I had recently added another of the author’s books to my TBR when I saw the opportunity to request this. The description grabbed me immediately, but I was nervous as I hadn’t actually read any of her books before, as to whether I would like it. I need not have worried- this was a fun, fast read with mystery, twists and turns. It is true that the world building is not as detailed as some, so if you are looking for a heavyweight fantasy, this is not the book for you. Personally, I sometimes prefer something a little lighter, and this worked perfectly. I will definitely be looking out for the sequel.

Thank-you to NetGalley and Little Brown for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

This was such an atmospheric read! I loved everything about it: the difference between the potential love interests, Lore's personality and depth, how she's got a morally bad ability but doesn't use it in a bad way. Also, BASTIAN. ahhhh Bastian is a new book boyfriend, I love the cocky bantery humourous men who joke around but have lots of depths. Who are sweet and loving but aren't cruel at all. This book was great, and that ending! There's still hope for the three of them!

The Foxglove King is the thrilling beginning of a new royal fantasy trilogy set in a luscious Versailles-inspired court, with a murder(s) mystery acting as the spark of a complex plot that will be impossible to not get obsessed by.

The book is set in a world where magic and religion are tightly intertwined, with a pantheon of gods that remind of Greek-roman ones being the founding element of the magical system- and it’s a magical system I absolutely adored, both because of its focus on how important is the balance between life and death powers, and the fascinating description of how mortem, the dark magic, is channeled and manipulated by its users.
In doing so, Hannah created a layered world-building, where the sacred history (the way a polytheistic pantheon became a monotheistic one gives a subtle nod to real life religions and is absolutely spotless) are fused in a way that feels intriguing and so well executed.

The plot was captivating, with twisted court intrigues that always spice up a good royal fantasy book, and the fundamental idea of being unable to trust anyone, even those closest to you. It kept my interest from the first to the last page, wanting to know the key to the story, to understand more of the world and its mysteries.
There was also an interesting aspect of social commentary on how laws and punishments execution varies deeply from how rich the guilty person is, something that makes the world feels even more realistic.

The characters are so well built and developed. I especially loved Lore: her past shaped her so deeply, and yet, for all her darkness, she still cares about others, and wants desperately to be loved and accepted, to find a place for herself in the light- it’s such a tender and beautiful thing.

As for Gabe, he is my baby and I will raze the world to the ground in hope he finally gets the justice he deserves: he has been manipulated since he was a kid through religion, to believe that metaphorically lashing himself would get him peace and forgiveness… and even when it becomes clear it will never be enough, he still yearns for it, in a way that literally breaks my heart.

And well, Bastian is just Bastian, my sassy bisexual prince with a heart of gold, that even for all of his apparent carelessness, is able to put his duty behind everything else he feels or wants.

Their past, present and future of these three main characters seems to be so tightly intertwined with each other, and I’m just a sucker for this kind of thing: fate brought them together, whatever they like it or not (and well… let’s say I believe they kinda like each other), and I absolutely adore to see them interact, to see them dancing around each other, through the melody of old wounds and a bond they still don’t understand fully.
I truly can't wait for the next book, and to see what direction the story is going to take.

I recommend The Foxglove King to those looking for a captivating royal fantasy book, with amazing characters and stunning dresses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It took me a little while to wrap my head around the magic system in this world, but the characters are really what drew me into the story. Bastian is easily my favourite, I love his whit and charm and determination to do the right thing despite the dangers he faces. Lore has a strong sense of self right from the beginning, but it still left room for her to grow throughout the book as she learns more about her powers and her role in the fate of her kingdom. I am not typically a fan of love triangles, and fortunately this one hasn't technically evolved to that yet, so I think the fact that I didn't dislike it in the book goes to show how much I liked the characters. The pacing at the end was great with a surprising (although not actually that surprising for Bastian) ending and I can't wait for the next book!

Really enjoyed this one! Lore was an easy character to like and I was rooting for her the whole time. The magic system was interesting and unique, as was the world building.

I don’t usually like the “torn between two guys” trope, but it seemed quite well done here and I could see Lore’s dilemma. Looking forward to reading the next one, whenever that may be.

