The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten – Review

Published: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series: The Nightshade Kingdom #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 400 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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.

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.

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Lore has been working for her adoptive mothers’ poison running operation since she emerged from the Catacombs of Dellaire at thirteen. She’s competent, has the skill to infiltrate competing operations, and possesses death magic called Mortem that, if revealed, could get her killed or worse. This wouldn’t be much of a story if that exact thing didn’t happen right off the bat, thus leading to even more exciting and perilous acts. 

The shocking reveal of Lore’s magic in public drags her into courtly politics rather than to a hangman’s noose or pyre. While her magic might be feared, it’s also needed by the Sainted King and the Presque Mort, the church’s sanctioned Mortem wielders, to investigate the sudden deaths of entire villages. Lore also gets to play a social climbing noble to spy on the king’s heir, Bastian, so she can report if he is, in fact, a traitor. There a *so* many different plot threads, but not once did it get overly complicated or difficult to follow. To be fair, I also thrive on stories like this especially when they weave such a tapestry of secrecy.

The backdrop to this is one of stark contrasts. Many of the common folk in Dellaire live in poverty while the court of the Sainted King live a lavish world of their own, with acres of grounds walled off from the rabble. They never have to be confronted by harsh realities and are literally surrounded by gilt, luxury, and excess. The wealthy openly take the poisons that get them a Mortem high while a commoner, or a poison runner like Lore, would be shipped off to the mines or executed. You can practically feel the tension building as the story progresses and then the ending gave serious “Let them eat cake” vibes. 

I loved that Lore is somewhat of an anti-hero – she was perfectly happy with her life of crime and was threatened into cooperation. My favorite part was hands down, the moment when she could make the righteous choice and literally acknowledged that she was selfish and wanted to live! Thank you – finally we get a character that chooses their life over heroism. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite books have characters that choose the “right” path and make tough sacrifices, but it’s refreshing to see a character, especially a female character, who says no to all that. I’m banking on a downward spiral into proper villainy in the sequel, which will absolutely delight me.

I read The Foxglove King with gusto – I was so enthused about this book that I couldn’t wait until near the release date to pick it up. I totally binged this book and then foisted it onto my lone book loving buddy and insisted she read it as well, just so I could chat about it with someone. I hope my unabashed enthusiasm is enough to make you want to check this book out when it’s released in March 2023, though I feel like the synopsis alone (plus that gorgeous cover) should really catch plenty of attention.