if it will continue to be unfair to Lore.
“He gazed up at her like he was fire and she was fuel.”
Sebastian is the bad boy prince and I'm going to excuse the fact he's blonde because I love a morally grey man. I didn't get to see much about him in this book but I can definitely sense the tension building between Lore and Bastian.
“I don't want you hurt. And not because you're working for me. Just because it's you.”
Despite my few faults with the world itself, I did enjoy this overall and definitely think it's worth giving it a go. I didn't see the cliffhanger coming and I'm so excited to see how this series unfolds! I'm HOOKED.
“The air around him almost seemed to glimmer, gold dust in the dark. Moonlight made him more beautiful, yes, but in the same way that darkness emphasized a flame. He didn't belong in it; Bastian Arceneaux was antithetical to night.”
The Foxglove King follows Lore, who escaped from a cult when she was younger and is in hiding. She relies on poison running to get by as her death magic, known as Mortem, keeps her within the city borders. Lore is found but the Presque Mort and is required to work for the Saint King to use her magic to uncover why villages full of people are dying overnight.
This was a solid start to the trilogy and gave me the gothic vibes I'd be searching for. The romance was the main appeal in this book for as the world building was confusing at times. There's a lot of concepts introduced here and I would have liked some more insight on the poison running, stakes and politics.
“Men generally preferred you to be a set piece in the story they made up, rather than an active player"
Lore is a strong FMC, she's confident in herself. I love that the author didn't make it her a 'weak, frail, naive girl' like romantasy's often do. She's very much the source of power and knowledge in this story and is given respect. She has some abandonment issues from her past so I loved seeing the found family aspect to this story, I just hope she won't be taken advantaged by the politics.
“They'll force you to be stronger, and then break you down. Reduce you to nothing but a womb for magic they can't make. But only if you let me. Even when you ascend, you must remember that you are wholly your own.”
I love Gabe, he's the brown haired MMC after all and the forbidden love aspect adds to the angst as he's a a monk. I'm curious to see how this will unfold in the future and if this is more than lust or if it will continue to be unfair to Lore.
“He gazed up at her like he was fire and she was fuel.”
Sebastian is the bad boy prince and I'm going to excuse the fact he's blonde because I love a morally grey man. I didn't get to see much about him in this book but I can definitely sense the tension building between Lore and Bastian.
“I don't want you hurt. And not because you're working for me. Just because it's you.”
Despite my few faults with the world itself, I did enjoy this overall and definitely think it's worth giving it a go. I didn't see the cliffhanger coming and I'm so excited to see how this series unfolds! I'm HOOKED.
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November 13, 2022
⤅ I wanted SO BADLY to like this book.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be soul-sapping. I survived until about 20% in before I had to pull the plug.
23-year-old Lore is a manipulator of Mortem, an illegal magic that lets her bring the dead back to life. But that's not her day job. She spends most of her time running poisons for her criminal parents and carrying out smuggling operations. When one such operation goes wrong, she's forced to reveal her magic to the crowd, and is promptly whisked away by the Presque Mort - a warrior sect of monks who work for August, the Sainted King of Dellaire.
In the royal dungeons, Lore is offered the chance to keep her life by working for King August. Mysterious deaths are happening throughout Dellaire, and he thinks she can use her Mortem to wander through the court and find out who's responsible. She'll be helped by Gabriel, one of the Presque Mort, and hindered by Prince Bastian, August's dissolute heir.
Okay, that's about as much of a plot summary as I can be bothered to give. Here's why the book was such a letdown:
❌ The worldbuilding is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Like, it's supposed to be a pseudo-French Sun-King-esque high fantasy world, but Lore literally uses the phrase 'stuck to his ass'. What on EARTH? I've noticed this problem with Sarah J Maas, too: it's incredible how many American authors go to all the trouble of inventing a new universe and lifestyle and perspective for their characters, only to have them talk like 21st-century Americans. What even is the point of a fantasy world then? (I will admit there are times when the conversational style of dialogue can work even in high fantasy, but this definitely was not one of those times). The language totally did not fit the book's vibe, but that's also because the book wasn't really sure what vibe to give off: whether to be an intricately plotted, lush fantasy like The Bear and the Nightingale or gritty and thriller-esque with morally grey characters, like Six of Crows. So it failed on both counts.
❌ The plot makes no sense. King August reveals that he's known Lore is an illegal Mortem user since she was a child... so why didn't he take her earlier, when he could mould her into a loyal spy? Instead of literally waiting for her to slip up? Since her skills are so invaluable and all.
❌ Also, I have to say, I don't really understand how being able to bring someone back to life makes Lore a good spy? Her job for August isn't to resurrect the dead villagers and ask them what happened, it's to scrutinise the courtiers for anyone who seems suspicious. She has no experience in this role and it wasn't clear she was chosen.
❌ In the court, Gabriel and Lore (who's posing as his long-lost cousin) are forced to share an apartment. This made no sense and smacked of the 'Draco and Hermione are Head Couple so they must share an apartment' crap you see in particularly uninventive fanfictions, but whatever. More concerning was how Gabriel, after he's literally just met Lore, is suddenly highly forthcoming about his private life and feelings. So much for an organic relationship. Similarly, Lore decides she hates Prince Bastian pretty much instantly, for no real reason, and this felt like it had been written just so there'd be an exciting enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Only it wasn't exciting, it was baffling.
❌ I can't say I particularly liked Lore. There's one scene where August tells her to try and keep her room tidy (admittedly patronising) but she 'immediately resolves to pour an entire bottle of wine on the carpet' to spite him. Dude, this is YOUR room, you'll have to live with the smell and stain! Way to cut off your nose to spite your face.
These are just the things I highlighted within the first 20%. Overall, I found the fantasy world bland, the characters boring, and the plot nonsensical. The search for a good court-intrigue book continues...
Pre-review:
March 27, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
y’all remember when you were just going about your average day, tossing your hair into a messy bun and throwing on some converse when suddenly you came downstairs and found out you were being sold to one direction?
now imagine if, instead of a boy band, you were in fact sold to the king as a necromancing spy and then enter a royal love triangle??? because sign me the fuck up!!!!!!
i was SO hesitant going into this for what 😐 the bad reviews scared me and the low rating was not looking too good but i was eating this up. i literally finished it in two sittings and everything was solid! the writing? killer. characters? so damn attractive for NO reason. the world building??? my fav part potentially (who gave me the idea it was gonna be confusing 🤦🏻♀️)
ALSO for my fleabag girlies…👀🤭 there’s a certain hot priest vibe going on here and i adore the relationships in this book. i am picking up the next one asap rocky
y’all remember when you were just going about your average day, tossing your hair into a messy bun and throwing on some converse when suddenly you came downstairs and found out you were being sold to one direction?
now imagine if, instead of a boy band, you were in fact sold to the king as a necromancing spy and then enter a royal love triangle??? because sign me the fuck up!!!!!!
i was SO hesitant going into this for what 😐 the bad reviews scared me and the low rating was not looking too good but i was eating this up. i literally finished it in two sittings and everything was solid! the writing? killer. characters? so damn attractive for NO reason. the world building??? my fav part potentially (who gave me the idea it was gonna be confusing 🤦🏻♀️)
ALSO for my fleabag girlies…👀🤭 there’s a certain hot priest vibe going on here and i adore the relationships in this book. i am picking up the next one asap rocky
June 28, 2023
“When you have unholy skills, it is best to put them to holy purpose.”
I’m a sucker for a love triangle. And creepy magic. And bad boy princes. And stoic guards. This one had a slow start for me, but now that I’m sucked in- I’m here to stay.
I’m a sucker for a love triangle. And creepy magic. And bad boy princes. And stoic guards. This one had a slow start for me, but now that I’m sucked in- I’m here to stay.
June 17, 2023
3 Transubstantiation Stars ⭐
Spice... NON EXISTENT
This is the perfect definition book of excellent premise, but mediocre execution.