🖤eARC review: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

A gorgeous gothic fantasy with an intriguing mystery. An FMC who knows her power, and 𝒕𝒘𝒐 MMCs, who couldn't be more different. Dark magic, close proximity, political intrigue. This is a wild ride, that kept me guessing and threw me some surprises at the end. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lore, Gabe and Bastian, and it'll be fun watching how that progresses after that ending!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 out of 5.

Thank you @hwhittenwrites and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this. 🖤

This was an overall ok book - I struggled to get stuck in, so it was a slow read for me, despite the genre being totally up my street. This is a fantasy romance - although it doesn’t have loads of romance or spice - there is a love triangle trope too which was sometimes frustrating!

The plot was what kept me intrigued and the ending is what made this a 3 star review instead of a 2 star. It did end on a bit of a cliffhanger but it was action packed at the end which I loved. It wasn’t like this throughout though, unfortunately, and I felt like it was missing something - there was lots of prose explaining and telling, rather than action, which I like!

I did quite like the premise of Mortem and the magical system was interesting and very unique!

Overall - ok. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the rest of the series, but I probably will to find out what happens!

A dark, twisted world of poison, corruption and romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and found the three characters- Lore, Gabe and Bastian- made for an intriguing read. It was full of hooks, twists and turns making the villains multifaceted. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

This is a new dark, atmospheric, magical, fantasy romance series which from the page will keep you captivated.

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.

The world building is beautiful and atmospheric, and the magic system is easy to grasp and understand. I loved the way that Lore is such a strong, empowering female main character.

The Foxglove King tells the story of a young necromancer named Lore and her perilous trip into the royal court of the Sainted King, The tale revolves around Lore's hidden ability to bring the dead back to life, which drags her into a web of lies and betrayal. This book has left me conflicted. On the one hand, I enjoyed it whilst I was reading it and finished it in a day, on the other I can barely remember anything about it except the notes I have taken for review purposes.

In spite of the fact that the book's premise is interesting, the execution is lacking in several respects. Because the world-building is so scant, readers are left with a great deal of confusion regarding the history of the place and the workings of the magic. In addition, some of the characters are not very well developed.

Having said that, the plot moves at a rollicking pace, and there are plenty of unexpected turns and twists to keep the reader interested. I'm relatively ambivalent about the romance subplot as it felt a little too similar to the dynamic in Serpent and Dove to my liking and I couldn't really get a handle on whether the main pairing even liked one another. I'm all for a bit of enemies to lovers but they just seemed fundamentally incompatible.

Overall, the book possesses a number of positive qualities, but it also has a number of flaws. Readers who appreciate fantasy romance and political intrigue will likely enjoy this book, but readers who are hoping for more detailed world-building and character development may be disappointed.

This book was not what I was expecting, in the best way possible. I loved the characters and how they were reluctantly connected to some bigger force. I loved the magic system and the effects it can have on a person. I loved the royal politics and how everything seems to go Lore's way but its all ultimately on a path already set for her.. I just LOVED this book.

Amazon Summary
Lore has been living by her wits since she was a child, running poisons for the cartel that took her in, avoiding the attention of the law, and keeping her illicit affinity for death magic a secret.

When a job goes wrong and Lore is captured by the Sainted King's warrior-monks, she expects death. 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 - or face the pyre.

Thrust into a lavish court where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted, Lore must navigate an intricate web of politics, religion, and forbidden romance and solve the King's mystery. A mystery more dangerous and twisted than Lore can even imagine.

My Review
I loved this book so much and really hope there is a sequel. Lore is amazing and i loved her from the start. I really loved the world building and it had a really great unique magic system based on death. it had everything you need for a brilliant read, mystery, magic, romance, political intrigue and lots of twists and turns .

It’s quite a dark fantasy, but a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the author for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Lured in by that beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis, I picked up The Foxglove King even though I haven’t gotten around to reading Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf yet. The story follows Lore, a young poison runner with the ability to channel Mortem – death magic. Channeling Mortem is illegal so when Lore is caught summoning she’s captured by the Presque Mort, an arm of the church where channeling Mortem is allowed. There Lore learns about a mysterious affliction that is wiping out entire villages and is tasked with using her magic to discover what is killing them. Having no choice but to accept Lore ends up in the Sainted King’s court, attempting to uncover the truth behind the killings, but will she be able to discover the truth before it’s too late?

