This wasn't for me sadly, the world building and slow pace didn't make me excited to pick this back up. It is perfectly average but nothing I will be screaming and shouting about. The characters were my favourite part as I enjoyed their stories and relationships with each other but apart from that nothing else caught my eye

The well-crafted characters and intriguing plot make for an engaging experience. While the book is undeniably well-written, my only qualm lies in its slow pacing, occasionally leading to moments of boredom. Nonetheless, I anticipate that the second book will pick up the pace, with world-building and system introductions out of the way.

The Foxglove King's main character is Lore, a young woman, a necromancer, and who finds herself in the Citadel ordered to spy on The Sun Prince by his father The Sainted King and The Priest Exalted. She's guarded by Gabriel, a Presque Mort, a monk of the church, and together they must present themselves at court and convince The Sun Prince to trust them. I found the beginning slow and some of the terms used in the book confusing to wrap my head around. I came to like Lore more as the story progressed and really liked The Sun Prince, Bastian. My main problems with this book is that it felt too long and that there were parts of the story where not enough seemed to happen. My other irks were there was no need for the swear words, that descriptions were quite repetitive at times (always mentioning Gabe's blue eye) and everyone was always clenching their hands, raising or furrowing eyebrows or widening their eyes. It could also do with a bit of editing as some parts weren't consistent. Overall I enjoyed the story, it has magic. mystery and the characters were well developed but it could easily have been shortened. It feels there will be a book 2, and I think I'd like to see where the story goes.

I dnfed this.

it started off strong, but the main character grew dumber as the story went. for such an interesting concept, it flopped. it felt more like a YA than adult which isn't my thing.

the only character I liked was the perceived villain. the others characters didn't adapt to their situation, especially since the main character is meant to have grown up on the streets, she lacks some street smarts.
it got to the point where I was having to force myself to read, so I decided to put it down.

this would be perfect for someone who loves YA and romance.

the concept was good, the story could have gone in a really interesting way if I was pulled along by the characters but they were lacking. the concept was spooky, creepy, and death magic, everything I should have loved in a book, but I didn't.

While I wanted to love this book because the themes of fantasy, in particular dark magic, and romance, I simply could not find the motivation to read this book and felt like it was a slog to get though 500 pages of drawn out plot.

In this book we follow Lore, a necromancer born from the catacombs, a concept I thought I was sure to love however found myself struggling to develop any attachment or intrigue for the main character. The introduction of Gabe and Bastian sparked a feeling of potential at the thought of a love triangle surrounded in deception and political conflict. Again, the potential was there but for me the lack of world and character building made it impossible to care about the outcome of any of the main characters. Unfortunately the romance also didn’t seem to go where it needed to go although I appreciated the conflict felt by Gabe and felt it was well executed at times. However, it seemed that anytime the romance was picking up and featuring more heavily, it quickly fizzled away and seemed almost forgotten.

Overall I have rated this 2/5 stars. Given the fact this took me three months to read tells me that it just wasn’t for me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

This book was a bit slow for me at the start, I think because it is set in a fantasy world, but it opens with our main character drinking coffee which confused me for a while!
After that I really got into it and loved the world building. The religion and magical aspects of it were really original to me, and the unwinding for Lore's past just kept me hooked to the page.

Having the trope of a grouchy bodyguard obsessed with Lore's feelings and wellbeing just added to the mix to make one hell of an interesting opener to what I think will be a very successful fantasy romance series. I'm really looking forward to book 2!

The Foxglove King is a dark, unpredictable escapist read, with a twist in final section that gives the plot new dimension. Will Lore uncover the truth or be propelled headlong towards a destiny that may destroy the world?

Lore was a great character and I loved the whole magical element to the story. I couldn’t warmer to Gabe at all and therefore didn’t enjoy their tense relationship. Bastian on the other hand, I would’ve loved to have seen some more chemistry and romance there. It was a great setting and the whole crown and church are they together or against each other was interesting.

Thank you for my earc of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t finish this because it felt so slow, but the potential is there and I think I might try it on audio in the future so I don’t have to focus as much

Unfortunately I have dnf this one. I've tried several times to get into it, but it just isn't sitting well with me, so I'm giving up. The writing is slow and doesn't flow well for me, real struggle to read.

Many thanks for providing me with a copy to read.

Do you enjoy fantasy?

For me it's the ultimate escapism. Worlds so similar to ours it's easy to get immersed in the story, but that magical world building element provides freedom to escape.

The Foxglove King really leans into this with Lore desperately trying to keep her powers over death magic & her origins a secret, but gettting caught up in the fight between church & state, the country is under threat of war & there are questions around the line of succession. Gabe, troubled & questioning his choices, alongside Bastian, precariously placed near the throne, make a brilliant trio whose dynamic changes throughout the book.

There was a lot going on throughout the book, but the first half was a little slow, particularly when compared to the last quarter of the book where the action was non-stop. There was intrigue, mystery & I didn't know who I could trust. This has definitely left me wanting more. I need to hear more from these characters, there are relationships left unexplored & questions I need answers to.

I really enjoyed this dark and twisted story, the characters had great depth and the writing was descriptive without being too detailed. I was intrigued about Lore, Bastian and Gabe from the start and loved seeing how their friendships changed and evolved in the story.

I did feel that this was a bit of a slow burner and it took it's time to get going but I would still want to read the sequel to see what happens next for our brave three.

I absolutely adored this book! The storyline was fantastic and fast paced. The characters were relatable and really fun to follow.
I can’t wait for the second instalment!