Another way I could describe it is the book mentions quite a lot about "balancing life and death through the equilibrium of Mortem and Spiritum". Hannah Wittenn tried to balance the plot with the religious theology and lost "God" lore. And unfortunately, it felt as if the equilibrium was tipped into the boring side as half the time I was reading this it felt like a religious textbook that was putting me to sleep.
The book follows Lore, who "apparently" escaped a cult when she was 13 and was found by two ladies who raised her as their own. They also happen to be poison runners so Lore basically grows up in the crime scene as a spy. However, Lore has a secret that she is able to wield death magic or Mortem from birth, which most people are only able to do if they ever have, a "near-death experience". So she has to keep that super secret because if they find out that she's this super powerful necromancer she would probably be murdered or sent to some burning island. One day a heist goes bad and she is given the impossible choice of SPY ON THE KINGS SON as part of the court and become SUPER close to him....or die. SO guess it's pretty easy to see what she chooses...
This book has some of the best tropes and some of the worst tropes.
The "Good" tropes you're going to get:
▹Court Intrigue
▹Romantic angst (could have been more)
▹Necromancy
▹Regency.
The "Bad" tropes are:
▹ A love triangle
▹ Miscommunication/Lack of Communication
▹ Religious Theory (it borders on SO MUCH INFODUMP)
Look, if I have to read about one more tapestry describing the Gods and what they look like and the colours that they're using and how they're painted or sculpted. Or have to hear about the Gods ascending and coming back to the world one more time.....I kind of lost the plot when those aspects were mentioned in the story, and they were mentioned SO MUCH.
I wasn't getting that pull into the writing I need with a book. It took a long time before I was actually hooked on the book because the first six chapters felt very, very theoretical and very info-dumpy. It was very difficult to follow along as the writing almost needs you to be one with a thesaurus. I love words. I love looking up the definition of words and highlighting unique words that I don't typically see in a book, but normally I only end up with about five max. In this book I highlighted 55 words that are not common in English daily use. But as a result, if you're constantly looking up the definition of words, it takes you out of the story.
Another thing this book was missing is it felt like everything was very surface level and I needed more depth to everything (BUT THE THEOLOGY). The plot was very much you see what you get. The angst was there but not enough, the character interaction was there but not enough and the character development was there but it only scratched the surface of what would have been amazing!!! These characters have this undeniable feeling that they know each other, that they've got this drawing to each other...that they've known each other for their whole lives. But that isn't really explored enough and built on and it's never really explained why they're so drawn to each other.
I REALLY wanted to see a little bit more of their interactions too. Their talking...Lore actually talking to Bastian and Gabe and getting to know them. What little there was did not explain the attraction between them and why Gabe would be "pining over her" and she over him when most of the time they were literally just in the library researching books or THEOLOGY in their rooms. We had chapters DEDICATED to library research...
Another aspect that I didn't really like is the ending felt incredibly rushed and incredibly messy. I battled to understand what was going on. Everything was just thrown into the end and it was very quick with the characters acting completely different towards the end that didn't match who they were painted to be throughout the novel. The end was just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping some aspects stick.
Overall I DID like Lore...She does come off a little bit as a survivor and is a little bit unapologetic in a good way. But she makes really stupid decisions and she purposefully chooses to not communicate because fuck knows why.
If I haven't made this clear, the worldbuilding lent too much on religious theory. And as much as there was a unique magic system, which quite frankly, I absolutely loved! The book didn't go into any reason why Lore has this ability to wield magic, and I would have loved to have that explored a little bit more to understand her origin story and where she comes from.
There wasn't much romance in this except for one kiss that went nowhere. Out of our boys...I prefer the prince (until the end) as he actually has some snark and uses words... Gabe has been through some trauma but he is a little too attached to his wannabe father figure to know what's good for him and so seemed immature...
There might be a couple of triggers in this, especially around the religious aspect, which does have quite a few similarities to Catholicism. So if you are somebody who finds this a problem, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book.
Luckily I had an amazing group of girls for the Buddy Read who helped string me along and gave me the motivation to tediously work through this book. And I don't know if I would have been able to finish it if I didn't have their motivation to do it.
The vibes were there...so ultimately I'm not sad that I picked up this book. I will pick up book two because I am intrigued enough to see where it goes. But if she doesn't kiss one of these boys within the first three chapters, I tap out!!!
Spice... NON EXISTENT
This is the perfect definition book of excellent premise, but mediocre execution.
Another way I could describe it is the book mentions quite a lot about "balancing life and death through the equilibrium of Mortem and Spiritum". Hannah Wittenn tried to balance the plot with the religious theology and lost "God" lore. And unfortunately, it felt as if the equilibrium was tipped into the boring side as half the time I was reading this it felt like a religious textbook that was putting me to sleep.
The book follows Lore, who "apparently" escaped a cult when she was 13 and was found by two ladies who raised her as their own. They also happen to be poison runners so Lore basically grows up in the crime scene as a spy. However, Lore has a secret that she is able to wield death magic or Mortem from birth, which most people are only able to do if they ever have, a "near-death experience". So she has to keep that super secret because if they find out that she's this super powerful necromancer she would probably be murdered or sent to some burning island. One day a heist goes bad and she is given the impossible choice of SPY ON THE KINGS SON as part of the court and become SUPER close to him....or die. SO guess it's pretty easy to see what she chooses...
This book has some of the best tropes and some of the worst tropes.
The "Good" tropes you're going to get:
▹Court Intrigue
▹Romantic angst (could have been more)
▹Necromancy
▹Regency.
The "Bad" tropes are:
▹ A love triangle
▹ Miscommunication/Lack of Communication
▹ Religious Theory (it borders on SO MUCH INFODUMP)
Look, if I have to read about one more tapestry describing the Gods and what they look like and the colours that they're using and how they're painted or sculpted. Or have to hear about the Gods ascending and coming back to the world one more time.....I kind of lost the plot when those aspects were mentioned in the story, and they were mentioned SO MUCH.
I wasn't getting that pull into the writing I need with a book. It took a long time before I was actually hooked on the book because the first six chapters felt very, very theoretical and very info-dumpy. It was very difficult to follow along as the writing almost needs you to be one with a thesaurus. I love words. I love looking up the definition of words and highlighting unique words that I don't typically see in a book, but normally I only end up with about five max. In this book I highlighted 55 words that are not common in English daily use. But as a result, if you're constantly looking up the definition of words, it takes you out of the story.
Another thing this book was missing is it felt like everything was very surface level and I needed more depth to everything (BUT THE THEOLOGY). The plot was very much you see what you get. The angst was there but not enough, the character interaction was there but not enough and the character development was there but it only scratched the surface of what would have been amazing!!! These characters have this undeniable feeling that they know each other, that they've got this drawing to each other...that they've known each other for their whole lives. But that isn't really explored enough and built on and it's never really explained why they're so drawn to each other.
I REALLY wanted to see a little bit more of their interactions too. Their talking...Lore actually talking to Bastian and Gabe and getting to know them. What little there was did not explain the attraction between them and why Gabe would be "pining over her" and she over him when most of the time they were literally just in the library researching books or THEOLOGY in their rooms. We had chapters DEDICATED to library research...
Another aspect that I didn't really like is the ending felt incredibly rushed and incredibly messy. I battled to understand what was going on. Everything was just thrown into the end and it was very quick with the characters acting completely different towards the end that didn't match who they were painted to be throughout the novel. The end was just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping some aspects stick.
Overall I DID like Lore...She does come off a little bit as a survivor and is a little bit unapologetic in a good way. But she makes really stupid decisions and she purposefully chooses to not communicate because fuck knows why.
If I haven't made this clear, the worldbuilding lent too much on religious theory. And as much as there was a unique magic system, which quite frankly, I absolutely loved! The book didn't go into any reason why Lore has this ability to wield magic, and I would have loved to have that explored a little bit more to understand her origin story and where she comes from.
