Title: The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown #1) 
Author: Hannah Whitten
Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publication Date: December 2023
Format: Paperback
Length:  446 pages

Read if you like: forbidden magic, court politics, love triangles, political machinations, necromancy-based magic, political and religious corruption

Rating: 

So many of my reads lately have been because I grabbed something off of a clearance rack, and The Foxglove King was one of those picks. The premise of a necromancy based magic system sounded super interesting to me and I’m so glad I picked it up, because I ended up absolutely loving it.

The Foxglove King had some familiar tropes, but I felt like the execution of the story still felt unique. The character development was also top notch and it had one of the only love triangles that I think I’ve ever truly loved in a book. 

I’m so happy that I stumbled upon this book. My full review about how much I enjoyed this story follows below. 

The Synopsis: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

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.

The Review

Oh my goodness what a fantastic start to a series. 

I loved the premise. It combined so many of my favourite elements in a fantasy, including a court system, a range of gods, and an intricate religious system, which was particularly intricate and interesting to see unfold. While these were largely familiar tropes, Whitten crafted such an engaging narrative that combined with the necromancy weaved in, the story still felt like a unique take. I was completely enthralled with this world and eager to continue reading every time I picked it up.

I also loved how layered the plot was, it was meaty and well balanced with the romance, which is my preferred approach to a fantasy with romance. The foreshadowing throughout was also excellent and I had a few genuine surprises which kept me turning pages furiously. 

It’s possible this might be one of my favourite executions of a love triangle that I’ve ever seen as well. I’m generally not a huge fan of this in a story, but The Foxglove King was such an incredibly slow burn with masterfully drawn out dynamics that I couldn’t resist. By the end I was so desperate to see how things would work out with Lore and the men in her life. 

I truly enjoyed this book so much and felt like it was such a promising start to a fantasy series. I can’t wait to pick up the second book in this series (which I already own) sometime in early 2026.