The Foxglove King follows Lore, a poison runner and powerful user of Mortem, death magic, in a world where poisons can extend your life but are illegal and dead Gods bleed death magic. Lore ends up being blackmailed into working for the head of the church and the king in trying to gain evidence that the king's son is killing villagers in an attempt to start a war with a neighbouring country. I found that many of the plot points had very little consequences and the characters were going through the motions to the next plot point. It didn't feel believable and yet also very predictable. I also found the romance Lore had with both Gabe and Bastian was sorely lacking. We were told they had a magnetism, but we weren't shown that. It felt shallow and again likely this was only serving a purpose for the plot. Characters felt underdeveloped, though I did take a liking to Bastian.
However, I did find the world building was very interesting and unique. I wish more had been made of going to the villages and seeing other parts of the kingdom so we could see more of ordinary life, outside the castle. It could have done with more than surface level social commentary. Overall enjoyable, but lacked tension.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group and Hannah Whitten for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this one! Once again, Whitten gives us a book that’s nothing else like I’ve read before and with an interesting magic system. In this book, we get magic from mortem - death. We see not only the reanimating of the already dead but also how one can prolong their lives by means of consuming poison.

I really loved how our main character, Lore, was a little bit older. Whitten created a character that felt more mature compared to her previous main characters. I loved how she always had a snarky comment to make.

We also have two other characters, Bastian and Gabe, who really added to the story. Gabe is the grumpy monk whereas Bastian is the crown prince who will always welcome a good time and very much brings the humour into the story. Something that still makes me very curious is how Lore feels a familiarity with both characters and I’ve been trying to theorise how they may all be connected.

The way Foxglove King ends has definitely left me questioning what the next book will be about.

Fans of Sarah J Maas you will LOVE this one.
I was lucky enough to receive this on netgalley and then a beautiful edition through fairyloot which I’m now proudly keeping as I’m obsessed! It gets into the story fairly quickly after a bit of world building which is standard in fantasy books. I feel like this has everything, glamour gore death romance drama just everything and I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

4⭐️ An enjoyable and twisty fantasy set in a glittering royal court

Thank you to netgalley and orbit books for an earc and finished copy of this book. Here’s my honest and unbiased review.

This was a really enjoyable fantasy with an interesting world that was full of betrayal, poisons, gods and prophecies as well as the intertwining of light and dark magic and a BAMF FMC.

It took me a little while to get into this, but once Lore was thrown into the royal court I found it picked up the pace and I was more compelled to read

For me, the reason this wasn’t rated higher was partly because sometimes things seemed a little rushed over but mainly because of the love triangle and Gabe. I just didn’t care about him because I found him annoyingly naive, his actions frustrated me and I didn’t feel like there was much chemistry between him and Lore…BASTIAN ON THE OTHER HAND 😍 I was here for the flirting between Bastian and Lore, they had good banter and chemistry and honestly I feel like i’d have preferred it if this was the only romance, and the relationship between Lore and Gabe was kept platonic, almost sibling like.

This didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book- I still found the twists and turns, the mystery and betrayals and the citadel intriguing but it meant it wasn’t rated higher and averaged at a 4⭐️. I will definitely be reading the sequel as I want to know what happens next and there were some threads left loose that I’m curious to find out more about.

I had the joy of physically reading my beautiful Fairyloot special edition of this and I absolutely loved it.

I loved the whole magic system in this and the different factions that seemed to have their own agendas that I didn't predict as to what was going to happen till it happened.

I adored Lore as the main character, not playing at being the rich girl as well as she was supposed to.

The story of the gods where the magic has come from definitely has more story to tell and I'm really interested to read the next book when it comes out.

I took a little while to get into this book, but it went from strength to strength when I did. The character development is great, and the risks involved in not knowing who to trust is palpable.
The story has an original feel with Lore, a 23YO protagonist having the power, since birth, to summon mortem; the magic borne of death.
Born in the catacombs, she has survived by her wits and instincts running as a spy and more latterly a poison runner in the very seedy and rundown area of Dellaire. However, when caught she saved from death by being plunged into the Court of the Sainted King, where her life takes a different turn again. Here she is kept under the close watch of Gabe, a Monk also able to use Mortem and Bastion the Kings charming, yet rebellious son, whom the king wants dead. The three become inextricably linked.
Lore is a very likeable character, aware of her shortcomings, wily, yet shaded with doubt about her personal flaws and limitations. She comes to realise her powers are getting stronger and things are far from okay in the palace. She becomes conflicted by her emotions both for the celibate Gabe and roguish Bastion and these sides of all their characters evolve deftly. They are all battling self-doubt, potential for betrayal and a need to learn what is truly going on at the palace. There is some fun to balance things, adventure and peril. The fantasy part of the story enabled great twists and turns. The denouement was really enjoyable – not rushed and there should be more to come in the next book in the series.

Lore is a poison runner and a spy for her adoptive parents in Dellaire. Magic is a rare thing in the world these days, and some people have noted Lore’s powers. Lore can use Mortem, a kind of death magic. After a poison running drop goes wrong, she is brought to the palace and now must spy for the king. Entire villages are being wiped out, and the king suspects that his son Bastian knows something about it. Lore’s mission is to spy on Bastian and act as a cousin to Gabriel, an aristocrat who is now a monk.

I liked Lore, but as someone who’s been a spy for some time, she’s not a very good one. Like, someone has been spying on her since she was a child. And the two people she spies on in the book know about the spying…

I didn’t really mind the love triangle, but oh well. Too many YA vibes for me. I liked all 3 people but not as a love triangle. And I did like the concept of Mortem and the whole death magic thing and all the court intrigue.

I enjoyed the author’s previous books and was looking forward to this new series. And while it had its flaws, I just wanted to keep on reading and wanted to know what happened next. And I definitely want to know how the story continues.