The Foxglove King, Hannah Whitten

About the Book

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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Releases March 7th

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My Thoughts

I honestly don’t know how to review this. I sat for a few hours after closing the book, notepad in hand, and I still don’t have the proper words.

This started as a bit of a slow read for me because there was a lot of world and character-building to get through. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. But once I got a feel of the world and to know Lore, Gabe, and Bastian, it was easier to become invested in them. I love how magic works in this world. How Lore wields Mortem is unique, and I enjoyed watching her discover her capabilities.

There’s a bit of a love triangle happening, with a “will they, won’t they,” but it’s not heavy and doesn’t take the book’s focus. I love that even though this is a book 1, we have a ‘happy for now’ ending, which I’m thrilled about. This book became such a fun read. Many thanks to Orbit Books for the ARC.

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