She was past caring about lying, anyway. Lore was damned whether or not she kept her spiritual record spotless. Might as well lean into it. It was abrupt and unexpected enough for her to shudder, to shake off his hand in a motion that didn’t fit her soft, vulnerable narrative. She’d grown used to feeling this reaction to dead things—stone, metal, cloth. Corpses, when she couldn’t avoid them. It was natural to sense Mortem in something dead, no matter how unpleasant, and at this point she could hide her reaction, keep it contained. She’d had enough practice. Whitten debuts with a dark, dazzling reimagining of “Little Red Riding Hood.” The kingdom of Valleyda sits on the edge of the Wilderwood, a magic forest that holds the monsters of the Shadowlands at Continue reading »

It is clear that Whitten has thought about how her magic system would impact people’s behaviors and actions. I don’t want to get too deep into here (because, spoilers), but the magic system is deftly integrated into the court intrigue politics in a natural and organic way. The magic system doesn’t feel ham-fisted into the book just to have magic, but is central to the overall plot and class structure of the society. Hannah Whitten’s “The Foxglove King” — an immersive and captivating fantasy novel full of death magic and powerful dead gods — will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Fraught with angsty tension, razor-sharp wit, mind-blowing plot twists, and a love triangle that develops into a forbidden slow-burn romance, the first novel of Whitten’s “The Nightshade Crown” trilogy hits all the right notes. Lore raised a hand in greeting. Val took hold of her fingers and pulled her into a hug instead. “You keeping out of trouble, mouse?” The Foxglove King is beautifully written, lushly cinematic, unsettling, mysterious - an unputdownable story' Ali Hazelwood, New York Times -bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

At least you didn’t scream this time.” Michal took a long drink from her proffered mug, though his face twisted up when he swallowed. “No milk?”

Right now, her job was making sure the man she’d been living with for a year so she could spy on his boss didn’t get evicted. As the sun rose higher, the Harbor District slowly woke up—bundles of cloth stirred in dark corners, drunks coaxed awake by light and sea breeze. In the row house across the street, Lore heard the telltale sighs of Madam Brochfort’s girls starting their daily squabbles over who got the washtub first, and any minute now at least two straggling patrons would be politely but firmly escorted outside. Michal’s mouth found her throat, and she arched into him, closing her eyes tight. Her fingers clawed into his hair, and his arm cinched around her waist like he might lift her up, carry her to their mattress on the floor, make her forget that this was something finite. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think some aspects of the world-building were a bit confusing, on one hand, and overly familiar, on another. But it’s also clearly the start to a series, so both of these questions could be resolved in follow-up books. I do think the story lives and dies on the strength of its central three characters, and I, for one, was completely sold on them all. If you enjoy character-centric stories and want a more complex look at a love triangle, this is the fantasy novel for you!The Foxglove King is beautifully written, lushly cinematic, unsettling, mysterious – an unputdownable story’ Ali Hazelwood, New York Times-bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis 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.