There wasn't much romance in this except for one kiss that went nowhere. Out of our boys...I prefer the prince (until the end) as he actually has some snark and uses words... Gabe has been through some trauma but he is a little too attached to his wannabe father figure to know what's good for him and so seemed immature...
There might be a couple of triggers in this, especially around the religious aspect, which does have quite a few similarities to Catholicism. So if you are somebody who finds this a problem, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book.
Luckily I had an amazing group of girls for the Buddy Read who helped string me along and gave me the motivation to tediously work through this book. And I don't know if I would have been able to finish it if I didn't have their motivation to do it.
The vibes were there...so ultimately I'm not sad that I picked up this book. I will pick up book two because I am intrigued enough to see where it goes. But if she doesn't kiss one of these boys within the first three chapters, I tap out!!!
March 7, 2023
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten is an atmospheric and lush first book in a new fantasy series.
Ten years ago, Lore escaped from a cult in the catacombs. Now, she is working undercover as a poison runner. Lore has the ability to wield Mortem, a form of death magic. The church has prohibited its use, allowing only members of the Presque Mort to channel it.
But everything goes awry on Lore’s latest poison run, leading the Presque Mort to capture her and bring her to the Sainted King. Lore expects death, but instead, the king commands her to spy on his son Bastian. Now, Lore finds herself thrust into the glittering world of court intrigue and political machinations.
Lore’s life depends on finding out some truths for the king. She’ll have Gabe, a duke-turned-monk-turned-duke again, to help her on this investigation.
I enjoyed Hannah Whitten’s debut, For the Wolf, but not nearly as much as this one, even though I gave them both four stars. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in FtW. But here, the characters are fully realized, whether they are likeable or not.
I liked Lore’s refreshing character. She is a strong female character, confident in her sexuality. I was hoping for a bit more romance, but alas, there was mostly angst and a love triangle.
The court is similar to other fantasy books, but overall, it is still compelling with all its opulence and revelry.
The one thing that slightly irked me was how often the author mentioned Gabe’s disability. He’s missing an eye, and nearly every sentence about him references it. “His one eye looked at x.” “He read it with his eye,” etc. I think “he read…” or “he looked” would probably suffice.
But I will certainly read the rest of the trilogy as they become available.
I’d recommend this book if you enjoy court-based fantasy with tons of intrigue.
Thank you to Orbit for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Ten years ago, Lore escaped from a cult in the catacombs. Now, she is working undercover as a poison runner. Lore has the ability to wield Mortem, a form of death magic. The church has prohibited its use, allowing only members of the Presque Mort to channel it.
But everything goes awry on Lore’s latest poison run, leading the Presque Mort to capture her and bring her to the Sainted King. Lore expects death, but instead, the king commands her to spy on his son Bastian. Now, Lore finds herself thrust into the glittering world of court intrigue and political machinations.
Lore’s life depends on finding out some truths for the king. She’ll have Gabe, a duke-turned-monk-turned-duke again, to help her on this investigation.
I enjoyed Hannah Whitten’s debut, For the Wolf, but not nearly as much as this one, even though I gave them both four stars. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in FtW. But here, the characters are fully realized, whether they are likeable or not.
I liked Lore’s refreshing character. She is a strong female character, confident in her sexuality. I was hoping for a bit more romance, but alas, there was mostly angst and a love triangle.
The court is similar to other fantasy books, but overall, it is still compelling with all its opulence and revelry.
The one thing that slightly irked me was how often the author mentioned Gabe’s disability. He’s missing an eye, and nearly every sentence about him references it. “His one eye looked at x.” “He read it with his eye,” etc. I think “he read…” or “he looked” would probably suffice.
But I will certainly read the rest of the trilogy as they become available.
I’d recommend this book if you enjoy court-based fantasy with tons of intrigue.
Thank you to Orbit for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
August 2, 2023
Blog | Instagram
Rating: 2 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This dramatic design nicely captures the mysterious atmosphere and genre of the story. I also like the nods to elements of the world.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟
Through vivid details, an impressive world rich with magic, religion and politics is gradually established. However, I struggled with the disorientating way the complex worldbuilding is presented and the constant information dumps.
"Opposites are not always in opposition; the day and night are equals."
Storyline: 🌟🌟
Even with the unfolding political intrigue and mystery, the slow-paced storyline quickly drained my interest as a lot is told but not shown. On top of this, the heavy-handed foreboding soon got tiring and made the twists and turns of the story underwhelming.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟
Much like the storyline, a lot is told but not shown about Lore, leaving her character with little depth. Besides this, Lore is yet another Chosen One and overpowered protagonist, with little done to make her relatable or easy to root for.
"That’s the thing about the manipulated… They become the best manipulators."
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
Several characters popped in and out of the story, but none strongly appealed to me. This includes the two male leads who, despite their distinct personalities and backstories, seemed one-dimensional and dull.
Romance: 🌟
With little more than feelings of familiarity and attraction, Lore's connection to the leads felt forced and shallow. This was particularly disappointing since the foundation is there for a delightful slow-burn and love triangle.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The different voices Emily Ellet does for the characters are impressive and greatly enrich the story. Skilful changes in vocal tone also convey the emotions within the tale, but this hardly made the information-packed storyline more engaging.
To put it bluntly, I could not get into 'The Foxglove King'. The slow pace, convoluted worldbuilding, and one-dimensional characters made this a painful read. I would recommend The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna to those who love complex worldbuilding but want a fast-paced fantasy read.
Rating: 2 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This dramatic design nicely captures the mysterious atmosphere and genre of the story. I also like the nods to elements of the world.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟
Through vivid details, an impressive world rich with magic, religion and politics is gradually established. However, I struggled with the disorientating way the complex worldbuilding is presented and the constant information dumps.
"Opposites are not always in opposition; the day and night are equals."
Storyline: 🌟🌟
Even with the unfolding political intrigue and mystery, the slow-paced storyline quickly drained my interest as a lot is told but not shown. On top of this, the heavy-handed foreboding soon got tiring and made the twists and turns of the story underwhelming.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟
Much like the storyline, a lot is told but not shown about Lore, leaving her character with little depth. Besides this, Lore is yet another Chosen One and overpowered protagonist, with little done to make her relatable or easy to root for.
"That’s the thing about the manipulated… They become the best manipulators."
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
Several characters popped in and out of the story, but none strongly appealed to me. This includes the two male leads who, despite their distinct personalities and backstories, seemed one-dimensional and dull.
Romance: 🌟
With little more than feelings of familiarity and attraction, Lore's connection to the leads felt forced and shallow. This was particularly disappointing since the foundation is there for a delightful slow-burn and love triangle.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The different voices Emily Ellet does for the characters are impressive and greatly enrich the story. Skilful changes in vocal tone also convey the emotions within the tale, but this hardly made the information-packed storyline more engaging.
To put it bluntly, I could not get into 'The Foxglove King'. The slow pace, convoluted worldbuilding, and one-dimensional characters made this a painful read. I would recommend The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna to those who love complex worldbuilding but want a fast-paced fantasy read.
August 3, 2023
3.5⭐️
4☆ for the great storytelling 💫 3☆ for the uncomfortable love triangle which ironically got in the way of tension and angst for me
4☆ for the great storytelling 💫 3☆ for the uncomfortable love triangle which ironically got in the way of tension and angst for me
February 22, 2024
Authors who write love triangles—
Stop being cowards. LET THE BOYS KISS!!!
Stop being cowards. LET THE BOYS KISS!!!
July 14, 2025
. ۫ ꣑ৎ 2.5 stars ★
i don’t have many great things to say about this book i fear 🫣 i saw a review say the magic system and world read like a “catholic church fanfiction” and i mean .. yeah.
the world building was kind of nonexistent honestly. it felt like the author was constantly talking in circles about what the politics and magic system really were. and, look, i’m a romance girlie – i don’t need any never-before-seen magic or a super intricate kingdom. but don’t you think it would be nice to feel like you actually get what you’re reading?
i didn’t like lore. she has a strong personality and isn’t some weak, cowering woman, which i love (who doesn’t) but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. she bothered me, i don’t care how petty that sounds.
