Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

19 reviews

callistag1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Blood, and Drug use

Moderate: Genocide, Death, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Terminal illness, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail

mandersdraws's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I found this book absolutely gripping. It immediately grabbed me because the protagonist is an underworld spy (and with a terrible secret, my weakness as a reader lol), but slowly but surely Whitten sprinkled in world building and character tidbits that got me absolutely hooked. Characters feeling the pull of ancient magic. Lore seeing underneath Bastien’s princely facade. Gabriel stuck between his guilt, his sense of justice, and his desires. A mystery that revolves around the remnants of old gods. 
Simply put, I love this shit!! I read it twice, once with an audiobook and then again with an ebook. It got me theorizing and highlighting the text like I’m trying to solve a cryptogram. I don’t even mind the love triangle (though I do hope it manages to subvert some of the cliches and tropes we expect with love triangles) 
Edit: I’ve also read the sequel, Hemlock Queen, and I can’t wait for more! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Blood, Cursing, and Gore

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Murder, Drug abuse, and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Terminal illness, War, and Body shaming

Manipulation is a big theme of this book.

chaptermaggot's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Addiction

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, and War

manaledi's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book started slowly but had some interesting developments and I'm very curious to see where book two goes. A fairly hit you over the head with it religious imagery on themes like separation of church and state. I thought the poison element was interesting but wished mortem was laid out more clearly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, War, Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, and Grief

cdoubet's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Death, Torture, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Murder, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Violence, Confinement, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Genocide, Cursing, Grief, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

clairew97's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Vomit, Murder, Gore, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Child death, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, War, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Death of parent

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Toxic friendship

mattiedancer's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Writing: 4.25⭐️/5 

The writing was more than serviceable: it was woven into the narrative, supporting it without taking away from it. Several times while reading I found myself enthralled by the words themselves. At other times, the writing was sufficient, technically lacking nothing but in want of something more. 

Characters: 4.5⭐️/5

The characters were incredibly fun to read without feeling like caricatures. I loved Lore’s mind, loved to see her interact with her world in such a unique way. And, though the guard-and-prisoner-forced-together trope could feel tired, I appreciated the nuance that refreshed it. I liked reading about Gabe and his history. And our two male interests were distinct and individual, with Bastian, the King, contrasting strongly against Gabe. 

Plot: 5⭐️/5 

A spy born in the catacombs is traded to the King in exchange for a legal contract after she reveals herself as a deathwitch, a person who can manipulate the essence of death. How can you not love that plot? Or, at the very least, be enthralled by it. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this plot, and I eagerly await the sequel. 

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Fans of darker, but not dark, fantasy books
• Fans of love triangles
• Those looking for an interesting high fantasy read with a heavy focus on gods
• Fans of fantasy romances where the love interests are forced together
• Fans of an intriguing fantasy world

Content Warnings? 

• Drug abuse, murder, child death, death, death of parent, torture, blood, confinement, 

Post-Reading Rating:  4.75⭐️/5

I would like to see the next book please.

Final Rating: 4.5⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Violence, and War

hal00alex's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It does necromancy very well. The spy stuff not so much. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Vomit, Drug use, Death, Child death, and Classism

camiclarkbooks's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I loved Hannah Whitten’s “For the Throne,” so I was very excited to read “Foxglove King.” Now that I’ve read it, I’m feeling kind of let down. 

It was long…too long, in my opinion. There was some repetition of story beats that felt unnecessary, like they had been added just to lengthen the book. By the 70% point, I was just trying to power through and couldn’t give an accurate summary. 

All I kept thinking through the book was, “this is ‘Serpent and Dove’ but in a palace and with a lot more dead people.” And I stand by that. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Abandonment, Blood, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Death

Minor: War, Murder, Cursing, Alcohol, and Death of parent