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A review by heartbrekker
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My favorite part of this book is the dynamic between the main characters and gods. I was so bored for about 50% of this book, but the gods actual entrance into the story made everything worth it. Lore, Bastien, and Gabe are in for a world of hurt because of their tie to gods. I loved that their fates are intertwined and that Hannah Whitten seems to have fully leaned into the trio. Honestly, the chapters in Nyxara’s POV are my favorite scenes out of this entire book because of the enhancement to world building.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been scared of stories where the leads lose their autonomy, typically mind control. It’s terrifying to me, but when done right, I’m okay with it. I had zero idea that this plot point would happen in this trilogy, and it completely changed my perception of the dynamics and plot. The horror, the angst, the impending doom—I felt it all for these characters. You want to help them, but they’re in a prison of their own making.
While the second half saved my enjoyment of this book, I can’t NOT talk about my issues with the first half. There’s a lot of talking, not doing. Lore is pretty much following all of what Bastien wants her to do. Readers start to realize something is amiss with Bastien early on into this book, but it’s still annoying to see Lore not fight back until she can’t ignore any longer. I think a couple chapters could’ve been removed so that we have the confrontation between Lore and “Bastien” sooner than nearly 60%. Lore is also isolated, both by her own choice and then “Bastien’s” planning, for a huge chunk of the first half. Her relationship with Alie (Gabe too but their bad relationship makes more sense) especially is nowhere near what it was and that felt very sudden and not in character. I wish miscommunication and mistrust hadn’t been the plot choice.
Overall, I’m VERY excited for this finale. Hannah Whitten does not miss when it comes to her endings, so I’m thinking the next book will be my favorite of the trilogy. Also, I’ll have my in-depth spoiler thoughts on review sites within the next few days.
Thank you to @orbitbooks_us for the ARC copy!
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been scared of stories where the leads lose their autonomy, typically mind control. It’s terrifying to me, but when done right, I’m okay with it. I had zero idea that this plot point would happen in this trilogy, and it completely changed my perception of the dynamics and plot. The horror, the angst, the impending doom—I felt it all for these characters. You want to help them, but they’re in a prison of their own making.
While the second half saved my enjoyment of this book, I can’t NOT talk about my issues with the first half. There’s a lot of talking, not doing. Lore is pretty much following all of what Bastien wants her to do. Readers start to realize something is amiss with Bastien early on into this book, but it’s still annoying to see Lore not fight back until she can’t ignore any longer. I think a couple chapters could’ve been removed so that we have the confrontation between Lore and “Bastien” sooner than nearly 60%. Lore is also isolated, both by her own choice and then “Bastien’s” planning, for a huge chunk of the first half. Her relationship with Alie (Gabe too but their bad relationship makes more sense) especially is nowhere near what it was and that felt very sudden and not in character. I wish miscommunication and mistrust hadn’t been the plot choice.
Overall, I’m VERY excited for this finale. Hannah Whitten does not miss when it comes to her endings, so I’m thinking the next book will be my favorite of the trilogy. Also, I’ll have my in-depth spoiler thoughts on review sites within the next few days.
Thank you to @orbitbooks_us for the ARC copy!