BEWARE LOVE TRIANGLE!!! and not a good one. i liked the hot priest vibe we had going on with gabe but other than that the romance not ittt.
so um ..... disappointed, to say the least? i was so so excited for this and thought i was gonna have a new obsession, but instead i got a poorly executed romantasy that sometimes felt more like i was reading a religious text than a fiction book. not sure if i’ll continue w the series or not yet.
ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ pre read
i’m doing a 24 hour readathon with my sister so this may not be the best book to pick up rn but it is screaming at me from the shelf so 🙂↕️👍🏼
i don’t have many great things to say about this book i fear 🫣 i saw a review say the magic system and world read like a “catholic church fanfiction” and i mean .. yeah.
the world building was kind of nonexistent honestly. it felt like the author was constantly talking in circles about what the politics and magic system really were. and, look, i’m a romance girlie – i don’t need any never-before-seen magic or a super intricate kingdom. but don’t you think it would be nice to feel like you actually get what you’re reading?
i didn’t like lore. she has a strong personality and isn’t some weak, cowering woman, which i love (who doesn’t) but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. she bothered me, i don’t care how petty that sounds.
BEWARE LOVE TRIANGLE!!! and not a good one. i liked the hot priest vibe we had going on with gabe but other than that the romance not ittt.
so um ..... disappointed, to say the least? i was so so excited for this and thought i was gonna have a new obsession, but instead i got a poorly executed romantasy that sometimes felt more like i was reading a religious text than a fiction book. not sure if i’ll continue w the series or not yet.
ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ pre read
i’m doing a 24 hour readathon with my sister so this may not be the best book to pick up rn but it is screaming at me from the shelf so 🙂↕️👍🏼
June 21, 2023
—🌓 2.5 stars 🌓—
“That’s the thing about the manipulated. They become the best manipulators. There’s no teacher like experience.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Magic, High Fantasy
Writing: 6/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 5/10
Characters: 4/10
Romance: 5/10
My rating: 5/10
Trigger warnings: graphic violence and gore, vomit, off page child death, parental abuse (physical and emotional), religious abuse, animal death, mentions of child neglect, mentions of terminal illness, etc.
Note: the religion in this book is closely based off Christianity. As an atheist, this doesn’t bother me. However, the depiction might be insulting or triggering to others.
———my thoughts———
Lore has lived by her wits ever since she was a child.
A poison runner, she had to avoid the law, and keep her affinity for Death magic a secret.
But when a job goes wrong, and she’s captured, Lore is recruited to spy on the royal court.
But as she begins to search the lavish palace...she both grows closer to an answer...and more terrified of finding one.
As my Cara babe likes to say, It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.
And I think it is me.
I’ve seen so many people enjoy this book...but for me? No.
First of all, I found the world incredibly confusing.
For the first 100 pages or so, it’s almost entirely world building.
And it is crammed into every sentence, to the point where I found it hard to follow.
It’s almost as if the author was trying to get all the explaining out of the way, so she could focus on plot.
But that doesn’t work.
World building is best done in little chunks.
That was the start of my problems with this books and it only got worse.
The middle part of The Foxglove King was probably my favourite, because there was action and a touch of romance.
However, the ending soon dissolved into the confusing and jerky writing as the start.
And that’s honestly why I rated it so low.
Before the end, I was contemplating a fair 3 stars, 3.25 stars.
But not anymore.
Another issue I had was the characters.
First of all, there was absolutely no character development.
Lore at the start of the book was exactly the same as the Lore by the end.
So what was the point?
She sounds like such an interesting character, but unfortunately she felt completely flat.
And you’re telling me she was a successful spy?
The woman who continues to almost mess up throughout the entire book?
I don’t understand it.
Now here comes the part where I disagree with most of my fellow readers...
I don’t like Bastian either.
His entire personality is flirting. He’s basically the fucking frat boy of fantasy!
The only character I really liked was Gabe.
Regardless of how much of a doormat he is, at least he’s likeable—and kind.
However much I just ranted, there were parts of it I enjoyed.
The language was beautiful. It had the most fantastic spread of words (as Koisty well knows), some of which I had to google.
And the descriptions of clothes! So vivid that I could almost feel the fabric.
But there really isn’t anything else I liked.
(And in fact several more things I didn’t)
So at the end of the day, am I glad I read it? I guess.
————quotes————
“Lore’s eyes narrowed. She was very familiar with the way people wielded pity like a bayonet, hiding the desire to make sure you knew your place behind false concern.”
“I’m a member of the clergy. Believing in the shining realm is quite literally in my job description.”
“A tactical mind for the ages.”
“Make dub of me after you take care of it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the muscle and I’m the brains.”
———random extra thoughts———
at least I read another thing on my June tbr?
Thanks for reading! ❤️
—/—:—/—:—/—
Fingers were not crossed enough.
Review to come!
—/—/—/—/—
Buddy read with some lovely women on insta! ❤️
Fingers crossed I like it...
“That’s the thing about the manipulated. They become the best manipulators. There’s no teacher like experience.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Magic, High Fantasy
Writing: 6/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 5/10
Characters: 4/10
Romance: 5/10
My rating: 5/10
Trigger warnings: graphic violence and gore, vomit, off page child death, parental abuse (physical and emotional), religious abuse, animal death, mentions of child neglect, mentions of terminal illness, etc.
Note: the religion in this book is closely based off Christianity. As an atheist, this doesn’t bother me. However, the depiction might be insulting or triggering to others.
———my thoughts———
Lore has lived by her wits ever since she was a child.
A poison runner, she had to avoid the law, and keep her affinity for Death magic a secret.
But when a job goes wrong, and she’s captured, Lore is recruited to spy on the royal court.
But as she begins to search the lavish palace...she both grows closer to an answer...and more terrified of finding one.
As my Cara babe likes to say, It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.
And I think it is me.
I’ve seen so many people enjoy this book...but for me? No.
First of all, I found the world incredibly confusing.
For the first 100 pages or so, it’s almost entirely world building.
And it is crammed into every sentence, to the point where I found it hard to follow.
It’s almost as if the author was trying to get all the explaining out of the way, so she could focus on plot.
But that doesn’t work.
World building is best done in little chunks.
That was the start of my problems with this books and it only got worse.
The middle part of The Foxglove King was probably my favourite, because there was action and a touch of romance.
However, the ending soon dissolved into the confusing and jerky writing as the start.
And that’s honestly why I rated it so low.
Before the end, I was contemplating a fair 3 stars, 3.25 stars.
But not anymore.
Another issue I had was the characters.
First of all, there was absolutely no character development.
Lore at the start of the book was exactly the same as the Lore by the end.
So what was the point?
She sounds like such an interesting character, but unfortunately she felt completely flat.
And you’re telling me she was a successful spy?
The woman who continues to almost mess up throughout the entire book?
I don’t understand it.
Now here comes the part where I disagree with most of my fellow readers...
I don’t like Bastian either.
His entire personality is flirting. He’s basically the fucking frat boy of fantasy!
The only character I really liked was Gabe.
Regardless of how much of a doormat he is, at least he’s likeable—and kind.
However much I just ranted, there were parts of it I enjoyed.
The language was beautiful. It had the most fantastic spread of words (as Koisty well knows), some of which I had to google.
And the descriptions of clothes! So vivid that I could almost feel the fabric.
But there really isn’t anything else I liked.
(And in fact several more things I didn’t)
So at the end of the day, am I glad I read it? I guess.
————quotes————
“Lore’s eyes narrowed. She was very familiar with the way people wielded pity like a bayonet, hiding the desire to make sure you knew your place behind false concern.”
“I’m a member of the clergy. Believing in the shining realm is quite literally in my job description.”
“A tactical mind for the ages.”
“Make dub of me after you take care of it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the muscle and I’m the brains.”
———random extra thoughts———
at least I read another thing on my June tbr?
Thanks for reading! ❤️
—/—:—/—:—/—
Fingers were not crossed enough.
