Clare L. Deming

I picked up The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten at an early-release signing at New York Comic-Con in 2022. This is the first book in The Nightshade Crown series from Orbit books. Read on below to see what I thought (paid links).

Here is the blurb:

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.

I’m sad that I hadn’t read this book sooner because it featured a fascinating female protagonist, creative world-building, political intrigues, and plenty of romantic tension. Even though the plot does fall prey to some cliches, it all comes together for a great read.

We know that Lore is special from the outset, so in some ways this is a standard hero’s journey tale. She gets into trouble and is forced to spy on the court, putting her immediately into the way of courtiers, a prince, and a king. Her partner in this mission is a celibate monk who is one of the best characters in the book as he struggles with divided loyalties to his religion, his nation, and Lore, who might become more than a friend.

The magic in this world was based on the mythology of fallen gods and the two who remained to rule over life and death. Some people also take poison like a drug to extend their lives (albeit at a price). I love stories where magic is immersed in the foundations of the world, so this was exactly the type of tale I gravitate toward. I stayed up all night reading the last ~200 pages of the book because I couldn’t put it down.

The next book in the series, The Hemlock Queen, comes out on April 9, and will be on its way to me soon (paid link).

Have you read any of Hannah Whitten’s books? She has also written The Wilderwood series that is on my to-be-read list (paid link). Let me know in the comments (above).

Read more of my reviews here.