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A review by bittennailbooks
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The truth is a wound as often as it is a comfort." For fans of dark garden magic, love triangles, and gods behaving badly.
Hannah Whitten weaves another lush, romantic, and gloomy installment in her "Nightshade Crown" trilogy with "The Hemlock Queen." We return to the Kingdom of Dellaire with Lore in a state of catatonic shock as she sits on the throne as the appointed court witch to the new king Bastian. With Bastian's corrupt father dead and the traitorous Priest nowhere to be seen, Gabe is thrust into the high priest's station with a grudge to hold as the love triangle unfolds between our protagonists. With the usurpation of the throne, impending war is brewing on the outskirts of the kingdom. Bastian offers Lore what she has always wanted: stability, but as the new high queen. Her heart pulled in two different directions, a voice creeping into the back of her mind, and no one left to truly trust, "The Hemlock Queen" keeps its breakneck speed from start to finish.
I was initially worried I would struggle to settle back into this world as "The Foxglove King" was one of the first major publishing ARCs I had ever received many eons ago. Luckily, Whitten has thought of just about everything and injects enough of the previous lore into this installment to make it an easy transition back into this cutthroat world. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and never felt settled for very long. The atmosphere is lush and deep, with a magic system that entwines itself with religious dogma. It is irresistible and sexy while also maintaining Whitten's fantasy roots in a well-thought-out world. Some convenient plot points, but otherwise a fantastic addition to the series. It's been exciting watching Whitten grow as a writer, and I look forward to seeing how this novel ends.
Will Whitten walk out of our dreams with a why-choose romance? We can only hope. 4.5/5 stars.
Hannah Whitten weaves another lush, romantic, and gloomy installment in her "Nightshade Crown" trilogy with "The Hemlock Queen." We return to the Kingdom of Dellaire with Lore in a state of catatonic shock as she sits on the throne as the appointed court witch to the new king Bastian. With Bastian's corrupt father dead and the traitorous Priest nowhere to be seen, Gabe is thrust into the high priest's station with a grudge to hold as the love triangle unfolds between our protagonists. With the usurpation of the throne, impending war is brewing on the outskirts of the kingdom. Bastian offers Lore what she has always wanted: stability, but as the new high queen. Her heart pulled in two different directions, a voice creeping into the back of her mind, and no one left to truly trust, "The Hemlock Queen" keeps its breakneck speed from start to finish.
I was initially worried I would struggle to settle back into this world as "The Foxglove King" was one of the first major publishing ARCs I had ever received many eons ago. Luckily, Whitten has thought of just about everything and injects enough of the previous lore into this installment to make it an easy transition back into this cutthroat world. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and never felt settled for very long. The atmosphere is lush and deep, with a magic system that entwines itself with religious dogma. It is irresistible and sexy while also maintaining Whitten's fantasy roots in a well-thought-out world. Some convenient plot points, but otherwise a fantastic addition to the series. It's been exciting watching Whitten grow as a writer, and I look forward to seeing how this novel ends.
Will Whitten walk out of our dreams with a why-choose romance? We can only hope. 4.5/5 stars.