Review to come!
—/—/—/—/—
Buddy read with some lovely women on insta! ❤️
Fingers crossed I like it...
April 2, 2023
4.5⭐️
Rating might change as I take more than an hour to noodle it but woah I did not see this coming at all
Rating might change as I take more than an hour to noodle it but woah I did not see this coming at all
July 13, 2024
3.75 ⭐️ A fun, dark gothic fantasy! I think the romance will come as the series progresses but I would recommend if you liked The Shepherd King duology, Belladonna and even The Crimson Moth (similar gothic fantasy vibes). It was a slower start for me but picked up in the 2nd half. I will be reading on when I get my hands on the next book!
February 27, 2023
Dripping with dark opulence and sizzling intrigue, The Foxglove King proves Hannah Whitten is a literary force to be reckoned with. Never before have I been so completely captivated.
January 15, 2023
The Foxglove King is a romantic and haunting start to a new dark fantasy duology. The gothic fantasy world was the perfect setting for this story of love, loyalty, and power.
Hannah Whitten may be the only author who can write a love triangle that I actually enjoy. One of the main reasons that the love triangle didn't bother me is that I loved all of the characters individually, Lore is a really strong protagonist and she doesn't lose her personality after the love interests are introduced. She is strong, selfish, and determined. There also wasn't a clear "winner" in the love triangle like there normally is. I personally switched teams multiple times throughout the book. Both Bastian and Gabe are complex and interesting characters.
The critique of organized religion and theocracy was a surprisingly strong element in this book. Though this is a relatively common theme in fantasy books, the history of the gods and the magic system made for a very interesting exploration of how history can be rewritten by those in power. This theme is coupled with politics and scheming in a decadently rotten court. I am excited to see how Whitten expands on these themes in the sequel.
The book really found its footing at the very end and I am incredibly excited to read book two. However, the beginning was quite slow as we were introduced to the characters, the magic, and the world. The majority of the book felt like exposition for the conflict that was introduced at the end of the book. The incredibly predictable plot twist also made the story feel a lot slower. I haven't seen it mentioned in other reviews so it may have been a personal thing, but I saw the plot twist coming almost immediately. The foreshadowing in this book is heavy-handed, especially with the incredibly obvious epigraphs at the start of each chapter. When the reveal is obvious all of the foreshadowing weighs down the story and it started to get a bit tedious. I honestly wish the epigraphs hadn't been included because they made the foreshadowing particularly unbearable. They either repeated the same theme or spoiled the events for the chapter.
I hope we get more of an explanation for the magic system in book two. Spiritum and mortem are such a unique way to explore death magic. I love how visual Lore's magic was and I cannot wait to see how she grows into her powers in the next book.
Though The Foxglove King was a bit of a slow start, it builds to a heartwrenching conclusion that promises a powerful sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
Hannah Whitten may be the only author who can write a love triangle that I actually enjoy. One of the main reasons that the love triangle didn't bother me is that I loved all of the characters individually, Lore is a really strong protagonist and she doesn't lose her personality after the love interests are introduced. She is strong, selfish, and determined. There also wasn't a clear "winner" in the love triangle like there normally is. I personally switched teams multiple times throughout the book. Both Bastian and Gabe are complex and interesting characters.
The critique of organized religion and theocracy was a surprisingly strong element in this book. Though this is a relatively common theme in fantasy books, the history of the gods and the magic system made for a very interesting exploration of how history can be rewritten by those in power. This theme is coupled with politics and scheming in a decadently rotten court. I am excited to see how Whitten expands on these themes in the sequel.
The book really found its footing at the very end and I am incredibly excited to read book two. However, the beginning was quite slow as we were introduced to the characters, the magic, and the world. The majority of the book felt like exposition for the conflict that was introduced at the end of the book. The incredibly predictable plot twist also made the story feel a lot slower. I haven't seen it mentioned in other reviews so it may have been a personal thing, but I saw the plot twist coming almost immediately. The foreshadowing in this book is heavy-handed, especially with the incredibly obvious epigraphs at the start of each chapter. When the reveal is obvious all of the foreshadowing weighs down the story and it started to get a bit tedious. I honestly wish the epigraphs hadn't been included because they made the foreshadowing particularly unbearable. They either repeated the same theme or spoiled the events for the chapter.
I hope we get more of an explanation for the magic system in book two. Spiritum and mortem are such a unique way to explore death magic. I love how visual Lore's magic was and I cannot wait to see how she grows into her powers in the next book.
Though The Foxglove King was a bit of a slow start, it builds to a heartwrenching conclusion that promises a powerful sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
November 2, 2023
5/5
Lore jako jedna z nielicznych potrafi władać magią śmierci. Wyrzucona na ulice pracuje jako szpieg lub handluje nielegalnym narkotykiem. W końcu zostaje złapana przez Króla i Najwyższego Kapłana i zmuszona do współpracy: ma za zadanie szpiegować księcia na królewskim dworze w czym ma jej pomóc mnich Gabriel oraz wyjaśnić zagadkę tajemniczych śmierci w pobliskich wioskach.
UWIELBIAM TĘ KSIĄŻKĘ!
Lore jest genialną bohaterką. Od początku przypominała mi Ninę Zenik, nie tylko ze względu na jej lekkość ducha i poczucie humoru ale i profesje i mroczne moce. Pod wpływem wydarzeń dziewczyna jednak zmienia się... na jeszcze lepsze! Spodziewam się odnaleźć w niej złoczyńcę w dalszej części tej historii.
Trójkąt romantyczny między Lore, Gabrielem oraz księciem jest napisany idealnie chociaż z goła przewidywalnie. Gabriel jest tajemniczą postacią, z ciekawą przeszłością bo za dziecka stracił jedno oko. Teraz, żyjąc w celibacie nagle musi mieszkać z pewną siebie Lore, która go onieśmiela testując jego silną wolę. Ich relacja doprowadzała mnie do białej gorączki bo dawno nie czytałam tak ogromnego slow burnu, który opierałby się na tak drobnych gestach. Przeciwwagą był związek Lore i Bastiana, którzy dzielili tą samą chaotyczną energię. Książę bezwzględnie flirtuje z każdym oraz stale podejmuje ryzyko podchodząc do tego dość nonszalancko. Nieważne któremu panu będziecie kibicować, ja przebierałam nóżkami przy ich każdej interakcji z bohaterką.
Musicie nastawić się bardziej na dworskie intrygi i śledztwo niż na romans czy pełne magii sceny akcji. Dużo osób i stron spisku sprawiają, że książka trzyma w napięciu bo nie wiadomo komu ufać. Ta powieść stoi stęchlizną katakumb, niepokojących scen, czarną magią i wskrzeszaniem trupów, których sceny mrożą krew w żyłach. Ja jestem zachwycona tym klimatem.
Lore jako jedna z nielicznych potrafi władać magią śmierci. Wyrzucona na ulice pracuje jako szpieg lub handluje nielegalnym narkotykiem. W końcu zostaje złapana przez Króla i Najwyższego Kapłana i zmuszona do współpracy: ma za zadanie szpiegować księcia na królewskim dworze w czym ma jej pomóc mnich Gabriel oraz wyjaśnić zagadkę tajemniczych śmierci w pobliskich wioskach.
UWIELBIAM TĘ KSIĄŻKĘ!
Lore jest genialną bohaterką. Od początku przypominała mi Ninę Zenik, nie tylko ze względu na jej lekkość ducha i poczucie humoru ale i profesje i mroczne moce. Pod wpływem wydarzeń dziewczyna jednak zmienia się... na jeszcze lepsze! Spodziewam się odnaleźć w niej złoczyńcę w dalszej części tej historii.