This book sucked me in right from the very first chapter. It had such a fascinating premise and I found myself completely glued to the pages. The story is pretty quick paced, with plenty of action. The world building is well developed and I was so intrigued by the magic system in this world. It felt well fleshed out and it was so interesting seeing Lore continue to develop her abilities. One of the things that stood out most for me with this book were the scenes where Lore used her abilities. They were so atmospheric and intense and more than one sent a shiver down my spine. I’m so looking forward to seeing more of the magic in the next installment. The Foxglove King features so many things I love in fantasy books, it’s absolutely full of court intrigue, mystery, magic, and danger.

The characters in The Foxglove King are well developed and it was easy to see their motivations. Lore is a dynamic protagonist, she’s strong willed and clever and I really enjoyed seeing the story from her perspective. Gabe and Bastian are compelling characters too and I liked how the relationships between the three changed as the story reached the tense ending. The Foxglove King is a brilliantly told fantasy tale and one I can’t recommend highly enough.

This has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I loved everything about it. The author drew me in and kept me gripped the entire time. Character development was excellent. Storyline was engaging as you try to work out what is happening and who to trust. Speaking about who to trust - the twists and turns spun me for a loop. Was I the only one hoping for a threesome? I’m going to call this New Adult because it’s way too smexy to be YA.

Have I said I loved this? I cannot wait for the next book.

Death, religion, longing, betrayal this book has all of that and so much more, I just love Hannah Whitten's worlds.

This book feels much more YA that Hannah Whitten's previous books. some reviewers found the pace of the first half of the book to be too slow, but for me, I preferred that half because I was after atmosphere, intrigue, and the sense of history and place that Hannah Whitten created in For the Wolf. She always manages to bring a sense of history, and that the characters are treading on solid ground, inhabiting a real world, not just a conjured image of a generic court, so I really appreciated the first half, but found it lapsed into YA tropes and that quite surface glamour of 'the court' and the spy/assassin trying to fit in with the gossiping ladies, and wearing gowns in sumptuous fabrics, and forbidden romance, and fate, and a power that only female MC can wield etc. Don't get me wrong, I lapped it up, and I loved the pining, it was done really well, but I'd just come from a YA with a palace/court setting, and it all felt soooooo familiar. At times I forgot that Gabe was a monk-type character, and just saw him as one of those captain of the guard characters (cough Throne of Glass cough), the stern must protect female MC at all costs type but yearns after her from afar. Again, I did like it, and raced through it, I actually preferred it to similar books, but nothing new here folks, and when you read tis, I would definitely go into this with YA expectations.

Mortem however, and the idea of mortem, and the influence of the religion, and where that leads, and who is affected most, I really liked, I wish there'd been a bit more of that. The spying on the prince plotline felt a bit random, especially as it was pretty ineffective, I wish the initial reason for going to the palace had been a bit more thought-through or clever, I dunno, maybe part of the point was that it was weak, it could well have been deliberate.

My nitpickings and slight YA trope fatigue aside, I did have a blast reading this, and I'd still recommend and return to this.

A new dark and twisty fantasy, with some dystopian elements, that is sure to be eaten up by my students.

Really quite enjoyed this book. It’s quite a different concept in many parts but saying that some parts are familiar in some ways too

If you love fantasy then this book is for you! Was a little slow for me at the beginning but not long until a great story was built and got me going!!

Thanks for providing me a copy!!

I think it’s now safe to say that I love everything that Hannah Whitten writes. She creates characters that I find myself caring for almost instantly and relationships that I would go to my grave for.
The Foxglove King was no exception. The magic system and the descriptions of how the magic feels and acts is again one of the very strong points of the writing, but there’s also a sort of inherent poetry to Whitten’s writing that draws me to it. Quite often, I would find myself stopping on a sentence that was so full of longing that I would re-read the paragraph to enjoy that small nugget of magic and the way it echoed in the story again.

I loved the characters and could not help hoping for their eventual happiness together. The way they are tied together by destiny is one of my favorite trope ever and the betrayals some of them suffered made me want to cry for them. I found that the way Whitten writes longing emotions is something I can’t get enough of. That being said, if this doesn’t lead to a poly relationship in the second book, I will riot.

Sure, there were things that were not perfect, but the overwhelming thought the book left me with, is that I can’t wait for the second one.