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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
Foxglove
by Adalyn Grace
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
If the baby fox doesn't come back in book 3, I'm suing.
Foxglove is the second book in the Belladonna trilogy, acting as a bridge between Signa's story and Blythe's. It does suffer a bit from second-book syndrome, but I still enjoyed reading it, and I'm glad I've finally decided to continue the series. Also, some of my struggles with this book might have been because of life circumstances, so if I reread it in the future, my rating might be a bit higher.
Immediately following the events of book one, Foxglove opens with a duke's murder, and Elijah Hawthorne is framed for it. Determined to prove Elijah's innocence and convinced that Fate - Death's mysterious brother with a grudge - might be able to help, Signa and Blythe entertain the games of entities much more powerful than they can fathom. Similar to book one, there's a mix of murder mystery and fantasy elements. Also, similar to book one, I didn't guess the murder mystery answer, although this time (even in hindsight), I'm not sure that there was a ton of foreshadowing. You could probably figure it out, but I didn't really have any guesses to begin with. I did call the other plot twist based on vibes, though, but I thought it was easier to predict. Pacing-wise, this felt a bit slow; it felt like a lot of conversations and not a ton of action until the very, very end. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I ever feel bored? Not really. But I also can't recall anything of note happening in the middle of the book. I was invested, but the stakes were also pretty low for Signa, so it was hard to feel the suspense as acutely as I could have. It's definitely meant as a transition between books 1 and 3, which is why I'm expecting it to be my least favorite of the series, but it's still enjoyable on its own in the gothic nature and murder mystery investigations.
Not gonna lie, Blythe and Fate kind of carried this book. Both Signa and Blythe have POVs, but Signa's is more important. I enjoyed seeing Signa explore her past and her powers more, especially in relation to Death and Fate, though I did think she was overly kind and passive at times, so I almost think she would make a better side character than protagonist. Her relationship with Blythe reminded me a bit of Scarlett and Tella from the Caraval series. I also still am not a huge fan of Death, but it's just because he's boring? He's kind of generic, which is a weird thing to say about Death, but he's just a basic book dude, and I don't feel like he actually cares much for Signa besides the general overprotectiveness. Fate and Blythe were more entertaining, in my opinion. Blythe is more fiery than Signa, and I think she had a greater motivation/higher stakes, which made her more intriguing to follow. I like Fate more than Death, but he still has room to grow. The dynamics between Blythe and Fate reminded me of Evangeline and Jacks from OUABH, so I guess I'm getting Stephanie Garber vibes all around (and that's a good thing).
Foxglove may be a transition book in the Belladonna trilogy, but it's still a worthwhile and enjoyable read, and it's a great example of why fantasy mystery is one of the best mixed genres.
3.5/5
Foxglove is the second book in the Belladonna trilogy, acting as a bridge between Signa's story and Blythe's. It does suffer a bit from second-book syndrome, but I still enjoyed reading it, and I'm glad I've finally decided to continue the series. Also, some of my struggles with this book might have been because of life circumstances, so if I reread it in the future, my rating might be a bit higher.
Immediately following the events of book one, Foxglove opens with a duke's murder, and Elijah Hawthorne is framed for it. Determined to prove Elijah's innocence and convinced that Fate - Death's mysterious brother with a grudge - might be able to help, Signa and Blythe entertain the games of entities much more powerful than they can fathom. Similar to book one, there's a mix of murder mystery and fantasy elements. Also, similar to book one, I didn't guess the murder mystery answer, although this time (even in hindsight), I'm not sure that there was a ton of foreshadowing. You could probably figure it out, but I didn't really have any guesses to begin with. I did call the other plot twist based on vibes, though, but I thought it was easier to predict. Pacing-wise, this felt a bit slow; it felt like a lot of conversations and not a ton of action until the very, very end. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I ever feel bored? Not really. But I also can't recall anything of note happening in the middle of the book. I was invested, but the stakes were also pretty low for Signa, so it was hard to feel the suspense as acutely as I could have. It's definitely meant as a transition between books 1 and 3, which is why I'm expecting it to be my least favorite of the series, but it's still enjoyable on its own in the gothic nature and murder mystery investigations.
Not gonna lie, Blythe and Fate kind of carried this book. Both Signa and Blythe have POVs, but Signa's is more important. I enjoyed seeing Signa explore her past and her powers more, especially in relation to Death and Fate, though I did think she was overly kind and passive at times, so I almost think she would make a better side character than protagonist. Her relationship with Blythe reminded me a bit of Scarlett and Tella from the Caraval series. I also still am not a huge fan of Death, but it's just because he's boring? He's kind of generic, which is a weird thing to say about Death, but he's just a basic book dude, and I don't feel like he actually cares much for Signa besides the general overprotectiveness. Fate and Blythe were more entertaining, in my opinion. Blythe is more fiery than Signa, and I think she had a greater motivation/higher stakes, which made her more intriguing to follow. I like Fate more than Death, but he still has room to grow. The dynamics between Blythe and Fate reminded me of Evangeline and Jacks from OUABH, so I guess I'm getting Stephanie Garber vibes all around (and that's a good thing).
Foxglove may be a transition book in the Belladonna trilogy, but it's still a worthwhile and enjoyable read, and it's a great example of why fantasy mystery is one of the best mixed genres.
3.5/5