Trójkąt romantyczny między Lore, Gabrielem oraz księciem jest napisany idealnie chociaż z goła przewidywalnie. Gabriel jest tajemniczą postacią, z ciekawą przeszłością bo za dziecka stracił jedno oko. Teraz, żyjąc w celibacie nagle musi mieszkać z pewną siebie Lore, która go onieśmiela testując jego silną wolę. Ich relacja doprowadzała mnie do białej gorączki bo dawno nie czytałam tak ogromnego slow burnu, który opierałby się na tak drobnych gestach. Przeciwwagą był związek Lore i Bastiana, którzy dzielili tą samą chaotyczną energię. Książę bezwzględnie flirtuje z każdym oraz stale podejmuje ryzyko podchodząc do tego dość nonszalancko. Nieważne któremu panu będziecie kibicować, ja przebierałam nóżkami przy ich każdej interakcji z bohaterką.
Musicie nastawić się bardziej na dworskie intrygi i śledztwo niż na romans czy pełne magii sceny akcji. Dużo osób i stron spisku sprawiają, że książka trzyma w napięciu bo nie wiadomo komu ufać. Ta powieść stoi stęchlizną katakumb, niepokojących scen, czarną magią i wskrzeszaniem trupów, których sceny mrożą krew w żyłach. Ja jestem zachwycona tym klimatem.
September 2, 2023
SUCH a fun read 🤍
I was hesitant to return to Hannah Whitten after being underwhelmed by her first series. But I really just loved this one.
The Foxglove King is a romantic dark fantasy leaning just into the right side of camp. This is a book that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is, which is a big love letter to masquerade scenes, love triangles, court politics, handsome princes, and anguished monks. At the same time, it manages to be just a step above the average fare - the characters are intelligent and interesting, and the story rewards the reader for making connections early on. A lot of people balk at the idea of a love triangle, but this is squarely of the “Infernal Devices” tier, where the chemistry works because of the charisma of the main cast and the connection between the two male love interests.
I would encourage people to push past the first 50 or so pages of this book, since it starts slow and feels relatively younger than the rest of the story. There’s a bit of a debate on whether this book is actually YA or adult, but my guess is that the Foxglove King reads as YA to set up sequels that handle higher stakes with more mature themes in the future.
A lot of groundwork is laid here, but I can genuinely say I have no clue where narrative is going. And I’m excited!
(As a side note, Gabe [re: anguished monk] is disabled, and Bastian [re: handsome prince] is bi/queer. The world is charmingly queernormative)
I was hesitant to return to Hannah Whitten after being underwhelmed by her first series. But I really just loved this one.
The Foxglove King is a romantic dark fantasy leaning just into the right side of camp. This is a book that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is, which is a big love letter to masquerade scenes, love triangles, court politics, handsome princes, and anguished monks. At the same time, it manages to be just a step above the average fare - the characters are intelligent and interesting, and the story rewards the reader for making connections early on. A lot of people balk at the idea of a love triangle, but this is squarely of the “Infernal Devices” tier, where the chemistry works because of the charisma of the main cast and the connection between the two male love interests.
I would encourage people to push past the first 50 or so pages of this book, since it starts slow and feels relatively younger than the rest of the story. There’s a bit of a debate on whether this book is actually YA or adult, but my guess is that the Foxglove King reads as YA to set up sequels that handle higher stakes with more mature themes in the future.
A lot of groundwork is laid here, but I can genuinely say I have no clue where narrative is going. And I’m excited!
(As a side note, Gabe [re: anguished monk] is disabled, and Bastian [re: handsome prince] is bi/queer. The world is charmingly queernormative)
January 20, 2024
I had so much fun with this book!
The setting was dark, the magic system interesting and I’ve felt engaged in the story from the beginning. It was so easy to care for the characters! How could I not fall for them when all three are broken, unloved, and know nothing besides distrust?
The foxglove king had a bit of everything: court politics, intrigue, cults, obcessive religious beliefs and behaviors.
The Foxglove king has one trope I hate - love triangle - but I’ve found myself completely on board with it, and although I’m biased towards one of the characters, I would be totally on board with a poly relationship in this series 🙈
The ending was gripping! I wish I had the sequel now to read!
P.S - Do not go into this book expecting spice, it doesn’t have any, and it wasn’t needed.
First thoughts:
Orbit kindly accepted my request to review The Foxglove king, which was released as a paperback today in the UK. I don't like to be behind on my reviews, and this is the first time that it happened since I've started reviewing ARCs, but I wasn't counting with the huge amount of work I'm having on real life.
That said, I'm halfway through the book, and I'm quite enjoying it! I wish I could pause my real work to dive in the story, as it is exactly what I'm need at the moment. I can't though!
I would like to thank Little Brown Book UK, Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.
The setting was dark, the magic system interesting and I’ve felt engaged in the story from the beginning. It was so easy to care for the characters! How could I not fall for them when all three are broken, unloved, and know nothing besides distrust?
The foxglove king had a bit of everything: court politics, intrigue, cults, obcessive religious beliefs and behaviors.
The Foxglove king has one trope I hate - love triangle - but I’ve found myself completely on board with it, and although I’m biased towards one of the characters, I would be totally on board with a poly relationship in this series 🙈
The ending was gripping! I wish I had the sequel now to read!
P.S - Do not go into this book expecting spice, it doesn’t have any, and it wasn’t needed.
First thoughts:
Orbit kindly accepted my request to review The Foxglove king, which was released as a paperback today in the UK. I don't like to be behind on my reviews, and this is the first time that it happened since I've started reviewing ARCs, but I wasn't counting with the huge amount of work I'm having on real life.
That said, I'm halfway through the book, and I'm quite enjoying it! I wish I could pause my real work to dive in the story, as it is exactly what I'm need at the moment. I can't though!
I would like to thank Little Brown Book UK, Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.
July 5, 2024
Hannah Whitten you have my HEART!
This was so good! I went into this knowing honestly nothing about the plot just that it had something to do with royalty, poison and necromancy and my god it was not what I expected in the best way! I truly loved all the lore (and Lore lmao) in the plot and all the conspiracy and political intrigue stuff, it was really well done! I feel like it had a really good balance between romance and action and was just truly great at keeping pace. I enjoyed all the twists and the spice and the betrayal a lot. I'm really excited to see where the love triangle that's happening goes too, I usually don't enjoy them but i feel like the chemistry and dynamics were so well built i had a lot of fun with it as a sideplot!
Anyway just know I loved everything about this and it's an easy 5*! I really can't wait for the next one give me it NOW!
This was so good! I went into this knowing honestly nothing about the plot just that it had something to do with royalty, poison and necromancy and my god it was not what I expected in the best way! I truly loved all the lore (and Lore lmao) in the plot and all the conspiracy and political intrigue stuff, it was really well done! I feel like it had a really good balance between romance and action and was just truly great at keeping pace. I enjoyed all the twists and the spice and the betrayal a lot. I'm really excited to see where the love triangle that's happening goes too, I usually don't enjoy them but i feel like the chemistry and dynamics were so well built i had a lot of fun with it as a sideplot!
Anyway just know I loved everything about this and it's an easy 5*! I really can't wait for the next one give me it NOW!
Want to read
October 18, 2021From the author’s IG:
- a chaotic smuggler, one eyed monk, and disaster bi prince
- a weird cult of pseudo-nuns
- Versailles vibes (derogatory)
- an undead horse
😲
Em….yes please! 👍
- a chaotic smuggler, one eyed monk, and disaster bi prince
- a weird cult of pseudo-nuns
- Versailles vibes (derogatory)
- an undead horse
😲
Em….yes please! 👍
February 11, 2023
“Bleeding Gods” this was good!! The necromancy was so interesting, and how this power manifests and changes the person wielding it was so unique. I devoured this book. The Foxglove King was my first read by Hannah Whitten and it did not disappoint. Lore was a fantastic and intriguing main character. I might need to organize my thoughts a little more and come back to this review. I’m excited to see where this series goes next. Thank you to orbit books for this highly anticipated arc
December 23, 2022
Those who follow my reviews know that I am a "HUGE" fan of Orbit Books. It truly does not matter the book, nor the author, if it's a book by Orbit or affiliate, sign me up. I'm there and ready for it, no questions asked. And Hannah Whitten proved again why Orbit reigns supreme, with her book "The Foxglove King"
Now I will admit, this particular book took me a lot longer to read than usual. HOWEVER!!!
