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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.
MY THOUGHTS
The Foxglove King was one of my most highly anticipated novels
of 2023. While I haven’t read Whitten’s other work, I have heard of her books
which had mix reviews. Which gave me a bit of trepidation about starting The
Foxglove King. But I’m happy to say that The Foxglove King not only met my expectations
but also exceeded it. The Foxglove King had all the major tropes such as prophecies,
being the chosen one, political court intrigue and a love triangle. I don’t
mind tropes when they’re done well and all these tropes in The Foxglove King were tastefully done.
I thought the magic system and political structure in The Foxglove King were fascinating. There is no separation between church and state, they’re basically one entity that governs everyone and everything. In Dellaire there are two types of magic; mortem which is death magic and spiritum, life magic. Most of those sanctioned by the church wield mortem and while it’s said that the Sainted King descendants wield Spiritum, there is so far only one person gifted with the ability. Another interesting thing was poisons, Dellaire’s premier drug choice, it wasn't only prevalent in low society but also in the prestigious courts. The only difference was the rich could extend their life by drinking antidotes to counter act their addictions. I thought this was a clever and unique way to look at poisons. As I haven’t seen it done in any other book.
What made this book for me were the characters. I loved Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. Each character was memorable and well developed. There was so much depth to them, and I liked learning the backstory because it reinforces their person and the choices they made. Lore was a great lead; she may be flawed and scrappy but has a big heart. Gabe had the whole enigmatic brooding male lead down to a pat. I loved it! And Bastian was the court’s most beloved and handsome prince. He was the biggest surprise for me, but I won’t delve too much into it to keep it spoiler-free. While the overall plot of the novel is to solve a mystery there is a slow burn romance playing behind the scenes. I love that the author didn’t go full on out like most of the romantasy these days. The “spice level” is very mild and tamed. I like that it’s just enough to pique the reader’s curiosity and attention. Honestly more tasteful in my opinion. Plus, as a reader I read for character development not looking for graphic smut.
I very much enjoyed The Foxglove King and can’t wait to read the next book in the Nightshade Crown series. It’s been a few weeks since I finished the book and yet I think of the world and characters often. So much so, that it makes me want to do a reread…a feeling I don’t get often when I finish a novel. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy some of the tropes I mentioned above or if you like character driven stories and intriguing world building.
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