In the aftermath of the death of King August, Dellaire now stands on a precipice. Emerging from the rubble of a fractured kingdom, Lore must guard her power over death magic further as the now King Bastian elevates her to his right hand. Beset by enemies from outside and within, with the Kirythean Empire growing in presence and their closest allies having all but abandoned them, Lore and Bastian fight to stay the course. But the disquiet Lore feels is only exacerbated by the strange behavior from Bastian and a voice in the dark that commands her attention. Things are not as concluded from the events preceding the fall of the former king and Lore is certain something darker is working to overtake them. Bastian has his own plans, of which Lore plays the part, but as the impending coronation looms and Bastian’s unsettling behavior grows, she’ll have to rely on secrets of her own to outsmart her enemies. Because the voice in the dark has a name, and it belongs to someone Lore had hoped would stay buried.
Betrayal, lies, and deadly secrets invigorate this poisonous sequel to the Foxglove King, as Lore battles a war within her own heart and a divine force intent on overtaking the entire kingdom. In this sequel, Hannah Whitten brings readers into a world on the verge of ruin, and the three people that could save it from its deadly fate. The Nightshade Crown trilogy is Whitten in her element, and that is clear from this astonishing sequel that hits just as hard regardless of whether you’d read it yesterday or several months ago. After the cataclysmic conclusion of the Foxglove King, I was firmly awaiting the return to this world and where this story would go. Suffice it to say, I was unprepared for the devastation to my heart, and to Whitten’s own characters.
The Hemlock Queen elevates the stakes of The Foxglove King, barbed with court politics and fraught dynamics between its core trio, now at odds. Still reeling from the events preceding King August’s death, Lore comes to terms with her new role and fights the cost of her own survival. Where the Foxglove King reaches out its claws, The Hemlock Queen develops a slow-building poison that gradually takes its deadly effect. Jumping into this sequel feels a little out of sorts at first, but I have a feeling that was because I had forgotten so much of what happened in the first book in the eight months since I had read it. That feeling passes as Whitten leans into the chaos and orchestrates her discordant symphony like a train wreck you cannot look away from. Though I was a huge fan of book one, it is the Hemlock Queen where the series really gains a foothold and all of the pieces laid in the Foxglove King begin to slot into place. With a slower pace, The Hemlock Queen takes its time to elevate the disquiet, the moves and counter moves its characters make in reaction to certain developments. The unsettling nature of the narrative feels prickly, like thorns barbed in skin – a feeling only heightened by the cold behavior from Bastian and the venomous court. Lore remains my favorite character in this series, her selfishness and her determination are the driving force behind everything and I love that so much. With all of the foreshadowing and angst layered in, I’m all the more scared for her in the forthcoming finale. The Hemlock Queen was nothing as I expected, but that alone is what makes it so devastating. Whitten bridges the world of gods and humans until they meet on a knife edge, where they remain until its heartwrenching conclusion. It’s safe to say Hannah Whitten knows how to write epic sequels. This twisted high fantasy trilogy continues to astonish and The Hemlock Queen shifts it from sensational to absolutely legendary.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Orbit Books for providing the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: gore, violence, parental abuse, alcohol consumption
Literaryrobin 