Due to after affects of Covid and memory retention playing a part in delay, the first 20_25 pages had my ADHD mind wandering.
So, I had to give myself a reset, I read an author that I had previously put on hold for this book, and then returned to The Foxglove King
Well! Thank goodness I perservered!!
Whitten writing is exactly why Orbit is my favorite. They have only the best Authors.
Whitten is "Badassery!, And this book is so mesmerizingly good, I can barely put words to it. But I will give it a go.
Whitten's book starts out with Lore working as a poison runner who also has the ability to channel mortem.,(Although not fully,) because she has never been trained properly, she knows she's able to do something..
When, one day her secret is discovered while trying to protect another of the poison runners who has a family. In order for him to escape, Lore channels mortem into Horse, which of course gives the two of the them the out they need to escape. Only problem is, that Lore is set up and turned over to the Presque Morts the Citadel where King Augustus rules..
Lore is then told that in exchange for her life, she is to get close to the Sun Prince Bastian. King Augustus Heir who is believed to be a traitor and responsible for the deaths of the neighboring villages that has been befalling them with no explanation.
Lore under duress agrees, only to find she also is assigned a babysitter, Gabe, a priest who has been exiled from the Citadel, due to his father's traitorous acts.. Gabe and Lore are to pretend to be cousins while at the Citadel.
But things don't go as the King has planned, because he underestimated his son who figures out who Lore is almost immediately.
Bastian demands Lore tell him what his father has planned,
But other than Augustus wanting his own son killed, he's far more treacherous than any of them could have imagined. And Lores consecration is the 🗝 "KEY" to everything.
(pondering silently to self)
SOOOO!!!🤔
Mortem + Spiritum + SP+ L = LUNATIC KA
(AHA!!! 😊
But this is where I must leave you, because it's truly one you just have to read for yourself.🤐❤️
Whitten gives readers mystery, magic, and religion all wrapped up in one spell binding read.
Each character you find yourself rooting for in some shape or form. While also wondering if they are who they really say they are.
Whitten's fantastical world of Nightshade Kingdom is impeccably descriptive, Especially the mortem garden that Gabe takes Lore to see.
Whitten's word-building is stellar and flows effortlessly throughout her book.
The only thing left to do is wait patiently and wonder, what's next??
Now that we have the
"PRIEST EXALTED"
"THE SAINTED KING"
AND "HIS DEATHWITCH"
DID ANYONE ELSE SEE THAT ONE COMING?
I DID NOT SEE THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
BUT! THIS IS A CONVO AFTER BOOK 2 I'M SURE.
"WHITTEN YOU ROCK"
#KUDOS FOR A JOB SPLENDIDLY DONE!!
"WHITTEN IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THE OF BEST!!"
#ORBITBOOKS.US
#ORBITBOOKS
#ORBITBOOK.ORBIT
#💜HANNAHWHITTEN
Thank you, NetGalley \Hannah Whitten\Orbit Books.Orbit \ for this amazing eARC, for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
Now I will admit, this particular book took me a lot longer to read than usual. HOWEVER!!!
Due to after affects of Covid and memory retention playing a part in delay, the first 20_25 pages had my ADHD mind wandering.
So, I had to give myself a reset, I read an author that I had previously put on hold for this book, and then returned to The Foxglove King
Well! Thank goodness I perservered!!
Whitten writing is exactly why Orbit is my favorite. They have only the best Authors.
Whitten is "Badassery!, And this book is so mesmerizingly good, I can barely put words to it. But I will give it a go.
Whitten's book starts out with Lore working as a poison runner who also has the ability to channel mortem.,(Although not fully,) because she has never been trained properly, she knows she's able to do something..
When, one day her secret is discovered while trying to protect another of the poison runners who has a family. In order for him to escape, Lore channels mortem into Horse, which of course gives the two of the them the out they need to escape. Only problem is, that Lore is set up and turned over to the Presque Morts the Citadel where King Augustus rules..
Lore is then told that in exchange for her life, she is to get close to the Sun Prince Bastian. King Augustus Heir who is believed to be a traitor and responsible for the deaths of the neighboring villages that has been befalling them with no explanation.
Lore under duress agrees, only to find she also is assigned a babysitter, Gabe, a priest who has been exiled from the Citadel, due to his father's traitorous acts.. Gabe and Lore are to pretend to be cousins while at the Citadel.
But things don't go as the King has planned, because he underestimated his son who figures out who Lore is almost immediately.
Bastian demands Lore tell him what his father has planned,
But other than Augustus wanting his own son killed, he's far more treacherous than any of them could have imagined. And Lores consecration is the 🗝 "KEY" to everything.
(pondering silently to self)
SOOOO!!!🤔
Mortem + Spiritum + SP+ L = LUNATIC KA
(AHA!!! 😊
But this is where I must leave you, because it's truly one you just have to read for yourself.🤐❤️
Whitten gives readers mystery, magic, and religion all wrapped up in one spell binding read.
Each character you find yourself rooting for in some shape or form. While also wondering if they are who they really say they are.
Whitten's fantastical world of Nightshade Kingdom is impeccably descriptive, Especially the mortem garden that Gabe takes Lore to see.
Whitten's word-building is stellar and flows effortlessly throughout her book.
The only thing left to do is wait patiently and wonder, what's next??
Now that we have the
"PRIEST EXALTED"
"THE SAINTED KING"
AND "HIS DEATHWITCH"
DID ANYONE ELSE SEE THAT ONE COMING?
I DID NOT SEE THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
BUT! THIS IS A CONVO AFTER BOOK 2 I'M SURE.
"WHITTEN YOU ROCK"
#KUDOS FOR A JOB SPLENDIDLY DONE!!
"WHITTEN IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THE OF BEST!!"
#ORBITBOOKS.US
#ORBITBOOKS
#ORBITBOOK.ORBIT
#💜HANNAHWHITTEN
Thank you, NetGalley \Hannah Whitten\Orbit Books.Orbit \ for this amazing eARC, for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
December 4, 2022
3.5! which is miraculous given that i found for the wolf unreadable. i'm happy that whitten is growing as a writer, she has great commercial instincts - brisk pacing, unshowy confidence in writing the derivative. that's a neg of course but i mean it; nothing in the book is original but it works because she's delivering it at face value, not showily lampshading its tropiness or committing to any subversions beyond her scope. so we get a likable spunky hot girl heroine, self-righteous monk bodyguard grappling with a vow of chastity, a dashing yet dangerous prince. a decadent court of low-stakes deadliness. alley chases, masked balls, sinister climactic ritual, things of that nature. make no mistake, this IS ya fantasy but it's polished and fun, solidly of the school of six of crows and the cruel prince. i found nothing to seriously dislike here. even the unabashedly contemporary dialogue worked for me: other reviewers have said it's giving cw show and they're totally right. the whole thing is giving reign. but you understand what you're getting with that. you say "yes that is an anthropologie prom dress" and you buy in or you opt out.
the biggest flaw is that it is so obviously a first book in a trilogy that it doesn't really have a plot - just individual scenes, which move between each other at a decent clip, leading up to a climax and cliffhanger. i liked the end tableau and will read the next book.
much like 'pacing but no plot' we also have chemistry but no romances - interestingly whitten manages to land the trio *as a trio* more than any of their individual bonds, which lean heavily on 'i feel like i know you' fated bond stuff which hamstrings any real organic development. but again, she can write a decent kiss and a hitched breath without unduly lingering or lampshading (a place where she has clearly grown as a writer and has outpaced her direct peers). only problem here is that the monk isn't as fucked up by his repressions as he could be for maximum impact, just a regular sadmad boy with bad judgment. (in the language of the book's real genre: should be giving matthias, is giving mal.) she clearly prefers writing the deadly decadent prince, but it's fine. it's all sufficiently effective and i'm interested in seeing how things spin out.
the other thing is that reading it all in one go made me feel like i was eating a bag of candy - sweet party food but SO insubstantial. like again it has no failures in the things it's trying to execute and the things i was hungry for were both outside the author's scope and not promised here. but god i need to go find a book where things are happening, either in world or in theme, other than what the characters are directly saying or perceiving. i think this being correctly categorized (for young adults) would have helped me (outside the age bracket) prepare myself for the experience better, as opposed to recalibrating as i went. nevertheless, i am a legal and medical adult and eating my trick or treating spoils cannot be mistaken for a dinner.
the biggest flaw is that it is so obviously a first book in a trilogy that it doesn't really have a plot - just individual scenes, which move between each other at a decent clip, leading up to a climax and cliffhanger. i liked the end tableau and will read the next book.
much like 'pacing but no plot' we also have chemistry but no romances - interestingly whitten manages to land the trio *as a trio* more than any of their individual bonds, which lean heavily on 'i feel like i know you' fated bond stuff which hamstrings any real organic development. but again, she can write a decent kiss and a hitched breath without unduly lingering or lampshading (a place where she has clearly grown as a writer and has outpaced her direct peers). only problem here is that the monk isn't as fucked up by his repressions as he could be for maximum impact, just a regular sadmad boy with bad judgment. (in the language of the book's real genre: should be giving matthias, is giving mal.) she clearly prefers writing the deadly decadent prince, but it's fine. it's all sufficiently effective and i'm interested in seeing how things spin out.
the other thing is that reading it all in one go made me feel like i was eating a bag of candy - sweet party food but SO insubstantial. like again it has no failures in the things it's trying to execute and the things i was hungry for were both outside the author's scope and not promised here. but god i need to go find a book where things are happening, either in world or in theme, other than what the characters are directly saying or perceiving. i think this being correctly categorized (for young adults) would have helped me (outside the age bracket) prepare myself for the experience better, as opposed to recalibrating as i went. nevertheless, i am a legal and medical adult and eating my trick or treating spoils cannot be mistaken for a dinner.
November 14, 2023
2,5/5 ⭐️ (podciągnęłam przez zakończenie)
Tydzień. Tyle męczyłam te książkę.
Ona była dla mnie koszmarnie nudna. Tak słabo napisana, żadnego budowania napięcia, żadnego poczucia obiecywanej grozy. To miała być ta książka z moich snów i koszmarów?
Dlaczego to w ogóle jest 18+? Tutaj ledwo jakikolwiek romans był. A jak już coś było, to nie wiem skąd się wzięło, bo nic na to nie wskazywało. No spodziewałam się czegoś dobrego jak została nominowana do najlepszego romantasy. Tylko gdzie ten romans? XD
Ciężko mi było wejść w ten świat, zostałam wrzucona odrazu w te całe nazewnictwo i wolno to wszystko było tłumaczone, jako czytelnik często już nie wiedziałam o co im chodzi i co można, a czego nie.
Plusem tego wszystkiego był Bastian 🛐 on jedyny mnie jakoś trzymał przy tym wszystkim, bo tego sekciarza Gabriela to bym w dupe kopnęła.
I plusem jest też zakończenie, to jak nie został powielony, jak w wielu innych książkach fantastycznych, schemat bohaterki, która się poświęca dla większej sprawy. To było super.
Ale jest taaak okropnie przeciągnięta, to ile tam jest opisów korytarzy i innych przestrzeni, które się non stop powtarzają… Zmęczyło mnie to bardzo.
Była w ogóle strasznie przewidywalna, co wkurzało bardziej bo bohaterowie wcale nie ogarniali tego co mieli wyłożone na tacy. Tu chodzi mi głównie o dziwne rzeczy dziejące się z Bastianem, typu mnóstwo krwi bez rany? Złote smugi wokół niego? A potem nawet nie wracali do tematu XD
Tyle naobiecywane, a czuję jakbym czytała zupełnie inną książkę niż to co było w polecajkach z tyłu okładki.
Tydzień. Tyle męczyłam te książkę.
Ona była dla mnie koszmarnie nudna. Tak słabo napisana, żadnego budowania napięcia, żadnego poczucia obiecywanej grozy. To miała być ta książka z moich snów i koszmarów?
Dlaczego to w ogóle jest 18+? Tutaj ledwo jakikolwiek romans był. A jak już coś było, to nie wiem skąd się wzięło, bo nic na to nie wskazywało. No spodziewałam się czegoś dobrego jak została nominowana do najlepszego romantasy. Tylko gdzie ten romans? XD
Ciężko mi było wejść w ten świat, zostałam wrzucona odrazu w te całe nazewnictwo i wolno to wszystko było tłumaczone, jako czytelnik często już nie wiedziałam o co im chodzi i co można, a czego nie.
Plusem tego wszystkiego był Bastian 🛐 on jedyny mnie jakoś trzymał przy tym wszystkim, bo tego sekciarza Gabriela to bym w dupe kopnęła.
I plusem jest też zakończenie, to jak nie został powielony, jak w wielu innych książkach fantastycznych, schemat bohaterki, która się poświęca dla większej sprawy. To było super.
Ale jest taaak okropnie przeciągnięta, to ile tam jest opisów korytarzy i innych przestrzeni, które się non stop powtarzają… Zmęczyło mnie to bardzo.
Była w ogóle strasznie przewidywalna, co wkurzało bardziej bo bohaterowie wcale nie ogarniali tego co mieli wyłożone na tacy. Tu chodzi mi głównie o dziwne rzeczy dziejące się z Bastianem, typu mnóstwo krwi bez rany? Złote smugi wokół niego? A potem nawet nie wracali do tematu XD
Tyle naobiecywane, a czuję jakbym czytała zupełnie inną książkę niż to co było w polecajkach z tyłu okładki.
October 5, 2024
*fixing rating*
This exceeded all of my expectations - and they were high. I was afraid to read this one because recently, booktok recs haven’t been my favourite reads but this one…. wow
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s kind of set in a dark world - and the magic system is quite unique. Lore is a death witch and with that alone - I was captivated
I didn’t want to do anything other than reading this book. The characters were all interesting and I grew fond of them all.
If you have this book on your TBR - I highly recommend pushing it up!
Favorites quotes
« I want to do something about it… to fix it somehow. I don’t know how… I’m one person. One fairly insignificant person, and against so many years of so much power, I feel completely useless. Like trying to dam up a river with a pebble »
« Are you so accustomed to being used that you don’t realize when it’s happening, as long as it’s done kindly? »
« If we have any further childhood traumas to work out after that, we can do it over breakfast » 😂
« I’m jealous that his actions never seem to have consequences, when I’m carrying the consequences of an entire family. I’m jealous that it would take a miracle for him to be left all alone and with nothing, when everything was taken from me in an instant »
« - I thought you would choose the world over yourself
- I’m far too selfish for that » She was so real for that 😂😂😂
This exceeded all of my expectations - and they were high. I was afraid to read this one because recently, booktok recs haven’t been my favourite reads but this one…. wow
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s kind of set in a dark world - and the magic system is quite unique. Lore is a death witch and with that alone - I was captivated
I didn’t want to do anything other than reading this book. The characters were all interesting and I grew fond of them all.
If you have this book on your TBR - I highly recommend pushing it up!
Favorites quotes
« I want to do something about it… to fix it somehow. I don’t know how… I’m one person. One fairly insignificant person, and against so many years of so much power, I feel completely useless. Like trying to dam up a river with a pebble »
« Are you so accustomed to being used that you don’t realize when it’s happening, as long as it’s done kindly? »
« If we have any further childhood traumas to work out after that, we can do it over breakfast » 😂
« I’m jealous that his actions never seem to have consequences, when I’m carrying the consequences of an entire family. I’m jealous that it would take a miracle for him to be left all alone and with nothing, when everything was taken from me in an instant »
« - I thought you would choose the world over yourself
- I’m far too selfish for that » She was so real for that 😂😂😂
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